global glass onion: week ending Nov 8

Fed Governor Lisa Cook, in first policy speech since Trump suit, says she's undecided on Dec. rate cut -Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, in her first policy speech since President Donald Trump tried to remove her from office, said Monday that she supported the recent interest rate reduction and indicated she would be open to more.Since Trump made his move in August to sack Cook on accusations of mortgage fraud, she has kept a relatively low profile outside of the court battles that have kept her in her position at the central bank.In remarks before the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., the policymaker laid out her views on the economy and where she thinks monetary policy should land. Generally, she sees the economy as solid with risks to both the Fed's goals of low unemployment and stable inflation.Cook said she sided with the 10-2 vote on the Federal Open Market Committee to lower the central bank's benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, the second meeting in a row that saw a cut."I viewed that decision as appropriate, because I believe that the downside risks to employment are greater than the upside risks to inflation. I view the latest reduction in the fed funds rate as another gradual step toward normalization," she said.Trump has been blocked by courts from removing Cook in what has been seen as a pivotal issue for central bank independence. Though White House officials have said Cook lied in forms she filled out for federally guaranteed home mortgages, she has not been convicted of anything nor have any charges even been brought.Cook has cited "clerical errors" in the loan applications. She declined to comment on the matter during a question-and-answer session, saying "it would be inappropriate" while noting she is "beyond grateful" for the support she has received.In the meantime, she has continued her duties at the Fed, which lowered its key federal funds rate in September for the first time since December.As for the path going forward, Cook said she is sticking with a data-dependent position. FOMC officials in September indicated an additional cut is likely before the end of the year."As always, I determine my monetary policy stance each meeting based on the incoming data from a wide variety of sources, the evolution of my outlook, and the balance of risks," she said. "Every meeting, including December's, is a live meeting.""Certainly we want to see if tariff effects are persistent, to see if firms are waiting to raise prices, to see what they've done with inventory," she added. "So there's a lot to look at. There's a lot to anticipate with the December meeting coming up."Fed Chair Jerome Powell rattled markets during his Wednesday post-meeting news conference when he said the December cut is not a sure thing. Powell noted a wide dispersion of opinions on the committee, known more often for its consensus approach to policy."Looking ahead, policy is not on a predetermined path," Cook said, using what has become boilerplate language for Fed officials. "We are at a moment when risks to both sides of the dual mandate are elevated."On inflation, she said Trump's tariffs have not fully made their way through the economy. However, she said the most likely outcome is a "one-time increase" in prices not likely to fuel inflation over the longer term.

Fed's Cook strikes hawkish tone in rare appearance - In her first public appearance since President Trump moved to fire her from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Fed Gov. Lisa Cook reiterated her commitment to bringing inflation under 2% and said that the labor market remains "solid."

Fed's Hammack leans against more rate cuts because of high inflation (Reuters) - Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack said on Thursday ongoing high levels of inflation argue against the U.S. central bank cutting interest rates again. "I remain concerned about high inflation and believe policy should be leaning against it," Hammack said in the text of a speech to be delivered to an Economic Club of New York event. "After last week's meeting, I see monetary policy as barely restrictive, if at all, and it's not obvious to me that monetary policy should do more at this time." Hammack said the Fed continues to face inflation pressures that are above its target and that monetary policy is currently at a setting barely restrictive of economic momentum, which means it is not doing a lot to help push down price pressures that exceed the central bank's 2% target. She opposed the Fed's decision last week to cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to the 3.75%-4.00% range. The central bank still views inflation as too high, but many of its policymakers have become increasingly concerned about nascent signs of weakness in the job market, and hope to buoy that part of the economy by making the cost of short-term credit cheaper. Markets have been mulling the prospect of another rate cut at the central bank's December 9-10 meeting, although Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters last week in a press conference that such a move was not guaranteed. "Monetary policy should be mildly restrictive to return to our 2% inflation objective in a timely fashion while limiting the misses from maximum employment," Hammack said. She added that inflation should stand at 3% by the end of this year and then remain elevated through 2026 before slowly retreating back to desired levels. Hammack acknowledged issues with the labor market while cautioning that the unemployment rate still remains low. "Based on the slowing labor market, I expect the unemployment rate will tick up in coming months, ending this year just above its longer-run value," she said. "I do not currently put high odds on a labor market downturn. But subdued job growth may indicate more fragility in the labor market." Hammack also said financial markets are helping support the economy. "Financial conditions are quite accommodative, reflecting recent gains in equity prices and easy credit conditions," she said, adding that those conditions should help lift growth next year.

Fed's Goolsbee: lack of inflation data argues for going slow (Reuters) - Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee on Thursday said the lack of official data on inflation during the government shutdown "accentuates" his caution about cutting interest rates further. "I lean more to the, when it's foggy, let's just be a little careful and slow down" Goolsbee said in an interview with CNBC. Fed policymakers are relying on private data and their own surveys and outreach to gauge where the economy is heading while official economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other U.S. agencies is on pause during what is now a record-long federal government shutdown. After the Fed cut the policy rate last week for the second month in a row, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he feels the lack of government data could be a reason to slow down, as one does when "driving in the fog." Goolsbee said the Fed still has access to a range of private data on the state of the job market, including his own Fed bank's new biweekly estimate of the jobless rate, which on Thursday showed the unemployment rate likely edged up in October to 4.4%, the highest in four years. That estimate, and most of the other available labor market indicators, suggests there's "a lot of stability in the job market," Goolsbee said, adding, "if it starts to deteriorate on the job market side we're going to see that pretty much right away." There are far fewer sources of data on inflation outside of the official data, he said, and noted that just before the government stopped publishing economic data the statistics had shown an uptick in inflation. "If inflation starts to go wrong, we're not really going to get observations that show that," Goolsbee said. "That accentuates my caution of front-loading rate cuts and just assuming that the inflation that we've seen the last three months is going to go away."

Fed's Jefferson urges proceeding 'slowly' with monetary policy - Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said that as interest rates have moved toward a more neutral level, "it makes sense" now to proceed with caution.

Fed's Miran: Stablecoin uptake bolsters case for rate cuts -- Federal Reserve Gov. Stephan Miran gave his first speech on stablecoins and cryptocurrencies, saying that the increased use of stablecoin in the economy will necessitate a lowering of interest rates. Speaking at an event sponsored by Bloccelerate VC at the Harvard Club in New York City Friday afternoon, Miran — one of the chief architects of President Donald Trump's trade policies — said stablecoins may become "a multitrillion-dollar elephant in the room for central bankers." Federal Reserve Board Gov. Stephen Miran said the growth of stablecoins and cryptocurrencies will likely impact monetary policy and could lead to lower interest rates.

What's at Stake: President Donald Trump has been pressuring the central bank to lower interest rates for months.
Forward Look: Miran, who is on leave from his position as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers while serving at the Fed, is Trump's first pick in his second term to join the Federal Reserve Board.
Expert Quote: Miran said crypto "is a force to be reckoned with," but he declined to say whether current changes constitute a "new industrial revolution."

Fed Balance Sheet QT: -$14 Billion in October, -$2.39 Trillion from Peak, to $6.57 Trillion, Standing Repo Facility Back to Zero --By Wolf Richter -QT ends on December 1, but until then, it continues. The QT assets of Treasury securities and MBS declined by $20 billion combined in October, as per the Fed’s weekly balance sheet today. In addition Unamortized Premiums declined by $2 billion, for a total of $22 billion. The SRF had a zero balance, same as the month before, as the turmoil last week has settled down. But “other assets,” rose by $8 billion due to accrued Interest, an accounting entry that has been flipping up and down on a quarterly cycle within the same range for five years (more in a moment). All combined, the total balance sheet declined by $14 billion (-$22 billion +$8 billion) to $6.57 trillion. Since the peak of its balance sheet in April 2022, the Fed’s QT has shed $2.39 trillion, or 26.7% of its total assets. Since the reduced pace of QT began in June 2025, the balance sheet has declined on average by $20 billion per month. QT assets:

Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS): -$16 billion in October, -$670 billion (-24%) from the peak, to $2.07 trillion, where they’d first been in December 2021. Even after QT ends, MBS will continue to come off the balance sheet until they’re gone, and will be replaced by Treasury bills (mature in one year or less). The Fed holds only “agency” MBS that are guaranteed by the government (issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae), where the taxpayer would eat the losses when borrowers default on mortgages. MBS come off the balance sheet primarily via pass-through principal payments that holders receive when mortgages are paid off (mortgaged homes are sold, mortgages are refinanced) and as mortgage payments are made. But sales of existing homes have plunged and mortgage refinancing has also plunged, and far fewer mortgages got paid off, and passthrough principal payments to MBS holders have slowed to a trickle. As a result, ever since QT started, MBS have come off the Fed’s balance sheet at a pace that has been mostly in the range of $15-19 billion a month. The MBS runoff is no longer capped.
Treasury securities: -$4 billion in September, -$1.59 trillion (-27.4%) from the peak in June 2022, to $4.19 trillion. The $4 billion decline was in line with the $5 billion a month pace of QT for Treasuries, the difference being the inflation protection the Fed earned on its holdings of Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS), which is added to the principal of the TIPS, instead of being paid in cash.
Bank liquidity facilities:
- Standing Repo Facility (SRF) had a zero balance again, after the turmoil last week in the repo market, see below.
- Central Bank Liquidity Swaps ($0.0 billion)
- Discount Window: no change, balance at $7.1 billion.
The SRF: The Fed has been exhorting its approved 40 or so counterparties, all of them big banks or broker-dealers, to use its new SRF, implemented in July 2021, to borrow at it via repos overnight and to lend to the repo market overnight when yields in the repo market rise above the rate at the SRF (4.0% currently). Last week, there was turmoil in the repo market as month-end liquidity pressures met with the government shutdown, which caused the government’s checking account at the Fed, the TGA account, to swell with cash that wasn’t getting disbursed. And within a couple of weeks, this sucked $200 billion in liquidity out of reserves and money markets, and repo market yields began to spike. Banks stepped in and borrowed at the SRF and lent to the repo market to profit from the spread. On October 31, Friday, the SRF balance spiked to $50 billion. On Monday, that $50 billion got unwound, and banks took up a new $22 billion, which got unwound on Tuesday, and banks took up a new $5 billion in repos, which got unwound on Wednesday, and no repos were taken up on Wednesday and the balance was zero, as by then repo market rates had dropped well below the SRF rate, and today, the balance was also zero with no activity. And the repo market has calmed down. The SRF had done its job. I discussed this in detail on Tuesday, including charts of the repo market rates, here.
The Discount Window: Essentially no change in October, at $7 billion. The Fed has been exhorting banks to use its Discount Window, or at least get set up to use it and pre-position collateral so that they can use it to help manage their daily liquidity needs.
“Unamortized premiums”: –$2 billion in October, to $228 billion. With these regular accounting entries, the Fed writes off the premium over face value it had to pay for bonds during QE that had been issued earlier with higher coupon interest rates and that had gained value as yields dropped before the Fed bought them. Like all institutional bondholders, the Fed amortizes that premium over the life of the bond.
“Other assets”: +$8 billion to $44 billion. This $8 billion consisted mostly of accrued interest from its bond holdings.

Bankers back fed independence as SCOTUS mulls removability -- A new survey of bank executives shows strong support for insulating the Federal Reserve from political interference and durable resistance to expanding presidential power over its officials. A survey of bank executives conducted by fintech firm IntraFi found that an overwhelming majority of respondents think Federal Reserve Governors should only be removed by the president in cases of proven misconduct.

Key insight: Bankers overwhelmingly oppose broader presidential interference in the Fed.
Supporting data: 88% favor removal only 'for proven cause'; just 4% back absolute power.
Forward look: The Supreme Court's 2026 ruling on Trump's bid to oust Lisa Cook could shape executive limits for decades.

Trump throws 'Gatsby'-themed gala as SNAP benefits expire -- I hope everyone had a good Halloween. The president certainly did — he spent his weekend throwing a Great Gatsby–themed party at Mar-a-Lago. Now, “The Great Gatsby,” for those who might’ve missed the symbolism in high-school English, is a story about excess, illusion and the moral decay behind wealth. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of the rich: “They were careless people … they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness … and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” So the question is, was this Gatsby theme a deliberate metaphor, or just completely tone-deaf? Because while guests sipped champagne under chandeliers, millions of Americans were losing SNAP benefits amid one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history. And it doesn’t stop at the costume party. The White House is collecting money for a new Trump ballroom — a $300 million project — offering wealthy donors the chance to stay anonymous, even when their companies have business before his administration, according to The New York Times. The optics are grim. Major health care firms seeking Medicare favors, Wall Street powerhouses looking for trade advantages, even Nvidia’s CEO admitted donating to the project. The message is loud and clear: loyalty gets rewarded behind closed doors. Ethics experts have raised concerns about these donations, noting they could lead to special treatment for donors, or even test federal prohibitions on agencies accepting private gifts. Trump insists the ballroom is “apolitical” and that he’ll contribute his own money — but the secrecy surrounding certain donors only deepens suspicion. Meanwhile, a new Yahoo/YouGov poll shows 60 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, and only a third approve. The country is struggling, and yet, the president is hosting Gatsby-style galas. California Gov. Gavin Newsom weighed in on X, writing: “Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsby party while SNAP benefits were about to disappear for 42 million Americans. He does not give a damn about you.” Trump once built his brand by connecting with voters, promising to shake up Washington and level the playing field. But now? He’s building a ballroom instead of rebuilding that bond. Because when you spend your weekend partying in your own marble palace while people skip meals — and when you take favors from the rich to fund your personal projects — you don’t just lose trust. You prove you never understood who you were talking to in the first place.

Sen. John Thune 'optimistic' shutdown may end this week, eyes longer stopgap Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on Monday that he is “optimistic” lawmakers can strike a deal to reopen the government by the end of the week, and he is considering a stopgap spending bill into January or later as the proposed late-November date in the House-passed bill is no longer feasible. The GOP leader told reporters that while he isn’t “confident” about the shutdown ending, he was more upbeat as talks continued among a bipartisan group of rank-and-file lawmakers through the weekend toward a potential resolution. “Based on my gut and how these things operate, I think we’re getting close to an off-ramp,” Thune said at the Capitol. “The objective here is to try and get something that we could send back to the House that would open up the government.” Among the items on the table for a potential deal are a commitment on a path forward on the regular appropriations process and a potential vote on a bill to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies by a specific date. But one thing Thune said is certain is that any stopgap bill will have to include a new funding date. The package the Senate has voted on more than a dozen times would extend funding through Nov. 21, but time to determine how to fund the government beyond that date is quickly growing short. “The date’s going to have to change. … That date’s lost,” Thune said, noting that there’s not enough time to pass full-year spending measures in that time and that a continuing resolution lasting into January would make more sense. “The longer runway is better,” he added. The leader noted that Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, among other places, are also a hurdle that lawmakers believe must be cleared in order to strike a deal, saying that it “seems like that matters.” He also kept the door open to scrapping the planned weeklong recess set for next week if no deal materializes this week. “I think we have to leave all options on the table,” Thune said, pointing to the bipartisan talks that lasted through the weekend. “Hopefully that will bring about the desired result, but if we don’t start seeing some progress or some evidence of that by at least the middle of this week, it’s hard to see how we would finish anything by the end of the week.”

USDA tells grocery stores: No special discounts for SNAP recipients -The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) emailed grocery stores prohibiting them from offering discounts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients amid the government shutdown. The email, shared Sunday by MSNBC’s Catherine Rampell to social platform X, said that grocery stores “must offer eligible goods at the same prices and on the same terms and conditions” to SNAP recipients. National Grocers Association (NGA) Vice President David Cutler confirmed to The Hill Monday that the email was sent to grocers. The NGA represents more than 21,000 independent grocery stores around the country. The Sunday notice states that unless a store has a waiver allowing it to bypass the program’s equal treatment requirement, “offering discounts or services only to SNAP paying customers is a SNAP violation.” A spokesperson for the NGA added that independent grocers around the country “remain committed to serving all customers with fairness and integrity” during the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1. “Independent grocers understand the importance of SNAP in helping families access nutritious food and are following all federal guidance to ensure every customer is treated equally,” the spokesperson added. “Our members continue to uphold the highest standards of customer service while keeping their communities fed during this challenging time.” On Monday, Trump administration officials told a federal judge in Rhode Island that it would provide partial SNAP benefits for November via a $4.65 billion contingency fund. Two federal judges had ordered the administration to do so Friday.November SNAP benefits for more than 40 million recipients are estimated to cost more than $9 billion. The judges said Friday that the USDA could tap into other sources to cover the remaining benefits, such as its Section 32 Child Nutrition fund.However, the administration said Monday that doing so would be “an unacceptable risk.” “Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP,” Patrick Penn, who oversees the SNAP program, wrote in a sworn declaration.

Government shutdown updates: Senate fails for 14th time to advance government funding bill - Now in its 35th day, the U.S. government shutdown has tied the record for the longest-ever closure of the federal government, matching the duration of a closure that began in December 2018, during President Donald Trump's first term. Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain at a stalemate on finding a government funding solution. Meanwhile, the shutdown impacts are mounting as SNAP funding ran dry over the weekend and flights are delayed around the country amid air traffic controller shortages. The bill failed to advance by a vote of 54-44. It would have needed 60 votes to advance. As has been the case in previous votes, Sen. Rand Paul was the lone Republican to vote against the bill. Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman, and Independent Angus King voted for it. No senators changed their position from previous votes. The failed vote all but guarantees that this shutdown will become the longest in U.S. history, as there are currently no other votes on reopening the government set for today and the shutdown record will be set tomorrow.

November SNAP will be partially funded, but benefits could take weeks or months. Why?– The Trump administration announced Monday that food assistance would be partially funded in November following two judges’ rulings to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running. But despite Monday’s announcement, benefits could still be delayed weeks or even months. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, plans to use a $4.65-billion emergency fund to get November benefits up and running again. However, the emergency fund isn’t enough to cover SNAP benefits in full, which cost about $8 billion monthly. The USDA said in court on Monday it only has enough money to provide beneficiaries’ with half of their normal monthly allotment. That leaves SNAP recipients – about 1 in 8 Americans – still uncertain of what will happen once the fund runs dry after November. It also leaves a lot of questions for the near-term. The USDA didn’t release the funds before the Nov. 1 deadline, leaving benefits for millions of people delayed already. While SNAP is federally funded, it’s administered by state agencies. Those agencies were still waiting on instructions Monday afternoon on how to move forward in calculating the partial per-household benefit. It also takes time to reload the debit cards SNAP recipients use to buy groceries. The process takes up to two weeks in some states. But the USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. It’s also not clear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive once the money does come through. Every state is handling things differently, and some have decided to tap into their own emergency funds to reload EBT cards. SNAP deadline: What happens to unused benefits on your EBT card after Nov. 1? New Mexico and Rhode Island officials said Monday that some SNAP beneficiaries received funds over the weekend from their emergency programs. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that their benefits won’t be available until at least Nov. 7. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference that it would take his state about a week to load benefit cards once the funding is made available. “These are folks who are hungry, and every day matters,” Bonta said. Prior to the court rulings, which came down on Friday, the agency had said it would not be using the contingency fund, and that no new benefits would be issued after Nov. 1 as the government shutdown dragged on. On Monday afternoon the USDA’s website still had a message blaming Democrats for the shutdown and subsequent lapse in SNAP funding.

House lawmakers propose temporary ObamaCare subsidy extension - A quartet of bipartisan House lawmakers on Monday proposed a framework to temporarily extend ObamaCare’s enhanced tax credits that includes a sunset period and an income cap for high earners. The “statement of principles” from centrist Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) represents the only public proposal from either side to address the subsidies since the government shut down more than a month ago. Democrats insist any deal to end the shutdown must include an extension of the enhanced subsidies, which expire at the end of the year. They accuse Republicans of having no interest in an extension and not caring about the cost to consumers. Republicans say any health negotiations will happen after the government is open, though many admit they don’t want an extension because they say the tax credits mask the underlying failure of ObamaCare. Moderate Republicans have been growing impatient with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for keeping the House out of session since September and refusing to entertain the prospect of a subsidy extension until Democrats vote for the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government. Some vulnerable Republicans and moderate Democrats released legislation for a one-year extension of the tax credits in September. The latest plan could be a sign that lawmakers are starting to look for an off-ramp out of the stalemate, though there’s no indication that leadership on either side backs the framework. “Congress is gridlocked, and too many Americans have lost faith that we can work together. But here’s the truth: Democrats and Republicans can sit down, listen to one another, and find common ground, especially when it comes to lowering health care costs,” Bacon, Suozzi, Hurd and Gottheimer said in a statement.

Democrats divided over cutting deal to end shutdown -- Senate Democrats are divided over whether Republicans have offered enough to reach a deal to end the government shutdown this week. Several centrist Democrats are signaling to their Republican colleagues that an agreement could be reached in the next few days. But other Senate Democrats warn that reopening the government without a real concession from President Trump on extending the expiring health insurance premium subsidies — or at least a stronger gesture of good faith from the president — would be a big mistake. Democrats are getting closer with Republicans on an agreement to put the regular appropriations process back on track, a strong Democratic priority, but the two sides haven’t made much progress on rising health care costs, the biggest sticking point. Senate Republican negotiators said Monday that the talks could be on the cusp of reaching a deal, but some centrist Democrats warn that Trump’s failure to show serious interest in the health care issue is raising a red flag. “I do believe we are finally making progress. It’s too soon to declare that this nightmare of a shutdown is over but I’m very cautiously hopeful that it will be resolved by the end of this week,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters as she left the Capitol Monday evening. “There’s more specificity in what’s being sought and in addition I get the impression that for some Democrats waiting until after [Tuesday’s] election is an issue,” she said. She said Democrats are facing “the reality of people losing food stamps toward the middle of the month and of women with infants not being able to get money from the WIC program and low-income individuals losing access to vital heating assistance.” Collins said she wants the Senate to advance a new stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would fund the government through Dec. 19, an acknowledgement that the end-date of the House-passed CR, Nov. 21, is now less than three weeks away. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday also indicated he was looking for a longer timeframe for a CR, likely into January. Senate Republicans need at least eight votes to reopen the government. So far they’ve only had support from three members of the Democratic caucus: Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), a key player in the talks among moderate Democrats to reopen the government, said the discussions are making more progress than a few days ago, and highlighted bipartisan support on the Senate Appropriations Committee for advancing the 2026 spending bills. “We’re trying to figure out a way to open the government and accomplish the things we want to accomplish. We’re going to keep doing that,” he said. “I’d say there’s progress being made. I’ll leave it at that.”

8 Democrats at center of potential deal to end government shutdown this week - At least eight moderate Senate Democrats are meeting in hopes of finding a deal to end the monthlong government shutdown, but sources familiar with the closely held conversations say they will need strong assurances from the GOP before voting to reopen the government. The eight Democrats, who include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Jon Ossoff (Ga.), the latter a top Republican target in 2026, will need to feel comfortable with whatever is offered by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and they may need to hear from President Trump himself, sources told The Hill. The group huddled in the Capitol basement during votes Thursday in an attempt to put themselves in a position to end the shutdown before the scheduled Veterans Day recess. “Bipartisan conversations are continuing, and that’s a good sign,” Ossoff told The Hill. Asked how optimistic he was of reaching a deal this week, Ossoff, who voted earlier this month to pay essential federal workers during the shutdown, said, “We need a resolution that does right by our constituents.” “My constituents don’t want their health insurance premiums to skyrocket. They want the government reopened,” he said. “It’s good that bipartisan conversations are continuing.” The senators viewed as most likely to vote for a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government are Shaheen, Ossoff and Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). The eight lawmakers were spotted emerging from a meeting in a Capitol hideaway Thursday before the Senate adjourned for the week, and some of them, including Shaheen and Kelly, said they wanted the chamber to stay in session over the weekend to get the deal done. Along with Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Angus King (I-Maine), they would be able to provide more than enough votes to reopen federal departments and agencies this week. Fetterman, Cortez Masto and King have voted repeatedly for a House-passed bill to fund the government through Nov. 21. A Democratic senator who requested anonymity to comment on the prospect of a deal this week said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is eager to end the shutdown after funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits expired and the open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace started Saturday. “They don’t want to go through another week with federal employees not getting paid and the food banks being shut off,” said the Democratic lawmaker, referring to Democratic colleagues eager to reopen the government later this week. The senator said Schumer, who is under intense pressure from the party’s liberal base not to capitulate to Republicans, won’t vote for the House-passed bill to reopen the government. but he’s not going to crack down on moderate colleagues who change their positions and vote for it.

How Democrats, Republicans could end government shutdown and save face - Voices in both parties say Democrats and Republicans alike are looking for a deal that would allow them to save face while ending a shutdown that’s causing increasing pain to Americans across the country. The difficulty is finding a sweet spot that reopens the government and allows both sides to walk away telling their bases — with a straight face — that they won. There is no obvious solution, and it’s anyone’s guess what the exact compromise will look like. But lawmakers, strategists and other political experts say there are two ingredients crucial to a deal: President Trump, and ObamaCare subsidies. The enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been the central sticking point throughout the monthlong shutdown, and both parties have staked out public positions that have, so far, been immovable. Republicans say they won’t negotiate an extension of the expiring subsidies — the key Democratic demand — before the Democrats help reopen the government. Democrats say they won’t help reopen the government until the Republicans negotiate on health care. Neither side has given an inch in the month since the government shut its doors — and leaders of both sides publicly insist that they won’t. The way out of the impasse will require a delicate dance, but experts say there are at least a couple of options to pursue without either side appearing to cave. The first involves a commitment from Trump, who’s been on the sidelines of the debate, to sit down with a select group of Democrats on a specific date to negotiate a deal to extend the ACA subsidies in some form. In return, Democrats would agree to open up the government by supporting the “clean” Republican spending bill that’s been wallowing in the Senate for more than four weeks. “Everybody will claim victory,” said a Democratic strategist who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic. “Republicans will say, ‘Well, I’m glad they got their senses knocked into them.’ And they’ll be able to claim, ‘We never gave in; we said we would negotiate if they opened up the government,’” the source continued. “We’ll be able to say, ‘We finally got his attention after he’s out in Asia, and he’s going to sit down. He’s going to bring in everybody.’ “As long as the president says yes, I think that would be where everybody saves face.” Democratic congressional leaders — Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) — have said they simply don’t trust Trump and the Republicans to make good on any future commitments to prop up the ACA, which the president sought to repeal in his first term. Trump recently slammed the ACA as a “disaster” in a Truth Social post and demanded that Democrats “do something” ahead of a rise in health insurance premium costs. A second option to break the impasse would involve Republicans promising an up or down vote — not just negotiations — on extending the ACA subsidies in return for Democrats’ help in ending the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had floated that strategy in the middle of last month. Democrats rejected it, saying they wanted a firmer commitment that the ACA reforms demanded by Republicans did not erode patient benefits. But some are eager to return to that approach as a condition of ending the shutdown — if the promised vote extends to the House and has Trump’s support. “Thune said, ‘OK, we’ll guarantee a vote. We can’t guarantee that we’ll win it or lose it.’ Fine,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the former House majority leader. “Now, they can’t guarantee us a vote just in the Senate,” he added. “They’ve got to guarantee us a vote in the House, as well. Because I think we’ll win both votes.” If Republicans renege, Democrats could shutter the government again at the next budget deadline, whenever it arrives. The expiring ACA subsidies are posing a dilemma for GOP leaders, who are being squeezed between moderate Republican front-liners pushing to extend the benefits — and prevent premiums from skyrocketing next year ahead of the midterms — and conservative ObamaCare critics who want the tax credits to sunset altogether. Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have both criticized the ACA subsidies — and ObamaCare more broadly — as inefficient and ineffective. They say they’re willing to address the expiring tax credits only if the law is overhauled. “If you look at it objectively, you know that it is subsidizing bad policy,” Johnson said this week. “We’re throwing good money at a bad, broken system, and so it needs real reforms.” After weeks on the sidelines, Trump dove into the shutdown debate Thursday, but not in the way many GOP lawmakers wanted. Just hours after returning from a long trip to Asia, the president urged Thune and Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold the minority Democrats are using to block the Republicans’ stopgap spending bill. “It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. The proposal was quickly rejected by a number of Republicans in the Capitol, including Johnson, who warned it would come back to haunt the GOP whenever Democrats take control of the upper chamber. “The filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard,” Johnson told reporters. “If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it.”

Senate GOP blocks Dem effort to fund SNAP - Senate Republicans nixed an attempt by Democrats to fully fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on Monday after those funds dried up over the weekend amid the government shutdown. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) attempted to pass a resolution via unanimous consent on Wednesday that would fund the program amid the shutdown, which is on the verge of becoming the longest in U.S. history. Specifically, his measure would have forced the Department of Agriculture to fund SNAP benefits for the month of November to the tune of $8 billion. However, that effort was nixed by Republicans as Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) objected, arguing that the simple way of ensuring those benefits go out to 42 million recipients is by reopening the government. “This isn’t lawmaking. It’s a political stunt by the Democrats. The resolution they’re offering is empty,” Barrasso said. “It is meaningless.” “Democrats knew their actions threatened food assistance. They were fully aware of it,” he added, noting multiple times that Democrats have voted against the spending bill 13 times. “If Democrats really wanted to help struggling families, they’d stop blocking a clean continuing resolution.” The Oregon Democrat pitched his measure while being flanked by a green placard that read: “Trump is weaponizing food for the sake of MAHA,” an acronym for “Make America Hungry Again.” “Let’s all together say ‘fund SNAP’ not weeks or months from now, but right now so America’s families … will benefit,” he said. The move comes on the heels of the Trump administration saying it would partially fund SNAP via a pocket of money at the Agriculture Department. That would cover $5 billion of those funds.

Head Start programs in danger after government shutdown funding lapse - Head Start, a free learning program for children from low-income families, is next on the chopping block as the government shutdown nears record length. More than 100 Head Start programs are in danger of closing soon or already shuttering some operations after funding didn’t come on a Saturday deadline. “There’s both the effect on young children and the effect on their parents and families and the broader community,” said Melissa Boteach, chief policy officer of Zero to Three. “This is high-quality early education that includes a lot of wrap-around services and early screening, all kinds of things that help kids to have the strongest possible start,” Boteach added. “It’s also a really important form of child care … You have a work commitment, and, all of a sudden, you’ve come to find out that because Congress has not opened the government, that you don’t have child care on Monday.” Nationwide, Head Start serves more than 750,000 children. Last year, the federal government provided $12 billion to the programs.That money was distributed to 1,600 different grant recipients nationwide, and the programs have different start dates for funding, rotating the first of each month across all 12 months. In October, which was the first month for the shutdown, only 6 programs were impacted. But for November, another 134 Head Start programs lost funding.

Federal energy aid goes dark with heating bills set to rise - The government shutdown is delaying federal assistance that helps 6 million households pay energy bills — just as winter weather threatens to push those bills higher. This is around the time the Department of Health and Human Services would typically send states most of its funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. But the Trump administration isn’t making those payments, so states are scrambling to fill the gap, which could force tough decisions for households that rely on the money to keep the power on. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, said it would likely take four weeks once the government reopens to get LIHEAP funds moving again — “if everything goes well.” “That delay puts a significant wrench in the works,” Wolfe said in an interview. “People will suffer from this.” The assistance delays come as rising electricity prices have emerged as a politically salient affordability issue. NAEDA has projected that the average household will pay $976 for home heating this winter, up from $907 just a year ago — an increase that outpaces inflation. The biggest increase, the group found, will be for homes that use electric heat, while those that use propane or heating oil could pay less. The American Gas Association has said in its own analysis that natural gas bills will be higher than last year due to colder weather but that Americans would spend about 8 percent less than they did in the comparable winter of 2022-2023. In a statement, HHS placed the blame for the funding freeze on the “Democrat-led shutdown” and said the administration is “committed to reopening the government for the American people.” Once the government reopens, the agency said its Administration for Children and Families “will work swiftly to administer annual awards.” Trump has repeatedly put LIHEAP in the crosshairs, despite promising on the campaign trail to tackle energy affordability. In April, HHS employees that administer LIHEAP were let go as part of broad layoffs at the agency, although one employee was temporarily rehired. Then the administration proposed eliminating LIHEAP entirely in its fiscal 2026 budget plan. That prompted bipartisan pushback on Capitol Hill, and both chambers have produced HHS spending bills that would increase LIHEAP funding.

A shutdown like no other - This government shutdown is on track to become the longest in U.S. history. It’s just one of the reasons this shutdown is unique. Unlike past administrations — including Democratic presidents and President Donald Trump in his first term — this White House has sought opportunities to advance its priorities even as other government work has ground to a halt.The Trump administration has pursued mass firings of federal employees, permitting of priority energy projects and rollbacks of climate regulations during the shutdown that’s poised to become the longest ever Tuesday night. At the same time, the administration said it would halt some of its work on renewable energy projects and sent home EPA staffers who work on greenhouse gas reporting and energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the Trump administration found some cash to pay the military but argued it didn’t have the legal authority to fund food-aid benefits. A federal judge Friday ordered the administration to use emergency funding for the food-aid SNAP program. The administration’s “scaled use” of this government shutdown as an “excuse to stop doing things that they don’t like” is a new tactic, said Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.The administration is also publicly blaming Democrats for the shutdown — including in banners on government agencies’ websites, videos shown to passengers in airports and in furloughed federal workers’ out-of-office messages.That “overt use of public resources to make political claims is entirely new,” Stier said.Also novel this time around is the administration’s push to fire thousands of federal employees during the shutdown. A federal judge has so far blocked the administration’s plans to permanently lay off workers during the shutdown.Critics of the administration have blasted the move to use the shutdown as a pretext for mass layoffs, which have not occurred during previous government shutdowns. White House budget director Russ Vought previously said it’s appropriate to keep up work on the administration’s priorities where he can during the shutdown. “If there are policy opportunities to downsize the scope of the federal government, we want to use those opportunities,” he said in an October interview on “The Charlie Kirk Show” podcast. “If I can only work on saving money, then I’m going to do everything I can to look for opportunities to downsize in areas where this administration has thought, this is our way towards a balanced budget.” The optics of the president’s travel and the White House’s remodeling moves have also made this shutdown different, according to government experts and former administration officials. Trump returned to the United States last week after a swing through Asia for a series of trade talks with world leaders. Earlier in October, Trump traveled to Egypt and Israel to celebrate a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. In November 1995, for example, then-President Bill Clinton canceled plans to head to Japan, announcing that Vice President Al Gore would go instead. “It was the president’s concern that the budget be resolved above all else,” one Clinton White House official told The New York Times of that trip cancellation. Then-President Barack Obama canceled planned stops on an Asia trip in 2013. “The president made this decision based on the difficulty in moving forward with foreign travel in the face of a shutdown, and his determination to continue pressing his case that Republicans should immediately allow a vote to reopen the government,” then-White House press secretary Jay Carney said at the time. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has spent the shutdown demolishing part of the White House to make room for a $300 million ballroom, a move that has sparked a backlash from critics but that the administration has defended as a welcome upgrade that’s being funded by outside donors.

Trump says no SNAP benefits will be paid amid shutdown - President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that the United States would not pay any SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, contradicting a court filing a day earlier by his administration. Trump said that the benefits, which help feed 42 million Americans, will resume only after Democrats in Congress agree to pass a stopgap funding bill that would reopen the government. The administration on Monday told a federal judge in Rhode Island that it would pay half of the costs of the SNAP benefits for November. Trump on Tuesday said in a Truth Social post, "SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden's disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly 'handed' to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!" The White House, when asked by CNBC for clarification on Trump's statement given the court filing Monday, said, "Refer you to the President's truth." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, at a briefing later, told reporters that "the administration is fully complying with the court order." Leavitt said she had spoken to Trump about his post, and added, "The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it's going to take some time to receive this money, because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position." "We are digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies, catastrophes, for war, and the president does not want to have to tap into this fund in the future, and that's what he was referring to in his Truth Social post," Leavitt said. She also said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had issued guidance on Tuesday to individual states about the amount of money being disbursed to SNAP recipients. The social media post came shortly after lawyers for plaintiffs in a court case challenging the administration's cessation of SNAP benefits told a federal judge in Rhode Island that the decision to pay partial benefits out of a contingency fund did not meet his prior order that any decision to make partial payments "cannot be arbitrary and capricious." The judge, Jack McConnell, had told the administration on Friday that it needed to pay SNAP benefits as soon as possible out of a contingency fund, and that is also needed to investigate whether other federal funds could be used to keep the program fully funded in the absence of a new appropriation by Congress.

Schumer And Jeffries Demand Meeting With Trump To End Record Gov't Shutdown With the election night sweep in hand, the Democrats reach out, hoping for bipartisan support... "We write to demand a bipartisan meeting of legislative leaders to end the GOP shutdown of the federal government and decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis. Democrats stand ready to meet with you face to face, anytime and anyplace," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a letter addressed to President Trump. This letter comes hours after the Washington Post reported that "a handful" of moderate Senate Democrats are ready to end the record government shutdown. Movement within the Democratic Party to reopen the government comes after last night's election victories, where leftists mostly won, including socialist Zohran Mamdani becoming New York City's next mayor. Latest Polymarket odds show just a 36% chance the government shutdown ends between Nov. 8 and Nov. 11.

US To Cut Flights By 10% At 40 Airports As Shutdown Persists - Air traffic at 40 major US airports will be cut by 10% starting Friday as travelers continue to face flight disruptions due to a spike in air traffic controller absences during what is now the longest government shutdown on record. During a Wednesday press briefing alongside the leader of the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said that the Federal Aviation Administration would begin reducing flights later this week to keep air travel safe as it contends with shutdown pain on top of a nationwide shortfall of about 2,000 air traffic controllers. The names of the 40 affected airports would be released on Thursday, FAA head Bryan Bedford said at the press conference with Duffy, who said the decision would be data-based. “This is not based on what airlines have more flights out of what location. This is about, ‘Where’s the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure?’” Duffy said. Duffy said the cuts were necessary to maintain air travel safety. Cuts to international flights hadn’t been discussed, although unless the shutdown situation changes, those too are likely. Bedford added that he sees the FAA restricting space launches as well. Airlines were expected to advise customers of changes to scheduled flights after Thursday’s announcement. The transportation secretary added that steps had already been taken to shore up its workforce — including offering cash bonuses to incentivise retirement-age controllers to continue working, and “surging” trainees at its academy. “The shutdown is having an impact on our ability to maintain those numbers and dent that 2,000 shortage that we have,” he added.

Senate to vote Friday on pathway to end government shutdown Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is set to hold a vote Friday with an eye toward ending the government shutdown. The GOP leader told lawmakers over a conference lunch that he will hold another vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that has failed to advance 14 times so far. This time, however, Thune is putting it on the floor with an eye toward amending it to attach a three-bill spending package — known as a minibus — that has been part of negotiations with Democrats, one Senate GOP aide said. The bill would also include a new end date of sometime in January, rather than Nov. 21 included in the House-passed measure. Also at the center of bipartisan negotiations has been a vote on the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. It is unclear what that commitment or vote would look like. The package is expected to take days to clear due to objections, potentially on both sides of the aisle. “We’ll find out how serious the Democrats are or not,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said after lunch. Whether enough Democrats jump on board to advance the measure is a real question, though. They were mum on how they would proceed following a lengthy caucus lunch Thursday. Numerous Senate Democrats told reporters that the party was unified — but declined to say what they were unified behind. Some indicated it was a continuation of their status quo posture. “It was a great discussion, and we’re unified that we want to bring down health care costs,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said. Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.), who has been part of the Democratic negotiating group, called the discussion the “best meeting we’ve had.” “Why? Because it was very productive … to getting us in the same direction,” he said. Democrats involved in the talks had indicated earlier in the day that they weren’t terribly optimistic about finding a resolution in short order. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), a prominent figure in the shutdown talks, said prior to lunch that he did not expect a bipartisan deal in the near-term. “No, I don’t think so,” Peters said when asked if lawmakers are close to ending of the shutdown. “We have to make sure we have a deal that we can get broad support for.” The Michigan Democrat also labeled Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) refusal to guarantee a vote to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies “a significant problem.”

Democrats block bill to pay federal employees during shutdown - Senate Democrats blocked a proposal by Republicans on Friday to pay all federal employees throughout the duration of the government shutdown. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) attempted to get unanimous consent to pass his legislation to pay federal workers — both those who are working and those who are furloughed — and military members as long as the impasse drags on. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) objected. “I’m concerned that Sen. Johnson’s bill still leaves too much discretion up to President Trump,” Peters explained during his objection. “There’s too much wiggle room for the administration to basically pick and choose which federal employees are paid and when,” he added. Johnson cried foul, noting he altered his bill “dramatically” in recent weeks in order to seek the support of Peters and other Democrats. He also noted scores of unions are backing the proposal. Live updates: Senate’s next shutdown move in limbo; The action also set off Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who was animated on the floor after the objection and lambasted Democrats for the move. “This is a straightforward approach that addresses that issue,” Thune said, his voice rising. “And everybody in this chamber who isn’t getting paid — I can’t believe people come down here and look these people in the eye when he’s saying right here we will pay them, not only for today but for tomorrow and the entire year, and we won’t allow them to be held hostage and be pawns in a political game in the future.” Peters has been a part of bipartisan negotiations, though those seemed to fall apart Thursday.

Democrats’ distrust of Donald Trump tanking government shutdown deal -Democratic support for a potential deal to reopen the government has crumbled because of deep mistrust among Senate Democrats over whether President Trump will act in good faith to extend health insurance subsidies or to stop firing federal workers. Senate Democrats rejected an emerging proposal Thursday to reopen the government that would have linked a stopgap funding bill known as a continuing resolution to three full-year appropriations bills funding military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch. Democratic senators discussed the proposal at lunch and concluded it did not include strong enough assurances that Trump and the Republican-controlled House would renew enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire in January. “You got a bunch of keys, and you’re trying to find the right key to fit a lock. We just have to have another key,” said a Democratic senator who attended the meeting. While Democratic senators on Thursday rejected the proposal hashed out by a group of centrists led by Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Angus King (I-Maine), they’re still looking for a way to end the shutdown soon.

John Thune eyes government shutdown vote after 'wheels came off' negotiations Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Friday that he is pushing for Democrats to “reengage” in bipartisan talks to end the shutdown after the “wheels fell off” when Democrats unified around a plan to push for more concessions. The two sides were closing in on a deal centered on a short-term spending measure with a “minibus” of three full-year spending bills attached and a future vote on a health care subsidy package in some form.However, those talks did a U-turn Thursday around lunchtime as Democratic negotiators sounded a sour note, followed by a show of unity across the conference to hold out for more wins in a potential deal.. “AlI know is that the pep rally they had a lunch yesterday evidently changed some minds. I thought we were on a track. We had given them everything they wanted — or had asked for — and at some point … they have to take yes for an answer,” Thune said Friday. “They were trending in that direction, and then yesterday, the wheels came off, so to speak,” he continued. “We are ready to engage when they are.” The upper chamber is expected to vote at some point Friday, but it’s not clear on what. Thune indicated to Senate Republicans on Thursday plans to vote on the House-passed spending bill with the intention of amending it if greenlit.

Schumer offers plan to end shutdown on Senate floor - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday offered a plan to end the government shutdown, headlined by a one-year extension of the enhanced health care tax credits and a short-term spending bill. “Democrats have said we must address the health care crisis, but Republicans have repeatedly said they won’t negotiate to lower the health care costs until the government reopens,” Schumer said on the floor, with other Democrats in the chamber. “So let’s find a path to honor both positions.” “We’d like to offer a simple proposal that would reopen the government and extend the ACA premium tax credits simultaneously, and then have the opportunity to start negotiating longer term solutions to health care costs. Let’s do all three.”

Senate GOP rips Democratic offer to end shutdown: ‘Nonstarter’ -- Senate Republicans are lambasting an offer by Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for one year as part of a deal to reopen the government, arguing there is little to no appetite for such an agreement. Multiple members of the Senate GOP were quick to pan the proposal — which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had offered on the Senate floor just hours earlier and which includes a short-term funding stopgap, an attached three-bill “minibus” and the extension of tax credits — as unserious. “It’s terrible,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who was on the way to a Senate GOP conference meeting to discuss the path forward. “The five largest health care companies in America have had a 1,000 percent increase in their stock prices since 2010. We’re flooding these people with money that’s creating inflation,” Graham continued. “The program is broken, and I’m not going to keep giving hundreds of billions of dollars to insurance companies.” Republicans have said throughout the shutdown they would only negotiate on health care after the government reopened. Democrats, meanwhile, had made extending the ACA subsidies their central ask. Schumer announced the proposal the day after bipartisan talks that had been ongoing this week fell apart. A group of moderate Democrats were nearing a deal with Republicans that included a stopgap spending bill, an attached minibus and a commitment to hold a vote on a bill to extend ACA subsidies by a certain date.

Republicans swat down Democratic offer to end shutdown as impasse continues into 38th day (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly swatted down a Democratic offer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, calling it a “nonstarter” as the partisan impasse over the shutdown continued into its 38th day. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer made the offer to reopen the government on Friday as Republicans have refused to negotiate on demands to extend health care subsidies. It was a much narrowed version of a broad proposal Democrats laid out a month ago to make the health tax credits permanent and reverse Medicaid cuts that Republicans enacted earlier this year. Schumer offered Republicans simultaneous votes to end the government shutdown and extend the expiring health care subsidies, along with a bipartisan committee to address Republican demands for changes to the Affordable Care Act. “All Republicans have to do is say yes,” Schumer said. But Republicans quickly said no, and Thune reiterated that they would not trade offers on health care until the government is reopened. “That’s what we’re going to negotiate once the government opens up,” Thune said after Schumer made his proposal on the floor. Thune said he thinks the offer is an indication that Democrats are “feeling the heat.” “I guess you could characterize that as progress,” he said. “But I just don’t think it gets anywhere close to what we need to do here.” Republicans met Friday afternoon with no resolution about steps forward. “We’re back to square one,” said Sen. John Kennedy, adding that he could not predict when the shutdown will end. Despite the stalemate, lawmakers in both parties were feeling increased urgency to reopen the government as airlines were forced to cut more than 1,000 flights, government workers remained unpaid and food aid was delayed for millions of people. Thune pleaded with Democrats as he opened the Senate on Friday to “end these weeks of misery.” It was unclear what may happen next. Thune was keeping the Senate in session over the weekend as a group of moderate Democrats worked on a possible compromise proposal. President Donald Trump called on the Senate to stay in town “until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown.” As leaders of the two parties disagreed, the small group of Democrats led by New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen continued to negotiate among themselves and with rank-and-file Republicans on a deal that would end the shutdown. The group has been discussing for weeks a vote for a series of bills that would pay for parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until December or January. The three annual spending bills that would likely be included are the product of bipartisan negotiations that have continued through the shutdown. But the contours of that agreement would only come with the promise of a future health care vote, rather than a guarantee that Affordable Care Act subsidies are extended by the end of the year. Many Democrats have said that’s unacceptable.

The federal government is still shut down. Here's what that means across the country -- The federal government remains shut down, in what is now the longest shutdown in U.S. history.Many federal workers have missed paychecks, including air traffic controllers, who are working unpaid. One air traffic controller is warning over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday season we could see "the worst day of travel in the history of flight" if the shutdown doesn't end soon.Meanwhile, the fate of federal food and nutrition benefits like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, previously known as food stamps, has been uncertain since they expired on Saturday. On Monday, the Trump administration said it will restart SNAP food benefits, paying out less than people normally get, but on Wednesday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to find enough money to restore full funding. The Agriculture Department says it will reopen about 2,100 county offices despite the government shutdown to help farmers get access to $3 billion of aid. At the same time many American farmers say the Trump administration's trade policies have them on the brink. It started as a fight over health care -- specifically expiring subsidies for health insurance premiums purchased on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans. Prominent Republican lawmakers have claimed the Democrats are looking to provide tax dollars to help pay for the health care of undocumented immigrants. That is not true. Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that passed the House but did not include an extension of the health care tax credits. Democrats are also hoping to repeal cuts to health care programs that were put in place as part of the GOP spending and tax bill that passed over the summer.Nov. 1 marked the beginning of open enrollment for people getting coverage through the ACA, when subscribers could start to see big premium increases unless the subsidies that have been helping people pay for coverage since 2021 are extended. As NPR's Stephen Fowler reports, it's rare for President Trump and Democrats to agree, but both say the longest-ever government shutdown contributed to a dismal showing for Republicans in Tuesday's off-year election."I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans," Trump said at a breakfast with Republican senators Wednesday. "And they say that I wasn't on the ballot was the biggest factor, but I don't know about that."The president has consistently framed the appropriations lapse as something Democrats have caused and only Democrats can solve, but the election results cap a shift in tone that suggests a resolution could come sooner — and with his approval. Read four ways Tuesday's results could influence the length of the government shutdownAs NPR's Sam Gringlas reports, Tuesday's victories have sent competing signals to lawmakers in the Senate about how to end the ongoing government shutdown. Listen here.

November SNAP payments updated: Here are the new minimum, maximum benefits - The plan for November SNAP benefits has changed again. The 42 million Americans who rely on food assistance to afford groceries are being told to expect slightly larger payments than the amounts announced earlier this week.The Trump administration announced this week that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would be partially funded in November following two judges’ orders to use an emergency fund to keep aid flowing. (Benefits could still take weeks or even months to reach people, officials warn.)On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, was warning people to expect about 50% of their usual monthly benefits. However, revised guidance posted late Wednesday said maximum allotments would be closer to 65% of normal.The emergency fund the government is tapping into isn’t big enough to cover 100% of benefits, the agency said.For November, the changes to maximum benefits for people in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Washington, D.C., are: (see table)Maximum payments are higher in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands because food costs there are typically higher. SNAP beneficiaries in these states and territories can still expect 65% of the usualallotment.The minimum payment in November will be $16 for a household of one or two people in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. The minimum is $26 in Hawaii and between $20 and $31 in Alaska.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) pushed back on President Trump’s claim that grocery prices are falling, arguing that affordability — an issue she believes contributed to GOP election losses this week — is a problem for many Americans. “I go to the grocery store myself,” Greene told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday. “Grocery prices remain high. Energy prices are high. My electricity bills are higher here in Washington, D.C., at my apartment, and they‘re also higher at my house in Rome, Ga., higher than they were a year ago.” “So, affordability is a problem,” the lawmaker continued. She said she worried about her children’s generation the most, because “they’re having a very hard time.” The Georgia Republican said that when she is back home in the Peach State, many of her constituents tell her they have trouble affording groceries and paying their rent. “I‘m hearing stories of, not only are we having a really hard time affording groceries and rent and things like that, but I’m also hearing stories about people maxing out their credit cards just to afford their monthly expenses,” she told Collins, who hosts “The Source.” Greene previously tied Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy to Democratic victories at the polls, saying it played a “significant factor in the elections.” “The cost of living is a problem, and I’ve been talking about this for months,” she said in an NBC interview published Wednesday, adding that she would give the president “some credit” on the issue of inflation, but that rent and home prices were continuing to rise. .

Judge orders Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits - A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to release full funding for November food stamps by Friday. The oral order Thursday comes as nearly 42 million Americans have lost access to benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the record-breaking government shutdown. The Trump administration previously agreed to pay for partial SNAP benefits using emergency money but said that doing so would result in weeks, if not months, of delays. “Last weekend, SNAP benefits lapsed for the first time in our nation’s history. This is a problem that could have and should have been avoided,” said U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., an Obama appointee. The government “knew there would be a long delay in paying [partial] SNAP benefits and failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer.” Almost immediately, the Trump administration appealed McConnell’s decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. During Thursday’s hearing, McConnell said the Trump administration violated his earlier written order, which gave the government two options for compliance: The administration had discretion to make full payments — which would not need to go through the same administrative hurdles — as soon as practical. The government also had the option to make partial payments, but was required to do so by Wednesday. “That’s the plain reading of the court’s order, and instead the government did nothing to ensure that the money would be paid on Wednesday,” the judge said. He noted that President Donald Trump’s post on social media that benefits wouldn’t be funded until the government reopened “stated his intent to defy the court order.” “People have gone without for too long,” McConnell said. “Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.” Justice Department attorney Tyler Becker argued that the government complied with the judge’s order by making all $4.6 billion in a USDA contingency fund available to states on Monday and releasing guidance for how to distribute partial benefits. Any delay due to logistical hurdles, he added, was because of states’ inability to quickly process partial payments. “But that’s not what the order said, Mr. Becker,” McConnell responded. The government has also argued that it can’t divert money from other funds to support the full $8 billion or so that’s needed for November benefits. However, Democratic lawmakers and nonprofits have pushed back on the administration’s decision, noting that officials were previously able to tap unused tariff revenue to support a nutrition program for millions of low-income women and children. In a separate court in Massachusetts, states suing the administration filed another motion Thursday seeking to force the government to pay for SNAP in full. States are scrambling to fill the void as day six passes without SNAP benefits. Some states are sending millions of dollars to food banks and others, like Virginia, are launching their own temporary food stamp program using state funds. But food bank leaders and local officials say that their efforts can’t replace the loss of federal dollars. Beth Shapiro, CEO of Citymeals on Wheels, warned that even the increased donations she’s seeing are inadequate to cover the loss of SNAP in New York City. “Our warehouse is filled. We have enough food to deliver to 50,000 older New Yorkers,” she said. “But this will not answer the need. Private nonprofits cannot fill the entire gap that this government is opening.”

Trump administration asks to immediately block SNAP distribution order - The Trump administration asked an appeals court Friday to immediately block an order that requires full November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be paid to states by Friday. The emergency request to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals calls the lower court’s order “unprecedented,” saying it makes “a mockery of the separation of powers.” “This is a crisis, to be sure, but it is a crisis occasioned by congressional failure, and that can only be solved by congressional action,” the Justice Department wrote in its motion. It asked for a ruling by Friday afternoon. The 1st Circuit ordered the cities and private organizations suing to respond in writing by noon EST. One day earlier, U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled the administration’s plan to provide partial SNAP benefits for November during the shutdown wasn’t sufficient, and it was obligated to tap other funds to dole out full payments. It spurred the administration to begin appealing. It is taking the fast track in advance of McConnell’s Friday deadline for the federal government to get the full payments to states, which distribute the benefits to roughly 42 million recipients. The administration has argued the shutdown effectively means there is no SNAP program, and its hands are tied until Congress passes a funding deal.

Supreme Court issues order to block full SNAP payments (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown, even though residents in some states already have received the funds. A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund, and instead allow it to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month. After a Boston appeals court declined to immediately intervene, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an order late Friday pausing the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. Jackson handles emergency matters from Massachusetts. Her order will remain in place until 48 hours after the appeals court rules, giving the administration time to return to the Supreme Court if the appeals court refuses to step in. The food program serves about 1 in 8 Americans, mostly with lower incomes. Officials in more than a half-dozen states confirmed that some SNAP recipients already were issued full November payments on Friday. But Jackson’s order could prevent other states from initiating the payments. In Wisconsin, more than $104 million of monthly food benefits became available at midnight on electronic cards for about 337,000 households, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said. The state was able to access the federal money so quickly by submitting a request to its electronic benefit card vendor to process the SNAP payments within hours of a Thursday court order to provide full benefits. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said state employees “worked through the night” to issue full November benefits “to make sure every Oregon family relying on SNAP could buy groceries” by Friday. Hawaii had the information for November’s monthly payments ready to go, so it could submit it quickly for processing after Thursday’s court order — and before a higher court could potentially pause it, Joseph Campos II, deputy director of Hawaii’s Department of Human Services, told The Associated Press. “We moved with haste once we verified everything,” Campos said. Trump’s administration told the Supreme Court that the fast-acting states were “trying to seize what they could of the agency’s finite set of remaining funds, before any appeal could even be filed, and to the detriment of other States’ allotments.” “Once those billions are out the door, there is no ready mechanism for the government to recover those funds,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the court filing. Officials in California, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington state also said they moved quickly to issue full SNAP benefits Friday, while other states said they expected full benefits to arrive over the weekend or early next week. Still others said they were waiting for further federal guidance.

Pentagon says Ukraine can have Tomahawk missiles: Report --The Pentagon has given approval to the White House to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, potentially fulfilling President Volodymyr Zelensky’s desire for more weapons in his country’s war with Russia if President Trump provides the final green light, CNN reported Friday. The Hill has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for confirmation. The Defense Department’s (DOD) approval is reportedly based on an assessment that providing Tomahawks would not negatively impact U.S. stockpiles. After the Joint Staff gave the White House another assessment earlier this month informing Trump that European allies determined the U.S. had little reason to not send the missiles, it came as a surprise when the president pushed against giving Zelensky the missiles, two European officials told CNN. “It’s not easy for us to give … you’re talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons,” Trump said before meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Oct. 17. Trump had told Zelensky that he would not provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, at least not yet, CNN reported. The following week, Zelensky emphasized his discussion with Trump about the missiles as “a major investment in diplomacy — we forced Russia to reveal that Tomahawks are precisely the card they take seriously.” Zelensky has argued that not being given the Tomahawk missiles deflated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interest in diplomacy with Ukraine.

Orbán slams ‘rigged’ Biden administration in meeting with Trump - Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán slammed the Biden administration in his opening remarks at the start of his bilateral meeting with President Trump on Friday. “The reason why we are here to open a new chapter between the bilateral relation between the United States and Hungary basically because during the Democrat administration everything was rigged,” Orbán said sitting next to Trump. “Everything was basically broke, ruined, cancelled. A lot of harm done by the previous administration,” he continued, saying that Trump has “restored” the relationship between the two countries. “You’ve improved the bilateral relationship. You repaired what was done badly by the previous administration, so now we are in quite a good position to open up a new chapter. Let’s say a golden age between the United States and Hungary,” he said The criticism of the Biden administration and flattery of Trump comes as Orbán anticipates asking Trump to provide Hungary with an exemption to continue importing Russian oil not subject to punishing U.S. sanctions.

Trump Weighs Exempting Hungary From Russian Oil Sanctions President Donald Trump told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday that the U.S. is “looking at” exempting Hungary from sanctions targeting Russian oil a move that chips away at one of the few symbolic levers the U.S. still maintains over Russia’s energy exports while signaling flexibility toward an ally that’s long played both sides of the energy chessboard.The exemption talk comes just as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to halt Russian oil shipments to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, saying the flow “will disappear from Europe” as Kyiv moves to stop Russia’s war financing via energy exports. Hungary’s top refiner MOL, however, says it can already source up to 80% of its crude from non-Russian suppliers, which is a dramatic shift from two years ago when it argued diversification was impossible. Hungary currently relies on Russian crude for about 86% of its oil supply, and its refineries were built to handle Russia’s Urals blend. Transitioning feedstock means costly reconfigurations and higher input prices, but MOL’s latest statement hints that it has quietly made more progress than Budapest has publicly admitted. If true, the claim undermines Orbán’s narrative that sanctions relief is essential for Hungary’s energy security.Trump’s willingness to discuss exemptions isn’t new. In both domestic and foreign policy, he has long used public flexibility as a negotiating tool — keeping opponents guessing while extracting concessions. In this case, it could be a signal to Brussels, Kyiv, and even Moscow that Washington wants leverage over all three. For the oil market, an exemption would have limited immediate impact on physical flows as Druzhba supplies are relatively small in global terms. But it could set a dangerous precedent. If Hungary wins special treatment, others dependent on Russian barrels, such as Slovakia, may demand the same. That would erode the sanctions regime’s credibility and further blur the lines between geopolitics and energy pragmatism.

Trump, Hegseth defend troop cutback as Romania seeks reversal -- President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the U.S. government’s decision to withdraw some troops from Romania as Bucharest seeks a reversal of the move, warning of continued threats on NATO’s eastern flank. Trump, taking questions during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the White House, was asked why the Pentagon was scaling down troops in Romania just weeks after Trump said the U.S. would not pull troops out of Europe. “We make changes. We move — it’s the same number, total number, but we move people around. I happen to like the Romanian people. I think they’re great people,” Trump said. Hegseth said the decision was coordinate with the White House. “It’s all part of the view that we have of Europe. And there will remain troops in Romania, but there’s some change in how we rotate and how many..,”Hegseth said, adding that the decision was coordinated with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.S. European Command and that allies were “notified in advance.” Last week, the U.S. said it would cut back about 800 infantry brigade troops, a decision that affected Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Still, 1,000 U.S. soldiers will remain deployed in Romania. The move instantly sparked pushback from Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, along with other lawmakers, arguing the decision was not coordinated with Congress and NATO. Romanian State Secretary for Defense Sorin Moldovan said on Thursday that the U.S. should reverse the move, adding it is “not a good sign” for the bilateral relationship between Washington and Bucharest.

Report: US Seeks UN Approval for an International 'Enforcement Force' To Deploy to Gaza - The US has circulated a draft resolution with several UN Security Council members that would establish an international force in Gaza that would have a mandate of at least two years, Axiosreported on Monday. A US official speaking to Axios said that the International Security Force (ISF) would be an “enforcement force and not a peacekeeping force.” The resolution would give the US and other participating countries the authority to govern Gaza and be responsible for security in the Strip through the end of 2027, with the possibility of extending the mission. The resolution states that the ISF would “stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”The Axios report notes that the language could mean the ISF will be tasked with disarming Hamas if the group doesn’t do so voluntarily. At this point, it remains unclear which countries will send troops, but reports say Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Turkey are willing to, though they may not want to sign up for fighting Hamas.Under the resolution, the ISF will be overseen by the so-called “Board of Peace,” a body that will be chaired by President Trump. The resolution says that the Board of Peace will be “supervising and supporting a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip … which shall be responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and administration.”While Hamas has agreed to cede governance to an independent Palestinian committee, the group and other Palestinian factions have rejected the idea of “foreign guardianship” over Gaza, and the language of the resolution suggests that it will essentially put the Palestinian territory under a foreign occupation.The US has also been pushing for construction to start in Gaza on the Israeli-occupied side and not in Hamas-controlled areas, but it is facing pushback from Arab states, who see the potential for such an arrangement leading to a permanent Israeli occupation. Arab officials have also rejected the idea of Palestinians moving into an area under Israeli control.“Palestinians may not want to live under the rule of Hamas, but the idea that they’ll be willing to move to live under Israeli occupation and be under control of the party they also see as responsible for killing 70,000 of their brethren is fantastical,” an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel.

The Nastiest Warmongers Are Trump's Biggest Fans Now - Caitlin Johnstone - Massacre fetishist Lindsey Graham said “Trump is my favorite president” because “we’re killing all the right people and we’re cutting your taxes” during a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Summit on Friday.“We’ve run out of bombs; we didn’t run out of bombs in World War II,” the senator said.If Lindsey Graham ever gushed about me this effusively for any reason I think I would have to shave my head and join a convent or something, because it would be a clear and undeniable sign that I had been living my whole entire life completely wrong.It says a lot about how much of a warmonger Trump has become that he himself actually slammed Lindsey Graham repeatedly during his first crack at the presidency for being such a firebreathing war slut.In 2016 Trump said of Graham, “I hear his theory for the [Iraq] war; you’ll be in there forever. You’ll end up starting World War III with a guy like that.”In 2017 Trump slammed Graham and his war porn circle jerk partner John McCain, saying “The two senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.”In 2018 Trump attacked Graham for opposing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, tweeting “So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!”In 2019 Trump said during a press conference, “Lindsey Graham would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years with thousands of soldiers and fighting other people’s wars. I want to get out of the Middle East.” Trump used to at least posture as an anti-interventionist who didn’t get along with the warmongers of the DC swamp. Now he’s best butt buddies with the most bloodthirsty swamp creatures alive. They love him, and why wouldn’t they? He bombed Iran. He bombed Yemen. He poured genocide weapons into Israel to incinerate Gaza and to bomb Lebanon, and has been aggressively stomping out free speech that is critical of Israel’s war crimes. He’s been bombing Somalia at an unprecedented rate. He’sgiving every sign that he’s getting ready to do something truly horrible in Venezuela. He’s even threatening to invade Nigeria now.Back in March, Trump’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard embarrassinglytweeted that “President Trump IS the President of Peace. He is ending bloodshed across the world and will deliver lasting peace in the Middle East.” Now she’s spending her whole career helping Trump commit mass military violence around the globe.Trump duped his base into believing he’ll make peace, and he turned out to be Lindsey Graham’s gooiest wet dream incarnate.Hopefully some lessons are being learned here.

Report: US Asking Israel To Allow Foreign Journalists To Enter Gaza - The Trump administration is asking Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, The Times of Israel reported on Monday, citing two US officials. President Trump said publicly back in August that Israel should allow foreign press into Gaza, and the report said that the US has renewed the request in the wake of the ceasefire deal, which Israel has repeatedly violated. However, one US official said the issue isn’t high on the Trump administration’s list of priorities, signaling that the administration isn’t applying much pressure and that Israel may be able to maintain the ban. Israel has maintained the ban since October 7, 2023, besides a few controlled visits of journalists who were embedded with the IDF. The Jerusalem-based Foreign Press Association (FPA) has petitioned the Israeli government to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, which was filed in 2024. On October 23, the Israeli Supreme Court said the government must clarify its position on the issue since the situation on the ground has changed in Gaza, but gave the government 30 days to do so. According to a report from the Israeli news site Ynet, Israeli officials are preparing for a “propaganda war” for when international journalists are able to enter Gaza. The report said that officials are worried about a large number of human stories about Palestinian civilians in Gaza who have suffered under the Israeli bombing campaign and siege.

Israeli minister calls on New York Jews to leave after mayoral election | Caliber.Az -- Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Amichai Chikli, has urged the Jewish community in New York to consider leaving the city following the election of Muslim Democrat Zohran Mamdani as mayor.Chikli took to his social media account to criticize the newly elected mayor, claiming he supports Hamas, Caliber.Azreports.“A city once a symbol of global freedom has handed the keys to power to a Hamas sympathizer, a man whose views are not far removed from the jihadist fanatics who killed 3,000 of the city’s residents 25 years ago. New York will never be the same, especially for its Jewish community,” the minister wrote.He further suggested that Jews should contemplate relocating, specifically recommending Israel as a new home. “The American city is heading into an abyss,” Chikli added, emphasizing the gravity of the situation for the local Jewish population.Zohran Mamdani, representing the Democratic Party, was elected mayor of New York on November 4. Mamdani, in pre-election statements, pledged to order the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he visits the city, honoring an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over the war crimes the premier committed in the Gaza Strip.He also repeatedly denounced anti-semitism and expressed support for the Jewish community in the city. Mamdani, who holds over 50% of the vote in the three-way contest with 91% of the votes counted, enjoys the support of a broad and diverse base of voters, including Jews who reject the Netanyahu government’s policies, particularly during the two years of genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

Barrack Denounces Lebanon as ‘Failed State’ as It Seeks Talks With Israel - US envoy Tom Barrack, who last week promised that his visit to Lebanon would be his last and that the US was demanding the country enter negotiations with Israel, is back to railing against the Lebanese officials, calling Lebanon a “failed state” over the weekend at a summit in Bahrain.This comes amid ongoing Lebanese efforts to try to enter negotiations with Israel, which Barrack informed Lebanon just a week prior that Israel has rejected out of hand, and amid ongoing Israelithreats to escalate their ongoing attacks on Lebanon.Israeli media is suggesting that the threatened escalation, and indeed the actual escalation, are being done in part to try to pressure the Lebanese into negotiations. This appears to fly in the face of the reality that Lebanon has been calling for those negotiations for weeks and has been told Israel refuses.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated over the weekend that Lebanon is fully ready to negotiate with Israel, saying that any talks require “mutual willingness,” which Israeli escalations underscore is simply not the case.Barrack has suggested the US might press Israel to enter into the talks, but he did so amid denunciations of Lebanon and saying that the US would “support its ally” if it enters into another war with Lebanon.Barrack went on to make multiple false claims about Lebanon, claiming the nation has no electricity and no running water, both of which Lebanon plainly has, and that “the state is Hezbollah,” which contradicts the reality that Hezbollah is an opposition party within Lebanon, and certainly not “the state.”This is part of the usual Barrack bellicosity and threats toward Lebanon, which seems to be based on an imagined situation of what the country is actually like, which is proving a growing embarrassment for the United States, who finds their envoy telling reporters that they are “animalistic” for asking questions he doesn’t want to answer, and seemingly threatens the outright destruction of Lebanon several times of month of late.In the end, the Barrack threat to drop the Lebanese file entirely and stop visiting Beirut could be a blessing in disguise, as his visits have done nothing but raise further tensions in the region and reiterate that the US has no intention of doing anything with respect to Lebanon that Israeli hawks wouldn’t approve of.

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Hezbollah as Israel Escalates Attacks in Lebanon - The Trump administration on Thursday issued new sanctions targeting Hezbollah, measures that coincided with Israel ramping up its airstrikes on Lebanon. The US Treasury Department said that it sanctioned individuals whom it accused of funneling tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hezbollah this year. “Hezbollah uses these funds to support its paramilitary forces, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, and resist the Lebanese government’s efforts to assert sovereign control over all Lebanese territory,” the Treasury Department said. The sanctions come as the US has been pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and has provided additional military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who has also been involved in negotiations with Lebanon, said in September that the US was arming the LAF to “fight their own people.” Barrack has also been warning Lebanon that if it doesn’t move to disarm Hezbollah, it would face a “major war” with Israel. The Lebanese government has said it’s open to negotiations with Israel and that it wants Israel to comply with the November 2024 ceasefire deal that the IDF has constantly violated. Israel has been threatening escalation in Lebanon for weeks and appeared to make good on that promise on Thursday with significant airstrikes against several towns and villages in southern Lebanon. According to Israeli officials, the strikes were coordinated with the US.

Report: US To Establish Military Base in Damascus - The US is planning to establish a military base in Damascus, Syria, Reuters has reported, as the Trump administration continues to strongly back the new Syrian government that’s led by former al-Qaeda leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The report said that the US will establish a military presence at an airbase on the outskirts of the Syrian capital for the purpose of enabling a security pact that Washington is attempting to broker between Israel and Syria. The idea would be for the US military to monitor a potential deal that would include the demilitarization of areas to the south of Damascus. Officials compared it to the US monitoring of the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, which Israel has constantly violated, and the ceasefire deal in Gaza, which Israel has also been in breach of. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official later told Syria’s state news agency SANA that the Reuters report was “untrue” but did not specifically deny that the US would establish a military presence in Damascus. “The current stage marks a transformation in the US position towards direct engagement with the Syrian central government in Damascus, and towards supporting the country’s unity while rejecting any calls for partition,” the official said.A Syrian defense official told Reuters that the US had flown to the base in military C-130 transport aircraft to ensure the runway was usable, and a security guard at one of the base’s entrances said that American aircraft were landing there as part of “tests.”Previous reports have said that the Trump administration may sign an agreement with the new Syrian government to formalize its military presence in Syria. The US has been closing bases in northeast Syria but is expected to maintain its presence at the al-Tanf Garrison in the south, which is situated where the borders of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan converge.

Syria's Former Al-Qaeda Leader-Turned President To Visit the White House - Syria’s de facto president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader, is set to visit the White House within the next week as the Trump administration is pushing for Congress to fully lift the Caesar Act sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2020. The sanctions were specifically designed to prevent Syria’s reconstruction, and they had a devastating impact on the civilian population. The ultimate goal was for regime change in Syria, which happened in December 2024, when Sharaa’s group of jihadists, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, marched into Damascus and former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. Since then, the US, especially the Trump administration, has embraced Sharaa despite his al-Qaeda past and the massacres of thousands of Alawite and Druze civilians committed by government forces or government-linked fighters. Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met with President Trump in Saudi Arabia in May and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City in September.Sharaa’s third meeting with Trump will mark the first time a Syrian president visits the White House. A Trump administration official said the meeting is set to take place on November 10 and that Sharaa’s government is expected to sign an agreement to join the US-led anti-ISIS coalition. Sharaa was once an ally of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS.Previous reports have said that the Trump administration may sign an agreement with the new Syrian government to formalize its military presence in Syria. The US has been closing bases in northeast Syria but is expected to maintain its presence at the al-Tanf Garrison in the south, which is situated where the borders of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan converge.

US Asks UN To Lift Terrorism Sanctions on Syria's Sharaa Before His White House Visit - The US is asking the UN Security Council to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader, and other members of his government, before he visits the White House next week, The Associated Press has reported.Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, was first sanctioned by the UN in 2013 for his association with al-Qaeda. The UN listing notes that, at the time, Sharaa was an associate of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda leader who was known for helping Osama bin Laden plot the 9/11 attacks, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS.The UN listing says that Sharaa was deputized by Baghdadi to lead Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate, known at the time as the Al Nusra Front, and his position as the leader of the al-Qaeda group was confirmed by Zawahiri. Sharaa got his start with al-Qaeda in Iraq, where he fought against US troops and was imprisoned from 2006 to 2011 before traveling to Syria.In 2016, Sharaa claimed the al-Nusra Front was cutting ties with al-Qaeda and thanked the “commanders of al-Qaeda for having understood the need to break ties.” In 2017, he merged his group with several other Islamist factions to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that marched into Damascus in December 2024, ousting former President Bashar al-Assad.HTS was previously designated by the US State Department as a terrorist organization, but it hasbeen removed since the regime change. The group remains listed as a terrorist organization by the UN.According to The National, the US’s resolution for the UN Security Council initially called for HTS to be removed from the list of terrorist organizations, but China objected due to HTS’s ties with Uyghur fighters in Syria who seek to establish an Islamic State in China’s Xinjiang province. The resolution has since been narrowed to lift sanctions on Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Hasan Khattab.

UN Lifts Terrorism Sanctions on Syria's Sharaa - The UN Security Council on Thursday voted to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, and his interior minister, Anas Khattab. Both Sharaa and Khattab were sanctioned by the UN for their association with al-Qaeda and ISIS. The US introduced the resolution to lift the sanctions and wanted it to happen before Sharaa visits the White House this Monday. According to Al Monitor, the US resolution initially also called for sanctions to be lifted on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Sharaa’s group of jihadists, who took power in Damascus in December 2024. But China objected due to HTS’s ties with foreign fighters, particularly the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), a Uyghur group that seeks to establish an Islamic state in China’s western Xinjiang region. Members of the TIP have been appointed to senior positions in the new Syrian military. China abstained from the vote, making it the only member of the 15-member Council that didn’t vote in favor of lifting the sanctions.Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, said that Beijing “actively participated” in negotiations on the resolution and “legitimate concerns about counter-terrorism issues, in particular foreign terrorist fighters in Syria.” Fu said the US didn’t address all the members’ concerns and pushed for the vote “to serve its own political agenda.”The US previously listed HTS as a terrorist organization but lifted the designation earlier this year as it has embraced the new Syrian leader despite his al-Qaeda past. Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, was sanctioned by the UN in 2013, and his listing notes that, at the time, he was an associate of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda leader who was known for helping Osama bin Laden plot the 9/11 attacks, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS.While Sharaa now presents himself as a moderate, there have been massacres of thousands of Alawite and Druze civilians committed by government forces or government-linked fighters since he took power.

Iraqi PM Says Shia Militias Can Be Dismantled Once US-Led Coalition Withdraws - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has said that the Iraqi government will bring all weapons under the control of the state once the US-led anti-ISIS coalition in the country withdraws, comments that come as he is under increasing pressure from the US to disarm the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF is a coalition of mostly Shia militias, including groups aligned with Iran, that was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS and is formally a part of Iraq’s security forces. Since the large battles against ISIS ended during the first Trump administration, the US has sporadically clashed with the PMF, which has involved significant US airstrikes against the group. Al-Sudani said that some factions in Iraq view the US-led coalition as an occupying force. “There is no ISIS. Security and stability? Thank God it’s there … so give me the excuse for the presence of 86 states (in a coalition),” al-Sudani told Reuters on Monday. “Then, for sure, there will be a clear program to end any arms outside of state institutions. This is the demand of all,” the Iraqi leader said, adding that once the coalition exits Iraq, the militias in the PMF can either join official security forces or lay down their weapons. Last year, the US and Iraq signed a deal that would end the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq by September 2026, but it remains unclear if US troops will actually leave the country. At the time of the signing, the Biden administration said that the US was “not withdrawing from Iraq” and that, while ending the coalition, the US would remain in the country under a “bilateral security partnership.” The US has recently pulled some military personnel out of the country, but the War Department has said that, at least for now, fewer than 2,000 US troops will remain. The US is keeping troops at the Ain al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, at a base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, and a small number of advisors in Baghdad. Over the weekend, Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi said the US had issued its “final” and “most serious” warning regarding the disarmament of the PMF. He also suggested that US War Secretary Hegseth told him the US would be conducting some sort of military operation in the region. Al-Abbasi said that Hegseth’s message “concerns armed factions and includes a direct threat in the event that those factions carry out any operations in response to what Washington intends to do in the region near Iraq in the coming days.”

State Department Says US Is Not Withdrawing from Iraq - A US State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News on Wednesday that the US is not withdrawing from Iraq but shifting its military role to a “bilateral relationship” under a deal that will end the mission of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition in the country.The official made the comment in response to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani saying that Baghdad will only disarm the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a group of mostly Shia militias, including some that are aligned with Iran, once the US-led coalition leaves Iraq.The Trump administration has been demanding that Iraq disarm the PMF, which was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS and is considered part of Iraq’s security forces. The State Department official speaking to Shafaq said Iraq must dismantle the “Iran-backed militias” and accused the groups of engaging in “violent and destabilizing activities in Iraq.” “Their actions drain the country’s resources and act against its national interests,” the spokesperson said. Referring to the US plans for its military presence in Iraq, the spokesperson said, “This is not a withdrawal. It is a shift toward a more traditional bilateral relationship in the areas of security and diplomacy.”Last year, the US and Iraq signed a deal that would end the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq by September 2026, but at the time of the signing, the Biden administration said that the US was “not withdrawing from Iraq.” The US has recently withdrawn some military personnel from the country, but the War Department has said fewer than 2,000 US troops will remain. The US is keeping troops at the Ain al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, at the Erbil Air Base in Iraqi Kurdistan, and a small number of advisors will remain in Baghdad.

US Bombs 16th Alleged Drug Boat in Latin America - The US has bombed another alleged drug-running boat in the waters of Latin America, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Saturday. Hegseth said the vessel was targeted in the Caribbean and, as usual, he provided no evidence to back up his claims about what the boat was carrying. He said the bombing killed three “narco-terrorists,” a term the Trump administration is using to justify extra-judicial executions at sea for an alleged crime that doesn’t receive the death penalty in the US.The attack brings the total number of boats the US has bombed since September 2 to 16, and the total number of people killed in the campaign to 64, according to numbers released by the Trump administration. Nine boats have been hit in the Caribbean, and seven were targeted in the Eastern Pacific. Video of the strike released by Hegseth. While the Trump administration has claimed the boats that have been targeted were attempting to bring drugs to the US, a US official has told Drop Site News that many of the vessels that have been struck “do not even have the requisite gasoline or motor capacity to reach US waters.”Trump officials have also framed the bombing campaign as a response to fentanyl-related deaths in the US, but the US official speaking to Drop Site also noted that little to no of the fentanyl in the US comes from Venezuela, where most of the boats targeted in the Caribbean have come from.The latest US strike on a boat comes amid growing criticism of the military campaign in Congress over the lack of transparency and information. The Pentagon admitted to Democratic lawmakers in a briefing that it doesn’t know the identity of the people it has been killing. Hegseth has also included the bombing campaign in a list of topics military officials aren’t allowed to discuss with Congress without first receiving authorization from the War Department.

Death toll from Trump-Hegseth boat murders reaches 65 - In a further act of international piracy, the US military carried out a lethal strike on a small boat in the Caribbean Sea Saturday, killing three men whom Secretary of War Pete Hegseth labeled “narco-terrorists,” without offering any evidence. The latest attack is the 15th such remote-controlled strike since September 2, when US President Trump first ordered the Pentagon to destroy boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific which were allegedly involved in drug smuggling. The death toll has reached 65, after the Mexican Navy announced that it had found no trace of a supposed survivor of an October 27 strike in the Pacific Ocean. The attacks, apparently using drone-fired missiles and other guided weapons, are flagrantly illegal under both US and international law. Even if all of the boats were engaged in drug smuggling—and no evidence has been offered to prove this—they were not stopped, their cargo was not seized and their crews were not arrested. Instead, they were simply annihilated. Under US law, drug trafficking does not carry the death penalty, and all of the victims were executed without a trial or any form of judicial proceeding. Under international law, the murderous actions amount to piracy. According to reports stemming from a military briefing Thursday for members of the House of Representatives, the Pentagon could not even provide the names of those killed, because their identities were not known, despite claims of “exquisite intelligence” by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The latest strike on a small boat coincided with the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela. The largest ship in the US Navy, with a displacement of 100,000 tons and a crew of more than 4,500, the aircraft carrier can deploy nearly 100 warplanes and attack helicopters, three times as many as the entire Venezuelan air force. The arrival of the aircraft carrier completes the assembling of a flotilla capable of waging war on the South American country, which has been targeted by successive US administrations because it has the world’s largest oil reserves and a government, headed for 15 years by Hugo Chavez and, since 2013, by Nicolas Maduro, which has been at odds with US foreign policy in the region. The White House and Pentagon have steadily increased the pressure on the Maduro regime over the past three months. On August 7, the State Department doubled to $50 million the bounty offered for the capture or demise of Maduro. On September 2, attacks on small Venezuelan fishing boats began. On October 10, the Norwegian parliament awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, the ultra-right politician and coup plotter selected by Washington as Maduro’s replacement. Also last month, Trump announced that he had authorized CIA covert action inside Venezuela against the country’s government. While boasting of the great military “success” of blowing small boats out of the water with satellite-guided missiles and bombs, Trump indicated last week that there would be operations on land as well, although he portrayed them as air strikes against “drug labs,” continuing the pretense that the US goal is to shut down drug trafficking rather than carrying out regime change. The Department of Justice (DoJ) informed Congress last week that Trump had initiated a formal armed conflict with “drug cartels” on September 4, and that this started the 60-day clock running for the president to report on the outcome of this conflict. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president “shall terminate” such military operations after 60 days, unless authorized to continue by Congress, but there is no indication that Trump will comply with that requirement on Monday, November 3. Instead, according to the head of the DoJ’s Office of Legal Counsel, T. Elliot Gaiser, the Trump administration does not regard the boat strikes as “hostilities” covered by the 60-day limit, because there is no danger to US forces.

Trump Repeats Blatantly False Claim That 25,000 American Lives Are Saved for Each Boat That's Bombed - President Trump on Wednesday claimed that for every boat the US bombs in the waters of Latin America, 25,000 American lives are saved, a blatant lie he’s used to justify the US bombing campaign in the region and push toward a regime change war in Venezuela. “Every boat that we hit kills, think of this, if it gets through, kills 25,000 Americans plus … every time we hit a boat, we save 25,000 American lives,” the president said at the American Business Forum in Miami, Florida.Trump and his top officials have justified the strikes and the extra-judicial executions at sea by pointing to overdoses in the United States, which, according to CDC data, killed 80,391 Americans in 2024, a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023.The majority of the overdose deaths, 48,422, were caused by fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. While Trump has previously claimed the strikes are targeting fentanyl, the Pentagon has told Congress that all of the boats it has hit were allegedly smuggling cocaine, though the Department of War has not provided any evidence, either to the public or to Congress, to back up its claims about what the vessels are carrying.Another false claim pushed by the Trump administration to justify the bombing campaign is the idea that the boats being targeted in the Caribbean were attempting to bring drugs to the US, but a US official has told Drop Site News that many of the vessels that have been struck “do not even have the requisite gasoline or motor capacity to reach US waters.”A report from The Washington Post cited officials from the US and other countries who said the route the US was targeting near Venezuela is mainly used to smuggle cocaine and marijuana to Trinidad and Tobago, and from there, cocaine is shipped to Europe and West Africa.

Hegseth Declines To Say Whether the US Is Planning To Bomb Venezuela - US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday declined to comment on whether the US was planning to bomb Venezuela amid a major US military buildup in the Caribbean and frequent strikes on alleged drug boats in the waters of Latin America.“Appreciate the question, but, of course, we would not share any amount of operational details about what may or may not happen,” Hegseth said in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when asked if the US was preparing to strike inside Venezuela.The Miami Herald reported on Friday that the US has made a decision to attack military targets inside Venezuela as part of a campaign against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, whom the US seeks to oust. The report said that the US strikes could begin within a matter of “hours or days.”When asked by reporters on Friday if he was planning strikes inside Venezuela, Trump said “no,” but he was asked again on Sunday and declined to answer. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor and has been leading the push toward regime change in Venezuela, also denied the Miami Herald report.“Your ‘sources’ claiming to have ‘knowledge of the situation’ tricked you into writing a fake story,”Rubio wrote on X in response to the report.For weeks, multiple media outlets have been reporting that the US is considering launching strikes in Venezuela, and the US has built up a force in the region that’s well beyond what is needed to bomb small, defenseless boats. US officials have also made clear that the real goal of the campaign is regime change in Venezuela, something Rubio has wanted for many years.A US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is also being deployed to the Caribbean, and the US has begun to run weekly bomber flights near the coast of Venezuela. Much of the military action and the leaks to the media are part of a psychological campaign aimed at getting Maduro to voluntarily step down or someone in his inner circle to turn on him, but it’s unlikely that will happen.

Venezuela's Nobel Prize Winner Says US 'Escalation' Is Needed To Overthrow Maduro - Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize,said in an interview with Bloomberg that US military “escalation” is the only way to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and confirmed that she is in contact with Trump administration officials.When asked if she supports the idea of the US bombing Venezuela, Machado said, “I believe the escalation that’s taken place is the only way to force Maduro to understand that it’s time to go.”She added, “I believe that this escalation is the last opportunity for those that still support Maduro to understand that they need to take all support away from him — and Maduro himself to understand that this is the last chance to truly facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition, which is what we want, which is what we fought for.”Machado also said that she supported the US bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the region, which the US military has been conducting without providing evidence to back up its claims about what the boats are carrying. The Pentagon has also admitted to Congress that it doesn’t know the identities of the people it has been killing.When asked if she viewed the boat strikes as justified or as extra-judicial executions, Machado blamed the deaths on Maduro. “This is about saving lives. Maduro is absolutely conscious and has been warned what not to do. These deaths are the responsibility of Nicolás Maduro,” she said.Machado was then asked about the rights to due process for the people on the boats, and said, “I certainly defend the rights of everyone, but you need to understand that this is a very cruel war. It was Maduro who turned this into an international conflict. Maduro is not a conventional dictator. We’re facing a narcoterrorist structure that has turned Venezuelan territory.”Machado said that she has been in touch with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been leading US Venezuela policy and the push toward regime change. “I have been in touch with him, of course, and with his team and even further, in Congress. [In] both parties, we have really good friends and champions of our cause. This goes beyond ideological issues,” she said.

USS Gerald Ford Leaves Mediterranean Bound for Waters Near Venezuela - The USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has left the Mediterranean Sea and is bound for waters near Venezuela as the US continues its military buildup in the Caribbean that’s aimed at ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.The Pentagon first announced on October 24 that it was deploying the Gerald Ford and its strike group to the US Southern Command’s area of responsibility. The carrier transited through the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday and is now in the Atlantic Ocean, according to ship trackers. The voyage is expected to take about a week, and the Gerald Ford and its strike group will join eight US warships currently operating in the Caribbean. The carrier was deployed with five guided-missile destroyers, but it’s unclear if they will all head to SOUTHCOM. According to USNI News, at least two of the destroyers are operating in the Red Sea while others have left the Mediterranean.The deployment comes amid a US bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which so far has killed at least 64 people, according to numbers shared by the Trump administration.The bombing campaign has come under increasing scrutiny as the Pentagon has not shared any evidence to back up its claims about what the boats are carrying and has admitted to Congress that it doesn’t know the identities of the people it has been extra-judicially executing.The US has deployed significantly more firepower than is needed to bomb small, defenseless boats, and there have been multiple reports that say the Trump administration is preparing to bomb Venezuela. The US has also conducted at least three bomber flights off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.

Report: Trump Weighs Options for Launching a War With Venezuela - The Trump administration has developed a series of options for launching attacks on Venezuela,The New York Times reported on Tuesday, as the US continues its military buildup in the region.The report said that one option would involve bombing Venezuelan military facilities with the goal of collapsing military support for Maduro in hopes that it would get the Venezuelan leader to flee. But critics of the approach argue that it would likely have the opposite effect, rallying the military around its embattled leader.The second option would be to send special operations forces, such as Navy SEALs or the Army’s Delta Force, into Venezuela to kill or capture Maduro. Such an operation would put the US troops involved in the attack at serious risk since Maduro has the support of his military and a civilian militia that the Venezuelan government says has millions of members.The third option would involve sending a much larger force into Venezuela to capture airfields and some of Venezuela’s infrastructure and oil fields. The Washington Examiner has reported that US military planners believe the forces in the region are now sufficient to seize and hold key strategic facilities such as ports and airfields on Venezuelan territory.The Times report said that President Trump is reluctant to back an operation that would put US troops at risk or come with the chance of failure, and for that reason, other plans are being developed that would involve naval drones and long-range weapons. A decision isn’t expected until the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which just left the Mediterranean, arrives near Venezuela.If Trump orders an attack on Venezuela, it would almost certainly lead to a full-blown war or a quick decapitation of the government, which would likely plunge the country into chaos. The Times report cited Trump aides who said far more planning has gone into striking at the Maduro government than on what it would take to govern Venezuela should the operation succeed.Trump aides said that the president has expressed reservations about attacking Venezuela and that he’s asking what the US could get out of it, with a focus on Venezuela’s vast oil resources. The push to launch a war in Venezuela is being led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, and Stephen Miller, the president’s chief domestic policy advisor.The administration has asked the Justice Department to come up with a legal justification for the attack, though any war with Venezuela without congressional approval would be illegal under the Constitution. The DOJ is expected to lean on claims that Maduro is the leader of a drug cartel, which lack evidence and have been strongly denied by the Venezuelan government.

US Again Flies Heavy Bombers Near Venezuela's Coast - The US has once again flown heavy bombers over the Caribbean and near the coast of Venezuela, according to a report from Newsweek, which cited flight tracking data.Two US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft made the provocative flight, marking the fourth time since October 15 that the US has sent bombers near Venezuela’s coast. The first flight also involved B-52s, and the second and third were conducted by B-1B Lancer bombers.In each case, the US bombers kept their transponders on when flying near Venezuela, meaning they wanted to be seen. It’s been clear that one aspect of the US military activity in the region has been meant as a psychological operation against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as the Trump administration is hoping he decides to step down or someone in his inner circle turns on him, something that’s unlikely to happen.The latest bomber flight comes as a US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is en route to the region. The Gerald Ford and its strike group will join eight US warships already deployed in the Caribbean.According to a recent report from The New York Times, President Trump is considering several options for launching attacks on Venezuela, and he isn’t expected to decide until the Gerald Ford is in position. The report also said that the president was worried about failing or putting US troops at risk, and that he hadn’t made a final decision.The Senate on Thursday voted against a War Powers Resolution that would have prohibited the president from starting a war with Venezuela without congressional authorization.

Senate Votes Down Resolution To Block Trump From Starting a War With Venezuela - The Senate on Thursday rejected a resolution to stop President Trump from launching an attack on Venezuela without authorization from Congress. The resolution, led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), failed to pass the chamber by a vote of 49-51, with just two Republicans, Paul and Lisa Murkowski (AK), supporting the bill. Ahead of the vote, Trump administration officials were telling lawmakers that they currently didn’t have plans to bomb Venezuela, part of a strategy to discourage Republicans from supporting the War Powers Resolution. According to CNN, during the briefings, Trump officials still didn’t rule out potential future military action.The Trump officials also said they currently lacked a legal justification to launch strikes on land in Venezuela, but a US official told CNN that the administration is seeking one from the Justice Department and doesn’t plan to ask Congress for authorization, a clear violation of the Constitution, which requires congressional approval for the Executive to launch a war.President Trump has sent mixed messages on the potential for a war with Venezuela, and according to The Wall Street Journal, he has expressed reservations over the idea of launching strikes on the country. But the massive US military buildup in the Caribbean continues as a US aircraft carrier and its strike group are on their way to the region, and the administration has continued its illegal bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that President Trump is considering potential major escalations that could lead to a full-blown war with Venezuela. They include bombing military targets inside the country, sending special operations forces to kill or capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, or sending a much larger force to capture airfields and oil infrastructure.

The Atlantic: Maduro may consider exile deal if US offers amnesty -- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro may be open to a negotiated exit from power if the United States agrees to grant him and his top aides amnesty, lift existing bounties on their capture, and ensure a comfortable exile, according to sources familiar with discussions cited by The Atlantic. “If there is enough pressure, and if there is enough candy in the dish,” a person who speaks to officials in both countries told the publication, “everything is on the table with Maduro.” The report indicates that Maduro’s demands include Washington’s cancellation of the multimillion-dollar reward for his capture and guarantees of his personal safety should he agree to leave Venezuela. These discussions come amid what The Atlantic describes as the largest US military buildup in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Officially, the United States has framed the increased military presence as part of an anti–drug trafficking operation. However, the publication notes that Venezuela primarily serves as a transit hub for narcotics rather than a production center—suggesting that Washington’s real objective may be a change in the country’s leadership. Earlier in September, US President Donald Trump authorised military strikes on small boats off the Venezuelan coast and in the Pacific, allegedly used by drug traffickers. According to The Atlantic, at least 65 people have been killed in 16 such attacks. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told the magazine that the strikes targeted “designated narco-terrorists, as affirmed by US intelligence,” and that the president was acting “to do what was necessary to prevent drugs from reaching the United States.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon has deployed extensive military assets to the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, eight additional warships, around 10,000 troops, fighter jets, drones, and a nuclear-powered submarine. The unprecedented buildup has raised concerns among some of Trump’s own allies, who warn that a military intervention to remove Maduro could contradict one of his key campaign promises to avoid new foreign entanglements.

Report: US Preparing Mexico Mission Against Cartels That Would Include Troops and Drone Strikes - The Trump administration has begun developing detailed plans to send US troops and intelligence officers into Mexico to target cartels in operations that would include drone strikes, NBC Newsreported on Monday, citing current and former US officials.The report said that US military personnel have already begun training for the potential mission, though a deployment is not imminent. Many of the troops would come from Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and would operate under the authority of US intelligence agencies, with involvement from CIA officers.Unlike the current US bombing campaign against alleged drug boats in the waters of Latin America, which the Trump administration is conducting without legal authority, the idea of the campaign in Mexico would be to keep it secret and not publicize attacks.The NBC report said the administration wanted to operate in coordination with the Mexican government but was also considering conducting the campaign without Mexico’s approval, which would mark a significant violation of the country’s sovereignty. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has increased law enforcement cooperation with the US and has allowed the CIA to ramp up surveillance flights along the border, but she has repeatedly ruled out US military intervention in her country. “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military,” Sheinbaum said in August. “We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.”The Mexican leader has also condemned US strikes on boats in the region, saying she “doesn’t agree” with the policy. The US recently bombed several alleged drug vessels in the Eastern Pacific, and in one case, the Mexican Navy had to rescue a survivor.

Trump threatens Nigeria with potential military action, escalates claim of Christian persecution - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he's ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria as he stepped up his criticism that the government is failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country. "If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump posted on social media. "I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" The warning of possible military action came after Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed back on Trump announcing a day earlier that he was designating the West African country "a country of particular concern" for allegedly failing to rein in the persecution of Christians. In a social media statement on Saturday, Tinubu said that the characterization of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant country does not reflect the national reality. "Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so," Tinubu said. "Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths." Trump on Friday said "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria" and "radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter." Trump's comment came weeks after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Africa's most populous country as a violator of religious freedom with claims of "Christian mass murder." Nigeria's population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough. Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes. While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.

US schedules first nuclear-capable ICBM test since Trump directive – PHOTO - The United States is set to conduct its first test of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) following President Donald Trump’s directive to renew testing, according to navigational warnings and a Newsweek map. Citing the warnings, Marco Langbroek, a lecturer at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said the upcoming Minuteman III ICBM test is scheduled between November 5-6,Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. The missile will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and reach the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defence Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, with five designated debris zones along its path.If executed, the flight trajectory would mirror a previous May test, when an unarmed Minuteman III, equipped with a single reentry vehicle capable of carrying a warhead, travelled roughly 4,200 miles (6759 km) west from California. This would also mark the second U.S. nuclear test since September, when a submarine launched four unarmed Trident II D5 Life Extension missiles in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.The Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project notes the U.S. Air Force operates 400 Minuteman III ICBMs, deployed across Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming, each with a range exceeding 6,000 miles (9656.064 km). While 800 nuclear warheads are assigned to the Minuteman III fleet, only one is deployed per missile, though technically capable of carrying two or three."The Air Force conducts several Minuteman III flight tests each year. These are long-planned tests, and the Air Force consistently states that they are not scheduled in response to any external events," the Nuclear Information Project wrote in a report.Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified that these tests “will not include actual detonations like those previously carried out in the country. Instead, they will involve all other parts of a nuclear weapon to ensure they can trigger an atomic explosion.”The modernised Minuteman III, initially deployed in 1970 but upgraded through a multibillion-dollar modernisation program completed in 2015, is described by Air Force personnel as “basically new missiles except for the shell,” according to the Federation of American Scientists.The upcoming test underscores the U.S.’s commitment to maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent. As noted in May by the Air Force Global Strike Command: "This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities designed to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, reliable and effective in deterring 21st-century threats and reassuring our allies. With more than 300 similar tests conducted in the past, this test is part of the nation's ongoing commitment to maintaining a credible deterrent and is not a response to current world events." Observers now await potential reactions from Russia and China, with Moscow recently testing a nuclear-capable torpedo and Beijing unveiling a new ICBM “capable of covering the entire globe.”

Energy Secretary Says No Nuclear Explosions 'For Now' - US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday clarified that the US has no plans to conduct nuclear explosions, at least for the time being, comments that came amid confusion over President Trump’s order for the Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons.“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests,” Wright told Fox News. “These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions.”Wright added that such tests involve “all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion,” but don’t involve a nuclear detonation. The tests, also known as “subcritical experiments,” have been ongoing and would be nothing new for the Energy Department.It was unclear when Trump first issued the order in a post on Truth Social if he meant the US would restart tests that involve detonating nuclear bombs, something that the US hasn’t done since 1992, or if he meant testing nuclear-capable missiles, something the Pentagon does regularly.The president said he directed the US War Department to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” as other countries, but all nuclear-armed powers except for North Korea, which last detonated a nuclear weapon in 2017, have maintained a moratorium on detonating nuclear bombs since the 1990s. In response to Trump’s post, Russia warned that it would respond if the US broke the moratorium.Trump could have been referring to Russia’s recent tests of a nuclear-capable missile and a nuclear-capable drone. The last known US test of a nuclear-capable missile was on May 21, when the US Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California for a 4,200-mile flight to the Marshall Islands.

Major powers renew ICBM tests amid growing global nuclear tensions - The United States, Russia, and China—the world’s three largest nuclear powers—have each conducted intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests over the past year, signaling intensifying competition in nuclear capabilities and raising concerns about global strategic stability. The most recent I.S. launch took place on November 5, when the US Air Force Global Strike Command conducted an unarmed Minuteman III test to assess the missile system’s "reliability, readiness and accuracy." Such tests, according to the Air Force, are routine and intended to demonstrate the credibility of America’s nuclear deterrent, Newsweek's analysis says. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world’s nine nuclear-armed nations—the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea—collectively possess an estimated 12,241 nuclear warheads. Of these, 9,614 are held in military stockpiles for potential operational use, and 3,912 are currently deployed. Data from the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) indicates that the United States maintains around 3,700 warheads, Russia about 4,309, and China approximately 600. These warheads are deliverable by various platforms, including aircraft and ballistic missiles.In terms of ICBM deployment, Newsweek reports that the US has 400 active missiles, Russia 333, and China 462. While Russia and China operate multiple types of ICBMs, the United States relies exclusively on the Minuteman III, first deployed in 1970.All three powers maintain a nuclear triad—a combination of land-based ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and nuclear-capable bombers. This triad structure ensures second-strike capability, a central component of nuclear deterrence.The US Air Force has conducted multiple Minuteman III launches in 2025, including on February 19 and May 21, as part of ongoing verification of the missile system’s performance and reliability. These tests are characterised by the Pentagon as essential for ensuring a “safe, secure, reliable and effective” nuclear deterrent.Russia conducted its most recent strategic nuclear exercise on October 22, overseen by President Vladimir Putin. The exercise involved the launch of a Yars ICBM, a Sineva SLBM, and cruise missiles from strategic bombers.According to the Kremlin, the Yars missile was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia and successfully struck its target at the Kura Missile Test Range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Moscow stated that the exercise was designed to test the readiness of its nuclear command structure.China conducted its first ICBM test in decades in September 2024, when a DF-31AG missile carrying a dummy warhead was launched toward international waters in the South Pacific—a region designated as a nuclear-free zone. The Chinese Defense Ministry described the test as "a legitimate and routine arrangement" for military training, asserting that Beijing maintains "a very stable, consistent and predictable" nuclear policy based on self-defense and a no-first-use doctrine.These ICBM activities reflect a broader resurgence in global nuclear competition. Russia has tested the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed torpedo often described as a "doomsday device," while US President Donald Trump has reportedly instructed the military to begin immediate nuclear weapons testing to counter adversaries. China, meanwhile, continues to modernise and expand its strategic missile forces as part of its long-term military modernisation program.

‘Shocks the conscience’: Judge slams immigration officers’ use of force in Chicago, reports say - A federal judge in Chicago on Thursday slammed immigration officers’ use of force on members of the media and protesters, issuing an extensive injunction preventing federal law enforcement officers from continuing to use constraints. “I find the government’s evidence to be simply not credible,” U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said in an oral ruling from the bench, according to the Chicago Tribune. She pointed to officers’ repeated use of tear gas and pepper balls on demonstrators who were not resisting or threatening officers. ”The use of force shocks the conscience,” Ellis said Thursday. President Trump ordered an increased law enforcement presence in Chicago earlier this year, where officials have been met with large protests — some of which have turned violent. Many Democratic leaders have been vocal in their opposition to the presence of federal officers in the region. The judge on Thursday added that Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino “lied” after telling the court he did not use force while arresting individuals in the Windy City. Body camera footage showed him tackling a man. “In one of the videos, Bovino obviously attacks and tackles the declarant, Mr. Blackburn, to the ground,” Ellis said, the Tribune reported. “But Mr. Bovino, despite watching this video [in his deposition] says that he never used force,” she added. Ellis’s Thursday order follows a previous injunction that required officers to wear body cameras and give two warnings before using crowd control mechanisms. The new order hammers down on the requirement in an effort to prevent the “chilling of First Amendment rights,” according to The Associate Press. A written order is expected to follow.

DC National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital ordered by Trump is extended to Feb. 28 (AP) — The Washington D.C. National Guard will be deployed to the nation’s capital through the end of February, according to formal orders reviewed by The Associated Press. The formal order, dated Nov. 4, extends the original order from Aug. 11 and says the Guard members will be in the city at least through Feb. 28. The order states the additional duty is in response to the emergency declared in August by President Donald Trump and under directions from the “Secretary of War to protect federal property and functions in the District of Columbia and to support federal and District law enforcement.” Hundreds of National Guard troops have been in Washington since August, which launched what Trump said was a crime-fighting mission that also included the federal takeover of the local police department. That order expired in September, but the roughly 2,000 National Guard troops from D.C. and at at least eight states remain in the city, with most contingents saying they plan to withdraw by the end of November. The D.C. National Guard is the single largest contributor of troops with 949 soldiers that make up the task force that totals 2,375 troops. West Virginia is the next largest state to contribute troops to the task force with 416 guardsmen. Some have been armed and providing a military presence in public spaces, especially in the federal parks around the city and at subway stations as well as the Amtrak train station. The National Guard task force appears to have spent a large portion of its time on yardwork and landscaping efforts around the nation’s capital. In an update provided in early October, task force officials boasted that troops cleared 1,150 bags of trash, spread 1,045 cubic yards of mulch, removed 50 truckloads of plant waste, cleared 7.9 miles of roadway, painted 270 feet of fencing and pruned 400 trees. Since then, most daily updates from the task force only offered new troop figures and no summaries of beautification efforts. One segment of the D.C. Guard has worked with various neighborhoods on beautification efforts at the request of local neighborhood officials and residents. The presence of guard members in the city is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit, filed Sept. 4 by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb challenging the Trump administration’s use of the National Guard in the heavily Democratic city. That lawsuit sparked filings by 45 states with 23 supporting the Trump administration and 22 aligning with Washington. The Trump administration has argued that he has full authority to deploy guard troops in Washington because he is the designated commander of the D.C. Guard.

Michigan lawyer says a Halloween terror plot that FBI Director Kash Patel described never existed - - A Michigan defense lawyer is disputing FBI Director Kash Patel's allegations that his 20-year-old client and four other young suspects were planning to carry out a terror attack on Halloween weekend. Announcing their arrests on Friday, Patel said more information would be coming soon, however the FBI and Michigan authorities have offered few details about the case. Spokespersons for the state and national FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Detroit did not immediately respond to messages Saturday. The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to "pumpkin day," according to one of the people. The other person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a "pumpkin" reference. However, lawyer Amir Makled, who represents a man from the suburb of Dearborn who was still detained on Saturday, said federal authorities haven't given him many details about the investigation but after reviewing the matter, he concluded that no terror event was planned. He said he doesn't expect any charges will be filed. He described the all-male group of U.S. citizens as gamers, and said they range in age from 16 to 20. "If these young men were on forums that they should not have been on or things of that nature, then we'll have to wait and see," Makled said. "But I don't believe that there's anything illegal about any of the activity they were doing." Authorities said Friday after the arrests were made that there was no further threat to public safety. Patel had announced in a post on X that "the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend." Investigators allege the plan was inspired by Islamic State group extremism. It wasn't immediately clear if they had the means to carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI to make arrests Friday, one of the people familiar with the investigation told the AP.

India now incurs higher U.S. tariffs than China. What does it say about Trump's foreign policy? - De-escalation in tensions between China and the U.S. after their leaders met in South Korea last Thursday stands in stark contrast to the chill in Washington-New Delhi relations, with India now subject to higher U.S. tariffs than Beijing.Experts said that the strategic relationship between India and U.S. built over two decades has substantially eroded.Atman Trivedi a partner and lead of the South Asia Practice at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group said trust between the two countries "could take years rebuild."Steep tariffs, $100,000 fee for H1B visas, and U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated claims of having brokered a ceasefirebetween India and Pakistan are among issues that have led to deterioration of ties between New Delhi and Washington in recent months, according to experts."President Trump evidently does not value India as a partner in balancing China as much as the previous presidents," said Raymond Vickery Jr., senior associate and chair on India and emerging Asia Economics at Center for Strategic and International Studies.The U.S. foreign policy from President Bill Clinton until recently, including Trump's first term as the president, had consistently valued "democratic India over autocratic China," he said, adding that the approach toward India has now shifted from one of strategic altruism to "transactionalism."Meanwhile, ties between the U.S. and China appear to be on the mend.In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said "My G2 meeting President Xi of China was a great one for both of our countries" adding that it would lead to "everlasting peace and success." Shortly after, Pete Hegseth, U.S. secretary of defense, said on X that China and the U.S. had agreed to set up "miliary-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate" any problems. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a trade truce in a high-stakes meeting in South Korea on Thursday which saw Washington cutting tariffs on Beijing related to fentanyl to 10% from 20%, reducing the overall rate on Chinese goods to around 47%.China now pays a lower tariff than India. In August the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on India including secondary duties of 25% for its purchase of Russian oil. India has called the move "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," while has called U.S. trade ties with India "a totally one-sided disaster!" "At the leader-level, the chemistry is missing for now, and the impact of this disconnect on the U.S.-India relationship probably cannot be overstated," During his Asia trip last week, while addressing corporate leaders at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, Trump said he threatened India and Pakistan with 250% tariffs unless they stopped hostilities. An attack by militants in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir in April killed 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan and launched a military strike, resulting in a four-day conflict that threatened to explode into a broader war fueled by decades of tensions between the two countries. "The strategic relationship between India and the U.S. has been under strain this year not just because of tariffs, but also because of Washington's posture in the conflict with Pakistan and the apparent warming of [U.S.] ties with Pakistan's military," Trump's claims are being picked up by Modi's political opponents including the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi. Modi is "scared" of U.S. President Donald Trump, Gandhi reportedly said on Sunday in a political rally in Bihar.

Trump admin invests $750M in rare earth magnets- The Trump administration is putting nearly $750 million toward a deal to produce rare-earth magnets in the U.S. — and is once again taking shares of the companies to which it will dole out the cash. The partnership between the departments of Defense and Commerce and Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies seeks to enable 10,000 metric tons of magnet production in the U.S. each year. Vulcan Elements said in a press releaseit will be able to build and operate a 10,000 metric ton magnet facility in the U.S. Company chief of staff Jonah Glick-Unterman told The Hill in an email that the magnets in question can be used for virtually all electronic devices: satellites, robotics, drones, electric motors, hard disk drives and nearly all defense systems. Under the deal, the military will provide Vulcan Elements with a $620 million loan from its Office of Strategic Capital, while an additional $50 million will come from the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act. The Office of Strategic Capital will also give ReElement Technologies an $80 billion loan to expand its recycling and processing operation. The press release states the Commerce Department will get $50 million worth of equity in Vulcan Elements while the Pentagon will get “warrants” in both Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies. Stock warrants would give the government the right to purchase a stock at a certain price. It’s not entirely clear how big a stake in the companies the government will seek to take, and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to questions from The Hill.

China Orders State-Funded Data Centers Not To Use Foreign AI Chips -Yesterday we said that with Beijing giving Trump a list of 4 "red lines" he should note cross (including i) Taiwan, ii) democracy and human rights, iii) China’s political system, and iv) development rights), the countdown to the end of the trade truce has started because there is no more certain way to get Trump to do something than to tell him he shouldn't. And in a move that will only accelerate Trump's anger, the Chinese government issued guidance requiring new data centre projects that have received any state funds to only use domestically-made artificial intelligence chips, Reuters reported. In recent weeks, Chinese regulatory authorities ordered such data centres that are less than 30% complete to remove all installed foreign chips, or cancel plans to purchase them, while projects in a more advanced stage will be decided on a case-by-case basis, the Reuters sources said. Some projects have already been suspended before breaking ground as a result of the directive, including a facility in a northwestern province that had planned to deploy Nvidia chips, one of the sources said. The project, being developed by a private technology company that received state funding, has been put on hold, the source said. The move could represent one of China's most aggressive steps yet to eliminate foreign technology from its critical infrastructure amid a pause in trade hostilities between Washington and Beijing, and achieve its quest for AI chip self-sufficiency. China's access to advanced AI chips, including those made by Nvidia has been a key point of friction with the U.S., as the two wrestle for dominance in high-end computing power and AI. Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week that Washington will "let them deal with Nvidia but not in terms of the most advanced" chips. Beijing's response: if you limit technology, we will come up with our own. The move by Beijing, would dash Nvidia's hopes of regaining Chinese market share, while giving local rivals, including Huawei, yet another opportunity to secure more chip sales. Besides Nvidia, other foreign chipmakers that sell data centre chips to China include AMD and Intel. It remains unclear whether the guidance applies nationwide or only to certain provinces, although it is likely the case that this will soon become the norm unless something changes. The sources did not identify which Chinese regulatory bodies had issued the order. .

House labor caucus urges quotas on auto imports from Mexico, Canada -The Trump administration should consider imposing quotas on auto imports from Mexico and Canada as part of the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a group of House Democrats said in a letter Monday.“In strategic sectors like auto, the parties should use tools like quotas to safeguard minimum levels of domestic production,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, was signed by 69 of the 127 members of the Congressional Labor Caucus, which is led by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). The Trump administration earlier this year imposed 25 percent duties on autos and auto imports from Canada and Mexico, while agreeing in separate trade deals to 15 percent tariffs on auto imports from the European Union, Japan and South Korea. Imposing quotas would add an additional layer of import protection and would likely be strongly resisted by the two North American trading partners, who until recently had duty-free access for their auto exports to the United States. It would also raise the question of whether the U.S. should impose quotas on auto imports from other countries.

Canada tells carmaker Stellantis: ‘You will be held accountable’ - — The Canadian government is launching a formal dispute with Stellantis over the carmaker’s decision to move thousands of jobs to the United States. “If you create good jobs here, our government will be your strongest partner,” Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Monday. “But if you make promises and then walk away, you will be held accountable.” Joly advised a parliamentary committee that the government is initiating a 30-day dispute-resolution process with the multinational carmaker after 3,000 workers were laid off from its plant in Brampton, Ontario. The facility announced plans last month to move its Jeep Compass production to Illinois — making it Canada’s first plantwide casualty in President Donald Trump’s trade war. Stellantis signed three contracts with Ottawa and the Ontario government two years ago for up to C$15 billion in support, conditioned on production and job guarantees. Ottawa claims that shifting production to the U.S. breaches those provisions.

Things Aren't Looking Great For Trump In Supreme Court Tariff Arguments --Odds of the Supreme Court siding with Trump over tariffs tumbled on Wednesday, after conservative justices Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Coney Barrett asked tough questions during oral arguments in two cases. After the first hour of argument, the Trump administration's case justifying tariffs looked to be in serious trouble - specifically his claim that a 1977 economic emergency law grants the president unilateral power to impose tariffs at will. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Neil Gorsuch and other conservatives raised against Solicitor General John Sauer one of the legal principles they used to strike down big priorities for the Biden administration: the Major Questions Doctrine, which holds that the executive can’t find extraordinary powers in statutes that don’t contemplate major policy changes. –WSJ More:

Gorsuch hammered Solicitor General John Sauer over separation of powers - suggesting that if the court were to accept Sauer's argument that Congress can delegate sweeping power to the president, there might be no limit to what other powers they could "hand off."
The Justice then launched into a "series of skeptical - and at times openly hostile - questions at the solicitor general." (WSJ)
Justice Brett Kavanaugh also focused on Trump's assertion of power - noting that he's the first president in US history to invoke wartime law to impose sweeping global tariffs.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked Sauer to explain how the global tariffs were necessary to respond to an "unusual and extraordinary threat."

That said, the Trump admin has a plan if things don't go their way with the Supremes. As the WSJ notes; Trump's team for months has weighed using other laws as contingency plans to replace the Ieepa tariffs if they lose in court. That includes potentially deploying a never-before used provision in the Trade Act of 1974-Section 122- which allows for tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days to address trade imbalances with other countries. That would buy time for Trump to devise individualized tariffs for each major trading partner under a different provision of the same law, Section 301, which is used to counter unfair foreign trade practices.That plan could be more legally defensible. The U.S. Court of International Trade, which ruled against Trump's tariffs, pointed to Section 122 as a more reasonable legal defense for global tariffs. Section 301, meanwhile, has long been used to address unfair foreign trade practices, and was deployed to underpin Trump's first-term tariffs on China. Additionally, the administration could also seek to use Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to impose tariffs up to 50% on nations that discriminate against U.S. commerce.The clawbacks here are going to be a shitshow...

Bessent says U.S. has 'lots' of options to use on tariffs if it loses Supreme Court case -Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that there are other options in case of defeat as the Supreme Court is about to hear a landmark case on President Donald Trump's tariffs.The high court is set Wednesday to hear arguments on whether Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact sweeping duties on U.S. trading partners.At stake is the leeway presidents have to wield over trade measures as a tool of economic policy. Bessent expressed confidence in a CNBC "Squawk Box" interview that the administration will prevail, but has additional outlets it can use in case the decision goes the other way."There are lots of other authorities that can be used, but IEEPA is by far the cleanest, and it gives the U.S. and the president the most negotiating authority," he said. "The others are more cumbersome, but they can be effective."Specifically, Bessent cited Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which provides a justification on grounds of national security, as well as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which regulates unfair trading practices.However, they would limit the president's ability to use tariffs, as Trump has, under "emergency" grounds."This is very important tomorrow, and SCOTUS is going to hear this," Bessent said, referring to the court's nickname. "This is a signature policy for the president, and traditionally, SCOTUS has been loath to interfere with these signature policies."Outside of the court case, the secretary talked up the relationship the White House has with China, following last week's meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping. An agreement reached at the gathering in South Korea resulted in deals that set back some of the most onerous tariffs the two sides had slapped on each other."It was a very good meeting. Both sides approached it with great respect," Bessent said. "I think President Trump is the only leader who President Xi respects. ... The relationship is in a good place."Bessent said there are two state visits set up for 2026, one in Beijing and the other in the U.S.

Unions challenge Trump administration 'loyalty question' in job posts - Federal worker unions late Thursday filed a suit challenging the Trump administration’s inclusion of a so-called loyalty question in a set of prompts to be answered by prospective employees. The new question “essentially establishes a system of unconstitutional political patronage,” they argue, while “allowing the Trump Administration to weed out those who do not voice sufficient support for President Trump and reward those who do.” The American Federation of Government Employees, which brought the suit in conjunction with Democracy Forward, argues that the question undermines the cornerstone of a “career civil service based on merit, not political loyalty.” “For many Americans who aspire to serve in this country’s nonpartisan, merit-based civil service, being required to express a view in support of the President’s political objectives, to attest that one of the President’s Executive Orders is personally ‘significant,’ or to share their political views or beliefs at all, is antithetical to their values,” they wrote in the suit. The Trump administration rolled out the new application process in May, including four essay questions. While some pose questions about skills and experience, others ask about promoting President Trump’s agenda. “How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired,” the question asks. The suit argued that applicants “will be compelled to speak in the form of a written essay praising the President’s orders and policies (in order to better their chances of employment), risk being punished for answering honestly, or be chilled from speaking at all.” “That is by design,” they wrote, adding that “the Administration appears to be trying to fill nearly every level of the civil service with political loyalists.” The suit noted that many job postings in which the questions have been posed have nothing to do with politics or policy, including roles for a meatcutter, biologist, air traffic controller, and nurse across various departments. The White House referred comment to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which said the prompts were not meant to be an ideological litmus test. “The Merit Hiring Plan strengthens the career civil service by ensuring agencies evaluate applicants based on skills, experience, and commitment to public service. As part of the plan, we have recommended agencies use four optional, free-response essay questions that give candidates an opportunity to provide additional information about themselves, their background, and dedication to public service,” OMB said in a statement.

Trump lambasts NBC reporter over Thanksgiving meal prices -President Trump lambasted an NBC News reporter on Friday who pointed out discrepancies in this year’s Walmart Thanksgiving meal package as Trump continues to cite it as an example of lower prices under his administration. According to the retail giant’s website, this year’s meal serves 10 people for under $4 per person. Last year, Walmart’s holiday meal served eight people for less than $7 per person. But this year’s package also includes fewer items and some of those items will be Walmart’s store brand instead of name brands. Those details were cited by the reporter before Trump jumped in to declare NBC “fake news.” “Mr. President since you brought up the Walmart Thanksgiving meal, and it is cheaper but it also contains less,” the reporter asked. “I haven’t heard that,” Trump interrupted. “Who are you with?” “You’re fake news,” the president said when the reporter identified themselves with the network. “NBC’s gone down the tubes with most of the rest of them.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene pushes back on Donald Trump's affordability claims - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) pushed back on President Trump’s claim that grocery prices are falling, arguing that affordability — an issue she believes contributed to GOP election losses this week — is a problem for many Americans. “I go to the grocery store myself,” Greene told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday. “Grocery prices remain high. Energy prices are high. My electricity bills are higher here in Washington, D.C., at my apartment, and they‘re also higher at my house in Rome, Ga., higher than they were a year ago.” “So, affordability is a problem,” the lawmaker continued. She said she worried about her children’s generation the most, because “they’re having a very hard time.” The Georgia Republican said that when she is back home in the Peach State, many of her constituents tell her they have trouble affording groceries and paying their rent.“I‘m hearing stories of, not only are we having a really hard time affording groceries and rent and things like that, but I’m also hearing stories about people maxing out their credit cards just to afford their monthly expenses,” she told Collins, who hosts “The Source.” Greene previously tied Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy to Democratic victories at the polls, saying it played a “significant factor in the elections.” “The cost of living is a problem, and I’ve been talking about this for months,” she said in an NBC interview published Wednesday, adding that she would give the president “some credit” on the issue of inflation, but that rent and home prices were continuing to rise.

Maryland sues Trump administration over scrapped FBI headquarters plan - The state of Maryland is suing the FBI after the bureau reneged on plans to construct a new headquarters at a selected site in Greenbelt in favor of using an existing building in downtown Washington, D.C.The suit alleged the Trump administration ignored congressionally mandated spending plans and wrongly diverted $555 million in funding when it announced that rather than use the Greenbelt location selected after a multiyear bidding process, the FBI would instead use the Ronald Reagan Building, which had available space following the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development.“The [General Services Administration] (GSA) duly completed the site selection process in 2023 and selected the Greenbelt site. Congress set aside additional funds for the project after that decision. In July 2025, however, the FBI and the GSA abruptly announced that they had selected a new site, the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and took steps to redirect the previously appropriated funds toward developing an FBI headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building,” the state wrote in its Thursday suit.“These actions flouted Congress’s explicit direction to choose a site from the three specified sites, as well as other specific statutory directives concerning the selection of the site and the use of the funds.” The FBI did not respond to a request for comment. The GSA declined to comment.

'I could feel the roof pick up.' Hospitals face new disaster risks under Trump. - As Hurricane Helene battered Clinch Memorial Hospital last year, its chief executive was thinking about the storm shutters the hospital couldn’t afford. Clinch Memorial had finished a years-in-the-making renovation weeks before the storm struck. As part of the construction process, Angela Handley, the CEO, had considered installing hurricane shutters on the foyer’s massive glass windows, but the rural southeast Georgia hospital couldn’t justify the $100,000 expense. It operates on a 1 percent profit margin. “I could feel the roof pick up and drop with the wind, and we were just wishing we could have afforded those shutters,” she said in an interview, referring to the September 2024 storm. “We thought at any minute those front windows would come crashing through.” The event illustrated how difficult it is for small, cash-strapped hospitals to prepare for natural disasters that are being turbocharged by climate change. A year later, Clinch Memorial is still rebuilding and is bracing for another storm: A slew of changes to federal health care policies that could add more financial stress. Health care premiums under the Affordable Care Act are set to increase next year. The expiration of some subsidies that were keeping costs down for patients is now at the center of a battle over the government shutdown. It could mean small rural hospitals are faced with caring for more uninsured patients who can’t pay their medical bills. The subsidy expiration follows changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act included in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed earlier this year that some estimates say could force more than 300 rural hospitals to close. The policy changes are coming as many rural hospitals are operating on shoestring budgets, and they could have less money to respond to disasters under Trump’s law. The chief executive of another storm-swamped hospital, in Tennessee, has blamed the new changes to Medicaid for making it financially unfeasible to rebuild the facility, which was surrounded by a raging river during Helene. “We are on razor-thin margins, which will be going into the negative very soon,” Handley said. “There are so many things that can compound against our hospital’s survival, with the hurricane and the Medicaid cuts and the Affordable Care Act changes, it’s just one hit after another.”

FDA's top drug regulator resigns amid controversy The top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) resigned Sunday, according to officials, after being accused of using his position of authority to publicly denigrate a treatment tied to a former business associate. Dr. George Tidmarsh, a drug industry veteran who joined the administration in July, was placed on administrative leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General “were notified of serious concerns about his personal conduct,” HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard confirmed in an email. Tidmarsh resigned Sunday morning, effective immediately. “Secretary Kennedy expects the highest ethical standards from all individuals serving under his leadership and remains committed to full transparency,” Hilliard said, referring to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The company in question, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, on Sunday filed an explosive lawsuit accusing Tidmarsh of making false and defamatory statements about the company and the drug it developed because of a “long-standing personal vendetta” against its board chair Kevin Tang. FDA was not named in the suit. The developments around Tidmarsh were first reported Sunday by Stat. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, claims Tidmarsh has targeted multiple companies affiliated with Tang and his investment company Tang Capital.

Illness reported at Joint Base Andrews after 'suspicious' package -Several people at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland fell ill and received medical treatment after a “suspicious package” was delivered to the military base just outside Washington, D.C., CNN reported late Thursday. A building on the base — where President Trump frequently travels through on official business — was evacuated after an individual opened the package, Joint Base Andrews told CNN in a statement. “Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and have turned the scene over to Office of Special Investigations,” the statement said. “An investigation is currently ongoing.” Multiple people were taken to the base’s Malcolm Grove Medical Center after the package was opened. It contained an unknown white powder and political propaganda, two sources familiar with the investigation told CNN. The Hill has reached out to Joint Base Andrews for comment.

Trump touts marble Lincoln Bathroom remodel amid government shutdown - First it was the Oval Office, then the East Wing — now it's the Lincoln Bedroom's bathroom. President Donald Trump on Friday proudly showed off the latest project in his inside-and-out remodel of the White House — as critics slammed him as "tone deaf" for touting glitzy renovations during the costly government shutdown. Trump shared two dozen photos of the newly refurbished bathroom, which is now covered from floor to ceiling with what he described as "black and white polished Statuary marble." "This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!" Trump wrote in one of seven Truth Social posts containing photos of the renovation. The bathroom also sports gold-colored fixtures and accents — including the bath and sink faucets, wall sconces and trash bin — as well as a crystal hanging chandelier, the photos show. Trump told NBC News in July that he planned to update the bathroom of the historic Lincoln Bedroom in a style that is truer to the era of the 16th president, who held office from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. The previous decor, an art deco green tile style, was "totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era," Trump wrote in Friday's post. Trump's Democratic critics pounced on the construction updates, slamming him for focusing on the bathroom remodel while a government shutdown, now in its 31st day, threatens access to crucial federal services. "Donald Trump actually cares more about his toilet than he does about fixing your healthcare," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in an X post. "Millions of people are being kicked off of food assistance and millions can't afford health care anymore. But don't worry everyone! Trump got a new bathroom," Democratic commentator Harry Sisson wrote on X. "So tone deaf, out of touch, and disgusting," Sisson added. "We are in a serious govt shutdown, but instead of negotiating, Trump posted several pics of his WH bathroom remodel today and now this," wrote Ron Filipowski, editor in chief of the anti-Trump media outlet MeidasTouch. Asked for a response to those critiques, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told CNBC, "Democrats are more concerned with President Trump's historic beautification of the White House than they are for American citizens they are hurting because of their reckless government shutdown." In another Truth Social post Friday, Trump announced that he had inspected construction taking place at the Kennedy Center, where, months earlier, he had fired several board members and installed himself as chair. "It is really looking good!" he wrote. "The exterior columns, which were in serious danger of corrosion if something weren't done, are completed, and look magnificent in White Enamel — Like a different place!" "Marble is being done, stages are being renovated, new seats, new chairs, and new fabrics will soon be installed, and magnificent high end carpeting throughout the building," Trump wrote. The update came hours after The Washington Post reported that ticket sales at the Kennedy Center have plummeted in recent months.

Jamie Dimon explains JPMorgan not donating to President Trump's ballroom - JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Wednesday said his company will not donate money toward the White House’s ballroom construction, where the East Wing once stood. In an interview with Dimon, CNN anchor Erin Burnett noted how JPMorgan Chase was not listed among the companies that have donated toward the project. “We have an issue, OK, which is anything we do, since we do a lot of contracts with governments here and around the world, we have to be very careful about how anything is perceived,” Dimon said. “And also how the next DOJ is going to deal with it.”“So, we’re quite conscious of risks we bear by doing anything that looks like buying favors or anything like that,” he continued. “So, do we do things like that? And by the way, we also have policies where we don’t do certain things because it makes it easier for us.”He did note that JPMorgan Chase has contributed funds toward past presidential inaugurations, something that has been “a normal thing that companies did.” During the demolition of the White House’s East Wing, the Trump administration released a list of all of the companies that donated to the ballroom’s construction. At the time, President Trump said that the White House received $300 million for the construction, up from the $200 million that the administration previously said.ABC News also reported that the White House raised $350 million to build the ballroom. Trump suggested some of that money could go toward an arch planned to be built at the entrance of Washington, D.C., near the Lincoln Memorial.Donors include Amazon, Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Booz Allen Hamilton, Union Pacific Railroad, Palantir Technologies, the Lutnick family and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.

US election results 2025: Key takeaways from historic night across the US | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera -Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has won the New York mayoral election to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, polls projected late on Tuesday after voting closed in the closely watched election. By the time 91 percent of votes had been counted late on Tuesday night, Mamdani, who stood as the candidate for the Democratic Party, had won more than one million votes in the mayoral race, compared with about 850,000 votes for Andrew Cuomo, standing as an independent. Democrats also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia on the same day, and Californians voted to allow the state’s Democratic lawmakers to redraw the congressional map. Here are some key takeaways from the local United States elections: The votes took place in states considered strongholds for Democrats, who indeed have won the elections. Voting in different US states marked the first round of elections since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January this year. Off-year elections, which take place during years when there is no presidential election, are usually viewed as an early litmus test of popular opinion on how an administration is performing and which parties voters are aligning themselves with. According to NBC’s exit poll on Tuesday, 55 percent of voters in New Jersey, 56 percent of voters in Virginia, 69 percent of voters in New York City, and 63 percent of voters in California said they disapproved of Trump. Off-year elections can also serve as an early indicator of how midterm elections – due next year – might go. Historically, support has started to turn away from the party in the White House by the time of the midterms. Trump appeared cautious ahead of the elections. He was most vocal about the mayoral race in New York, where polls forecast that Mamdani would win comfortably. Before voting began, Trump threw his support behind former Democratic governor of New York state, Andrew Cuomo, calling Mamdani a “communist” and even threatening to cut federal funding to the city if Mamdani won. That did not stop New Yorkers from voting for Mamdani, however. On Tuesday night, when 91 percent of votes had been counted, his tally of 1,036,051 votes was already the highest any New York mayoral candidate has won since 1965, when Republican John Lindsay secured 1,149,106 votes, according to the city’s records.

Axelrod calls ADL’s response to Mamdani’s election ‘shockingly gratuitous’ - Former White House senior adviser David Axelrod on Friday said the Anti-Defamation League’s response to Zohran Mamdani’s (D) mayoral win was “shockingly gratuitous.” “As a Jew & son of a Jewish refugee, I’m alarmed by the rise of antisemitism. The ADL’s mission is to call it out when they see it,” Axelrod wrote in a statement on X. “But I found their response to Mamdani’s election shockingly gratuitous, inflammatory and deeply irresponsible,” he added. Following Mamdani’s Tuesday win, the ADL launched the “Mamdani Monitor,” a public facing tracker to monitor policies, appointments and actions from his administration that they consider potentially harmful to the safety of the Jewish community. “Mayor-Elect Mamdani has promoted antisemitic narratives, associated with individuals who have a history of antisemitism, and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state that is counter to the views of the overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned that those individuals and principles will influence his administration at a time when we are tracking a brazen surge of harassment, vandalism and violence targeting Jewish residents and institutions in recent years,” he added. Mamdani, in his election speech, pledged to protect and uplift Jewish residents in the Big Apple. However, despite his attempts to make headway with communities, the New York City mayor-elect remains the subject of Islamophobic remarks and criticism.

California voters approve new U.S. House map to boost Democrats in 2026 - California voters approved new congressional district boundaries Tuesday, delivering a victory for Democrats in the state-by-state redistricting battle that will help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026 and, with it, the power to thwart or advance President Donald Trump's agenda.The approval of Proposition 50 gives Democrats a shot at winning as many as five additional seats, just enough to blunt Texas Republicans' move to redraw their own maps to pick up five GOP seats at Trump's urging. Texas' move and California's response have kicked off a flurry of redistricting efforts around the country, with Republican states appearing to have an edge. Deeply blue California is Democrats' best opportunity to make up seats.Midterm elections typically punish the party in the White House, and Trump is fighting to maintain his party's slim House majority. Republicans hold 219 seats to Democrats' 213.Tuesday's results mark a political victory for Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cast the measure as an essential tool to fight back against Trump and protect American democracy.Speaking to reporters in Sacramento, Newsom cast the California vote as part of a broader national rejection of Trump's policies that saw Democratic governors elevated inNew Jersey and Virginia. But he warned the more consequential battle would come next year.If Democrats win the House majority, they can "end Donald Trump's presidency as we know it," Newsom said. "It is all on the line, a bright line, in 2026."California's Proposition 50 asked voters to suspend House maps drawn by an independent commission and replace them with rejiggered districts adopted by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Those new districts would be in place for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. The recast districts aim to dilute Republican voters' power, in one case by uniting rural, conservative-leaning parts of far northern California with Marin County, a famously liberal coastal stronghold across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The measure was spearheaded by Newsom, who threw the weight of his political operation behind it in a major test of his mettle ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign. Former President Barack Obama urged voters to pass it as well.

Trump Drafting Executive Order On Election Integrity After Alleging Ballot Fraud In California -- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said an executive order is being drafted to strengthen U.S. elections and curb mail-in ballot fraud, after President Donald Trump alleged that California’s mail voting system “is rigged” and parts of it are under “legal and criminal review.” “The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system,” Leavitt told reporters during a Nov. 4 briefing.“It’s absolutely true that ... there is fraud in California’s elections. It’s just a fact.”Leavitt’s comments followed a Truth Social post by Trump earlier in the day, in which he renewed his criticism of mail-in voting and suggested criminal investigations were underway.“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote.“All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review.”When asked what evidence the White House had to support those claims and which authorities were conducting the purported reviews, Leavitt said she would provide evidence of fraud to reporters after the briefing, alleging that “fraudulent ballots are being mailed in the names of other people, in the names of illegal aliens who shouldn’t be voting in American elections.” The White House has not disclosed details of the upcoming executive order. The president has repeatedly promised sweeping changes to election procedures, including a nationwide ban on universal mail-in voting and electronic voting machines. On Nov. 4, California voters approved Proposition 50, a ballot measure championed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democrats that allows lawmakers to temporarily bypass the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission to redraw congressional maps.Supporters said the measure was a needed counterweight to Republican-led redistricting in states such as Texas, while critics—including Trump—characterized it as an unconstitutional power grab.Newsom described the referendum as “California’s chance to save democracy,” saying it would help Democrats regain momentum ahead of next year’s elections.“At the end of the day, it’s about the future of our country,” he told supporters at a Los Angeles rally on Nov. 1. Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland told The Epoch Times that the measure could ultimately backfire on Democrats. “If Prop 50 passes, it becomes a rally cry nationally,” he said. “The biggest winner tonight will be [President] Donald Trump.”

Congressional Budget Office confirms hacking incident - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed Thursday it had been hacked, saying it was taking action to contain the fallout. “The Congressional Budget Office has identified the security incident, has taken immediate action to contain it, and has implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to further protect the agency’s systems going forward,” CBO spokesperson Caitlin Emma said in a statement. “The incident is being investigated and work for the Congress continues. Like other government agencies and private sector entities, CBO occasionally faces threats to its network and continually monitors to address those threats.” The statement follows a report from The Washington Post that officials suspected a foreign actor was behind the attack, risking insight into lawmakers’ communications with nonpartisan staff. The CBO evaluates the financial impact of legislation, including “scoring” a bill on how much it would impact the national debt. According to the Post, the hackers may have accessed emails as well as chat logs at the CBO. A second emergency directive was issued last month, warning of a “nation-state affiliated cyber threat actor” accessing federal networks using F5 devices and software.

CFPB's cybersecurity program 'no longer effective:' OIG says --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has seen a rapid drop in the effectiveness of its cybersecurity program, according to a new report from the Fed's Office of Inspector General.

OpenAI, Amazon sign $38 billion computing deal - OpenAI has struck a $38 billion agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to secure cloud computing power from the tech giant, the ChatGPT maker announced Monday. The multiyear deal will give the AI firm access to “hundreds of thousands of state-of-the-art” Nvidia chips, as the company seeks vast computing power to continue developing its AI models. “Scaling frontier AI requires massive, reliable compute,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. “Our partnership with AWS strengthens the broad compute ecosystem that will power this next era and bring advanced AI to everyone.” OpenAI is set to begin using AWS computing power immediately, with the Amazon cloud computing arm aiming to have all of the targeted capacity deployed before the end of 2026, it noted in a blog post. “As OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, AWS’s best-in-class infrastructure will serve as a backbone for their AI ambitions,” AWS CEO Matt Garman said in a statement. The AWS deal is the latest in a series of agreements for OpenAI, which has also recently unveiled partnerships with companies like Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom. The ChatGPT maker announced last month that it was partnering with Nvidia to deploy 10 gigawatts, or about 4 million to 5 million chips. Several weeks later, it signed a deal with AMD to obtain 6 gigawatts’ worth of the company’s AI chips. 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 This was followed by an agreement with Broadcom to deploy 10 gigawatts of custom AI accelerators for OpenAI. It has also reportedly signed a $300 billion deal with Oracle for 4.5 gigawatts of power.

ChatGPT stops offering medical, legal advice | Caliber.Az -OpenAI has revised its ChatGPT usage policy, explicitly banning the use of its AI system to provide medical, legal, or other advice requiring professional licensing. The update follows growing public debate over the increasing number of people turning to AI chatbots for expert guidance — particularly in the medical field.Artificial intelligence has rapidly reshaped industries worldwide, and healthcare has been no exception. ChatGPT, designed as a large language model with a conversational interface, has often been used by individuals seeking instant answers to health-related questions. Its accessibility and immediacy have made it an attractive alternative to professional consultations — a trend experts warn raises serious ethical and legal concerns.According to the company’s official Usage Policies, last updated on October 29, the revised rules now prohibit ChatGPT from being used for:

- consultations requiring professional certification (including medical or legal advice);
- facial or personal recognition without consent;
- making critical decisions in fields such as finance, education, housing, migration, or employment without human oversight;
- engaging in academic misconduct or altering evaluation results.

OpenAI explained that the policy changes are designed to “enhance user safety and prevent potential harm” from using the system in ways that exceed its intended capabilities.While OpenAI has not released an official statement elaborating on the decision, many analysts interpret the move as a way to minimize legal risks. The use of AI in providing professional or sensitive advice remains largely unregulated, exposing both developers and users to possible liabilities.The policy revision comes amid a rising trend of people turning to chatbots for complex or high-stakes consultations, with some even reporting that AI tools had aided in legal proceedings or self-diagnoses.Users discussing the update on the Reddit forum observed that previous workarounds — such as posing questions as “hypothetical scenarios” — are now largely ineffective. The system’s strengthened safety filters prevent it from issuing specific advice, enforcing the company’s new boundaries more consistently than before.OpenAI also introduced changes to its default model this week that are aimed at better recognizing and supporting people in moments of distress. "Our safety improvements in the recent model update focus on the following areas: 1) mental health concerns such as psychosis or mania; 2) self-harm and suicide; and 3) emotional reliance on AI. Going forward, in addition to our longstanding baseline safety metrics for suicide and self-harm, we are adding emotional reliance and non-suicidal mental health emergencies to our standard set of baseline safety testing for future model releases," the company announced.

Fed Gov. Barr says AI may cause 'dislocations' in labor force -- Michael Barr said he believes artificial intelligence will have a positive long-term impact on the economy, though it may cause job losses in the short term.

AI-washing and the massive layoffs hitting the economy - Corporate America is getting rocked by historic rounds ofwhite-collar layoffs, leading some to wonder: Has AI finally come for their jobs?While the proliferation of generative and agentic artificial intelligence is playing a role, recent job cut announcements from companies like Amazon, UPS and Target are about a lot more than just the advance of new technology. The firms, which each announced layoffs in recent weeks totaling more than 60,000 roles eliminated this year, said they're trying to cut corporate bloat, streamline operations and adjust to new business models.But in the absence of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly jobs report, which has gone dark amid the government shutdown, the layoff announcements have raised questions about the strength of the labor market and if it's the start of an AI-driven, white-collar recession. Some companies have outright said they're replacing workers with AI. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said in May the company was able to shrink its head count by about 40%, in part because of AI. Duolingo said in April it'll stop using contractors for work that AI can handle. Salesforce laid off 4,000 customer support roles in September, saying that AI can do 50% of the work at the company.But experts interviewed by CNBC said some companies could be "AI-washing" their job cuts, blaming layoffs on the new technology to cover up business fumbles and old-fashioned cost cutting."We spend a lot of time looking carefully at companies that are actually trying to implement AI, and there's very little evidence that it cuts jobs anywhere near like the level that we're talking about. In most cases, it doesn't cut head count at all," said Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the Wharton School and director of its Center for Human Resources. "Using AI and introducing it to save jobs turns out to be an enormously complicated and time-consuming exercise. … There's still a perception that it's simple and easy and cheap to do, and it's really not." Still, the cuts, which come after a string of layoffs across the tech industry, have cast a dark cloud on a teetering economythat's been wracked by persistent inflation, rising delinquencies, falling consumer sentiment and an average effective tariff rate that's at its highest level in nearly a century, according to estimates from The Budget Lab at Yale University.The growing pile of bad news has done little to shock the stock market, which is at near-record highs, but that's largely because it's been buoyed in part by AI megacaps.Cappelli attributed the recent surge in layoff announcements to concerns about the state of the economy. He also noted a likely "bandwagon" effect in which companies see their competitors cutting so they too start making cuts. "If it looks like everybody is cutting, then you say, 'They must know something we don't know,'" said Cappelli. He added investors often reward cutting: "They want to hear that you're cutting because it looks like you're doing something good. It looks like becoming more efficient."

Aramco CEO says Saudi Arabia's cheap energy will turn kingdom into a global AI data center leader --Saudi Arabia will capitalize on its abundant supply of cheap natural gas and renewables to transform the kingdom into a global leader in artificial intelligence, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told CNBC in an interview. Aramco, the world's largest oil company, disclosed in late October that it plans acquire a significant minority stake in the new artificial intelligence company Humain. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF, is the majority owner of Humain, which launched in May. Humain will become Saudi's national AI champion and will grow into a leader in the space, Nasser told CNBC's Sara Eisen in an interview that aired Tuesday. Humain CEO Tareq Amin has said Saudi is aiming to become the third biggest player in AI worldwide behind only the U.S. and China. "Here, if you want renewable, you will find the lowest cost renewable," Nasser said. "If you want gas, you will find the lowest cost gas. Energy is available and land is also available to build all these things." Data centers that train and run AI applications are requiring tremendous amounts of electricity, which is typically generated either by renewables and natural gas. The facilities will consume almost four times the electricity of the global electric vehicle fleet by 2030, Nasser said. They will primarily be powered by gas but also renewables, the CEO said. A significant portion of Armaco's capital spending is going toward boosting natural gas production more than 60% by 2030 to meet demand and toward the investment in Humain, Nasser said. Aramco is targeting capital expenditures of $52 billion to $58 billion this year, he said. Armaco sees oil and gas demand growing for decades to come on consumption in developing markets particularly in Asia, Nasser said. Demand will grow by 1.1 million barrels per day to 1.3 million bpd this year and almost the same in 2026, he said. "There is huge potential for growth in emerging economies," he said.

'Big Short 2.0': Deutsche Bank Reportedly Starts Shorting AI Stocks To Hedge Data-Center Funding Risks -For those who have been in the markets for more than a few years, the memory of Deutsche Bank's sales and trading desks quietly pitching CDS to clients to hedge the possibility of a housing-slowdown/mortgage-crisis/total-and-utter-collapse of the global financial system will still be fresh. If you are too young, or were busy doing something more productive, this may help: The "Deutsche Bank guy"

They Want You Relying On Artificial Intelligence So That You Will Lose Your Natural Intelligence -Caitlin Johnstone --Your rulers want you to depend on machines to do your thinking for you. They want you relying on AI to do your reasoning, researching, analysis, and writing. They want you to require easily controllable software to form your understanding of the world, and to express that understanding to others. They can control the machines, but they can’t control the human mind. So they want you to abandon your mind for the machines. They want you relying on artificial intelligence so you stop using your organic intelligence. They want your critical thinking skills to atrophy. They want your ability to locate and parse inconvenient pieces of information to deteriorate. They want your inspiration and intuition to decay. They want your sense of morality to waste and wither away. They want you perceiving reality through interpretive lenses controlled by plutocratic tech companies which are inextricably intertwined with the power structure of the western empire. Generative AI is just high-tech brainwashing. It’s the next level of propaganda indoctrination. It is there to turn our brains into useless sludge which cannot function without technological crutches controlled by the imperial plutocrats. They want us to abandon our humanity for technology. They don’t want us making our own art. They don’t want us making our own music. They don’t want us writing our own poetry. They don’t want us contemplating philosophy for ourselves. They don’t want us turning inwards and getting in touch with an authentic spirituality. They want to replace the dynamic human spirit with predictable lines of code. Our Our brains are conditioned to select for cognitive ease, and that’s what the AI merchants are selling us. The sales pitch is, “You don’t have to exert all that mental effort thinking new thoughts, learning new things, and expressing yourself creatively! But it comes at a cost. We have to trade in our ability to do those things for ourselves. Historically when a new technology has shown up, that kind of tradeoff has been worth it. But this isn’t like that. We’re not talking about some obsolete skill we won’t need anymore thanks to modern technological development, we’re talking about our minds. Our creative expression. Our inspiration. Our very humanness.Even if AI worked well (it doesn’t) and even if our plutocratic overlords could be trusted to interpret reality on our behalf (they can’t), those still wouldn’t be aspects of ourselves that we should want to relinquish.. In this oligarchic dystopia, it is an act of defiance just to insist upon maintaining your own cognitive faculties. Regularly exercising your own creativity, ingenuity and mental effort is a small but meaningful rebellion. So exercise it. Don’t ask an AI to think something through for you. Work it out as best you can on your own. Even if the results are flawed, it’s still better than losing your ability to reason. Don’t ask AI to create art or poetry for you. Make it yourself. Even if it’s crap, it’ll still be better than outsourcing your artistic capacity to a machine. Don’t even run to a chatbot every time you need to find information about something. See if you can work your way through the old enshittified online search methods and find it for yourself. Our rulers are getting better and better at hiding inconvenient facts from us, so we’ve got to get better and better at finding them. Get in touch with the fleshy, tactile experience of human embodiment, because they are trying to get you to abandon it. Really feel your feet on the ground. The air in your lungs. The wind in your hair. Teach yourself to calm your restless mind and take in the beauty that’s all around you in every moment. Repair the attention span that’s been shattered by smartphones and social media. Learn to meditate and focus on one thing for an extended period. Don’t look at your phone so much. Read a book. A paper one, that you can touch and smell and hear the pages rustle as you turn them. If it’s an old one from the library or the used book store, that’s even better. It doesn’t have to be a challenging book if your attention span is really shot. Start simple. A kids book. A comic book. Whatever you can manage. You’re putting yourself through cognitive restorative therapy. Your first steps don’t have to impress anybody. Get in touch with your feelings. The ones you’ve been suppressing for years. Let them come out and have their say, listening to them like a loving parent to a trembling child. Learn to cherish those moments in between all the highlights of your day. The time you spend at red lights, or waiting for the coffee to brew. There is staggering beauty packed into every moment on this earth; all you need to do is learn to notice it. Embrace your humanity. Embrace your feelings. Embrace your flaws. Embrace your inefficiency. Embrace everything they’re trying to get you to turn away from. What they are offering you is so very, very inferior to the immense treasure trove that you are swimming in just by existing as a human being on this planet. You are a miracle. This life is a miracle. Don’t let them hide this from you.

Donald Trump distances from Binance's Changpeng Zhao after pardon backlash - President Trump has sought to distance himself from Binance founder Changpeng Zhao after facing backlash for pardoning the cryptocurrency billionaire whose company has had business dealings with the Trump family’s digital finance venture. The president’s comments have revived scrutiny of his family’s financial interest in the crypto industry and Trump’s own repeated claims that former President Biden was not aware of whom he was pardoning at the end of his term. In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday, Trump insisted he did not know Zhao personally, in response to questions about his family’s involvement with Binance and whether it amounted to corruption. “OK, are you ready? I don’t know who he is,” Trump said when asked by correspondent Norah O’Donnell why he pardoned Zhao. “I know he got a four-month sentence or something like that. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.” “But this man was treated really badly by the Biden administration. And he was given a jail term. He’s highly respected. He’s a very successful guy,” Trump added. “They sent him to jail, and they really set him up. That’s my opinion. I was told about it.” Trump’s comments about Zhao and the rationale for pardoning him raised red flags for Democrats, who were quick to point out that the president has spent months questioning the validity of Biden’s pardons. House Republicans last week called on the Justice Department to investigate Biden’s pardons. “Who’s running the @WhiteHouse?” former Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates posted on the social platform X in response to Trump’s pardon comments Monday. Trump has claimed Biden’s use of the autopen to sign off on numerous pardons at the end of his term showed Biden was not really in charge or aware of what he was doing. Trump dug in on those claims during Sunday’s interview, insisting his predecessor “didn’t have a clue.” “He illegally used, as you know, a machine, the autopen, in order to give pardons to people,” Trump said. “The only pardon he signed it looks like was his son, Hunter. … But everyone else, I think those pardons are all just, were just a waste of time.”

Trump on crypto mogul he pardoned: ‘I don’t know who he is’ - President Trump said Sunday he knows “nothing” about Binance founder Changpeng Zhao despite pardoning the convicted crypto billionaire. Trump’s decision to pardon Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering regime, has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks given the Trump family’s business dealings with the crypto exchange. “I don’t know who he is,” Trump told CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell in an interview for “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday. “I know he got a four-month sentence or something like that. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.” “My sons are involved in crypto much more than me,” he added. “I know very little about it, other than one thing. It’s a huge industry. And if we’re not going to be the head of it, China, Japan, or someplace else is. So, I am behind it 100 percent.” Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison and was released from custody last September. He has reportedly been lobbying the White House for a pardon in recent months, as the crypto industry has found a key ally in the second Trump administration. It represents a sharp departure from the industry’s tenuous relationship with the Biden administration. Crypto firms were particularly frustrated by former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who they accused of attempting to regulate via enforcement. Trump’s pardon has faced pushback given Binance’s ties to his family’s crypto venture World Liberty Financial. An Emirati investment firm used the company’s stablecoin to invest $2 billion in the crypto exchange in May. “I said, ‘Eh, it may look bad if I do it. I have to do the right thing,’” Trump said in Sunday’s interview. “I don’t know the man at all. I don’t think I ever met him. Maybe I did. Or, you know, somebody shook my hand or something. But I don’t think I ever met him.”

Appeals court dubious of FTX founder Bankman-Fried’s conviction challenge -The judges in a federal appeals court in New York on Tuesday were skeptical of arguments by a lawyer for Sam Bankman-Fried that his conviction for a multi-billion-dollar fraud related to his cryptocurrency exchange FTX and an associated hedge fund should be tossed out.Bankman-Fried's attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, was almost immediately and then repeatedly interrupted by the three-judge panel on the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals as she tried to make her case that SBF deserved a new trial because the first one was "fundamentally unfair.""From my reading of the record, [there was] very substantial evidence of guilt," Judge Barringon Parker told Shapiro."Are you seriously suggesting to us that if your client had been able to testify about the role that attorneys played in preparing these various documents, the not-guilty verdicts would have rolled in?" Parker asked, as Bankman-Fried's parents looked on from the courtroom gallery.Bankman-Fried, 33, was convicted in November 2023 of seven criminal counts for fraud against customers of FTX and lenders to the hedge fund Alameda Research. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Shapiro argued that rulings by the trial judge, Lewis Kaplan of U.S. District Court in Manhattan, which included limiting what SBF could testify about, unfairly favored prosecutors.That "allowed the prosecution to present this morally compelling tale, but prevented the defense from showing that the story wasn't true," she said."The defense was cut off at the knees by the judge's rulings," Shapiro told the panel.

Ether falls 7% following a multimillion dollar hack of a decentralized finance protocol -- Ether fell as much as 9% on Monday, slipping below its critical $3,600 support level, shortly after a multimillion dollar hack affected a protocol on the token's native network. The cryptocurrency, which is issued on Ethereum, was last down 6.6% at around $3,600, CoinMetrics data shows. That's roughly 25% off its high of $4,885 hit on August 22. The coin's tumble came after Ethereum-based decentralized finance protocol Balancer on Monday lost possibly more than $100 million in a hack. The exploit marks the latest in a series of bearish events that have put digital assets investors on tenterhooks over the past few weeks.In mid-October, U.S. President Donald Trump announced "massive" tariffs on China over its restriction of rare earth exports, kicking off investors' flight from crypto to risk-off assets such as gold. And although the president later walked back that threat, his comments sparked a sell-off that triggered cascading liquidations of highly leveraged digital asset positions. Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned investors about expecting future rate cuts, adding to existing bearish market sentiment. "These events have put investors on uneasy footing as we roll into November," Juan Leon, senior investment strategist at Bitwise, told CNBC. "Macro volatility notwithstanding, this October's drawdown appears to have been a healthy, albeit sharp, de-leveraging event that flushed speculative excess from the market."

Bitcoin falls below $100,000 for the first time since late June - Bitcoin on Tuesday plunged below $100,000 for the first time in more than four months, as cryptocurrency holders backed off the risk-on asset amid growing concerns about the sustainability of stock valuations driven to stratospheric heights by the artificial intelligence trade. Bitcoin was last trading 5% lower on the day at $100,893, dipping at one point as low as $99,966. Tuesday marked the first time since June 23 that the flagship cryptocurrency traded below $100,000. Ether , the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, shed nearly 9% on Tuesday to trade at $3,275. The leading cryptocurrencies attract many of the same investors as artificial intelligence stocks, linking the two trades when one goes bad. The Nasdaq Composite, home to the leading AI stocks, dropped more than 1% Tuesday, with investors selling AI-linked Palantir on concerns about its eye-watering valuation despite the data manager's solid earnings results in its latest quarter. "Bitcoin and the broader crypto market is exhausted," Haonan Li, founder of Ethereum-based stablecoin platform Codex, told CNBC. "Even with stablecoin growth, rising [real-world asset] volumes, and Bitcoin increasingly behaving like an institutional store of value — the market doesn't care. Bad news is very bad for crypto right now … and good news barely moves the needle."

Bitcoin retail buyer at 'max desperation,' but no crypto winter: Bitwise CIO -Bitcoin's fall below $100,000, its lowest level since June, has sparked fears that the worst is yet to come, another so-called crypto winter (a prolonged bear market in cryptocurrencies) that the market wrestles with every time digital currencies sell off hard in a short period of time. But Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan says that while the retail investor is in "max desperation" mode, he sees that as a reason to bet that a bottoming in crypto prices may materialize sooner rather than later. With Wall Street institutional investor and financial advisor support for bitcoin, and growth in crypto ETFs, he is even willing to go out on a limb and say that amid the heavy selling a new record high for bitcoin before the end of the year isn't unreasonable. "It's almost a tale of two markets," he said on CNBC's "Crypto World" on Tuesday. "Crypto retail is in max desperation. We've seen leverage blowouts. ... the market for sort of crypto native retail is just more depressed than I've ever seen it," he said. But Hougan believes more crypto trading will continue to shift into an institutionally driven market, "and interestingly, that market is still bullish," he said. "When I go out and speak to institutions or financial advisors, they're still excited to allocate to an asset class that if you pan back and look over the course of a year, is still delivering very strong returns. So my view of the market is we have to get through this retail flush out. We have to hit bottom from a sentiment perspective. I think we're very close to that," he added.

Exclusive research Bank execs say stablecoins, crypto here to stay - Findings from American Banker's On-Chain Finance Report show how market leaders view digital assets as a permanent fixture in the banking industry. The passing of the GENIUS Act has formally kicked off a digital asset race within the banking system, and executives are working to figure out what clients need most: information or products. American Banker's On-Chain Finance survey was fielded online during August and September, 2025, among 142 employees of banks, credit unions or payments companies. All respondents are knowledgeable about their institution's plans for digital currencies, including cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Top findings from the report:

General information about crypto is the top ask from interested clients.
Public cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are likely permanent, but not NFTs.
Desired changes to the GENIUS Act involve interest and reserve standards.

Results from the report are highlighted below using interactive charts. Mouse over each section for more detail, click on the chart labels to show or hide sections and use the arrows to cycle between chart views. This item is the end of a series diving into new data from American Banker. Click the links below to read the other parts of the overall research.

Standard Chartered CEO cheers blockchain; payment firms scale stablecoins - As Standard Chartered boss Bill Winters says cash will soon fully give way to digital currency, Western Union, Worldline, Coinbase and Ripple entered separate collaborations to bring digital assets to wider audiences. That and more in the American Banker global payments and fintech roundup.

What's at stake: Payment firms are adding distribution partners to create networks for stablecoin payments market.
Supporting data: Thirty five percent of financial institutions said clients are asking for the ability to make payments using cryptocurrencies, according to American Banker's On-Chain Finance Report.
Forward look: Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters said all transactions will soon be processed on a blockchain.

As interest in stablecoins increases, payment firms are looking for ways to support crypto over a wider audience. For example, payments technology firm Worldline is the latest company to enter the stablecoin fray with a partnership with European stablecoin payment infrastructure provider Fipto.

U.S. Bank sees stablecoin opportunity in trade finance — U.S. Bank is still plotting its next move with stablecoins, but sees an opportunity to use the digital asset in trade finance, Chief Executive Gunjan Kedia said at The Clearing House Annual Conference in New York on Wednesday. "We're in learning mode," Kedia said. "There's a lot to be sorted out with stablecoin that's not super urgent, but it is consequential."

Key insights: U.S. Bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services, but sees opportunity in trade finance, CEO Gunjan Kedia said at the The Clearing House Annual Conference in New York Wednesday.
What's at stake: While cross-border payments remain the most popular and immediate use case for stablecoins, banks with a high concentration of domestic business will need to explore other options.
Expert quote: "There's a lot to be sorted out with stablecoin that's not super urgent, but it is consequential," Kedia said.

The Minneapolis-based bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services, but sees opportunity in trade finance, CEO Gunjan Kedia said at The Clearing House Annual Conference in New York Wednesday.

BankThink Crypto's real adoption curve begins when it disappears - Crypto is slowly but surely being integrated into the banking applications consumers trust and use every day. It's not the crypto revolution purists imagined, but it's very good news for consumers and bankers alike, writes Aryan Sheikhalian, of CMT Digital. Regulation just rewired crypto distribution. With the GENIUS Act signed in July and the CLARITY Act advancing in the Senate, the fight to "own the user" is giving way to a more ambitious goal: to be the default. Crypto is slowly but surely being integrated into the banking applications consumers trust and use every day. It's not the crypto revolution purists imagined, but it's very good news for consumers and bankers alike.

White-label stablecoins are the next evolution of money -While the term "white-label" has come to represent a generic service or an outsourced product, few realize it emerged in the 1960s in reference to the record company practice of putting plain white labels on promotional records. Fast forward a few decades, and the term is now deeply embedded in our economy, touching concepts from servers to groceries, tablets to shoes, software to luxury goods. Noelle Acheson looks at what the outsourcing of stablecoin issuance means for the GENIUS Act, and for our understanding of money.

Bank trade group opposes Coinbase charter application - The Independent Community Bankers of America filed a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Tuesday opposing Coinbase's application for a national trust bank charter. The ICBA opposed Coinbase's filing for a trust charter in a public letter as Comptroller Jonathan Gould defended the fintech charter process on Tuesday.

Key insight: Industry regulation debates could impact crypto custodians like Coinbase seeking trust charters.
Expert quote: Comptroller Jonathan Gould argues that bringing compliant fintechs into banking is essential for oversight.
Supporting info: Coinbase filed for charter Oct 3; Anchorage Digital remains the only crypto firm approved (Jan 2021).
Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Fed's Bowman seeks level field for banks on digital assets -The Federal Reserve's top regulator wants banks to have a level playing field with nonbanks when it comes to participating in activities related to digital assets.Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she wants banks to be competitive in the digital assets space, provided those operations are siloed from the traditional finance side of the business. Speaking Tuesday at the Santander International Banking Conference in Madrid, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she wants banks "to engage fully in digital assets, if they want to" so that "they're not left behind."

Key Insight: Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said she wants banks to have an even playing field with nonbanks when it comes to holding digital assets, though stressed this should be done in a way that promotes safety and soundness.
Expert quote: "We want to make sure [banks are] engaging in a way that separates those digital assets on their balance sheet from the regular business activities." — Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
What's at stake: With the passage of stablecoin legislation earlier this year, the Federal Reserve, along with other agencies, has been tasked with helping build out the regulatory framework for the asset-backed tokens.

Waller hedges on nonbank access to 'skinny' master account -- Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said there was a popular "misunderstanding" Thursday regarding who can qualify for a "skinny" master account, noting that only firms with a bank charter would qualify for approval.

Gould backs charters to bring nonbanks into regulatory fold —Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said Tuesday that chartering compliant fintechs is "the only way" to level the playing field between banks and nonbanks. Comptroller Gould says an interagency effort to rethink bank supervision is aimed at empowering bank examiners by reducing their responsibilities to only the most critical aspects of a bank's operations and basing their actions on firm legal footing. His comments come as the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency weighs new trust charters and stablecoin rules.

Key insight: Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said Thursday that regulators want to "refocus" bank supervisors on material risks rather than engaging in "check-the-box" exercises that take attention away from bigger financial risks.
Expert quote: "From my perspective, we need to make sure that we are focusing [banks] on the things that matter most, which I would broadly define as the material financial risk to them. That is the area that we can absolutely not fail to see and defend against." — Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould
What's at stake: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking earlier this month seeking comment on ways to make bank supervision more effective and legally sound.

JPMorgan says it's facing federal probe over 'debanking' The megabank is cooperating with a government request for information related to how it decides which customers to bank. It is the second large U.S. bank — along with Bank of America — to disclose such a probe.

Key insight: JPMorganChase is cooperating with the federal government as it reviews the bank's policies and procedures related to how it decides who to bank.
What's at stake: The Trump administration has accused banks of engaging in so-called "debanking" and restricting financial access to Trump supporters.
Forward look: Observers will be watching to see if other banks disclose similar probes.

UPDATE: This article now includes a statement from JPMorganChase and more details about regulators' and agencies' communication with banks regarding "debanking" activities.

JPMorgan Discloses Government Probe Into Debanking Practices -US regulators are examining whether JPMorgan Chase has denied customers fair access to banking, as pressure grows over debanking decisions that were made against conservative figures, according to reporting from Financial Times and the company's 10-Q filing.In its quarterly filing, the bank noted it was “responding to requests from government authorities and other external parties regarding, among other things, the firm’s policies and processes and the provision of services to customers and potential customers”.JPMorgan linked the scrutiny to an August executive order from Donald Trump directing regulators to review possible “politicised or unlawful debanking”. The bank said related inquiries include “reviews, investigations and legal proceedings,” without identifying the agencies involved. Bank of America has similarly reported responding to government demands about “fair access to banking.” Industry lobbyists argue that regulatory rules around politically exposed persons and “reputation risk” have pushed banks to deny certain customers.Recall, just yesterday, we noted that a top bank watchdog was making sure big banks have finally ditched debanking policies. You remember those, right? We sure do. It happened around the same time Google, Paypal and Amazon all banned us due to our (correct) take on the origins of Covid-19 and because they didn't like our (correct) take on the BLM movement. For those that missed it, a slew of banks under the Biden administration outright cancelled people's accounts and didn't allow them access to a bank account based on the industry they worked in, or many times their political views (surprise, none of them were Democrats).Jonathan Gould, head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, told a conference that supervisors are double-checking banks really did stop blacklisting sectors like firearms from banks, according to Reuters.This oversight follows a June executive order from President Donald Trump directing banks to avoid denying services based on industry type or political considerations. Reuters writes that supervisors are now ensuring that the largest banks are in compliance with the updated approach.

Fed points to market froth as leading stability risk -- In its latest financial stability report, the Federal Reserve found that asset valuations continue to be elevated and leverage levels remain high, especially among nonbanks like hedge funds and insurance firms.

Judge rejects $425M settlement in Capital One class action --A federal judge has rejected a proposed $425 million class action settlement between Capital One Financial and lawyers representing consumers, saying that the deal wouldn't adequately compensate savings account holders who received low rates as a result of the bank's alleged deception. U.S. District Judge David Novak on Thursday directed the two parties to reengage in settlement talks in order to fix what he described as flaws in the plan.

Key insight: A federal judge found that a $425 million settlement agreement wouldn't provide enough money for Capital One customers who still earn relatively low yields on their accounts.
What's at stake: The ruling is the latest twist in a saga that's also involved efforts by federal and state authorities to hold Capital One accountable for allegedly deceptive conduct.
Forward look: The class action case could go to trial in July 2026 if it's not resolved before that time.

Capital One must reengage in settlement talks with lawyers for savings account holders after a judge found that an agreement between the two sides wouldn't provide adequate compensation to customers who were allegedly victimized by the bank.

BankThink Cutting bank capital requirements opens the door to systemic risk --Cutting the eSLR to foster U.S. Treasury demand is systemically risky business, writes Kurt Schacht, of CFA Institute Systemic Risk Council. Eighteen years ago, global financial markets awoke from years of yield-seeking slumber to news that BNP Paribas had halted withdrawals from three of its investment funds. The systemically important French bank had concluded "it couldn't 'fairly' value" the U.S. subprime mortgage loans in its portfolios, and thus the funds themselves. A year later, the problems highlighted by BNP's announcement had intensified to the point that the financial system was on the verge of an epochal crisis. A proposal to reduce the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio, implemented in the wake of the global financial crisis, risks bringing back the same sort of risky behavior that cratered markets in 2008.

What last night's Democratic sweep means for banks — Voters moved sharply left in yesterday's off-cycle elections, which spanned from California to New York, and ushered candidates into office that emphasized pocketbook affordability issues and discontent with the Trump administration.

Key insight: A dramatic swing toward progressive rhetoric could mean both parties embrace more populist ideology.
What's at stake: Credit card interest rate cap and Federal Reserve interest on reserve balances have been on the populist Republican wishlist in the new Congress.
Forward look: Affordability issues will continue to be key in the midterm campaigns next
year.

Fed says banks are well managed even with a deficient rating -- The Federal Reserve Board finalized changes to its supervisory rating framework, allowing large bank holding companies to be considered "well managed," even with one deficient rating.

Activist investor drops recent proxy battle threats --HoldCo Asset Management drops its pursuit of proxy battles with Columbia Banking System and First Interstate; Cape Cod's Mutual Bancorp prepares to acquire Bluestone Bank; Servbank HoldCo announces plans to acquire IF Bancorp; and more in this week's banking news roundup. HoldCo Asset Management, the activist investor that's been putting lots of heat on certain regional banks, said it will not pursue proxy battles against Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Washington, or First Interstate BancSystem in Billings, Montana.Both banks responded sufficiently last week to HoldCo's requests to swear off mergers and acquisitions and use excess capital to repurchase their shares, HoldCo said this week in separate updates about each company. While the activist group has some lingering concerns, it said it will "lay down [its] arms," though it warned that it will "not hesitate to take any action that we deem necessary to protect the rights of shareholders and drive value, including the potential pursuit of a proxy contest and/or advocating for a sale of the company." HoldCo has ramped up its focus on certain banks in recent months. In July, it called for Comerica in Dallas to sell itself. The bank has since agreed to be acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati.

How small business lending made the shutdown real for banks — Markets have mostly shrugged off the government shutdown, but some small banks are starting to feel the pain as a bottleneck in at least one key program is grinding bank lending to a halt. A bottleneck at the Small Business Administration in clearing federal small business loans because of the ongoing federal government shutdown is becoming an increasingly urgent issue for small and even some midsized banks. The partial government shutdown entered its 20th day today as its impact is more widely felt with about 800,000 federal workers who will miss their paychecks on Friday.

Key insight: Small and even some regional banks are starting to feel the pinch of the federal shutdown on Small Business Administration-guaranteed loans.
Supporting data: New loan applications at the SBA have been halted starting Oct. 1, and loans already in the application process have been on hold.
Forward look: Analysts hope that a speedy reopening of the government could offset the losses from the shutdown, but the longer the government stays closed the harder it will be for banks to recover lost fee income.

As auto delinquencies rise, CFPB seeks to cut oversight -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to cut oversight of auto lenders — particularly those serving subprime borrowers — at a time when auto loan delinquencies are hitting new highs.

Key Insight: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposal comes as auto loan delinquencies are hitting their highest levels in decades.
What's at Stake: Banks object to reduced supervision of nonbanks, arguing that the Dodd-Frank Act specifically requires consistent oversight of banks and nonbanks.
Supporting Data: If the CFPB adopts a rule raising auto loan thresholds, the bureau would supervise just five auto finance lenders, up from 63 currently.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering a proposal to reduce its oversight of auto finance lenders, saying the benefits of supervision may not justify the "increased compliance burdens."

BankThink It's time to rewrite the 'unwritten' rules of community bank capital --Well-managed community banks deserve the ability to make the case for lowering their capital levels, writes Adam Mustafa, of Invictus Group. Deregulation — particularly efforts to loosen capital requirements for financial institutions — is a clear priority for the current administration and the Federal Reserve. Thus far, these initiatives have centered on large banks, with proposals to modify the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio, or eSLR; soften the Basel III "endgame"; and revisit the surcharge on global systemically important banks, or G-SIBs. Community banks are often pressured by regulators to hold significantly higher capital than regulations require, using one-size-fits-all rules of thumb. Well-managed community banks deserve the ability to make the case for lowering their capital levels.

Fed October SLOOS Survey: Banks reported Stronger Demand for Some Loan Categories From the Federal Reserve: The October 2025 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices:The October 2025 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLOOS) addressed changes in the standards and terms on, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households over the past three months, which generally correspond to the third quarter of 2025. Regarding loans to businesses over the third quarter, survey respondents reported, on balance, tighter lending standards for commercial and industrial (C&I) loans to firms of all sizes.2 Banks also reported, on balance, stronger demand for C&I loans from large and middle-market firms and basically unchanged demand from small firms. Furthermore, banks reported generally unchanged standards and demand for most commercial real estate (CRE) loan categories. For loans to households, banks reported basically unchanged lending standards and stronger demand for residential mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) on balance. For consumer loans, standards remained basically unchanged for credit card and other consumer loans and eased for auto loans. Meanwhile, demand remained basically unchanged for credit card and other consumer loans and weakened for auto loans. The October SLOOS included a set of special questions inquiring about the likelihood of approving C&I and credit card loan applications in comparison with the beginning of the year—by firm size and trade exposure levels for C&I loans and by borrower risk for credit card loans. Banks reported being more likely to approve C&I loan applications from both large and small firms with low trade exposures and less likely to approve C&I loan applications from firms of all sizes with high trade exposures. Banks also reported being more likely to approve credit card applications from super-prime and prime borrowers but less likely to approve applications from near-prime or subprime borrowers. This graph on Residential Real Estate demand is from the Senior Loan Officer Survey Charts. This graph is for demand and shows that demand has been weak since late 2021, but has picked up slightly recently. The left graph is from 1990 to 2014. The right graph is from 2015 to Q3 2025.

$100M affordable housing fund is 'just the beginning' - Financial literacy advocate John Hope Bryant has joined with a Los Angeles-based developer in an effort to raise up to $300 million from banks to preserve and construct low-income housing around the country.

Forward look: The partners behind a new fund to finance affordable housing believe they can build a business by allocating CRA-related capital from banks for this kind of project.
Expert quote: "We found a capital stack that has really never been institutionalized," said Bryant Group Ventures Founder John Hope Bryant.
Supporting data: The U.S. is short more than 7 million affordable housing units, according to a recent survey by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

A Los Angeles-based real estate firm and a for-profit venture led by the financial literacy activist John Hope Bryant have raised close to $100 million in equity from banks for a fund that will invest in low-income multifamily housing.

Housing November 3rd Weekly Update: Inventory Down 1.3% Week-over-week -Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 1.3% week-over-week. Inventory usually starts to decline in the fall and then declines sharply during the holiday season.The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015. The black line is for 2019. Inventory was up 16.5% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 17.9%), and down 6.2% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 6.5%). Inventory started 2025 down 22% compared to 2019. Inventory has closed more most of that gap, but it appears inventory will still be below 2019 levels at the end of 2025. mThis second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of October 31st, inventory was at 857 thousand (7-day average), compared to 868 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data and much more regularly on YouTube

Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year --Today, in the Real Estate Newsletter: Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year Brief excerpt: Another monthly update on rents. Tracking rents is important for understanding the dynamics of the housing market. Slower household formation and increased supply (more multi-family completions) has kept asking rents under pressure. More recently, immigration policy has become a negative for rentals.

Apartment List: Asking Rent Growth -0.9% Year-over-year ... The national median rent dipped by 0.8% in October, and now stands at $1,381. This was the third consecutive month-over-month decline, as we’re now in the midst of the rental market’s off-season. It’s likely that we’ll continue to see further modest rent declines to close out the year.
Realtor.com: 26th Consecutive Month with Year-over-year Decline in Rents =September 2025 marks the 26th straight month of year-over-year rent decline for 0-2 bedroom properties since trend data began in 2020. Asking rents dipped by $36, or -2.1%, year over year.

House Prices to Income -- Today, in the Real Estate Newsletter: House Prices to Income Brief excerpt: One of the metrics we'd like to follow is a ratio of house prices to incomes. Unfortunately most income data is released with a significantly lag, and there are always questions about which income data to use (the average total income is skewed by the income of a few people). And for key measures of house prices - like Case-Shiller - we have indexes, not actually prices. But we can construct a ratio of the house price indexes to some measure of income....This graph uses the year end Case-Shiller house price index - and the nominal median household income through 2024 from the Census Bureau. 2025 median income is estimated at a 4% annual gain. By this measure, house prices are 3% below the bubble peak, and about 9% below the recent peak.

Update: Lumber Prices Down 3% YoY --Here is another update on lumber prices. SPECIAL NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023. I switched to a physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022. Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available. This graph shows CME random length framing futures through August 2022 (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red). On October 31, 2025, LBR was at $539.50 per 1,000 board feet, down 3% from a year ago.There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year. The pickup in early 2018 was due to the Trump lumber tariffs in 2017. There were huge increases during the pandemic due to a combination of supply constraints and a pickup in housing starts. Now, even with the tariffs, prices are down slightly year-over-year suggesting weak demand.

Total household debt reaches record $18.6 trillion - Total household debt climbed to a record $18.6 trillion last quarter, and while most borrowers remain on track with payments, young Americans are feeling the pressure.During the third quarter, 3 percent of outstanding balances became seriously delinquent — 90 days or more past due — the largest quarterly increase since 2014, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Among those ages 18 to 29, the rate was about 5 percent — more than double a year earlier and the highest of any age group.Much of that strain reflects missed student loan payments, with total outstanding debt climbing to a record $1.65 trillion last quarter. Total household debt by category as of Q3 2025 (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

Mortgage Debt: $13.07 trillion
Auto Debt: $1.66 trillion
Student Debt: $1.65 trillion
Credit Card Debt: $1.23 trillion
Other: $0.55 trillion
Home equity line of credit: $0.42 trillion

New York Fed researchers noted “elevated” delinquency rates in Wednesday’s report but emphasized that most categories — including auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages — have remained largely stable.“The relatively low mortgage delinquency rates reflect the housing market’s resilience, driven by ample home equity and tight underwriting standards,” Donghoon Lee, economic research advisor at the New York Fed, said in a release. Overall, 4.5 percent of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency last quarter — the highest level since early 2020 but roughly in line with pre-pandemic norms and nowhere near the 11 percent levels seen in 2009.The findings suggest that while Americans continue to rack up debt, they aren’t falling behind on their payments at an alarming rate.Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, noted that the household debt-to-income ratio is lower now than it was from the late 1990s through the late 2010s.“It has risen over the past five years, but not in a particularly worrisome fashion,” Rossman said in a statement on Wednesday. Delinquency rates may not be spiking, but there’s growing evidence of an economy pulling apart — with some borrowers thriving and others struggling to stay afloat. The pattern increasingly resembles a K-shaped economy, in which higher-income households continue to spend and build wealth while those with lower incomes face mounting financial stress. A recent report found that the top 10 percent of U.S. households now account for nearly half of all consumer spending. Major companies — from airlines to hotels — say their premium offerings are driving growth. The divide is also evident in consumer credit, where the share of higher-risk, subprime borrowers has reached levels not seen since 2019, according to a recent TransUnion report. At the same time, the number of super-prime borrowers — those with the strongest credit profiles — has also increased.

Household Debts, Debt-to-Income Ratio, Delinquencies, Collections, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcies of our (not so) Drunken Sailors in Q3 2025 By Wolf Richter - (6 graphs) Total household debt outstanding in Q3 rose by 1.1%, or by $197 billion, from Q2, to $18.6 trillion, according to the Household Debt and Credit Report from the New York Fed today. Year-over-year, household debt rose by 3.6%, or by $642 billion. Household debt includes mortgages, HELOCs, auto loans, student loans, credit cards, and “other” revolving credit such as personal loans and BNPL loans. I will discuss these categories in separate articles over the next few days. Today, we’ll look at the overall debt, its burden, delinquencies, collections, foreclosures, and bankruptcies.It’s not that households carry an ever-bigger debt burden; they’re not. It’s that the number of households has grown over the years, and that the income per household has grown on average over the years, and they have grown faster than household debt, and the burden of this debt has declined over the years. The debt-to-income ratio is a common way of evaluating the burden of a debt. With households, we can use the debt-to-disposable-income ratio. Disposable income, released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, is household income from all sources except capital gains, minus payroll taxes: So income from after-tax wages, plus income from interest, dividends, rentals, farm income, small business income, transfer payments from the government, etc. It’s essentially what consumers have available to spend and service their debts. Due to the government shutdown, the BEA has not yet released disposable income for September. To get Q3 disposable income, we can use current data for July and August and estimate September based on average growth year-to-date. The debt-to-disposable income ratio in Q3 was 80.7%, a hair higher than Q2, which had been the lowest in the data going back to 2003, except for two freak quarters during the stimulus era (Q1 2021 and Q2 2020). Seen as an economic entity, American households are in good shape. They’re making record amounts, their balance sheet is in good shape, 65% own their own homes, over 60% hold equities, and they’re sitting on a record pile of interest-earning cash: $4.7 trillion in money market funds and $3.4 trillion in CDs that all generate interest income.Our Drunken Sailors, as we lovingly and facetiously call consumers, have in fact become a fairly sober bunch, in terms of borrowing. They learned a lesson during the Great Recession, most of them. Not all of them.

Subprime-rated borrowers – a small subset of consumers – are always in trouble with high debt-to-income ratios, missed payments, and bad credit history, which is why they’re called subprime.“Subprime” means bad credit, not “low income.” The high-income young dentist that got into it over their head is a classic example of high-income subprime. They’ll get it worked out and clean up their credit, but for a while they’re subprime. Credit problems are driven by this small subset of consumers.
And student loan borrowers… In 2025, federal student loans that had been covered by the government’s forbearance policies since 2020 came out of forbearance, and those loans that had defaulted but hadn’t counted as defaulted suddenly started showing up on credit reports again, and delinquency rates exploded.The 30-day delinquency rate spiked to 14.4% in Q3, the worst ever, up from around 1% during the nearly 5-year forbearance era, according to the NY Fed’s report today, based on Equifax data.Of the $1.65 trillion in student loans outstanding, $238 billion were 30-plus days delinquent in Q3.Students should have been taught early on in college that delinquent loans mess up credit scores, limit the ability to borrow, and increase the interest rate borrowers have to pay when they do borrow.
Overall delinquency rate got hammered by bad student loans. In Q1 and Q2, the 90-day-plus delinquency rate – the rate of “serious” delinquencies – for all household debts had gotten hammered by the student loans that began counting as delinquent, pushing it from 2.0% in Q4 2024, to 3.04% by Q2 2025.But in Q3, the 90-plus day delinquency rate for student loans dipped to 9.4%, and this caused the overall 90-day delinquency rate to dip a hair to 2.98%. And that’s below where it had been before the pandemic.
Foreclosures are low. The number of consumers with foreclosures in Q3 inched up to 54,760, well below the low end of the 65,000-to-90,000 range of the Good Times in 2018-2019, and was far below the number of foreclosures in prior years.
Third-party collections at rock-bottom. A third-party collection entry is made into a consumer’s credit history when the lender reports to the credit bureaus, such as Equifax, that it sold the delinquent loan, such as credit card debt, to a collection agency for cents on the dollar. The New York Fed obtained this third-party collections data in anonymized form through its partnership with Equifax.The percentage of consumers with third-party collections had plunged from over 14% in 2013 to 4.6% in early 2023 and has hobbled along near those record lows even after the free money vanished. In Q3, it was 5.0%.
Bankruptcies at rock-bottom. The number of consumers with bankruptcy filings rose to 141,640 in Q3.

US Household Debt Hits Record $18.6 Trillion As Student Loan Defaults Explode - The NY Fed published its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. Surprising exactly no-one, the report showed that total household debt increased by $197 billion (1%) in Q3 2025, to a new record high of $18.59 trillion. split between $13.5 trillion in housing debt and $5.1 trillion in non-housing debt. “Household debt balances are growing at a moderate pace, with delinquency rates stabilizing,” said Donghoon Lee, Economic Research Advisor at the New York Fed. “The relatively low mortgage delinquency rates reflect the housing market’s resilience, driven by ample home equity and tight underwriting standards.” Some details:

Mortgage balances grew by $137 billion in the third quarter and totaled $13.07 trillion at the end of September 2025.
- Mortgage delinquency rate rose to 0.83% from 0.82% prior quarter
Credit card balances rose by $24 billion from the previous quarter and stood at $1.23 trillion.
- Delinquency rate at 12.41%, highest since 2011
Auto loan balances held steady at $1.66 trillion.
Home equity line of credit (HELOC) balances rose by $11 billion to $422 billion.
Student loan balances rose by $15 billion and stood at $1.65 trillion.

In total, non-housing balances rose by $49 billion, a 1.0% increase from Q2 2025. Taking a closer look we find that... The pace of mortgage originations increased with $512 billion newly originated in Q3 2025.The only silver lining in the report is that housing debt levels and delinquencies have stabilized: “Household debt balances are growing at a moderate pace, with delinquency rates stabilizing,” Donghoon Lee, an economic research advisor at the New York Fed, said in a press release accompanying the figures. “The relatively low mortgage delinquency rates reflect the housing market’s resilience, driven by ample home equity and tight underwriting standards."Taking a closer look at the ground zero of the current consumption crisis, namely student Loans, where outstanding debt stood at $1.65 trillion in Q3 2025. And the punchline: missed federal student loan payments that were not previously reported to credit bureaus between Q2 2020 and Q4 2024 are now appearing in credit reports. Consequently, student loan delinquency rates have continued to surge after a sharp rise in the first half of 2025. In Q3 2025, 9.4% of aggregate student debt was reported as 90+ days delinquent or in default, as compared to 7.8% in Q1 2025 and 10.2% in Q2 2025. Also of note in the chart below, the credit card serious delinquency rate is actually creeping up even faster, and hit 12.41%, the highest since 2011. And the most remarkable observation: over 20% of all student debt by those aged 50 and over (!) is effectively in default (technically it is still delinquent, but if millions haven't made even a token effort to repay it in 90 days, one can safely classify it as in default). That's millions of potential consumers whose credit rating is about to get obliterated and who will not have access to credit cards or other debt forms for a long time. More in the full New York Fed presentation.

Light Vehicle Sales Decreased to 15.3 Million SAAR in October; Lowest in 15 Months -Omdia reported that light vehicle sales were at 15.3 million in October on a seasonally adjusted annual basis (SAAR). October US Light Vehicle Sales Decline 4.5% YoY; 15.3 Million SAAR Lowest in 15 Months -Demand in October fell to a longtime low seasonally adjusted annual rate of 15.3 million units as deliveries of battery-electric vehicles tanked and most segments recorded declines.This was down 6.7% from the sales rate in September, and down 5% from October 2024. This graph shows light vehicle sales since 2006 from the BEA (blue) through October (red from Omdia). Vehicle sales were over 17 million SAAR in March and April as consumers rushed to "beat the tariffs".Then sales were depressed in May and June. Sales were boosted in August and September due to the termination of the EV credit at the end of September. The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967. Sales in October were below the consensus forecast of 15.5 million SAAR.

ISM® Manufacturing index Decreased to 48.7% in October The ISM manufacturing index indicated contraction. The PMI® was at 48.7% in October, down from 49.1% in September. The employment index was at 46.0%, up from 45.3% the previous month, and the new orders index was at 49.4%, up from 48.9%. From ISM: Manufacturing PMI® at 48.7% October 2025 ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in October for the eighth consecutive month, following a two-month expansion preceded by 26 straight months of contraction, say the nation's supply executives in the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report. “The Manufacturing PMI® registered 48.7 percent in October, a 0.4-percentage point decrease compared to the reading of 49.1 percent recorded in September. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 66th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. (A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.) The New Orders Index contracted for the second month in October following one month of growth; the figure of 49.4 percent is 0.5 percentage point higher than the 48.9 percent recorded in September. The October reading of the Production Index (48.2 percent) is 2.8 percentage points lower than September’s figure of 51 percent. The Prices Index remained in expansion (or ‘increasing’ territory), registering 58 percent, down 3.9 percentage points compared to the reading of 61.9 percent reported in September. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 47.9 percent, up 1.7 percentage points compared to the 46.2 percent recorded in September. The Employment Index registered 46 percent, up 0.7 percentage point from September’s figure of 45.3 percent. This suggests manufacturing contracted for the eighth consecutive month in October.. This was below the consensus forecast, and employment was weak and prices very strong.

Yields Rise, Rate-Cut Odds Slide As ISM Services Survey Signal Inflation Fears -- After yesterday's mixed picture on Manufacturing (PMI up, ISM down), analysts expected both Services surveys this morning to show an upward bounce.

S&P Global's Services PMI disappointed but did rise from September's 54.2 to 54.8 (but that was less than expected and less than the 55.2 preliminary print)
ISM's Services PMI beat expectations, rising from 50.0 to 52.4, well above the 50.8 expectations.

And this is happening amid a rise in 'hard' data (though admittedly based on housing and marginal labor data given the vacuum since the shutdown) Graphics Source: Bloomberg Across the PMI surveys, only ISM Manufacturing saw a decline MoM in October... Under the hood, Prices surged to their highest in three years, new orders expanded at their fastest pace in a year and employment improved (though remained below 50)... “October’s final PMI data add to signs that the US economy has entered the fourth quarter with strong momentum," according to Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. "Growth in the vast services economy has picked up speed to accompany an improved performance in the manufacturing sector. In total, business activity is growing at a rate commensurate with GDP rising at an annualized pace of around 2.5% after a similarly solid expansion was signalled for the third quarter." While growth is being driven principally by the financial services and tech sectors, Williamson says the survey is also picking up signs of improving demand from consumers. However, the surge in prices paid is having some consequences “However, there are signs that new business is coming at the cost of service providers having to soak up continued high input price growth to remain competitive.Customers are often pushing back on price rises, especially in consumer-facing markets.While good news in terms of inflation, this lack of pricing power hints at weak underlying demand and lower profits. "

Job openings in October slumped to the lowest level since February 2021, Indeed measure shows --Employment opportunities hit their lowest level in more than 4½ years as October came to a close and the government shutdown dragged on, according to data from jobs site Indeed.The firm's Job Postings Index fell to 101.9 as of Oct. 24, the most recent point for which data is available. That's the lowest since early February 2021 for a measure that uses February 2020 as a baseline value of 100.The level represents a 0.5% decline from the beginning of the month and a roughly 3.5% tumble from mid-August, the latest point from which Bureau of Labor Statistics data is available.Under normal conditions, the BLS on Tuesday would have reported its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, a measure that Federal Reserve officials watch closely for indications of slack in the jobs market. With the shutdown on the precipice of being the longest in history, economists and policymakers are left to look at alternative data for big-picture indicators.The most recent JOLTS report, for August, also indicated an ongoing decline in openings. The BLS reported that job openings totaled 7.23 million, about level with July but down 7% from January.Indeed's dashboard of indicators also has shown a pullback in salary offerings as job advertisements have declined. Year-over-year wages as judged by salary offerings in Indeed postings rose 2.5% in August, down from 3.4% in January.A softening labor market has generated concern from Fed officials. The central bank's Federal Open Market Committee last week voted 10-2 to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to a target range of 3.75%-4%.Officials have cited rising risks to the labor market taking precedence over ongoing concerns about inflation holding nearly a full percentage point above the Fed's 2% target."Hiring is slowing. We see this from Indeed, from job postings," Fed Governor Lisa Cook said Monday. "We're looking at a panoply of data, and those are real time. We're not waiting on the unemployment report. There's reason to be concerned, because there's a slight uptick in the unemployment rate over the summer." The nonfarm payrolls report normally would be released Friday, but that also is not happening. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect the BLS count would have shown a decline of 60,000 jobs in October and an increase in the unemployment rate to 4.5%.

Private payrolls rose 42,000 in October, more than expected and countering labor market fears, ADP says -- Payroll growth at private companies turned slightly stronger than expected in October, providing some hope that the labor market isn't in danger of sinking, ADP reported Wednesday. Companies added 42,000 jobs for the month, following a decline of 29,000 in September and topping the Dow Jones consensus estimate for a gain of 22,000. A revision for September showed 3,000 fewer jobs lost, the payrolls processing firm said. A gain of 47,000 in the trade, transportation and utilities grouping helped offset losses in multiple other categories. Education and health services also showed growth of 26,000, while financial activities added 11,000. Despite the artificial intelligence-fueled tech boom, information services saw a decline of 17,000 positions. Other sectors posting losses included professional and business services (-15,000), other services (-13,000), and manufacturing (-3,000), a sector that continues to struggle despite President Donald Trump's tariffs aimed at bringing factory jobs back to the U.S. All of the job creation came from companies employing at least 250 workers. That category added 76,000 jobs, while smaller businesses lost 34,000. The trend away from job growth at small businesses is significant, considering they are responsible for three of every four jobs, ADP's chief economist, Nela Richardson, said. "While big companies make headlines, small companies drive hiring," Richardson said on CNBC. "So to see that weakness at the small company level is still a concern, and I think that's one of the reasons why the recovery has been so tepid." Despite the meager job growth, salaries continued to rise. Year-over-year pay for those staying in their jobs rose 4.5%, the same as in September, while job switchers saw a 6.7% increase, up slightly from a month ago. "Private employers added jobs in October for the first time since July, but hiring was modest relative to what we reported earlier this year," Richardson said. "Meanwhile, pay growth has been largely flat for more than a year, indicating that shifts in supply and demand are balanced." By ADP's count, job growth has averaged about 60,000 a month. However, that has tailed off significantly in the second half of the year. The ADP count comes out the first Wednesday of the month and usually takes a back seat to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' official nonfarm payrolls report released two days later. However, because of the history-making government shutdown, the BLS, like all other government agencies, has suspended data collection and releases. Had the BLS report been released, Wall Street was looking for it to show a drop of 60,000 jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate to 4.5%. Federal Reserve officials have expressed concern over the state of the labor market, saying it has overtaken for now the central bank's attention toward inflation running above the 2% target. The Fed at its meeting last week approved a quarter percentage point reduction in its key interest rate, which now is targeted between 3.75%-4%.Though the BLS has gone dark, officials will get a look at other data this week.Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday releases its monthly look at announced layoffs, while economists will watch state-level jobless claims for a look at whether companies are shrinking payrolls. The University of Michigan on Friday also will release its monthly sentiment index which provides snapshots of how consumers feel about broader economic conditions. Recent data from jobs site indeed show employment postings at their lowest since February 2021.

Schools tackle food insecurity as SNAP benefits teeter - Schools are bracing for the impact on their students as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) teeters on the brink of running out of money amid the government shutdown. SNAP funds had originally been set to run out Saturday, but a federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to keep the program going so long as there are emergency funds available.Trevor Greene, superintendent of the Yakima School District in Washington, is expecting a “tremendous” blow to his district, which is in the 87th percentile for free and reduced lunches. “As it now stands, we know that more of our students will be hungry in the evenings, but we do take some solace that they’ll come to school the next day and be able to access the meals that we have for both breakfast and lunch. But I think we’re going to see that impact resonate throughout the community,” Greene said. The food stamps funding has become one of the major pressure points in the monthlong government shutdown, with both sides warning that the hit to families would be immediate and substantial. “I think we got to find some way to get help to 40 million people. This Saturday is going to be bad. It’s going to be really bad,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told The Hill before the judge’s ruling on Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had previously announced it would not be using billions of dollars in emergency SNAP money if the shutdown went past Oct. 31, saying the government closure was caused by congressional Democrats and thus isn’t a real emergency such as a natural disaster. A federal judge disagreed, ordering USDA to distribute the emergency funds “as soon as possible” and provide an update by Monday. “SNAP benefits have never, until now, been terminated,” U.S. District Judge John McConnell said at a hearing. “And the United States has in fact admitted that the contingency funds are appropriately used during a shutdown and that occurred in 2019.” Now it is unclear when the money will finally run dry.

Minneapolis teachers overwhelmingly authorize strike - Following a strike vote last month, the Minneapolis Federation of Educators (MFE) Local 59 announced last Monday night that 92 percent of Minneapolis educators voted to authorize a walkout. The vote follows seven months of negotiations between the MFE and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and comes as the district faces a $75–$110 million budget deficit and plans to cut over 400 positions from schools. MFE officials have now filed an intent to strike, giving MPS a 10-day notice as required by state law, meaning teachers could go on strike as early as November 11. Minneapolis educators’ opposition is part of a broader resurgence of resistance to declining living standards and working conditions. A strike would be the second time Minneapolis educators walked out since the three-week strike sold out by the MFE bureaucracy in 2022. Before that teachers in the city had not struck since 1974. Educators have voted overwhelmingly to strike amid the Trump administration’s rapid buildup of a fascist dictatorship that is abducting immigrant workers and their families in preparation to repress all opposition to poverty and war. The White House is waging a war against public education and teachers: gutting funding for low-income, special education and English-learner students and Head Start, censoring and victimizing teachers and moving to transform schools into centers for religious, nationalist and militarist indoctrination. Teachers and support staff face shortages and decades of wage stagnation, which the sellout of the previous strike left unresolved. The MFE says it is pushing to lower classroom size caps—for example, reducing kindergarten caps from 22 to 20 students—achieve pay equity for adult educators who currently earn less than their K–12 counterparts, and secure across-the-board wage increases. The latter includes 7 percent in the first year and 6 percent in the second year for teachers, and 12 percent in the first year and 10 percent in the second year for support staff. Minneapolis Public Schools projects a $75–$110 million budget shortfall for the 2025–26 school year. District officials chiefly blame the deficit on the loss of Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER), the federal pandemic school funding program that the Biden administration allowed to expire. According to the district, MPS received $264.6 million in COVID-relief federal funding and spent around $60 million annually during fiscal years 2022-24 to maintain staffing levels and service levels. Even before the pandemic, the school district was hit by the massive tax cuts the Democratic and Republican legislators handed to UnitedHealth Group, 3M, Target, Best Buy and other highly profitable Minnesota-based corporate giants. The expansion of for-profit charter schools has also siphoned taxpayer money from public education. In Minnesota, Democratic Party administrations at local, state and federal levels have overseen decades of education cuts. The same playbook is being used in Minneapolis as in St. Paul, Detroit, Flint and other districts: proclaim a budget crisis, demand massive cuts, and rely on union apparatuses to suppress worker opposition. As the WSWS warned about the St. Paul sellout contract, district officials “boasted that the proposed contract stayed within their budget limits and will not add to the school system’s deficit,” while simultaneously preparing “massive cuts” and admitting “there are still some very hard budget decisions that will have to be made.” This will only be worsened as Trump guts federal funding, which makes up 19 percent of the school district’s revenue. MPS plans to eliminate more than 400 positions, including 116 teachers, cut student support services by 23 percent and has issued threats to close up to 22 schools to save an estimated $23 million. School officials and Democratic Party politicians are counting on the complicity of the leadership of the MFE, which released conciliatory statements to media, claiming that “No one wants to strike,” although 92 percent of their members just voted to do so.

2 Massachusetts men have been arrested in the weekend explosion at Harvard Medical School, FBI says -- Two Massachusetts men have been arrested in connection with a weekend explosion at Harvard Medical School, authorities said Tuesday. The FBI's Boston office announced the arrests on social media ahead of a 1 p.m. news conference. It didn't provide further details. The explosion occurred early Saturday on the fourth floor of Harvard Medical School's Goldenson Building. No one was injured. The building houses labs and offices associated with the school's neurobiology department. Medical school officials said the explosion caused no structural damage and that all labs and equipment remained intact. The Boston Fire Department determined that the explosion was intentional. Police said officers did not find additional devices during a sweep of the building. An officer who responded to a fire alarm that morning encountered two people running from the building, university police said.

Blue states, groups sue Education Department over Public Service Loan Forgiveness rule change - The attorneys general of 21 Democratic states and Washington, D.C., as well as a pair of advocacy groups, sued the Education Department on Monday over a recent rule change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) student debt relief program. The Trump administration finalized a rule change last week that said those who are engaged in what it called “unlawful activities” won’t qualify for student debt relief under the PSLF program, which allows government workers or nonprofit employees to receive forgiveness after 10 years of payments. The administration defined “unlawful activities” as groups “abetting illegal immigration” or supporting gender transition for minors. The change is to go into effect next July. The coalition of states is arguing the rule is unlawful and will be used to target President Trump’s political opponents. “Public Service Loan Forgiveness was created as a promise to teachers, nurses, firefighters, and social workers that their service to our communities would be honored,” New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said. “Instead, this administration has created a political loyalty test disguised as a regulation. It is unjust and unlawful to cut off loan forgiveness for hardworking Americans based on ideology. I will not let our federal government punish New York’s public servants for doing their jobs or standing up for our values,” James added. The states worry the rule will be used against “teachers in states with inclusive curricula, health professionals providing gender-affirming care, or legal aid attorneys representing immigrants, could suddenly lose PSLF eligibility through no fault of their own.” The group suing is made up of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. “It is unconscionable that the plaintiffs are standing up for criminal activity,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement. “This is a commonsense reform that will stop taxpayer dollars from subsidizing organizations involved in terrorism, child trafficking, and transgender procedures that are doing irreversible harm to children.” “The final rule is crystal clear: the Department will enforce it neutrally, without consideration of the employer’s mission, ideology, or the population they serve,” Kent added. Another lawsuit against the PSLF change, led by Protect Borrowers and Democracy Forward, was also filed Monday, with other cities, two of the largest teachers’ unions in the country and advocacy groups joining the legal challenge. Their lawsuit says the rule change is a “blatant violation of the Higher Education Act” and is asking a judge to strike it down.

How nursing home residents got caught in the opioid backlash - Since the height of the opioid epidemic, doctors have been prescribing fewer of these medications. A new study from UC San Francisco shows that this trend extends to nursing home residents who may need opioids to manage chronic pain.Analyzing data on nearly 3 million U.S. nursing home residents between 2011 and 2022, researchers found the probability of receiving an opioid declined across the board, even for nursing home residents with severe chronic pain.The study, which uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is the first to examine opioid prescribing trends in nursing homes and to examine these trends by race, ethnicity, and pain level. It appears in JAMA Internal Medicine. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released opioid guidelines designed to reduce overprescribing in outpatient care. This seems to have unintentionally shifted prescribing practices in other settings. "Older adults in nursing homes really shouldn't be as impacted by the CDC opioid guidelines," . "The prevalence of chronic pain in nursing homes is high because of the multiple medical issues that often accompany older age, and these residents are not the ones most at risk for misusing these medications."The chances of nursing home residents receiving any type of opioid dropped from 48% to 33.5%, but the researchers found the reduction was not felt equally. Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native residents were consistently less likely than white residents to receive opioids. They also were less likely to receive higher doses of opioids, no matter their level of pain.While the authors emphasized the importance of minimizing unnecessary opioid use, they noted that pain care is essential to healthy aging and maintaining quality of life."It really surprised us that even when people reported having very severe chronic pain, white nursing home residents were more likely to receive opioids—and receive them at higher doses than residents from other racial and ethnic groups," Muench said.

Analyses: High-dose flu vaccine better protects against hospitalization, infection than standard-dose - Two new analyses conclude that high-dose influenza vaccine is more effective against hospitalization and infection than the standard-dose version. For the first study, published in The Lancet, an international group of researchers, including two from vaccine maker Sanofi, parsed pooled data from two large trials comparing the efficacy of the high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV) with the standard-dose (SD-IIV) version against hospitalization for flu or pneumonia in older adults. The FLUNITY-HD trial was an individual-level pooled analysis of two pragmatic randomized trials: DANFLU-2 in Denmark from 2022 to 2025 and GALFLU from 2023 to 2025 in Spain. In both trials, participants were randomly assigned to receive either HD-IIV or SD-IIV and followed, starting 2 weeks later to May 31 of the following year, in each flu season. Hospitalization for flu or pneumonia was documented in 0.56% of the HD-IIV group, compared with 0.62% of SD-IIV recipients (relative vaccine effectiveness [rVE], 8.8%). HD-IIV also lowered the rate of cardiorespiratory hospitalization (2.02% vs 2.16% in the SD-IIV group; rVE, 6.3%), flu hospitalization (0.11% vs 0.16%; rVE, 31.9%), and all-cause hospitalization (8.54% vs 8.73%; rVE, 2.2%). Hospital admission for flu occurred in 0.07% of HD-IIV participants and 0.12% in SD-IIV recipients (rVE, 39.6%), and hospitalization for pneumonia was documented in 0.50% and 0.51%, respectively (rVE, 2.3%). Participants in both groups died of any cause with similar frequency (0.61% vs 0.62%; rVE, 1.2%). The rate of serious adverse events was comparable between groups (16,032 vs 15,857). The second study, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, used a test-negative design to analyze inpatient and outpatient data from four studies on older vaccinated adults tested for flu during the 2022-23 and 2024-25 flu seasons. The average patient age was 81.1 years, 52.1% were women, and 87.2% had at least one chronic condition, primarily cardiovascular disease (74.2%), respiratory conditions (27.0%), and diabetes (18.7%). A total of 102 (8.2%) flu cases were identified, all but two (98.0%) of which were type A. Cases were almost evenly distributed among type A(H1N1)pdm09 (52.0%) and A(H3N2) (48.0%).Of 1,238 participants, influenza positivity was lower among HD-IIV recipients than in the SD-IIV group (6.6% vs 10.3%; rVE, 29%). Relative to SD-IIV, HD-IIV was 54% more effective against infection among adults aged 80 years and older. In the entire cohort, rVE of HD-IIV versus SD-IIV estimated using an unadjusted model was 40%, but when parsimoniously (28%) or fully (29%) adjusted, the estimate wasn't statistically significant.

Health Advocates Call for a Federal “Reboot” in Addressing Ultra-Processed Foods - A diverse group of food advocates, farmers, chefs and scientists is urging the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to define ultra-processed foods through a lens of public health, including what’s added or taken away from foods during processing, as well as any new risks introduced.This new way of looking at heavily processed foods, including sugary drinks, bacon, hot dogs, lunch meats, many frozen foods, and chips, candy and other snacks, could “transform the US diet from one of the least healthy to most healthy in the world,” they say. Such foods are linked to obesity, heart problems, diabetes and some cancers.Current classification of ultra-processed foods mostly relies on looking “at the bad things in a multi-ingredient processed food … the more additives, emulsifiers, flavorants, colorings, preservatives, the more likely it is to be properly classified in the ultra-processed food category,” said Charles Benbrook, a former research professor who previously served as executive director of the National Academy of Sciences board on agriculture. However, in a letter to the FDA last month, Benbrook and others said it is equally important to understand what healthy nutrients are lost and what new health risks have been introduced via processing, such as pesticide residues.“The capacity of a serving of food to either help somebody get healthy or stay healthy should define nutritional quality,” Benbrook said.Benbrook, along with organic farmers, nutritionists and other scientists, co-signed the letter sent by the Heartland Health Research Alliance (HHRA) and Swette Center to the FDA. The letter was sent as the agency, along with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), solicited public input from July through October to help establish a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods account for more than half of the calories Americans consume at home, according to a 2024 study. And, while not all ultra-processed foods are equally detrimental to health, a massive scientific reviewlast year tied such foods to 32 health conditions, including obesity, mental health disorders, heart problems and poor sleep. “Scientists are increasingly piecing together how unhealthy ultra-processed food is contributing to metabolic syndromes and the worrisome trends in public health in the US,” Benbrook said. Despite this mounting evidence of harm, there is no universal definition of what makes a food “ultra-processed,” though some states, including California, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, have proposed definitions that vary. The comments sent by Benbrook and colleagues point out that not all calories are the same. They recommend identifying how much of the beneficial nutrients from the raw food remain in a food product after it’s processed, and foods retaining 95% of the nutrients should be classified as “whole or lightly processed;” those retaining 75% to 95% of the nutrients should be classified as “lightly processed;” and foods retaining less than 75% of the nutrients should be classified as ultra-processed. “The single most important metric that the government has to adopt is the percent of nutrient needs satisfied by a serving of food, relative to the percent of the allowable caloric space in a person’s stomach from which they must get all of their nutrients in a day,” Benbrook said. The letter lastly recommends calculating possible health risks that are added to foods via processing, such as from pesticides and other chemicals or allergens, acknowledging “dealing with food safety hazards and risky compounds that can find their way into processed foods will be among the most difficult challenges confronting the FDA.”The issue is central to the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who frequently points to such foods as a key driver in childhood diseases. However, several food industry groups and companies continue to push back against the need to define ultra-processed foods, saying it will create confusion and unfairly target some foods. And health advocates say corporate influence continues to weaken the MAHA agenda — calling into question whether the agencies will actually make meaningful changes to how ultra processed foods are defined, and potentially to how they are labelled or regulated. “A definition only does anything if it is incorporated into actual policies,” said Eva Greenthal, a senior policy scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which also sent the FDA a letter on defining ultra-processed foods. “It’s concerning that the current administration seems to primarily rely on voluntary policies and handshakes with corporations that are known to break their promises.”

Trial data show ensitrelvir has potent antiviral activity against COVID-19 -Data from a phase 2 randomized controlled clinical trial indicate that the antiviral drug ensitrelvir is an effective alternative to other COVID-19 antiviral treatments, researchers reported last month in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.The once-daily oral drug, a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor developed by Shionogi, is registered in Japan and Singapore for treating COVID-19. It has been given to more than 1 million people but is an investigative drug outside those countries and has not been compared with other COVID antivirals. The aim of the trial was to compare ensitrelvir's clinical antiviral effects against ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), which was the first oral antiviral to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for COVID-19. While Paxlovid has become one of the primary medications for mild-to-moderate illness from COVID, it's expensive, has a significant number of contraindications, and has limited availability outside of high-income countries. The ongoing open-label trial included low-risk outpatients aged 18 to 60 years with early symptomatic COVID-19 who were recruited from clinics in Thailand and Laos. As the trial investigators explain, the trial focused on viral clearance rates to assess the drugs' efficacy because COVID-19 has become an increasingly mild illness, and hard endpoints such as death and hospitalization are not as common as they were in the early years of the pandemic. "The increasing rarity of hospitalisation and death in COVID-19, in marked contrast to 5 years ago, means that prohibitively large comparative studies in high-risk groups are now needed to detect clinically important differences between antiviral drugs," they wrote. "Given that acceleration in viral clearance reflects clinical benefit in COVID-19, we present the results of a head-to-head randomised controlled platform trial comparing the in-vivo antiviral activities of ensitrelvir versus ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir on the basis of viral clearance in adults with early symptomatic COVID-19," they added.

Data: Risks of vascular, inflammatory conditions in kids higher after COVID infection than vaccination -Rare vascular and inflammatory conditions such as blood clots, myocarditis, and pericarditis occur more often in children after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination against the disease, UK researchers suggest in a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. The largest of its kind, the study analyzed linked electronic health records for nearly all (13.9 million) children in England. In total, 28.1% had a COVID-19 diagnosis from January 2020 to December 2022, and 36.9% of eligible children were vaccinated from August 2021 through December 2022. Roughly half (48.8%) of participants were girls, 33.7% were aged 0 to 4 years, 36.4% were 5 to 11 years, 29.9% were 12 to 17, 71.7% were White, 12.1% were South Asian, 5.4% were Black, and 4.7% were mixed race. The study evaluated rates of short- and long-term risks of rare complications, including arterial and venous thrombosis (blood clots), thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels in the blood), myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the heart or its surrounding tissue, respectively), and inflammatory conditions after COVID-19 diagnosis or vaccination."Parents and carers have faced difficult choices throughout the pandemic," coauthor Pia Hardelid said in a Health Data Research UK press release. "By building a stronger evidence base on both infection and vaccination outcomes, we hope to support families and healthcare professionals to make decisions grounded in the best available data." During the study period, 3.9 million children had COVID-19 for the first time, and 3.4 million aged 5 to 18 years received their first Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Among infected children during 15 months of follow-up, researchers calculated event rates per 100,000 person-years of 5.26 for arterial thromboembolism, 10.64 for venous thromboembolism, 8.40 for thrombocytopenia, 4.47 for myocarditis or pericarditis, and 8.05 for systemic inflammatory conditions. Over 17 months of follow-up among vaccinated participants, event rates per 100,000 children were 5.24 for arterial thromboembolism, 13.30 for venous thromboembolism, 7.94 for thrombocytopenia, 6.94 for myocarditis or pericarditis, and 6.90 for inflammatory conditions. Relative to no diagnosis, COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher risks of arterial thromboembolism (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.33), venous thromboembolism (aHR, 4.90), thrombocytopenia (aHR, 3.64), myocarditis or pericarditis (aHR, 3.46), and inflammatory conditions (aHR, 14.84) in the first week after diagnosis. Incidence of these conditions fell from weeks 2 to 4 but stayed elevated for more than 1 year for venous thromboembolism (aHR, 1.39), thrombocytopenia (aHR, 1.42), and myocarditis or pericarditis (aHR, 1.42). COVID-19 vaccination was tied to an elevated risk of myocarditis or pericarditis, but only in the first month after vaccination (aHR, 1.84). Over 6 months, COVID-19 infection led to 2.24 extra cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per 100,000 children, compared with 0.85 extra cases per 100,000 children after vaccination.

Analysis of 14 million children finds COVID-19 infection poses greater heart complication risk than vaccination - A new study shows children and young people face long-lasting and higher risks of rare heart and inflammatory complications after COVID-19 infection, compared to before or without an infection. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccination was only linked to a short-term higher risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.The study is the largest of its kind in this population, and is published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. It was led by scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, and University College London, with support from the BHF Data Science Center at Health Data Research UK., "Our whole-population study during the pandemic showed that although these conditions were rare, children and young people were more likely to experience heart, vascular or inflammatory problems after a COVID-19 infection than after having the vaccine—and the risks after infection lasted much longer." The research team uncovered these findings by analyzing linked electronic health records (EHRs) for nearly 14 million children in England under the age of 18 between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022, covering 98% of this population.During this period, 3.9 million children and young people had a first COVID-19 diagnosis. And 3.4 million had a first COVID-19 BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) vaccine, the main vaccine used in 5–18-year-olds during the study period. The study looked at short- and long-term risks of rare complications including arterial and venous thrombosis (clots in blood vessels), thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets in the blood), myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the heart and its surrounding tissue respectively), and inflammatory conditions after COVID-19 diagnosis or vaccination. After a first COVID-19 diagnosis, risks of the five conditions studied were highest in the first four weeks and, for several conditions, stayed higher for up to 12 months, compared to children and young people without or before a diagnosis.In contrast, after COVID-19 vaccination, the team only saw a short-term higher risk of myocarditis or pericarditis in the first four weeks, compared to children and young people without or before vaccination. After that, the risk returned to the same level as the start of the study period. Over six months, the research team estimated that COVID-19 infection led to 2.24 extra cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per 100,000 children and young people who had COVID-19. In those who were vaccinated, there were only 0.85 extra cases per 100,000 children and young people. Previous research showed that children and young people diagnosed with COVID-19 are at a higher risk of developing conditions like myocarditis, pericarditis, and thrombocytopenia, compared to their peers who hadn't had a COVID-19 diagnosis. While many studies show that COVID-19 vaccines can help children to avoid severe illness and hospitalization, some also report rare cases of myocarditis in young people shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, particularly for mRNA-based vaccines.However, there hasn't been any research directly comparing the longer-term risks of both COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccinations in children and young people until now.

The order of pre-COVID chronic conditions may best predict long-COVID risk - The sequence of chronic conditions before COVID-19 infection—rather than any single condition—may best predict the development of persistent symptoms, a study of Catalonians in northeastern Spain reveals. For the study, published last week in BMC Medicine, investigators at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) in Barcelona analyzed data from 8,322 participants aged 40 to 65 years at enrollment from the COVICAT cohort and followed them from 2020 to 2023. The team reconstructed disease trajectories using electronic health records from 2010 to 2019, focusing on sequences of two chronic conditions (found in at least 1% of the cohort). It also assessed shared genetic makeup and risk for predictive capacity. Of the 162 trajectories analyzed, 38 were linked to a significantly higher risk of long COVID, regardless of the severity of COVID-19 infection.The most common sequences involved mental illnesses and neurologic, respiratory (eg, asthma), and metabolic or digestive diseases (eg, high blood pressure, obesity). For example, COVID-19 patients who had anxiety before depression had a different risk profile from those who had depression before anxiety."It is not enough to know which diseases a person has," lead author Natalia Blay, MS, said in an IGTPnews release. "The order in which they appear can significantly influence risk, especially among women."The study found no strong genetic link to long COVID, although weak relationships were identified in genetic factors tied to neurologic or musculoskeletal disorders. The researchers say that artificial-intelligence tools could help detect complex patterns in disease-trajectory sequences in large longitudinal health datasets, improving the ability to predict risks and more precisely identify vulnerable populations that may benefit from targeted prevention and care.

COVID vaccination cuts risk of long-term symptoms in teens by over a third, data suggest -The risk of long COVID was 36% lower in adolescents vaccinated within 6 months before their first infection than in their unvaccinated peers, suggests an analysis of US Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) trial data published late last week in Vaccine.The study, led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, involved 724 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who were vaccinated against COVID-19 within the previous 6 months and 507 unvaccinated youth matched on sex, symptom onset, and enrollment date. Participants were recruited from more than 60 healthcare and community settings, and 86% of vaccinated adolescents reported receiving at least two doses within 18 months before their first COVID-19 infection. RECOVER-Pediatrics is an observational cohort study of long COVID (LC) based on caregiver-reported survey data that retrospectively analyzes the link between vaccination status and long COVID in youth infected from February 2022 to November 2024, during predominance of the Omicron variant."Studies have shown vaccination to be protective against LC in adults, but evidence in pediatric populations is limited and conflicting," the investigators wrote. "Most studies are electronic health records-based or only include patients from post-COVID clinics." Among infected participants, the risk of LC was 20.7% in unvaccinated participants and 13.3% in vaccinated youth (relative risk [RR], 0.64). The risks of severe persistent symptoms were 6.1% and 4.7% in the unvaccinated and vaccinated groups, respectively (RR, 0.77). The risk of long-term symptoms was 36% lower in vaccinated participants. A sensitivity analysis showed slightly attenuated adjusted RRs (0.74 for long COVID and 0.87 for severe long COVID; risk reduction, 26% and 13%, respectively). COVID-19 vaccination can lower the risk of long COVID by preventing infection, reducing disease severity, and perhaps by mitigating the longer-term pathophysiologic response to infection, the researchers said. "The COVID-19 vaccine is relatively unique in having this effect on progression to a chronic condition, despite infection," they wrote. "This highlights that even if infection occurs, recent vaccination still has a protective effect on LC risk."

Sequence of previous diseases may help predict risk of long COVID --Long COVID is a heterogeneous clinical condition that affects thousands of people and can manifest in many different ways. Understanding why some people develop it while others do not remains one of the main scientific challenges.A new study led by the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) provides a new perspective: what matters is not only which previous diseases a person has, but also the order in which they appeared and how they interact. This approach makes it possible to identify risk profiles for long COVID that had not been detected until now. The research was conducted within the framework of the COVICAT study, coordinated in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).The study, published in BMC Medicine, is based on data from more than 10,000 participants in the GCAT (Genomes for Life) cohort, which has collected clinical andgenetic information from the Catalan population for over 15 years.Using these data, linked to the prospective COVID follow-up of the COVICAT study launched in 2020, the research team reconstructed health trajectories -that is, the temporal sequence of different chronic diseases- to analyze how these may influence the development of long COVID. Until now, most studies had focused on whether or not a person had a previous condition. This work shows that the sequence and interaction of diseases over time can also be key to predicting the risk of developing long COVID."It is not enough to know which diseases a person has. The order in which they appear can significantly influence risk, especially among women," explains Natàlia Blay, first author of the study.The results show that taking into account the sequence and interaction of diseases over time allows for a more accurate prediction than considering only the presence of a single condition. For example, individuals with anxiety followed by depression have a different risk compared with those who experience the same conditions in the reverse order. In total, 162 trajectories were analyzed, and 38 were associated with a significantly higher risk of long COVID. The most frequent trajectories involved mental health disorders, neurological, respiratory (such as asthma), and metabolic or digestive diseases (such as hypertension, obesity or reflux).The analysis also reveals that some of these disease trajectories increase the risk of long COVID regardless of the severity of the initial infection. This indicates that not everything can be explained by the type or intensity of acute COVID. The researchers note that, in the future, this approach could benefit from artificial intelligence tools capable of detecting complex patterns in large longitudinal health datasets, thus improving the ability to predict risks and identify vulnerable population groups more precisely."This work demonstrates that long COVID results from a prior health trajectory rather than a single factor. Above all, it highlights that studying trajectories in longitudinal data such as those from GCAT has value beyond COVID, as it allows us to identify population health patterns that may help predict other diseases and support a more preventive and personalized public health approach," explains Rafael de Cid, principal investigator of the study and director of GCAT at IGTP.

Prenatal exposure to specific fine particles linked to autism risk -A multi-institutional team including Health Canada researchers has found that prenatal air exposure to specific particulate matter components and early-life ozone is associated with autism spectrum disorder in Ontario children.Fine particulate matter has been linked to adverse health outcomes, with prenatal and early postnatal exposure associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorder.Most previous work has focused on fine particulate matter of airborne particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5), leaving uncertainty about variation in toxic effects among various chemical components and timing of exposure related to sensitive points in pregnancy. A large Southern California cohort study reported associations for several components, including sulfate, and a follow-up study also noted nitrate. In the study, "Prenatal Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Components and Autism Risk in Childhood," published in JAMA Network Open, researchers conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study to examine associations between prenatal and first-year-of-life exposure to specific PM2.5 components, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone with autism diagnoses, and to identify potentially sensitive gestational windows.Looking at birth through the first five years in Ontario, covering approximately 20 years, yielded 2,183,324 children after exclusions and 19,569 children who received an autism diagnosis. Exposure assessment assigned prenatal concentrations by maternal postal code at delivery. Weekly nitrogen dioxide and ozone and biweekly PM2.5 mass and components were estimated from conception to age 36 weeks, with first-year exposures as annual postal code–level averages weighted by time at each address.Components included black carbon, dust, ammonium, nitrate, organic matter, sulfate, and sea salt. Models integrated satellite data, chemical transport modeling, land-use regression, and ground monitoring data. Prenatal PM2.5 mass was associated with increased risk when adjusted for first-year averages (HR 1.15), and window-specific signals were driven by sulfate during weeks 23–36 (HR 1.11) and ammonium during weeks 21–34 (HR 1.11), after which PM2.5 mass was no longer associated with autism. First-year ozone exposure was associated with autism risk with HR 1.09. Weekly models indicated significant windows for PM2.5 during gestational weeks 14 to 32, sulfate during weeks 23 to 36, ammonium during weeks 21 to 34, and ozone during weeks 26 to 30, with reported window-specific HRs of 1.12 for PM2.5, 1.11 for sulfate, 1.11 for ammonium, and 1.03 for ozone.Black carbon, organic matter, dust, sea salt were not significant after adjustments, suggesting that specific chemical and not general PM2.5 exposure associations. Urban settings showed larger estimated effects for PM2.5, sulfate, and ammonium compared with rural areas. Sex-stratified results indicated larger estimates for male children, with sulfate the only pollutant significantly associated among female children.Neighborhood patterns suggested more pronounced estimated risks in lower-incomeand middle-income areas and in areas with higher proportions of racialized and newcomer populations.Authors conclude that prenatal exposure to specific PM2.5 components, particularly sulfate and ammonium, was associated with autism risk, with sensitive periods in the second and third trimesters.

Pregnant women living near the Aliso Canyon gas blowout were more likely to have babies with low birth weight | UCLA Health - Women in their final trimester of pregnancy who lived within 6.2 miles of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Field blowout — the largest uncontrolled release of toxic air pollutants from an underground gas storage facility in U.S. history — had a nearly 50% higher-than-expected chance of having a low–birth-weight baby, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. The Aliso Canyon disaster began Oct. 23, 2015, and lasted until Feb. 11, 2016. During those 112 days, approximately 109,000 metric tons of methane and other toxic air pollutants, including benzene and heavy metals, were emitted into the atmosphere near the Porter Ranch neighborhood in northwestern Los Angeles County. Residents reported experiencing foul odors, oily mists and a range of health symptoms both during the blowout and after returning home following evacuations from the area. In their peer-reviewed study, published today in the journal Science Advances, the UCLA researchers reviewed all Los Angeles County birth records from October 2010 to October 2019, a total of more than a million births. The researchers focused on 666 births among women who lived within the 6.2-mile-radius impact zone downwind of the facility and who were exposed to the blowout for at least one month during the last 12 weeks of their pregnancy. Among those births, they found that 64 babies, 9.6%, were born with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds). This compares with 6.6% of babies born with low birth weight in the years prior to the blowout in the impact zone — a 45.5% higher likelihood during the blowout. Across the rest of Los Angeles County, outside the impact zone, 6.8% of babies were born with low birth weight during the period of the blowout; the likelihood was a 41.2% higher for babies born inside the zone. When excluding low–birth-weight babies born prematurely and looking only at low–birth-weight babies born after at least 37 weeks of gestation — called “term low birth weight” — the prevalence was 66% higher than expected for women exposed in their last trimester. Prior to the blowout, 2.7% of babies were born with term low birth weight in the rest of Los Angeles County and 2.6% in the Aliso Canyon impact zone. During the blowout, however, 4.5% of babies in the impact zone were term low birth weight. Thousands of environmental samples taken during and after the blowout showed elevated levels of pollutants known to affect birth weight, including heavy metals and volatile organic compounds such as benzene. At the blowout’s peak, an estimated 58 metric tons of methane were released per hour. This was on par with the daily emissions of 4.5 million cars, the study reported. Low birth weight often correlates with poor fetal growth and nutrition, and hundreds of studies have linked it to in utero pollution exposures. Low birth weight is also associated with developmental and behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and it increases the risk of several leading adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease.

FDA warns 18 websites for selling fake Botox linked to injuries -- U.S. regulators have issued warnings to 18 websites that were selling fake or unapproved versions of Botox and similar wrinkle-relaxing injections. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it took immediate action after receiving reports of people getting injured by the products, including cases of botulism. Botox is made from a purified form of botulinum toxin, one of the strongest toxins in the world. When it's used correctly, it blocks nerve signals and relaxes muscles, which can smooth wrinkles or help treat medical conditions such as migraines, eye disorders and muscle spasms. The FDA also said the websites were advertising injectable products that looked like Botox but were not approved in the United States. All FDA-approved Botox products come with the agency's strongest safety alert—a so-called boxed warning—because the toxin can sometimes spread beyond the injection site and affect muscles needed for breathing or swallowing, The Associated Press reported. That risk becomes even more dangerous when people receive products that aren't inspected, tested or handled by licensed medical professionals. Symptoms of botulism can include trouble breathing or swallowing, slurred speech, muscle weakness and drooping eyelids.

CDC: Salmonella outbreak linked to powder supplement - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said late last week there is a new Salmonella outbreak linked to a dietary supplement containing moringa leaf powder. So far 11 people in 7 states have been sickened in the Salmonella Richmond outbreak, including three people who required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. Illness onset dates range from May 12, 2025, to September 4, 2025. Virginia has three cases linked to this outbreak, followed by Kansas and Florida with two each. Michigan, New York, and North and South Carolina have each reported a single case. The CDC said all lot codes and best-by dates of Member's Mark Super Greens dietary supplement powder are affected. The powder was sold at Sam's Club stores nationwide and online. "Do not eat any Member's Mark Super Greens powdered supplements containing moringa leaf powder. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them," CDC said. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also published a recall notice for the powder, explaining the contamination was caused by a single lot of moringa leaf powder from Vallon Farm Direct PVT LTD of Johdpur, India. "The implicated lot of moringa powder was supplied to multiple U.S. distributors," the FDA said. "FDA is working to determine the point of contamination and what additional products were made with the implicated lot of moringa leaf powder."

Preventive non–beta-lactam antibiotics linked to higher risk of surgical-site infections -A large cohort study conducted in Switzerland suggests that use of non–beta-lactam antibiotics before surgery should be avoided when possible, researchers reported late last week in JAMA Network Open. The study of nearly 350,000 adults who were administered surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) before undergoing a major surgical procedure found that use of non–beta lactam antibiotics was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the surgical-site infection (SSI) rate compared with those who received SAP with beta-lactam antibiotics. Beta-lactam antibiotics such as cefazolin and cefuroxime are the first-line choices for SAP for most surgical procedures to mitigate the risk of SSIs, which are a common complication following surgery and can extended hospitalizations, increase healthcare costs, and contribute to patient mortality. SSIs are estimated to occur in 1 in 30 surgical procedures. Beta-lactams are recommended for SAP because of their broad-spectrum, bactericidal activity, and safety profile. Patients with self-reported or documented beta-lactam allergies, however, require alternative options. The study authors say their findings indicate that those patients should be carefully evaluated before SAP is administered.The authors say the findings are consistent with a 2017 study that found a 50% increased likelihood of SSIs in patients with penicillin allergy who received alternative prophylactic antibiotics. "Our study extends these findings, yielding more definitive results with a much larger sample size and direct comparison of β-lactam vs non–β-lactam prophylaxis, independent of allergy status," they wrote.They add that since penicillin allergies are frequently unconfirmed, surgeons should test their patients before resorting to alternative antibiotics. While an estimated 10% to 15% of adults carry a beta-lactam allergy label, research has shown that up to 90% of those with the label may actually be beta-lactam tolerant.

Cincinnati hospital looks at possible hospital-onset Legionnaires' - Christ Hospital in Cincinnati is investigating two recent cases of Legionnaires' disease in patients in the past 6 week. Legionnaires' disease, a serious lung infection caused byLegionella bacteria, is contracted through inhaling contaminated water droplets.Officials say they're working with local and state health departments to determine if the patients contracted the disease on Christ Hospital's main campus. So far the site of exposure is unknown, but the hospital has initiated environmental testing.The bacteria that cause the atypical pneumonia live in natural and artificial water sources, and the hospital said it was testing all possible systems for contamination and installing new filters in hospital showers and faucets. Hospital officials told media that the risk to the public remains low.

High rates of multidrug-resistant bacteria found in West Bank hospitals - A study of bacterial isolates from hospitals in the West Bank revealed high levels of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens, researchers reported yesterday in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. For the cross-sectional study, a team of researchers from Al-Quds University examined 10,007 unique bacterial isolates collected from 13 government hospitals in the West Bank in 2023. While several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have reported rising rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in recent years, previous studies of AMR in the Palestinian territories have been limited to single-center analyses or specific patient groups. "In Palestine, antibiotic misuse, unregulated over-the-counter access, and inadequate infection control—compounded by a fragmented healthcare system—fuel the spread of AMR," the study authors wrote. "By analyzing AMR patterns, demographic factors, and hospital-specific variations, this study aims to inform national antimicrobial stewardship strategies and provide models for other resource-limited, conflict-affected settings worldwide." Of the 10,007 bacterial isolates analyzed, Escherichia coli was the most prevalent pathogen (43%), and 36.7% of all isolates were classified as MDR, with the highest rates observed in Acinetobacter baumannii (76.4%), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (69.2%), and ESBL-producing E coli (58.3%). Staphylococcus aureus isolates had a 29.5% MDR rate. Further analysis revealed several significant associations between demographic and clinical variables and MDR isolates. Male patients had 14% higher odds of MDR infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.14) compared with females, and age was also a strong predictor, with children aged 2 to 9 years and 9 to 16 years having significantly lower odds of resistance (aORs of 0.69 and 0.66, respectively) compared with those under 2 years. In contrast, adults aged 44 years and older, particularly those aged 65 and above, showed progressively increasing odds of resistance, reaching an aOR of 1.85.

Study: Demographic shifts will fuel increase in drug-resistant bloodstream infections in Europe -A new study predicts that the rate of bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by drug-resistant bacteria will rise sharply in Europe over the next 5 years, driven primarily by an aging population, researchers reported yesterday in PLOS Medicine.For the modeling study, a team led by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analyzed data from more than 12 million blood tests for bacterial infections conducted in 29 European countries from 2010 through 2019, then used the data to project BSI incidence rates by age and sex through 2050, fitting the models across 38 bacteria-antibiotic combinations. The study builds on previous work by the team showing that BSI prevalence in Europe is strongly determined by the age and sex of the patient."With substantial sub- and national-variation, the consistency and clear shape of some relationships provide evidence for the inclusion of age and sex in any predictions of future AMR [antimicrobial resistance] burden," the study authors wrote. As with their previous study, the researchers found that the burden of drug-resistant BSIs will vary substantially by country and by drug-bug combination. They also found that BSI rates are predicted to increase more in men than in women across six of eight bacterial species and to increase dramatically in older age-groups (74-plus years) by 2030, while stabilizing or declining in younger groups. Even with strong public health actions, they found that achieving a 10% reduction in BSI incidence by 2030 was only possible for two thirds of the bacteria-antibiotic combinations. The authors say AMR modeling studies that don't account for age and sex may miss a large part of the future burden. "Age and sex are still rarely considered in antimicrobial resistance projections, yet they make a real difference to who is most affected," senior study author Gwenan Knight, PhD, said in a journal press release. "Combining these factors with demographic and infection trends really highlighted how challenging it will be to reverse the steady rise in bloodstream infections across Europe."

Some common viruses may steeply raise risk of cardiovascular disease -A meta-analysis of 155 observational studies ties influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis C, and herpes zoster (shingles) to a dramatically higher risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in the weeks after infection, and viruses that linger in the body (eg, HIV) can raise long-term risk.A University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researcher led the study, a systematic review of literature on the link between any viral infection and the odds of heart attack and stroke. The findings were published last week in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA)"It is well recognized that human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and other viruses can cause cancer; however, the link between viral infections and other non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, is less well understood," lead author Kosuke Kawai, ScD, of UCLA, said in an AHA news release. The 155 studies, published from 1997 to July 2024, were primarily conducted in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Self‐controlled case series studies tied flu to a fourfold elevated risk of heart attack (pooled incidence rate ratio [IRR], 4.01) and a fivefold higher risk of stroke during the first 1 month (IRR, 5.01), and cohort studies suggested a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) with hepatitis C infection (RR, 1.27) and stroke (RR, 1.23). HIV was consistently linked to a higher risk of CHD (pooled adjusted risk ratio [RR], 1.60) and stroke (RR, 1.45), as was SARS‐CoV‐2 (CHD RR, 1.74; stroke RR, 1.69). Likewise, shingles was associated with a greater risk of CHD (RR, 1.12) and stroke (RR, 1.18). Evidence of an effect of cytomegalovirus, which can cause birth defects, on cardiovascular disease was insufficient. The study authors noted that viral infections trigger the immune system to release substances that lead to inflammation and increase the risk of blood clots, processes that may persist long after initial infection and raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. "The elevated risks for cardiovascular disease risks are lower for HIV, hepatitis C and herpes zoster than the heightened short-term risk following influenza and COVID," Kawai said. "However, the risks associated with those three viruses are still clinically relevant, especially because they persist for a long period of time." And when it comes to shingles, which affects roughly one in three people in their lifetime, "the elevated risk associated with that virus translates into a large number of excess cases of cardiovascular disease at the population level," he said.

US hot spots see more measles cases - Over the weekend Utah and South Carolina, the current hot spots of measles activity in the United States, saw case counts climb, and Idaho reported a new case in a young child. In Utah the statewide total has increased by 4 infections and is now 64. Sixty-one of the state's measles case-patients are unvaccinated, and 49 of the 64 cases, and all 4 new cases, are from the Southwest Utah health department, which includes Washington County. The Utah-Arizona outbreak is the second largest outbreak of the year so far, following the West Texas outbreak this past spring and summer that sickened at least 762 people. There are now 142 cases identified in the Utah-Arizona outbreak. The Upstate South Carolina measles outbreak that was fueled by exposures at two elementary schools with a large percentage of unvaccinated students has grown by 4 cases, bringing the state's total to 37 cases, 34 of whom involve people who live in the Upstate region. "The four new cases were linked to close contacts of known cases. No public exposures have been identified from these cases," said the South Carolina Department of Public Health in a statement late last week. "We continue to rely on isolation and quarantine measures for those who have been exposed and are unvaccinated to prevent the spread of measles in the community to contain this outbreak."In Idaho, a child who is too young for school has been identified as having measles. There are now at least seven measles cases in the state. Officials told news media that the child, who lives in Boundary County, had recently traveled outside the area. Finally today in Israel, two vaccinated doctors in Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital have contracted measles after treating an unvaccinated child. Both doctors report mild symptoms and will remain in isolation for the duration of the infectious period of the disease. As of October, Israel has seen 1,700 confirmed cases of measles, and 8 children have died from the virus.

Support for measles vaccination drops amid growing confusion about the disease, US poll shows -- Support among US adults for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has dropped from 90% to 82% in just a few months, while confusion reigns over whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—the top US official spearheading prevention efforts—recommends that children be vaccinated against measles, according to the latest poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania.The poll also found that most Americans correctly believe that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism, though that number has slipped, while half of those surveyed weren't sure whether a mercury-based preservative in some vaccines increases the risk of autism, despite studies showing no link.The results come as US measles cases surpass 1,600 and outbreaks across the country grow.The poll was conducted August 5 through 18 among 1,699 adults, 28 of whom took the survey in Spanish. It has a margin of error for the entire sample of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. In previous Annenberg polls, in April 2022 and November 2024, 89% and 90% percent of adults, respectively, said they would recommend the MMR vaccine for a child in their household who was eligible. That dropped to 82% in the new poll. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that kids receive a first MMR vaccine dose at 12 to 15 months of age and a second dose from 4 to 6 years old. The CDC says one dose is 93% effective at preventing measles, and two doses are 97% effective. When given the choice of a number of different diseases and conditions that begin with the letters "M" and "R," about two-thirds knew that the MMR vaccine is designed to prevent measles (68%), mumps (65%), and rubella (64%). Similar numbers correctly did not select alternatives like meningitis (66% did not select), mpox (68% did not select), and rhinitis (69% did not select). More than 1 in 4 respondents (27%), however, say they are not sure what the MMR vaccine is made to prevent. During a large measles outbreak centered in West Texas earlier this, Kennedy suggested that poor nutrition and a lack of exercise play a role in measles and misleadingly focused on vitamin A, including from cod liver oil, as a treatment. Even so, nearly 75% of those polled know it is true that "healthy, well-nourished children can get measles." Just 7% think that is false and 14% are not sure. Two thirds of respondents (67%) correctly know that the MMR vaccine usually protects against measles for a lifetime, though 21% are not sure and 13% think it does not.

Quick takes: Whooping cough in Texas, polio in 2 nations, Canada Salmonella outbreak | CIDRAP

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) this week said provisional data show a significant increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases this year. According to the data, the state had more than 3,500 reported pertussis cases through October, a fourfold increase from the same period last year. It's the second consecutive year Texas has experienced sharp year-over-year increases in pertussis. Approximately 85% of the cases have occurred in children. "Parents should ensure children are up-to-date on pertussis immunizations, and pregnant women and others who will be around newborns should get a booster dose to protect babies from what can be a deadly infection," DSHS said in a health alert.
Two countries reported circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases this week, according to the latest update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Nigeria confirmed a cVDPV2 case in Kaduna province with onset of paralysis of July 18, bringing its total number of cases this year to 45. Papua New Guinea reported a case in Morobe province with paralysis onset on August 28, raising its 2025 cVDPV2 total to 5 cases. GPEI also noted that 2 billion doses of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 have now been administered around the world as part of efforts to curb cVDPV2 outbreaks.
Another recall has been issued in a Canadian Salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios and pistachio-containing products, Food Safety News reports. The recall of non-branded Dubai-style chocolate sold at Juice Dudez locations in Canada brings the total number of items recalled in the outbreak to 48. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the outbreak has sickened 117 people, 17 of whom have been hospitalized, but it is likely much larger since people with mild symptoms don't get tested. Many people who became sick reported eating pistachios or pistachio-containing products.

Lassa fever’s death toll in Nigeria climbs in 2025 -- So far, 176 people from 21 states in Nigeria have died from Lassa fever in 2025, according to a recent report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). In total, Nigeria has recorded 955 confirmed cases from 8,367 suspected infections. While confirmed cases are fewer than those seen in 2024, fatalities have increased. This year’s case-fatality rate (CFR) is 18.4%, compared to 16.6% during the same period in 2024. NCDC said the deaths are likely due to poor health-seeking behavior among patients who seek medical intervention too late, as well as poor environmental sanitation in affected communities. Eighty-eight percent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from four states (Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba), while 12% were reported from 17 states. Adults ages 21 to 30 years report the most infections. Lassa virus is endemic in West Africa and spreads via contact with the urine or droppings of infected rodents. Though not common, the virus can be transmitted person-to-person through direct contact with a sick person's blood or other body fluids, mucous membranes, or sexual contact.

Rift Valley fever cases in Senegal, Mauritania top 400 - A total of 404 Rift Valley fever (RVF) cases, including 42 deaths, have been confirmed in Senegal and Mauritania from September 20 to October 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update yesterday. "The majority of human infections result from contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, but human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes. To date, no human-to-human transmission of RVF has been documented," the WHO said.In animals, RVF is always severe, but in people infections can range from mild flu-like illness to hemorrhagic fevers that can be fatal.All but 46 of the confirmed cases have been in Senegal, the WHO said. But among Mauritania's 46 confirmed cases are 14 deaths, indicating a high case-fatality rate (CFR) in that country of 30%.The Mauritanian Ministry of Animal Resources reported 62 animal outbreaks, with sheep, camels, and goats the most infected. The first animal cases were reported in August."RVF is endemic in Mauritania. The last major outbreak occurred in 2022, with 47 confirmed human cases, including 23 deaths (case fatality ratio 49%)," the WHO said. The CFR in Senegal is much lower, at 7.8%, representing 28 deaths among 358 confirmed human cases. RVF is also endemic in Senegal, with the last human case in January 2025, and a total of 160 confirmed animal cases of RVF in sheep, goats and cattle in seven regions this year. "In Senegal, approximately 11% of confirmed human cases have presented with hemorrhagic symptoms, of which 20 have resulted in death. The situation is particularly concerning in Mauritania, where the case fatality rate has reached 30%, indicating heightened severity," the WHO said."The current outbreak of RVF in Senegal and Mauritania is unusual in its scale and severity," the WHO said. "A high proportion of severe human cases have been reported, potentially reflecting gaps in case detection and limitation in optimized clinical management."

Avian flu strikes turkey farms in Dakotas, large egg facility in California --The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported several new detections of highly pathogenic avian flu in poultry, including four major outbreaks on commercial turkey farms.In Lamoure County, North Dakota, a commercial turkey farm with 24,700 birds was hit, and in Mcpherson, South Dakota, a facility with 63,800 birds was also affected. South Dakota also had a detection last week on a turkey farm with 56,300 birds in Spink County, as well.In Ottawa County, Michigan, 62,200 birds on a turkey farm were impacted.Elsewhere two large poultry outbreaks were reported in Lagrange County, Indiana. Two flocks were hit, affecting 43,800 birds total.Last week, California's Sonoma County reported a large outbreak at a commercial duck breeder farm, and now the same county reported an outbreak at a commercial table eggs layer facility, with 231,000 birds affected.

Five new avian flu outbreaks confirmed in ducks, turkeys in 3 US states - Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed five more avian flu outbreaks in three states. Indiana reported three outbreaks involving a duck farm in Elkhart County affecting nearly 21,000 birds, a 10-bird backyard flock in Johnson County, and a duck breeding facility in Lagrange County affecting 4,800 birds. In Michigan, 113,000 birds were affected in an outbreak on a turkey farm in Ottawa County, the state's third detection in commercial turkeys in less than a week. And Washington reported an outbreak affecting nine poultry in Snohomish County. In the past month, APHIS has noted avian flu in 32 commercial flocks and 35 backyard flocks, affecting a total of 3.72 million birds.

New England lobster populations fall amid overfishing - Overfishing of American lobster is occurring in New England’s most productive fishing areas off the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts, contributing to a 34 percent population drop since the last assessment in 2020, regulators found in a new report. The findings, released Thursday by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, will not result in an immediate change of lobster management, officials said. But they point to a broader concern around the viability of New England lobster, which are declining at an ever-faster rate across their traditional cold-water habitat. Maine, which produces 93 percent of the nation’s lobster, saw a record-low harvest of 86 million pounds in 2024, according to state data, down 35 percent from 2016 when fishermen hauled in a record 132 million pounds of lobster. Massachusetts has seen comparable drops, while lobster harvests in southern New England have seen the steepest declines. The commission’s American Lobster Management Board found that recent fishing levels are “just above the exploitation threshold, indicating overfishing is occurring.” But the stock has not yet been depleted, meaning lobster have not been technically “overfished.”

480-million-year-old parasite still plagues today's shellfish - A new study has unexpectedly discovered that a common parasite of modern oysters actually started infecting bivalves hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs went extinct. The research, published in iScience, used high-resolution 3D scans to look inside 480-million-year-old shells from a Moroccan site known for its exceptionally well-preserved sea life. The scans revealed a series of distinctive patterns etched both on the surface of the fossils and hidden inside them.The research team determined the marks are the work of a soft-bodied marine bristle worm, still common in today's oceans. The worms, which belong to a group called the spionids, live and feed on mussels and oysters without killing them, though they are still destructive.

Unexpectedly high concentrations of forever chemicals found in dead sea otters - A paper published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, finds high quantities of toxic "forever" chemicals in sea otters recovered off the Pacific Ocean. The paper is titled "Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) are Higher Near Urban Centers." Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, so-called "forever chemicals," are used in the lining of food packaging, nonstick cookware, waterproof and stainproof textiles, cosmetics, firefighting foams, and electronics. These chemicals, which bioactively bind to proteins within an organism, can cause immunotoxicity, organ damage, endocrine disruption, and reproductive impairments in wildlife. Some chemicals have been phased out from use in many countries. However, they endure in the environment. Forever chemicals travel through water, soil, and the atmosphere—and are found in all parts of the world, including the polar regions, far from human industrial activity. There is growing concern about the toxic effects of these chemicals on marine life, and the future negative impacts they will have on marine ecosystems as they continue to accumulate in marine food webs. Species considered highly susceptible to contamination include predatory marine mammals with relatively long lifespans, such as sea otters and killer whales. Sea otters are exposed to such chemicals mainly via consumption of prey that contain forever chemicals, though maternal transfer and lactation may also play a role. Sea otters consume large amounts (approximately 25% of their body weight each day) of protein-rich seafood in nearshore habitats that are susceptible to chemical exposure and bioaccumulation. Sea otters do not migrate or travel great distances and are therefore useful indicators for region-specific analysis of contaminant accumulation from food sources often harvested and consumed by humans. Investigators have found that higher concentrations of forever chemicals are correlated with a greater probability of (California) sea otters dying from infectious and non-infectious diseases, indicating a significant health risk to the species. Researchers here analyzed liver and skeletal muscle samples from dead sea otters recovered from coastal British Columbia. The investigators collected a total of 16 samples from the livers and skeletal muscles of 11 animals. They found eight of the 40 tested chemicals were present in all sampled sea otters, although concentrations of each varied between individuals. Sea otter livers contained more of these chemical compounds at higher total average concentrations than skeletal muscles. Only perfluorooctanesulfonamide, a compound used to repel grease and water in food packaging and once a part of 3M's Scotchgard formula, was identified in both liver and muscle tissues, while the scientists here found the remaining seven chemicals only in the animals' livers. The researchers found that chemical concentrations were over three times higher on average in sea otters found near major cities and shipping routes.

ESA rule changes ready to launch with another White House OK - The White House has teed up a potentially far-reaching round of Endangered Species Act rule changes, approving Thursday its third proposal dealing with the law since late September. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs told the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries they can proceed with formally proposing rule changes that would govern the listing of species as threatened or endangered and the designation of critical habitat. The Trump administration’s ESA listing and critical habitat rule proposals were the third and final set of regulatory proposals submitted to the White House’s regulatory gatekeepers in June, according to the OIRA regulatory dashboard. Earlier this week, OIRA completed its review of proposed changes in the ESA’s “interagency cooperation” procedures. Potentially, they could include curtailing the power of federal agencies to compel compensatory mitigation for projects with ESA impacts.

Metal contamination reaches 'critical' level in Peruvian highlands, researchers warn - One of the most iconic ecosystems of the Peruvian plateau, the Junín Lake basin, suffers from "critical" levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium contamination, leading to health risks including cancer, according to new analysis. The study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment found that 99% of the area has "very high to ultra-high" ecological risk and contamination levels. It revealed a "100% carcinogenic risk" for adults, with children also highly exposed to arsenic, a highly toxic metalloid. "The levels of arsenic are extremely high, as are those of lead and cadmium, far exceeding acceptable thresholds," Samuel Pizarro, one of the authors, told SciDev.Net. "The combined carcinogenic risk is unacceptable. The amount of chromium found is also significant and poses a serious threat to human health." The study was conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation of Peru and the National University Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza. They tested the spatial distribution, ecological risk and human health implications of 14 heavy metals, metalloids and trace elements in more than 200 samples taken from surface soils surrounding Lake Junín—also known as Chinchaycocha. "This assessment reveals critical contamination by potentially toxic elements in the Junín Lake watershed, with arsenic, lead, cadmium, and zinc concentrations substantially exceeding ecological and human health thresholds," the researchers wrote. Levels of the toxins exceeded ecological thresholds by more than 100 times in agricultural areas, they added. Part of the Junín National Reserve, the area is home to about 50,000 people, including urban and rural populations. "But the impact reaches 1.3 million people because some of the water is then used in the valleys and in dams downstream," said Pizarro. He added that further work is needed to calculate the size of that impact, and the effect on children and pregnant women.phys.org

Young water recharges aquifers while old water feeds crops, study finds - Groundwater replenishing beneath temperate farmland fields may come from very recent rainfall, merely one to two weeks old, whereas the water actually taken up by crops is drawn from much older sources. This finding, published in Water Resources Research, challenges conventional models of water movement in the subsurface and suggests that our assumptions about how fertilizers, nutrients and moisture travel through thesoil may need revising. Ph.D. researcher Joshua Snarski, from the University of Connecticut, and colleagues investigated the age of water that enters the groundwater system beneath the Horsebarn Hill agricultural catchment during the growing season. This was based upon soil moisture levels and the isotopic composition of the groundwater; the latter is used for dating as water molecules containing oxygen-18 (a heavier form of oxygen) evaporate and move through the water cycle more slowly than those with oxygen-16, allowing scientists to trace how long the water has been underground. The team found that precipitation falling during the growing season can percolate through the vadose zone (the unsaturated layer of soil and rock above the water table, where both air and water are present in pores) and recharge the aquifer in a matter of days to weeks. In contrast to the young water reaching the aquifer, the water accessed by crops through their roots is drawn from older water stores and carries nutrients that have been resident in the soil for longer. Consequently, the study highlights a dichotomy: rapid recharge of groundwater by fresh precipitation versus slower uptake by plants from older soil-stored water. This matters because it suggests that the timing and pathways of water flow below farmland are more complex than many hydrological and agricultural models assume, especially when it comes to nutrient movement, fertilizer use and groundwater contamination risk. For example, models that assume soil water and nutrients move at a uniform slow pace may be mis-estimating how quickly rainfall can infiltrate and therefore transport fertilizers or contaminants downward. For fertilizer management, this is significant, as if rainfall rapidly recharges aquifers, then fertilizers applied to farmland may also be more quickly flushed into deeper groundwater than expected, especially if applied shortly before heavy rain. Conversely, the fact that plants rely on older soil water emphasizes that root zone moisture availability may not always coincide with the freshest rains. Farmers and water managers may therefore need to consider both fast-moving recharge flows and the slower soil-moisture pathways that support crops.

Australian rainforests are becoming a net source of carbon emissions -- A team of international scientists led by researchers from Australian universities has found the first evidence that woody biomass in tropical rainforests is acting as a long-term source of carbon dioxide. This has global implications. The study, titled “Aboveground biomass in Australian tropical forests now a net carbon source,” published in the leading scientific journal Nature, found that a critical component of rainforest ecosystems is emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it is absorbing. The researchers, led by Hannah Carle from Western Sydney University, analysed 49 years’ worth of data collected from 20 tropical rainforest sites in northeast Queensland, including near Cooktown, Cairns and Mackay. The dataset is currently the largest available inventory of Australian tropical forests—over 10,000 trees from 474 different species. Tropical rainforests are the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems on earth, covering less than 10 percent of the world’s land surface, yet containing over half of the earth’s plant and animal species. One of the most valuable ecosystem services that rainforests provide is carbon sequestration—the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby removing its ability to act as a greenhouse gas and contribute to global warming. A 2021 study led by NASA scientists estimated that from 2000 to 2019 tropical rainforests acted as a net “carbon sink,” absorbing 410 million tonnes more carbon per year than they emitted. That team found that live woody biomass—the roots, wood, bark and leaves of living trees—was responsible for 80 percent of the carbon sequestration effect. The rest came from other components of the ecosystem, such as soil and dead organic matter. The new research conducted by Dr Carle’s team however, found that live woody biomass “in Australian tropical forests now loses more carbon to the atmosphere on an annual basis than it absorbs.” Moreover, this “shift” from carbon sink to carbon source likely occurred around 25 years ago, at the turn of the century. From the sites analysed, woody biomass, referred to as aboveground biomass (AGB) in the paper, absorbed an average of 620kg of carbon per hectare annually from 1971 to 2000. However, from 2010 to 2019, the AGB at those same sites emitted 930kg of carbon per hectare annually. Not only has woody biomass switched from absorbing to emitting carbon; it is now emitting even more carbon than it historically has absorbed. The team conservatively estimated that the net carbon absorption of AGB was decreasing by 41kg of carbon per hectare per year. Because woody biomass plays such a central role in sequestering and storing carbon, Australian wet rainforests could entirely become carbon sources in the near future. The study found that an increase in tree mortality, without a corresponding increase in growth by surviving trees, was the main driver behind the trend. Tropical rainforests in Australia are experiencing tree mortality rates twice as high as compared to the 1970s. This was the finding of a study published earlier this year using the same monitoring sites as the new research. The principal drivers of the increased death rates of rainforest trees are increased vapour pressure deficit (an increased atmospheric “demand” for water from plants which can cause water deficits) and increased atmosphere temperature. Both these effects are largely driven by climate change. In addition, the new paper found that cyclones, which are increasing in severity under climate change (including in northern Queensland), played a significant role in tree mortality. The study found that “the carbon sink capacity of woody AGB was markedly depressed in the 6 years following a cyclone” and that cyclones “increased the mortality rate above background levels by 19 percent.” The study’s findings “suggest the potential for a similar response to climate change by woody aboveground biomass in moist tropical forests globally, which could culminate in a long-term switch from carbon sinks to carbon sources.”

Season’s first snow covers mountains in western North Carolina - video - Mount Mitchell in North Carolina recorded its first snowfall of the season on Thursday morning, October 30, 2025, roughly a month before the start of meteorological winter, as a cold front lowered snow levels to around 1 524 m (5 000 feet). The snowfall was caused by a cold front that lowered snow levels to 1 524 m (5 000 feet); low enough for Mount Mitchell, which stands at 2 037 m (6 684 feet), to receive a fresh coating of snow. Higher-elevation areas across western North Carolina, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, continued to experience snowfall on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, trace amounts of snow and rime ice were reported above 1 829 m (6 000 feet) at Richland Balsam on Friday morning. Rime ice refers to the opaque, frosty coating often seen on electric poles and trees during winter. It forms when supercooled water droplets come into contact with a cold surface and freeze. It appears opaque and feathery, growing in the direction of the wind, which gives it a spiky and delicate structure.

Cold blast to bring Lower Michigan’s first significant snow of the season - We continue to see a strong blast of December-like cold air heading through Michigan late this weekend and early next week. The combination of very cold air for early November, combined with still quite warm Great Lakes’ waters will make Michigan’s first authentic burst of lake-effect snow. All of the model output continues to show the snow would be much more than just a few flakes. We also have to remember the ground is still warm, and we still get air that warms up if a hint of sun comes out. It will be hard to have a widespread, heavy snow on the roads, but it’s definitely something worth watching. The weather scenario is a two-parter. On Sunday a storm system with an area of precipitation will move across the southern half of Lower Michigan and northern Indiana and northern Ohio. Temperatures aloft look cold enough for some snow in that precipitation area. It doesn’t really look cold enough in the air or on the ground for that snow to stick. But during Sunday night, the temperatures will plunge below freezing and keep Monday in the 30s. Monday night will be even colder, and we will wake up to temperatures in the 20s Tuesday morning. Temperatures in the 20s Monday night would allow snow to accumulate, at least on the grass. The more substantial snow would be pure lake-effect snow, meaning any accumulations would occur in the classic lake-effect snowbelts of the U.P., northwest Lower Michigan and southwest Lower Michigan. Here’s the radar forecast from very early Sunday morning to Tuesday morning. At this time of year I can best give you an idea of how much snow by showing you the “snow depth” rather than total snowfall accumulation. Snow depth can somewhat address the fast melting of snow when it hits warm ground. Total snowfall accumulation forecasts can often look very heavy and not address melting. So here’s the snow depth forecast I know you want for next Tuesday morning. This would be after a cold Monday night when temperatures cool into the 20s. The Upper Peninsula may have as much as six inches of snow in the central part of the U.P. And since it will be really cold for this time of year, snow showers can fly anywhere in Michigan, leading to isolated one inch snows on grass in the Thumb. Look at the expected temperatures this coming Tuesday morning. They are cold enough to hold snow on the ground for a few hours.

Typhoon Kalmaegi makes deadly landfall near Silago, Philippines - YouTube videos - Up to five fatalities have been reported since Typhoon Kalmaegi’s landfall over the Southern Leyte province in the Philippines on November 4, 2025. Landfall in Vietnam is expected on Thursday, November 6. Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall near Silago in Southern Leyte province at around 00:00 local time (LT) on November 4, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). At landfall, Kalmaegi’s 10-minute sustained winds were around 130 km/h (81 mph) with gusts up to 180 km/h (112 mph) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 970 hPa. International bulletins reported 1-minute sustained winds near 150 km/h (93 mph) with gusts up to 205 km/h (127 mph). At least five fatalities had been confirmed as of early November 4. Officials said more than 150 000 residents were evacuated ahead of and during Kalmaegi’s landfall, as local governments activated preemptive sheltering measures. Kalmaegi is the 20th tropical cyclone to make landfall over the Philippines in 2025. A Philippine Air Force helicopter with five personnel on board crashed on November 4 in the country’s south while flying to aid in recovery operations. The Super Huey chopper crashed near Loreto town in southern Agusan del Sur province, and efforts were underway to locate the air force personnel aboard who were deployed to help provide humanitarian assistance to provinces affected by the typhoon, the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command said 24-hour rainfall totals in Cebu province reached around 183 mm (7.2 inches), triggering widespread floods. In Cebu City and nearby municipalities, floodwaters submerged vehicles and stranded residents on rooftops as fallen trees and power lines blocked roads. PAGASA issued Storm Surge Warning No. 9, forecasting life-threatening surge heights exceeding 3 m (9.8 feet) for low-lying coastal areas of the Visayas and northern Mindanao. PAGASA placed Kalmaegi’s centre over Patnongon, Antique province, at 16:00 LT on November 4, moving northwest at 15 km/h (9 mph). PAGASA forecasted Kalmaegi to retain typhoon strength while crossing the Visayas and to enter the West Philippine Sea by November 6, bringing continued rainfall, gusty winds, and storm surge along its path. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast at the same time placed Kalmaegi’s 1-minute sustained winds between 157–167 km/h (98–104 mph), with a predicted peak intensity near 175 km/h (109 mph) within 48 hours, and projected a west-northwest track toward the South China Sea. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 remains in effect for parts of Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and central Visayas, indicating expected winds between 118–184 km/h (73–114 mph) within 12 hours. Gale warnings and coastal alerts accompany these signals. Kalmaegi is expected to move west-northwest across the Visayas archipelago, enter the Sulu Sea, and emerge into the West Philippine Sea between November 6–7. According to PAGASA and the JTWC, it will maintain typhoon strength throughout this period. Recent model guidance shows diverging track scenarios. NAVGEM interpolated members suggest a more north-westward path toward Da Nang, Vietnam, while interpolated ECMWF solutions shift the track south toward a landfall south of Tuy Hoa. The multi-model consensus maintains only a slight north-westward motion after the system crosses the northern portion of Palawan, indicating a potential landfall south of Quy Nhon, Vietnam. The JTWC track forecast remains close to this consensus, with medium confidence.

Typhoon Kalmaegi triggers worst flash flood in Cebu’s history, leaves 241 dead or missing across the Philippines - – videos - The Philippine government declared a state of calamity on November 6, 2025, after Typhoon Kalmaegi left 114 people dead, 127 missing, and displaced more than 560 000 residents while flooding parts of the Visayas, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).The Philippine government declared a state of calamity on November 6 following the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi (locally named Tino). At least 114 fatalities were confirmed, while another 127 people are still missing across the Visayas region. At least 71 people died in Cebu, mostly due to drownings, 65 others were reported missing, and 69 were injured, the Office of Civil Defense said. The NDRRMC reported that more than 560 000 people were displaced, including roughly 450 000 sheltered in evacuation centres, while nearly two million people were affected overall.In the 24 hours before it made landfall, Cebu received more than 180 mm (7 inches) of rainfall—equivalent to about a month and a half’s worth of rain in November.Between 08:00 local time on November 3 and 08:00 LT on November 4, Maasin City in Southern Leyte recorded 235.2 mm (9.2 inches) of rain, equivalent to about 33 days of rain in the month of November. The monthly average rainfall of 213 mm (8 inches) for the region during November.Heavy rains have caused rivers to overflow, washing away entire communities and triggering landslides. Winds have toppled trees and power lines and flattened homes. Kalmaegi also collapsed flood-control infrastructure in the province meant to protect citizens in such disasters. Locals have blamed corruption and the government for poor public safety infrastructure. Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro described to local news channel ANC on Wednesday that the province experienced “by far the worst flash flood caused by a typhoon” in its history, affecting over 35 municipalities. Baricuatro says the rapid rise of water complicated evacuation efforts. “People had no time to flee; all they could do was head up to their roofs.”

Typhoon Kalmaegi makes landfall over central Vietnam - Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall over Binh Dinh Province in central Vietnam on November 6, 2025. Total rainfall of up to 200–600 mm (8–24 inches) is forecast across parts of Vietnam as the storm moves towards Laos and Cambodia. Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall over central Vietnam at around 19:00 local time on November 6. Satellite loop of Typhoon Kalmaegi making landfall over central Vietnam on November 6, 2025 According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), maximum sustained winds near the center reached Level 12 to 13, ranging from 118–149 km/h (73–92 mph). The storm was forecast to move northwest at around 30 km/h (19 mph). Storm surges have been reported along coastal Vietnam, with Quy Nhon being the worst-affected region. According to Meteorologist Robert Speta, around 300 mm (12 inches) of rainfall is forecast along the storm’s path as it moves toward Laos and Cambodia. This will create a significant flood threat across the affected regions, including northern Cambodia and parts of northern Thailand. Additionally, high-resolution weather computer models indicate the possibility of up to 600 mm (24 inches) in some areas. Forecasts of up to 150 mm (6 inches) of rainfall are possible in parts of northern Cambodia and in the Thai provinces of Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani.

Deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi ravages Vietnam, Philippines - Typhoon Kalmaegi churned across Vietnam Friday, claiming five more lives after its devastating passage through the Philippines where the death toll rose to 188. Kalmaegi unleashed record rainfall and flooding in the central Philippines this week—sweeping away cars, trucks and shipping containers before lashing Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities were still assessing the damage on Friday, but the environment ministry reported five dead, and 57 houses collapsed in Gia Lai and neighboring Dak Lak. Nearly 3,000 more had their roofs blown off or were damaged, it said, while 11 boats or ships sank. Vo Thi Danh, 43, watched from higher ground as Kalmaegi ripped through Nhon Hai fishing village in Gia Lai, splitting boats into kindling and sweeping away the small seaside house where she lived with her family. "The waves were so high, swallowing in the whole house," she told AFP in tears as she surveyed the rubble. "The house totally collapsed, nothing left." It was one of seven homes clustered together in the fishing village that were reduced to chunks of concrete and twisted metal. In the streets along Gia Lai's Quy Nhon beach, AFP journalists saw rescue workers and soldiers working with residents to clear uprooted trees, remove debris and collect sheet-metal roofs blown away in the night. The state power company said 1.6 million clients lost electricity as the typhoon smashed the central coast, but service to a third of them had been restored by Friday morning. Vietnam is in one of the most active tropical cyclone regions on Earth and is typically affected by 10 typhoons or storms a year. Kalmaegi was the 13th of 2025 and hit the country with sustained winds of up to 149 kilometers (92 miles) per hour, according to the environment ministry. Fast-moving Kalmaegi had already swept northwest toward Laos by morning with significantly weakened winds, but heavy rain was still forecast for much of Vietnam's central coast, the national weather bureau said. The storm was next forecast to hit Thailand, which issued a warning Friday for heavy rainfall and flooding starting in the northeast and spreading to the rest of the country. Kalmaegi had initially battered the islands of Cebu and Negros in the Philippines before swooping back out to sea. Floodwaters described as unprecedented rushed through the hardest hit Cebu province's towns and cities, where the hunt for missing people continues. Philippine authorities raised the death toll to 188, with 135 still missing. The typhoon hit central Vietnam as it was still reeling from more than a week of flooding and record rains that killed at least 47 people and submerged centuries-old historic sites. The heavy rains starting in late October had drenched the former imperial capital Hue and the ancient town of Hoi An, both UNESCO-listed sites, turning streets into canals and flooding tens of thousands of homes. Up to 1.7 meters (5 feet 6 inches) fell over one 24-hour period in a downpour breaking national records. Before Kalmaegi, natural disasters had already left 279 people dead or missing this year and caused more than $2 billion in damage, according to Vietnam's national statistics office.

Over 50 people dead or missing after massive landslide in Marakwet East, Kenya - video - A large landslide struck Marakwet East in western Kenya late Saturday night, November 1, 2025, killing at least 21 people and leaving more than 30 missing. The event followed days of intense rainfall across the region, triggering widespread flooding and ground failures. Aerial view of massive landslide in Marakwet East, Kenya on November 1, 2025. At least 21 people were confirmed dead after a major landslide swept through parts of Marakwet East, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, western Kenya, around 04:00 local time on Saturday, November 1. More than 30 residents remain missing, according to Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who said families have reported dozens of people unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations were temporarily suspended overnight due to hazardous terrain and heavy rainfall but were expected to resume at first light Sunday. “We have confirmed the loss of 21 people to this tragedy, while over 30 people are still unaccounted for as reported by their families,” Murkomen said. The Kenya Red Cross shared aerial footage showing large areas buried under mud and debris. The organization reported severe access challenges due to washed-out roads and flooded valleys. “Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes,” the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement. Several homes and farms were destroyed as saturated soil collapsed along steep slopes. The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued continued warnings for heavy rain across the Rift Valley and western regions over the coming days, raising the risk of further landslides and flash floods.

Newfoundland hit by record-setting bomb cyclone with hurricane-force gusts and flooding (4 videos) A record-breaking bomb cyclone ripped through Newfoundland from November 4 through 5, 2025 bringing along Category 2 hurricane force winds, coastal flooding, and causing widespread damage across the region. The powerful fall storm underwent rapid intensification phase as it swept into Newfoundland, Canada, on November 4–5, deepening by more than 60 hPa within 24 hours. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the system reached a minimum mean sea-level pressure of 944.7 hPa at Marticot Island in Placentia Bay—the lowest ever recorded in the province during November—and 950.5 hPa at St. John’s International Airport, setting a new local record for the month. Ad ends in 15 ECCC observations confirmed hurricane-force gusts of 172 km/h (107 mph) at Cape St. Mary’s, 171 km/h (106 mph) at Trepassey (Powles Head), and 162 km/h (101 mph) at Cape Race. Rainfall totals reached 54.5 mm (2.15 inches) in Lamaline and 44.3 mm (1.74 inches) in St. Lawrence, while western and central communities such as Corner Brook, Massey Drive, and Grand Falls–Windsor reported wet snow and mixed precipitation. Coastal and offshore buoys measured waves over 9 m (30 feet), with some readings near 12 m (39 feet) along the southern Avalon and Burin Peninsulas. The high tide, storm surge, and onshore winds led to significant coastal flooding, erosion. In Trepassey, two families were evacuated after waves broke through the town’s breakwater and flooded low-lying homes, CBC reported. At the storm’s peak on November 4, more than 9 000 Newfoundland Power customers experienced outages, with the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas being the most affected. Ferry crossings were suspended, and multiple highways were closed due to downed trees, debris, and severely reduced visibility from wind-driven precipitation. The low developed south of Nova Scotia on November 3 and underwent explosive cyclogenesis, dropping from roughly 1 006 hPa to 944.7 hPa in less than a day—well above the 24 hPa in 24 hours threshold for bombogenesis. The low pressure gradient produced the hurricane-force winds, heavy seas, and extensive coastal impacts observed across Newfoundland. By November 5, the system had moved north of the island, but gusts above 100 km/h (62 mph) and large swells were expected to persist through early November 6. Marine warnings and coastal inundation advisories remained in effect as cleanup and restoration continued across the Avalon, Burin, and southern Newfoundland coasts.

UN says 2025 to be among top three warmest years on record --An alarming streak of exceptional temperatures has put 2025 on course to be among the hottest years ever recorded, the United Nations said Thursday, insisting though that the trend could still be reversed. While this year will not surpass 2024 as the hottest recorded, it will rank second or third, capping more than a decade of unprecedented heat, the UN's weather and climate agency said, capping more. Meanwhile concentrations of greenhouse gases grew to new record highs, locking in more heat for the future, the World Meteorological Organization warned in a report released as dozens of world leaders met in the Brazilian Amazon ahead of next week's COP30 UN climate summit. Together, the developments "mean that it will be virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting the Paris Agreement target," WMO chief Celeste Saulo told leaders in Belem in northern Brazil. The 2015 Paris climate accords aimed to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels—and to 1.5C if possible. Saulo insisted in a statement that while the situation was dire, "the science is equally clear that it's still entirely possible and essential to bring temperatures back down to 1.5C by the end of the century". UN chief Antonio Guterres called the miss temperature target a "moral failure". Speaking at a Geneva press conference, WMO's climate science chief Chris Hewitt stressed that "we don't yet know how long we would be above 1.5 degrees". Already, the years between 2015 and 2025 will individually have been the warmest since observations began 176 years ago, WMO said. And 2023, 2024 and 2025 figure at the very top of that ranking. The WMO report said that the mean near-surface temperature—about two meters (six feet) above the ground—during the first eight months of this year stood at 1.42C above the pre-industrial average. At the same time, concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and ocean heat content continued to rise, up from 2024's already record levels, it found. In its annual report on Tuesday, the UN Environment Program also confirmed that emissions of greenhouse gases increased by 2.3% last year, growth driven by India followed by China, Russia and Indonesia.

Polar vortex expected to weaken as early season stratospheric warming develops - An early-season stratospheric warming event is forecast to weaken the polar vortex in the coming weeks, potentially influencing winter 2025–26 weather across North America and Europe. Forecast data show the first signs of an unusually early warming of the polar stratosphere, indicating a potential weakening of the Northern Hemisphere polar vortex. According to an analysis by Andrej Flis from Severe Weather Europe, the warming signal is developing over the upper stratosphere, around 10 mb (approximately 30 km/ 18.5 miles altitude), and could lead to a slower or disrupted vortex during the first half of winter 2025–26. The polar vortex is a large cyclonic circulation of cold air centered near the poles at stratospheric levels. When strong and stable, it tends to keep Arctic air confined to high latitudes. The stratospheric Polar Vortex looks like a large “cyclone” with a cold core near its low-pressure center. When weakened or displaced by a stratospheric warming event, the circulation can falter, allowing cold polar air to move into mid-latitudes of North America, Europe, and Asia. Model projections for late November and early December 2025 indicate an increasing temperature anomaly in the polar stratosphere. This anomaly is expected to reduce wind speeds around the vortex, signaling a slowdown phase. The forecast shows a developing high-pressure anomaly over the polar region, pushing into the vortex core and displacing cold air southward. stratospheric-polar-vortex-3-dimensional-structure-north-hemisphere-latest-analysis-united-states-canada-connection 3D model view of the whole Polar Vortex. Image credit: SWE In the troposphere, the forecast suggests a possible cold-air anomaly spreading from southern Canada into the northern and central United States during early December. At the same time, a weakening of the jet stream pattern could enhance snowfall potential across parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region. For Europe, model data indicate a negative temperature anomaly over northern and central areas, including the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and central Europe, while southern Europe remains largely unaffected. Early-season snow coverage may increase over northern Europe if the polar-air flow intensifies. Such early-season stratospheric disturbances are uncommon. They can influence weather patterns for weeks to months, depending on the extent to which stratospheric signals propagate downward into the troposphere. A weaker polar vortex typically favors increased meridional flow—allowing Arctic cold to reach mid-latitudes—and could lead to a more variable winter pattern across North America and Europe in the coming months.

Strong M6.3 earthquake in Afghanistan leaves over 20 dead and 300 injured - videos - A strong M6.3 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan near Mazar-e Sharif at 20:28 UTC on November 2 (00:58 local time, November 3), 2025, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 300, according to preliminary figures from the Ministry of Public Health. Rescue efforts continue in the mountainous districts of Balkh and Samangan provinces. The epicenter was located about 22 km (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm at a depth of approximately 28 km (17 miles). Shaking was strongly felt in Mazar-e Sharif, Samangan, and Kunduz, as well as in parts of Kabul. The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed at least 20 deaths, with around 320 injuries. The fatalities are expected to rise as rescue teams reach isolated villages across Balkh and Samangan provinces. Most injuries were caused by collapsing walls and falling debris in traditional mud-brick homes. The Taliban government mobilised health, defence, and disaster-response units within hours of the quake. Hospitals in Mazar-e Sharif and Aybak were placed on high alert, and medical supplies were sent from Kabul. Local volunteers joined rescue teams searching for survivors in Khulm, Aybak, and Hazrati Sultan districts. Numerous residential buildings and market structures collapsed in the provincial capital Mazar-e Sharif (population 523 000). Videos shared on social media showed a recording of the exact moment the earthquake struck, causing everything to visibly shake. The quake reportedly damaged the tiles and outer masonry of the 15th-century Blue Mosque (Mausoleum of Imam Ali), one of Afghanistan’s most important and famous religious sites in the country. The main dome remained intact and was safe, according to local authorities. Power outages were reported in Balkh and Samangan provinces, with temporary blackouts extending to Kabul. A landslide triggered by the quake blocked sections of the Mazar-e Sharif–Kabul highway, complicating rescue operations. Blocked roads and rugged terrain have made it difficult for disaster response teams to reach many affected areas. Parts of the Hindu Kush region are accessible only on foot or by motorbike, and aftershocks and rockslides pose additional risks. Afghanistan’s northern provinces are seismically active and structurally fragile. Many rural homes are built from sun-dried mud bricks without reinforcement, making them highly susceptible to collapse. Even a moderate earthquake in these areas could be devastating. This comes just two months after a M6.0 earthquake in the Hindu Kush region caused over 2 200 deaths, with some reports indicating up to 3 000 fatalities. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Afghan Red Crescent Society dispatched field teams to Balkh and Samangan to coordinate relief efforts. Immediate priorities include emergency medical treatment, temporary shelter, road clearance, restoration of power lines and communications, and psychological support for survivors.

Cracks in Antarctic 'Doomsday Glacier' ice shelf trigger accelerated destabilization --Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica—often called the "Doomsday Glacier"—is one of the fastest-changing ice–ocean systems on Earth, and its future remains a major uncertainty in global sea-level rise projections. One of its floating extensions, the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS), is partially confined and anchored by a pinning point at its northern terminus. Over the last two decades, TEIS has experienced progressive fracturing around a prominent shear zone upstream of this pinning point. A new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface provides comprehensive details on how progressive disintegration has been taking place over the last two decades. Drawing on two decades (2002–2022) of satellite imagery, ice-flow velocity measurements, and in-situ GPS records, the team traced the evolution of fractures within the TEIS shear zone and their connection to changes in ice dynamics. The analysis revealed that the gradual development of these fractures led to the shelf's progressive detachment from its pinning point, causing accelerated flow upstream and a loss of mechanical stability. The study identifies four distinct stages in this weakening process and offers two key insights. First, the fractures developed in two phases: an initial propagation of long, flow-parallel fractures, followed by shorter fractures oriented perpendicular to the direction of ice flow. Second, the researchers found evidence for a positive feedback mechanism between fracture-induced damage and ice acceleration—an amplifying cycle that hastened the shelf's disintegration in recent years. The research highlights how the pinning point, once a major stabilizing force for the TEIS, has gradually transitioned into a destabilizing agent through four distinct stages. This pattern of ice-shelf disintegration may serve as a warning for other Antarctic ice shelves that are currently showing similar signs of weakening. The continued loss of these floating ice shelves could have significant implications for the Antarctic Ice Sheet's future contribution to global sea-level rise.

Arizona's Willcox basin is sinking fast due to groundwater extraction -- in Arizona's Willcox Basin, just over an hour east of Tucson, fissures are tearing through the earth, wells are running dry, and strange areas are flooding when it rains. The cause is clear. As large agricultural producers pump more and more groundwater for irrigation, the water table is falling, and the land surface itself is sinking. In new research presented at GSA Connects 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, U.S., Dr. Danielle Smilovsky cataloged the extent of subsidence in the area from a five-year study spanning 2017–2021. Using data from satellites that survey changes in the ground surface, she found some areas were sinking at rates of up to six inches per year, and almost three feet over the study period. Since the 1950s, the ground surface has sunk as much as 12 feet in the area. Currently, the Willcox Basin is experiencing the fastest subsidence in the state, but subsidence is a problem all over Arizona. The subsidence occurs when groundwater pumping exceeds the recharge rate. As groundwater levels fall, the pore space between sediment grains in the subsurface is no longer filled with water, which usually acts like a hydraulic lift to prop up the sediment and resist the pressure of all the material stacked above. "Over time, those pore spaces that were once being held open by water pressure start to collapse," says Brian Conway, a geophysicist at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, "and that causes the overlying surface to sink because of the compaction that's happening in the subsurface." According to Conway, not only does this subsidence cause noticeable impacts on the surface like those fissures, it also creates a more pernicious problem. Once the sediment compacts, the change is permanent. Even if the groundwater is recharged, that storage space is lost forever. In a desert setting, every bit of water storage helps and a permanent loss of aquifer space makes sustainable water use even more difficult.

Asteroid 2025 UC11 flew past Earth at 0.01 LD - A newly discovered asteroid designated 2025 UC11 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.017 lunar distances at 12:11 UTC on October 30, 2025. The object was first detected seven hours earlier by the JPL SynTrack Robotic Telescope in Auberry, California. This is the 148th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year, and the 31st so far this month. The month of October has taken the lead in the number of detected <1LD asteroid flybys this year, followed by September with 26 and March with 18. 2025 UC11 was first detected at JPL SynTrack Robotic Telescope in Auberry on October 30 at 05:10 UTC — 7 hours before its close approach to our planet. It belongs to the Atira group of asteroids — a relatively rare class of objects whose orbits lie entirely within Earth’s orbit. The object’s orbit has a semi-major axis of 0.9458 AU, eccentricity of 0.052, and inclination of 5.1°. Its absolute magnitude (H = 34.0) suggests a diameter between 0.41 and 0.93 m (1.3–3.0 feet), depending on its albedo. The Earth Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) is estimated at 0.00028 AU, equivalent to about 41 000 km (25 500 miles), making a very tight orbital proximity relative to Earth’s path.

Lunar impact flash observed on the night side of the Moon - A bright lunar impact flash was recorded on the night side of the first-quarter Moon at 11:33 UTC on October 30, 2025. The flash occurred east of Gassendi crater at latitude –16°, longitude 324°. The event was captured by Daichi Fujii, astronomy curator at the Hiratsuka City Museum in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The flash was recorded at 270 frames per second, later replayed at 0.03x speed for analysis. Fujii reported that the flash site lies east of Gassendi crater (latitude –16°, longitude 324°). Based on photometric estimates, the transient reached magnitude 8 and lasted approximately 0.1 seconds. Assuming the meteoroid belonged to the Taurid meteor complex, which was near its annual peak, Fujii calculated an impact velocity of 27 km/s (16.8 mps), an entry angle of 35°, and a mass of about 0.2 kg (0.44 lb). The estimated crater diameter is around 3 m (10 feet). Lunar impact flashes occur when meteoroids strike the airless lunar surface at hypervelocity, converting kinetic energy into a brief burst of visible light. Such observations contribute to long-term monitoring of meteoroid flux and impact-energy statistics. Fujii has previously documented multiple confirmed lunar flashes, including a rare double impact event on December 8, 2024, which was later verified by other observers.

Major X1.8 solar flare erupts from Active Region 4274, CME produced - A major solar flare measuring X1.8 erupted from Active Region 4274 at 17:34 UTC on November 4, 2025. The event started at 17:15 and ended at 17:51 UTC. This is the first X-class flare since the impulsive X1.9 from Active Region 4114 at 23:50 UTC on June 19, 2025. The event was associated with a Type IV Radio Emission, suggesting a strong coronal mass ejection (CME) was produced. Additionally, a 10 cm Radio Burst lasting 3 minutes and with peak flux of 160 sfu was associated with the flare event. This emission indicates that the electromagnetic burst associated with a solar flare at the 10 cm wavelength was double or greater than the initial 10 cm radio background. Its detection can be indicative of significant radio noise in association with a solar flare. This noise is generally short-lived but can cause interference for sensitive receivers, including radar, GPS, and satellite communications. The source region is located in the northeast quadrant, reducing the likelihood of an Earth-directed CME. Coronagraph imagery was not available at the time of publication, and it remains unclear at this time whether any Earth-directed component is present. Radio frequencies were forecast to be most degraded over North and South America at the time of the flare. The region has ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic configuration and is capable of producing more strong to major eruptions on the Sun. As it rotates into a geoeffective position in the days ahead, Earth-directed CMEs will become more likely.

Solar activity increases to high levels, Earth-directed CMEs possible in days ahead - Two powerful X-class solar flares erupted on November 4, 2025 — an X1.8 from Region 4274 and an X1.1 from a region just beyond the east limb — launching CMEs largely off the solar limb. NOAA forecasts G1 – Minor to G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storming from late November 6 into 7 as Earth may experience a glancing shock from the flares combined with a coronal hole high-speed stream.Although the eruptions were not Earth-directed, NOAA forecasts minor to moderate geomagnetic storming from late November 6 into November 7 as a glancing shock from these CMEs may combine with an incoming coronal hole high-speed stream.The first X-class flare, an X1.8/1b flare, erupted at 17:34 UTC from Active Region 4274 (‘beta-gamma-delta’). The event produced Type IV radio emissions, a 160 sfu Tenflare, and a partial halo CME first visible in coronagraph imagery at 17:36 UTC.The CME was directed primarily off the northeast limb, and model analyses indicate that most of the ejecta will pass behind Earth. However, forecasters note the possibility of a shock enhancement reaching Earth late on November 6 to early November 7.X1.8 solar flare on November 4, 2025. Credit: NASA/SDO AIA 304, Helioviewer, The WatchersThe X1.1 flare erupted at 22:01 UTC, originating from a region just beyond the east limb near S15. It also produced a Type IV radio sweep and a non-Earth-directed CME moving off the southeast limb at 22:12 UTC.Region 4274 remains magnetically complex and in a growth phase, carrying a beta-gamma-delta configuration often associated with major flaring potential.Additional strong events remain possible, as confirmed by a M7.4 flare at 11:19 UTC on November 5.The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has raised flare probabilities to 65% for M-class flares and 15% for X-class flares through November 7.

G3 - Strong geomagnetic storm forecast for November 6-7, aurora as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa and Oregon - Two powerful X-class solar flares erupted on November 4, 2025 — an X1.8 from Region 4274 and an X1.1 from a region just beyond the east limb — launching CMEs largely off the solar limb. NOAA forecasts G1 – Minor to G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storming from late November 6 into 7 as Earth may experience a glancing shock from the flares combined with a coronal hole high-speed strea Although the eruptions were not Earth-directed, NOAA forecasts minor to moderate geomagnetic storming from late November 6 into November 7 as a glancing shock from these CMEs may combine with an incoming coronal hole high-speed stream. The first X-class flare, an X1.8/1b flare, erupted at 17:34 UTC from Active Region 4274 (‘beta-gamma-delta’). The event produced Type IV radio emissions, a 160 sfu Tenflare, and a partial halo CME first visible in coronagraph imagery at 17:36 UTC. The CME was directed primarily off the northeast limb, and model analyses indicate that most of the ejecta will pass behind Earth. However, forecasters note the possibility of a shock enhancement reaching Earth late on November 6 to early November 7. The X1.1 flare erupted at 22:01 UTC, originating from a region just beyond the east limb near S15. It also produced a Type IV radio sweep and a non-Earth-directed CME moving off the southeast limb at 22:12 UTC. Region 4274 remains magnetically complex and in a growth phase, carrying a beta-gamma-delta configuration often associated with major flaring potential. Additional strong events remain possible, as confirmed by a M7.4 flare at 11:19 UTC on November 5. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has raised flare probabilities to 65% for M-class flares and 15% for X-class flares through November 7. Solar wind conditions were near nominal levels in 24 hours to 12:30 UTC on November 5, with speeds between 341 km/s and 447 km/s, total field 3–7 nT, and a prolonged southward Bz near −6 nT. SWPC’s forecast anticipates an increase in solar wind speed and magnetic field intensity as a coronal hole high-speed stream becomes geoeffective late on November 6. The stream may merge with trailing edges of CMEs ejected on November 3–4, resulting in enhanced geomagnetic activity through November 7. swpc solar wind rm november 4 2025 Image credit: SWPC The SWPC issued a G1 – Minor geomagnetic storm watch for November 6 and 7, with a slight chance of G2 – Moderate levels. Storms of this intensity are capable of causing weak power grid fluctuations, minor satellite anomalies, and intermittent high-frequency radio degradation at high latitudes. Auroral activity could become visible across northern U.S. states, Canada, northern Europe, and high-latitude Asia, weather permitting. Due to the flaring potential of the aforementioned regions and their rotation toward a more geoeffective position on the solar disk, additional Earth-directed CMEs are possible in the days ahead. The likelihood of such events will increase as Region 4274 and the adjacent active area move into better magnetic alignment with the Earth–Sun line. Update 19:58 UTC, November 5: SWPC issued a G3 – Strong Geomagnetic Storm Watch for November 6 and 7, 2025, replacing all previous watches in effect. Aurora may become visible across much of Canada and the northern United States, potentially extending as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon.

Earth-directed CME produced by M7.4 solar flare, strong geomagnetic storm forecast - video --Solar activity reached high levels on November 5, 2025, as Region 4274 (N24E40) produced two powerful M-class flares – an M7.4 at 11:19 UTC and an M8.6 at 22:07 UTC. The full-halo CME from the first event is expected to reach Earth late November 6 to early November 7, likely producing G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm conditions and visible auroras across Canada and the northern United States. Solar activity reached high levels in 24 hours to 00:30 UTC on November 6 as Region 4274 (‘beta-gamma-delta’) produced two powerful M-class flares and associated Earth-directed CMEs.This region continues to exhibit flux emergence within its intermediate region – increasing its spot count, length, and area, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Sheering across its center retains its complex magnetic field and its resulting high flare count.The first event, an M7.4 flare at 11:19 UTC on November 5, generated a 45-minute Tenflare radio burst peaking at 760 sfu and a full-halo CME. SWPC modeling shows a clear Earth-directed component expected to arrive late November 6 to early November 7. A component of CME produced by X1.8 solar flare on November 4 is expected to arrive around the same time.The second, an M8.6 flare at 22:07 UTC, produced a Type II radio sweep with a measured shock velocity of 1 395 km/s from Palahua, Hawaii. Extensive coronal dimming was observed around the source region, suggesting another CME lift-off. Analysis of this event is still in progress. The X1.1 flare at 22:01 UTC on November 4 originated from a region whose location is just beyond the east limb at S15. Satellite imagery at 21:00 UTC on November 5 showed a “not-so” complex region in that vicinity. “It could be the leader that has decayed or the region responsible is still out of view. Will hold off on numbering the region until a better view is obtainable,” SWPC noted. Over the past 24 hours, solar wind parameters were disturbed due to a persistent period of southward Bz influenced by a slow-moving CME. Total field strength (Bt) was at 5-7 nT up until CME arrival at roughly 17:00 UTC on November 5. Bt increased to 14 nT with the north-south (Bz) component dropping to -14 nT as of 21:30 UTC. Geomagnetic field responded with G1 – Minor storm levels at 20:16 UTC, increasing to G2 – Moderate at 22:53 UTC and to G3 – Strong by 05:36 UTC on November 6.

The purposeful misinterpretation of Bill Gates’s climate message to world leaders -- Last week, as world leaders prepared to attend the COP-30 climate talks, Bill Gates dropped a bomb, saying they are paying too much attention to reducing climate-altering pollution and too little attention to reducing human suffering. Climate change “will not lead to humanity’s demise,” he wrote. “Our chief goal should be to prevent suffering, particularly for those in the toughest conditions who live in the world’s poorest countries.” Gates’s message drew reactions from climate skeptics and activists alike. News outlets called it a “major climate change reversal,” and a “stunning claim.” President Trump claimed vindication. “I (WE!) just won the War on the Climate Change Hoax,” he posted on Truth Social. “Bill Gates has finally admitted that he was completely WRONG on the issue.” But no, he hasn’t. Gates did not downplay the importance of climate action; he downplayed the validity of climate alarmism. The problems with his missive are that first, a healthy amount of alarmism is justified; second, he seemed to join Trump’s permission structure for backing away from climate action; and third, he presented a false choice. We don’t have to choose between ending global warming and ending human suffering. The two issues coincide. The World Health Organization underscored this point a day after Gates issued his message, warning that “continued overreliance on fossil fuels and failure to adapt to a heating world are already having a devastating toll on human health.” “The climate crisis is a health crisis,” an official said. “Climate inaction is killing people now in all countries. However, climate action is also the greatest health opportunity of our time. Cleaner air, healthier diets, and resilient health systems can save millions of lives now and protect current and future generations.” While it’s true that unmitigated global warming won’t be the end of humanity — we are a resilient species — it will mean much more misery. Although many more lives will be lost, life itself will survive. Its quality will not. Another recent warning underscores that point. Scientists say a climate tipping point has already begun, with the widespread death of coral reefs in the world’s oceans. Some 3 billion people depend on ocean health for their livelihoods. Further, it is just not true that controlling fossil-fuel emissions distracts the international community from poverty, disease and other suffering. Climate stabilization is one of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that 193 countries adopted in 2015. The goals acknowledge that “ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs, including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.” Unfortunately, the international community is not making sufficient progress on either the Paris Agreement or the sustainable development goals. What should we do about these overlapping problems? First, countries should continue developing the technologies and policies to decouple human progress from environmental degradation. The United States learned decades ago how to decouple energy consumption from economic development. By 2008, America generated twice as much GDP with the same amount of energy it used in 1975. Gross domestic product grew by 12 percent between 2007 and 2017, while total energy consumption fell by 3.6 percent. We should redouble efforts to retire fossil fuels from the global economy. After 30 years of international jawboning about emission reductions, fossil fuels still provide more than 80 percent of the world’s energy. And while there is growing interest in exotic fixes like reducing the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth rather than the amount of carbon we dump into the sky, exotic fixes have unintended consequences. They are examples of problem-switching rather than problem-solving. Finally, we should shift the flow of resources from things that threaten life to things that improve it. Gates undoubtedly would agree. But we needn’t address poverty by stealing from pollution prevention. The world has abundant financial resources; they are just poorly used. Global military spending hit a record $2.7 trillion last year. International fossil fuel subsidies totaled $7 trillion in 2022. Inefficient fossil fuel use wastes more than $4.6 trillion annually and contributes to global warming. And although the top 250 oil and gas companies should be investing in clean energy, they own less than 1.5 percent of the world’s renewable power capacity.

World on track to dangerous warming as emissions hit record high: UN --National commitments to slash heat-trapping pollution would limit global warming up to 2.5C this century—nowhere near enough to avoid devastating climate impacts despite a sweep of new pledges, the UN warned Tuesday. Scientists are in broad agreement that warming above 1.5C relative to pre-industrial times risks catastrophic consequences, and every effort must be made to stick as close as possible to this safer threshold. But the world is set to blow past 1.5C in a matter of years and planet-warming emissions keep rising, hitting a new record high in 2024, according to a report by the UN Environment Program (UNEP). The sobering assessment was published just days before world leaders gather in Brazil on Thursday and Friday ahead of the COP30 climate summit in the rainforest city of Belem. With an overshoot of 1.5C now inevitable, focus has shifted to how quickly temperatures can be returned to less-risky levels. "Our mission is simple, but not easy: make any overshoot as small and as short as possible," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday at the launch of UNEP's Emissions Gap report. Big polluters most responsible for the crisis have been urged to pledge faster and deeper emissions cuts to bend the curve back to 1.5C by the end of the century. Instead, the latest round of carbon-cutting targets announced ahead of the UN climate talks "have barely moved the needle", concluded UNEP's latest assessment. The latest assessment projects that the world's collective commitments to tackle climate change, if enacted in full, would result in 2.3C to 2.5C of warming by 2100. That poses an unacceptable threat to the survival of nations most at risk by rising seas and extreme weather, and the global failure to rise to this challenge will loom over COP30. Scientists have strong evidence that warming above 1.5C—let alone a degree or more—increases not only the intensity of hurricanes, floods and other disasters, but the likelihood of catastrophic climate tipping points. At 1.4C above pre-industrial times, Earth is already too warm for most tropical coral reefs to survive, while ice sheets and the Amazon rainforest could suffer severe and lasting changes below 2C, with consequences for the entire planet. Under the Paris Agreement, each round of climate pledges is supposed to be more ambitious than the last to keep long-term warming "well below" 2C and as close as possible to 1.5C. Despite being obligated to do so, only around one-third of countries announced a 2035 emissions reduction target by September 30, UNEP said. This year's warming projections are 0.3C lower than last year, but Olhoff said little of that reduction was thanks to these latest pledges. Updates to methodology accounted for 0.1C while another 0.1C was attributed to US commitments made under the Biden administration. These gains are unlikely to materialize as President Donald Trump has vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris accord and ditch the climate policies of his predecessor. "If we don't include the US, then the progress is quite limited," "That is a very bleak picture, you can say."

Brazil records biggest annual fall in emissions in 15 years: Report - Brazil recorded its biggest annual fall in greenhouse gas emissions last year since 2009, according to statistics released Monday, providing a boost for left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he prepares to host UN climate talks. The gross emissions of Latin America's biggest country fell by 16.7% year-on-year, according to Brazil's Climate Observatory, a network of environmental NGOs. The reduction in emissions was attributed to the success of Lula's government in fighting deforestation. "The new data shows the impact of the federal government retaking control over deforestation after a deliberate lack of control between 2019 and 2022," the observatory said in a statement. The remark was a reference to Lula's far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, a climate skeptic, under whose watch illegal deforestation accelerated, particularly in the Amazon. Lula defeated Bolsonaro in October 2022 elections to win a third term in power. He has pledged zero deforestation by 2030. Since Lula's return to the presidency, the rate of forest clearance in the Amazon, the world's biggest tropical forest, has fallen steadily. Despite the good news on emissions, the observatory warned that Brazil's economy caused concern about the government's commitment to its climate targets. It drew attention to Lula's contentious support for a vast offshore oil project near the mouth of the Amazon river. Last month, Petrobras began drilling for oil in the Foz de Amazonas region after winning a five-year environmental battle for permission to explore the area. Lula insists the oil revenues will help fund Brazil's climate transition. Critics accuse him of a contradictory stance as he urges world leaders to step up in the fight against climate change ahead of COP30 talks in the Amazon city of Belem from November 10-21.

Methane rule enters White House review - EPA’s final rule aimed at buying itself more time to loosen Biden-era requirements to curb methane emissions at oil and gas facilities entered White House review last month, according to the administration’s regulatory dashboard.The agency isn’t expected to scrap the rule altogether, but it could weaken standards governing how much methane needs to be reduced at new and existing facilities. The rule now at the Office of Management and Budget would put the state implementation process on hold while EPA undertakes that broader rulemaking. States have primary responsibility for existing facilities and faced a deadline of March 2026 to submit those plans.The rule was previously introduced as an “interim final rule.” The upcoming action will finalize that change.EPA’s regulatory work has not appeared to slow down during the government shutdown. Two water rules entered review at the White House Office of Management and Budget this week — one on Wednesday and one on Thursday — despite a significant number of furloughs at the agency. Staff working on rules that are priority for EPA have not been sent home.

Carbon capture pipelines have struggled to advance. A project in Nebraska found success (AP) — A multi-state carbon capture pipeline began operating in September, reducing emissions from Midwest ethanol plants and carrying that carbon dioxide gas to be forever buried underground in Wyoming — an achievement after years of complaints, lawsuits and legislation blocked similar efforts by other companies.Other projects prompted intense opposition, including one that has run up $1 billion in spending with no guarantee of success, but the Tallgrass Trailblazer Pipeline is being praised. The reason: community negotiations and financial support. “I wish all energy companies would treat communities with a lot more respect like Tallgrass did,” said Jane Kleeb, whose group Bold Nebraska has fought other carbon capture and oil pipelines.The Tallgrass pipeline has started moving emissions from 11 ethanol plants in Nebraska and one in Iowa to a site in southeast Wyoming, where the greenhouse gas will be buried 9,000 feet underground.The fermentation process to convert corn into fuel releases carbon dioxide. By capturing it before it's released into the air, plants can lower their carbon intensity score, making the ethanol more attractive for refinement into so-called sustainable aviation fuel — a market some believe could climb to 50 billion gallons annually. The Midwest-based ethanol industry sees jet fuel as essential to its future, offsetting expected declines in demand for motor vehicle fuel as more drivers switch to electric vehicles.The federal government encourages carbon capture through lucrative tax credits to pipeline operators. The Biden administration wanted to encourage a practice that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and theTrump administration has let the credits continue.“If an ethanol plant captures the carbon, it lowers their carbon index and they become a low-carbon fuel, and there’s a premium for that," said Tom Buis, CEO of the American Carbon Alliance, a trade group. "And they can also produce sustainable aviation fuel out of it. Sustainable aviation fuel is a huge, gigantic market just waiting for someone to step forward and take it.”At least three other companies have proposed carbon capture pipelines in the Midwest, but aside from Tallgrass, only Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions is persisting — and it hasn't been easy.Summit has proposed a multibillion-dollar, five-state pipeline networkencompassing dozens of ethanol plants, thousands of miles andunderground storage in North Dakota.Despite strong support from agricultural groups and the ethanol industry, Summit has dealt with persistent opponents who don't want their land taken for the pipeline and fear a hazardous pipe rupture. Landowners sued to block the pipeline and sought help from legislators. South Dakota'slegislature banned the use of eminent domain for such lines.In response Summit has asked Iowa regulators to amend its permit so the company retains an option for a route that would avoid South Dakota.“Our focus remains on supporting as many ethanol partners as possible and building a strong foundation that helps farmers, ethanol plants, and rural communities access the markets they’ll depend on for decades to come,” Summit said in a statement.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversees a rigorous process for underground carbon dioxide injection, involving permits for construction and injection and regulations to protect underground sources of drinking water, Carbon Capture Coalition Executive Director Jessie Stolark said. Typically, porous rock formations similar to a sponge will store or trap the carbon dioxide more than a mile underground, she said.

Shell funds carbon removal plant that makes water - Corporate giants Shell and Mitsubishi have agreed to provide up to $17 million to a startup that plans to build a pilot plant capable of pulling carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere. The funding announced Thursday would cover the cost of building Project Cedar, which the direct air capture startup Avnos says could remove 3,000 metric tons of CO2 from the sky annually as well as 6,000 tons of clean water. “What you’re seeing in Shell and Mitsubishi investing here is the opportunity to grow with us, to sort of come on this commercialization journey with us, to ultimately get to a place where we’re offering highly cost competitive CO2 removal credits in the market,” Will Kain, CEO of Avnos, said in an interview. He declined to say where Project Cedar would be built, but it’s expected to be online by the end of next year.

Delhi's cloud seeding effort fails to ease smog, raises questions on effectiveness -India's efforts to combat air pollution by using cloud seeding in its sprawling capital New Delhi appear to have fallen flat, with scientists and activists questioning the effectiveness of the move. Cloud seeding involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain, that can wash pollutants from the air. Delhi authorities, working with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, began trials last week using a Cessna aircraft over parts of the city. But officials said the first trials produced very little rainfall because of thin cloud cover. "This will never ever do the job, it's an illusion," said Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental campaigner in Delhi. "Only when we clean up sources of air pollution can we control it." The government has spent around $364,000 on the trials, according to local media reports. Each winter, thick smog chokes Delhi and its 30 million residents. Cold air traps emissions from farm fires, factories and vehicles. A day after the latest trial, levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 particles hit 323, more than 20 times the daily limits set by the World Health Organization. It will likely worsen further through the season. A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health last year estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution. There are also questions about the long-term impact of the chemicals sprayed themselves. While the US Environmental Protection Agency notes "limited" studies suggest silver iodide does not pose an environmental or health risk, it acknowledges the impact of more widespread use is "not known."

EU scrambles to seal climate targets before COP30 - -EU ministers hunkered down Tuesday in a push to seal key emissions targets before the UN's COP30 summit in Brazil—and reassert the climate ambitions of the 27-nation bloc. The European Union's member states have been haggling for months over two separate targets for slashing greenhouse-gas emissions: one for 2035 they must bring to the UN climate talks, and the other for 2040. "This is a crucial day," French Environment Minister Monique Barbut told reporters in Brussels—warning that turning up empty-handed at the November 10-21 talks in Brazil's city of Belem would spell "disaster" for the EU. Behind only China, the United States and India in terms of emissions, the EU has been the most committed of the major polluters to climate action and has already cut emissions by 37% compared to 1990 levels. But after blazing a trail, the EU's political landscape has shifted right, and climate concerns have taken a backseat to defense and competitiveness—amid concerns in some capitals that greening Europe's economy is harming growth. Denmark, which holds the bloc's rotating presidency, was understood to be working hard to win over Italy, one of the countries most skeptical of the proposed targets. The most urgent challenge for ministers is to reach a unanimous deal on an EU emissions target for 2035, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which Paris Agreement signatories are supposed to bring to COP30. "I want our heads of state and government to go to Brazil with a very strong mandate, a clear leadership role for Europe," German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider declared on arrival—saying the decision must be "today". Beyond the Belem target, the EU hopes to lock in the support of a weighted majority of countries for the next big climate target set out by the European Commission on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050. The EU executive said in July it wanted to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels—a major step towards net zero. But the bloc's capitals have yet to endorse that next step, which would require sweeping changes to industry and daily life at a time of growing concern over adverse impacts on Europe's economy.

EU’s biggest political group bets on far-right support to cut green rules -— Europe’s dominant center-right group will move ahead with a proposal to cut green rules that it is confident will get the support of right-wing and far-right groups in a crucial Parliament vote next week.If successful, it will mean the EU’s green reporting rules will be significantly relaxed and apply to fewer companies.When a vote on the omnibus bill failed two weeks ago, the European People’s Party had a choice: It could attempt to grant concessions to centrist groups to its left in order hold the traditional coalition together, or it could abandon the centrists and seek the support of right-wing and far-right groups. The group appears to be choosing the latter option, reflecting a rightward shift in EU politics since the 2024 European election.

Trump team promotes fossil fuels on world stage as it snubs COP - Forget the upcoming United Nations climate events in Brazil. The U.S. is doing its own energy diplomacy on the world stage.The Trump administration is sending a major delegation to Greece on Thursday to participate in a Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (PTEC) summit, a forum launched in the first Trump term and one known for natural gas trade dealmaking.Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and officials from U.S. international finance agencies will be in attendance in Athens on Thursday and Friday.That event comes just days after the U.S. helped to secure natural gas and critical mineral-friendly language in a G7 communique — and only a week after President Donald Trump returned from Asia, where the U.S. pushed natural gas exports at summits for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

White House pressured EPA for broad rollback of tailpipe rules - White House budget officials leaned on EPA to broaden its rollback of tailpipe regulations as it sought this summer to repeal a foundational EPA policy that undergirds most federal climate rules, including those for cars and trucks. Rather than just eliminate regulations for climate-warming pollutants such as carbon dioxide, documents show that the White House Office of Management and Budget pushed EPA to weaken limits on other types of vehicular pollution including soot and smog-forming compounds. EPA resisted the suggestion from the Office of Management and Budget, but the exchange — made public after the proposed rollback was published in July — underscores the Trump administration’s desire to pare back federal regulations, especially those related to the environment and climate change. The discussion played out in editing remarks as OMB staffers reviewed EPA plans to repeal the endangerment finding — a 2009 decree that gives EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases in the name of protecting public health. EPA has held a public hearing on the rollback proposal and is now reviewing written comments ahead of issuing a final regulation as soon as the end of this year. The plan to roll back the endangerment finding is closely tied to EPA’s regulations of automotive pollution. The current EPA says the Obama-era EPA lacked legal authority to promulgate the endangerment finding in 2009 under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act. EPA uses car and truck regulations that were finalized in 2024 under the Biden administration to combat both greenhouse gases and so-called criteria pollutants such as smog and soot. As the Trump-era EPA has sought to roll back the rules, the Office of Management and Budget — which typically reviews federal regulations — has urged EPA to weaken the rules for those pollutants while it addresses climate emissions. “Didn’t the 2024 final rule also set some of the emissions standards for criteria pollutants at levels so stringent as to compound the pressure on the automakers to convert much of their production to EVs?” an OMB staffer wrote in the margin of the proposal. “If that’s correct, I would urge EPA to take separate action apart from this [notice of proposed rulemaking] to reconsider and replace those criteria pollutant emissions standards as well.” An unidentified EPA staffer responded in the same exchange and said that the agency “is not planning on using this proposed rulemaking to announce a new regulatory action to reconsider the light and medium-duty vehicle criteria pollutant standards.” The names of the OMB and EPA staffers weren’t available in the document. Neither OMB nor EPA responded to requests from POLITICO’s E&E News for comment. Though OMB and EPA may have disagreed on the White House’s desire to use the endangerment finding rollback to target other tailpipe regulations, White House officials cheered some of EPA’s arguments related to the 2009 decree. The document showed that OMB applauded EPA’s assertion that regulating pollution from transportation drives up the cost of vehicles and endangers safety because it forces people to keep driving older cars and trucks. “This point is strong and important to emphasize,” OMB noted in the document.

DC Circuit Upholds Biden Ban on Gas Furnaces, Water Heaters -- Marcellus Drilling News -- We are SO tired of activist judges appointed by Obama/Biden ruling against the will of the majority (and against the Constitution). It just happened again earlier this week. Before leaving office, the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) implemented new regulations that essentially ban gas-fired furnaces and water heaters (see Bidenistas Attack Your Gas Furnace with New DOE Regulations and In Parting Shot, Bidenistas Ban New Water Heaters that Use NatGas). Those regulations were appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit). On Tuesday, two Obama-appointed (wildly left) Democrat judges from the D.C. Circuit voted to uphold the Biden gas-fired appliance bans. One Trump-appointed judge voted against the Biden bans.

EPA: Superfund cleanup ‘likely’ fouled Pennsylvania town’s water — When this Lehigh Valley town’s prized zinc smelting factory closed in 1981, it left behind 3,000 acres of mountainous land so contaminated with heavy metals that nothing could grow. EPA prioritized the area for cleanup under the newly enacted Superfund law with hopes of containing the pollution. With the land devoid of vegetation, millions of tons of contaminated soil was at risk of spreading into rivers, creeks and the drinking water supply in Palmerton, a town of 5,600 people. So a novel plan was devised. With EPA’s blessing, the zinc company spread municipal sewage sludge as fertilizer on the barren land in the 1990s. A sewage sludge mixture was used again in the early 2000s, with a total of 112,515 wet tons of the stuff applied as fertilizer. The effort brought back grasses and trees and helped contain the heavy metals. But Palmerton’s drinking water is now contaminated by different pollutants: “forever chemicals” — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The surface water and soil where sludge was used are also contaminated. Notorious for their longevity in the environment and in the human body, PFAS are linked to health issues such as fertility problems, high blood pressure and cancer. Amid growing evidence that sewage sludge can contain and spread the chemicals, some locals suspect that the pollution remedy for the Superfund site unknowingly created a PFAS hot spot. “An awful lot of sewage sludge was put there, and now there’s PFAS contamination in the borough’s wells,” said Dan Kunkle, who founded the nonprofit Lehigh Gap Nature Center in nearby Slatington. “It’s not proof, but it’s a pretty likely source of contamination.” The borough of Palmerton water department listed “biosolids used for vegetative growth” as the source in a recent water quality report. Biosolids is the technical term for sewage sludge fertilizer. After investigating the site this summer, EPA has also concluded that either the site itself or the remediation are the likely sources of the chemicals and said it would install a PFAS treatment system for Palmerton. The announcement came after EPA tested for and detected high levels of PFOA and PFOS in the surface water, groundwater and soil in areas of the zinc Superfund site where sludge was used. Those are considered the most toxic types of PFAS and were phased out of production a decade ago.The notion that sewage sludge used during a federal cleanup likely tainted the area with PFAS could amplify calls by environmentalists for stronger sewage sludge regulations and testing for forever chemicals. It also raises questions about whether other Superfund sites that were cleaned up using sewage sludge fertilizer could be contaminated. It’s not clear exactly how many others were treated that way, but EPA’s most recent Superfund remedy report mentions biosolids as a cleanup option.“The PFAS compounds are very persistent in the environment,” said Jim Woolford, a retired EPA staffer who led the agency’s Superfund program for over a decade. “This, of course, has other implications for other sites that used biosolids.” First manufactured in the 1940s, PFAS are a family of chemicals used in consumer products and firefighting foam because of their resistance to heat, water and oil. Even small amounts of the substances are considered harmful to human health.The chemicals today are found in almost half of the nation’s drinking water. They’ve also been detected in wastewater and in sewage sludge, which is the semisolid, nutrient-rich material left over after wastewater is treated. The situation in Palmerton underscores a bleak reality. As more towns have started testing for PFAS, tens of millions of Americans are learning that their drinking water is contaminated. Sewage sludge is increasingly being eyed as a suspected source in rural areas where it is used as fertilizer, most often on farmland but also on degraded or contaminated lands. EPA has long promoted the use of sewage sludge fertilizer. Wastewater treatment plants produce huge amounts of the material, which must be sent to landfills or incinerated if it isn’t reused. But the agency has not set regulatory limits for PFAS in sewage sludge.

Meet the MAHA faction targeting EPA chemical policies - Influential leaders of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are sounding the alarm about EPA’s proposed changes to its chemical evaluation rule. MAHA Action, an advocacy group with personal ties to Kennedy, over the past week has started rallying its followers to oppose the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the EPA framework used to assess the risks of existing chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act. “This is absolutely not in alignment with MAHA,” Alexandra Muñoz, an activist with a doctorate in molecular and genetic toxicology, said last Wednesday during MAHA Action’s weekly media webinar. The push comes as EPA continues to speed through its industry-friendly deregulatory blitz, disillusioning any health advocates about the influence MAHA, a movement dedicated to exposing the real factors driving childhood chronic disease built on decoupling government science from industry influence, has over the agency’s policy decisions. MAHA has environmental roots, stemming from Kennedy’s four-decade career as an environmental attorney and activist. But the movement’s leaders have largely put their energy toward reforming the nation’s food and pharmaceutical systems — two industries Kennedy has more direct control over at the Health and Human Services Department, which includes the Food and Drug Administration. “It’s incredibly important right now that we let the EPA know that we are watching them, we are watching that they’ve taken the suggestions of industry to create this rule and that we are very much opposed to it,” Muñoz added about the TSCA framework rule. Also speaking during the event were Mehmet Oz, television’s “Dr. Oz,” now the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; actor Russell Brand; and Jillian Michaels, nutrition podcaster and former host of the TV competition show “The Biggest Loser.” EPA’s proposed changes to the rule, unveiled late September, mirror the first Trump administration’s framework, which spelled out a more narrow review process for existing chemicals. “The EPA is supposed to determine whether a chemical poses an ‘unreasonable risk’ to health without considering costs or industry influence. This proposal would blur that line and make it easier for corporations to hide behind the process,” MAHA Action posted Tuesday to its Facebook page.

EPA advances water rule targeting rocket-fuel toxin - EPA will take another stab at regulating a toxic substance used in rocket fuel, five years after the first Trump administration declined to do so in a decision that sparked a legal fight. The agency sent a proposed drinking water regulation for perchlorate Thursday to the White House for review. While the proposal’s contents are unclear, it could be a rare instance of the second Trump administration strengthening an environmental standard amid a broad deregulatory push. The move responds to a court order requiring EPA to propose a nationwide tap water regulation for perchlorate this year. The compound disrupts thyroid health and can harm the developing brains of babies. It’s not clear exactly how many water supplies contain perchlorate because EPA hasn’t required water utilities to test for it in over a decade. While it occurs naturally in the Southwest, perchlorate has been found in high levels around military bases because of its use in explosives and rockets. Only a handful of states have opted to set their own drinking water limits.

Partisan divide is choking off electricity solutions - Several dozen Republican state legislators from across the mid-Atlantic region met in the capital of Pennsylvania last week to blast Democrats for clean energy policies they charge inflate electricity prices and cause blackouts. But the key witness invited to provide expert testimony had a different message. “I’m going to disappoint you. The focus for us is not about blame,” said Stephen Bennett, senior manager for regulatory and legislative affairs for grid operator PJM Interconnection. He acknowledged the grid serving 13 states from Chicago to Virginia shared responsibility for power supply challenges. “Define the solution. Implement the solution. Focus on the fact that we need to keep the lights on,” Bennett urged them.

Water At Risk: A.I. Data Centers Bait And Switch? - You may have seen glib news reports lately arguing that data centers are sadly misunderstood. They don’t really raise electricity prices for local people. It’s all a misunderstanding. If only people understood how electricity markets actually work, they’d see that electric costs can really go down for locals, thanks to data centers. Next they’ll be selling you the Brooklyn Bridge. The devil, as always, is in the details. Here’s a summary of how increased demand supposedly benefits regular electricity buyers: By running all day, every day, data centers create consistent demand the grid can count on. Some data centers set up long-term deals with power providers that also make the market more predictable. New demand may lead to upgrades to the grid that benefit everyone. Increased demand spreads out the high fixed costs of electricity production over more kilowatt hours sold. And some data centers pay for new renewable sources themselves, actually creating an oversupply that can drive costs down. Convincing? Maybe. Until you look at the other side of the equation. Since they consume such enormous amounts of energy-- as much as tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of homes-- data centers get preferential rates. Guess who picks up the slack? Plus data centers’ huge, nonstop demand can force utilities to source power from sub-optimal sources, jacking up prices more. Further, data centers stress the grid, requiring billions in new infrastructure like high voltage lines and substations. And even if a data center pays some of those fixed costs, ongoing management, maintenance and operating costs spike, too, and local consumers are the ones who get stuck. And all of those supposed cost reductions also rely on perfect timing, perfect management, and no surprises. Some companies circumvent the grid’s limitations entirely-- including putting old nuclear power stations back to work-- creating what The Wall Street Journal has called a “Wild West” ethos in the industry. There’s more, but you get the idea. And note that the talking heads who defend data centers say nary a word about water. Besides inflating electricity prices, a large data center can use up to one million gallons of water per day. Yes, per day. How long before local wells start drying up? No one disputes that large data centers have a purpose. They are the “cloud” we all rely on, and make crypto-mining and artificial intelligence possible. We can debate whether those purposes are nefarious or serve the general good. What’s not debatable is that they are black holes for resources humans need: Electrical power is essential to modern life. Water IS life. Data centers should pay their own way — they’re making billions, after all — and only be allowed to use cooling systems that return water to the land it was drawn from.

DOE announces $100M to refurbish coal plants - --The Department of Energy on Friday unveiled $100 million in grants to modernize U.S. coal plants. The funding opportunity is available for plant operators to develop and implement wastewater systems and install retrofits that allow the plants to run on natural gas. It’s also available for “advanced coal-natural gas co-firing systems and system components,” DOE said in a press release. Since taking office, the Trump administration has sought to boost fossil fuels like coal and reduce federal support for renewables. “President Trump has ended the war on American coal and is restoring common sense energy policies that put Americans first,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “These projects will help keep America’s coal plants operating and ensure the United States has the reliable and affordable power it needs to keep the lights on and power our future.”

Ohio scrapped a key tool to fight air pollution. Advocates want it back. - As of Sept. 30, Ohio lawmakers eliminated a key legal tool used to rein in air pollution from power plants and industrial sites. Now, advocates are suing to restore that right.For decades, environmental groups in Ohio and elsewhere have used air nuisance rules in state plans as a catchall way to enforce the federal Clean Air Act. Ohio’s version let people take legal action against companies whose emissions “endanger the health, safety or welfare of the public, or cause unreasonable injury or damage to property.” The rule dates back more than50 years.Environmental groups have used air nuisance rules to file or threaten lawsuits against coal-burning power plants, iron and steel facilities, coke plants, and other industrial operations, which emit not only planet-warming greenhouse gases but also harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead.Defendants in cases brought under Ohio’s version of the rule have included Suncoke Energy,AK Steel–Middletown Works, Georgia-Pacific Corp., and Phthalchem. Consent decrees and settlements have produced orders or agreements to stop alleged nuisances, clean up waste, and expand monitoring.But a last-minute addition to the state’s 3,156-page budget bill, House Bill 96, told the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cut that protection out of the state’s Clean Air Act plan.“The air nuisance rule is the tool that Ohioans have to hold polluters accountable,” said Neil Waggoner, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign manager for the Midwest. “This is the state government saying … we’re going to take this away from you in the most secretive fashion possible.” The Sierra Club is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, along with the Ohio Environmental Council, SOBEConcerned Citizens, and the Freshwater Accountability Project. The fifth plaintiff, Donna Ballinger, is a Middletown resident who lives close to iron and steel operations, which she claims cause nuisance conditions. An August report by the Environmental Integrity Projectdocumented likely air quality problems in that area.Experts warn that eliminating the right to file air nuisance complaints weakens Ohio’s enforcement of pollution measures at an already perilous moment for environmental regulation.For months, the Trump administration has been rolling back federal pollution standards and making huge personnel cuts to the staff charged with enforcing the remaining rules and permits. The Ohio EPA has authority to enforce the Clean Air Act but doesn’t always pursue alleged violations.“Both at the federal and state level, we’re seeing less enforcement,” said Miranda Leppla, who heads Case Western Reserve University’s Environmental Law Clinic and represents the Ohio Environmental Council and the Sierra Club in the lawsuit. “If Ohioans don’t have the ability to bring these enforcement actions on their own through the air nuisance rule, there’s a very serious concern that air quality will continue to degrade and Ohioans’ health will get worse.”Echoing a recent law in Louisiana, HB 96 also blocks the Ohio EPA from acting on data that groups may collect through community air-monitoring efforts. Such data can fill important gaps and alert communities and enforcement officials to problems that may not be detected byEPA monitors miles away.Ohio’s limits on using the data will particularly harm fence-line communities, Leppla said.

OH Judge Tosses Big Green Case Attacking State Park Fracking Law - Marcellus Drilling News - In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see OH Gov. Signs Bill Expanding Drilling in State Parks, NatGas “Green”). The law allows shale drilling under (but not on top of) Ohio state-owned land, including state parks. Predictably, the enviro-left attacked the bill (see Cleveland Plain Dealer Attacks OH Law re Drilling Under State Land). Four left-wing “environmental” groups—Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Valley Allies, Buckeye Environmental Network, and Sierra Club—filed a lawsuit in April 2023, hoping to overturn the new law (see Radicals Sue to Block Ohio Law re Drilling Under State Land). After more than two years, a judge ruled on the case, dismissing it.

Ohio Unveils $100M Energy Funds To Boost Nuclear And Gas Projects - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has unveiled the JobsOhio Energy Opportunity Initiative, a $100 million fund aimed at strengthening the state’s nuclear and natural gas sectors. The program will support supply chain companies involved in small modular reactor (SMR) manufacturing and establish a “nuclear energy center of excellence.” The announcement comes amid growing nuclear momentum in the state. In September, Centrus Energy revealed plans to significantly expand its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, signaling renewed investment in Ohio’s nuclear infrastructure.DeWine made the announcement in partnership with JobsOhio, a private nonprofit economic development corporation that promotes growth across Ohio industries, during the Ohio Business Roundtable CEO Summit last week.The fund will provide grants and low-interest loans to offset costs related to nuclear and natural gas power production. DeWine emphasized that the initiative will help ensure the state has adequate energy supply to meet current and future demand while keeping costs reasonable. The initiative will focus on four primary areas:

Engineering, right-of-way, and construction for new and existing natural gas infrastructure.
Site preparation for SMR generation.
Advanced workforce training and the creation of a nuclear energy center of excellence.
Incentives to attract supply-chain companies for SMR manufacturing and production.

Amir Vexler, president and CEO of Centrus Energy, highlighted that the focus on workforce development is crucial to supporting the company’s expansion plans.DeWine noted that the initiative complements his broader efforts to accelerate natural gas and nuclear deployment in Ohio. He referenced the signing of H.B. 15 in May, legislation aimed at expediting new energy projects, and his collaboration with PJM Interconnection to create a prioritized review queue for natural gas and nuclear projects ahead of renewable energy applications.Highlighting Ohio’s rich nuclear history, DeWine cited existing infrastructure, including two nuclear power plants, two BWX Technology plants, a beryllium product facility, and Ohio State University’s research reactor, demonstrating the state’s deep expertise and robust supply chain in the sector.

Ascent 3Q Drilled 12 Wells, Produced 2.25 Bcfe/d, Made $328M Profit - Marcellus Drilling News -- Ascent Resources, founded as American Energy Partners by Aubrey McClendon, a gas industry legend, is a privately held company that focuses 100% on the Ohio Utica Shale. Ascent, headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, is Ohio’s largest natural gas producer and one of the largest natural gas producers in the U.S. The company issued its third quarter 2025 update yesterday. Net production for the quarter averaged 2,247 MMcfe/d (2.25 Bcfe/d), consisting of 1,900 MMcf/d of natural gas, 16,130 bbls/d of oil, and 41,652 bbls/d of natural gas liquids (NGLs), putting liquids at 15% of the overall production mix for the quarter.

Gulfport Energy 3Q: Full Steam Ahead Drilling in the Ohio Marcellus - Marcellus Drilling News -- Gulfport Energy is the third-largest driller in the Ohio Utica Shale (by the number of wells drilled). Gulfport released its third quarter update yesterday. The company is going full steam ahead in its natgas drilling in the Ohio Marcellus. Gulfport is aggressively expanding its future drilling potential. The company nearly tripled its Marcellus inventory, adding roughly 125 gross locations. Concurrently, Gulfport successfully finished two Utica U-development test wells, a move that proves drilling feasibility and unlocks an additional 20 gross Utica dry gas locations.

Antero Returns to Dry Gas Drilling; Confirms Ohio Utica for Sale - Marcellus Drilling News --- Antero Resources, the largest Marcellus/Utica (M-U) driller in West Virginia, released its Q3 2025 update with two significant announcements. One is that newly appointed CEO Michael Kennedy is “excited” for the company to return to dry gas drilling after “more than a decade,” with the first new dry gas well specifically intended to service the data center market. Second, we can confirm our prior speculation to say that Antero is officially marketing its Ohio Utica assets for sale. We previously brought you that rumor in early September (see Rumor: Antero Preparing to Sell Ohio Utica Upstream, Midstream).

CNX Focused on Deep Utica Gas Development | RBN Energy -In its earnings call last week, CNX Resources highlighted its share buyback plan and continued positive free cash flow. They also discussed continuing plans to develop deep Utica acreage, particularly assets acquired in its purchase of Apex Energy II earlier this year (seen in the map below). The deep Utica is the portion of the Utica shale located in Western Pennsylvania that overlaps with Marcellus shale. It has historically been less developed than the Marcellus in Southwest Pennsylvania and the Utica in Ohio because its greater depth makes drilling more expensive, but that is changing now as producers like CNX take advantage of the deep Utica’s position near Marcellus takeaway infrastructure.CNX emphasized the cost reductions they have achieved as they gain more experience drilling in the deep Utica over the past year. Drilling costs have dropped from $2,200 per foot last year to $1,750 per foot this year – a reduction of almost 20%. However, the company reported that they had no new wells during the third quarter, as drilling activity “was focused on a four-well deep Utica pad.” This led to production volumes declining in the third quarter. For the fourth quarter of this year, the company expects to bring seven wells online, including three in the deep Utica. For the following year the company wants to retain flexibility “to respond to whatever sort of pricing environment develops.” In the long run, the company emphasized the need for more takeaway infrastructure to handle the low decline rates of deep Utica production but did not refer to specific plans.

EOG Resources Inc Production Increases - EOG Resources beat analysts’ estimates for third-quarter profit, as higher output helped the U.S. oil and gas producer offset a drop in crude prices. Benchmark Brent crude fell more than 13% in the quarter from a year earlier, but the company got a production boost as it expanded in the Utica and Marcellus regions following its $5.6 billion deal for Encino Acquisition Partners. During the third quarter, EOG produced 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, up from 1.08 million boepd a year earlier. EOG’s crude oil production reached 534,500 barrels per day, exceeding the company’s guidance midpoint of 532,400 barrels per day. Average realized price for natural gas output rose more than 36% to $2.80 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) while realized price for oil production fell 14.2% to $65.95 per barrel. The company’s assets in the Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, and Utica shale regions were performing above expectations, with international assets also boosting its growth.Further, the company generated $1.4 billion in free cash flow during the quarter, returning nearly $1 billion to shareholders through $545 million in regular dividends and $440 million in share repurchases. EOG also completed its acquisition of Encino Acquisition Partners during the quarter. Per-unit lease and well costs decreased to $3.60 per barrel of oil equivalent, below the guidance midpoint of $3.70, primarily due to higher production from the integration of Encino operations and lower workover expenses. EOG in the third quarter of FY25 has reported the adjusted earnings per share of $2.71, beating the analysts’ estimates for the adjusted earnings per share of $2.43, according to data compiled by LSEG. The company had reported the adjusted revenue growth of 35.9 percent to $5.85 billion in the third quarter of FY25, missing the analysts’ estimates for revenue of $5.95 billion.Additionally, the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share, representing an annual rate of $4.08 per share. EOG noted it has never suspended or reduced its regular dividend. The company said it expects production to be in the range of 1.35 million boepd to 1.39 million boepd for the fourth quarter and between 1.21 million boepd and 1.23 million boepd for the full year. For the fourth quarter, EOG expects crude oil production to range between 542,500 and 547,500 barrels per day. The company maintained its full-year capital expenditure guidance of $6.2 billion to $6.4 billion.

Gas leak leads to 'catastrophic' explosion at Kelton House Museum in downtown Columbus - 10TV COLUMBUS, Ohio —More than 100 firefighters responded to the historic Kelton House Museum & Garden in downtown Columbus Monday afternoon after a gas leak led to an explosion, according to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Secrist.Columbus Division of Fire crews responded to the Kelton House Museum around 2:30 p.m. Secrist said shortly after firefighters entered the main building, there was a detection of natural gas. Soon after, an explosion occurred, he said.According to a Columbus public safety dispatcher, the fire department's run indicated the leak came from a supply line with a strong smell of natural gas. Columbia Gas and AEP crews also responded to the scene. WATCH: Drone video shows fire, heavy damage at Kelton House Museum. A neighbor who lives next door said she heard a loud boom and felt her building shake during the explosion. Billowing smoke and flames were seen coming from the building's roof shortly after.Secrist described the explosion as "catastrophic," saying that several structures behind the main Kelton House were "completely leveled." He said the main building was also showing signs of possible collapse.Secrist confirmed all firefighters are OK and there are no injuries.Columbia Gas determined there were no other gas leaks in the area, according to Secrist. Crews were at the scene digging up the gas line to stop the leak at the Kelton House.Seacrest said crews evacuated some of the buildings in the immediate area, while additional residents evacuated voluntarily due to the smell of natural gas.Firefighters were able to enter the Kelton House several hours afterward to retrieve a number of historical artifacts that were on display. Mayor Andrew Ginther released the following statement after the incident: "I’m relieved that no one was injured at the Kelton House today, and grateful to the men and women of Columbus Fire for containing the incident while preserving as much history as possible. The Kelton House is an important part of our city’s history as a stop on the Underground Railroad and remains an educational resource to our community." More than 100 firefighters responded ... Crews were at the scene digging up the gas line to stop the leak at the Kelton House.

Gas leak evacuates homes in Lewis Center (WCMH) — A gas leak has prompted the evacuation of homes inside a Lewis Center neighborhood on Wednesday night. According to Columbus fire officials at the scene, several homes on Sweetshade Drive in the Olentangy Meadows development were evacuated after pressure inside the gas lines got too high, causing gas meters outside the homes to leak. Between 40 and 50 homes were evacuated, but since the leaks were outside of the homes and the wind was blowing, officials are not overly concerned about damage to property or people getting injured, officials said. The gas company is working to alleviate the pressure in the gas lines and is urging anyone who smells gas inside their homes to evacuate.

Bedford polling place evacuated after construction workers hit gas line - Cleveland 19 News (WOIO) - Voters at Bedford High School were evacuated for a short time Tuesday, after nearby construction workers hit a gas line. The accident happened at 9:24 a.m. on Berwyn Drive. As a pre-caution, the building was evacuated. Bedford police said Dominion crews are on the way to fix the gas line.

Truck crashes into gas line, causing large fire on Montgomery Road – WSYX Truck crashes into gas line, causing large fire on Montgomery Road (WKRC) - A large fire that raged for hours in Montgomery Wednesday is now out. The fire shut down traffic on Montgomery Road right next to Ronald Reagan. It broke out after a construction truck crashed into a gas line. Witnesses say when it happened, it sounded like an explosion. "When I got here, it was just engulfed, flames everywhere. Some of the equipment was on fire. It was bad. It was bad," said witness Jim Rankle. Crews were able to shut off the gas valve after about four hours. Three construction workers were treated at the hospital, but they will be OK. The crash happened near Moeller Hgh School, and some students helped crews fight the flames. A few of the boys held a hose line from an engine to the scene of the fire.

Strs Ohio Purchases 44,346 Shares of Kinder Morgan, Inc. -- Strs Ohio (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) boosted its position in shares of Kinder Morgan, Inc. by 5.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 915,633 shares of the pipeline company's stock after buying an additional 44,346 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio's holdings in Kinder Morgan were worth $26,920,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The pipeline company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.29. Kinder Morgan had a net margin of 16.61% and a return on equity of 8.57%. The company had revenue of $4.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.25 EPS. Kinder Morgan's revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis.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.

Bluegrass Power Plans $3B Gas-Fired Plant in Fayette County, OH -- Marcellus Drilling News -- Bluegrass Power Generation has proposed an 800-megawatt, $2.5 to $3 billion natural gas-fired electric generation facility in Fayette County, Ohio, pending approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board. The plant is designed to operate “behind-the-meter,” exclusively supplying power to dedicated nearby third-party facilities, like the L-H Battery Company (Honda/LG Energy Solution), for at least 30 years, disconnected from the main power grid. The project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 30 permanent operational positions, generating significant tax revenue and strengthening Ohio’s high-tech infrastructure to support future industrial growth. Construction is currently slated to begin in February 2026

Pa. AG Charges Fracking Co. With Multiple Enviro Crimes – Law360 – · -- The gas development and gathering arm of New York utility National Fuel Gas Co. has been hit with criminal charges, accused of violating Pennsylvania environmental laws, state Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday. Houston-based Seneca Resources LLC was indicted by two separate grand juries for a total of 64 alleged violations of the Solid Waste Management ... Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against Seneca Resources, LLC, following multiple violations of Pennsylvania's environmental protection laws in several counties, as recommended by the 48th and 51st Statewide Investigating Grand Juries. Marcellus and Utica shale formations. "Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to pure water, and these cases resulted in violations of those rights ...Attached Documents:

Pennsylvania files criminal charges against gas driller – WHYY --The Pennsylvania Attorney General has filed criminal charges against natural gas producer Seneca Resourcesfor three separate incidents during its drilling and fracking operations in North Central Pennsylvania. The state alleges the company’s actions led to drinking water contamination as well as ground and surface water pollution in eight counties.Citing Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment,Attorney General Dave Sunday, a Republican, said the charges stem from the company’s lack of action after warnings from the Department of Environmental Protection. Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to pure water, and these cases resulted in violations of those rights,” Sunday said in a statement. “In one example, a couple’s home — which they worked their entire lives to afford — was subjected to contaminated water. Such outcomes will not be tolerated, and I commend our Environmental Crimes Section for their work in this case.”Two separate grand juries recommended the charges, which include 72 counts of violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and 42 counts of violations of the Clean Streams Law.One case alleges that Seneca Resources unlawfully injected fracking wastewater into a set of wells in Cameron County.Another case alleges the company ignored or disputed the DEP’s warnings that its operations would result in water contamination in Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Jefferson and Cameron counties.In 2020, Josh Shapiro, then Pa.'s AG, released a landmark report with recommendations on regulating fracking. Advocates say he has done little to advance them.The third case alleges that pollution in a separate Cameron County incident resulted after the company tried to clean up a spill without prior approval from the DEP, which resulted in surface and groundwater pollution.Seneca Resources responded in an email to WHYY News that it is reviewing the charges and working with the Office of Attorney General to “reach a reasonable resolution.”“We expect the Commonwealth to hold operators to a high standard, and we strive to exceed that standard every day,” wrote Rob Boulware, director of stakeholder relations for Seneca Resources. “We have engaged transparently with the OAG throughout their investigation and we are disappointed that they decided this step was necessary.”Boulware added that the company is “constantly recognized as an industry leader, with best of class corporate citizenship, environmental stewardship and our willingness to work with communities and regulators. These are commitments that we make with all the communities where we operate, and we take these responsibilities seriously.”

Natural gas driller charged with violating Pa.’s environmental laws in 8 counties - pennlive.com— A major natural gas driller in Pennsylvania is accused by the state attorney general’s office of multiple violations of environmental laws in its handling of wastewater from the fracking process. Seneca Resources was charged Thursday in Emporium with violations in Lycoming, Tioga, Potter, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Jefferson and Cameron counties. The charges are based on the recommendation of two statewide investigating grand juries. In one set, Seneca, whose Pennsylvania office is in Brookville, is accused of illegally discharging fluids from well cellars in all eight counties from Dec. 9, 2020, to March 1, 2022. The grand jury presentments contain the following information: A well cellar is a lined area dug out during drilling that allows easy access to valves once the well is in production. The cellars have the unintended consequence of holding wastes and rainwater. Requirements that would allow the fluids from them to be discharged onto the ground include a certain pH level and no sheen from oil and grease. Employees from companies contracted by Seneca testified they discharged the fluids on the ground if, after screening, the pH came back within an acceptable range and there was no sheen. Fluids that did not meet the parameters were trucked off-site. Seneca is accused of not having the required permit for the land discharge and continued doing so after being advised, it was illegal. The grand jury reviewed records of more than 1,000 instances of fluids being discharged onto the ground. Seneca responded that it treated fluids from well cellars like precipitation from other secondary confinement and would continue the ground disposal until the Department of Environmental Protection could cite a rule that specifically prohibited it. A second set of charges relates to a July 2022 ruptured above-ground pipe in Cameron County that carried wastewater from the fracking process. They detail the devastating impact the wastewater had on the well of an Emporium area home and neighboring properties. A remediation attempt, of which the Department of Environmental Protection was unaware, that involved flushing fresh water over the contaminated soil, worsened the situation because a significant amount of the water was not collected. The third set of charges deals with the injection of fracking wastewater under pressure at the very end of the horizontal portion of the well bore. Seneca is accused of pumping larger-than-normal volumes of wastewater without any sand or propellant into “sacrificial wells” as a means to dispose of it. The grand jury report cites 10,000 barrels of wastewater being put into three wells on a pad in 2017, compared with the normal 100 to 500 barrels. Documentation reviewed by the grand juries showed Seneca produces 4 percent of Pennsylvania’s natural gas and 11 percent of the wastewater in drilling horizontal wells from a single well pad. Seneca is charged with 64 counts of violating the Solid Waste Management Act and 36 Clean Streams Law violations. Attorney General Dave Sunday alleged that Seneca continued its illegal practices after being told to stop because it did not comply with the law. “Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to pure water, and these cases resulted in violations of those rights,” he said.

DEP Solicits Bids On 2 Contracts To Plug 25 Abandoned Conventional Wells In Erie County At Taxpayer Expense; 1 Conventional Well In Clearfield County Expected To Cost $200,000+ To Plug --On October 31, the Department of Environmental Protection posted two abandoned well plugging contracts on BidExpress.com soliciting bids to plug 25 abandoned conventional wells in Erie County and one abandoned conventional gas well in Clearfield County.The Erie County contract is for plugging 25 abandoned conventional wells in Millcreek, Fairview, Girard and Harborcreek Townships that is expected to cost taxpayers between $1 million and $5 million.Mandatory pre-bid conference Nov. 5 & 6. Click Here for bid document.The Clearfield County contract is for plugging one (1) conventional gas well in Huston Township that is expected to cost taxpayers between $200,000 and $299,000.Mandatory pre-bid conference on November 12. Click Here for bid document.The Clearfield County well is located in Moshannon State Forest and was drilled in December 1959 to a depth of about 7,000 feet, more than twice the depth of most conventional wells.DEP inspected the well on August 14, 2025 and it was found to be leaking gas. DEP inspection report. DEP has one other open conventional well plugging bid solicitation--

-- 44 abandoned wells in Highland Twp., Elk County, due November 6

Closed conventional well plugging bid solicitations in 2025 include--

-- 15 abandoned wells in Lancaster, Forward & Connoguenessing Townships, Butler County
-- 7 abandoned wells in Smith, North Strabane, North Franklin, and Canton Townships, Washington County
-- 15 abandoned wells in East Keating Township, Clinton County
-- 19 abandoned wells in Heath, Eldred, and Barnett Townships, Jefferson County and Millcreek Township, Clarion County
-- 18 abandoned wells in Mead Township, Warren County
-- 12 abandoned wells in Hamlin Township, McKean County

Taxpayers funding for these plugging projects comes primarily from the federal well plugging program.Visit DEP’s Conventional Well Plugging Program webpage for more information.

House Environmental Committee Puts Spotlight On Proposed Penn America LNG Gas Export Facility In Chester, Delaware County - On November 5, the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee held a hearing on a proposal by Penn America to locate a 1 billion cubic feet a day LNG natural gas export facility in the City of Chester, Delaware County. The hearing was hosted by Rep. Carol Kazeeme (D-Delaware) Rep. Greg Vilali (D-Delaware), Majority Chair of the Committee, opened the hearing by saying he feared “this proposal will proceed under the radar without sufficient public scrutiny, without considering first and foremost, the health and safety issues of the people along these river communities.” “There have been a number of indications this year that this issue has been proceeding. “There was an April 28th opinion piece by [PA US] Senator McCormick discussing Penn America and the Building Trades $7 billion project in this area. “There was a June 3rd meeting at the White House by Franc James with White House officials discussing this proposal. “There was an October 7th podcast involving Rob Bair sponsored by the Kleinman Institute discussing this proposed liquid natural gas terminal in Eddystone.” He said his second issue is the climate impacts an LNG gas facility would have. “I believe this is a real issue. I believe it's an issue we need to be concerned about.” Rep. Vitali said efforts were made to invite Penn America, a representative of the PA Building and Construction Trades Council and a witness selected by the Minority Chair of the Committee, but all were declined or unsuccessful. Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware RiverKeeper Network, provided a basic description of the proposed Penn America LNG proposal based on public sources and outlined basic health and environmental impacts. “The public information available is imprecise and incomplete, however, which we consider unfair and intentional. “What the company has said is they will ship the LNG overseas, they will primarily source the gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus and Utica shales, they plan to process up to 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day, plan to export 7.2 million metric tonnes of LNG each year and plan to operate for 20 years. “This would be the first and only LNG export facility in the Delaware River Watershed and the first in all four watershed states. “It would be located in the mostly densely populated region of Pennsylvania. “Militating against the plan to construct here, the federal government has advised that LNG facilities should be placed in “remote” locations, away from dense populations, to protect public safety. “From what we do know, it is clear this project is not clean, not carbon neutral, is unsafe, and the company has not interfaced with the people who would be most impacted, as we will hear about from Zulene Mayfield. “The project will have enormous negative and long-lived environmental impacts locally, regionally, statewide, and even globally.” Mayor Stefan Roots, City Of Chester, had a simple message for the Committee-- “LNG is simply not welcome here. “An LNG terminal or export terminal would be an extreme health and safety hazard, as you've already heard, for the City of Chester or for any other town along the stretch of the Delaware River. “I'm introducing a new initiative. I just thought of this as I was sitting there so that the Committee can have an easy three-letter acronym to remember our position. “It's WMO, We've Moved On. “Let's first talk safety. From a safety standpoint, it would be negligent and irresponsible to locate an LNG terminal in this region. “Explosions can and do occur with these facilities. The blast zone, the blast zone, that sounds terrible would displace many residents and put thousands more at serious risk. “Chester is a city of homes and families, churches, businesses, children and senior citizens. “As we seek to revitalize Chester, my vision is to build new housing and attract new residents to the city.” “I'm not pushing them out to accommodate a blast zone.”

PA Democrats Hold a We Hate Penn America LNG Export Meeting -- Marcellus Drilling News -- Yesterday, the Pennsylvania House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee (the House has a one-Democrat majority) held a hearing on a proposal by Penn America to locate a 1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet a day) LNG natural gas export facility in the City of Chester, Delaware County. The hearing was hosted by Rep. Carol Kazeeme (D-Delaware) and was exclusively attended by Democrats who were there to bash the project. There was no “How can we make this better?” There was only, “No way, no how, go to hell.” That’s the new Democrat Party and its political “leaders.”

Has NJ Export Dock on Delaware River Changed from LNG to LPG? -- Marcellus Drilling News --- The mystery may have been solved by MDN… In September 2022, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted to extend a permit to build a special LNG export dock along the shoreline of the Delaware River in New Jersey by an extra three years (see DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 3 Yrs to Build). That action sent the environmental left, including THE Delaware Riverkeeper, into apoplectic fits. Three years later (in September of this year), at the end of the original time extension, the five members of the DRBC voted unanimously to extend the deadline *another* five years, prompting the Riverkeeper gang to sue to block the time extension (see THE Delaware Riverkeeper Sues DRBC re NJ LNG Export Dock). However, it may not be LNG that the builders now have in mind with this time-extended dock

37 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 27 – Nov 2 -- Marcellus Drilling News --- We continue to be delighted with the number of new permits issued to drill shale wells in the Marcellus/Utica. Three weeks ago, that number soared to 37. Two weeks ago, it increased to 39. And last week the number remained high, down just two, back to 37 once again. Wow! We haven’t seen a sustained trend of high permit numbers like this in many moons. Pennsylvania issued 13 new permits last week, down from 23 the prior week. Ohio issued 8 new permits, down from 11 the prior week. It was West Virginia that was the breakout star, issuing 16 new permits, up from issuing 5 the preceding week. ANTERO RESOURCES | BEAVER COUNTY | BKV/BANPU | CARROLL COUNTY | EOG RESOURCES | EQT CORP | EXCO RESOURCES | HARRISON COUNTY | MARION COUNTY | MARION NATURAL ENERGY | PENNENERGY RESOURCES | RITCHIE COUNTY | SULLIVAN COUNTY | TYLER COUNTY | WETZEL COUNTY | WYOMING COUNTY (PA)

Decline Rates for Shale Wells Mean We’re on a Drilling Treadmill - Marcellus Drilling News --- The U.S. oil and natural gas sector operates on a drilling treadmill. As production from existing wells rapidly declines—a trend exacerbated by the faster decline rates of prolific horizontal (shale) wells—operators are forced to drill new wells to maintain current output. Since 2010, however, new hydrocarbon production in the Lower 48 states has been robust enough to not only offset these significant losses but also increase overall production levels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration published a post yesterday explaining the shale drilling “treadmill” we find ourselves on.

FirstEnergy Event Touts Planned 1,200 MW Gas-Fired Plant in WV - Marcellus Drilling News -- Mon Power and Potomac Edison are local utilities and subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. The two companies recently submitted an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the West Virginia Public Service Commission, outlining how they will continue to deliver reliable, cost-effective power to West Virginia homes and businesses over the next decade (see FirstEnergy Explores Adding 1,200 MW Gas-Fired Plant in WV). The big news coming from the IRP is that the companies are exploring the possibility of building a new 1,200-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle power plant, which is expected to be operational around 2031. Those plans got more real at an event hosted yesterday by FirstEnergy.

Williams Companies, Inc SEC 10-Q Report — Williams Companies, Inc., a leading player in the energy infrastructure sector, has released its latest Form 10-Q report, showcasing robust financial and operational performance for the recent quarter. The report highlights significant growth in revenues and operating income, alongside strategic business expansions and a positive outlook for future growth.Williams Companies, Inc. reported strong financial results for the quarter, reflecting improved operational efficiency and strategic cost management:

Total Revenues: $2,923 million, an increase from $2,653 million in the prior year period, driven by higher service revenues and product sales.
Operating Income (Loss): $1,109 million, up from $838 million in the previous year, indicating improved operational efficiency and cost management.
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders: $646 million, down from $705 million, reflecting the impact of preferred stock dividends.
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share: $0.53, compared to $0.58 in the prior year, consistent with the basic earnings per share.

The company's operational performance was marked by significant contributions from various segments and strategic acquisitions:

Revenue Segments: Williams Companies, Inc. reported revenue from several segments, including Transmission, Power & Gulf, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services. The Transmission, Power & Gulf segment generated significant revenue from regulated interstate natural gas transportation and storage services. The Northeast G&P and West segments contributed through gathering, processing, transportation, fractionation, and storage services, with both monetary and commodity considerations.
Geographical Performance: The company's operations are primarily located in the United States, with significant activities in the Marcellus Shale region, the Gulf Coast, and the Rocky Mountain region. The Transmission, Power & Gulf segment includes interstate natural gas pipelines extending from Texas to the New York City metropolitan area, serving major metropolitan areas along the Atlantic seaboard.
Sales Units: The company reported significant volumes in natural gas transportation and storage services, with Transco and NWP playing key roles in these operations. The natural gas transportation service revenues for Transco were $2,134 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
New Production Launches: The report highlighted the acquisition of additional interests in the Wamsutter basin and the Gulf Coast Storage Acquisition, which expanded the company's natural gas storage footprint in the Gulf Coast region.
Future Outlook: Williams anticipates continued growth in its Transmission, Power & Gulf segment, driven by ongoing demand for natural gas transportation and storage services. The company is also focused on expanding its midstream services in the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions through its Northeast G&P segment.

The infrastructure imperative: Who benefits from pipeline expansion? – McKinsey --New McKinsey analysis explores how pipeline development could impact the US gas market, with two scenarios showing how infrastructure expansion could affect consumers, operators, and midstream companies.. (17 pages) Over the past decade, North America’s shale revolution unlocked vast reserves of low-cost natural gas. While these supply sources are spread out across the continent, roughly 75 percent of natural gas production growth in 2014–24 came from three basins: Appalachia (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia), Haynesville (North Louisiana), and Permian (West Texas). This growth was enabled by midstream players constructing pipelines to link these supply basins with demand centers, effectively stabilizing Henry Hub prices between $2.50 and $3.00 per million British thermal units (MMBTU)1 (see sidebar “Sources of North America’s historical natural gas supply growth”). However, this era of rapid midstream infrastructure growth has come to an end, especially in the US Northeast, at a time when natural gas demand is projected to rise significantly. Our analysis suggests that US demand (including domestic consumption and net exports) could potentially reach 125 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) by 2030, an increase of 14 percent compared to 109 bcfd in 2024, driven by increased power demand due to electrification, the rise of data centers, and a growing global liquefied natural gas (LNG) export industry. These same factors are expected to further increase demand throughout the 2030s. With the gas distribution network already constrained, the US gas market could face supply bottlenecks, price volatility, and a growing dependence on higher-cost supply basins.2 US operators would need to expand the current natural gas infrastructure network to overcome these challenges. In many regions of the United States, project execution is a considerable challenge. In particular, the Appalachian Basin contains an abundant, low-cost dry gas supply but faces severe pipeline bottlenecks that limit the flow of gas to high-demand markets. Expanding infrastructure in the basin could materially help maintain affordable prices and meet future demand, but would have a range of implications for different stakeholders, from producers to consumers. In this article, we model two hypothetical infrastructure development plans for the Appalachian Basin—northward pipeline expansion and southward pipeline expansion—and compare them to a baseline scenario.3 We explore the implications of both scenarios on regional pricing and shifts in gas flows to understand how the value chain might be impacted under each scenario.

Record Plaquemines LNG Ramp Sets up ‘Knife Fight’ in Gulf Coast for Natural Gas Supply --Barely a year after first gas, the Plaquemines LNG terminal has become a behemoth accounting for roughly one-fifth of U.S. exports — marking the fastest ramp-up ever for an LNG project. The surge has redrawn natural gas flows and is already lifting prices east of Henry Hub as pipelines strain to keep pace.
Chart comparing NGI’s Tennessee Line 500 daily gas price with Gator Express Pipeline receipts for Plaquemines LNG from October 2024 through November 2025. The graphic tracks Tennessee Line 500 prices in $/MMBtu alongside TGP/GXP, TETCO/GXP, and CGT/Wilkinson Bayou nominations, as well as Gator Express Pipeline operating capacity in Bcf/d. Data sources: NGI’s Daily GPI, Wood Mackenzie, and NGI calculations. At A Glance:
Plaquemines feed gas calls race to 3.5 Bcf/d
TGP 500L premiums surge past 60 cents
Station 85 pipelines near full capacity

Delfin Midstream Expands Buyer Base With Emerging Gulf LNG Player - Delfin Midstream Inc. has inked a tentative contract with a developing Middle East trading firm as it inches toward a targeted final investment decision (FID) later this year.nMap illustrating the Delfin LNG Project in the Gulf of Mexico. It shows the Delfin onshore facilities in Louisiana connected via the UTOS pipeline to offshore points WC167 and WC327, leading to the Port Delfin Deepwater Port and FLNG vessel locations. Includes a compressor station near the coast and an inset map highlighting the project’s location off Louisiana. Source: Delfin LNG LLC.At A Glance:
Delfin inks 15-year, 1 Mt/y deal
Vitol will deliver cargoes for Abu Dhabi-based IRH
Delfin targets FID “in coming weeks”

ConocoPhillips Lands Overseas Buyers for Port Arthur LNG Offtake- ConocoPhillips’ LNG offtake portfolio has ballooned to 10 million tons/year (Mt/y), and the company has paired about half of those volumes with overseas customers after working in recent years to build out its holdings across the global natural gas value chain.World map illustrating ConocoPhillips’ global LNG strategy, showing major LNG assets and sales points in North America, Qatar, Australia, and Asia. Arrows trace LNG trade routes from projects such as Rio Grande, ECA, APLNG, and Qatar to Europe’s TTF and Asian markets. The lower section outlines the company’s LNG value chain from gas production and liquefaction to shipping, regasification, and end-use sales. Source: ConocoPhillips. At A Glance:
All equity LNG projects on track
LNG sales agreements signed in Europe, Asia
Full-year production guidance increased

Golden Pass LNG Nears Startup as QatarEnergy Shipment Heads for Texas — The Offtake - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers

3.4 Bcf: A vessel carrying a cargo from QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffen export facility has signaled it could reach Golden Pass LNG by Dec. 1, according to Kpler ship tracking data. The vessel Imsaikah left Qatar Oct. 29 carrying roughly 3.4 Bcf in LNG. In a call with analysts earlier in the week, ExxonMobil management disclosed it expected a cooldown cargo to reach the export facility in Southeast Texas by the first week of December.
10 Mt: U.S. LNG producers shipped more than 10 million tons (Mt) in cargoes during October, marking a new monthly high point for the country and global gas exports, according to Kpler data. October’s total volumes marked a 0.97 Mt rise month/month and 2.55 Mt more than the same period last year. Exports were driven by continued commissioning at the Plaquemines and Corpus Christi LNG facilities, as well as demand from Europe to shore up winter storage.
16 Bcm/y: XRG, an investment unit of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc), is looking to join the 12 Mt/y capacity Argentina LNG project developed by YPF SA and Eni SpA. XRG has signed a tentative agreement to explore opportunities to join the project aimed at creating bridging gas assets in the onshore Vaca Muerta formation with two floating LNG (FLNG) production units. Combined, the two FLNGs could export the equivalent of 16 Bcm/y. XRG is a 10% stakeholder in Eni’s Coral North project, which was sanctioned last month.
85%: Adnoc has finalized a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) with Shell plc for offtake from its Ruwais LNG project, placing more than 85% of export capacity under contract. A unit of Shell agreed to take up to 1 Mt/y in LNG for 15 years from the Ruwais export project currently under development in the United Arab Emirates. Adnoc, which took a final investment decision on Ruwais in 2024, disclosed that the SPA marks more than 8 Mt/y of the project's 9.6 Mt/y export capacity under long-term contracts.

Feedgas Demand Climbing from Colder Temperatures and Commissioning Volumes | RBN Energy - U.S. LNG feedgas demand continues ticking up as cold temperatures approach, nearing record highs with almost every terminal running at full capacity. Flows averaged 16.7 Bcf/d last week, up from 16.6 Bcf/d the week before, with intake at every terminal except Cameron slightly higher. Plaquemines LNG intake is at near full capacity with all 18 blocks producing LNG. Separately, commissioning progress at Corpus Christi Stage III continues. The project (see picture below), originally planned for seven mini-trains, was expanded by two additional trains earlier this year under the Midscale Expansion Project. Currently, two trains are operating, and a third is expected online before the end of the year. Train 1 achieved first LNG in December 2024 and was placed in service in March. Train 2 achieved its first LNG in June, and construction of Train 3 was nearly finished at the end of October. Train 4 is expected to produce first LNG this month. For more insights about the U.S. LNG industry, check out our LNG Weekly Voyager.

US natgas prices gain 3% to 7-month high on record LNG export flows — U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a seven-month high on Monday on record flows to liquefied natural gas export plants and forecasts for more demand next week than previously expected. Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 14.2 cents, or 3.4%, to settle at $4.266 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since March 11. That price increase kept the front-month in technically overbought territory for a third consecutive day for the first time since early October. With gas futures up about 37% over the past three months and oil futures down about 12% over the same time, the oil-to-gas ratio, the level where oil trades compared with gas, fell to 14-to-1, its lowest since December 2022. On an energy equivalent basis, oil should only trade six times over gas. So far in 2025, crude prices have averaged about 19 times over gas, down from 33 times over gas in 2024 and 21 times over gas during the prior five years (2019-2023). LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states rose to 109.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November, up from 107.0 bcfd in October and a record monthly high of 108.0 bcfd in August. On a daily basis, output rose to a record 109.4 bcfd on Sunday, topping the prior all-time daily high of 109.2 bcfd on July 28. Record output so far this year allowed energy companies to inject more gas into storage than usual. There was about 4% more gas in storage than normal for this time of year. Meteorologists forecast temperatures across the country will remain mostly warmer than normal through November 18, which should limit heating demand. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 108.2 bcfd this week to 114.6 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday, while the forecast for next week was higher. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants rose to 17.2 bcfd so far in November, up from a record 16.6 bcfd in October. Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas was on track to take in more natural gas on Monday, data from financial firm LSEG and company filings with state environmental regulators showed, in a sign that it was back in service after a major outage on Saturday.

US natural gas futures fall 3% on record output, mild weather forecasts — U.S. natural gas futures slid about 3% on Wednesday on record output so far this month, ample amounts of fuel in storage and forecasts for mostly mild weather that should keep heating demand lower than normal through late November. Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 11.1 cents, or 2.6%, to settle at $4.232 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). On Tuesday, the contract closed at its highest level since March 11 for a second day in a row. Despite the price decline, the front-month remained in technically overbought territory for a fifth straight day for the first time since October 2024. Traders noted that prices declined despite record flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants so far this month and forecasts for more demand next week than previously expected. In the cash market, average prices at the Waha Hub in the Permian Shale in West Texas remained in negative territory for a second day in a row as pipeline constraints trapped gas in the nation's biggest oil-producing basin. It was the 24th time Waha prices have dropped below zero this year and compares with an average of $1.34 per mmBtu so far in 2025, 77 cents in 2024, and $2.91 over the previous five years (2019-2023). Waha first averaged below zero in 2019. It did so 17 times in 2019, six times in 2020, once in 2023, and a record 49 times in 2024. LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states rose to 109.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November, up from 107.0 bcfd in October and a record monthly high of 108.0 bcfd in August. Record output so far this year has allowed energy companies to inject more gas into storage than usual. There was about 4% more gas in storage than normal for this time of year. Meteorologists forecast temperatures across the country will remain mostly warmer than normal through November 20, which should limit heating demand. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 108.3 bcfd this week to 118.6 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday, while its forecast for next week was higher. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants rose to 17.4 bcfd so far in November, up from a record 16.6 bcfd in October. Around the world, gas prices traded near $11 per mmBtu at both the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe and the Japan Korea Marker benchmark in Asia.

U.S. Natural Gas Futures Hit 7-Month High on Surging LNG Export Demand --U.S. natural gas futures rose 3% to a seven-month high as LNG export demand neared record levels and storage injections slowed. Record output and strong LNG flows continue to tighten U.S. gas markets heading into winter. (Reuters) — U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a seven-month high on Nov. 6 as near-record flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants boosted demand for the fuel and as a federal report showed last week's storage build was smaller than usual for this time of year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms injected 33 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of gas into storage during the week ended Oct. 31. That figure was in line with the 32-Bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of 68 Bcf during the same week last year and an average build of 42 Bcf over the past five years (2020-2024). Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 12.5 cents, or 3.0%, to settle at $4.357 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). The price increase kept the front-month in technically overbought territory for a sixth straight day for the first time since May 2024. In the cash market, meanwhile, average prices at the Waha Hub in the Permian shale basin in West Texas remained in negative territory for a third day in a row as pipeline constraints trapped gas in the nation's biggest oil-producing basin. LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states has risen to 108.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) so far in November, up from 107.0 Bcf/d in October and a record monthly high of 108.0 Bcf/d in August. Record output so far this year has allowed energy companies to inject more gas into storage than usual. There was about 4% more gas in storage than normal for this time of year. Meteorologists forecast temperatures across the country will remain mostly warmer than normal through Nov. 21, which should limit heating demand. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 108.5 Bcf/d this week to 118.4 Bcf/d next week. Those forecasts were similar to LSEG's outlook on Nov. 5. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants has risen to 17.4 Bcf/d so far in November, up from a record 16.6 Bcf/d in October, and those flows are on track to increase further in coming months. The Imsaikah LNG vessel was moving south across the Indian Ocean toward the Atlantic Ocean and Exxon Mobil/QatarEnergy's 2.4-Bcf/d Golden Pass LNG export plant under construction in Texas, according to LSEG data and analysts' comments. The ship, expected to arrive at Golden Pass around December 1, is carrying LNG from Qatar that traders and analysts say will be used to cool equipment at the plant as part of its commissioning. The facility is expected to start producing and exporting LNG later this year or early next year.

Three U.S. regions each produce more natural gas than most countries -EIA- Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Outlook and Short-Term Energy Outlook

The United States produced 104 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas, 75% more than the world’s second-largest natural gas producer, Russia, in 2023, the most recent year for which we have comprehensive worldwide data on natural gas production.
The United States has been the world’s largest producer of natural gas since 2009. More recently, U.S. natural gas production has increased further, averaging 106 Bcf/d for the first half of 2025 (1H2025).
Three regions in the United States are among the top 10 natural gas-producing areas in the world when ranked independently against other natural gas-producing countries:
- The Appalachia region, in the northeastern United States, encompasses the Marcellus and Utica shale plays and ranked as the second-largest producer with 33 Bcf/d in 2023. More recently, production from the region has continued to average 33 Bcf/d in 1H2025.
- The Permian region, in Texas and New Mexico, ranked fifth worldwide with 21 Bcf/d in 2023. Production from the Permian has since increased to average 25 Bcf/d in 1H2025.
- The Haynesville region, in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, ranked as the eighth-largest natural gas-producing area with 15 Bcf/d in 2023. Production from the Haynesville has declined slightly to average 14 Bcf/d in 1H2025.

Shale Giants Slash Thousands of Jobs as Lower Prices Bite - U.S. oil and gas producers seek efficiencies and cost reductions amid lower oil prices this year compared to 2024 levels.Fresh off multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions in the 2023-2024 period, many major producers in the U.S. shale patch are restructuring businesses and operations. The result so far has been a series of announcements and reports of workforce reductions across geographies and basins.The latest such report came this week, by Reuters, which reported a memo it had seen regarding layoffs at the Canadian business of U.S. oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips.The U.S. firm, one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies based on production and proven reserves, has its Canadian headquarters in Calgary, Alberta. ConocoPhillips Canada develops the Surmont oil sands project in the Athabasca region of northeastern Alberta and opportunities in the unconventional liquids-rich Montney play in northeastern British Columbia. According to the memo on workforce reductions, ConocoPhillips’ employees in Calgary will be notified virtually on November 5, and those in Surmont and Montney will be told in person on the following day, sources told Reuters.“We will not be sharing area-specific workforce numbers for current or impacted employees and contractors,” ConocoPhillips spokesperson Dennis Nuss told Reuters via email.At present, the company employs about 950 people in Canada.The number will shrink later this year and next year as ConocoPhillips and other large oil and gas producers look to streamline structures, eliminate duplicate roles or inefficiencies, and save costs.ConocoPhillips already has plans to slash workforce numbers by up to 25% across functions and geographies to simplify the organization and cut costs.Last year, ConocoPhillips completed its acquisition of Marathon Oil Corporation, in an all-stock deal with an enterprise value of $22.5 billion, including debt.The Marathon Oil transaction was viewed by analysts as ConocoPhillips pursuing scale and size and diversified exposure in several U.S. shale basins.Months before the announcement of the deal, ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance told CNBC in an interview in March 2024, “We have said our industry needs to consolidate.”“There are too many players. Scale matters, diversity matters, and we are going through a natural cycle of that in the business,” Lance added. “It’s healthy for our business. It’s the right thing to be doing for our business,” according to ConocoPhillips’ top executive.The consolidation wave is now receding, and the wave of streamlining and cost-cutting is underway among the major U.S. and European oil firms.The U.S. shale patch is seeing the deepest jobs cuts in three years as producers respond to lower oil prices with slowing drilling activity and greater efficiencies through consolidation and cost cuts.The biggest producers are cutting headcount, in the thousands, following blockbuster acquisitions in recent months.Chevron, which bought Hess Corporation for $53 billion, has said it would reduce its workforce by 20% by the end of 2026 as part of wide cost cuts. This includes 800 jobs in the Permian.ExxonMobil will slash 2,000 jobs worldwide, with nearly half of these cuts at its Canadian business, Imperial Oil.Exxon has already eliminated about 400 jobs in Texassince it acquired Pioneer Natural Resources in a $60-billion deal finalized in May 2024.UK-based BP, which is under intense shareholder pressure to slash costs and reduce debt, said in August that it was accelerating the reduction of contractor numbers and office-based workforce.“Across the supply chain, we’ve delivered around $900 million of savings. Over a third of our supply chain spend reductions seen so far reflect a reduction in contractors, significantly enabled by technology,” BP’s chief financial officer Kate Thomson said on the Q2 earnings call.BP has already reduced contractor numbers by 3,200, and expects a further 1,200 contractors to exit by the end of 2025.“Beyond that, we will continue to rigorously review the remaining contractor activity across our businesses and functions,” Thomson added.An executive at an oilfield services firm said in comments to the latest Dallas Fed Energy Survey last month, “Operators are less prone to utilize outside services and continue to reduce their own workforces.”

Crude Awakening — Cold Fronts, High Pressure, and Low Water in the Houston Ship Channel - The first cold front of the season swept through the Gulf Coast last week, trailing rolling thunderstorms and ushering in a warning of a familiar challenge for shippers and terminal operators: draft restrictions and negative water levels. At the Port of Houston for example, draft limits are set using a “zero tide” reference based on Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) (essentially, the long-term average of the lowest daily tide over a 19-year cycle.) When storms push through, water levels may dip below this reference point, falling to 'negative water level', limiting vessel maneuverability and reducing under keel clearance (UKC). Operators account for such risk by building extra cushion into load plans and closely watching PETSS (Probabilistic Extra-Tropical Storm Surge) water-level forecasts. Failure to account for these changes can quickly escalate into costly disruptions - from scheduling delays and demurrage charges to reduced cargo volumes and hull damage if run aground. Additionally, interference with seaports such as the Port of Houston, where an average of 1.2 MMb/d of crude is exported daily, is not ideal. Although last week's water level warning issued by the Houston Pilots may have been mild, the real test will come as winter tightens its grip in the months ahead. A strong cold front brings denser, high-pressure air that presses down on the water surface. At the same time, prevailing south/southeast winds which normally push water into Galveston Bay often reverse sharply to the north/northwest, blowing water out of the bay instead. The combination of higher pressure and wind reversal can trigger a rapid 1-2 foot drop in water level across Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel within hours.The result? A vessel that’s comfortably within limits one day could suddenly find itself too deep the next. As we move deeper into winter, each passing front will be another test of preparation and adaptability to prevent costly disruptions later in the season.

Hess Midstream Expects Bakken Gas-to-Oil Ratio to Move Higher --Hess Midstream expects its oil volumes to plateau while natural gas volumes increase into at least 2027, a function of Chevron reducing its Bakken rig count from four to three in Q4 2025 and higher gas-to-oil (GOR) ratios in the producing wells, according to the company’s quarterly earnings call on November 3. Executives said Chevron’s decision to keep its Bakken production steady at about 200 Mboe/d was a positive. Chevron has a 37.8% interest in Hess Midstream after its $60 billion acquisition of Hess.“That model works really well for the Hess Midstream model, where we’re focused on long-term execution,” Hess Midstream CFO Mike Chadwick said. “At that level … that provides ongoing free cash flow generation and ongoing financial flexibility.” Hess Midstream said it suspended early engineering activities at its proposed Capa gas processing plant in September and removed the project from its forward plan. Planned for north of Tioga, ND, the plant had a designed capacity of 1.25 Bcf/d. The company’s assets (see map below) are primarily in the Bakken and Three Forks shale plays in the Williston Basin area, one of the most prolific crude oil producing basins in North America.

Pregnant women living near the Aliso Canyon gas blowout were more likely to have babies with low birth weight | UCLA Health

Women in the later stages of pregnancy who lived near the blowout in northwestern L.A. County had a nearly 50% higher-than-expected chance of having a low–birth-weight baby.
Low birth weight has been shown to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood, as well as serious adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease.
The UCLA-led study is the first assessment of the impacts of the 2015–16 disaster.

Women in their final trimester of pregnancy who lived within 6.2 miles of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Field blowout — the largest uncontrolled release of toxic air pollutants from an underground gas storage facility in U.S. history — had a nearly 50% higher-than-expected chance of having a low–birth-weight baby, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. The Aliso Canyon disaster began Oct. 23, 2015, and lasted until Feb. 11, 2016. During those 112 days, approximately 109,000 metric tons of methane and other toxic air pollutants, including benzene and heavy metals, were emitted into the atmosphere near the Porter Ranch neighborhood in northwestern Los Angeles County. Residents reported experiencing foul odors, oily mists and a range of health symptoms both during the blowout and after returning home following evacuations from the area. In their peer-reviewed study, published today in the journal Science Advances, the UCLA researchers reviewed all Los Angeles County birth records from October 2010 to October 2019, a total of more than a million births. The researchers focused on 666 births among women who lived within the 6.2-mile-radius impact zone downwind of the facility and who were exposed to the blowout for at least one month during the last 12 weeks of their pregnancy. Among those births, they found that 64 babies, 9.6%, were born with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds). This compares with 6.6% of babies born with low birth weight in the years prior to the blowout in the impact zone — a 45.5% higher likelihood during the blowout. Across the rest of Los Angeles County, outside the impact zone, 6.8% of babies were born with low birth weight during the period of the blowout; the likelihood was a 41.2% higher for babies born inside the zone. When excluding low–birth-weight babies born prematurely and looking only at low–birth-weight babies born after at least 37 weeks of gestation — called “term low birth weight” — the prevalence was 66% higher than expected for women exposed in their last trimester. Prior to the blowout, 2.7% of babies were born with term low birth weight in the rest of Los Angeles County and 2.6% in the Aliso Canyon impact zone. During the blowout, however, 4.5% of babies in the impact zone were term low birth weight. Thousands of environmental samples taken during and after the blowout showed elevated levels of pollutants known to affect birth weight, including heavy metals and volatile organic compounds such as benzene. At the blowout’s peak, an estimated 58 metric tons of methane were released per hour. This was on par with the daily emissions of 4.5 million cars, the study reported. Low birth weight often correlates with poor fetal growth and nutrition, and hundreds of studies have linked it to in utero pollution exposures. Low birth weight is also associated with developmental and behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and it increases the risk of several leading adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease. The researchers also observed a relationship between proximity to the gas plume and birth weights even within the semi-circular impact zone, which they divided into three sections for comparisons. In the two sections of the impact zone where the gas plume was most concentrated, 11.1% of women exposed during their final trimester of pregnancy had a low–birth-weight baby. This figure was more than 70% higher than the occurrence of low birth weight in the same region prior to the blowout and more than 70% higher than the rest of L.A. County during the blowout. Following the blowout, the prevalence of low–birth-weight babies in the affected area returned to expected levels, the study showed. “Increasing evidence points to in utero and early-life environmental exposures as critical determinants of health through a person’s life,” “Some of the children develop normally, but the risk of all these adverse outcomes goes up when they are born with low birth weight.”

Remote sensing helps confirm Aliso Canyon methane plumes traveled at least 6.2 miles downwind during blowout | UCLA - Using a mix of airborne and satellite images as well as data from ground sensors, a UCLA-led research team has reconstructed how the shape and reach of the methane plumes from the 2015–16 Aliso Canyon gas blowout evolved during the 112-day disaster.Starting from the beginning of the disaster in October and up until the end of the disaster in February, methane plumes from the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility likely reached at least 6.2 miles downwind from the blowout site into the nearby Porter Ranch neighborhood in northwestern Los Angeles County.The study also confirmed earlier estimates of total emissions of nearly 100,000 metric tons of methane during the blowout, which is equivalent to 20% of all of California’s annual methane emissions and double the typical methane emission rate for the Los Angeles Basin. The Aliso Canyon disaster began Oct. 23, 2015, and lasted until Feb. 11, 2016. The UCLA-led Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study team and partners have been working to assess the short- and long-term health effects of the gas blowout, the largest uncontrolled release of toxic air pollutants from an underground gas storage facility in U.S. history. Before properly investigating those health effects, the researchers needed to determine how far from the blowout site the emissions reached and how the distance from the Aliso Canyon facility affected the amount of potential exposure. Determining the reach and intensity of the methane plumes allows the researchers to get a more informed estimate of how many people were potentially affected.The research team reviewed cloud-free images of the site captured by the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites to see where methane was present in the atmosphere early in the blowout event and how far it moved from the source into the nearby areas.Then they used additional images collected later during the blowout — some from the Hyperion satellite and others from an Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), which was flown on an airplane.The final data sets came from the California Air Resources Board’s ground monitors in the Aliso community. The two monitors collected hourly methane concentrations from December 2015 through March 2016. Researchers collected the hourly methane concentrations for the dates and times that aligned with clear-sky remote sensing images to connect and quantify correlation between satellite and ground-based observations.

Fuel spill estimate jumps to over 80,000 litres after Kamloops train derailment--B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Parks now says more than 80,000 litres of jet fuel may have spilled into Kamloops Lake after a train derailed over the weekend. The Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB) says it was informed of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) train derailment close to Cherry Creek around 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1. “The preliminary assessment is that one locomotive and approximately 17 cars, a mix of loaded and empty rail cars, were involved,” the EEB said. “Four of the cars are loaded with fuel, five loaded with gypsum, and one loaded with pulp products. The other rail cars are empty, including three that last contained gasoline.” According to the government’s incident report, the spilled content consisted of aviation fuel and gypsum. On Tuesday, the ministry said response crews removed fuel from one of the rail cars and took the fuel off site. In an update Wednesday evening, it said CPKC removed more product from the one remaining fuel car. Before the first operation, the ministry said, “preliminary estimates suggest approximately 12,700 litres of aviation fuel were released from the rail car to the environment.” After the second operation, it said, “approximately 68,000 litres of aviation fuel was released from this rail car to the environment prior to the production transfer.” “With the estimation from yesterday that 12,700 litres of aviation fuel was spilled from the other rail car, this brings CPKC’s total preliminary estimation of product lost to 80,700 litres between the two rail cars that were carrying aviation fuel.” Michael Grenier, electoral area director for Area J in District, tells 1130 NewsRadio that number is “disturbing.” “Interior Health have advised the people across the lake at Frederick to not drink the water. They are doing testing over there.” Frederick, he says, is a seasonal community, and he estimates it’s occupied by only four to five permanent residents in the current off-season. Grenier explains that “released into the environment,” as the province described, means some of the fuel may have landed on the ground before the water. In a statement to CityNews Tuesday, CPKC said its environmental teams have been on site collaborating. The company claimed, “The leak of fuel has been contained, and containment booms will remain in the water around the site as work on the cleanup and car removal continues.” By the morning after the derailment, the ministry says crews had deployed a containment boom in the water. A second boom, extending the coverage perimeter, was added the following day. When some oil sheen was spotted escaping, the booms were reportedly reinforced, and additional booms were placed downstream. On Monday, crews began to clean up the spill by skimming and applying peat moss and absorbent material. But the EEB says its staff has detected fuel odour at the small community of Frederick, across the lake. As of Wednesday evening, three empty cars “containing residual gasoline remain” at the site. “One is on the slope and two are in the water, secured to the land.” The ministry says EEB staff will be at the site again Thursday. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it is still investigating the cause of the derailment. CPKC says the rail corridor had reopened to train movement by Monday morning after safety inspections. The province says the results of water samples are still pending. As of Wednesday evening, it said CPKC’s preliminary “surface water quality” samples collected on Nov. 2 and 3 have been tested and the results have been forwarded to the Interior Health Authority for interpretation. “Ongoing data collection from sampling events will continue to guide and inform future response actions.” Grenier said Wednesday the district is concerned about the results. “We have four community water systems downstream that need that testing,” Grenier explained, adding that the closest one is only seven kilometres from the spill site. “Downstream communities want absolute certainty that the water at the intake is not compromised, and we need that water tested.”

Enbridge Misses Q3 Profit Estimates on Higher Capital Costs -Enbridge missed third-quarter profit estimates on Friday, pressured by higher financing costs from capital investments including U.S. gas utility acquisitions, sending its shares down nearly 2% in premarket trading. The Calgary-based pipeline operator had bought three Dominion Energy utilities last year — East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas and Public Service Co of North Carolina — in a $14 billion deal, including debt. It reported adjusted core profit of C$2.31 billion ($1.65 billion) from its liquid pipelines unit, down from C$2.34 billion a year earlier, due to lower contributions from the Flanagan South and Spearhead pipelines. The company's Mainline system, the largest pipeline network in North America, saw third-quarter adjusted core profit marginally fall to C$1.34 billion due to lower toll pricing. The system has the capacity to move 3 million barrels per day of crude from Western Canada to markets in Eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest. Enbridge sanctioned roughly C$3 billion in new projects during the quarter and its growth backlog now sits at about C$35 billion. It reaffirmed its 2025 adjusted core profit to be between C$19.4 billion and C$20.0 billion. The company said it did not expect tariffs to have a material impact on its current operations or deployment of capital, but would continue to monitor trade developments.

Second Train at LNG Canada Comes Online, Boosting Global Supplies Heading Into Winter -LNG Canada has started producing the super-chilled fuel from its second liquefaction train months after the first unit came online and started sending additional cargoes into a loosening global market. Table titled “Other North America LNG Netback Prices” showing November 6, 2025 data for LNG netbacks to Western Canada, Costa Azul, Cove Point, and Transco Zone 5 versus NGI’s AECO, SoCal Border, and Waha forward prices. The chart highlights large differentials, with average Western Canada netbacks near $10.15/MMBtu and AECO forwards at $2.23/MMBtu, indicating strong LNG export margins across North America.At A Glance:
Full capacity expected next year
Over 20 cargoes exported since startup
Other Canadian projects on track

Cedar LNG Deal Marks Next Step for Petronas in North America - Malaysia’s Petronas is increasing its investment in North American natural gas with offtake from an additional Canadian export project.Line chart showing daily natural gas prices for Henry Hub, NOVA/AECO C, and Westcoast Station 2 from November 2024 to November 2025, with Henry Hub in dark blue, NOVA/AECO C in gold, and Westcoast Station 2 in light blue. Prices spike in early 2025 before stabilizing midyear. Source: NGI’s Daily Gas Price Index. At A Glance:
North American supply up 1 Mt/y
Cedar LNG targeting LNG for 2028
Pembina to finalize 0.5 Mt/y deal

Imperial Continues to Push Oil Sands Production to New Highs | RBN Energy -Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest integrated oil companies, reported its third quarter earnings on October 31. The company’s oil output consists exclusively of oil sands (bitumen) and synthetic crude oil (upgraded bitumen). Its bitumen operations are focused on its Kearl mine and Cold Lake thermal operations. Synthetic crude oil is produced via its share agreement in the Syncrude upgrader (58.74% Suncor, 25% Imperial, 9.03% Sinopec, 7.23% CNOOC). Imperial is owned ~69.6% by ExxonMobil.

The Kearl mine produced a record 316 Mb/d of bitumen in the third quarter (Imperial 71%: 224 Mb/d, ExxonMobil 29%: 92 Mb/d). The company remains ahead of its plans to expand output from Kearl with targeted upside from current levels of 50 Mb/d by 2030.
Cold Lake operations averaged 150 Mb/d as several expansion projects continue to be optimized. The company is targeting output growth of upwards of 25 Mb/d by 2030 with additional upside potential.
Syncrude operations recorded 78 Mb/d in the quarter. Further expansion is possible as the Syncrude partnership pursues expansion of mined bitumen via the Milred Lake mine extension with Imperial targeting its share of output at ~85 Mb/d by 2030.

Imperial’s latest production results remain ahead of schedule, especially for its Kearl asset. The company’s planned expansions of Kearl and its Cold Lake operations (green bordered area in table below) remain an integral component of RBN’s view that crude oil production in Western Canada can grow in the range of 500 Mb/d by 2030 (final row in red text).

Sempra Nears Launch at Mexico’s Energía Costa Azul LNG Terminal --A new source of demand for Permian Basin natural gas is close to reality as Sempra’s Energía Costa Azul (ECA) LNG terminal in Mexico nears completion.Aerial photograph of Sempra’s Energía Costa Azul LNG terminal near Ensenada, Mexico. The image shows two large LNG storage tanks, processing infrastructure, and a marine jetty extending into the Pacific Ocean where an LNG carrier is docked. Source: Sempra Infrastructure.At A Glance:
ECA commissioning moves into final phase
Port Arthur LNG construction on track
Ecogas sale bids set by year-end

Milei’s Midterm Victory Reflects ‘Renewed Mandate’ for Reform as Argentina Eyes Natural Gas Growth - Argentina is gaining traction as a destination for investment in natural gas production and infrastructure, a trend underscored by libertarian President Javier Milei’s decisive midterm triumph.Chart showing Argentina’s natural gas production by type and sub-type from January 2024 through September 2025, divided into conventional, shale, and tight gas. Production peaks around mid-2024 and mid-2025, with unconventional gas (shale and tight combined) accounting for about 60–65% of total output. Data compiled by NGI from Argentina’s Energy Secretariat. At A Glance:
Milei allies carry ‘all major economic provinces’
LNG, pipeline projects sanctioned
Legislative reforms seen as long lasting

Ecuador's Petroecuador faces new emergency in its main oil pipeline - (UPI) -- The state-owned oil company Petroecuador has declared an emergency in the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System, or SOTE, its main crude transport line, after landslides triggered by activity from the El Reventador volcano in the Amazonian province of Napo. The measure will accelerate mitigation work and allow urgent contracts to protect infrastructure from the risk of spills and structural damage, the newspaper Primicias reported. The SOTE, which carries more than 60% of Ecuador's oil from Amazonian fields to the port of Esmeraldas, runs through one of the country's most unstable areas that also is affected by regressive erosion from the Coca River. According to a Petroecuador resolution signed by general manager Leonard Bruns, the event was classified as "unforeseeable" under the Public Procurement Law because of the combined effects of volcanic activity, heavy rainfall and unstable terrain. It is the second emergency declared this year along the same section of the pipeline. In July, erosion at the confluence of the Coca and Loco rivers forced operations to shut down for nearly a month on both the SOTE and the OCP, Ecuador's second major oil pipeline operated by a private company. The stoppage sharply reduced national production and caused losses of more than $100 million due to halted exports. Although the new emergency has not completely stopped the flow of crude, Petroecuador warned of imminent risks if erosion and volcanic activity continue to advance. Technicians are working on "Variant No. 10" of the SOTE, a two-kilometer detour in the area at which the Coca and Loco rivers meet, considered one of Ecuador's most geologically vulnerable zones. Petroecuador said its goal is to prevent a rupture in the pipeline and ensure the continued transport of about 330,000 barrels per day -- Ecuador's main source of exports and foreign revenue. Each day of suspension could mean losses exceeding $20 million, according to official estimates based on the average price of Oriente crude. The emergency declaration, in effect for 60 days, allows direct contracts for specialized work and services without the usual bidding deadlines. Petroecuador said the projects will include slope stabilization, drainage, pipeline reinforcement and continuous monitoring of the erosion front, as well as installing an early warning system for nearby communities. Since 2020, regressive erosion of the Coca River has shifted its course several miles upstream, destroying roads, bridges and sections of both state and private pipelines. Experts warn that unless the ground is stabilized and the pipeline route redesigned, the risk of further disruptions will remain. "We are acting with the utmost urgency to protect the infrastructure and prevent a major environmental impact," Petroecuador said in a statement, stressing that the emergency is meant to prevent damage, not respond to one that has already occurred. In 2025, Ecuador's oil production has ranged between 400,000 and 450,000 barrels per day following the July shutdowns of the SOTE and OCP pipelines, down from 467,000 barrels per day before the emergency. The government aims to close the year at around 500,000 barrels per day if mitigation work and new investments prove effective. During the first half of this year, oil accounted for only 24.2% of Ecuador's exports, compared with 31.2% a year earlier.

Europe’s LNG buildout slows amid anticipated decline in gas demand | Hydrocarbon Engineering -Europe’s construction of LNG import terminals is losing momentum, indicating that countries across the continent overestimated future gas demand, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has reported. So far in 2025, Germany has shut down or shelved terminals, while a court has ordered another in France to leave the port of Le Havre as the terminal has been sitting idle for more than a year. Europe’s LNG regasification increased by 13% in 2023 and 8% in 2024. It will rise by 2% this year, according to the updated European LNG Tracker from the IEEFA. The deceleration in Europe’s LNG terminal buildout comes as IEEFA expects the continent’s gas consumption and LNG imports to fall by 15% and 20%, respectively, between 2025 and 2030. “Europe has installed or expanded 19 LNG terminals since the beginning of 2022 as it pivots away from imports of Russian pipeline gas. Yet a series of recent terminal cancellations and closures suggests that European countries have overstated the continent’s LNG demand,” said Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, Lead Energy Analyst, Europe, at IEEFA. “European countries that continue to build or expand LNG terminals risk investing in unnecessary infrastructure as the energy transition accelerates.” Europe has increased its reliance on LNG imports in 2025 after Russian gas pipeline flows via Ukraine ended on 1 January. Europe’s LNG imports jumped by 24% year on year in 1H25 as gas demand rose. The US has reinforced its position as Europe’s main supplier of LNG. European imports of US LNG increased by 46% year on year in 1H25. This meant the country accounted for 57% of the continent’s LNG imports. Terminal updates so far in 2025 include a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) stopping operations at Germany’s Mukran port about one year after it was commissioned. In France, a court has ruled that an FSRU at the port of Le Havre should be removed, in part because of the terminal’s low utilisation rate and the country’s declining gas consumption. TotalEnergies commissioned the terminal in October 2023, but it has not been used since August 2024. Elsewhere, a technical issue at a terminal in Greece reduced its utilisation rate to 2% in 1H25, while commissioning delays led Germany to sublet an FSRU to Jordan. “The LNG industry often touts the role of LNG terminals in securing energy supply. Europe’s recent experience of terminal delays and technical issues challenges this notion. Reducing gas consumption has been pivotal in providing energy security,” said Jaller-Makarewicz. Europe’s imports of Russian LNG increased by 2% year on year in 1H25, meaning they reached a record high for any half-year period. The EU continues to increase its imports of Russian LNG despite sanctioning the country’s LNG operations. While the EU will ban imports of Russian LNG from January 2027, the bloc’s imports of LNG from the country rose by 7% year on year in 1H25. France accounted for 41% of Europe’s imports of Russian LNG in 1H25, followed by Belgium (28%), Spain (20%), the Netherlands (9%), and Portugal (2%). From the beginning of 2022 to June 2025, EU countries spent about €120 billion on pipeline gas and LNG imports from Russia.

TotalEnergies Working to Limit JKM Exposure as LNG Prices Weaken amid Rising Supplies -TotalEnergies SE expects to earn less on its LNG sales in the fourth quarter as more supplies hit the market, natural gas prices fall and crude oil demand remains weak. BP boosts spending on oil and gas while trimming investment growth in transition businesses under its revised capital plan. At A Glance:
LNG sales price falling as market loosens
Mozambique LNG poised to restart
$2 billion of divestments planned

Japan to Start Buying LNG for Emergency Reserve -- Japan will start buying liquefied natural gas for an emergency reserve from January next year, Reuters has reported, citing two unnamed sources from the country’s trade and industry ministry.The purchases aim to boost Japan’s Strategic Buffer LNG program at a monthly rate of at least 70,000 tons, the sources told Reuters, for a total of at least 840,000 tons for 2026. Over the last two years, Japan has been buying LNG at a rate of 210,000 tons annually, the publication noted. Japan is the world’s second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas due to its energy commodity scarcity. These imports recently came into the spotlight after the United States stepped up the pressure on Russia’s energy industry and buyers of Russian energy commodities, urging them to switch to U.S. energy instead. Initially, Japan told Washington it would find it difficult to replace Russian gas from the Sakhalin-2 project, in which Japanese firms Mitsui and Mitsubishi hold minority stakes, saying it was crucial for the country’s energy security.Later, however, executives from some of Japan’s biggest utilities said they believed that they would be able to find an alternative gas supply in case they were no longer able to import Russian LNG. JERA, which imports LNG from Sakhalin-2 under contracts expiring in 2026 and 2029, can tap alternative supply, and “there is a good chance that we will be able to do something” if it has to halt imports of Russian LNG, Naohiro Maekawa, an executive officer at the utility, said last month. JERA will now buy at least one LNG cargo every month for the Strategic Buffer LNG program, the ministry sources told Reuters. If unused, the cargoes would either be used domestically or resold, the sources also said.“Shifting to a monthly basis is not directly related to Russian energy issues, but it enables us to respond to any emergency situation,” one of the unnamed officials said.

Oil Demand to Rise Through 2032 as Energy Transition Stalls | OilPrice.com

Global demand for crude oil is projected to continue increasing until at least 2032, according to a Wood Mackenzie report, indicating that the world is significantly off track in meeting its Paris Agreement goals.
Despite trillions of dollars invested in the energy transition, fossil fuels—oil, coal, and natural gas—still satisfy approximately 80% of the world’s primary energy needs due to their widespread availability, cost-competitiveness, and deep integration into the energy system.
The report suggests that the energy transition has slowed down because alternative energy sources like wind and solar face challenges such as weather dependence, output variability, and higher true costs when accounting for backup generation and storage.

Global demand for crude oil is going to continue on an upward trajectory until at least 2032, Wood Mackenzie has warned in a new report that says the world is way off track in meeting its Paris Agreement goals. The drivers: transport and petrochemicals.The report will not come as a surprise to those following energy development closely over the past five years or so, as efforts to put the world—or at least parts of it—on the path to an energy system whose emissions of carbon dioxide are equal to the emissions it absorbs and stores first intensified and then slowed down. Meanwhile, despite trillions of dollars being spent on that transition, oil, coal, and natural gas continue to satisfy around 80% of the world’s primary energy needs.“Fossil fuels are widely available, cost-competitive and deeply embedded in the energy system,” Wood Mackenzie said in its report. This might be a little puzzling in the context of frequently repeated claims that wind and solar power generation is no cheaper than generation from hydrocarbons and that over the long term, electric cars are cheaper than internal combustion engine vehicles.It is worth remembering, however, that the cost of both power generation and vehicles can be calculated in different ways, yielding different results. For wind and solar, for instance, the preferred cost calculation is based on a metric dubbed levelized cost of energy, LCOE ignores a lot of the costs associated with electricity generated by wind or solar installations by excluding, among others, the cost of backup generation capacity that kicks in when the wind dies down or the suns sets—and that cost of backup capacity keeps going higher because hydrocarbon generators are penalized by being made to pay for their carbon emissions.This is, put simply, why the transition has slowed down recently and the ultimate net-zero target remains far from sight. This is also why oil, gas, and coal remain cost-competitive even with all the carbon levies that transition-enthusiastic governments are throwing at the energy industry. Wood Mackenzie remains hopeful, however, outlining several scenarios for the future. The only ones ending with a net-zero energy system, however, require a massive increase in the money spent on decarbonizing the global economy.Global investment needs to rise to $4.3 trillion per year over the period to 2060, Wood Makenzie said in its report, adding the money would go towards funding projects in the power generation, grid, upstream, critical minerals, and “new technologies” fields. “Achievable, but only with a global alignment for scaling investment that is currently lacking,” the consultancy warned. Theoretically, a lot of things may look achievable from where Wood Mackenzie stands. In practice, it has been a major challenge to get governments from different parts of the world to agree on a transition at all. And even after they agreed, many are pursuing energy security rather than a transition, as evidenced by the fact that it is not just oil and gas demand growing: coal demand is growing as well, even though there are lower-emission alternatives to what is widely known as the dirtiest hydrocarbon of all. In fact, coal demand hit an all-time high last year, despite years of decarbonization efforts, the massive surge in wind and solar installations and the record sales of electric cars—and it might break this record this year.Because of this real-life context, Wood Mackenzie described a base-case scenario that has hydrocarbons continue to cover the bulk of global energy demand over the observable future, with wind and solar only going towards covering additional, new demand. Yet in fairness, they cannot cover all the incremental demand as evidenced by the rush to build new baseload generation and extend the life of existing power plants as demand for electricity from data centers soars. In other words, oil, gas, and coal demand growth may remain a fixture of the global energy system for even longer than 2032.In short, the energy transition is not happening as planned because it could not happen as planned unless countries spend most of their money singularly on transition-related activities. By the way, the European Union has been trying to do just that in the past three years—and failing so far. The only thing that transition advocates have to show for their effort is energy cost inflation and less reliable electricity supply—except in China where wind and solar are solidly backed up with massive coal capacity.

The Illusion of Indefinite Growth and Its Economic Consequences - Gail Tverberg --Economists, actuaries, and others tend to make forecasts as if whatever current situation exists will continue indefinitely or will perhaps improve a bit. No one wants to consider the possibility that things will somehow change for the worse. Politicians want to get re-elected. University presidents want their students to believe that their degrees will be truly useful in the future. Absolutely no one wants to hear unfavorable predictions. The issue I see is that many promises were made during the period between the end of World War II and 1973, when oil prices were very low, and most people assumed that oil supply could grow endlessly. No one stopped to think that this was a temporary situation that likely could not be repeated. If things didn’t work out as planned, debt bubbles could bring down the economy. This was a heading I used in my talk at the recent Minnesota Degrowth Summit: Our economy has been built as if a growing supply of $20 oil (EROI of 50 – 100) would continue! Simply add more debt if this isn’t true. In this post, I will provide a few highlights from my recent talk. I also provide a link to a PDF of my Degrowth Summit talk and a link to a Vimeo recording of the summit, which includes a transcript. To access the transcript and an outline of the timings of the various talks, scroll down on the front page of the recording. Joseph Tainter spoke first; there was a recorded section showing clips by other speakers that only online viewers saw, and I spoke last (starting at about 1:55 on the video).

Russia’s oil revenues plunge amid sanctions, falling prices --Russia’s oil and gas revenues fell sharply in October, highlighting growing pressures on the country’s federal budget. According to the Finance Ministry, taxes collected from oil and gas producers totaled 888.6 billion rubles ($9.7 billion) last month, a 27% decline compared with October 2024. Revenue from the mineral extraction tax, a key budget source, also dropped 26% year-on-year to 671.3 billion rubles, Caliber.Azreports , citing Russian media. Over the first ten months of 2025, total oil and gas income reached 7.5 trillion rubles, down 2 trillion from 9.54 trillion in the same period last year. The decline has accelerated steadily, from 14% in the first five months to 21% by October. The downturn is attributed to a combination of falling crude prices, a stronger ruble, and tightening Western sanctions. In late October, the US imposed new restrictions targeting Russia’s largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, which together account for roughly half of the country’s crude exports, or 2.2 million barrels per day. Approximately 70% of Russia’s seaborne oil exports are now affected by these sanctions. Analyst Vladimir Chernov of Freedom Finance Global noted that “a 5–10% drop in Rosneft and Lukoil exports combined with wider discounts on Russian crude could cost the state budget up to 120 billion rubles ($1.3 billion) per month.” Adding to the pressure, Russia’s Urals crude averaged $53.99 per barrel in October, well below the government’s initial forecast of $70 and a later revision to $56. Economist Yegor Susin warned that revenue shortfalls could worsen in November and December if prices remain low. The 2025 budget had initially projected 10.94 trillion rubles in oil and gas revenue, with 1.8 trillion earmarked for the National Wealth Fund. With the revised outlook now at 8.6 trillion rubles, the government plans to offset the shortfall through higher taxes on non-oil sectors, a VAT hike to 22%, increased small-business levies, and an ambitious 12-trillion-ruble borrowing plan. Forecasts for 2026–2028 show revenues remaining well below 2024 levels, signaling sustained fiscal challenges.

Oil prices edge higher after OPEC+ pauses output hikes - Gulf Times -Oil prices rose in early Asian trading on Monday after OPEC+ announced a pause in output hikes during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting a cautious stance amid ongoing demand uncertainty.Brent Crude gained 0.47% to trade at $65.24 per barrel, after closing $0.07 higher on Friday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 0.45% to $61.43 per barrel.During an online meeting on Sunday, eight OPEC+ member states agreed to raise production by 137,000 barrels per day in December 2025, consistent with the increases implemented in October and November. The group subsequently announced a pause on further output hikes for January, February, and March 2026, citing "seasonality" and typically weaker demand during the first quarter. Both Brent and WTI fell by more than 2% in October, marking their third consecutive monthly decline and hitting their lowest levels in five months on October 20, amid concerns about oversupply and economic uncertainty linked to potential US tariff measures.

Oil Prices Rise As OPEC+ Moves To Prevent Oversupply Amid Global Tensions - Crude oil prices climbed on Monday following an announcement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) to temporarily halt further production hikes in a bid to avert a potential oversupply in global markets. The group’s decision comes amid concerns over slowing demand and heightened geopolitical tensions linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which have increased volatility in energy markets. At the start of trading, Brent crude rose by 1% to $65.21 per barrel, compared to the previous close of $64.57, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) increased by 1.1% to $61.37 per barrel. OPEC+ announced that eight of its member nations—Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman—will increase oil production by 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December but pause further increases from January to March 2026 to prevent a potential supply glut. The decision follows a similar 137,000 bpd output hike approved for November, signaling a gradual rollback of the 1.65 million bpd voluntary production cuts made in April 2023. The organization described the move as consistent with “healthy market fundamentals” supported by low global stockpiles. OPEC+ reiterated its pledge to monitor global oil demand trends closely and maintain flexibility to adjust output depending on market shifts. The group also reaffirmed the continuation of 2.2 million bpd voluntary cuts first introduced in November 2023. Analysts say the decision highlights OPEC+’s efforts to manage market stability amid uncertain conditions. “This period is typically one of reduced demand,” “By pausing further hikes, OPEC+ is signaling an awareness that the market may struggle to absorb additional supply—especially if disruptions to Russian exports are short-lived.” Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensified over the weekend, with both nations targeting critical energy infrastructure as winter approaches. According to Ukrainian officials, overnight Russian drone strikes triggered a fire at a truck parking area in the Odesa region, killing two people and disrupting energy supplies. Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that nearly 58,000 residents in Zaporizhzhia lost power following the attacks. Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted 67 out of 79 drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched by Russia. In southern Russia, authorities in Krasnodar reported damage to an oil terminal and tanker in the port of Tuapse after debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones fell on the site. Emergency services confirmed there were no casualties but noted that a nearby railway station also sustained minor damage. As geopolitical risks escalate, energy analysts say oil prices may remain supported in the near term despite concerns about slowing consumption.

Production Increases to Hold Off in First Quarter of Next Year - The oil market ended the session higher on Monday but continued to trade within last Tuesday’s trading range after OPEC+ decided to increase its oil output by 137,000 bpd in December and to hold off production increases in the first quarter of next year, easing fears of an oversupply. The market gapped slightly higher from $61.38 to $61.40, which it quickly backfilled, before it traded to a high of $61.50. However, the market gave up some of its gains and sold off to a low of $60.51 by mid-morning amid some weak factory data in Asia. The crude market later bounced off its low and traded back towards its high before it settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The December WTI contract settled up 7 cents at $61.05 and the January Brent contract settled up 12 cents at $64.89. The product markets ended the session in negative territory, with the heating oil market settling down 2.59 cents at $2.4053 and the RB market settling down 77 points at $1.9161. On Sunday, OPEC+ agreed on a small oil output increase for December and a pause in increases in the first quarter of next year as the producers’ group moderates plans to regain market share due to increasing fears of a supply glut. The eight OPEC+ members taking part in the group’s monthly meeting, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Kazakhstan and Algeria, agreed to increase December output targets by 137,000 bpd, the same as for October and November. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Deputy Secretary, James Danly, said that he does not think there will be an oil glut in 2026. Speaking at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi, he said “We have a demand signal for energy that is going up rapidly.” The U.S. Department of Energy’s Deputy Secretary also said that the impact of Russian sanctions will not be felt drastically by allies and friends. He said that it is difficult to predict the effects of the sanctions. The heads of some of Europe’s biggest energy producers also challenged forecasts of an oil supply glut next year, pointing to increasing demand and easing production. Speaking at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi Eni CEO, Claudio Descalzi, said “I don’t think we can have an excess of supply in 2026.” TotalEnergies CEO, Patrick Pouyanne, said annual oil demand growth was increasing steadily at around 1%. He added that while China’s demand growth has halved compared to five years ago, India is emerging as a new driver in demand. Murray Auchincloss, BP’s CEO, said oil supply growth outside OPEC+ could decline by April. He said prices, which have fallen by about 13% so far this year, would depend on OPEC+ production decisions, Chinese stockpiling and the impact of trade sanctions. He added that the industry has to expand in countries such as Abu Dhabi, Iraq and Libya to keep up with demand growth. OPEC Secretary-General, Haitham Al Ghais, said that the group was still seeing positive signs for oil demand and did not expect any surprises in the market. He said “We are making sure we maintain the supply demand balance.” United Arab Emirates Energy Minister, Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei, when asked about the possibility of an oil glut in 2026, said that all current observations indicate strong demand in the year ahead, speaking at the ADIPEC energy conference.

Oil prices steady despite OPEC+ plans to pause output increases (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady on Monday as the market balanced the latest OPEC+ supply increase with the group's plans to pause output increases in the first quarter of 2026 along with fears of an oil supply glut and weak factory data in Asia. Brent crude futures rose 12 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $64.89 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 7 cents, or 0.1%, to settle at $61.05. OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers, agreed on Sunday to raise output by a small 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December. OPEC+ also agreed to pause increases in the first quarter of next year. "Any negative price implications from OPEC’s furtherance of this quarter’s 137,000 bpd production increase were offset by the cartel’s suggested pause in output advances after the end of this year," On Monday, Morgan Stanley raised its Brent crude forecast for the first half of 2026 to $60 a barrel from $57.50, citing the decision by OPEC+ to pause quota hikes in the first quarter of next year and recent on Russian oil assets. Last month, the International Energy Agency said the global oil market faces a surplus next year of as much as 4 million bpd. OPEC expects global oil supply and demand to balance next year. European oil CEOs at a conference in Abu Dhabi cautioned against being too bearish on oil. Analysts at RBC, a Canadian bank, said Russia remains a supply wild card after U.S. sanctions on Russian producers Rosneft and Lukoil and attacks on energy infrastructure. Headwinds for Asia's big manufacturing hubs persisted in October, business surveys showed on Monday. Asia is the world's biggest oil-consuming region. Chinese oil demand growth has slowed since 2020 as the country transitions to greener energy, oil major TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Monday. He said he remained optimistic long-term due to rising demand in India. A strong U.S. dollar weighed on oil prices by making crude more expensive for buyers using other currencies. The dollar hovered at a three-month high against a basket of peers. Federal Reserve officials kept pressing competing views of risks facing the U.S. economy, and the debate should intensify ahead of the central bank's next policy meeting in the absence of data suspended due to the federal . Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said on Monday he's in no hurry to cut interest rates again with inflation still too far above the central bank's 2% target. San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly on Monday said she supported the U.S. central bank's last week, and will want to sift through incoming data to assess if another reduction in borrowing costs is warranted at the December 9-10 meeting. Lower interest rates can boost economic growth and oil demand by reducing costs for consumers. U.S. manufacturing contracted for an eighth straight month in October as new orders remained subdued, and suppliers were taking longer to deliver materials to factories against the backdrop of tariffs on imported goods. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out air strikes to stop what he called the killing of large numbers of Christians in the West African country, an OPEC member and Africa's biggest oil producer.

Oil Prices Slide As Weak US Manufacturing Outlook Dampens Global Demand SentimentGlobal oil prices fell on Tuesday as concerns over weak fuel demand in the United States weighed heavily on market sentiment. The decline followed disappointing manufacturing data that pointed to an extended slowdown in industrial activity — coinciding with the country’s longest-running government shutdown. Adding to downward pressure, eight member countries of the OPEC+ alliance — including both OPEC and non-OPEC producers — postponed previously planned output increases for early next year, a move interpreted by traders as an acknowledgment of potential oversupply risks. Brent crude futures slipped 0.4% to $64.56 per barrel from Monday’s $64.81 close, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also dropped 0.4% to $60.66 per barrel. The OPEC+ coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia and including Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, had initially agreed to increase production by 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December. However, according to OPEC’s statement, the next phase of the output adjustment will now take effect in March 2026 instead of January, due to seasonal considerations. The postponement — part of a gradual unwinding of the 1.65 million bpd voluntary output cuts introduced in April 2023 — triggered renewed speculation that global oil supply could outpace demand next year. Despite this, the alliance reiterated its commitment to flexibility, pledging to pause or reverse policy shifts if market conditions require. On the demand side, weak US economic data added to the bearish outlook. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that its manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 48.7 in October, signaling continued contraction for the eighth consecutive month. Analysts say this points to sluggish industrial activity and weaker fuel consumption during the winter season. Investors are also monitoring the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) upcoming weekly crude inventory report for fresh supply cues. Market data shows that speculative traders increased their net long positions in ICE Brent by 119,046 contracts last week, leaving a total of 171,567 long positions as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, Russia — one of the world’s top diesel exporters — faces ongoing production disruptions due to Western sanctions and Ukrainian drone attacks targeting its refining infrastructure. This has intensified uncertainty in the global middle distillate market. According to Baker Hughes’ latest report, active US oil rig counts declined by six to 414 last week, reflecting continued pressure on drilling activity amid softer prices. Still, data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that US crude production reached a record 13.79 million bpd in August, up 2.9% year-on-year. Analysts warn that expectations of an oversupplied market in 2026 could limit US production growth, keeping global oil prices under sustained downward pressure.

Oil Prices Fall Towards $60 As Supply Fears Mount -Oil prices fell on Tuesday morning as concerns about oversupply increased after OPEC’s decision to pause supply hikes and as a stronger U.S. dollar eased buying from holders of other currencies. As of 8:44 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the U.S. benchmark price, WTI Crude, was flirting with the sub-$60 a barrel price it reached two weeks ago after the Trump Administration slapped sanctions on Russia’s biggest oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil. The U.S. benchmark crude futures were trading down by 1.44% at $60.17. The international benchmark, Brent Crude, slipped below $65 per barrel as it was down by 1.22% on the day at $64.10.After weak trading on Monday during which traders sought to decipher what OPEC’s latest move means, speculators appeared to have decided by Tuesday that the pause in output hikes is bearish as OPEC+ is likely seeking to prevent a price collapse in case the glut fears materialize. On Sunday, the eight OPEC+ producers who have been withholding supply to the market decided to pause their reversal of the production cuts in the first quarter of 2026, after a small increase in December. Citing “seasonality” and historically weaker demand in the first quarter of any year, OPEC said it would halt the production increases in January, February, and March. “(The) market may see this as the first sign of acknowledgement of potential oversupply situation from the OPEC+ front, who have so far remained very bullish on demand trends and ability of market to absorb the extra barrels,” Suvro Sarkar, energy sector team lead at DBS Bank, told Reuters on Tuesday. OPEC+ continues to publicly project a bullish view of the market balances. One of the OPEC+ producers party to the deal to unwind the cuts, the UAE, on Monday dismissed fears of a glut, with its Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei saying “I’m not going to talk about an oversupply scenario. I can’t see that.” A stronger U.S. dollar also added to the downward pressure on oil prices early on Tuesday.

Oil settles lower on stronger dollar, fears of oversupply (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower on Tuesday as weaker manufacturing numbers and a stronger dollar weighed on demand, while the OPEC+ decision to pause output hikes in the first quarter of next year could signal the group's concern about a potential supply glut. Brent crude futures closed 45 cents, or 0.7% lower at $64.44 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 49 cents, or 0.8%, at $60.56. "Crude futures are feeling the pressure today from high U.S. dollar valuation. The U.S. stock market is also seeing a heavy downside correction in the early trade as the government shutdown may be beginning to add downside pressure, which could eventually hurt domestic fuel demand," The dollar climbed to a four-month high against the euro on Tuesday as raised doubt about the prospect of another rate cut this year. A stronger U.S. currency makes dollar-priced assets such as oil more expensive to those holding other currencies. Wall Street fell sharply following warnings of a market selloff from some big U.S. banks. The U.S. entered its 35th day, matching a record set during President Donald Trump's first term for The toll is mounting. Food assistance for the poor was halted for the first time, federal workers from airports to law enforcement and the military are going unpaid and the economy is flying blind with limited government reporting. In Asia, Japan's manufacturing activity shrank in October at the fastest pace in 19 months, a private-sector survey showed. French oil major TotalEnergies expects global oil demand to rise until 2040 before declining gradually as energy security concerns and a lack of political coordination slow efforts to cut emissions, it said in its annual energy outlook report. On Sunday, OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers, agreed to a small oil output increase for December and a pause in increases in the first quarter of 2026. On Tuesday, a Reuters survey found that OPEC's oil output rose further in October after an OPEC+ agreement to raise production. The scale of the increase slowed sharply from and the summer months. The boost to oil prices from the U.S. sanctions on Russian energy companies Lukoil and Rosneft was fading, . "Come Nov 21 when the sanctions (on other companies that continue to trade with the Russian companies) go into force they will likely evaporate, disappear or be pushed out in time." Market participants are now awaiting the latest U.S. inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), due later in the day. A preliminary Reuters poll showed U.S. crude oil stockpiles were expected to have risen last week.

Oil Prices Drift Lower as Demand Weakness Weighs on Markets -Oil prices slipped modestly in early Asian trading on Wednesday, with the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) down 0.71% to $60.13 and Brent crude trading 0.62% lower at $64.04. The subdued tone reflects a market caught between weak demand signals and lingering supply concerns. On the demand side, investors remain cautious about global growth prospects, especially in Asia, where slower industrial activity and weaker energy consumption are weighing on outlooks. At the same time, a firm U.S. dollar is adding pressure by making dollar-priced crude less attractive to holders of other currencies.Against this backdrop, OPEC+ is attempting to control supply by committing to a pause in output hikes in early 2026 after a modest addition scheduled for December. Recent price movements, however, suggest OPEC+ discipline is unlikely to provide meaningful near-term support if demand fails to strengthen. On the inventory front, data from the American Petroleum Institute showed unexpected builds in U.S. crude stocks, adding to bearish sentiment. Rising U.S. inventories often signal softer refiner demand or weaker flows into storage, either of which can dampen price momentum. Moreover, global oil markets are seeing signs of mild oversupply as non-OPEC production continues to grow and refiners in Asia are absorbing fewer incremental barrels.The early Asian session thus reflected constrained upside. Traders appear reluctant to push prices higher without a compelling demand catalyst or a surprise supply disruption. The market appears to be in a holding pattern, waiting for clearer signals one way or another. Looking ahead, today's inventory report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and fresh macroeconomic data from Asia will be watched closely. Any indication of sharper demand deterioration could push prices lower, while a surprise draw or a geopolitical disruption in Venezuela or even Nigeria could spark an uptick.

WTI Holds Losses After Big Crude Build, Record US Production Oil prices weakened for a second session early on Wednesday as a report showed an unexpected surge in U.S. oil inventories, keeping demand and over-supply concerns top of mind for traders."API data indicated the largest US crude inventory build in more than three months, with stockpiles rising by 6.5 million barrels last week. If confirmed by the EIA later today, it would mark the biggest gain since late July," Saxo Bank noted.The unexpected rise in stocks comes amid persistent warnings the oil market is oversupplied as rising production from OPEC+ and Western Hemisphere producers climbs above demand growth. The concerns were amplified by OPEC+'s weekend decision to hike supply for a third month by 137,000 barrels per day in December, following on the September end to the return of 2.2-million bpd of production cuts.The question now, is will the official data confirm API's worrying build. API

Crude +6.5mm
Cushing +400k
Gasoline -5.7mm
Distillates -2.5mm

DOE

Crude +5.2mm - biggest build since July
Cushing +300k
Gasoline -4.7mm
Distillates -643k

The official data confirmed API's large crude build (biggest weekly addition since July) but we are also seeing product inventory drawdowns for a fifth straight week. Graphs Source: Bloomberg. There was a fairly chunky lurch in the adjustment number last week.While the outright value from both weeks isn’t massive, there was a positive swing of 874,000 barrels a day (from -481k to +393k). US Crude production rose once again to a new record high of 13.65mm b/d despite recent rig count stability...Oil price are holding at the lows of the day after the official data with WTI finding support at $60 for now...Finally, as MT Newswires reports, rising output comes as the global economy slows with U.S. tariff policies hampering global trade and cutting into demand. Economic data this week showed slowing manufacturing activity in the United States, China and Japan, pushing investors away from over-heated risk assets.”Japan's manufacturing sector shrank at its fastest pace in 19 months. Tepid new orders in the US led to the eighth consecutive monthly contraction in factory activity. A private survey reached the same conclusion in China, where expansion slowed last month, while manufacturers across other Asian economies are clearly feeling the impact of US tariffs in the form of declining orders," PVM Oil Associates noted.Still, concerns over Russian supply is offering support for the energy complex, as Ukraine continues its strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. Reports said Ukrainian drones on Tuesday struck at a Lukoil oil refinery in Russia, the second attack on Russian refineries this week, while Russia suspended exports from its main Black Sea oil export port following a Ukrainian attack.

Crude Market Declines as Dollar Strengthens and Inventories Build - The crude market fell on Wednesday as it remained weighed down by concerns of a possible supply glut and weak economic data. U.S. manufacturing contracted for an eighth consecutive month in October while China’s factory activity fell for a seventh month in October. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar index was also a three month high, supported by a division among the Federal Reserve Board, indicating low odds for an interest rate cut at the Fed’s meeting in December. The market traded mostly sideways in overnight trading following the API report, which showed a large build of 6.52 million barrels in the latest week. The market retraced some of its losses and rallied to a high of $61.09. However, the market once again erased its gains ahead of the release of the EIA report and remained pressured after the report showed a large build in crude stocks of 5.2 million barrels. The market sold off to a low of $59.52 ahead of the close. The December WTI contract settled down 96 cents at $59.60, while the January Brent contract settled down 92 cents at $63.52. The product markets settled in negative territory despite the draws in product stocks, with the heating oil market settling down 1.21 cents at $2.4325 and the RB market settling down 1.35 cents at $1.9093. The EIA reported that U.S. field production of crude oil increased to a record high for a second consecutive week. The EIA said output reached 13.651 million bpd during the week ending October 31st, surpassing the prior all-time high of 13.644 million bpd during the week ending October 24th. The agency also said gasoline stockpiles in the U.S. Midwest region fell to a record of 42.536 million barrels during the week ended October 31st. On Tuesday, the EIA said oil and gas producers will need to step up drilling to sustain or increase output due to rapid declines in production from existing wells. It said that as U.S. crude oil and natural gas production have increased, so has the volume of production decline from existing wells. It said production from oil and natural gas wells declines over time as reservoir pressure decreases and new wells are required to maintain the same production level. The CEO of Diamondback Energy told shareholders this week the company plans to hold the line on its shale oil production in the Permian Basin with the current oil price of just under $60 per barrel. The State of Alaska reported that North Slope crude production in October rose by 10,000 b/d from September levels to 467,673 b/d, but down some 3,000 b/d from October 2024 levels. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 803,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending November 7th, increasing available refining capacity by 189,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 500,000 bpd in the week ending November 14th. The FERC on Monday rejected Colonial Pipeline’s proposed tariff modifications that would have changed how the company handles different gasoline grades with varying RVP specs. The changes the company had hoped would have streamline operations and increased shipping capacity by 10,000 b/d. Gibson Energy’s CEO told shareholders this week the company is expecting to receive its first oil from the Cactus II pipeline connector this week at its South Texas gateway Terminal marine export facility.

Saudi Arabia Slashes December Oil Prices to Defend Market Share in Asia | OilPrice.com -Saudi Arabia has announced a sharp reduction in its official selling price (OSP) for crude oil destined for Asia in December, an announcement that follows closely on the heels of the OPEC+ decision to halt output increases in early 2026.Saudi Aramco will sell its flagship “Arab Light” grade to Asian buyers at a premium of $1.00 per barrel above the Oman/Dubai average for shipments in December, down by $1.20 from the November level. Meanwhile, its Arab Medium and Arab Heavy grades were each cut by $1.40 to premiums of $0.05 and $0.10 per barrel, respectively. The Arab Extra Light grade saw a drop of $1.20 to a premium of $1.30 per barrel. While significant, the cuts fall within market expectations.The decision comes just days after the OPEC+ alliance agreed to raise production by 137,000 barrels per day for December and then pause further supply increases in the first quarter of 2026. Since April this year, OPEC+ has lifted output targets by around 2.9 million b/d (approximately 2.7 % of global supply), and the pace has recently been slowed amid gof those additions have added to concerns about oversupply.Saudi Arabia’s price adjustment appears to reflect two interlinked trends. Firstly, a well-supplied Asian market facing increasing volumes of crude, and secondly, Riyadh’s desire to maintain competitiveness and market share even as it positions for higher volumes.For Asian refiners, especially those in China, India, Japan, and South Korea, this price cut offers a relatively more attractive feedstock cost for Saudi barrels. Given that Asia remains the largest seaborne crude-importing region, the move may stimulate increased term nominations or spot buying of Saudi crude. On the other hand, the lower premium also signals concerns about demand going forward and the potential of oversupply.In the short term, traders will be watching demand from Asian refiners for December closely, specifically whether spot flows of Saudi barrels increase. Immediately after the news, oil prices were trading flat, with WTI hovering at $59.61 while Brent was changing hands at $63.53.

Oil Prices Steady as US Dollar Index Eases-- Oil prices steadied Thursday morning as crude benchmarks met technical resistance levels and the U.S. Dollar Index retreated from recent highs. The NYMEX WTI contract for December delivery rose $0.10 to $59.70 barrel (bbl), and ICE Brent for January delivery gained $0.11 to $63.63 bbl. December RBOB gasoline futures advanced $0.0337 to $1.9430 gallon, and front-month ULSD futures jumped $0.0736 to $2.5061 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.429 points to 99.63 against a basket of foreign currencies. Thursday morning's action in oil futures represents a technical steadying rather than any change in market sentiment, which remains bearish. The latest warning sign of weak demand growth came on Wednesday with Saudi Aramco releasing official selling prices for December deliveries. Arab Light deliveries to Asia were cut by $1.2 bbl from November to a $1 bbl premium over Dubai/Oman, while medium and heavy grades were slashed by $1.4 bbl. The largely anticipated cut in Saudi OSP was likely a reflection of an already well-supplied Asian market as the region's main crude suppliers have drastically ramped up output this year amid less-than-stellar demand growth. On Sunday, the eight OPEC+ countries that since April together have unwound some 2.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in production cuts, agreed to another 137,000-bpd output increase in December. However, the eight also agreed to pause further hikes in the first quarter of 2026 in what was seen as a concession to the broader market consensus of a looming crude oil glut as demand growth remains well below OPEC's expectations.

Geopolitical Premium from Ukraine’s Continued Strikes on Russian Refineries - The oil market ended the session lower, with some geopolitical premium from Ukraine’s continued strikes on Russian refineries offset by the market’s concerns about an oversupply and the large build in crude stocks and weak demand. The market retraced some of its previous losses in overnight trading as it traded to a high of $60.51 amid reports that Ukraine struck a Russian refinery. However, the market erased its gains amid the concerns of a supply glut. The market was further pressured by the news that Saudi Arabia lowered its December official selling price of crude bound for Asia. It sold off to a low of $58.83 by mid-morning before it once again retraced some of its losses and traded towards the $59.50 level ahead of the close. The December WTI contract settled down 17 cents at $59.43 and the January Brent contract settled down 14 cents at $63.38. The product markets ended the session in positive territory, with the heating oil market settling up 6.36 cents at $2.4961 and the RB market settling up 5.63 cents at $1.9656.S&P Global Commodities at Sea data is showing that diesel and gasoil exports out of the U.S. Gulf to Europe reached a new all-time high in October reaching 1.7 million mt, besting the prior record of 1.6 million mt set back in August 2024. Demand for U.S. distillates has grown given the new U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia along with heightened Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries recently. S&P Global Commodities at Sea has also estimated that Russian exports of diesel and gasoil for the week ending November 3rd stood at just 382,000 mt, down some 38% from the prior week. Russia’s Finance Ministry data showed that the country’s oil and gas revenue fell by almost 27% in October to 888.6 billion roubles or $10.93 billion from the same month a year earlier, amid weak oil prices and a strengthening rouble. Insights Global reported that gasoline stocks independently held in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp refining and storage hub in the week ending November 6th increased by 10.55% on the week but fell by 5.7% on the year to 1.058 million tons, while gasoil stocks fell by 3.21% on the week but increased by 7.59% on the year to 2.198 million tons and fuel oil stocks increased by 15.34% on the week but fell by 15.87% on the year to 1.06 million tons. Naphtha stocks increased by 11.81% on the week but fell by 6.69% on the year to 530,000 tons and jet kero stocks increased by 0.37% on the week and 16.83% on the year to 1.083 million tons. Chicago Federal Reserve President, Austan Goolsbee, said the lack of official data on inflation during the government shutdown “accentuates” his caution about cutting interest rates further. Cleveland Federal Reserve President, Beth Hammack, said ongoing high levels of inflation argue against the U.S. central bank cutting interest rates again. She said the Fed continues to face inflation pressures that are above its target and that monetary policy is currently at a setting barely restrictive of economic momentum, which means it is not doing a lot to help push down price pressures that exceed the central bank’s 2% target.

Oil Sees 3-Day Drop on Ample Supply Outlook -- Crude oil futures edged lower on Thursday, Nov. 6, for the third consecutive trading session on expectations of ample supplies and weak demand fundamentals. Expectations of higher global supply is putting downward pressure in the oil markets after eight OPEC+ nations decided to add 137,000 bpd output for a third straight month in December, over the weekend. However, OPEC+ recently announced that it would refrain from hikes in the first quarter of 2026. Since April, the group has added 2.9 million bpd to supply. The bearish sentiment was also driven by Saudi Aramco's decision to significantly cut its Official Selling Prices for December crude deliveries, dropping the key Arab Light grade to Asia by $1.20 bbl from November's level. Medium and heavy grades faced even steeper reductions of $1.40 bbl. The cuts reflect Saudi Aramco's view that the Asian market is already oversupplied with crude and that softer selling prices are the key to boosting demand, traders said. The NYMEX WTI contract for December delivery settled down $0.17 at $59.43 bbl. ICE Brent for January delivery eased $0.14 to $63.38 bbl. The week-to-date loss of 2.6% for WTI and Brent was the highest in a month. Refined product prices bucked the lower trend in crude. December RBOB gasoline futures advanced $0.0524 to $1.9617 gallon, while front-month ULSD futures rose $0.0611 to $2.436 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index fell by 0.429 points, settling at 99.63 against a basket of foreign currencies. This drop occurred amid economic uncertainties stemming from the federal government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 and is now the longest in U.S. history.

Crude oil futures trade higher after recent losses -- Crude oil futures traded higher on Friday morning after recent declines, despite concerns about oversupply in the market. At 9.57 am on Friday, January Brent oil futures were at $63.75, up by 0.58 per cent, and December crude oil futures on WTI (West Texas Intermediate) were at $59.82, up by 0.66 per cent. November crude oil futures were trading at ₹5304 on Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) during the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹5,262, up by 0.80 per cent, and December futures were trading at ₹5311 against the previous close of ₹5,278, up by 0.63 per cent. Market reports noted that the US and European sanctions on Russia and Iran have impacted the crude oil supplies to the major buyers in the world. This helped support the price of the commodity. Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy of ING Think, said in the Commodities Feed that while the outlook for the oil market remains bearish with expectations for a large surplus in 2026, there are clear and obvious risks in the form of potential disruptions to Russian oil flows. Furthermore, the continued strength seen in refinery margins provides some resistance to the bearish outlook for the crude market. He said the Saudi Aramco cut its official selling prices (OSPs) for all grades of crude oil into Asia for December loadings. The Saudis cut the OSP on the flagship Arab Light into Asia by $1.20 per barrel month-on-month to leave it at a premium of $1 per barrel over the benchmark — the lowest level since January. The cut in OSPs follows OPEC+ agreeing on another supply hike of 137,000 barrels a day for December, while also deciding to pause further supply increases over the first quarter of next year, amid expectations of a growing surplus, he said. Referring to the recent weekly petroleum status report by the US EIA (Energy Information Administration), he said the US crude oil inventories increased by 5.2 million barrels over the last week, driven by an 873,000 barrels a day increase in crude oil imports. However, refined product numbers were more constructive, with gasoline inventories falling by 4.73 million barrels over the week, leaving US gasoline stocks at their lowest level since November 2022. November natural gas futures were trading at ₹388 on MCX during the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹380.90, up by 1.86 per cent. On the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), December turmeric (farmer polished) contracts were trading at ₹14,604 in the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹14,642, down by 0.26 per cent. December jeera futures were trading at ₹20,450 on NCDEX in the initial hour of trading on Friday against the previous close of ₹20,500, down by 0.24 per cent.

Oil Edges Higher, Still Falling 2nd Week in Row (DTN) -- Crude futures rose modestly Friday but still ended down for a second straight week following 3-year lows in U.S. consumer sentiment that weighed on a market already struggling with weak demand and oversupply. The University of Michigan's Survey of Consumers reported its Index of Consumer Sentiment had fallen to lows not seen since July 2022. The slide coincided with a U.S. federal government shutdown that has stretched beyond a month, raising concerns about the economy. Ethanol RINS and ethanol cash prices were higher. December corn closed down 6 1/2 cents at $4.28 3/4 and March corn was down 6 1/2 cents at $4.43. Weak U.S. consumer sentiment weighs particularly on pricing of fuel such as gasoline and diesel, given the reduced spending appetite that Americans typically have at this time, oil traders said. Earlier in the day, oil prices rose on Chinese customs data showing October crude purchase up 2.3% from September and 8% year-on-year. But that support proved to be fleeting too as some of those volumes were earmarked for stockpiling -- a factor that normally weighs on the market. Negative sentiment had also built into the market from Saudi Aramco's decrease of its official selling prices for crude destined to Asia -- a pivot that indicated weaker demand. Earlier in the week, eight OPEC+ members resolved to suspend output increases in the first quarter of 2026 but still approved a 137,000-barrels per day (bpd) increment for December. U.S. commercial crude oil reserves, meanwhile, swelled by 5.2 million barrels (bbl) last week, as per Energy Information Administration data issued Wednesday. The NYMEX WTI contract for December delivery settled up $0.32 at $59.73 bbl, and ICE Brent for January delivery rose $0.33 to $63.71 bbl. For the week though, WTI and Brent fell about 2% each, after the prior week's slide of about 1%. December RBOB gasoline futures edged down $0.0238 to $1.9417 gallon, and front-month ULSD futures slipped $0.0123 to $2.4838 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.164 points to 99.42 against a basket of foreign currencies.

Crude recovers late in session on hopes over US-Hungary meeting (Reuters) - Crude prices recovered from a midday dip on Friday on hopes Hungary can use Russian crude oil as U.S. President Donald Trump met Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House. Brent crude futures settled at $63.63 a barrel, up 25 cents or 0.39%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $59.75 a barrel, up 32 cents, or 0.54%. Both benchmarks are poised to register weekly declines of around 2% as leading global producers raise output. "We're sort of watching that Trump meeting with Orban to see if some deal comes out that eases sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft," Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the start of the 2022 conflict in Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and NATO allies. Prices had fallen earlier in the day with Brent registering a loss on the impact of flight cuts due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, who are not being paid because the U.S. government shutdown. "The fact that we're shutting down flights is taking out a lot of diesel demand," The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cut thousands of flights because of the shortage of air traffic controllers. Lower demand for jet fuel came as "the market continues to weigh a rising oil surplus against mixed macro," An unexpected U.S. inventory build of 5.2 million barrels reignited oversupply fears this week, s U.S. crude stocks rose more than expected on higher imports and reduced refining activity while gasoline and distillate inventories declined, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Private reports also pointed to a weakening U.S. labor market. U.S. Labor Department employment reports are not being issued because of the shutdown. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known collectively as OPEC+, decided on Sunday to increase output slightly in December. However, the group also paused further increases for the first quarter of next year, wary of a supply glut. The well-supplied market prompted Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, to announce a sharp reduction to prices for its crude for Asian buyers in December. European and U.S. sanctions on Russia and Iran, meanwhile, are disrupting supplies to the world's largest importers, China and India, providing some support for global markets. China's crude imports in October rose 2.3% from September and were up 8.2% from a year earlier at 48.36 million tons, customs data showed, against a backdrop of high utilisation rates at refineries in the world's largest oil importer. "China kept importing elevated amounts of crude in October," "That move keeps those barrels away from the OECD, where inventories remain low." Swiss commodities trader Gunvor said on Thursday that it had withdrawn its proposal to buy the foreign assets of Russian energy company Lukoil after the U.S. Treasury called it Russia's "puppet" and signalled that Washington opposed the deal. "Gunvor scrapping its Lukoil assets purchase suggests the U.S. is maintaining its maximum pressure campaign against Russia, and potential strict enforcement of sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil,"

Ukraine's drone attack on Tuapse terminal sparks oil spill and fires - - An oil spill has been detected in the Black Sea following a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil terminal in the Russian port city of Tuapse, according to a BBC report that published satellite imagery showing a slick extending approximately 3.6 kilometres from the terminal into the sea. The attack occurred overnight on November 2, when residents of Russia’s Krasnodar region reported hearing multiple explosions. Regional authorities later confirmed that an oil terminal and two foreign vessels were damaged. Eyewitness videos showed at least three major fires — two at the deep-water berthing complex of LLC RN-Maritime Terminal Tuapse and another at the oil loading berth near the Southern breakwater.Reuters noted that the Tuapse port hosts the Tuapse Black Sea oil terminal and an oil refinery operated by Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company. The facility, which has a refining capacity of around 240,000 barrels per day, produces naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gas oil, and high-sulphur diesel, supplying mainly China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Türkiye. The refinery has been targeted several times by Ukrainian drones since the start of the year. Reuters said it was unable to confirm whether the terminal remained operational after the latest strike.In response to the overnight attacks, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defence systems destroyed 283 Ukrainian drones across several regions. Kyiv, however, maintains that such drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are retaliatory, citing Russia’s sustained bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid. Moscow insists its strikes on energy facilities are legitimate military actions, arguing that civilian infrastructure contributes to Ukraine’s war effort.Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia’s latest air attack on the night of November 2 left nearly 60,000 people without electricity in the frontline Zaporizhzhia region and killed two civilians in the southern Odesa region.In Russia’s Tuapse municipal district, debris from downed drones was found in five settlements, damaging windows in several homes and apartments. No casualties were reported, though the local railway station sustained minor damage.The attacks also prompted temporary shutdowns at numerous Russian airports, mainly in the country’s southern and western regions, according to the federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya, which said the closures were introduced for safety reasons.

"Too Late To Retreat": Key Ukrainian Logistics Hub Near Fully Captured By Russia, "No Sign Of Counter-Offensive" -A key logistics hub in Ukraine’s eastern defense network, Pokrovsk, is close to falling, with a number of sources indicating between 85 and 95 percent of the city is controlled by Russian forces. One Hungarian security expert is warning that a counterattack could be disastrous for Ukraine. With the fall of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, besides the obvious logistical and operational benefits it will provide Russia, it will also mean the loss of raw materials for Ukrainian steel production.However, one Hungarian security expert, Attila Demkó, tells Mandiner that if Ukraine dares to launch a counterattack, it will “probably regret it very much.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already acknowledged that Ukraine’s situation in Pokrovsk is extremely difficult, and that Russians have infiltrated the town, but he has also denied that the city had fallen into Russian hands. Ukrainian sources are harassing Russian supply lines with drone attacks, and posting the results on X.Some pro-Russian sources are claiming on X that 95 percent of the city, while prominent German journalist Julian Röpcke, known for his support for Ukraine, says at least 85 percent of the city is captured. He also says there “is no sign of a counter-offensive.”

UK Supplies Ukraine With More Storm Shadow Missiles for Strikes Inside Russia - The UK has supplied Ukraine with more Storm Shadow missiles, which are air-launched and have a range of 155 miles, for strikes inside Russian territory, Bloomberg reported on Monday.The report came about two weeks after the Ukrainian military claimed an attack on a Russian chemical plant using Storm Shadows, which signaled the US was again backing Ukrainian missile strikes on Russian territory since the British-made missiles require US targeting data to be fired. Ukraine first began firing Storm Shadow missiles into Russia last year, which coincided with the Biden administration giving it the green light to use US-provided ATACMS missiles in strikes on Russian territory. At the time, Russia responded by altering its nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, making it clear that the US-backed missile strikes risk a major escalation from Moscow.It’s unclear how many Storm Shadows or ATACMS Ukraine currently has, and the Bloomberg report didn’t specify how many Storm Shadows the UK has recently supplied. The US has also been backing long-range Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory, according to a report from theFinancial Times. The news about the Storm Shadow supply comes as President Trump has once again said that he doesn’t plan on providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, at least for now. Sending Tomahawks would mark a huge escalation of the proxy war since they have a range of over 1,000 miles and are nuclear-capable.

Netanyahu Says Leak of Video Showing IDF Soldiers Raping Palestinian Prisoner Was the 'Most Serious Public-Relations' Attack on Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the leak of a video allegedly showing Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sede Teiman detentions facility last year was the “most serious public-relations attack” Israel has ever experienced. Netanyahu’s comments came after Israel’s top military prosecutor, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, admitted to approving the leak of the video and resigned from her post amid outrage and criticism from Israelis who are accusing her of betraying the state.“It is perhaps the most serious public relations attack Israel has experienced since its founding — I cannot recall one so concentrated and intense,” Netanyahu said. “This requires an independent and impartial inquiry, and I expect that such an investigation will indeed take place.” The video was leaked last year after Israeli soldiers were arrested by military police on suspicion of raping the Palestinian prisoner, and far-right Israelis, including members of the Knesset and government, stormed Sde Teiman in protest of the arrests. Tomer-Yerushalmi said the video was leaked in response to the criticism of the Israeli military for detaining the soldiers. “Unfortunately, this basic understanding — that there are actions which must never be taken even against the vilest of detainees — no longer convinces everyone,” she said in a resignation letter.Israeli government officials haven’t offered criticism of the severe abuse of the Palestinian prisoner, just of the fact that the video was leaked. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has called the leak a “blood libel” against Israel.Amid the controversy over the leak, lawyers representing the five Israeli reservists who have been indicted for abusing the prisoner are calling for the charges to be dropped. The soldiers have been indicted for “severe abuse” but not for rape or sexual assault, despite the indictment saying that a soldier stabbed the Palestinian with a “sharp object” that caused a tear in his rectal wall.According to Israeli media reports at the time, the Palestinian prisoner was admitted to the hospital with an injury to his anus so severe that he couldn’t walk. According to Haaretz, the victim suffered a ruptured bowel, severe anal and lung injuries, broken ribs. and required surgery.

Israel Arrests Ex-IDF Lawyer Who Leaked Video Showing Israeli Soldiers Rape a Palestinian Prisoner - On Monday, Israeli police arrested the Israeli military’s former top prosecutor for leaking a video that showed Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman detention facility in southern Israel last year.Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday after admitting to approving the leak, something she said she did in response to the backlash over Israeli military police arresting IDF soldiers who were suspected of severely abusing the prisoner, which involved stabbing him with a sharp object that tore his rectum.Tomer-Yerushalmi went missing on Sunday for several hours, raising concerns that her life was at risk, but she was later found unharmed. The former military prosecutor has come under a torrent of criticism for her role in leaking the video, including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the leak the worst public relations attack on Israel in the country’s history.Israeli government officials have been strongly critical of the act of leaking the video, but of the horrific abuse inflicted on the Palestinian prisoner. According to Israeli media reports at the time, the prisoner was admitted to the hospital with an injury to his anus so severe that he couldn’t walk and also had severe lung injuries and broken ribs.An analysis from Haaretz was critical of the fact that the conversation has become about Tomer-Yerushalmi rather than the treatment of prisoners at Sde Teiman and other Israeli prisons, which have been widely documented.Palestinians held at Sde Teiman detention camp and Israeli whistleblowers who worked there havereported rampant abuse, including beatings, prolonged blindfolding, medical neglect, and sexual assault. At least 75 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention since October 7, 2023.

They Tortured Lambs In The West Bank - Caitlin Johnstone - Israeli settlers were filmed torturing lambs which belonged to Palestinians in the West Bank. Gouged their eyes out. Smashed them with cinder blocks. Beat them to death in front of their mothers. Lambs. It’s not the most evil thing the Israelis have done. Not by a long shot. Hell, all of human civilization subjects animals to cruel abuses every minute of every day through the horrors of factory farming. But this particular incident shines a special sort of light into exactly what’s going on behind Israeli eyes over there in that sadistic society. Think about the hatred and savagery you’d need to summon up within yourself to gouge the eyes out of a living baby sheep. Think about the kind of person you’d have to become to do something like that to an innocent creature. Those lambs didn’t know they were Palestinian. They didn’t know anything about Hamas or October 7 or the Nazi Holocaust, or any of the other reasons Israelis generally cite for their abuses of human beings. They were just sitting there, doing absolutely nothing that could possibly be construed as harmful by even the most talented hasbarist. And those settlers went in there and inflicted completely gratuitous suffering upon them. This, to me anyway, just says so much about the level of vitriolic hatred by which the state of Israel is sustained. It’s baked in to the way the whole state is set up.Israel cannot be sustained without nonstop violence. The violence cannot be sustained without hatred. The hatred cannot be sustained without systematic indoctrination.That indoctrination teaches Jewish Israelis from birth that the victims of their genocidal state are all inhuman monsters who would rape and murder them all if Israel ceased its apartheid abuses, militarism, and incessant violence. It teaches them that killing off their empathy and compassion is essential for their survival, because only the Jews who are willing to do whatever it takes to survive are going to make it. Just in case their childhood indoctrination isn’t enough to sway them, Israelis are also made to serve in the military where they spend two years killing off any remaining sense of human decency within themselves as they inflict acts of unfathomable cruelty upon Palestinians as part of their duty to the state.They are trained to believe they must have cold hearts and hard hands, because that is what’s necessary to do what must be done.Those settlers who tortured those lambs believed they were doing what needed to be done. They believe they need to terrorize the Palestinians and make life so nightmarish for them that they go somewhere else, which will allow for more Jewish settlement on Palestinian territory.Those tortured lambs were the product of everything that Israel is as a state. Which could of course be said about every victim of Israeli sadism over the last eight decades, human and non-human alike.This is Israel. This is Zionism. This is what it looks like when Zionists get everything they want. You’re looking at it. This is it.

Not Nearly Enough Food Is Entering Gaza as Israel Continues To Violate Ceasefire Deal - Far too little food and other types of aid are entering Gaza, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing aid agencies, as Israel continues to violate a key part of the ceasefire deal. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel pledged to immediately allow the “commencement of full entry of humanitarian aid and relief” at a minimum consistent with the January 2025 ceasefire deal, under which Israel agreed to allow 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day. Gaza’s Media Office said on Saturday that since the ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10, an average of 145 aid trucks have entered per day. The UN’s World Food Program has said that just half of the needed food has been coming in, and, according to Reuters, Palestinian aid groups say overall aid volumes were between a quarter and a third of the expected amount. Last week, the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA said one in 10 children screened in Gaza were still acutely malnourished. The WFP has said it has opened 44 food distribution points in Gaza, far short of its goal of 145. Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the WFP, told reporters on Tuesday that just two border crossings into Gaza are open to aid deliveries, and none are open in northern Gaza, meaning Israel is not fulfilling its commitment to allow the “full entry” of humanitarian aid. “We need full access. We need everything to be moving fast. We are in a race against time. The winter months are coming. People are still suffering from hunger, and the needs are overwhelming,” Etefa said. “The majority of households that we’ve spoken to are only consuming cereals, pulses, dry food rations, which people cannot survive on for a long time. Meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits are being consumed extremely rarely.” Palestinians living in the rubble of Gaza are also facing a shortage of shelter as not enough tents have entered the Strip, and older ones are wearing out as winter is approaching. Khalid al-Dahdouh, a father of five who returned to Gaza City to find his home in ruins, told Al Jazeera that he built a shelter for his family using bricks salvaged from the rubble, held together with mud.“We tried to rebuild because winter is coming,” al-Dahdouh said. “We don’t have tents or anything else, so we built a primitive structure out of mud since there is no cement … It protects us from the cold, insects and rain – unlike the tents.”

Israel Is Still Starving Gaza, And Other Notes - Caitlin Johnstone - Israel is still blocking humanitarian groups from delivering the aid necessary to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.In an article titled “Not enough tents, food reaching Gaza as winter comes, aid agencies say,” Reuters reports that “Far too little aid is reaching Gaza nearly four weeks after a ceasefire” due to Israeli restrictions preventing aid trucks from getting to their destinations, and that according to an OSHA report last week “a tenth of children screened in Gaza were still acutely malnourished.”A report from the UK’s Channel 4 News shows warehouses full of food that aid groups say isn’t being allowed into Gaza nearly as rapidly as needed.In an article titled “‘Under the Guise of Bureaucracy’ — Israel Blocks Humanitarian Groups From Delivering Essential Aid Despite Calm in Gaza,” Israeli outlet Haaretz reports that “Israel has implemented a new procedure requiring all humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza and the West Bank to reapply for official approval, with many denied, despite the relative calm in Gaza following the cease-fire.” They’re using bureaucratic red tape and arbitrary restrictions to put as much inertia on the effort to rush aid into Gaza as possible. As Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah put it, Israel has “successfully rebranded its genocide as a ‘ceasefire.’” Still can’t wrap my head around the fact that internationally renowned activist Greta Thunberg said she was tortured and sexually humiliated by Israeli soldiers when she was abducted for trying to bring aid to starving civilians, and the world just shrugged and moved on. The US empire backs genocidal Gulf state monarchies like the UAE and Saudi Arabia because if those states were democratically governed their people would prioritize their own interests over the agendas of the west. They wouldn’t permit US military bases on their territory, and they never would have tolerated Israel and its abuses in the region. Fossil fuel policy would be set without regard for western interests. The entire region could long ago have united into a superpower bloc which rivaled or outmuscled the western power structure using its critical resources and trade routes. That’s why you see the US and its allies preaching about the values of Freedom and Democracy to the public while privately telling these tyrannical monarchies they can do whatever they want and receive the backing of the imperial machine. Not until their pet tyrant fails to sufficiently kowtow to the interests of the empire does the west suddenly get interested in advancing Freedom and Democracy in their nation. This is one of the major dynamics at play in Sudan. The United Arab Emirates has been backing the genocidal atrocities of the RSF and the US empire is placing no pressure on them to stop, because that’s part of the deal. As long as the UAE plays along with the agendas of the empire, the empire will tolerate or actively facilitate its abuses.We’ve all known someone like Israel. Someone who lies and manipulates all the time. Someone who’s always stirring up conflict and acting like the victim. Someone who’s obtained everything they have by stepping on top of others.Healthy people avoid such individuals like the plague. We have labels that we use to warn others to stay clear of them. Drama queen. Narcissist. Compulsive liar. Sociopath. Manipulator.Under ordinary circumstances such people gradually find themselves socially alienated by all but the most gullible and malleable codependents, because normal people can’t stand being around them.Israel is like if everyone was being forced to be that person’s friend at gunpoint. Say nice things to the sociopath and pretend to believe their lies or you’re getting your head blown off.Nations who oppose Israel’s crimes find themselves in the crosshairs of the imperial war machine. Organizations who oppose Israel’s abuses find themselves smeared, targeted, and proscribed as terrorist groups. Individuals who oppose Israel’s atrocities get fired, slandered, marginalized, censored, and silenced.The healthy impulse we all have in ourselves to pull away from such loathsome entities is being overridden by brute force. All normal people want to turn against Israel and do whatever is necessary to end its tyranny and abuse, but the imperial institutions are doing everything in their power to coerce them to comply.That’s the only reason Israel has any remaining support at all. Hopefully someday they won’t even have that.

The Gaza Ceasefire in the Age of TikTok -The Gaza ceasefire is technically still in effect, but it’s no longer functioning as an instrument of restraint. The deal that came into force on 10 October under U.S. mediation stopped large-scale fighting, yet Israel continues precision strikes around Khan Younis and Gaza City. Each action comes with civilian losses that undercut the original truce narrative. Hamas has been quick to frame those incidents as proof that Israel cannot keep its own commitments, and that framing now dominates Arabic and Western social channels alike (where an alternate reality unfolds that is more influential than the actual reality). Operationally, Israel holds about half the Strip. The big political issues (Hamas disarmament, future governance, and long-term security guarantees) have not been resolved. Mediation (by DC, Doha, Cairo) has shifted. It’s less about implementation than it is about damage control at this moment. Both parties are using the lull to reset positions, not to end the conflict. The deeper shift has to do with social media, because this is where wars are fought as well. Don’t mistake it for anything other than a battlefield. Israel no longer controls the flow of perception. Every strike is documented and posted online within minutes. Open-source investigators and AI tools are verifying claims faster than official channels can respond. The credibility cost is compounding. Once-trusted IDF statements are now routinely challenged by timestamped evidence and geolocation data…

global glass onion

Saturday, November 8, 2025

week ending Nov 8

No comments:

Search This Blog

navigating the GGO

note on RSS for this blog

Blog Archive

Followers

view FRED graphs

old links

old links from globalresearch.com

energy tickers

labels (restricted to 20 per post)

depression analysis

about the globalglassonion...

browsing GGO with internet explorer

About Me