Kevin Warsh to be sworn in as Fed chair, replacing Jerome Powell - The Federal Reserve will have a new chair Friday when Kevin Warsh is sworn in, over a week after his Senate confirmation, replacing Jerome Powell. Powell will remain on the Federal Reserve Board as a member — a rare move for outgoing chairs. His board term runs until 2028. Warsh’s confirmation was less bipartisan than typical for incoming Fed chairs. He was confirmed 54-45, with only one Democrat voting in favor. By contrast, Powell’s 2018 confirmation as chair under President Donald Trump passed 84-13. Powell’s tenure ended amid tensions with Trump, who repeatedly urged Powell and other board members to lower interest rates. The Fed’s key role is setting the federal funds rate, which influences the rates banks charge each other for overnight loans and indirectly affects borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and businesses. Low rates generally spur growth, but policymakers caution that keeping rates too low for too long can fuel inflation. After U.S. inflation topped 9% in 2022, the Fed raised rates to their highest levels in decades. Inflation fel to below 3%, though higher borrowing costs have slowed credit access and job growth. Since the Iran War began, inflation has crept over 3%, likely putting an end to any additional rate cuts for the foreseeable future. Powell has said the Fed’s aim is to balance low inflation with continued job gains. Warsh, appointed to the board in 2006 by President George W. Bush, served as liaison to Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis as the Fed implemented emergency liquidity programs for banks hit by subprime mortgage losses. Before joining the board, Warsh was an economic adviser to Bush and executive secretary of the National Economic Council. More recently, he was a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a vocal critic of Powell’s leadership at the Fed.
Warsh takes over Fed with a policy problem already in view (Reuters) - Kevin Warsh, whose broad criticism of current U.S. Federal Reserve officials, playbook for rate cuts and ties to President Donald Trump elevated him past other contenders to lead the central bank, will be sworn in as Fed leader Friday at a pivotal moment for monetary policy and the American economy. An unfolding boom in artificial intelligence technology is reshaping the economy in ways Fed officials say could be profound for workers, companies and consumers, but will be hard for Warsh and his colleagues to assess in real time. At the same moment inflation is already high and potentially heading higher as the economy copes with shocks including oil driven over $100 a barrel by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, high import tariffs and utility and some other costs rising due to the AI rollout. Warsh, 56, won Trump's backing for the job over the course of what became a year-long public audition among the top candidates - including one who will be seated alongside him on the Fed's Board of Governors. Trump plans to swear Warsh in at 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT) at the White House. Warsh has laid out ambitious reform goals for a central bank he argues had begun to lose its way by the time he quit his former seat as a governor in 2011 in opposition to Fed bondbuying. Now, though, his first months may be consumed with a more pressing dilemma: Whether to raise interest rates to keep inflation from moving further beyond the Fed's 2% target, or put his credibility as an inflation fighter, the quality he will ultimately be judged by, at risk from the outset. "Inflation is the Fed's choice," Warsh said at a Senate confirmation hearing, with its control over short-term interest rates a lever it can use to boost or discourage spending, and in doing so try to keep inflation at a target the Fed has set at 2%. The Fed has missed its target for more than five years and is currently more than a percentage point above it. But how to get inflation back down can involve hard choices that sometimes conflict with the policies and goals of the Trump administration, and sometimes with the Fed's other aim of maximum employment. Warsh will be looking over his shoulder from the moment he takes the oath of office as the Fed's 11th chair - at a global bond market that has begun bidding up interest rates in a sign of growing inflation concern, at colleagues who have already been setting expectations that higher rates may be needed, and at Trump, who has viewed rate hikes as a political assault on his economic program and been mercilessly critical of outgoing Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering borrowing costs. Warsh's comments and approach to ongoing disputes surrounding the Fed, including a coming Supreme Court decision on Trump's so far unsuccessful effort to fire Governor Lisa Cook, also will be watched and compared closely to Powell's staunch defense of Fed independence. The debate over policy is already at a high pitch, with Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a Trump appointee who was interviewed for the chair's job, speaking on his policy views Friday ahead of Warsh's swearing-in ceremony. Waller, a longtime Fed staff veteran who has emerged as a key policy voice since being appointed to the board, has grown steadily more cautious about the need for rate cuts as inflation concerns have intensified. A further hawkish drift on his part could further reset market views that the Fed may need to raise interest rates in coming months, or at best keep the current rate in place for an extended time.
Fed's Waller looks to hold rates steady on oil shock, can't rule out hikes down the road -Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller said on Friday that interest rates should remain at current levels because higher oil prices could have a lasting impact on inflation. But he’s not ruling out rate hikes if inflation doesn’t come back down. “My current policy position is to hold rates steady for the near term,” Waller said in a speech titled “Policy risks have changed” in Frankfurt, Germany. “But I can no longer rule out rate hikes further down the road if inflation does not abate soon, and that is especially true if measures of inflation expectations, some of which have risen lately, show signs of becoming unanchored.” Waller stressed that he doesn’t think the Fed should be considering rate increases in the “near future.” He cautioned that raising rates now could cause damage, noting that the oil shock’s effect on prices could dissipate soon, in which case, raising rates could only begin to bite after inflation has started coming back down. He said interest rates are still restricting the economy right now. Still, Waller said inflation is not headed in the right direction, and based on recent data, he would support removing the “easing bias” language in the Fed’s policy statement to make it clear that a rate cut is no more likely in the future than a rate increase. To support cutting rates, Waller said he would need to see inflation improve or a “significant deterioration” in the job market. Waller, for some time, was more worried about the job market and was one of the most dovish members of the Fed, supporting rate cuts. He now says inflation is the bigger concern, as he sees the job market as stable. He noted that inflation will largely be determined by the length of the Iran conflict — namely, how severely supply chains are disrupted and the pass-through of input costs to final product prices. He said the impact of these factors on inflation is more uncertain than the impact of tariffs. The latest inflation reports have caught Waller’s eye. He said he thought the April reading of the Consumer Price Index showed a broadening of price increases, pointing to grocery prices up 0.7%, apparel up 0.6%, and services excluding energy up 0.5%. “These are all sizable monthly growth rates and come on the heels of other significant increases,” he said. “Also concerning is how broad price increases have been lately.” Taking into account producer prices, which were up 6% in April, he estimates the Fed’s preferred measure of Inflation — the Personal Consumption Expenditures index — rose around 3.8%, the highest in three years. On a “core basis,” which excludes the volatile energy and food prices, he estimates PCE is 3.3%. That would be the highest in two and a half years. “None of this is good news,” he said.
As inflation rises, Fed's Waller ready to drop 'easing bias' - Another Federal Reserve official has come out against the central bank's so-called "easing bias" in the face of rising inflation.
- Key insight: Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said Friday that he supports eliminating language in the Federal Open Market Committee's forward guidance that implies that the central bank is inclined to cut rates, joining three dissents from regional Fed presidents during the last FOMC meeting.
- Expert quote: "You just can't look at this data and say, 'Oh yeah, we could cut rates here by September' or something. You can't be serious as a central banker and talk about that." — Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller
- Forward Look: Waller's comments come as President Trump is poised to swear in Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair Friday, the culmination of a monthslong effort to exert pressure on the central bank to lower interest rates dramatically.
The Building Blocks Of A Global Stagflationary Shock Are Falling Into Place -As we noted at the outset of the Gulf conflict, history rarely repeats – but it often rhymes. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly revealing a familiar pattern: the building blocks of a global stagflationary shock are falling into place. A closer look across inflation indicators in advanced economies shows a clear and consistent structure. The upstream impact has been immediate and forceful – exactly as expected in an energy-driven shock. The surge in oil and gas prices has translated into sharp increases in petroleum products such as diesel, and into key industrial inputs like sulphur and fertilisers. Producer price expectations – particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as chemicals, base metals, and wood – have risen rapidly, in many cases outpacing the (initial) post-Covid surge. European industrial surveys point to strong repricing at the start of the production chain. But further downstream, the picture is more nuanced, for now. While higher input costs are being passed through, the degree of transmission appears more muted than during the inflation surge of 2021–2022. Initial producer price data suggest that firms are adjusting prices, but not with the same breadth or intensity yet. Part of this may be timing – pass-through is always gradual – and whilst the gap between sharply rising price expectations and more modest realized price increases is notable, this could also point to more significant price hikes in the months ahead. At the consumer level, the divergence is clearer. Inflation has responded, but the impulse remains concentrated in energy and energy-related components. Headline CPI prints have broadly matched expectations, and in some cases even surprised to the downside. Core inflation has remained contained. However, the same sort of slow transmission was seen during the initial phase of the 2021-2022 inflation surge, which, arguably, led policy makers to respond too slowly. So it’s too early to draw any firm conclusions and ‘transitory’ cannot be one of them, for now. However, there is one crucial difference: the starting point for this shock is materially weaker demand. Labor markets have cooled in many places, albeit not to the same degree. US payrolls growth and job openings have slowed. In the Eurozone, labor market tightness indicators have eased (even as unemployment has stayed at cyclical lows). In the UK, unemployment has moved back to around 5%, vacancies have dropped to a five-year low, and wage growth continues to slow. As Stefan Koopman, our UK analyst, notes, these are not the conditions of an overheated economy requiring aggressive monetary tightening. Instead, they suggest increasing slack – an environment in which firms may struggle to fully pass on higher costs without sacrificing demand. As a result, while energy prices are likely to push inflation higher in the coming months, the broader macro backdrop does not appear conducive to a sustained second-round inflation spiral. That said, central banks may still feel compelled to respond – more as a signal than out of necessity. In the UK, for instance, a symbolic rate hike cannot be ruled out, as policymakers seek to underscore their commitment to the inflation target, even if the case for a full tightening cycle remains weak. Policy choices will be critical in shaping the trajectory from here. One of the defining lessons from the 2021–22 inflation episode is that policy responses can amplify shocks. The combination of large-scale fiscal support and ultra-loose monetary policy played a key role in transforming an initial supply shock into a broad-based and persistent inflation surge. Today, the policy environment is different – rates are higher, fiscal space is more constrained – but the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the Hormuz disruption complicates the outlook. In that context, policymakers may be inclined to assume persistence rather than transience, if only as a precaution. Markets, for their part, have already moved in that direction. Bond yields have repriced sharply higher, particularly at the long end, tightening financial conditions globally. The US 10-year yield rose above 4.67% yesterday, the highest level since mid-January 2025. And although European yields were dragged higher as well, the spread of 10y Treasuries over German bunds has widened from 120bp on 13 April to nearly 150bp yesterday. The rise in US Treasury yields – alongside a widening spread over German Bunds – signals that investors are increasingly focused on both inflation persistence and fiscal sustainability.
US economic confidence hit four-year low due to aggression against Iran: Survey - A new survey has revealed that US economic confidence has plummeted to its worst level since 2022, largely due to the fallout from the illegitimate and unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against Iran. According to the Gallup poll published on Friday, only 16% of US adults rated the economy as “excellent” or “good.”An additional 34% described it as “only fair,” while 49% said it is “poor.” Furthermore, 76% of US adults believe economic conditions are “getting worse,” compared to just 20% who say they are “getting better.” Economic confidence has declined steadily in recent months among Americans across the political spectrum. While the latest poll found that Republicans remain relatively positive overall, their economic confidence in May hit the lowest level since Donald Trump returned as US President in late January 2025. Even so, it was still significantly higher than in the final months of his first term in January 2021, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Gallup economic confidence index fell to -45 points, the lowest reading since 2022, when inflation peaked at 9%. The index’s maximum possible score is +100 points. These developments come as the war of aggression against Iran has triggered a sharp rise in inflation and gas prices. The unprovoked and illegitimate US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran has driven up energy, fuel, and food prices across large parts of Asia, Europe, and the United States. Farmers have also warned of impending food price spikes as the war pushes up fuel and fertilizer costs. Trump recently told reporters that he does not care about Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. He stated that he is not weighing the economic burden that the war on Iran is placing on everyday Americans. Consistent with reports from American media outlets and official assessments, the aggression has strained US resources, not only through military equipment losses, but also through the broader economic pressure caused by Washington-provoked tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran says any agreement with US must end war on all fronts, lift blockade and sanctions - Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has said that any possible agreement with the US must ensure an end to the war on all fronts and lift the naval blockade and sanctions imposed against the country. Gharibabadi laid out Iran's conditions for an agreement with the United States to end the war as he briefed members of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Monday, according to Ebrahim Rezae, the committee's spokesman. Rezaei said the deputy foreign minister updated lawmakers on the ongoing indirect negotiations between Iran and the US and the proposals exchanged between the two sides through Pakistan. “Gharibabadi emphasizes that in any possible agreement, [it must be stipulated that] the war must end on all fronts, including Lebanon, US forces must withdraw from the region surrounding Iran, the naval blockade must be lifted, sanctions must be cancelled, and Iranian assets must be released,” the spokesman said. He quoted Gharibabadi as saying that the Islamic Republic has sent its latest proposal to the American side, and is yet to receive an official response. Iran reportedly submits a new 14-point peace proposal through the Pakistani intermediary for talks with the US. The deputy foreign minister also stressed that it was the US that requested a ceasefire and negotiations, and that the Islamic Republic never sought negotiations with Washington during this war. “It was also emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the definitive winner of the 40-day war, and that the United States and the Zionist regime were defeated,” Rezaei said. According to Rezaei’s remarks, the commission’s members presented their suggestions during the session and stressed that Iran’s negotiating team should not back down from the Iranian nation’s legitimate demands and should negotiate “from a victorious position”. They warned of the US history of breaking promises, including its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling for the continuation of Iran's management of the Strait of Hormuz and the official recognition of this role. Meanwhile, the commission’s members also rejected the UAE’s hostile actions and called for a “serious” response to the UAE. They also emphasized the need to pursue justice for the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in international forums and courts, stating that “diplomacy should be used to stabilize the capacities resulting from the war.” The US and Israel started a fresh round of aerial aggression on Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country. Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the strikes by launching barrages of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases and interests in regional countries. On April 8, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect. However, subsequent peace negotiations in Islamabad ultimately stalled amid Washington’s maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions.
Iran submits new 14-point proposal to US via Pakistan to end war: Report Iran has reportedly submitted its latest proposal in 14 points through the Pakistani intermediary for talks with the United States aimed at ending the illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic. A source close to the Iranian negotiating team told Tasnim news agency on Monday that Pakistan will `deliver Iran’s new proposal to Washington. The source said the proposal is focused on the subject of the negotiations and confidence-building measures by the American side. The Americans had recently sent a text in response to Iran’s previous proposal, which was also presented in 14 points, the source added. “In line with the recent practice of exchanging messages, Iran has also once again submitted its text in 14 points through the Pakistani mediator after making amendments,” the source explained. On April 10, Iran submitted its response to the American side’s proposed text to end the war, which was later dismissed by Donald Trump, the president of the US, who said it was “totally unacceptable.” Tehran maintains that at the current stage, negotiations will only focus on ending the war in the region and that other issues, including the nuclear program, may be discussed later. Meanwhile, a Pakistani source told Reuters on Monday that Islamabad has shared with the United States a revised proposal from Iran to end the war in the region. The source warned that Tehran and Washington “don't have much time” to narrow their differences. The source gave no details of Iran’s revised proposal but noted that the sides “keep changing their goalposts.” "We don't have much time." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also told reporters on Monday that despite the American side’s dismissal of the Islamic Republic’s previous peace proposal, Tehran received “a set of corrective points and considerations” from the Pakistani mediator. “As announced yesterday, our points of view were presented to the American side in return. Therefore, the process continues through Pakistan,” he said. On April 8, forty days into the US-Israel war, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect. Negotiations ensued in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but stopped short of an agreement amid Washington’s maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions. Since then, Iran has demanded that the US lift an illegal blockade it has imposed on Iranian vessels and ports for the diplomatic process to resume. Tehran says as long as the blockade is still in place, it has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian nation and armed forces will force US retreat and surrender: Ex-IRGC chief cmdr. - Mohsen Rezaei, former Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), has stated that the iron fist of Iran’s powerful armed forces and the resolute Iranian nation will compel the United States to retreat and surrender. In a post on X on Monday night, the senior IRGC commander ridiculed Washington’s inconsistent and cowardly approach. Rezaei wrote that US President Donald Trump “sets a deadline for a military strike and then cancels it himself, in the vain hope of forcing the Iranian nation and officials to surrender!” “The iron fist of the powerful armed forces and the great Iranian nation will force them to retreat and surrender,” he added. Rezaei’s remarks came after Trump announced on Monday the postponement of a planned large-scale military assault on the Islamic Republic, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. Trump cited personal appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who urged restraint to allow negotiations to proceed. He nevertheless kept American forces on high alert for a possible “full, large-scale assault” if no “acceptable deal” is reached, a deal he claimed must include “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN.” For over two decades, in accordance with the fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic has clearly and officially stated that it neither seeks nor possesses nuclear weapons. Yet Washington persists with its policy of pressure and intimidation, only to be repeatedly forced into retreat by Iran’s unbreakable resolve and strategic deterrence. Despite weeks of aggressive rhetoric and threats, the Trump administration has been compelled to stand down, not out of goodwill, but due to the deterrent power of the Islamic Revolution and the steadfast unity of the Iranian people. As General Rezaei emphasized, the era of US gunboat diplomacy is over. The Islamic Republic stands firm, proving once again that resistance defeats arrogance. During his recent visit to China, Trump reportedly asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for assistance in resolving the crisis stemming from the unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran between February 28 and April 7. In response to the aggression, Iran targeted multiple American and Israeli positions across the region and imposed stricter controls over the strategic Strait of Hormuz after Washington announced the continuation of its illegal naval blockade, despite an existing ceasefire. The moves have sent shockwaves through global energy markets, driving up gasoline prices in the United States and further undermining Trump’s already declining popularity ahead of the November midterm elections. In an earlier post on Friday, Rezaei stated that Trump arrived in Beijing “not from a position of strength, but under the heavy shadow of failure in the war with Iran.” He added that the US president’s desperate appeal to China underscores a shifting global reality: “When he looks to China’s influence to contain a crisis of his own making, it means the emerging new world order is rapidly shaping rules that are no longer centered around the United States.”
'Clock Is Ticking': Trump Again Threatens To Restart Bombing Campaign Against Iran - News From Antiwar.com -President Trump on Sunday repeated his threat to restart the bombing campaign against Iran if the country doesn’t accept his demands for a deal.The president told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that the “clock is ticking” and that if a deal isn’t reached soon, the Islamic Republic is “going to get hit much harder,” a threat he reiterated in a post on Truth Social.“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” the president wrote.Trump also discussed the situation with Iran during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convened a meeting of his security cabinet afterward. Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been clear that they’re eager to restart the full-scale bombing campaign. Two US officials told Axios that Trump is expected to convene a meeting of his top officials on Tuesday to discuss potential military options against Iran. The report said he discussed the situation on Saturday with Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at his golf club in Virginia.US officials have previously suggested to Axios that Trump would order strikes on Iran if a deal wasn’t reached after his trip to China, which ended on Friday. The US president claims he wants a deal with Tehran, but has rejected Iran’s latest proposal for an agreement as “a piece of garbage.” In the meantime, the US continues to enforce a blockade on Iran, and tensions remain very high in the region. The UAE reported a drone attack on Sunday that it said sparked a fire at its sole nuclear power plant.
Empire in freefall: Desperate sabre-rattling against Iran shows US has completely lost the plot -- The threatening rhetoric emanating from Washington these days is not merely the product of a clueless and embattled administration or election-year posturing. It is a calculated instrument of psychological warfare – wielded after disastrous performance on both the battlefield and the negotiating table. As a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution succinctly put it, the enemy's menacing tone serves a singular purpose: to frighten Iran into a partial – or complete – retreat from conditions that Iran has presented to end the unprovoked and illegal war. But beneath the bluster lies a deeper, more profound reality. The United States no longer threatens from a position of unchallenged supremacy that it once enjoyed. It is resorting to sabre-rattling now from the precipice of decline and decay. Having suffered successive military and strategic defeats – from the 12-day war last year to the Ramadan War this year – the American Empire finds its once-mighty image in tatters. These hollow threats are not a sign of strength but the final, desperate convulsions of a so-called “superpower” trying to blackmail its way back to relevance. The weapon that failed: Why threats now outperform action The enemy's most critical element for imposing its diktats has never been merely its military arsenal. It has been how Iran reacts to the very concept of war. After imposing two unprovoked, devastating wars on the Islamic Republic within ten months, inflicting heavy human and economic losses, the enemy now seeks to weaponize the very pain the Iranian people have endured. The strategy is brutal but simple: brandish the threat of even more death and destruction, then demand a retreat from Iran’s very logical and principled positions. Yet here lies the enemy's fatal miscalculation. In both imposed wars, neither the United States nor its Zionist proxy secured a single military victory over Iran. They pummeled civilian neighborhoods, hospitals, and research centers. They assassinated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and murdered nearly 170 children inside a single classroom – acts of such unparalleled cowardice and criminality that every remaining red line was erased. But on the battlefield, where material strength meets the will of a nation that has been wronged, they achieved nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Iranian nation resisted with all its might, and the enemy suffered unimaginable losses. Consequently, the threat of war has proven more effective for the enemy than war itself. For years, Washington has blackmailed Iran by keeping the sword of war suspended overhead. And in some instances, most notably the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this psychological extortion succeeded, extracting concessions the battlefield never could. But those days are ending, and even Americans know it.Today, the enemy's need to keep that sword raised above Iran's head is greater than ever before. And paradoxically, that urgency is a sign of profound weakness. If the United States fails in its current round of blackmail against Iran – and it surely will – it will lose the last remnants of its credibility and prestige. Consider the arithmetic: Washington has already fired its last arrow: full-scale military aggression. That arrow did not achieve any of its objectives. It did not dismantle Iran's nuclear rights. It did not bring the Islamic Republic to its knees. It did not even meet basic military objectives. If extortion also fails, the Empire will have nothing left. No military victory. No diplomatic surrender. No economic collapse in Tehran. The United States will have squandered its last asset: the illusion of being a power to reckon with. It is already teetering on the brink. Thus, the current threats are not about Iran at all. They are about defending the tattered remnants of America's global image. Washington fears a domino effect. If Iran stands firm – if it refuses to blink – then America's satellites and regional allies will watch in real time as the emperor loses control completely. One by one, they will recalibrate their loyalties. The threat of war this time is not an offensive lunge. It is a defensive crouch – the last gasp of a failing Empire trying to prevent its own staggering, irreversible collapse. In truth, these threats represent the final attempts of a so-called "superpower" to avoid complete collapse. Should they succeed – and should Iran retreat even tactically from its logical and lawful positions – the United States would gain a temporary lifeline. It would secure survival and breathing room. It would rush to compensate for its material weaknesses and, more importantly, repair the reputational damage inflicted by its failed confrontations with Iran. It would then wield that rebuilt credibility in future rounds of war. But Iran's decision-makers understand this trap perfectly. Any retreat from firm, principled positions will not prevent further losses. It will accelerate them. Because the enemy's calculations are brutally simple: every retreat by Iran validates the strategy of threat. US is threatening Iran today not because it operates from a position of strength, but because it is weak and failing. The threats are meant to extract what the battlefield could not secure: a symbolic Iranian retreat that would allow the Empire to patch up its tattered image. The Iranian leadership understands this calculus perfectly. They know that any retreat – even a temporary or partial one – will not prevent another war, but will guarantee one. Because the enemy's only remaining path to saving its credibility is to break the Iranian will. But the enemy will fail. Iran has no choice but to stand firm. Existential threat requires existential resistance and resistance, in the end, is the only path to security, to investment, to economic relief, and to lasting peace in the country and the region. The sword of war still hangs overhead, but the hand gripping it trembles. Iran has learned a simple truth: a shaking hand cannot strike deeper than a nation that refuses to bend.
Democrats on the brink of war powers breakthrough - Democratic lawmakers are on the verge of passing a resolution to end President Trump’s war with Iran — with some help from a steadily growing group of Republicans. In the House and Senate, resolutions under the 1973 War Powers Act this past week saw more members of Trump’s party crossing the aisle to vote in favor of the so-far failed measures, with others voicing their support for a future resolution. Up until now, House and Senate Republicans have defeated multiple war powers votes brought by their Democratic colleagues since the start of the U.S. campaign in Iran on Feb. 28. But some in the GOP who were initially hesitant to rein in Trump have soured on his administration’s lack of a clear plan for the conflict and skyrocketing fuel costs for their constituents — a byproduct of Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In the House on Thursday, GOP lawmakers narrowly voted down a resolution that would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran. A tie vote of 212-212 meant the measure failed under chamber rules.Three Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Tom Barrett (Mich.) — crossed the aisle to support the measure. One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), opposed it. But Golden, a former Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has indicated he’ll support the next war powers resolution. He said he only opposed the last measure because it had a withdrawal deadline that had already passed. “I look forward to voting for a clean, relevant resolution as soon as possible,” Golden said in a statement Wednesday. And Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) could return to Congress after being absent for four weeks and not voting on any issue since April 17. Wilson released a statement Thursday that she recently underwent eye surgery and was unable to fly but plans to be back in Washington, D.C., soon.
US Official: US-Israeli Bombing Campaign Has Left a More Hardened and Resilient Iran - - The New York Times reported on Monday that the five-week US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran “has left a more hardened, resilient adversary” as the Iranian military is preparing to face renewed airstrikes.The report, which cited an unnamed US military official, said that Iran has used the ceasefire to “dig out scores of bombed ballistic missile sites, move mobile missile launchers, and, despite significant losses, adjust its tactics for any resumption of strikes.”The Times previously reported that the US intelligence assessments have found that Iran still has about 70% of its pre-war missile inventory and fields 70% of its missile launchers, a starkly different picture than what the Trump administration has claimed publicly.The US military official speaking to the Times this week said that the US-Israeli bombing campaign instilled a belief in Iran that the country can resist more attacks by keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, striking energy infrastructure across Gulf Arab states, and shooting down US aircraft.The report came after President Trump said that he would “hold off” on plans to attack the Islamic Republic due to requests from Gulf Arab states to give diplomacy more of a chance. But the president threatened that US-Israeli attacks could resume at any moment, stating that he instructed the US military to “go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”The Times report said that some US officials were concerned that Trump’s announcement that he was holding off on attacking Iran could be a “form of misdirection and that he could still move ahead with strikes,” since he launched the war in February while another round of negotiations with Iran was scheduled. The June 2025 war also began right after Trump declared on Truth Social that he was committed to a diplomatic solution with Iran, a post that came as Israeli warplanes were getting in the air to bomb Iran.
Trump Says He Decided To 'Hold Off' on Plans To Attack Iran on Tuesday Due To Request From Gulf Arab Allies --President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday that he has decided to “hold off” on a plan to attack Iran on Tuesday due to requests from the US’s Gulf Arab allies. Trump claimed that the request to delay the attack came from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The president said that he would oblige the request but threatened that a US attack on Iran could still happen at any moment. “Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached,” he wrote. Trump said the Arab states requested the delay because “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.”Earlier in the day, a senior US official told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that Iran’s latest response in the negotiations being mediated by Pakistan was unacceptable to the US because Tehran isn’t caving to US demands. The official warned that new US strikes on Iran were likely. “It’s time for the Iranians to throw a bit of candy out. We need some real, sturdy, and granular conversation [regarding the nuclear program]. If that’s not gonna happen, we will have a conversation through bombs, which will be a shame,” the US official said.
Trump Threatens Iran With a 'Big Hit' If Deal Isn't Reached in the Coming Days - -President Trump on Tuesday again threatened to restart the bombing campaign against Iran, saying the country will face a “big hit” if it doesn’t agree to US demands for a deal in the coming days.“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” the president told reporters.The latest threat came a day after he claimed he was “holding off” on plans to strike Iran on Tuesday due to requests from Gulf Arab states. He claimed on Tuesday that he was just an hour away from ordering the attack. “We were all set to go … It would have been happening right now,” he said. There’s been no confirmation that the US was poised to attack Iran on Tuesday, and The Wall Street Journal reported that Gulf officials were not aware of plans for an imminent US attack. Earlier media reports said that Trump was set to meet with his top national security officials on Tuesday to discuss potential military operations.The resumption of US-Israeli strikes on Iran still appears to be likely, as there’s no sign of progress in negotiations between Washington and Tehran, which is being mediated by Pakistan, as the two sides remain far apart on core issues.Israeli media is reporting that Israel is expecting and planning to rejoin US strikes on Iran. According to Israel’s Channel 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his top military officials on Monday night to discuss the possibility, and he has canceled court testimony scheduled for Wednesday with no opposition from the prosecution.
Senate Advances War Powers Resolution Meant To End Trump's War With Iran - The Senate on Tuesday voted to advance a War Powers Resolution meant to bring an end to President Trump’s war against Iran as he is threatening to restart the full-scale bombing campaign.The legislation, which would direct the removal of US forces engaged in the blockade and other hostilities against Iran that haven’t been authorized by Congress, was advanced in a procedural vote of 50-47, a preliminary step before a final vote. It passed after seven previous attempts thanks to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) switching sides to support the bill, a move that comes after he lost his primary to a President Trump-backed opponent. Cassidy joined three other Republicans — Senators Rand Paul (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Susan Collins (ME) — in supporting the legislation, while just one Democrat, Sen. Jon Fetterman (PA), opposed it.The bill also advanced because three Republicans were absent for the vote. One more procedural vote is needed before it’s brought to the floor for a final vote to send it to the House, and if the Senate votes 50-50, Vice President JD Vance could cast a tie-breaking vote to kill the bill, as he did for a Venezuela War Powers Resolution back in January. But the bill’s advancement reflects growing momentum for the War Powers effort, as the latest attempt in the House came very close to passing, with a 212-212 vote. The bills aren’t close to gaining a veto-proof majority at the moment, but advancing War Powers Resolutions in both chambers would send a significant message to the administration and make it more difficult politically for President Trump to restart the full-scale bombing campaign, which he continues to threaten. While Trump administration officials have declared the 1973 War Powers Resolution “unconstitutional,” they have also been desperately trying to circumvent the law, which was passed to rein in the Executive Branch’s disregard for the Constitution’s requirement that Congress has the sole power to declare war.The law includes a 60-day deadline for the president to end any unauthorized military action or obtain authorization from Congress, which has been falsely reinterpreted to give the president 60 days to wage war without congressional authorization.The 60-day deadline for the Iran war expired on May 1, and the administration has tried to claim that the ceasefire should have paused the clock, but the blockade means the US military is still engaged in hostilities against the country. The US military has also attacked several Iranian commercial ships and bombed Iranian ports amid the blockade.According to a report from NBC News, the Pentagon is considering renaming the war with Iran from “Operation Epic Fury” to “Operation Sledgehammer,” and the White House believes giving the conflict a new name would reset the War Powers clock. But all of the hostilities are clearly still part of the same war that the US and Israel launched on February 28.
Sen. Thom Tillis says he won't vote for Iran war powers resolution -Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Wednesday he will not vote for a war powers resolution to withdraw U.S. armed forces deployed against Iran.Tillis ruled out joining four Republican senators who said they will back a motion to discharge a vote on a war powers resolution. “They’re messaging votes,” Tillis told Spectrum News about votes on war power resolutions. “I had an activist last week come up to me and say, ‘Will you vote on the War Powers Act?’ And I said no because it’s a messaging exercise. She said, ‘What do you mean?'” Tillis said he told the activist it will take votes for the measure to pass the Senate, votes to pass in the House and that it is subject to being vetoed by President Trump. “We know this is a messaging exercise,” he continued. “If we go about this at an adversarial position, we’re going to make a point, we’re not going to make a difference.”
Report: U.S., Israel eyed Ahmadinejad as Iran’s leader in regime change plan - The U.S. and Israel may have entered into the war with Iran with a regime change plan in mind that would put Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s former president and a fierce critic of the U.S. and Israel, as a surprising potential successor, The New York Times reported. U.S. officials briefed on the plan told the Times that Israel developed a multistage regime-change strategy that unexpectedly envisioned Ahmadinejad in power, despite his history of anti-Israeli rhetoric and support of Iran’s nuclear program. The plan never materialized after Ahmadinejad was injured in the opening days of the conflict. He had been briefed on the plans but became disillusioned after surviving the strikes, the report says. The initial U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran on Feb. 28 also killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is unclear how Ahmadinejad was recruited to become involved in the plan, and his whereabouts are unknown. Ahmadinejad served as Iran’s president from 2005-13 and became internationally known for his Holocaust denial and staunch backing of Iran’s nuclear program. In recent years, however, he had fallen out of favor with regime leaders, having accused them of corruption, and was barred from running for reelection. According to the report, the U.S. and Israel sought individuals within the Iranian regime who were willing to cooperate with the U.S. to topple Iran’s government, though some officials were skeptical about whether Ahmadinejad could realistically lead. The report offers a clear indication that the U.S. and Israel may have had broader ambitions in mind for the conflict than publicly acknowledged. The White House in a statement to The Hill said Trump “has been clear about his goals” in Iran. “The United States Military met or exceeded all of its objectives, and now, our negotiators are working to make a deal that would end Iran’s nuclear capabilities for good,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. While President Trump has publicly supported a new leader in Iran, his administration has repeatedly framed its military operations in Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, as primarily focusing on eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities and not a regime change.
US and Israel planned to install Ahmadinejad as Iranian leader, NYT says | Al Jazeera - The United States and Israel went into war on Iran intending to replace the regime’s leadership with hardline former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, The New York Times reported. Quoting US officials who were briefed on the “audacious plan”, the newspaper said things “quickly went awry”, and Ahmadinejad’s “current whereabouts and condition are unknown”. After the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, US President Donald Trump mused that it would be best if “someone from within” Iran took over the country, the Times reported. “To say that Mr Ahmadinejad was an unusual choice would be a vast understatement,” the newspaper said. “While he had increasingly clashed with the regime’s leaders and had been placed under close watch by the Iranian authorities, he was known during his term as president, from 2005 to 2013, for his calls to ‘wipe Israel off the map’. He was a strong supporter of Iran’s nuclear program, a fierce critic of the United States and known for violently cracking down on internal dissent.” The newspaper noted, however, that in a 2019 interview, Ahmadinejad praised President Trump and argued for a rapprochement between Iran and the US. “Mr Trump is a man of action,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. “He is a businessman and therefore he is capable of calculating cost-benefits and making a decision. We say to him, let’s calculate the long-term cost-benefit of our two nations and not be shortsighted.” The Times said Trump was relishing the success of the special forces raid that kidnapped Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and the willingness of his interim replacement, Delcy Rodriguez, to work with the White House, and believed the same model could be replicated in Iran. However, the US-Israeli plan, which Ahmadinejad had been consulted about, “quickly went awry”, according to the US officials who spoke to the Times. Ahmadinejad was reportedly wounded on the first day of the war by an Israeli strike on his home in Tehran, which was intended to free him from house arrest, American officials told the Times. Ahmadinejad survived the strike, they said, but after the near-miss, he changed his mind about the regime change plan, and he has not been located since. An article in the Atlantic in March said the attack on the house was “in effect a jailbreak operation”, citing anonymous associates of Ahmadinejad. After that article, the Times said it received confirmation from an associate of Ahmadinejad that he recognised the air strike was an attempt to free him. The associate said the Americans believed Ahmadinejad could lead the country and had the ability to manage “Iran’s political, social and military situation”. But although Ahmadinejad was able to escape house arrest despite his injuries, the newspaper said he became disillusioned with the regime change plan and stopped cooperating. Ahmedinejad, who was president from 2003 to 2013, became increasingly at odds with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Ahmadinejad has clashed with regime leaders, accusing them of corruption, and rumours have swirled about his loyalties,” the Times said. “He was disqualified from numerous presidential elections, his aides were arrested and Mr Ahmadinejad’s movements were increasingly restricted to his home.” It added: “People close to Mr Ahmadinejad have been accused of having too close ties to the West, or even spying for Israel.”
The Trump Administration’s Iran Plan Is Even Crazier Than We Thought | The New Republic -- A bonkers new report suggests that the U.S. and Israel attempted to install Holocaust-denying former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s leader. In October 2005, days after Israeli forces killed a commander of the Hamas-aligned militant group Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke out unequivocally. “As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map,” said Iran’s newly elected president, referring to Ruhollah Khomeini, the late ayatollah and leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury.” During his two terms as president over eight years, Ahmadinejad said Israel has “no place in the region” and that “a devastating storm is on the way that will uproot the basis of Zionism.” The United States—whose president, George W. Bush, had listed Iran as part of an “Axis of Evil” alongside Iraq and North Korea in 2002—was another frequent target. “The accomplishment of a world without America and Israel is both possible and feasible. And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism,” Ahmadinejad said, days after calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” Even if some of Ahmadinejad’s fury could be chalked up to anti-imperialist anger, he was also an unrepentant Holocaust denier who repeatedly referred to the deaths of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis as a “myth,” a “lie,” and the “opinion of just a few.”Ahmadinejad was the face of an Iranian regime that Israeli hard-liners and neoconservatives in the Bush administration were determined to wipe out. In other words, Ahmadinejad, who left office in 2013, was not someone whom the U.S. and Israel ever wanted to see return to power—or so you’d assume. And yet, that is precisely what the two allies attempted to engineer earlier this year, according to a bonkers new report from The New York Times. The story, which has to be read to be believed, reveals the utter incompetence and incoherent strategy of the Americans and Israelis who are responsible for the Iran war.In the early days of the war, Ahmadinejad’s home—where he had been held in house arrest over critiques of regime leaders—was hit by an airstrike, and he was initially assumed to have been killed. But now the Times, citing U.S. officials, reports that the strike was intended to kill Ahmadinejad’s guards, allowing him to then be installed as the U.S.- and Israeli-approved leader of a post–Islamic Republic government. Ahmadinejad had even met with Israeli representatives on visits to Guatemala and Hungary between 2023 and 2025. But after the strike, in which he was injured, “he became disillusioned with the regime change plan,” the report states. (You don’t say?) His whereabouts now are unknown. The Times reporting makes it clear that this plan was concocted and primarily driven by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency that is analogous to the CIA, and U.S. leaders only signed off on it shortly before it was executed. To a large extent it suggests that Mossad, once one of the premier intelligence agencies in the world, has not just lost its touch but fallen completely off the deep end: Installing a Holocaust-denying blowhard as president is absurd even by contemporary Israeli standards.But even if this was a Mossad-driven operation, it is still damning about America’s handling of the war itself. President Trump and the Pentagon made “regime change” a stated goal of the operation, albeit in a typically ambiguous and confusing way. Secretary of “War” Pete Hegseth stated last month that “regime change has occurred” in Iran, an apparent reference to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in the first day of airstrikes. But that statement is hard to square with the fact that the country is apparently being run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in consultation with Khamenei’s son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured to an unknown degree in an airstrike. If this is regime change at all, well, it’s a more hard-line regime than existed before the war. Now we have another data point about what the U.S. considers to be regime change, and it’s even more ridiculous: installing the U.S.- and Israel-hating Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new leader. An “associate” of Ahmadinejad told the Times that “Ahmadinejad saw the strike as an attempt to free him. The associate said the Americans viewed Mr. Ahmadinejad as someone who could lead Iran, and had the capability to manage ‘Iran’s political, social and military situation.’” That the U.S. deemed him an acceptable leader is difficult to fathom, but perhaps not inconsistent with how this administration operates: The associate suggested to the Times that the Trump administration saw Ahmadinejad as analogous to Delcy Rodríguez, the Venezuelan vice president who took over the country after U.S. special forces kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro in January. It’s possible, as Spencer Ackerman notes in a typically shrewd and acerbic post, that this could mean that Ahmadinejad was a long-standing U.S. and Israeli intelligence agent, a mind-melting possibility, or that “this whole piece is a set-up job to discredit Ahmadinejad”—in other words, having failed to kill Ahmadinejad in the airstrike, U.S. officials planted this fanciful scenario in The New York Times in an attempt to discredit him and thus prevent him from taking power.Under any previous administration, this Times story would be too batshit to believe. But nothing is beyond belief under the Trump administration—and indeed the more unbelievable the story, the truer it often turns out to be. (This week provided another case in point.) If it is true that U.S. and Israeli leaders really were trying to elevate Ahmadinejad, it’s hard to think of anything more damning for the war effort. The idea that he would have any credibility in Iran if installed in such a fashion is preposterous, not to mention that any attempt by the U.S. and Israel to justify installing him would have been instantly discredited by his litany of past statements about the two countries. Yet this administration has proven time again that it doesn’t actually think through its plans; it acts, then reacts.But the main reason the Ahmadinejad gambit seems plausible is that it epitomizes something that has long been apparent about the Iran war: The American and Israeli officials conducting it have no real idea what they want to accomplish. They certainly have no idea what kind of government in Tehran they would deem acceptable. And that is how, perhaps, you end up trying to install a Holocaust denier who wants to wipe you off the map.
US Marines Board Iranian-Flagged Tanker in Gulf of Oman - -- US Central Command said on Wednesday that its forces boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as the US continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports. CENTCOM said that Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the Celestial Sea because it was suspected of “attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port.” The command said the Marines released the vessel after “searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course.” Video of US forces boarding the ship released by CENTCOM. CENTCOM added that US forces “continue to fully enforce the blockade” and claimed that it has “redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance.”US forces have attacked and disabled at least four commercial ships in the region in recent weeks, and CENTCOM said in early May that it destroyed six Iranian IRGC attack boats, though Iranian media said the US actually destroyed two small cargo vessels traveling between Oman and Iran and that the attack killed five civilians.The US has also seized several vessels that were carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. President Trump has previously said the US was acting “like pirates” in its enforcement of the blockade, affirming Iran’s characterization of the US actions.“We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business. Who would have thought we were doing that? We’re like pirates. We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates, but we’re not playing games,” he said on May 2.
Trump says he’s ‘in no hurry’ to make a deal with Iran --- President Trump said Wednesday he is not in a hurry to make a deal with Iran as any progress on a potential deal between the two countries remains elusive. “We’re going to give this one shot,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “I’m in no hurry. Everyone is saying, ‘The midterms, I’m in a hurry.’ I’m in no hurry.” “Ideally, I’d like to see few people killed as opposed to a lot. We could do it either way,” he added. The statement appeared to contrast with comments made by Trump on Tuesday to lawmakers at the White House’s annual Congressional Picnic, where he said “we’re going to end the war very quickly.” “They want to make a deal so badly, they’re tired of — this should have happened for 47 years,” the president said. On Monday, Trump said he would hold off on attacking Iran at the request of leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after a U.S. strike was scheduled for Tuesday. Polls show a growing number of Americans are unhappy with Trump’s handling of the conflict, posing a risk to Republicans as they seek to defend their majorities in Congress. The conflict in Iran has wreaked havoc on global energy markets, spiking inflation and energy prices in the U.S. The national average for gas prices going into Memorial Day weekend was up to $4.55 per gallon, according to AAA. A New York Times/Siena University poll released this week found that 64 percent of Americans said they think the war in Iran was the wrong decision. The survey showed Trump with a 37 percent approval rating, a low in the poll. A separate Associated Press-NORC poll released Wednesday showed the president appearing to lose ground with Republicans on the economy, with 63 percent of self-identified Republicans saying they approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. That is down from 78 percent at the beginning of his second term.
Xi Warns US Against New Iran Strikes, Denounces 'Law Of The Jungle', As Putin Talks Energy Leverage In Beijing Summit Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a high-stakes summit on Wednesday, just days after wrapping up closely watched talks with Trump, which by all accounts failed to produce any Washington-Beijing breakthroughs. The optics were carefully engineered, and many international outlets observed Putin's state welcome was no less lavish and opulent than Trump's own, with the Russian leader entering Great Hall of the People with full military pomp, children waving flags, and the standard marching band - again, strikingly similar to the red-carpet treatment rolled out for Trump last week.For example, Al Jazeera writes that "We were expecting a more low-key ceremony, but he actually received an identical welcome treatment as Trump last week." And more: He had the red carpet rolled out for him; he received a 21-gun salute, as well as children waving Russian and Chinese flags, saying, ‘We warmly welcome you.’ The only difference is who greeted Putin at the airport. With Trump, it was Han Zheng, the vice president, and for Putin, it was Wang Yi, the foreign minister. President Xi in his opening remarks delivered a sharp critique of the current geopolitical landscape, warning that the world is at risk of regressing into the "law of the jungle" - but hailed the Beijing-Moscow alliance as a crucial stabilizing force against what he later termed "all unilateral bullying" in the international arena, which appeared a passing jab at the United States. The very timing of the Putin summit has widely been viewed as a display of leverage.Among key moments is that Xi called for "a comprehensive ceasefire" in the Middle East and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He characterized the standoff situation in the Persian Gulf as a "critical juncture between war and peace." Xi called for the "unimpeded flow" of crude transit through the strait, as it is in "the common interest of the international community.""My four-point proposal for maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East aims to further build international consensus and contribute to easing tensions, deescalating conflict, and promoting peace," Xi said on the Iran crisis according to state news outlet Xinhua. Noticeably absent, however, was mention of finding peace in Ukraine. They agreed that it was "necessary to address the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis."As for Iran, Xi also explicitly noted that further hostilities in the Middle East were "inadvisable" and that a "comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency." Putin during the summit sought to assure Beijing that Moscow remains a "reliable energy supplier" amid global oil supply shocks, noting their bilateral relationship sits at an"unprecedentedly high level."He even at one point invoked a classical Chinese proverb to describe his relationship with Xi: "Even if we haven’t seen each other for a day, it feels like three autumns have passed."
Bloomberg: Iran Destroyed Nearly $1 Billion Worth of US MQ-9 Reaper Drones - News From Antiwar.com - Bloomberg reported on Thursday that during the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran that began on February 28, Iranian forces destroyed more than two dozen US MQ-9 Reaper drones, or nearly $1 billion worth of the unmanned aircraft. The number represents about 20% of the Pentagon’s MQ-9 inventory. The drones have been used for nearly two decades in strikes as part of the US “War on Terror,” which continues today in Somalia, Yemen, and now Nigeria, but when used against an enemy with air defenses, the MQ-9 is extremely vulnerable. During the US bombing campaigns in Yemen in 2024 and 2025, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, shot down about 20 MQ-9s. The more than two dozen that were destroyed in the Iran war include drones that were shot down by Iranian air defenses and drones that were destroyed by Iranian attacks on US bases across the region. In the war against Iran, previous reports have said that the MQ-9 was armed with 250-pound small-diameter bombs, which have a longer range than the Hellfire missiles the drones are usually equipped with, likely an effort to make them less exposed to Iran’s air defenses. Despite the heavy loss of the MQ-9s, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the chief of the US Air Force, dubbed the drones the “most valuable player” of the US-Israeli bombing campaign, which killed more than 3,400 Iranians, around half of whom were civilians. “No other platform is even close to the MQ-9” in terms of the number of strikes launched in Iran, Wilsbach told Congress on Wednesday. “It’s an unmanned platform, so we get a lot of utility out of them, and don’t put our folks at risk,” he said. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, MQ-9s are still deployed against Iran, flying in the Strait of Hormuz to enforce the US blockade of Iranian ports and for surveillance.
Report: Iran Reconstituting Its Military Much Faster Than the US Expected - -- Iran is reconstituting its military capabilities that were degraded by the US-Israeli bombing campaign much faster than expected and is already producing new drones, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with US intelligence.One US official told the outlet that some US intelligence estimates indicate Iran could fully rebuild its drone capabilities within six months. “The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the IC had for reconstitution,” the official said.The other work Iran has done includes replacing missile sites, launchers, and production capacity for other weapons systems. Other US media reports have said that the US believes Iran has access to 70% of its missile launchers and maintains about 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile. A US official told The Washington Post earlier this month that evidence indicates Iran has also been able to repair some damaged missiles and assemble some new missiles that were nearly complete when the US and Israel launched the war.The reports have painted a starkly different picture from what the Trump administration has claimed publicly, and the continued leaks suggest there is discontent within the Pentagon and elsewhere within the administration over the idea of restarting the bombing campaign, since Iran will have the capability to launch significant counterattacks.If the US and Israel do restart airstrikes, Iran would likely respond with major strikes on oil infrastructure in the Gulf Arab states, which would significantly exacerbate the global economic crisis already caused by the war and the rising gas prices in the US.
U.S. and Iran remain at odds over uranium enrichment, Strait of Hormuz tolls -The U.S. and Iran have signaled progress in talks to end the war, but the combatants remain at loggerheads over Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile and tolls on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there were “good signs” that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, but warned any such deal would be “unfeasible” if Iran pursues measures to permanently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can’t happen [and] it would be unacceptable,” Rubio told reporters in Miami, Florida. “If we can’t get a good deal, the president’s been clear he has other options,” Rubio said, without elaborating. It comes shortly after Iran said the latest proposal from the U.S. had brought the two warring sides closer to a peace deal. The Islamic Republic is currently in the process of reviewing the views of the American side, with an ongoing exchange of messages based on Iran’s original 14-point framework from several weeks ago. The latest proposal submitted by the U.S. “has narrowed the gaps to some extent,” according to the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), which reportedly said that “further reductions require an end to the temptation for war from Washington.” Talks to bring an end to the Iran war have shown little progress in recent weeks, with both sides locked in an uneasy ceasefire, as Tehran blocks the Strait of Hormuz and Washington blockades Iranian ports. Asked about reported discussions between Iran and Oman, a U.S. ally, regarding the potential for the two countries to collaborate in building a payment system to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the initiative. Trump said his administration had “total control” of the waterway. “We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway,” The president told reporters on Thursday.
House Republicans call off vote on Iran war resolution that was on the verge of passing (AP) — Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June. The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Trump’s military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it. It was the latest sign of the slipping support in Congress for a war that Trump launched more than two months ago without congressional approval. “We had the votes without question and they knew it, and as a result they’re playing a political game,” said Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the bill. Republicans in the Senate are also working to ensure they have the votes to dismiss another war powers resolution that advanced to a final vote earlier this week, when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote. The actions by congressional leaders showed Republicans are struggling to maintain political backing for Trump’s handling of the war. Rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that the vote was delayed to give lawmakers who were absent a chance to vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson did not answer questions from reporters as he exited the House chamber.
US naval blockade against Iran ‘illegal’, amounts to ‘war crime’: Envoy - Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, has warned against the humanitarian impact of the “illegal” US naval blockade against the Islamic Republic, stressing that it constitutes “a war crime”. In a letter addressed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, the Iranian envoy referred to the consequences of these “illegal” US measures on the human rights situation in Iran. He stressed that this "unilateral naval blockade", which is being imposed within the framework of unilateral coercive measures and as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against Iran, has had widespread humanitarian impact. The Iranian envoy warned that if this blockade continues, it will seriously threaten the fundamental rights of the Iranian people, including the right to development, access to basic goods and services, as well as the right to health and access to medical equipment. Bahraini emphasized that this naval blockade violates the principles of international law and “constitutes a war crime” due to its severe impact on civilians, including depriving them of food and essential goods. He has called on Turk to investigate and monitor the effects of this illegal naval blockade, especially on the right to health, food security, and access to medical supplies and services, as well as the livelihoods of the people of southern Iran. The letter noted that the current situation in the region is the result of the blatant and unlawful US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, stressing that these two regimes hold responsibility for the consequences of their inhumane actions. The US and Israel started a fresh round of aerial aggression on Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country. Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the strikes by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases and interests in regional countries. Iran also shut down the Strait of Hormuz to its enemies and their allies following the unprovoked aggression. Iranian authorities introduced much stricter controls last month after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports. Tehran says the measures violate the terms of a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 8 and was later extended unilaterally by Washington. The Islamic Republic insists it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, unless the illegal blockade is lifted and the war reaches a permanent end.
Iran responds to US peace proposal – Tehran demands reparations | УНН - Iran stated that it has responded to a new U.S. proposal regarding the cessation of hostilities. It was clarified that the exchange of views and proposals is still ongoing, UNN reports with reference to aawsat.com.Washington and Tehran are exchanging proposals in an attempt to end the conflict that broke out on February 28. So far, the parties have held only one round of negotiations amid a fragile truce that has been in place since April 8. "As we have announced, our concerns have been brought to the attention of the American side,"- stated Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei during a press briefing on Monday. He added that the exchange of views "is ongoing through a Pakistani mediator," without providing further details. "The issues raised are Iran's demands, which the Iranian negotiating team has resolutely defended at every round of talks,"- Baghaei said. He also defended Iran's demand for the U.S. to pay war reparations, calling the conflict "illegal and groundless." As a reminder,U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that "time is running out" as negotiations to end the war have reached a deadlock.
Iran says agreement with US not yet near as Pakistan continues mediation role - The Foreign Ministry says Iran cannot yet say that an agreement with the United States is close, despite noting that trips made to Tehran by senior officials from Pakistan, which has been mediating talks between the two sides, point to arrival at a "decisive" juncture. "The process is ongoing. I have said before that the differences between Iran and the United States are so deep and extensive, especially after the crimes they have committed over the past two or three months," spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said during a televised interview on Friday. "Diplomacy is time-consuming, and both sides use every opportunity to convey their viewpoints," he added. Baghaei said the focus of discussions with the Pakistani officials rests on cessation of aggression on all fronts, including Lebanon, rather than entering into detailed nuclear discussions. Nuclear issues "are not supposed to have their details discussed at this stage," he said. He identified some other important issues at hand as developments in the Strait of Hormuz, including continuation of Washington's illegal naval blockade against Iran and American aggression targeting maritime traffic in the waterway. Asked whether Washington was pressing nuclear-related demands, the spokesman reiterated that the Islamic Republic’s immediate priority was cessation of aggression. Revisiting detailed nuclear disputes at the current stage would not produce results, the official noted, saying, "We have gone down this path before, and the disagreements were so extensive that we could not reach an agreement." "On the other hand, the other side, because of its unreasonable demands, ultimately caused the negotiating table to collapse and committed crimes and acts of aggression against Iran." He was referring to the US's and the Israeli regime's attacking Iran in June last year and on February 27, although Washington had joined supposed diplomatic processes with Tehran on both occasions. "Regarding nuclear issues, the matter is completely clear. We are a member of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), and as an NPT member, we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes." Baghaei was referring to the US's and some of its allies' insistence that the Islamic Republic abandon its right to peaceful nuclear enrichment. Iran’s position regarding highly enriched uranium has also already been made clear, he added, pointing to Tehran's repeated assertion that it would not allow the materials out of the country, despite Washington's insistence to the contrary.
'We're Not Close to a Deal': Iran Freezes Nuclear Talks as US Senator Calls for Return to Military Action - On the same day that Pakistan's military chief flew to Tehran in a fresh push for a negotiated end to the conflict, Iran's foreign ministry and a senior Republican senator delivered two starkly opposing but equally sobering messages: Tehran says a deal is not close, and at least one powerful voice in Washington does not want one at all. Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Friday that despite ongoing diplomatic movement, it cannot yet be said that an agreement with the United States is within reach. He said the differences between Tehran and Washington are deep and wide — particularly in light of events over the past two to three months. "Diplomacy is a process that takes time," Baghaei said. "It cannot be said that with a few visits over a few weeks or months we will reach a conclusion. Both sides are only conveying their own viewpoints." He was explicit about Iran's current priorities. At this stage, he said, Tehran's focus is solely on ending the war across its various fronts — particularly in Lebanon and at the Strait of Hormuz. As for the nuclear file, Baghaei confirmed that due to what he described as "excessive American demands," detailed discussions on the atomic dossier have been set aside entirely. On the role of mediators, Baghaei said the presence of senior Pakistani officials in Tehran — including Field Marshal Asim Munir, commander of Pakistan's armed forces — signals that the talks have reached a turning point. He clarified that while a Qatari delegation has also visited Tehran to help reduce tensions, Pakistan remains the primary and official channel for the negotiations. While diplomats shuttled between capitals, a sharply different view was taking shape in Washington. Roger Wicker, the Republican senator who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a formal statement Friday criticising the current direction of the Trump administration and calling for a return to military action. "President Trump is being given bad advice to push toward a deal with Tehran," Wicker said. "The truth is that the operation he began against Iran should continue until the mission is complete." Wicker argued that the time had come to allow US armed forces to finish what they started, citing the need to fully dismantle Iran's military capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz — which he described as both a security and strategic necessity. He went further, warning that continued pursuit of a negotiated settlement could send the wrong signal. "We are at a decisive moment that will define President Trump's legacy," Wicker said. "Further efforts toward a deal with Iran risk projecting an image of weakness." His remarks directly contradicted the administration's posture, with Wicker accusing Trump of receiving "misleading advice" steering him toward an agreement he characterized as unworthy of the effort invested. The competing pressures come against a backdrop of intensive behind-the-scenes activity. On Wednesday, May 20, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, citing a source close to Tehran's negotiating team, that the United States had sent Iran a new draft of its proposals through Pakistani mediation — a response to Iran's 14-point proposal. The same day, Axios reported a lengthy and tense phone call between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, revealing a deep disagreement between the two leaders over how to bring the war to an end. According to Axios, Trump informed Netanyahu that regional mediators, Qatar and Pakistan, were working on a good-faith letter intended to be signed by both Washington and Tehran, with the aim of formally ending hostilities and launching a 30-day negotiating period covering sensitive issues including Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, May 18, Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani source, that Islamabad had conveyed a new draft of Iran's positions to the United States, but warned that both sides have little time remaining to bridge their differences.
US-Iran Negotiations Stall as Trump Alters Schedule to Review Options - Negotiations between the United States and Iran have failed to secure a diplomatic breakthrough, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to cancel weekend travel and return urgently to Washington amid internal discussions over potential renewed military action. According to Iranian state media and a source close to the Iranian negotiating team, talks over disputed issues continue, but no final agreement will be reached until all outstanding matters are resolved. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran's current focus is strictly on ending the war. On the American side, U.S. officials told Axios the negotiations are "very exhausting" and "agonizing," noting that daily draft proposals between Washington and Tehran have yielded no real progress. Following a recent return from China, Trump altered his weekend schedule to remain in the capital. The White House announced that after a speech in New York on Friday evening, the president would return to Washington rather than staying at his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey. Trump also stated on Truth Social that he would skip the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., citing "circumstances pertaining to Government" and the importance of remaining at the White House. According to reporting by Axios journalist Barak Ravid, Trump convened a high-level meeting with his senior national security team Friday morning. U.S. officials told Axios the session included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were absent due to travel and a graduation ceremony. Sources close to the administration indicated Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the diplomatic pace. Although Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday he wanted to give negotiations another chance, sources noted that by Thursday night he leaned toward ordering a strike. Trump has raised the possibility of a final "decisive" military operation to conclude the war and declare victory. The impasse coincides with last-minute mediation efforts. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday. Munir is scheduled to meet with Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stated Munir's visit is unconnected to the Washington negotiations. Speaking in Sweden, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tempered expectations regarding a possible agreement with Iran, stating, "We're not there yet," while affirming Washington's core demands include resolving Iran's nuclear enrichment and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Conversely, Baqaei stated that differences remain deep and that Tehran has entirely frozen detailed nuclear file discussions due to "excessive American demands." Baqaei emphasized that Iran's immediate priority is solely ending the war across its various fronts, including Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz. The crisis stems from a war that began on Feb. 28, 2026, with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran that killed senior Iranian leaders. Tehran retaliated by striking U.S. bases and closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In response, the U.S. blockaded Iranian ports on April 8, while the shipping lane remains closed. Significant uncertainty remains over potential military escalation. While sources close to the negotiations indicate a 24-hour window for a breakthrough remains, and Trump appears inclined toward military action barring an unexpected development, U.S. officials emphasize that no final or decisive decision to resume the war has been made.
Pezeshkian: Iran seeks its legitimate rights in US talks, but past experiences demand caution - Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic seeks only to restore its legitimate rights in talks with the United States, but that past experiences of negotiating with Americans have led Tehran to proceed with extreme caution. Speaking during a meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir, Commander of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Army, on Saturday, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Munir's efforts and those of his government toward regional stability and security. "The people and officials of Pakistan are our brothers, and we hold sincere affection for you. We Muslims are one single body; we have no choice but unity. We must strive through cooperation to improve our own situation and that of all Muslims around the world," he said. Pezeshkian emphasized that Muslims must pursue the unity and cohesion of the Islamic world through practical solutions and further strengthen and expand economic, social, political, and cultural interactions between them. The president reiterated Iran's practical commitment to international legal frameworks, saying, "We seek only to restore the rightful and legitimate rights of our nation, but our history and experience of negotiating with Americans compels us to exercise the utmost caution." Pezeshkian stressed that war has never brought benefit to anyone, adding, "America will not be victorious in this conflict. It is the countries of the region and the world that will suffer serious losses. The Zionist regime is the only party seeking to secure its own interests in the region through war." The president pointed out that Iran distrusts the United States due to repeated breaches of its commitments, attacks during negotiations, and the assassination of Iranian officials. "Under such circumstances, the Islamic Republic of Iran — relying on brotherly relations with friendly countries, including Pakistan — has entered the path of negotiation," he said. However, he added that the “primary goal is solely to secure the interests of the Iranian nation through appropriate and suitable solutions." Munir, for his part, expressed happiness at the opportunity to meet again with the Iranian president and stated that “the negotiation process is proceeding well.” Praising the Iranian president's perspectives, the Pakistani army commander added that Israel seeks to secure its own interests in conflict and discord among Muslims in the region. He noted that the regime harbors serious enmity toward anyone who strives to resolve conflicts, and it has no desire for stability and security in the region. Munir emphasized that he seeks only to establish stability and prevent the continuation and recurrence of war and conflict in the region, expressing hope that the ongoing negotiations will reach a favorable outcome for Iran, all regional countries, and Muslims as soon as possible.
Iran, US moving closer to finalizing memorandum of understanding to end imposed war: Baghaei - Iran and the United States have edged closer to finalizing a 14-point memorandum to end the imposed war, halt American maritime aggression, and secure the release of Iran’s blocked assets, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says. Speaking in a televised interview on Saturday, Baghaei elaborated on a day-long visit by a Pakistani delegation, led by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Tehran, hailing Islamabad’s “important” mediating role in talks between Iran and the US in recent weeks. “We are now in the finalization stage of this memorandum of understanding. The topics being discussed at this stage focus broadly on ending the war, halting the US naval aggression - what they themselves have labeled a 'naval blockade'-, and issues related to the release of Iran's blocked assets,” he said. He added that the purpose of the Pakistani delegation’s visit was to continue the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington. He emphasized that Iran's focus at this stage remains exclusively on ending the US-Israel imposed war based on the Islamic Republic's 14-point proposal, which has been shuttled back and forth several times. Asked whether Tehran and Washington have drawn closer to an agreement or moved further apart following recent meetings between the Pakistani and Iranian authorities, Baghaei said Iran cannot be fully confident that the US approaches will not shift again as before. However, he acknowledged that after several weeks of dialogue between the two sides, the “process appears to be moving toward a convergence of views.” Baghaei, who is also the spokesman of the Iranian negotiating team, emphasized that “moving closer” does not mean that Iran and the US are about to reach an understanding. Rather, he explained, it means that “based on a set of parameters, the two sides may be able to achieve a win-win solution.” He outlined the framework of the negotiations, saying, “Our approach has been to first draft a memorandum of understanding consisting of 14 articles. That memorandum would include the most important issues necessary to end the imposed war and matters of fundamental importance to us.” “Subsequently, within a reasonable timeframe of 30 to 60 days, the two sides would discuss the details of these issues and ultimately reach a final agreement.” The criminal US-Israeli aggression against Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders, including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Iranian Armed Forces responded by launching daily missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli-occupied territories as well as US military bases and assets across the region. Furthermore, Iran retaliated against the strikes by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which resulted in a significant increase in oil prices and its by-products. On April 8, forty days into the war, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect. Negotiations ensued in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad but stopped short of an agreement amid Washington’s maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions. Elsewhere in his remarks, Baghaei pointed to the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strategic waterway “has nothing to do with America.” He added that Iran and Oman, as the coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz, should define a mechanism for it. Asked whether the Strait of Hormuz is included in the 14-point memorandum, the spokesman said the issue would logically be discussed. However, he added, putting an end to “US piracy and maritime banditry” against international shipping is even more important than the Strait of Hormuz. Iran shut down the strait to its enemies and their allies after the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression. Iranian authorities began enforcing much stricter controls last month following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports. Tehran says the measures violate the terms of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. Despite the blockade, shipping activity linked to Iranian crude is continuing. Asked whether the nuclear issue might be part of any potential agreement, Baghaei responded, “At this stage, we are not discussing the details of the nuclear issue." He said Iran knows that its nuclear program has been a “pretext” for two aggressive wars against the Iranian people, adding that the country came under illegal attacks even during nuclear negotiations. “In later stages – within 30 days, 60 days, or whatever timeframe is ultimately agreed upon – we can discuss the nuclear issue or other mutually agreed matters separately. But at this stage, as stated, all our focus is on ending the war,” the spokesperson emphasized. On the subject of sanctions, Baghaei said Iran has made clear to American parties that sanctions are both “illegal and inhumane.” Given that Tehran is not discussing details about the nuclear issue at this stage, it is also not discussing the specifics of sanctions removal in this short window. However, he stressed that Iran's demand for the removal of all sanctions has been explicitly included in the text. “This is our constant demand in any interaction with intermediaries,” he noted. Baghaei stressed that “both the nuclear issue and the issue of releasing Iran's blocked funds are included in the 14-point memorandum of understanding.
Iran won the war: Former senior Israeli official - A former senior Israeli official says Iran has emerged victorious out of the latest bout of American-Israeli aggression targeting the Islamic Republic, describing Tel Aviv and Washington as facing a difficult strategic situation. Giora Eiland, a retired major general and former head of the Israeli regime's so-called domestic security council, made the remarks to the regime's Channel 12. "Iran won the war, perhaps by a few points, but it is a clear victory," he said. There is now a clear understanding of the war’s outcome, Eiland added, noting, "The Iranians can express greater satisfaction with the result of the war." Eiland further argued that the United States was currently "in an evident bind," adding that this has placed the Israeli regime "in an even greater predicament." He also stressed that the Islamic Republic's ruling establishment remains intact, despite the aggression, saying the country demonstrated strong resilience and power throughout the aggression and was now projecting strength towards the United States and its allies. Eiland said a preferable scenario for the United States would be a return to the pre-war status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, without being forced to make additional concessions to Iran, alongside the lifting of the American naval blockade against the country. He noted how the US has been forced to leave the nuclear dispute with Iran out of the agenda of current indirect diplomatic interactions with the Islamic Republic, and rather focus only on ending the aggression. This is while, back in January, Washington would insist on negotiations involving the nuclear issue, Iran's missile program, and regional allies. This would effectively return the United States to "square one," he stated. The United States and the Israeli regime launched their latest bout of unprovoked aggression against Iran on February 27. US President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire on April 7 following at least 100 waves of decisive and successful Iranian retaliation and after the Islamic Republic closed the Strait of Hormuz to enemies and their allies. Iran has refused to rejoin negotiations unless its conditions, including cessation of aggression on all fronts and removal of the illegal blockade, were met.
Yemeni armed forces shoot down intruding US MQ-9 Reaper drone - Yemeni armed forces have intercepted and shot down a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone as it was flying in the skies over the northwestern oil-rich province of Ma'rib. Local sources reported that powerful explosions rattled the provincial capital city of Ma'rib on Monday as Yemeni air defense units targeted the intruding surveillance aircraft over the nearby Ma'rib al-Wadi district. The sources added that the US reconnaissance drone was struck with an anti-aircraft missile launched from the Sirwah district. Images shared on social media platforms showed the wreckage of the drone strewn across a desert area east of Ma'rib al-Wadi district. Among the debris was the fuel system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as its reconnaissance equipment. The downed drone was apparently armed with two AGM-114R9X air-to-ground precision strike and semi-active laser (SAL) guided missiles. The Pentagon has yet to confirm the report.
The $5.02 ghost: Trump’s team faces a symbolic blow to one of its favorite economic talking points - President Donald Trump’s war threatens to push gas prices past the record high under former President Joe Biden. They aren’t the only numbers the White House staff is sweating. While record high prices at the pump are a persistent concern, the bond market’s spike over the last several days also has aides and allies fretting, worried that borrowing costs will pummel a nation that runs on credit and make it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut rates. The two moving in tandem are a double whammy for a White House working to assuage voters’ cost-of-living concerns ahead of an expected difficult midterm election. “The White House staff is absolutely, totally freaked about bond yields and gas prices,” said a person close to the White House, who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Five people familiar with the West Wing’s thinking, including three of Trump’s former energy advisers, all granted anonymity to discuss the internal conversations, said the record $5.02 gas price, hit in 2022, is a symbolic milestone, sure to set off a wave of negative news coverage that the Trump administration is looking to avoid. And Biden’s high mark is one that Trump and leading administration officials have used as a yardstick to show the prior administration was worse for Americans. But with the Iran war in its third month, and no end in sight, there is little the administration can do except watch the figures tick up day after day. “There is a lot of anxiety that they have not been able to close a deal,” said one of the former Trump energy advisers. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers disputed the premise, insisting the administration was not taken by surprise. “This is false,” she said in an emailed statement. “As usual, Politico is relying on anonymous sources to push fake news. President Trump and his energy team anticipated short-term market disruptions, communicated them openly to the American people, and implemented an aggressive plan to mitigate any impacts. President Trump will never allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, and he will continue to advance America’s core national security interests. When the President forces this conflict to a successful end, gas prices will drop back to multi-year lows and global energy markets will be much more stable in the long term.” The average price of gas ticked up again Thursday to $4.56, up about 50 cents from one month ago and more than $1.50 since the war began. Summer driving season, which kicks off this weekend with Memorial Day, is expected to send prices even higher. If the Strait of Hormuz is closed through June, U.S. gas prices will likely hit a new record high by July 4, said Patrick de Haan, petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. He said the booming U.S. exports of fuel will also cause domestic prices at the pump to rise. Already, U.S. gasoline inventories hit the lowest level for May in 12 years, he said. “If we get into the heart of the summer driving season and the strait is closed, there’s going to be a lot more pressure,” he said. “There’s more consumption, not just in the U.S., but abroad as well.”
Trump Undecided on Moving Forward $14 Billion Arms Package for Taiwan After Talks With Xi - President Trump has said he’s undecided on moving forward with a massive $14 billion package of arms deals for Taiwan following his visit to Beijing and talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.“I’ll make a determination over the next fairly short period. I’m gonna make a determination,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he was heading back to the US, according to POLITICO.The president said he needed to speak with the person “running Taiwan,” though a US president hasn’t spoken with Taiwan’s leader since Washington severed formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 as part of a normalization deal with Beijing. Back in 2016, Trump became the first president-elect to hold a call with Taiwan’s president.The Trump administration approved a massive $11 billion package of arms deals for Taiwan in December 2025, more than was approved for the island during the entire Biden administration. US officials have already put together another package worth $14 billion, which includes Patriot missile defense systems and advanced surface-to-air missiles, according to the Financial Times. Trump is under pressure from Democrats in Congress to move forward with the new arms package, and he has been criticized for discussing weapons sales to Taiwan with Xi since the “Six Assurances” the US gave to Taiwan in 1982 under the Reagan Administration said that the US had “not agreed” to consult with Beijing on arms sales to the island.“He brought that up,” Trump told reporters when asked about discussing the arms sales with Xi. “He talked about that to me, obviously. So what am I going to do, say ‘I don’t want to talk to you about it because I have an agreement that was signed in 1982?’”For its part, Beijing often points to the 1982 joint comminique between the US and China that states the US government “does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.”The Six Assurances the US gave to Taiwan do not take back the pledge to reduce and eventually end arms sales to Taiwan, but do say that the US “has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan.”China has made clear that it strongly opposes the continued US arms sales to Taiwan, which have increased in recent years, and it responded to the $11 billion package that moved forward in December by launching major military drills around Taiwan that simulated a blockade.Xi also issued a strong warning to Trump regarding Taiwan during the talks in Beijing, saying it is the “most important issue in China-US relations” and that if it’s mishandled, the US and China will have “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.” Trump told reporters that Xi “feels very strongly” about Taiwan and “doesn’t want to see a movement for independence.” The US president added that he “didn’t make a comment on it. I heard him out. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Acting Navy secretary: Taiwan weapons sales paused to ensure munitions for Iran war - Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said Thursday the U.S. is pausing a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan because of the Trump administration’s war with Iran. Speaking during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, Cao insisted the U.S. still had “plenty” of missiles and interceptors, even as scrutiny grows over America’s dwindling munitions stockpiles. “Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury — which we have plenty,” Cao told Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “We’re just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.” Asked by McConnell if he expects the sale to be approved at some point, Cao said that it would be up to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Yeah, that’s what’s really distressing,” McConnell replied. Cao’s remarks appear to contradict President Trump’s stated reason for the pause; last week he indicated he may hold off on the arms sale to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China. “I haven’t approved it yet. We’re going to see what happens,” Trump told Fow News. “I may do it; I may not do it.” Speaking to reporters after a trip to China, Trump said the topic was discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping “in great detail” before saying he will “make a determination over the next fairly short period.” The U.S. has long observed the Six Assurances — a set of six nonbinding U.S. policy principles implemented in 1982 during the Reagan administration — with the second assurance stipulating that the U.S. not consult with China on arms sales to Taiwan. Cao’s comments also come as concerns grow over the state of U.S. stockpiles. The United States has reportedly burned through thousands of missiles since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, using nearly all of the long-range stealth cruise missiles left in Washington’s stockpile and depleting its stores of Tomahawks, Patriot interceptor missiles, Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-based missiles.
US Looks To Build Philippine Coast Guard Maintenance Facility in Island Province on South China Sea - The US is seeking funding to construct a maintenance facility for the Philippine Coast Guard in the Philippine island province of Palawan, which has a coast on the South China Sea, according to a report from USNI News. The report said that the Pentagon has recently released notices for upcoming US military construction projects at facilities in Palawan, from where the Philippine Coast Guard and Armed Forces deploy vessels to rocks and reefs in the South China Sea that are also claimed by China.Philippine and Chinese vessels frequently have tense encounters near the disputed features, which often lead to the US releasing a statement backing Manila that reaffirms the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty covers attacks on Philippine boats, meaning the disputed waters are a potential flashpoint for a clash between the US and China. In recent years, the US has increased military aid to the Philippines, including funding for new military construction for Philippine forces involved in the South China Sea dispute. Last year, it was revealed that the US would fund a fast-boat base on the western coast of Palawan. According to USNI, the new projects include the maintenance facility, which will be located at Palawan’s southern Buliluyan Port, and the refurbishment of fuel facilities at the Antonio Bautista Air Base, which is on Palawan’s east coast and open to the US military under the US-Philippine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.The US has also stepped up its military drills in the Philippines, and during the recent Balikatan Exercise in the country in April, US, Australian, Kiwi, and Philippine forces conducted live-fire drills on Palawan’s South China Sea coast that simulated repelling an invasion force.
US Officials Work on Creating Pretexts To Attack Cuba - US officials are working to create pretexts for a potential war on Cuba, as President Trump has made clear that the island nation is in his administration’s crosshairs. Late last week, US media outlets reported that the Department of Justice is taking steps to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro, the brother of long-time leader Fidel Castro. The reports said that the US may indict him over the downing of a plane belonging to a Cuban exile organization in 1996, which killed four people. The potential indictment comes as President Trump is overseeing a bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the region, which has killed nearly 200 people, who were all civilians. If the US indicts Castro, the administration could follow a similar playbook as it did with the attack on Venezuela, which was carried out to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. A report from Axios on Sunday also presented a new potential pretext: Cuba’s alleged acquisition of military drones. The report, which cited unnamed US officials and purported “classified intelligence,” said that Cuba has more than 300 drones and that it’s seeking more amid the ramped-up US oil embargo and threats of US military action.The report, which acknowledged the drone claims could be used as a “pretext for US military action,” said Cuba has been discussing the possibility of using the drones to attack “the US base at Guantanamo Bay, US military vessels and possibly Key West, Florida, 90 miles north of Havana.”Buried in the Axios report is an acknowledgment that US officials “don’t believe Cuba is an imminent threat, or actively planning to attack American interests,” but that US intelligence assesses the “island’s military officials have been discussing drone warfare plans in case hostilities erupt as relations with the US continue to deteriorate.”President Trump has repeatedly threatened war against Cuba, saying back in March that he may “have the honor of taking Cuba.” The US and Cuba have been engaged in talks, which included a visit from CIA Director John Ratcliffe last week, but it’s unclear what sort of agreement the administration would accept, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the policy, has made clear he wants regime change.
Cuba's President Warns That US Attack Will Cause 'Bloodbath' - Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Monday that any US attack on Cuba would cause a “bloodbath,” a warning that comes as US officials are setting up pretexts for a potential war on the island nation.“The threats of military aggression against [Cuba] from the world’s greatest power are well-known,” Diaz-Canel wrote on X. “The threat itself already constitutes an international crime. If it were to materialize, it would trigger a bloodbath with incalculable consequences, plus the destructive impact on regional peace and stability.”The Cuban leader also appeared to respond to a report from Axios, which cited unnamed US officials who claimed Cuba’s military has discussed using drones against the US base at Guantanamo Bay, US warships, or even potentially Key West, Florida. Buried in the report was an acknowledgment that the US doesn’t “believe Cuba is an imminent threat, or actively planning to attack American interests” and that any alleged conversations about drone warfare were regarding potential responses to a US attack. “Cuba poses no threat, nor does it have aggressive plans or intentions against any country. It has none against the US, nor has it ever had any — something the government of that nation knows full well, particularly its defense and national security agencies,” Diaz-Canel said in his X post. “Cuba, which already endures a multidimensional aggression from the US, does have the absolute and legitimate right to defend itself against a military onslaught. Yet that cannot be wielded, either logically or honestly, as an excuse for imposing war on the noble Cuban people,” the Cuban leader added. Besides the Axios story, another pretext being discussed is the possibility of the Department of Justice indicting former Cuban President Raul Castro, the brother of long-time leader Fidel Castro, over the 1996 downing of two planes belonging to a Cuban exile group, which killed four people. The idea appears to be to follow a similar playbook as the US pursued regarding its attack on Venezuela. President Trump has repeatedly threatened some sort of attack on Cuba, saying in March that he may have the “honor” of “taking” the country. The US has also imposed a ramped-up oil embargo on Cuba, which has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the country.
Trump Administration Indicts Cuba's Former President, Setting Up Pretext for War - The US Justice Department on Wednesday unsealed an indictment for 94-year-old Raul Castro, Cuba’s former president and brother of long-time leader Fidel Castro, a move clearly aimed at providing a pretext for the US to attack the island nation.The indictment is related to the 1996 shoot-down of two planes belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue, a Cuban exile group formed in the US, an incident that occurred when Castro served as Cuba’s defense minister. The BTTR was founded by Jose Basulto, who has previously said he was trained by the CIA and admitted to taking part in a 1962 operation that involved him firing a 20mm cannon on a Cuban hotel. In the lead-up to the shoot-down, which killed four Cuban Americans, Clinton administration officials expressed concern that there would be an incident if the BTTR continued flights that intruded into Cuba’s airspace, which were happening frequently, according to documents published by the US National Security Archive on Tuesday. “Starting a year before the shootdown, the Cuban government filed multiple protests on repeated violations of its airspace by BTTR aircraft overflying populated zones and dropping thousands of leaflets and other materials calling for popular insurrection against the government,” the National Security Archive said in a release on the documents.One of the documents that was published was an email written by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official at the time that cited “further taunting of the Cuban Government” by the Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR) overflights and State Department concern about a “worst case scenario” in which “one of these days the Cubans will shoot down one of these planes and the FAA better have all its ducks in a row.”The National Security Archive said that before the planes that were shot down took off from Miami, a White House official contacted the FAA in Florida and instructed them to block the flights, but they refused and only delivered a warning against flying into Cuba’s airspace.Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on the indictment that for “the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in the United States for alleged acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens.”The incident follows the same playbook that the US pursued in its attack on Venezuela to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and it comes as the US is enforcing a ramped-up oil embargo on Cuba and has increased military surveillance near the country. President Trump has also openly threatened war against the country, saying he may “have the honor” of “taking” Cuba.
US Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Arrives in the Caribbean Amid Threats of War Against Cuba - US Southern Command said on Wednesday that the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying warships have arrived in the Caribbean amid US threats of a potential attack on Cuba.“Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!” SOUTHCOM said on X, adding that the Nimitz is joined by the destroyer USS Gridley and the oiler USNS Patuxent.The command said that the warships are the “epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic advantage.” the US appears to be following the Venezuela playbook with its buildup against Cuba as the US Department of Justice on Wednesday indicted former President Raul Castro, setting up a pretext for an attack similar to the one launched against Caracas on January 3 to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Ahead of the attack on Venezuela, the US deployed a significant number of warships to the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which then deployed to the Middle East to take part in the US-Israeli war against Iran. The US has also been ramping up military surveillance flights near Cuba, something that also happened off the coast of Venezuela in the months leading up to the attack.The Nimitz and its strike group are in the region under a deployment dubbed “Southern Seas 2026” and were just in Brazil, where they conducted joint drills with the Brazilian navy in the Atlantic Ocean. The Nimits was scheduled to be decommissioned this month, but it has been pushed back to March 2027.
Rubio Says Chance of a 'Peaceful Agreement' With Cuba Is 'Not High' - Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday that the chances of reaching an “agreement that’s peaceful” with Cuba are “not high,” comments that come after the US indicted a former Cuban president, setting up a pretext for a potential attack.“They’re not going to be able to wait us out or buy time,” Rubio said, referring to the Cuban government.“We’re very serious. We’re very focused. As I told you a moment ago in the context of Iran, the president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful … That remains our preference with Cuba. I’m just being honest with you. You know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high,” he added.The US has been holding negotiations with the Cuban government, which included a visit to Cuba by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, but it’s unclear what sort of deal would satisfy the Trump administration, as Rubio has made clear his ultimate goal is regime change. When asked if the administration would use force against Cuba, “The president always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest and national security of the United States. He has the option to do that if there’s a threat to the national security of the United States. And he has shown his willingness to do that when he identifies such a threat.”On Wednesday, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against 94-year-old Raul Castro, the brother of long-time leader Fidel Castro, suggesting the administration will follow a similar playbook as it did with its attack on Venezuela to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, though in Cuba, the US will likely try to topple the entire government.Castro was targeted over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two planes belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue, a Cuban exile group formed in the US by a CIA-trained Cuban exile involved in attacks on Cuba in the 1960s. At the time, US officials were concerned that Cuba would shoot down BTTR planes because of their frequent intrusions into Cuban airspace. The 1996 incident killed four Cuban Americans.
Trump Claims US Military Operation Killed ISIS Leader in Nigeria - President Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social on Saturday that a US-Nigerian military operation that day killed a senior ISIS leader, a joint attack that comes as the Nigerian government has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians in recent airstrikes.“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” the president wrote.“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump added. Users on social media noted that the Nigerian government claimed to kill an ISIS fighter with the same name in 2024, leading the Nigerian military to issue a statement insisting he was killed on Saturday.“It is important to state that within the North East region and across the Lake Chad Basin, the use of similar or identical names, aliases and nom de guerres is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists,” Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said. “The Abu-Bilal al-Minuki eliminated on 16 May, 2026, has been positively identified … There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity.” US officials told The New York Times that al-Minuki was killed by an attack on two small islands in Lake Chad, a large freshwater body of water located where Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon converge. The US officials said that about two dozen US and Nigerian commandos attacked al-Minuki and about three dozen fighters. After a three-hour battle, the officials said al-Minuki was killed by a US airstrike on one of the islands.The attack marks the first known US airstrike in the country since Trump ordered strikes on Christmas Day, which were said to target ISIS fighters in northwestern Nigeria, though US Tomahawk missiles fell on two villages far from the intended target. Since then, the US has deployed troops to Nigeria and increased support for the Nigerian government’s operations against Boko Haram and the ISIS affiliate (ISWAP).Since the US support has increased, there have been several incidents involving major civilian casualties. The latest such strike occurred on Sunday, May 10, when Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said that over 100 civilians were killed by airstrikes on a market in northwestern Nigeria. For its part, the government acknowledged it launched a strike in the area but claimed no civilians were harmed.
US Launches More Airstrikes in Northeastern Nigeria - - The US has claimed more airstrikes in Nigeria as the Trump administration continues to escalate US military involvement in the country. US Africa Command said in a press release that it conducted “additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria” on May 17, a day after the US and Nigeria carried out a joint commando operation that the two countries claimed killed a senior ISIS leader.Video of the May 17 strikes released by AFRICOM. US officials told The New York Times that the latest US strikes were carried out by US MQ-9 Reaper drones and AC-130 gunships. The US deployed MQ-9 drones to Nigeria along with 200 troops earlier this year, but it’s unclear if the US also has AC-130 gunships in the country.The Nigerian military claimed that the May 17 strikes killed 20 members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The Times said that it couldn’t verify whether any civilians were harmed and noted that the Nigerian government has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians in recent airstrikes.“Following observed convergence and migration of terrorist elements, multiple airstrikes were conducted, resulting in the elimination of more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters,” Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said in a statement on X. The May 16 US-Nigerian operation against the ISIS commander was the first known direct US military action in Nigeria since President Trump ordered strikes in the country on Christmas Day 2025. The Christmas strikes were said to target ISIS fighters in northwestern Nigeria, though US Tomahawk missiles fell on two villages far from the intended target. The Trump administration launched the new military intervention in Nigeria without authorization from Congress and framed the strikes as being launched in defense of Nigeria’s Christians, though that talking point was missing from President Trump’s statement on the May 16 military operation.
US Launches Airstrikes in Nigeria for Third Day in a Row - US Africa Command said on Tuesday that its forces launched airstrikes in northeastern Nigeria on May 18, marking the third day in a row that the US conducted strikes in the West African nation.AFRICOM said the latest strikes were launched in coordination with the Nigerian government and claimed that the targets of the strikes were “ISIS terrorists,” and added that “complete assessments” of the attacks are “ongoing.”The Nigerian military claimed that “175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated” in the area since the joint US-Nigerian military operations began on May 16, though the Nigerian government is known for covering up civilian casualties and has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians in airstrikes in recent months.“The joint strikes have resulted in the destruction of ISIS checkpoints, weapons caches, logistical hubs, military equipment and financial networks used to sustain terrorist operations,” Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters wrote on X. “The joint operations will continue to hunt down and destroy those who threaten our nation and regional stability.”The US-Nigerian military offensive started with an attack that the two countries claimed killed a senior ISIS leader named Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, an operation that involved US special operations forces and Nigerian commandos conducting a helicopter raid and the US launching airstrikes.The May 16 US-Nigerian operation was the first known direct US military action in Nigeria since President Trump ordered strikes in the country on Christmas Day 2025. The Christmas strikes were said to target ISIS fighters in northwestern Nigeria, though US Tomahawk missiles fell on two villages far from the intended target. The Trump administration launched the new military intervention in Nigeria without authorization from Congress and framed the strikes as being launched in defense of Nigeria’s Christians, though that talking point was missing from President Trump’s statement on the May 16 military operation.
US Cancels Deployment of Typhon Missile System to Germany - The US has canceled the deployment of its new Typhon missile system to Germany in a move that may be related to the action the Trump administration is taking against Berlin over its criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran.According to a report from Task & Purpose, the Trump administration stopped the deployment of 500 soldiers from the US Army’s 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, a new artillery unit that operates HIMARS rocket systems and the Typhon, also known as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC). The Typhon is a land-based launcher capable of firing Tomahawk missiles with a range of over 1,000 miles, meaning it could reach Russia from Germany. The US began developing the Typhon after it withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned Washington and Moscow from developing land-based missile systems with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles.The US first withdrew from the INF in 2019, and the Biden administration announced in 2024 that it would deploy land-based missile systems to Germany by 2026 that would have been banned under the treaty. The Typhon system can also fire SM-6 missiles, which have a range of about 290 miles.The US has deployed Typhon missile systems in the Asia Pacific and just used one to fire a Tomahawk missile during drills in the Philippines in April, a major provocation aimed at China. The main purpose of withdrawing from the INF treaty was to develop missiles to deploy against China. Russia had proposed maintaining a moratorium on the deployment of INF-range missiles in Europe, but the US ignored the offer, and Moscow eventually withdrew.
Trump, facing GOP blowback, sends 5,000 troops to Poland -- President Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is sending 5,000 additional troops to Poland, a week after the Pentagon canceled the long-planned deployment of 4,000 service members to the Central European country. Lawmakers have expressed deep frustration and concern over the move to halt the planned rotation, accusing the administration of making a last-minute move with no consultation with Congress.Trump appeared to reverse the move on Thursday, though it wasn’t immediately clear if the troops heading to Poland are the same brigade whose deployment was paused.“Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. Nawrocki won the presidential runoff election in 2025. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paused the deployment of troops from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to Poland, a move that caught U.S. Defense officials and some European officials by surprise. When reached for comment, the Pentagon referred The Hill to the White House. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. The Pentagon said last week’s deployment was “not an unexpected, last-minute decision,” but the move was widely criticized by GOP defense hawks on Capitol Hill. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said the panel was “not happy” and the committee had not been consulted.“We don’t know what’s going on here, but I just tell you we’re not happy with what’s being talked about, particularly since there’s been no statutory consultation with us,” Rogers told Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve during last week’s House hearing.Vice President Vance defended the halt Tuesday, calling the pause “a very small and very minor thing.” “We’ve not reduced the troop levels in Poland by 4,000 troops. What we did is that we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland. That’s not a reduction, that’s just a standard delay and rotation that sometimes happens in these situations,” Vance told reporters at a White House briefing.“I think frankly a lot of the European media is overreacting to this a bit,” the vice president said, adding, “it is reasonable for Europe to take a little bit more ownership over its continental integrity.”There are around 10,000 U.S. service members in Poland, most of whom rotate throughout the nation in spurts of several months. Poland views the presence of U.S. troops as a way of deterring Russia.
NATO will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on defense, says Rutte, as Trump pledges 5,000 American troops to top spender Poland NATO will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on defense in the coming years, its Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged thousands of new troops to its eastern flank. Speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on Friday, Rutte said “the money is really coming in,” with allies “committing more and more.” Last year, NATO member states agreed to raise their defense spending target from 2% of gross domestic product to 5%, with a view to reaching those levels by 2035. Rutte said Friday that many of the alliance’s 32 members were accelerating the path to the 5% spending commitment. “This literally means over the years hundreds of billions [of dollars] of extra defense spending,” he told journalists. NATO’s newest member, Sweden — which announceda $4 billion defense investment this week — was on track to reach the 5% target by 2030, Rutte said. “The money is great, but we also need to spend it … of course on the men and women in uniform, but also to make sure they have what they need to deter and defend, and that is the defense industrial output,” he added. “There is an intense debate going on with the defense industry, with the financial sector to make sure they do what is needed to ramp up production, not increasing prices but producing more. Good news is coming in, we make progress, but still lots needs to be done.” Rutte’s comments on Friday came after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to deploy 5,000 new troops to Poland, reversing course a week after the Pentagon canceled plans to send 4,000 military personnel to the country, which borders Ukraine. “Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump said on Truth Social on Thursday. CNBC reached out to the Polish government for comment on Trump’s announcement. In a statement on Tuesday, the Pentagon said Poland “has shown both the ability and resolve to defend itself.” “Other NATO allies should follow suit,” it added. In 2025, Poland spent an estimated 4.48% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, making it NATO’s biggest defense spender as a percentage of its economy. The U.S. spent an estimated 3.22% of its GDP on defense last year, making it the sixth biggest spender in the alliance under the same metric. Still, in dollar value, the U.S. remains the alliance’s biggest spender on defense by far. NATO data shows that the U.S. spent an estimated $845 billion on defense last year, dwarfing the $559 billion spent by the rest of the alliance combined.
US halts joint defense board with Canada, ramping up tensions after Mark Carney remarks -- The Pentagon’s policy chief announced Monday that the United States will suspend its involvement in a joint body that coordinates military consultation with Canada, pointing to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s address to the World Economic Forum earlier this year. The move comes amid simmering tensions between President Trump and Carney, who is leading a push for the world’s “middle powers” to present a united bulwark to the influence of superpowers U.S. and China. “A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments. DoW is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense to reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense,” Elbridge Colby, under secretary of Defense for policy, said in a post on the social platform X, using an alternate acronym for the Department of Defense. “We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality. Real powers must sustain our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities,” Colby added, along with a link to Carney’s January address in Davos. In that address, Carney sounded a warning about the risks of relying on global “hegemons” and called on middle powers to take a new approach to projecting strength. “The middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” he said, in a speech widely seen as a shot at Trump’s alienation of U.S. allies. “We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy. But we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just,” Carney added. “This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation.” That speech largely ended the previously friendly relations between Trump and Carney, a former banker elected last year to replace former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump has since threatened to block the opening of a new bridge connecting Canada and Michigan, while Canada has debated whether to reduce its military purchases from the U.S. As of late April, Canada was still reviewing its planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
Mark Carney downplays Pentagon pulling out of US-Canada Permanent Joint Board on Defense - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday downplayed the Pentagon’s abrupt decision to suspend a joint defense board the day prior, saying his country will continue defense cooperation with Washington but also will look to work with other partners. Speaking at a news conference in Quebec, Carney said the Permanent Joint Board on Defense – established in August 1940 in the midst of World War II – has a long “heritage,” but that he wouldn’t “overplay” the magnitude of the Trump administration’s move. “There’s lots of cooperation [with the U.S.], we will continue to do so,” Carney said. “But we will also be cooperating with other partners and diversifying our defense cooperation as we should as a member of NATO and lastly as we should in critical areas such as Ukraine. . . . Ukraine is going to triumph and we’re going to be on the right side of history for that.” Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby on Monday announced that the United States will suspend its involvement in the joint body that coordinates military consultation with Canada, appearing to lay blame at the feet of Carney over his address to the World Economic Forum earlier this year. “A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments. DoW is pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defense to reassess how this forum benefits shared North American defense,” Colby, the under secretary of Defense for policy, said in a post on X, using an alternate acronym for the Department of Defense. The move comes as President Trump and Carney have abandoned previously friendly relations after the Canadian prime minister in a January address in Davos appeared to take a shot at Trump’s alienation of U.S. allies. In that speech, Carney warned about the risks of relying on global “hegemons” and called on middle powers to form a united bulwark to counter the influence of superpowers U.S. and China. “The middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” he said.
US envoy: Greenland ‘was not on a map’ until Trump ‘put it on a map’ --- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) claimed that Greenland “was not on a map” until President Trump “put it on a map,” comments that follow rhetoric for months from the president to acquire the island. “What I’ve found, that Greenland was not on a map, until Donald Trump put it on a map,” Landry, who is also Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, said in a clip posted to the social platform X on Tuesday.“In other words, the United States, before Donald Trump, had basically ignored this place,” he added. “And I think it’s really to the detriment of both the relationship between the United States and Greenland, and opportunities that we could bring Greenlanders, I think that that’s important as well. And so, I would tell you, that the credit to bringing opportunity to Greenland is squarely on Donald Trump.”Landry visited Greenland this week and told a Danish media outlet that he spoke on Saturday night to Trump, who told him to “go there and make a bunch of friends,” according to the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com.The New York Times reported that when he was touring the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk, a local flipped off Landry and a group he was with.“As I leave this great island, I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and eye-opening conversations. I regret that I only had time to visit the people of Nuuk, and look forward to experiencing everything else that Greenland has to offer on future trips,” Landry said in a post on X on Wednesday.Earlier this year, Trump faced tensions with European allies over his quest to acquire Greenland. The Arctic island is a territory of Denmark, which is a member of the NATO alliance alongside the U.S.
Putin and Xi Say Trump's Plan for 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense System Poses 'Clear Threat To Strategic Stability' - --Russia and China on Wednesday issued a joint statement condemning President Trump’s plan for a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield for the US as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing.According to The South China Morning Post, the two countries said the project poses “a clear threat to strategic stability” and that the implementation of the Golden Dome would have “serious negative consequences for international security.” When Trump first announced plans for the Golden Dome, Russian officials made clear that it could spark a new arms race. The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that the project could cost US taxpayers $1.2 trillion, dramatically more than the White House has requested.The joint Russian and Chinese statement also condemned the US for pursuing an “irresponsible policy” regarding the New START treaty, the last nuclear arms control treaty between Washington and Moscow, which expired earlier this year. The US rejected a Russian offer to extend New START for one more year while the two sides negotiated a replacement.The statement accused “some nuclear-weapon states” of attempting to deploy weapons and infrastructure near other nuclear-armed states, likely a reference to US actions in recent years, including the deployment of a new Typhon missile system in the Philippines and Japan. The US recently fired a Tomahawk missile from its Typhon in the Philippines, a move seen as a major provocation aimed at Beijing since a Tomahawk can reach mainland China from Philippine territory. Putin’s visit to Beijing came just days after Trump was in the Chinese capital. Putin and Xi agreed to increase military cooperation and trade as the two countries continue to deepen ties, a result of both nations being targeted by US sanctions and other forms of pressure in recent years.“We have signed a joint Chinese-Russian statement on strengthening our comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction and on deepening our relations of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation,” Xi told reporters after talks with Putin.
US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard Resigns – – Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence who oversees the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies, announced her resignation on Friday, marking a high-profile departure from the administration. While American media outlets have pointed to major internal policy disputes behind the scenes, Gabbard’s resignation follows critical friction regarding the administration’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear program. The Iran Contradiction During a recent presentation of the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment, Gabbard delivered an analysis of Iran’s nuclear program that directly contradicted President Donald Trump’s assertions of an “imminent threat.” Gabbard stated that the consensus across U.S. intelligence agencies showed Iran had made no efforts to increase its uranium enrichment since the 12-Day War. This conclusion undermined the administration’s justification for initiating military action against Iran, which the White House had defended as a necessary response to an immediate nuclear threat. Furthermore, the report reflected the intelligence community’s assessment that the foundations of Iran’s government remained stable despite the conflict. According to an April 10 report by Axios, President Trump had heavily considered dismissing Gabbard following those statements. Sources familiar with the matter noted that Trump was deeply dissatisfied with what he viewed as her “lack of decisive support for the war with Iran” and openly questioned her loyalty. Gabbard’s position was temporarily salvaged through the personal intervention of longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone. Stone reportedly argued that Gabbard remained loyal, did not deserve to be fired, and warned that her dismissal could trigger negative media fallout while positioning her as a potential political rival. Several other cabinet officials also backed her at the time, leading Trump to keep her in the post. Trump has faced recurring criticism over the years for allegedly pressuring intelligence bodies to align their reports with his political views.
Gabbard resigns as top U.S. intelligence official; source says she was forced out - Hawaii Tribune-Herald — Tulsi Gabbard said today she is resigning from her job as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying her husband had been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and that she was stepping away from her role to help him. Gabbard advised Trump of her intention to step down during an Oval Office meeting today, Fox News Digital reported earlier. The resignation is effective June 30, it said. A source familiar with the matter said that Gabbard had been forced out by the White House. In her resignation letter posted on X, Gabbard told Trump she was “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half.” She cited her husband’s recent diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer. “I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming post,” she said. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, would serve as acting director of national intelligence. He said Gabbard had done “a great job” but with her husband diagnosed with bone cancer, “she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together.” Trump has hinted in the past at differences with Gabbard on their approach to Iran, saying in March that she was “softer” than him on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Trump cuts Catholic Church funding for migrant children -- The Trump administration has abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities to shelter and care for migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, ending a relationship between the Catholic Church and the U.S. government dating back to the first arrivals of Cuban exiles in South Florida. The development comes amid rising tensions between the administration and American Catholics over President Donald Trump’s heated criticism of the Vatican’s first American pope, Leo XIV. The pontiff has made opposition to the U.S. war with Iran, as well as concern for the welfare of migrants, a cornerstone of his ministry. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, has paid Catholic Charities in Miami for several years to house immigrant children who enter the U.S. without parents or adult supervision. The non-profit operates the equivalent of a federally funded foster care system, separate and apart from state agencies that have custody of abused and neglected children. The federal government reached out to the charity in late March about the cancellation of the funding. The Archdiocese of Miami said late Tuesday that Archbishop Thomas Wenski was not immediately available to discuss the contract’s cancellation or the Trump Administration’s rift with the church. But it shared a statement that Wenski, a longtime immigrant-rights advocate, wrote for the Miami Herald’s editorial board. “The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60 years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami,” Wenkski wrote. “The Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country.” Wenski added: “Our track record in serving this vulnerable population is unmatched. Yet, the Archdiocese of Miami’s Catholic Charities’ services for unaccompanied minors has been stripped of funding and will be forced to shut down within three months.” In response to a Miami Herald inquiry, the Department of Health and Human Services said the daily population of unaccompanied migrant children in the agency’s care was “significantly lower,” at 1,900, under the Trump administration compared to a peak of 22,000 under the Biden administration. “ORR is closing and consolidating unused facilities as the Trump Administration continues efforts to stop illegal entry and the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied alien children,” said Emily G. Hillard, the Health and Human Services’ press secretary, though she did not single out Catholic Charities as an affected organization. Acknowledging the reality of declining migration, Wenski wrote that while “it is true that the number of unaccompanied minors” had declined and “some programs may be scaled back” or shuttered, “it is baffling that the U.S. government would shut down a program that it would be hard-pressed to replicate at the level of competence” shown by the church. There are still children in the care of Catholic Charities in Miami and elsewhere. It’s unclear how many there are, and where they are besides South Florida, or where they will go. Robert Latham, associate director of the University of Miami Law School’s Children and Youth Law Clinic, said any relocation to a new foster home or shelter likely would be traumatic for children who already have suffered uncertainty and loss. “It’s incredibly psychologically harmful to be moved,” sometimes as stressful as serious illness or a death in the family, Latham said. “For little kids, moving repeatedly creates bonding issues and destroys the sense of both self and community. They don’t know who they are and where they will be” from day to day. “This should only be done with a lot of emotional support that you normally would find within a family. Unfortunately, that is not there in a group home setting,” Latham added. The children who are uprooted “will lose the friends and connections and the community they have formed here.” Under the contract, Catholic Charities operated a full-service child welfare program in Miami-Dade. One shelter – named Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Children’s Village after an early advocate for refugee children – has 81 beds for unaccompanied minors. The program provides foster homes and family reunification and offers supportive services, “given the trauma that many of these children have endured before arriving in the U.S.,” Wenski wrote.
Brookings: More than 145,000 children separated from parents during Trump immigration crackdown - A new report from the Brookings Institution found that more than 145,000 U.S. citizen children have likely been separated from at least one parent due to detention over their immigration status in the second Trump administration. The information released on Monday by Brookings indicated that more than 22,000 children have experienced having all of their co-resident parents detained. The nonprofit public policy organization says only 5 percent — or around 1,100 — of these children have received services from the child welfare system based on information collected from interviews with community organizations and child welfare agencies. Other minors are living with family or friends for the time being, while some have left the country alongside their deported parents. “The bottom line is that there is no systematic approach to protecting the children of those detained by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” the Brookings report says. “ICE does not directly involve itself in safeguarding the well-being of a detainee’s children and only refers to child protection if children are present at an arrest and no alternative care is immediately available,” it adds. ICE told The Hill that it’s offering undocumented immigrants $2,600 and a flight free of charge in an effort to encourage individuals to self-deport. “ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates,” the agency said in a statement. “This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement. Being in detention is a choice. Parents can take control of their departure with the CBP Home app and reserve the chance to come back the right legal way,” they added. Brookings estimates that 36.5 percent of children who were separated from their guardian are under the age of 6, 36.1 percent are between the ages of 6 to 12 and 27.4 percent are between the ages of 13 to 17. More than half — 53.7 percent — have a detained parent from Mexico, followed by 15 percent of those who have a detained parent from Guatemala and 10.7 percent whose country of origin is Honduras. Other demographics show parents from Ecuador, El Salvador, Asia and either Latin American or Caribbean countries. Washington, D.C., and Texas have the highest share of U.S. citizen children with an affected parent, with more than 5 per 1,000 facing a parental detention, according to Brookings. The Department of Homeland Security said for fiscal 2025, a total of 18,277 detainees were parents to children with U.S. citizenship, which Brookings says is “almost certainly a substantial undercount.” Brookings used the information from the Detention Data Project to infer the number of U.S. citizen children with detained parents. They matched the detainees’ country or region, age, sex and marital status to likely undocumented individuals sampled in the American Community Survey, a nationally representative household survey to produce the Monday report. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for further comment.
UN climate resolution passes despite US opposition - A landmark United Nations resolution on whether countries are obligated to address climate change was adopted Wednesday despite muscular opposition from the United States and other oil-producing nations, including Iran.The measure, put forward by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, sought political support for an advisory opinion issued last year by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. The court, often considered the world’s highest legal authority, determined that governments can be held liable for climate inaction based on existing international law.The court’s opinion is nonbinding, and so is the resolution adopted Wednesday. But it does signal countries’ commitment to take the court’s opinion forward by acknowledging its ruling. It also provided an example of countries aligning themselves against the United States and a handful of other nations that are opposed to climate action. “Climate obligations are not political aspirations, they are legal duties,” said Filipo Tarakinikini, Fiji’s representative to the U.N. “Today, this assembly gives that principle the political force it demands.”The resolution passed with the support of 141 countries during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, including major emitters such as China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Australia. Eight countries opposed the measure, including the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel and Iran. Twenty-eight nations abstained, including Turkey, which is hosting the COP31 climate talks later this year.“This resolution is highly problematic in calling on states to comply with so-called obligations that are based on nonbinding conclusions of the court on which U.N. member states’ views diverge,” Tammy Bruce, the United States’ deputy representative to the U.N., said in remarks before the vote.The resolution included “inappropriate political demands” related to fossil fuels and other climate topics, and “amplifies legal errors” in ICJ’s opinion, she said, adding that the measure goes beyond the court’s conclusions “in several concerning ways.”“The resolution repeats the court’s failure to recognize the climate treaties are the sole source of a state’s climate obligations,” Bruce said.In 2023, the U.S. under then-President Joe Biden declined to support a different resolution related to the climate case before ICJ. The Biden administration also argued in 2024 that the Paris Agreement was the primary mechanism to hold countries accountable for climate action.Since then, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris pact and initiated action to leave the broader U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.The Trump administration’s pushback Wednesday was the latest example of its fierce opposition to global climate measures. Trump has personally attacked a carbon tax that would address climate pollution from shipping and denounced nations for investing in clean energy.The resolution stemmed from months of negotiation. It calls for countries to comply with their obligations under international law and urges them to act on their Paris Agreement pledges, including a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. It also highlights the finding by ICJ, that government inaction constitutes an “internationally wrongful act” that may result in “cessation” of the wrongful act or financial reparations.It calls on the U.N. secretary-general to submit a report that would recommend ways to comply with the court’s findingThe final draft was weaker than the original measure, and several countries that voted to adopt it said they were not in complete agreement. A representative for Canada said the resolution “provided an incomplete and at times inaccurate account of the advisory opinion.”But for many of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, it provided a hearty endorsement of a yearslong campaign to highlight global inaction on climate change and the U.N.’s inability to persuade countries to deliver on their pledges under Paris.“Today’s vote sends a clear message: multilateralism is not broken, and climate justice will not be blocked by a handful of holdout states,” said Joie Chowdhury, an attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. “The ICJ opinion is already reshaping the global legal landscape, and this resolution helps ensure it continues to serve as a catalyst for real-world climate action and accountability.”
Committee approves highway bill after sparring over EV fees, climate repeals - The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved its surface transportation bill early Friday after dismissing Democratic amendments on electric vehicle fees, environmental reviews and the restoration of climate programs that the bill proposes to repeal.The “BUILD America 250 Act,” from Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and ranking member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), advanced 62-2. It sets up a clash with the Senate later this year over the EV fees, a railway safety proposal and other contentious provisions.Graves and Larsen touted the bill’s proposed funding increases for bridge construction and repairs, as well as the new fees on lower-emission vehicles — the first new revenue for the Highway Trust Fund since the early 1990s.Members lauded proposed boosts for highways and transit, as well as provisions that would ease environmental reviews for certain infrastructure projects, update a wildlife crossing program and study fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.
Motor oil shortage may lead to increased costs for American drivers --Many drivers get oil changes before Memorial Day weekend road trips to avoid mishaps on the road like engine overheating. Those oil changes could become more expensive due to costs related to the Iran war. Some major automotive brands are prepping their dealers for a motor oil shortage, according to reporting from automotive news site The Drive. A shortage would increase wholesale prices, forcing auto parts and repair shops to increase sales prices and labor fees to protect their profit margins. Motor oil used in internal combustion engine, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars is primarily made of base oils and chemical additives that coat moving engine components to provide lubrication and protection. The United States imports a large percentage of the base oils used in motor oil from plants and refineries in the Middle East. Attacks near the Strait of Hormuz along with port blockades have resulted in massive shipping delays for crude oil. The U.S. Energy Information Administration calls the Strait of Hormuz the "world's most important oil transit chokepoint" and war-related disruptions are having a global impact on oil supply and pricing.Gas prices have increased dramatically in the weeks following the start of the war in Iran on Feb. 28. Now, American drivers may see motor oil prices (and oil change prices) increase drastically as well. Dealers and car service centers who were warned of a potential motor oil shortage by automakers and suppliers could increase prices soon to protect profit margins.Which cars will be most impacted by a potential motor oil shortage?A potential motor oil shortage mostly impacts "low-viscosity synthetic oils like 0W-8 and 0W-16, which are commonly used in newer hybrid and fuel-efficient engines," says Yahoo Autos. Drivers that own hybrid cars could experience the impact of a motor oil shortage first because of the lightweight oils their vehicles require. Today, several of the best-selling vehicles on the road are standard hybrid models, like the Toyota Camry.According to Yahoo Autos, automotive companies like Toyota and Nissan are acknowledging the potential for a motor oil shortage and are advising dealers to "occasionally substitute heavier oil grades for certain service intervals" as a short-term solution to avoid quickly diminishing the supply of some low-viscosity synthetic motor oil grades.
Gulf Coast Crude Exports Soar to Record 5.9 Million Barrels Per Day | RBN Energy - According to vessel tracking data, U.S. Gulf Coast crude exports skyrocketed to a record-breaking 5.9 MMb/d for the week ended May 15 (far right in chart below), underscoring the Gulf’s growing role as the world’s balancing barrel supplier amid heightened geopolitical risk and resilient international demand. As discussed in this week's Crude Voyager, this milestone was driven primarily by exceptional European buying, with exports to Europe alone climbing to an unprecedented 3.3 MMb/d and Dutch imports reaching a historic 1.6 MMb/d. The scale of flows highlights how Atlantic Basin refiners are increasingly leaning on U.S. crude as Middle East supply uncertainty intensifies around the Strait of Hormuz. The record export performance is particularly notable because it is occurring despite relatively flat domestic production growth. Instead, the market is relying heavily on commercial inventory draws and Strategic Petroleum Reserve barrels to sustain elevated outbound volumes. That dynamic suggests the current export pace may be difficult to maintain over the longer term without stronger upstream supply growth or a normalization in global crude trade flows.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Records Largest Draw in History | RBN Energy -The EIA’s latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) released this morning highlights the growing strain the Iran conflict is placing on global oil balances. For the week ended May 15, inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) – the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil - posted a nearly 10 MMbbl draw (far right in chart below), dropping stocks to 374 MMbbl. As discussed in this week's Crude Oil Billboard, this is the largest weekly decline on record and surpasses last week’s then-record 8.6 MMbbl draw, as Washington continues releasing emergency barrels to offset supply disruptions tied to the war and instability around the Strait of Hormuz. This draw is part of the larger coordinated 400 MMbbl release with the IEA and participating member countries as a way to address supply disruptions and price hikes connected to the War in Iran.
Bessent confirmed that the US will extend the authorization to purchase Russian oil for another month | УНН The US Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day general license to allow the most vulnerable countries to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea. This was announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, UNN reports. Bessent noted that "extending the deadline will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these countries to provide specific licenses as needed." This general license will help stabilize the physical crude oil market and ensure oil delivery to the most energy-vulnerable countries. It will also help redirect existing supplies to the countries that need them most, reducing China's ability to stockpile discounted oil,
Geothermal, hydro research bills up for markup - --The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will vote on legislation this week that aims to improve the federal government’s research work into geothermal and hydroelectric energy.The panel will vote on H.R. 8790, the “Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act,” from Reps. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), which would direct the Department of Energy to support efforts to research and commercialize next-generation geothermal energy systerms.“A supercritical geothermal well can produce more than seven times the energy of a conventional geothermal well, and next-generation geothermal has the potential to deliver 90 gigawatts of power to the United States alone,” said Harrigan in a statement.“This bill puts the Department of Energy to work solving the engineering challenges standing between us and that potential through the kind of public-private partnerships that actually get results,” he added.
Wright meets with Republicans on permitting — but deal remains elusive as ever - Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday had dinner with a group of Republican lawmakers to discuss changes to the nation’s permitting laws. That followed a dinner Monday between top Senate committee leaders engaged in negotiations toward a bipartisan overhaul. But despite signs of momentum and a goal among senators of reaching a deal by summer, permitting reform — for the moment — remains something that enjoys wide support and never a clear path to enactment. That’s because for all the common ground in both parties around encouraging more energy production and accelerating projects of all types, permitting also touches on thorny issues for congressional Republicans, Democrats and this White House. Many Democrats are open to negotiating changes to bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act but their allies in the environmental community are wary of giving away too much. Republicans are skeptical of taking authority away from states over power lines. And President Donald Trump has been on a crusade against renewable energy, particularly wind. Whether Congress can pass a broad permitting law after years of trying will depend on lawmakers and the White House reconciling clashing priorities during a contentious election year. “We see this as a window of opportunity, given the need to be able to build things, the challenges we have for either transmission or energy production or building of anything,” said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, who wants to use her clout to push for a deal. But Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, one of the key negotiators on the issue, said the administration continues jeopardizing the talks. “The thing that is the biggest threat to permitting reform right now is that the Trump administration backslid into a series of stalled-out permits,” Heinrich said. “They’re permitting fossil fuel projects left and right, and they’re not moving solar, wind and batteries.” Heinrich and Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) cut off negotiations in December after the administration moved to halt five near-complete offshore wind farms along the Eastern Seaboard.The Democrats returned to the table after judges ruled against the stop-work orders and the administration began to show signs of easing its blockade on solar projects — a clean energy source that is supported by influential parts of the MAGA coalition.But the administration is still working against offshore wind, and industry advocates say the Defense Department has been sitting on national security reviews for more than a hundred onshore projects around the nation.During an April hearing, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, “This is the moment” for permitting reform. But then said earlier this month the administration would appeal a ruling against his department’s enhanced scrutiny of renewable energy. Whitehouse told POLITICO that Democrats would take an internal caucus vote before moving forward with any bill. “And if none of our caucus believes that the Trump administration can be trusted, then good luck getting the bill done at the end,” he said.
Trump administration inks permitting agreement with Utah - The Trump administration’s federal Permitting Council is signing a memorandum of understanding with Utah on Friday aimed at speeding up the state’s permitting process, POLITICO has exclusively learned. Under the agreement, the state’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox — a vocal permitting reform advocate — committed to joining the agency’s FAST-41 expedited permitting program and aligning their state environmental review timelines with federal targets for priority energy projects. It’s the fourth state to ink such a partnership with the council under the Trump administration after Alaska, Idaho and Tennessee, relying on a previously unused authority from the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Emily Domenech, executive director of the Permitting Council, said she will sign the MOU with Cox at the governor’s Operation Gigawatt Summit, where he is convening industry, policymakers and investors to help devise ways to meet the state’s goal to double power production over the next decade.
Energy and Commerce approves recycling bill - The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to send a bipartisan recycling and composting bill to the floor.The panel voted 45-0 in favor of the “Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act,” H.R. 2145, one week after the Environment Subcommittee voted to advance the bill.The legislation, led by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), would establish an EPA pilot program with two main goals: Dole out grants to rural communities to help expand curbside collection and processing infrastructure, and give EPA the authority it needs to collect data about recycling rates. The Senate passed its version of the bill, S.351, in December.
The race to develop American-made nuclear fuel - Nuclear power companies and the U.S. government are approaching a cliff — a gradually emerging shortage of enriched uranium to fuel new reactors and the backbone of America’s military deterrence. Companies, with help from the Department of Energy, are racing to build factories and enrichment capabilities in an effort to stand up an industry that the United States abandoned at the end of the Cold War. If it fails, according to DOE reports and interviews, developers of next-generation reactors that hope to deploy power plants this decade might not have what they need. And naval ships and warheads could see shortages of highly enriched uranium and tritium in the 2040s and 2050s. “When I got to Congress, I was stunned by the fact that America had lost its ability to enrich uranium,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), who chairs the House Appropriations Energy-Water Subcommittee. “To power our submarines and aircraft carriers, we were using a downblend of basically nuclear weapons to get fuel. That was a finite amount.” Power producers have relied on Russian uranium imports. As those imports are phased out at the direction of Congress, U.S. uranium supply needs are spurring billions of dollars in investment. Companies are building infrastructure for a domestic market — fuel enriched to various grades and with different legal restrictions — that experts say advanced reactors will need to power data centers and that will be critical for sustaining America’s nuclear arsenal. Now, Virginia-based BWX Technologies (also called BWXT) and Centrus Energy, a company spun out of the U.S. government enrichment program, are building in Tennessee and Ohio, respectively. Uranium for military use must come from wholly-owned domestic sources. For years, that solution was the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, or USEC, which was privatized in 1998. Its finances deteriorated after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Support for nuclear power fell and prices for enriched uranium weakened, leading to a 2014 bankruptcy. Amid those difficulties, DOE turned to a new program. The department reached an agreement with BWXT, a longtime nuclear engineering company. The company worked closely with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop a new centrifuge that could be built with an entirely domestic supply chain. Last September, BWXT signed a $1.5 billion contract with DOE to produce highly enriched uranium for naval reactors. “Two decades away is when this naval reactor stockpile must be replenished, but there are a lot of things that are going to change in the next 20 years,” said Joe Miller, president of BWXT’s government operations. “It’s going to take some time to go through the development activities — mass-produce centrifuges, prepare the facilities, commission, operate, produce enriched uranium. That’s a long process.” Miller said the company intends to mass-produce centrifuges in Oak Ridge before deploying them to Erwin, Tennessee, where BWXT would ultimately enrich uranium to above 90 percent. Miller cast the effort as a defense-first project, not a commercial enrichment venture. “What we’re planning on doing is staying very true to what’s in our NNSA contract,” Miller said, referring to DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration. “Focus on the government market.” If the commercial market for enriched uranium presents itself, Miller said, “we’d be interested in pursuing those opportunities.”
Mark Cuban joins White House rollout of new TrumpRx generic drugs - President Trump on Monday announced the addition of more than 600 generic drugs to his drug coupon platform TrumpRx, with billionaire investor Mark Cuban joining President Trump to endorse the website. “I’m thrilled to announce that we’re increasing the number of drugs available on TrumpRx by nearly seven times, adding over 600 affordable generics to the website, working with industry partners. Cost-effective generic drugs are often available at just a tiny fraction of the price of their brand name equivalents, and in theory, they’re the same thing,” Trump said at the announcement. The administration launched TrumpRx in February, debuting with 43 branded prescription drugs. TrumpRx now features two different lists of medications, with “Presidential Deals” seemingly for branded medications and “Standard Prices” for generic drugs. Many of the branded medications also have generic versions already on the market. “I think other than you, I’ve been the biggest proponent of TrumpRx.com and the reason for that is Republicans want cheaper drugs, independents want cheaper drugs, Democrats want cheaper drugs and together I think we’re going to do something special,” Cuban said, erroneously referring to the platform as “TrumpRx.com” instead of “TrumpRx.gov.” Cuban, who owns a similar business to TrumpRx called Cost Plus Drugs, previously praised the project, writing on social media, “IMO, anything that saves patients money is a win.”
Supreme Court deals blow to Big Pharma -The Supreme Court declined to take up petitions from several of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies challenging the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The decision leaves several lower court rulings upholding the program that Congress enacted as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act 2022. The justices did not issue comments with the decision. The drugmakers’ appeals were considered longshots, as the lower courts were almost all in agreement. The Supreme Court often looks for disagreement among lower courts before granting a case. Other lawsuits over the program are still pending, but the loss by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk will make those other cases more difficult. The law requires the government to negotiate prices for certain high-cost drugs in Medicare on an annual basis, with the first deals taking effect in 2026. Drugmakers have been fighting the Medicare negotiation program for years. The drugmakers said the program violates their due process rights because there is no real negotiation; the companies pay the prices set by the federal government, or they can’t participate in Medicare. Lower courts have rejected those arguments, noting that the companies are free to pull their products from government health programs. To date, Medicare has negotiated prices for 25 of the highest cost drugs, including GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. The Trump administration has been highly critical of the Inflation Reduction Act but has taken ownership of the Medicare price negotiation program, embracing efforts to lower drug prices.
HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday withdrew its amended charter for a highly influential vaccine advisory committee that would have loosened eligibility requirements, citing administrative errors. In a notice set to be officially published in the Federal Register, HHS formally withdrew its proposed amendment to the charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proposal would have replaced the previous charter’s requirement that ACIP members have “expertise in the use of vaccines and other immunobiologic agents in clinical practice or preventive medicine, have expertise with clinical or laboratory vaccine research, or have expertise in assessment of vaccine efficacy and safety.” “The notice of charter renewal published on April 6, 2026 (91 FR 17279) is hereby withdrawn due to an administrative error in meeting the revised public notification timing requirements under the revised Federal Advisory Committee Act regulation,” the notice on Monday stated. The proposed amended charter was published soon after a federal judge effectively undid the current committee, remade entirely by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with ideological allies, as well as its votes that remade U.S. vaccine guidance. The last ACIP charter expired last month, and the new amended charter needed to be filed seven days after it was published.
White House denies blocking Ebola-exposed doctor's return - The White House on Thursday pushed back on reports that it resisted allowing an American physician who was exposed to the Ebola virus back into the U.S., calling them “absolutely false.” “President Trump has consistently taken great risks to ensure Americans exposed to deadly and contagious diseases are safely brought back home, from quickly evacuating diplomats from China at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to more recently repatriating the Americans who were exposed to the recent Andes virus outbreak,” spokesperson Kush Desai told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation. “The idea that the White House was concerned that bringing a sick American back home to receive the best standard of care would somehow be poor optics is not only false, but nonsensical,” he added. The Washington Post reported a day earlier that U.S. health experts advocated for Peter Stafford to be evacuated to the U.S. from Congo after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus but were met with opposition from the Trump administration, citing individuals familiar with the response. “The president and his people did not want him back in the United States,” one individual told the newspaper. Stafford was working at a hospital in Bunia in northeastern Congo when he was exposed to Ebola-infected patients, according to the international Christian mission organization Serge. The other two physicians, including his wife, Rebekah Stafford, and Patrick LaRochelle, were also exposed but remain asymptomatic. Stafford was ultimately transported from the outbreak zone to Germany for treatment and observation, along with six other Americans. Desai defended the decision to send Stafford to Germany by insisting there was a need to move quickly, and Europe was the closest option. “Time is of the essence, and Germany is 12 hours closer to the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] than the DRC is to the United States,” he said. “Given that this American was in a very unstable part of the DRC, which as a whole is an unstable country, the Administration continues to take the most effective actions to maximize this American’s odds of survival and minimize the odds of further transmission.” But The Washington Post noted a contrast between the current administration’s response and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, in which the first two American patients were brought to Atlanta for treatment. President Trump railed against that move, writing on social media at the time that former President Obama “should apologize to the American people & resign” if a doctor flown from West Africa to New York had the virus.
Thom Tillis urges holding budget bill over White House ballroom funding - Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is urging his Senate Republican colleagues to delay action on a budget reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029, in part because he said a proposal to spend $1 billion on the White House ballroom is “a major policy problem.” He threatened to vote no on the budget reconciliation bill, which would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, citing the ballroom funding provision in its current form. And he vowed to oppose any reconciliation package that comes to the floor this week. In an email memo circulated to Republican senators, Tillis expressed his disappointment in Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) loss in Saturday’s Louisiana Senate Republican primary and voiced his concerns that it would be a bad idea to rush the budget reconciliation bill to the floor this week, according to a copy of the message reviewed by The Hill. Axios first reported that Tillis voiced his reservations in a message to colleagues about moving forward with the budget reconciliation bill this week and that he threatened to oppose the high-priority package. Tillis said he was worried about forcing Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to miss time on the campaign trail by spending hours debating the budget reconciliation bill later this week. Cornyn has a primary runoff against challenger Ken Paxton on Tuesday. And then Tillis argued that the White House is pressuring the Senate to pass the budget reconciliation package, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, by setting an “arbitrary” June 1 deadline for passing the bill. He argued that the White House pressure was putting Republicans in an uncomfortable position by pressing them to move forward with the package despite reluctance among GOP senators to vote for up to $1 billion in taxpayer funding to help build the White House ballroom. And he asserted that the White House’s rush to pass the bill revealed that senior administration officials don’t care about the elections of incumbent GOP senators or the Senate’s political timelines. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough advised senators over the weekend that the provision authorizing and funding the ballroom could not be included in the reconciliation package and passed at a simple-majority threshold. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he’s not giving up on the ballroom provision and will continue to revise it until it passes muster with the parliamentarian. Tillis, in his message to colleagues, warned that it would be rash to move quickly to the budget reconciliation debate while the prospective language funding the ballroom poses a “major policy problem” and compared the “airdrop” of the ballroom language into the bill to the last-minute insertion of healthcare funding cuts and policy changes in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Senate parliamentarian blocks funding for Donald Trump's ballroom in budget bill -The Senate parliamentarian late Saturday ruled against a $1 billion provision intended to fund President Trump’s White House ballroom in the budget reconciliation package. According to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, the guidance states that “a project as complex and large in scale as Trump’s proposed ballroom necessarily involves the coordination of many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees,” adding that the funding provision is outside the scope of the Judiciary panel.Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee — as well as the upper chamber’s Homeland Security Committee — included funding for the new complex in a budget reconciliation bill for federal immigration enforcement. According to Merkley, Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, said the ballroom funds violated the Byrd Rule — a strict Senate provision that prevents nonbudgetary, “extraneous” provisions from being passed through the budget reconciliation process. “The Parliamentarian’s advice is based on whether a provision is appropriate for reconciliation and conforms to the limitations of the Byrd Rule; it is not a judgement on the relative merits of a particular policy,” the Saturday statement from Merkley’s office reads, adding that any vote on ballroom funding would be subject to a 60-vote threshold.
Senate GOP looking for off-ramp from White House ballroom debacle -- The Senate is gearing up for a battle over funding President Trump’s White House ballroom, which will take center stage when senators debate a budget reconciliation package this week to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough dealt a major setback to Republicans on Saturday by ruling that their plan to provide hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for Trump’s ballroom violated the Senate’s Byrd Rule and could not pass the Senate with a simple majority. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) hailed the parliamentarian’s guidance as a big victory but Senate Republicans are not about to quit on one of Trump’s biggest priorities. GOP leaders are revising the language so that it can avoid a 60-vote threshold on the floor, setting up a likely showdown when senators start voting on the bill Thursday. “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit. None of this is abnormal during a Byrd process,” Ryan Wrasse, a senior aide to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) posted on social media in response to the parliamentarian’s ruling. Senate Democrats say they will try to knock any provision that could funnel taxpayer funding to the ballroom project if Republicans rewrite it. “Republicans’ only focus has been funding Trump’s ballroom and throwing tens of billions more taxpayer dollars at ICE and Border Patrol without any reforms or accountability – all while providing $0 in cost relief to American families,” Schumer said in a joint statement with other senior Democrats in response to the parliamentarian’s guidance. “Democrats are prepared to challenge any future language the Republicans try to pass to use taxpayer dollars to fund Trump’s ballroom,” they declared. The brewing fight is a political headache for the GOP leadership and vulnerable Republicans who will have to take tough votes on keeping any ballroom funding that survives a Byrd-Rule challenge in the budget reconciliation package. A group of Senate Republicans have privately made it clear to Thune that they don’t want to vote on providing up to $1 billion for Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom, but Thune is under pressure to deliver on one of Trump’s top priorities. Sen Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s closest allies in the Senate, said the president constantly talks about the importance of building the ballroom in his conversations with the South Carolina senator. Some Senate Republicans were crossing their fingers that the Senate parliamentarian will bail them out by knocking the ballroom funding out of the bill but Thune and Graham, the Senate Budget Committee chair, are going to try to save the $1 billion in funding the Judiciary Committee directed to the Secret Service to build security upgrades for the ballroom and around the White House campus.
Republicans expected to abandon $1B security proposal for White House and Trump's ballroom | PBS News— Senate Republican leaders on Thursday are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump's ballroom amid backlash from members of their own party. Pressured by the White House, Republicans tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal met with opposition from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the timing of the request, the cost and how the taxpayer dollars would be used. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged "ongoing vote issues" on Wednesday as leaders tried to measure Republican support and figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber's rules. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters Wednesday that the bill was "back to square one" without the security money because "the votes are not there." Thune hopes to pass the bill this week and send it to the House before leaving for a weeklong Memorial Day recess. But the bill's text has still not been released as leaders were wrangling over the security proposal and new GOP concerns over the Trump administration's $1.776 billion settlement fund. Republican senators were set to meet with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday as they finalized the text and decided whether to put parameters on the settlement, which was designed to compensate Trump's allies who believe they have been politically persecuted. Thune told reporters that senators have questions about the fund and want to know "how we might make sure that it's fenced in appropriately." The last-minute scramble comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump's ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues — and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several GOP senators have spoken out against the settlement, which was announced this week, and many were upset by the president's endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn. The "anti-weaponization" fund, part of a settlement that resolves Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, unexpectedly has become one of the main complications in the bill. Democrats said they would force votes to block it or place restrictions on it. Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments, potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans have voiced reservations about the fund. So Republicans are now discussing their own last-minute additions to head that off, potentially placing some parameters on the settlement and who could receive compensation, according to two people with knowledge of the private discussions who requested anonymity to discuss them. It was unclear how any Senate changes would be received in the House. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that the House will pass the bill "whatever form it takes."
Trump picks a Potomac River site for ‘heroes’ statue garden - President Donald Trump said Friday that he plans to build a statue garden of “American heroes” at a park location along the Potomac River near the Tidal Basin in Washington. In a social media post, Trump said the “National Garden of American Heroes” would be placed in West Potomac Park, a National Park Service site that currently hosts a range of athletic fields between the Potomac River and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.Trump said the current site is a “totally BARREN field of Prime Waterfront Real Estate” that he would improve with “one of my great projects.” Initially raised as a concept during his first administration, Trump revived the heroes garden idea last year, with a plan to build 250 statues of various American historical figures. He had originally suggested that the statutes be ready by this summer, in time for celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Trump said in his Friday post that the figures would range from “Founding Fathers, Military Warriors, Religious Leaders, Civil Rights Champions, World Class Athletes, Artists, Entertainers, and MORE.”The garden is one of many projects the president has undertaken to remake Washington, often while accelerating through the standard — and typically lengthy — review and public input processes.Details about the garden, such as a specific design proposal and a construction timeline, have not been provided by the White House. The president’s post included an aerial image of the Tidal Basin and surrounding area.The proposal for the statute garden has not been reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which consider proposals to build or alter projects within Washington’s federal core. Congress has also not approved locating the project in West Potomac Park, which is in the “Reserve,” an area where lawmakers must approve new “commemorative works,” said Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association.Congress did allocate $40 million for the garden last year in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.Thomas Luebke, the secretary for the fine arts commission, said the project has not yet been submitted for review but “will in the future.” Trump handpicked all seven members of the commission earlier this year.A spokesperson for the Interior Department, which includes NPS, said the president has brought a “builder’s expertise” to changing Washington.Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, said the garden “will be built to reflect the awesome splendor of our country’s timeless exceptionalism. President Trump continues to beautify and honor our Nation’s Capital during America’s historic semiquincentennial celebration.”Neither the White House nor Interior responded to questions about review processes or a timeline for the garden’s construction. But building a statue garden in time for the country’s 250th anniversary this summer was always going to be an ambitious goal. Along with the reviews, a major challenge would be that the country lacks sufficient skilled sculptors and fine art foundries to make that many statues quickly, POLITICO previously reported. The chosen location is not far from East Potomac Park, where Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum want to revamp an existing public golf course. Burgum shared a new design for that project Thursday.The administration has also been pursuing rapid renovations of other Washington historic sites, such as building a ballroom at the White House, installing a blue liner at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and proposing a 250-foot arch on the Virginia side of Memorial Bridge.Charles Birnbaum, president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, said the required historic reviews for D.C. projects are intended to avoid, minimize and mitigate adverse effects of new proposals.“You have to work with the history of the place that has been designated, and clearly that’s not happening,” Birnbaum said. He said Washington’s history as a carefully planned work of civic art is systematically “being diminished by one project after another by this administration.”
Donald Trump plans White House helipad for new Marine One: Reports - President Trump is planning to build a helipad at the White House for the new Marine One helicopter, according to multiple reports. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the president has discussed placing a helipad at the White House so the new helicopter, a VH-92A Patriot, does not destroy the South Lawn. Three sources also told The Washington Post that Trump is looking to create a permanent helipad. The newspaper reported that the helipad concept has been floated for years and is seen as a way to prevent the helicopter, which is more likely to burn grass than previous Marine One aircraft, from damaging the South Lawn.Trump has undertaken multiple renovation and construction projects at the White House and in Washington in his second term. Renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall recently emerged as a flash point in the president’s push to overhaul some of the most iconic landmarks in the District. The president announced plans to fix and renovate the reflecting pool last month, calling it “terrible” and “filthy.”
Design plan for Trump's proposed DC arch approved by key federal agency The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday approved the design for the triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital. Commissioners, all of whom were appointed by Trump, approved the design despite overwhelming opposition from the public. Approval is a key step in the project’s process. The proposed arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his imprint on Washington. He has said some of his other projects, such as adding a blue coating to the interior of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, will beautify the city in time for July 4 celebrations of America’s 250th birthday. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the concept for the arch at its monthly meeting in April. As presented to the federal agency, the arch itself would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure on top of the structure. The statue would be flanked on top by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions — all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument. A public observation deck on top would provide 360-degree views of the surroundings. The commission’s vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, said in April that he preferred the arch without the figures on top. Removing them would significantly reduce the arch’s height by about 80 feet (24.4 meters). Critics of the project, including an overwhelming number of people who submitted public comment in April, said the arch would be taller than any other monument in the capital city and dominate the skyline. At a height of 250 feet, the arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 meters) tall, and be close to half the height of the Washington Monument, an obelisk that is about 555 feet (169 meters) tall. McCrery also recommended that the lions on the base be removed because that animal is “not a beast natural to the North American continent.” And he objected to plans for an underground tunnel for pedestrians to get to the arch, which would be built on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Preliminary surveys and testing of the site began last week. A group of veterans and a historian have sued the Trump administration in federal court to block construction on grounds that the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons. Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have argued that Washington is the only major Western world capital without such an arch. Burgum’s department includes the National Park Service, which manages the plot where Trump wants to put the arch. Trump’s rehab of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is also the subject of a court challenge brought by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which said the administration’s moves to repaint the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without first undergoing relevant reviews ran afoul of federal preservation laws governing historic sites. The nonprofit group argued in a lawsuit filed last week that the changes at the Reflecting Pool are part of Trump’s broader effort to push through dramatic renovations in Washington without proper reviews and undermine the tone of the area. A hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Washington.
Trump's IRS Settlement Bars Tax Audits Of Trump & Family -- The acting head of the U.S. Department of Justice said on May 19 that the agency added new terms favorable to President Donald Trump to the settlement of the president’s lawsuit over alleged IRS leaking of his tax returns. In a one-page addendum to the settlement, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on May 19 that the IRS would no longer pursue claims against Trump, members of his family, or his businesses over allegedly unpaid taxes.The May 18 settlement, in which the president agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, provided that an almost $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund would be established to compensate alleged victims of the weaponization of law enforcement. Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump family business, had sued in federal court in Florida in January, alleging that the IRS and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, had failed to prevent a former contractor from leaking Trump’s tax returns to the media.. The plaintiffs alleged the agencies failed to take mandatory precautions to prevent the former IRS contractor from unlawfully obtaining access to their confidential tax records and giving that information to The New York Times and ProPublica between 2019 and 2020. As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs themselves will receive “a formal apology but no monetary payment or damages of any kind,” the DOJ said in a May 18 statement. The plaintiffs agreed to drop their claims “in exchange for the creation of this fund,” and in addition they agreed to withdraw two administrative claims they filed for damages “resulting from the unlawful raid of Mar-a-Lago and the Russia-collusion hoax.” “The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Blanche said in the statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress,” he said. The May 19 release states that the federal government is “forever barred and precluded” from moving forward with “examinations” of Trump, “related or affiliated individuals,” and related companies and trusts. The document covers “tax returns filed before the effective date” of the settlement, which was May 18. The settlement provides that the Anti-Weaponization Fund will be controlled by five individuals whose appointment will be announced by the attorney general within 30 days. One of the fund’s members will be selected in consultation with congressional leadership. The members are to serve until the fund is “concluded,” unless they resign or are removed by the president, who will be allowed to dismiss any member without providing a reason, according to the settlement. The fund will establish its own rules for “submitting, receiving, processing, and granting or denying claims,” subject to procedures it may make public at its own discretion. The settlement states that the fund will have the authority “to issue formal apologies, issue monetary relief owed to claimants as a result of their legal rights, grant claims in whole or in part, deny claims in whole or in part, defer review of claims, and receive and request evidence or other support for claims, including requesting information from, or consulting with, federal agencies.” During congressional testimony on May 19, Blanche told lawmakers that those who experienced “weaponization” may receive payments. He declined to promise that the fund would refrain from making payments to Trump campaign donors or individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, security breach at the U.S. Capitol. Blanche said Trump did not set up the settlement fund and the members of the fund will act independently. “The president did not direct me to do anything,” he said, adding that payments could go to members of any political party, and would not be limited to Jan. 6 defendants.
Top Treasury lawyer resigns as $1.8B settlement fund unveiled - The Treasury Department's General Counsel Brian Morrissey resigned his post as controversy grew over a Department of Justice settlement creating a fund to compensate for alleged victims of prosecution by the Biden administration.
- Key insight: The Treasury's general counsel resigned the same day as the Department of Justice said it would open a $1.8 billion fund to "anyone" seeking restitution for "lawfare,"
Democrats challenge DOJ's $1.776B 'anti-weaponization' fund - Numerous Democratic lawmakers are criticizing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new “anti-weaponization” fund, with a group of House Democrats even filing suit to block its creation. Earlier Monday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the creation of the $1.776 billion fund as part of a settlement agreement in President Trump’s since-withdrawn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion in January over an agency contractor leaking his tax return information to news outlets.Shortly after Blanche created the fund, a group of 93 House Democrats filed an amicus brief seeking to block it. In a 31-page filing in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, the lawmakers wrote that Article III of the U.S. Constitution “requires” the court to dismiss the settlement. Article III, Section 2, Clause 1 states that courts have the power to settle “cases” or “controversies” between various entities, including in situations involving the federal government. In their filing, the Democrats argued that the court must dismiss the settlement since Trump sued the IRS, a federal agency, while he is in charge of the federal government. “The unprecedented posture of this suit fundamentally disregards Article III’s case or controversy requirement and raises the specter of corruption unparalleled in American history,” the amicus brief reads. “No controversy can exist when the plaintiff controls the defendant, as President Trump does here.”Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, also slammed the settlement as “pure fraud and highway robbery” on Monday.“No one can be both plaintiff and defendant in the same case,” Raskin said in a release. “And no president can concoct a fake case for $10 billion in damages against the government so he can be plaintiff and defendant and then ‘settle’ his bogus case against himself as a judge. This is simply not a genuine case or controversy as required by the Constitution.” The $1.776 billion fund will give payouts and issue “formal apologies” to those who pursue settlements after arguing the government wronged them, according to the DOJ.
GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy calls out Trump DOJ’s $1.8 billion compensation fund as ‘slush fund’ - Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), fresh off of his loss in the Louisiana Senate Republican primary, is calling out the Trump administration’s creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they were targeted by the Biden Justice Department, saying it raises the specter of self-dealing. “I don’t actually see any legal precedent for that. We are a nation of laws, you can’t just make up things whole-piece,” Cassidy told reporters when asked about the legal compensation fund for Trump allies who were prosecuted or investigated by the Biden Justice Department. The administration announced the creation of the compensation fund after Trump withdrew his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service demanding $10 billion in damages for an IRS contractor leaking his tax returns to media outlets. “Somebody explained it to me this way, an attorney. … It is as if somebody sued themselves and agreed upon a settlement with themselves that’s going to be funded by the rest of us. If that’s the case: What?!” he said. “Wait a second, I just came off the campaign trail. People are concerned about making their own ends meet, not about putting a slush fund together without a legal precedent. We’re a nation of laws,” he added. “If there needs to be a settlement, let’s consider it and Congress should come together and decide on that.” Senate Democrats on Monday also criticized the establishment of the compensation fund, and described it as a “slush fund.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) called it “a nearly two-billion-dollar slush fund for his MAGA allies and January 6th insurrectionists.” “Trump is shaking hands with himself in order to fund his insurrectionist army to the tune of two billion dollars,” he said on the Senate floor.
What to know about Trump’s $1.8 billion taxpayer-fueled fund for his allies --The unprecedented lawsuit President Donald Trump brought against the Internal Revenue Service over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns years ago has led to an unprecedented arrangement that will make nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds available to allies of the president who say they were unfairly investigated by the government in the past. The announcement of the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” by the Justice Department on Monday immediately drew criticism from Democrats, public interest groups and former government officials who argued that Trump was using the levers of the government he controls to set up a vast piggybank for his supporters.“It’s highly unusual. It seems to me that it’s a fairly thinly veiled attempt to funnel federal money to people that are sympathetic to the president’s cause and points of view without following the kind of usual procedures,” said retired Judge William Smith, who was appointed to the federal bench in Rhode Island by former President George W. Bush. Later Monday, the federal judge in Miami who had been overseeing the case agreed to fully close the matter – scrambling hopes from some corners of the legal community for her to scrutinize the behavior of the Trump Justice Department attorneys and Trump’s personal lawyers who were involved in the lawsuit.Legal experts, meanwhile, appeared torn over whether anyone opposed to the deal would have the ability to mount an effort in court to frustrate the settlement, which they agreed was a novel use of the legal system to advance Trump’s policy goals.Trump sued the IRS in his personal capacity in January over the disclosure of his and his company’s tax returns in 2019 and 2020. The lawsuit – seeking $10 billion in damages – accused the agency of failing to take proper steps to safeguard his sensitive tax information, which was leaked by a government contractor who has since been prosecuted for illegally releasing the returns.While a law protecting the privacy of taxpayers protects the privacy of presidents as well, it was notable that a sitting president was suing an agency his administration controls.“I am unaware of any other president suing the IRS in the manner that Trump has chosen to do,” said Joseph J. Thorndike, a contributing editor with Tax Notes magazine, who pointed out that President Richard Nixon’s tax returns were leaked. “And as a result, I’m not aware of the IRS having settled any suit with a sitting president. “The president is at top of the executive branch, when he sues the executive branch, he is in effect suing himself,” said Stacey Young, a former longtime attorney at the DOJ who now leads Justice Connection, which opposes politicization of the department.
Republicans lash out over $1.776B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - Congressional Republicans are lashing out over a nearly $1.8 billion fund created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) this week to give payouts to those who claim to have been the target of a “weaponized” government. Discontent over the fund contributed to senators abruptly deciding to leave town for the Memorial Day weekend rather than passing a party-line budget reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — blowing past the June 1 deadline that President Trump set for the bill. Some Republicans are openly eyeing ways to “kill” the fund. On Monday, the DOJ created the $1.776 billion fund as part of a settlement after Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leaking of his tax returns. Individuals who believe they were wrongfully targeted by the government can request payouts from the fund and “formal apologies.” That quickly led to speculation that those convicted in connection with storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could get taxpayer-funded payouts, enraging Republicans who had never been happy with Trump dismissing the rioters’ actions and granting them a mass pardon. On Wednesday, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) told MeidasTouch that he and some other Republicans are “going to try to kill” the fund and promptly sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. On Wednesday, he introduced a bill along with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) to prohibit federal dollars from being used to pay any claims submitted to the fund. “Taxpayer dollars will not become a discretionary payout fund. Transparency is not optional. Accountability is not negotiable,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said that he’d “be willing to consider” using congressional action to block the funds. “It looks inappropriate,” Bacon said. “When you negotiate with yourself over taxpayer money, it doesn’t look right.” The biggest show of fury, though, came in the upper chamber — which was set to start a lengthy floor consideration of the ICE and Border Patrol funding bill on Thursday. Republican Senators were already peeved with the bill initially including $1 billion in security funding related to Trump’s White House ballroom, and the timing of the “anti-weaponization” fund further inflamed the Senate GOP conference’s tensions with Trump. “So, the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — Take your pick,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said she did not want anyone who assaulted police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to receive compensation, a possibility that Trump administration officials have refused to take off the table. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who was knocked out of his reelection race this weekend after Trump backed challenger Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), called the pot of money a “slush fund.” “People are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas, not about putting together a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent or accountability,” Cassidy posted on social platform X. “This is adding to our national debt. If there needs to be a settlement, the administration should bring it to Congress to decide,” he said.
McConnell calls DOJ Trump fund ‘utterly stupid, morally wrong’ after Blanche meeting -- Sen. Mitch McConnell on Thursday blasted Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for the Department of Justice’s new controversial $1.8 billion “lawfare” fund hours after Blanche met with Republican senators in an effort to assuage their concerns about it. “So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick,” McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement obtained by MS NOW. McConnell is the former Senate majority leader.Blanche, earlier in the day, met with GOP senators as pushback grows in Congress over the idea of paying out settlements to people who attacked police during the U.S. Capitol riot in 2021.The DOJ created the fund as part of a settlement of an unrelated $10 billion lawsuit by President Donald Trump against the Internal Revenue Service.The fund would purportedly compensate those who allege they were victims of prosecutorial overreach or worse by the DOJ during the Biden administration, which could include hundreds of people convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.After the meeting, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told CNBC that Blanche had told lawmakers at the meeting that fund money is “not going toward people who attack policemen and people of authority.”Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in an interview with Spectrum News, called the fund “stupid on stilts.”“It will invariably put us in a position where your taxpayer dollars and my taxpayers’ dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned, and now we’re gonna pay them for that?” Tillis said.“That’s absurd,” he added. “The American people are going to reject this out of hand.”Blanche’s meeting with GOP senators came a day after Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., introduced a bill that would bar federal money from being used for the DOJ’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” and after two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 filed a lawsuit seeking to have the fund declared illegal.Democrats in Congress have called the fund a corrupt “slush fund.” On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation that would slap a 100% tax on any payments from the fund.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Thursday, “Right now we want to hear the attorney general about his view of this and what they intend to do with it.”“But obviously, our members have very legitimate questions about it,” Thune said, adding that his caucus has had conversations about “how we might make sure that it’s fenced in appropriately.”In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Blanche said commissioners appointed to administer the fund will be responsible for considering a claimant’s conduct in applications for compensation.
Mitch McConnell slams Todd Blanche over ‘slush fund to pay people who assault cops’ - Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Thursday slammed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for accepting the Trump administration’s proposal to establish a $1.8 billion legal compensation fund for people who claim they were wrongfully prosecuted by the Justice Department. The fund has sparked criticism in both parties, particularly those who believe it could be used for claims from those convicted of assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6, 2021. Blanche has not ruled out such claims. “So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick,” McConnell said in a strongly worded statement after Blanche met with Republican senators to justify the administration’s push to establish the fund. Several people who were convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol have already said they plan to apply for compensation from what Trump administration officials have called an “anti-weaponization” fund. Republican senators vented their objections to the idea during Thursday’s meeting with Blanche, which lasted for well more than an hour. Republican senators pressed Blanche to accept guardrails for the legal compensation fund and to give Congress more oversight in choosing commissioners, changes that the acting attorney general resisted, according to people briefed on the meeting. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a rising star in the Senate GOP conference, told reporters after the meeting that she would have a real problem with compensating people who were convicted of attacking Capitol Police officers. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was especially forceful about confronting Blanche at the meeting over the anti-weaponization fund. “Imagine that, a fund that is set up to compensate people who assaulted Capitol Police officers and other responding agencies. People that had pled guilty to physical acts against the president may actually be able to get compensated. How absurd does that sound coming out of my mouth?” Tillis told reporters before the meeting. McConnell broke sharply with President Trump over the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, though he did not vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial that hinged on the attack.
Republicans punt on reconciliation amid furious disagreement over ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - Senate Republicans have canceled plans to begin voting this week on a budget reconciliation package that would provide approximately $70 billion to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029 amid a furious disagreement within their conference over the Trump administration’s proposal to establish a $1.8 billion compensation fund for MAGA allies. Senate Republicans emerging from a lengthy meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said they expect to leave Washington for the Memorial Day recess without voting on the budget reconciliation package that has stalled over disagreements among Republicans over how to put guardrails on the so-called anti-weaponization fund. “There will not be a vote today,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), an outspoken critic of the proposed legal compensation fund for people who believe they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted by the Biden-era Justice Department. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) confirmed that votes are not expected anytime soon on the budget reconciliation package and voiced concern about the prospect that the legal compensation fund could pay out people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Britt said she didn’t want any people who assaulted police officers at the Capitol on that day to receive compensation. Britt also said she didn’t expect the Senate Budget Committee to unveil the budget reconciliation bill’s text anytime soon. Republican lawmakers are also divided over whether to include money for the Secret Service amid a controversy over the prospect the money could be used to construct President Trump’s 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom. A senior Senate Republican aide confirmed that votes on the budget reconciliation package are not expected this week. House GOP leaders, who were already getting worried about the timeline for the reconciliation bill slipping due to Senate delays, were considering punting the bill until after Memorial Day if the process took too long. Weddings, graduations and other factors were already starting to complicate attendance in the House, where Republicans would need near-unanimous support to pass the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was scheduled to go to the White House to discuss the bill Thursday afternoon, but that meeting was canceled amid the Senate’s move to leave town without passing the bill. Senators are expected to leave Washington at the end of the week for the Memorial Day recess and are not expected to reconvene until June 1 — which means they would blow by Trump’s June 1 deadline to sign the bill into law. House leaders in short order notified members that votes would no longer be expected on Friday given the Senate’s decision to leave town without passing the bill.
House Republicans fume at Senate for punting immigration funding package -House Republicans are seething at the Senate’s decision to push back a vote on an immigration funding package until next month, steamrolling over President Trump’s self-imposed June 1 deadline to get the bill to his desk.The decision to punt action on the package, which Republicans are hoping to pass without Democratic votes through a special process called budget reconciliation, comes amid a GOP uproar over the Trump administration’s proposal for a $1.8 billion so-called “anti-weaponization” fund that would pay out people who believe they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted under the Biden Department of Justice. Some Senate Republicans had also pushed back against a provision in the package that would include $1 billion in security funding for a new White House ballroom and other Secret Service priorities. The Senate parliamentarian had ruled against the measure, leaving lawmakers divided over how — or whether — to revise the provision and incorporate it back into the package. But the delay has only intensified frustrations among House Republicans, who accused the Senate of moving too slowly on one of Trump’s top priorities and jeopardizing the party’s ability to quickly deliver on its immigration agenda. “The Senate’s demonstrated once again that they don’t even know how to get their work done properly,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said. “It’s gutless, and I’m very frustrated,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said. “They need to work. They didn’t want to work …. The Senate ought to be calling on the leadership over there. If the House did it, I’d be doing it too.” Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) said he wanted to vote for the package before Memorial Day. “I think June one’s an important date,” he said. “I’m frustrated that it’s not done, but hopeful that they can finish it up when they come back, I guess, and we can get this done.” The House ended up cancelling votes on Friday, following the Senate’s course and leaving for a one-week recess. But the workload for both chambers will only intensify when lawmakers return next month, as congressional Republicans face the dual challenge of passing the immigration package while also racing to secure a deal on a long-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) warrantless spying powers, set to expire in mid-June.
Backlash to Trump’s $1.8B settlement fund delays GOP immigration bill - (AP) — Senate Republicans abruptly left Washington on Thursday without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies, frustrated with the White House and at an impasse over whether to try to block a new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they have been politically prosecuted.Republicans had already abandoned part of the bill that provided $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom amid backlash from members of their own party. But the settlement announced by the Justice Department this week prompted even more questions, spurring a push to limit the taxpayer dollars that some feared could go to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. A tense meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday morning to discuss the settlement only heightened the frustration among senators. Soon after it ended, Republican leaders announced that they would not vote on the immigration enforcement measure until they returned from a Memorial Day recess the week of June 1, which was Trump’s self-imposed deadline for them to pass it. Blanche “had an appreciation for the depth of feeling” among GOP senators, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said afterward as a growing number of them spoke out against the idea. The White House push for $1 billion in security funds is facing GOP opposition Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former GOP leader, called the settlement “utterly stupid, morally wrong.” “The nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops?” McConnell said in a statement afterward.
Nearly a third of Americans think the latest assassination attempt against Trump was staged | Watch (video) CNN’s Tom Foreman reports on the findings of a new Fox News poll.
Trump-backed prayer rally roils debate on church and state - A massive religious gathering on the National Mall backed by the White House is sparking backlash from critics who say it blurs the lines between church and state. The unprecedented appearance of government officials featured virtual remarks from members of the administration including Vice President Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. President Trump also delivered a brief virtual message in which he read from the Old Testament. The daylong prayer rally, pegged as part of the America 250 celebrations, comes as concerns mount about the administration’s push for more Christian prayer and religious symbols in schools and for faith-based organizations to get federal funding. Some critics questioned the constitutionality of the event. “Rededicate 250 is a betrayal of America’s founding values guaranteed in the First Amendment — which made clear that there shall be no establishment of religion by the government, and that each one of us should be free to live out our beliefs in our own way,” Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, said in a statement. “This event used the power of the government to elevate one thin slice of American religion above others,” he said. “It was a political rally with a political agenda, rather than an event that truly celebrated the long, rich and diverse tradition of religious expression in America.” Trump read verses from the Book of Chronicles in a video that was filmed in the Oval Office. Other Republican officials were also sprinkled into the agenda. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), an evangelical and Southern Baptist, led the crowd in prayer, saying God has been “upon our nation since the very beginning.” He said that as America’s 250th birthday approaches, “we face a new set of challenges in a new era,” and he called out “sinister ideologies” and advocated for “renewed piety and patriotism.” Vance, who is Catholic, said in his video remarks that if the faith foundation of the U.S. “were to crumble, so too would the very values that make us Americans.”
Pete Hegseth stumps for Thomas Massie GOP challenger in stark break from Pentagon norms - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit the campaign trail on Monday to help former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in his bid to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in a GOP primary, a highly unusual move for any head of the Pentagon. Hegseth appeared alongside Gallrein, whom President Trump is backing against Massie, at a rally in Hebron, Ky., hosted by the Trump-allied group America First Works. Coming out to the opening notes of Van Halen’s “Jump,” heavy applause and chants of “USA,” Hegseth quickly launched into a full-throated endorsement of Gallrein, whom he described as a reinforcement to Trump’s agenda. “President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back,” the former Army National Guard infantry officer said. “War fighters understand mission, they understand teamwork, they understand loyalty, and they understand that in the middle of a fight, you don’t weaken your own side to advance to the objective, and that’s what Ed Gallrein understands, because he has lived it.” Massie, a libertarian who has criticized the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, has been a thorn in the president’s side on numerous issues. Massie voted against the enormous tax cut legislation called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, pressed for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and most recently joined House Democrats in voting for a resolution that would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran. Hegseth on Monday painted Massie as an obstructionist, arguing that, “At some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing.” Massie’s record “speaks for itself,” Hegseth said. “Too much grandstanding, too few great votes, years of acting like being difficult is the same thing as being courageous. It’s not. Real courage means stepping up when the mission matters most, when we need that tough vote to beat left-wing lunatic Democrats the most. Real courage means understanding that this country is facing existential threats and deciding to be part of the solution instead of constantly trying to position yourself above the fight.”
Pentagon says Pete Hegseth campaigning against Thomas Massie in 'personal capacity' -- The Pentagon is pushing back on allegations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is politicizing the military with his planned Monday appearance in Kentucky to campaign for the man who is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) in Tuesday’s Republican primary. “Secretary Hegseth is attending this event in his personal capacity,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Hill. “No taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit. His participation has been thoroughly vetted and cleared by lawyers, including the Department of War Office of General Counsel, and does not violate the Hatch Act or any other applicable federal statute.” Hegseth has been accused of potentially violating the Hatch Act in stumping for former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, the Trump-backed GOP candidate challenging Massie. Under federal law, executive branch employees — with the exception of the president and vice president — are limited in using government resources or their official titles for partisan political activity. The appearance also would mark an unprecedented breach of the tradition that a serving Defense secretary stay away from such political activities to maintain the military’s apolitical image. Retired Army Reserve and counterintelligence expert Lawrence Sellin wrote on X that if Hegseth “in his official capacity as Defense Secretary intervenes in a Congressional primary . . . it is a violation of the Hatch Act and should be immediately removed from office.”
Senate GOP express frustration, anger, sadness as Donald Trump snubs John Cornyn in Texas - President Trump’s decision Tuesday to snub Sen. John Cornyn and endorse state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate Republican primary was met with frustration, anger and even sadness by Senate Republicans. The move likely sinks Cornyn’s hopes of winning another Senate term, and Republicans warned it could make it tougher to defeat Democratic candidate James Talarico in November. Republican senators exuded pain for Cornyn, who served as Senate Republican whip during Trump’s first term and is deeply respected by his Senate GOP colleagues “I’m really sad, I’m sad personally for John Cornyn and I hope he’s successful in his election regardless, and I’m sad for the institution,” said one GOP senator who requested anonymity to talk about the internal conference feelings. “There’s no senator that works harder to make things happen around here, works harder to take care of his colleagues,” the GOP lawmaker lamented. The senator noted that the tradition in the past has been for the president and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to work together to help Republican incumbents facing primary challengers. “I think it’s sad for the institution. There’s something to this that’s really troubling,” the lawmaker added. Trump’s decision to back Paxton over Cornyn came amid growing tensions with Senate Republicans over other issues. Two of the biggest brewing fights are over funding for the White House ballroom and a $1.8 billion legal compensation fund for MAGA allies who claim they were targeted by the government. Republican senators say the proposal to provide up to $1 billion in a budget reconciliation package to help build the White House ballroom, a top Trump priority, now appears to be dead. A GOP senator familiar with internal discussions said funding will be provided to the Secret Service to improve security at the White House but warned that a Saturday ruling by the parliamentarian makes it all but impossible to fund the construction of the ballroom itself. Several GOP senators also say they will vote against the ballroom funding, raising serious questions about whether it has enough political support to pass the Senate even if it passes muster with the Senate parliamentarian. Some Republican senators saw Trump’s treatment of Cornyn as a snub of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who had worked behind the scenes for months to persuade the president to back him. The NRSC invested in Cornyn through a joint fundraising committee, and One Nation, a fundraising group affiliated with Thune’s political operation, has spent more than $10 million helping Cornyn. Thune appeared stone-faced when he walked into the Senate Republican lunch Tuesday afternoon, shortly after Trump announced his support of Paxton. Asked about Trump’s social media post on the subject, Thune answered somberly: “It’s his decision.” The Senate GOP leader later told reporters at a press conference that he still sees Cornyn as giving Republicans the best chance of defending the Texas Senate seat in November. “Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas. But I don’t, none of us, control what the president does,” Thune said. “That doesn’t change the way I feel. And I am certainly supportive — I will continue to be supportive of Sen. Cornyn and his reelection.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she couldn’t understand Trump’s thinking, given that Paxton was charged with felony securities fraud and faced a lengthy prison sentence that he managed to avoid by reaching a deal with prosecutors to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution and complete 100 hours of community service. “I don’t understand. He is an ethically challenged individual,” Collins said of Trump’s support of Paxton, who was charged of defrauding investors in a Dallas-area tech startup. The charges were later dropped after he agreed to a pretrial diversion program. “John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved in my judgment the president’s support. Obviously, it’s the president’s call, but I’m disappointed that he did it,” Collins said.
Springsteen rips Trump, Ellisons during Colbert appearance -- Rock star Bruce Springsteen took shots at President Trump and Paramount owners Larry and David Ellison during an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. After Colbert introduced Springsteen before his performance on the second-to-last episode of “The Late Show,” Springsteen made a few comments targeting the Ellisons and Trump. He then launched into a performance of “Streets of Minneapolis,” an anti-Trump administration song released earlier this year by the rock legend. “I am here in support tonight of Stephen because you’re the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen said. “And, and because — because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his a‑‑ to get what they want, so these are — anyway, Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you,” he added. Last summer, CBS announced it was getting rid of “The Late Show,” shaking up the late-night television landscape via an action that the network said was a “financial decision.” The Ellisons, a billionaire father-son duo, are allies of Trump and have put in place sweeping changes to the news division at CBS. They have also pledged to change up the network’s editorial strategy to cater to a more politically “diverse” audience. “‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” CBS said in a 2025 announcement. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” a statement said. Colbert’s final show is Thursday. His version of “The Late Show” began in 2015. When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”
Supreme Court rules against cruise lines over Cuba voyages - The Supreme Court on Thursday sided 8-1 against four major cruise lines in their bid to stave off a $440 million judgment for using docks at the Port of Havana. The case concerns voyages that Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian operated to Havana from 2016-19. The decision reinstates the $400 million judgment, but it leaves the door open for the companies to advance alternate arguments to still win as the dispute returns to a lower court. The case revolves around the Helms-Burton Act, which allows Americans to seek damages against anyone who “traffics in” property seized by Fidel Castro’s regime in the Cuban Revolution. Havana Docks had a 99-year legal right to operate the Port of Havana before it was confiscated. It used the law to sue the cruise lines over their voyages. The docks company secured a $440 million sum, but an appeals court wiped it because its property rights expired before the voyages. “We disagree,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the 8-1 majority. “The Act generally makes those who use property tainted by a past confiscation liable to any United States national who owns a claim to that property.”
Trump postpones AI executive order signing: 'I didn't like certain aspects' --President Donald Trump on Thursday said he postponed an upcoming signing ceremony for his administration’s much-anticipated executive order on the artificial intelligence industry. The event, which was set for later Thursday afternoon, was delayed “because I didn’t like certain aspects of it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.The U.S. is ahead of China and the rest of the world on AI and “I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump said.He added that AI is “causing tremendous good,” and he was concerned that the executive order “could have been a blocker.”The order would empower the U.S. government to pre-evaluate AI models to identify security vulnerabilities, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing people working on the order.The postponement was first reported earlier Thursday by Axios. The White House referred CNBC to Trump’s remarks when asked for comment on the delay. Tech giants’ massive investments in the nascent AI industry have fueled rapid growth, helping drive stock markets to new heights even as the Iran war and other sources of geopolitical strife have caused global economic turmoil. The AI-friendly Trump administration has welcomed the shift toward the technology and taken actions supported by industry leaders, such as backing their calls to preempt states from setting their own AI rules. But the administration has also taken some steps toward greater AI oversight: The federal Center for AI Standards and Innovation this month announced agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft and Elon Musk’s xAI letting it evaluate AI models before they are publicly available.
Jury rejects Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman - A California federal jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, ending the latest chapter in a nearly decade-long feud between the two technology moguls over the artificial intelligence firm’s non-profit structure. The advisory verdict took less than two hours of deliberation from the jury, which listened to three weeks of testimony, including from both Musk, Altman, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The nine-person jury told the court Musk took too long to file the lawsuit, missing the deadline for the three-year statute of limitations. As expected, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers agreed with the jury, throwing out all of Musk’s claims. Musk responded to the ruling on X later Monday, confirming he plans to appeal the verdict with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals “because creating a precedent to loot charities is incredibly destructive to charitable giving in America.” “The judge & jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case, just on a calendar technicality,” Musk wrote. “There is no question to anyone following the case in detail that Altman & Brockman did in fact enrich themselves by stealing a charity. The only question is WHEN they did it!” OpenAI did not immediately respond to request for comment, but the New York Times reported William Savitt, the company’s lead counsel, said outside the courthouse he was “delighted” by the verdict. The verdict is a major blow to Musk, who ratcheted up the dispute in 2024 by suing over OpenAI’s alleged shift away from its founding mission. Musk and Altman founded OpenAI as a nonprofit in 2015 with former Stripe executive Greg Brockman, computer scientist Ilya Sutskever and others. The Tesla CEO joined forces with Altman and the others to launch the company as he voiced concerns about AI safety. Musk invested about $38 million in OpenAI from late 2015 through May 2017. He argued he was misled by the company when they decided to create a for-profit entity to get more capital for AI development, and put commercial interests over its original mission focused on humanity. Musk clashed with company executives about who would lead the company and its potential creation of a for-profit wing. He stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2018, citing potential conflicts of interest with his work for Tesla. OpenAI went on to add the for-profit arm in 2019 and altered its structure last year to convert the entity into a public benefit corporation that remained under control of the nonprofit. Musk did not file his lawsuit until 2024, alleging OpenAI, Altman and Brockman manipulated the billionaire into co-founding and financially backing the venture before abandoning its original nonprofit mission. The xAI founder argued Altman and Brockman “betrayed” Musk in their for-profit operations and partnership with Microsoft, the largest investor in OpenAI. OpenAI argued there was no promise to keep OpenAI a nonprofit forever, calling the suit an attempt to slow down the company to benefit Musk’s xAI firm, which was founded in 2023. Musk sought nearly $130 billion in damages that he said would be given back to OpenAI’s nonprofit. He also asked for the removal of Altman and Brockman from their roles and the unwinding of the firm’s for-profit conversion. From documents to depositions to text messages and diary entries, the case gave the public a rare glimpse inside the inner workings of Silicon Valley and the handful of technology moguls that run it.
AI-generated fake citations are flooding scientific literature across publications, scientists warnThe citations at the end of a research paper should represent a solid foundation of existing knowledge about a particular field, a pool of peer-reviewed sources built over years of research and study. However, with the increasing use of AI and large language models in writing research papers, there's a growing chance that the citation someone clicks on may not even exist, and that the study, the source, or even the researchers themselves could be entirely fake. In a recent study posted to the arXiv preprint server, researchers audited millions of papers and found that an estimated 146,900 hallucinated citations were present in research papers hosted on four major scientific repositories—arXiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, and PubMed Central. These numbers were for 2025 alone. The hallucinated citations were not limited to a handful of bad apples but appeared across many papers, each containing a small number of fake references, pointing to a broader pattern of researchers using AI yet failing to fact-check the output. Scientific research advances by building on prior discoveries, where each new finding depends on what has already been established. In this space, the rapid growth of AI use and the accompanying hallucinations show no sign of slowing down, which raises serious concerns. Generative AI tools built on large language models are quite good at producing information that sounds plausible and realistic, yet is completely fabricated or incorrect. These models are trained on massive datasets to learn patterns, which they then use to predict the next word and generate new content. As a result, they can sometimes produce output based on pattern prediction rather than any reliance on actual facts. Hallucinated content isn't limited to scientific literature, as it makes its appearances in government reports, legal filings, and even news articles from renowned media publications. Scientists have previously studied AI hallucinations, but most studies were either conducted under laboratory conditions or confined to small samples or narrow domains. The actual scale and impact of such mistakes, particularly within scientific literature, was still unclear. In this study, the team conducted a large-scale audit of 111 million references drawn from 2.5 million scientific papers. Using a mix of automated and manual checks, they searched for citation titles that could not be linked to any real publication. Over 95% of the references were successfully matched. For the remaining entries, they corrected typing errors using AI until a match appeared, and for the few mystery titles still left, they turned to Google Scholar to ensure no obscure publications were missed. To isolate AI's role, the team also looked at unmatched citation rates before 2023, before ChatGPT, Gemini, and other large language models took off, which gave them a baseline for measuring how much of the problem could be attributed to AI versus human error. The audit revealed a sharp surge in fake, non-existent citations appearing in serious scientific papers, especially from mid-2024 onward. The study found that early-career scientists and small teams were most likely to include these fake citations, and in some cases, these same researchers saw their productivity increase by roughly three times since the advent of AI.
Anthropic frees Mythos partners to share cyber findings | American Banker -
- Key insight: Anthropic's NDA carve-out lets JPMorganChase, the only bank among Project Glasswing's named launch partners, formally share Mythos-surfaced vulnerabilities with community and regional banks for the first time.
- What's at stake: Smaller banks outside Glasswing depend on partners like JPMorgan to surface Mythos-found vulnerabilities in shared software systems; the carve-out determines whether and how that intelligence now reaches them.
- Expert quote: Rep. Josh Gottheimer, co-chair of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy: "No entity should be contractually restricted from warning others, coordinating mitigations, or informing relevant and trusted stakeholders about urgent cyber risks."
Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.
Fed's Waller says AI at central bank has strict guardrails -- Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said Tuesday that guardrails are in place around how artificial intelligence is used in central bank research.
- Key takeaway: Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said security measures designed to protect internal data can leave the Fed using slightly outdated technology, but are necessary for risk management. He added that the central bank uses AI for tasks including summarizing meetings.
- Expert Quote: "In terms of research, you're going to have guardrails on it. We're probably not going to let you sit on a plane and run stuff on your laptop that has sensitive policy information on it. They won't even let me use it to clean up my email." — Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller
- What's at stake: Alongside its internal use of AI, the Fed has been closely monitoring how companies are deploying the technology for underwriting and compliance, as well as its implications for the labor market and monetary policy.
Meta Axes 8,000 Workers As Zuckerberg Admits AI Is Watching, Replacing Labor -- Welcome to another day of corporate America hemorrhaging engineers and other white-collar workers with insurmountable student debt as AI adoption accelerates. This era will likely be remembered in history as the great "white-collar purge," and the response will be continued hatred of data centers. We've been covering for weeks that today is D-Day for Meta Platforms employees, who have finally learned their employment fate at the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. Bloomberg reports that the new round of layoffs affects roughly 8,000 roles globally, with engineering and product teams expected to be at the center of the cuts as CEO Mark Zuckerberg reduces labor in favor of GPUs. This latest round of cuts is expected to hit Meta's engineering and product teams in particular, and additional layoffs could come later in the year, said people familiar with the company's plans, who asked not to be named as the information is not public. -BBG The layoffs follow Meta's reassignment of about 7,000 employees into newly created AI-focused teams on Monday. The X account, Official Layoff, posted leaked audio of an all-hands emergency at Meta earlier this week, in which Zuck told employees their devices are being tracked to train AI models. In other words, those workers are training chatbots to eventually render them obsolete. Official Layoff added more color about Monday's meeting: Mark Zuckerberg, in his own words, told Meta employees their devices are being tracked to train AI models. His reasoning? Meta employees are smarter than the contract workers the rest of the industry uses for data labeling. So instead of hiring outside help, Meta is turning its own workforce into training data. "The average intelligence of the people who are at this company is significantly higher than the average set of people that you can get to do tasks if you're working through these contractors." He wants the AI to learn how "really smart people use computers" by watching employees work. He says the content is "stripped out" and none of it is used for surveillance or performance tracking. Then he admitted the rollout was botched but said Meta intentionally kept employees in the dark because leaking competitive AI strategy would help rivals. "It is not strategically in your interest for us to communicate everything in all the detail that we normally would on this." Translation: We're watching you, we told you as little as possible, and we did it on purpose. AI is replacing the contractor. Then the employee trains the AI. Then the AI replaces the employee. This story and this company keeps getting weirder.
AI Purge Accelerates: Intuit Reportedly Slashing 17% Of Workforce - Intuit, the company that owns TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp, is reportedly preparing to lay off a staggering 17% of its workforce according to Reuters, which cites an internal memo. Details are scant at the moment regarding the reason for the layoffs, but CEO Sasan Goodarzi sent an email to staff earlier in the day, saying that reducing complexity and simplifying the structure would help it deliver better products, to streamline operations and sharpen focus on its key bets including its AI efforts. The company has signed multi-year deals with AI startups Anthropic and OpenAI to integrate their AI models into its software and add Intuit's personalized tax, finance, accounting and marketing capabilities into Claude and ChatGPT.The last day for impacted staff at Intuit in the United States will be July 31 and they will receive 16 weeks of base pay and two extra weeks for every year at Intuit as part of the severance package, the memo on Wednesday showed.
AI beats humans at transaction monitoring, Revolut US CEO says - AI has quickly moved from add-on to core tooling, Revolut's U.S. CEO Cetin Duransoy said at Semafor's Banking on the Future Forum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Duransoy said every employee at his company is now using AI in some way.
Visa sounds the alarm on AI fraud - The artificial intelligence wave in banking is also boosting fraud risk, with Visa saying the technology is playing on both sides of the battle.
- Key insights: Visa reports AI is making it easier for crooks to attack banks.
- What's at stake: The threats come as financial institutions expand their use of new forms of AI.
- Expert quote: "We are gaining ground in payment security, but as we do so, we're forcing adversaries to change the game," —Michael Jabbara, Visa senior vice president
Man speaks after Lyft driver accused of using AI-generated damage claim pic - ABC News -A father and daughter are speaking out after a recent Lyft ride resulted in a driver being accused of submitting an AI-generated image for a damage claim. Bert Gor of Florida said his teenage daughter and a friend took a Lyft home from the beach on Saturday, May 16. After they arrived back at the house, Gor said he was alerted that he had been charged a $75 damage fee, in addition to the rideshare cost, for an alleged mess the driver claimed the teens had left behind in the car. "In my mind, I'm thinking, 'These girls are grounded for the whole weekend,'" Gor told "Good Morning America" in an interview airing Wednesday. Gor said he began communicating with Lyft customer service and asked to see proof. He said he was then sent a photo of the alleged mess that customer service said came from the driver. The photo Gor said he received depicts the interior of a car with what appears to be a beverage and french fries spilled across the backseat and carpet. Upon viewing the photo, Gor said his daughter Ella spotted an AI logo in the bottom righthand corner of the photo, which she said tipped her off that the image was allegedly AI-generated. "I saw that it was the AI logo, and I was like, 'That is fake. It's not real,'" Ella said, speaking with "GMA" alongside her dad. Gor said he noted the watermark to Lyft, which ultimately agreed with the pair's assessment that the photo was fake and apologized to Gor. In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, a Lyft spokesperson said, "Lyft takes damage disputes seriously and reviews each matter based on the available information. We have reviewed the rider's concerns, offered reimbursement, and permanently removed the driver from the platform."
BankThink Banking lobbyists should take the win on the stablecoin yield ban -- The American Bankers Association is about to make one of the most consequential strategic errors a Washington trade group has made in years. The Senate Banking Committee voted out the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act on a bipartisan basis, and now the stablecoin yield compromise that gave the banks most of what they asked for is ripe for them to take. All they have to do is let it pass. Instead, they are running a pressure campaign to blow it up.
- Key insight: Banks should be content with the compromise over the stablecoin yield ban in the CLARITY Act.
- Supporting data: The White House Council of Economic Advisers released an analysis in April finding that a full yield ban would increase bank lending by just $2.1 billion, roughly two one-hundredths of one percent of the loan market.
- What's at stake: If CLARITY dies or gets pushed past the midterm window, the alternative is a rulemaking fight the banks will lose, while a multitrillion-dollar payments technology keeps building the rails around them.
Bank trade groups should be content with the compromise hammered out in the Senate Banking Committee over the stablecoin yield ban in the CLARITY Act. Their push to defeat the bill could leave them worse off in the long run.
Payment fraud continues to vex consumers and banks | American Banker (poll graphic) There's a new twist in the perennial tug of war between protecting consumers and keeping payment fraudsters at bay. Banks' fears of consumer attrition due to fraud controls may be overstated. A Javelin Strategy & Research report published in April asked 5,000 consumers about payment card declines in the past 12 months due to suspected fraud, experienced by 20% of respondents, according to the survey fielded in October 2025. Of this group, 70% said they felt payment declines due to prospective fraud were necessary to prevent broader issues.
- Key insights: Consumers are willing to accept some inconvenience in exchange for safety.
- What's at stake: Major types of payment fraud include account-takeover fraud, card-not-present fraud, new account fraud, synthetic identity fraud, authorized push payment (APP) scams and fraud related to agentic AI.
- Forward look: New forms of technology such as agentic AI are complicating fraud risk.
Jury duty scam tricks nurse into depositing $9,260 at Bitcoin kiosk - Gail Barr expected birthday calls on her 70th birthday. She got plenty of sweet messages from family and friends. Then one voicemail turned her day upside down. The caller claimed to be Chief Deputy Derek Elmore with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. He said Gail had an urgent legal matter involving court documents from an Arizona judge. When Gail called back, the story got scarier. She had missed jury duty, the caller said. Now she needed to pay a nearly $10,000 fine or risk arrest. Gail is a nurse practitioner. She knows how to handle medical pressure. But a missed jury duty threat felt different. "Well, I didn't know," Gail said on the CyberGuy Report podcast at cyberguy.com/podcast, "I know medical things, but I didn't know how that worked." That confusion helped the scammer pull her deeper into a jury duty crypto scam. The scammer did not sound like a random criminal. He used real local names and official-sounding titles. Gail said the voicemail mentioned Judge Jennifer Zipes. She checked the name and found that Jennifer Zipes was indeed an Arizona judge. She also looked up Derek Elmore and found a law enforcement connection. That made the call feel real.Gail said she was transferred to someone who claimed to be Police Captain John Bailey. He gave her a badge number. He also told her she had been hand-selected for a grand jury case because of her medical background. That detail hit hard. Gail had worked in nursing and as a nurse practitioner. So the story felt possible."They said that I was hand-selected by the judge to appear in a grand jury, a medical malpractice case, because of my background in nursing," Gail said. "So that kind of rang a bell that I believed them." Then came the threat. The caller claimed Gail had signed a subpoena, failed to appear in court and now faced citations for contempt of court and failure to appear. Scammers know how to use fear. They also know how to use pieces of real information to make a lie sound believable. That is what happened to Gail. The caller used the names of real people. He knew enough about her work to make the story fit. He also sounded calm and official.Gail said there were "no accents involved" and that the call sounded "totally legit." When I asked her if it was a legitimate call, Gail's answer was direct. "Not at all," she said. Still, in the moment, the pressure worked. "Something seemed a little weird, I think, but I just kept going because I was frightened," Gail said. That is the part scammers count on. They want you scared enough to act before you think.The caller told Gail she needed to pay $9,260. He called it a payment through a "federal bonding kiosk." That phrase sounds official. But it was really a Bitcoin machine inside a Circle K. Gail said she did not know much about Bitcoin. Her son did, but the scammer told her not to call anyone. "They said you cannot get off the phone with us," Gail said. "You must stay on the phone the whole time."The caller claimed they needed to make sure she did not "skip town." He also told her not to tell the bank why she needed the cash. That is one of the biggest red flags in this entire story. Gail withdrew the money. Then she went to the crypto kiosk. The scammer sent her an official-looking barcode that appeared to come from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.She scanned it and fed the cash into the machine. "We had to do it, like, five different times because there was a limit to how much you could put in at once," Gail said. "I was getting very tired. I was so tired." By the end, Gail had deposited $9,260. "And that was money that I had worked for," Gail said. "I went back to work to help pay for my son's medical bills."Jury duty scammers may use real judges’ names, fake badge numbers and arrest threats to pressure victims into sending cryptocurrency. (Anna After Gail sent the money, the scammer told her to go to the sheriff's department. Then he suddenly claimed there was another problem. This time, he said Gail had a federal citation. He wanted another $12,000. Gail said she did not have that much money. So the scammer lowered the demand to $3,000 and sent her to another bank. That second bank visit saved her from losing more.The bank manager asked what the money was for. Gail gave the excuse that the scammer had told her to use. Then the manager asked whether she planned to give the money to her son that day. That question broke through the fear. Gail said no. The manager took her aside and talked with her. He knew something was wrong.
AI agents help uncover crypto crime -Agentic AI is helping crypto crime investigators talk with fraudsters and understand what they're doing. It's helping research the circumstances around suspicious crypto transactions. And it's helping inexperienced financial crime investigators understand the cases to which they're assigned.These AI assists come at a time when more banks are thinking about offering crypto trading to their customers. It also comes at a time when scammers and criminals are increasingly using AI in their work. Scams using AI generate an average of $3.2 million per operation, compared to $719,000 for those that don't, according to crypto monitoring firm Chainalysis' 2026 Crypto Crime Report. That nearly fivefold increase in revenue per scam is driven by AI's ability to automate impersonation — a tactic that saw 1,400% growth this year, according to the company.
- Key insight: AI agents are aiding crypto crime and fraud investigations.
- What's at stake: Scams using AI generate an average of $3.2 million per operation, compared to $719,000 for those that don't, according to Chainalysis' 2026 Crypto Crime Report.
BankThink Crypto firms need to get serious about consumer safeguards (graphic poll results) Crypto users face challenges that users of traditional finance have simply never needed to consider. Transactions cannot be reversed, security practices can confuse even technically minded people and recovery options range from inconsistent to nearly nonexistent.Crypto companies building consumer products need to address this situation thoughtfully, especially if they're committed to going mainstream. The consumer-grade safety standards that people already rely on every day (such as fraud monitoring from Visa, device-level security from Apple, or deposit insurance from the FDIC) exist because they reduce the consequences of mistakes and attacks.
- Key insight: Cryptocurrency products will serve everyday users when safety is built into the product, not left to individual vigilance.
- What's at stake: People mis-click, encounter phishing schemes, lose devices and forget passwords.
- Forward look: Crypto founders must understand that the path to mainstream adoption runs directly through consumer safety.
The use of cryptocurrency products will only go truly mainstream when everyday consumers feel confident that their assets are not at risk of disappearing because of a mistake or an oversight.
BankThink Financial regulators need more visibility into private credit markets -Many in the financial services industry, myself included, believe that regulation and supervision should apply to all financial services players on a level playing field. I have often described this principle as "same size, same activity, same regulation" — a formulation that reflects a persistent and serious imbalance between regulated institutions and those that are un- or under-regulated. That imbalance is not abstract; it shows up in concrete ways that are worth examining more closely.
- Key insight: Recent news reports about the struggles of Blue Owl Capital raise real concerns about opaque private credit firms and the risks they may pose to the broader financial markets. The government needs the tools to gather more information.
- What's at stake: Recent reporting on private credit points to questions around credit performance in certain sectors, pressures related to investor liquidity, and ongoing challenges in valuation and transparency.
- Forward look: The point is to recognize familiar and worrisome conditions as soon as possible when they begin to emerge. It would give the government a new and useful tool that could lessen both the risk and impact of a systemic event.
Recent news reports about the struggles of Blue Owl Capital raise real concerns about opaque private credit firms and the risks they may pose to the broader financial markets. The government needs the tools to gather more information.
Regulators propose CAMELS rating overhaul -- Federal regulators proposed revising the supervisory ratings framework for the first time in three decades, a move bank trade groups requested in August following a proposal from the Federal Reserve System making changes to a similar rating system used for large banks.
- Key insight: The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council proposal would curb management's weight in the overall ratings given to a bank, heeding bank industry calls to reform the supervisory rating system.
- Expert quote: "We welcome the direction of these changes and look forward to commenting on the proposal. As the proposal acknowledges, the Management component has had undue weight in determining bank ratings." — Bank Policy Institute President and CEO Greg Baer
- Forward look: Comments on the proposal are due Aug. 17.
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council — whose members include federal bank regulators — issued a proposal Tuesday to overhaul the bank supervisory ratings process, the first such revision in 30 years. The proposal would reduce the weight management grades have on supervisory ratings and would require rating downgrades to be tied to explicit financial risks.
JPMorgan shareholders reject call for more lobbying disclosures - JPMorganChase's shareholders have occasionally floated proposals to make sure the bank's lobbying dollars match its public statements. At the company's annual meeting on Monday, support for one such measure was down significantly from a similar proposal in 2023.
- Key Insight: At JPMorgan's annual shareholder meetings, support for so-called "lobbying alignment" has declined since the early 2020s.
- Supporting Data: At the company's 2026 meeting, one such proposal received 13.2% of the vote, down from the 31.6% that supported a similar measure in 2023.
- Expert Quote: "The company risks reputational damage by funding organizations that lobby against climate legislation and diversity." — Father Seamus Flinn, investment specialist at the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate
Fed advances 'skinny' payment accounts for nonbanks - The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday published a proposed limited master account framework, marking the next step toward creating another option for firms to access the Fed's payment systems.
- Key takeaway: The Federal Reserve took a step toward finalizing its skinny master account framework on Wednesday, publishing a proposal for public comment and suggesting for the reserve banks to temporarily pause decisions on access requests from institutions classified as Tier 3.
- Expert quote: "To promote greater clarity and consistency, the Board is also encouraging Reserve Banks to temporarily pause decisions on access requests from institutions that fall within Tier 3 … until the Board has completed its policy development process on the payment account proposal." — Federal Reserve Board
- What's at stake: The Federal Reserve is expected to issue official guidance on its limited master account by the end of the year.
The Federal Reserve Board published its proposed "skinny" payment account framework late Wednesday after soliciting industry feedback.
White House issues immigration executive order for banks -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening issued an executive order directing financial regulators and banks to scrutinize activity involving undocumented immigrant workers as part of banks' anti-money-laundering regulatory regime.
- Key insight: The White House's executive order stops short of requiring banks to verify citizenship, instead directing agencies to issue guidance on indicators of suspicious activity involving undocumented workers.
- Expert Quote: "At first glance, we're skeptical that the order will be highly impactful, but it could end up burdening banks with more compliance work and bureaucracy." —Ian Katz, managing director, Capital Alpha
- Forward look: The order requires Treasury to release guidance on red flags within 60 days, federal regulators to issue credit risk guidance within 60 days, and Treasury to propose Bank Secrecy Act changes within 90 days and a joint proposal on reforming customer identification rules within 180 days of the May 19, 2026, order.
The White House issued an executive order Tuesday directing the Treasury department, bank regulators and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to advise banks on "red flags" of informal work arrangements. How agencies implement the order will determine how onerous compliance will ultimately be for banks.
OCC's Gould vows to defend preemption 'as appropriate'- Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould on Wednesday said the agency is prepared to defend preemption in jurisdictions around the country, following its preemption determination blocking a recent Illinois swipe fee ban from applying to nationally chartered banks. During a meeting of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Board of Directors this week, Gould said the OCC is continuing to "shine a spotlight on the actions of agencies and certain banks" related to potentially unlawfully debanking customers.
- Key insight: Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould is defending his maximalist stance toward preemption, vowing to fight state efforts to supplant federal authority where appropriate.
- Supporting data: Nearly a dozen states are considering whether to pass laws restricting the kinds of transitions that can be subject to credit card swipe fees, like one passed by Illinois in 2024.
- Forward look: A law recently passed by Colorado's legislature could be harder for the OCC to challenge as it was crafted to regulate payment processors, rather than banks themselves.
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould reiterated his pro-preemption stance Wednesday in response to a question on whether he would move to preempt other state laws — like one passed by the state legislature earlier this month in Colorado — if they come to fruition.
Congress targets prediction markets to protect minors - The growing popularity of prediction markets has caught the attention of kids online safety advocates in Congress and gambling researchers, putting pressure on the industry to explain what they are doing to prevent minors and those younger than 21 from using their platforms. The scrutiny from Congress largely comes from a contingent of lawmakers who have long focused on kids’ digital safety, for which efforts have largely targeted the addictive nature of social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots. But as the rising popularity of prediction markets becomes impossible to ignore, lawmakers and safety advocates are wrestling with how to address the potential harms and addictive nature of betting markets on both minors and those younger than 21, the legal gambling age in most U.S. states. “The fear for me — prediction markets, gambling, you name it — is we’ve sort of introduced it into the cultural conversations, we’ve socialized it, and now a 17-year-old wants to do it,” Jonathan Cohen, the sports betting policy lead for the American Institute for Boys and Men, told The Hill. Cohen, whose research has focused on sports gambling and recently expanded to prediction markets, suggested teenagers likely do not “care a lot about the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and its regulatory structure.” Lawmakers and their staffers are still learning the intricacies of how prediction markets work, though some legislative efforts emerged this spring in the wake of the boom of event contracts. A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation Monday to ban digital gambling advertisements that target minors. The bill, titled the Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement (GAME) Act, would establish a federal ban on sports betting ads placed on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok. Penalties for violating this could reach up to $100,000 per advertisement, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), both of whom have sponsored other bills to hold social media and AI platforms liable for the content shown to minors. Blumenthal, who has pushed his Kids Online Safety Act for years, said sportsbook and prediction markets are “treating young people like a gold rush, flooding the internet with advertisements and promotions to hook them on gambling when they’re young.” Britt alleged prediction market and sports gambling ads can “serve as a gateway to dangerous habits.” This followed another bill introduced by Blumenthal in March that was aimed at preventing abuse and fraud in prediction markets. Among its provisions are an age-verification requirement and a ban on advertising to underage users and those on the self-exclusion list, which is made up of individuals who request to be excluded from gambling activities.
Lawmakers scrutinize prediction market oversight — Lawmakers are beginning to ask questions about how prediction markets are and should be regulated, and whether oversight should fall primarily to federal or state authorities.
- Key takeaway: Lawmakers questioned whether prediction markets should be regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or whether oversight should fall to state regulators.
- Expert quote: "The CFTC has literally no experience in regulating sports betting. CFTC has failed to use the authority it does have to protect sports bettors from insider trading, market manipulation, predatory advertising and financial instability." — Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.
- What's at stake: Lawmakers from both parties offered critical views of the emerging prediction markets, a dynamic that could be a precursor for future legislation clamping down on the industry.
A Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday underscored the debate over whether the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has the capacity to regulate the rapidly growing prediction markets industry.
Fidelity agrees to $2.5M settlement with payouts up to $5K: Do you qualify? - – Fidelity Investments agreed Wednesday to a $2.5 million class action payout Wednesday that would settle a lawsuit over a 2024 data breach.The lawsuit claims that a third party was able to get into Fidelity’s computer network between August 17 and 19, 2024, and access personal information that may have contained names, Social Security numbers, financial account information and driver’s license information.Fidelity, which has agreed to issue payouts of up to $5,000, is not admitting any wrongdoing in the case. Over 77,000 customers were reportedly affected by the breach. “The parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit … to avoid the costs and risks, disruptions, and uncertainties of continuing the Litigation,” according to the Fidelity settlement notice.The largest payouts will go to those people who can document “out-of-pocket losses” tied to the breach.Others can claim a $100 payment – the amount may fluctuate depending on the total number of claims filed. “You do not have to provide any proof or explanation to claim this payment,” according to settlement administrators.There is also a $50 payment residents of California can claim, thank’s to the state’s Consumer Privacy Act.All members are eligible for two years of identity theft protection and credit monitoring.Claims can be submitted on the settlement website. A final approval hearing for the settlement agreement is set for July 9.
OCC finalizes rule preempting state escrow interest -The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday finalized a rule to preempt state laws that require banks to pay interest on mortgage escrow accounts.
- Key insight: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a preemption final rule Friday allowing national banks an exemption from state escrow interest requirements
- Supporting data: The rule would apply to national banks doing business in the 14 states and territories that have their own laws concerning interest rates payable on escrow accounts, including New York and California.
- Forward look: Banks could move to reduce the interest rates they pay on escrow accounts, but litigation over federal preemption is ongoing.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a final rule saying that federal law trumps state mandates on interest in escrow accounts for national banks, wading into an ongoing court battle.
House passes their version of housing legislation, 396 to 13 — The House has passed its revised housing bill 396 to 13, sending the legislation back to the Senate.
- Key insight: A retooled version of housing legislation passed the lower chamber by a wide bipartisan margin, including with active support from many Democrats for community bank measures.
- What's at stake: As the bill goes back to the Senate, institutional investor and community bank measures are still in play.
- Forward look: The Senate can choose to go to a conference committee or pass its own version of housing legislation, amended or otherwise, and send the legislation back to the House.
The House passed housing legislation that includes a slightly pared-down institutional investor housing ban, as well as a raft of community bank measures.
Housing Starts Decreased to 1.465 million Annual Rate in April The Census Bureau is now caught up on housing starts. From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions: Privately-owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,465,000. This is 2.8 percent below the revised March estimate of 1,507,000, but is 4.6 percent above the April 2025 rate of 1,400,000. Single-family housing starts in April were at a rate of 930,000; this is 9.0 percent below the revised March figure of 1,022,000. The April rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 529,000. Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,442,000. This is 5.8 percent above the revised March rate of 1,363,000, but is 0.2 percent below the April 2025 rate of 1,445,000. Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of 872,000; this is 2.6 percent below the revised March figure of 895,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 514,000 in April. The first graph shows single and multi-family housing starts since 2000 (including housing bubble).Multi-family starts (blue, 2+ units) increased month-over-month in April. Multi-family starts were up 20% year-over-year in March. Single-family starts (red) decreased in April and were down 2% year-over-year.The second graph shows single and multi-family starts since 1968.Total housing starts in April were above expectations, however starts for the previous three months were revised down slightly, combined.The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2025 (blue) and 2026 (red). Total starts were up 4.6% in April compared to April 2025. Year-to-date, total starts are down 1.6% NSA compared to same period in 2025. Housing Units Under Construction Remains Slightly Elevated The fourth graph shows housing starts under construction, Seasonally Adjusted (SA)
Groceries just had the biggest price hike in years. It’s about to get even worse, experts warn – Federal inflation data confirms what you may have been feeling already: Groceries are getting more expensive. Unfortunately, things may be about to get a whole lot worse, economists are warning.The price of groceries rose 2.9% in April compared to the same month a year earlier, according to government figures released in May. That was the highest year-over-year inflation rate for the category since August 2023.When compared to the same time last year, fruits and vegetables have seen some of the biggest price hikes. Tomatoes are 40% more expensive now than they were this time last year. Bad growing weather, tariffs, and rising fuel prices have all contributed to the huge change in tomato prices, reports the New York Times.Coffee, another imported product, is 19% more expensive than it was last spring. You’re also likely seeing inflated prices at the butcher counter. Meat is up 9% overall, but beef has grown even more expensive. Ground beef is about 15% pricier, beef roasts are 18% more, and steak is up 16%. What’s contributing to the price spikes? Fuel prices have soared while the Iran war prevents cargo ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil supplies. Diesel fuel powers fishing boats, tractors and the trucks that ship 83% of U.S. agricultural products.Just as you’re paying more at the pump, so are truckers who transport goods all around the country. Some vendors and suppliers are adding fuel surcharges to make up for the increased cost of transporting and delivering their goods.Weather is also to blame in some cases. Dry weather in the West is making things harder for cattle ranchers, therefore driving up beef prices. Global drought is affecting coffee production. Bad news may soon get worse, experts warn. The full impact of rising energy costs on food likely has not hit retail grocery prices yet in the U.S., according to Purdue University economists Ken Foster and Bernhard Dalheimer. Higher costs to produce, process, store, and transport food can take three to six months to show up on supermarket shelves, where prices typically fall slowly once increased, they said.“Most of what we’re seeing now in the food price chain probably predates the conflict,” Foster, a professor of agricultural economics, said. “We’re cautiously waiting to see what the June numbers and the May numbers might show as they come out in terms of … the extent to which energy shocks in the Strait of Hormuz and shipping blockades and so forth are going to impact food prices.” “The big story right now is oil, the next story is food,” economist Justin Wolfers agreed in an interview with MS Now. “You see fuel prices rise, that’s the rock hitting the pond. And then the ripples are that jet fuel prices rise, and air fuel prices rise, and then the price of trucking your groceries to the grocery store rises. That’s the full set of ripples out of this,” Wolfers explained in another segment on the network.If fuel prices remain high, we could see more issues “seep down the supply chain,” Foster said. Fertilizer could be more expensive, for example, since about 30% of the world’s supply of fertilizer moves through the Strait. That would make growing food more expensive for farmers, and those costs would eventually get passed on to the consumer.
HHS warns of children’s screen time use, citing impact on sleep, mental health - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) warned about children’s screen time in an advisory released Wednesday, citing impacts on sleep and mental health. The “Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use” states that “harmful screen use among children and adolescents has become a public health concern; growing up surrounded by screens of all types—televisions, computers, tablets, smartphones—is now the norm.” “Exposure often begins before a child’s first birthday and increases as children age. By adolescence, children may spend more time on screens than sleeping or attending school,” the report continues. Amid the rise of technology like smartphones and social media, there have been growing conversations about the tech’s impact on children’s mental health and safety, and how to manage its use. Last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) passed a resolution to restrict screen time in all classrooms. The school board claimed the move made the district “a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools.” The board passed the resolution 6-0 to restrict screen time limits for each grade level, get rid of technology for those in first grade and under and bar student-led use of YouTube and other streaming platforms. “A concern at all stages of life, and a particularly important one around children’s screen exposure, is its potential to disrupt healthy sleep, which is fundamental to learning, mood, behavior, physical health, and overall development,” the report states. “Blue light wavelength at night may contribute to sleep disruption, while effects of other wavelengths, such as low-frequency wavelength, have been hypothesized and may warrant further study,” the report continues.
Most teens don't know they can receive confidential STI treatment - Roughly half of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) every year are among young adults and teens, and all states, to varying degrees, allow minors to independently access STI testing and treatment without a guardian's consent.But a new study published today by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that most adolescents don't know they have the legal right to access this confidential treatment. That lack of knowledge is, itself, a barrier to care, said lead author Kimberly M. Nelson, PhD, MPH, a clinical psychologist at Boston University. Untreated STIs can have long-term health consequences, including chronic pain and infertility. But Nelson told CIDRAP News some teens are unwilling or unable to involve their guardians in their sexual health care. "For some youth it might not be safe," she said.Teens were asked whether they could receive STI and HIV services without a guardian's permission, and whether they had been tested for HIV and STIs in the past year.The survey found that over half of teens didn't know whether they had the right to independently consent to STI and HIV care. Also, living in a state that allows confidential treatment makes little difference. The survey found 11% of survey respondents who received an STI test within the past year lived in a state where they didn't need a guardian's consent, vs. 9.4% who needed permission.
Supreme Court won’t weigh teacher’s firing for posts after George Floyd death - The Supreme Court said Monday it will not consider whether a suburban Chicago teacher was rightfully fired over inflammatory Facebook posts in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Jeanne Hedgepeth was a teacher at Palatine High School in Illinois for 20 years. But while on summer vacation in Florida, she shared incendiary posts about protests following Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. She wrote in one post that she would need “a gun and training” because “civil war has begun,” and she reposted another that advocated for using high-pressure washers against protesters. Hedgepeth’s school district deemed the posts “disrespectful, demeaning of other viewpoints and racist,” which the former teacher alleges amounted to infringement of protected speech. “In any other context, such blatant viewpoint discrimination by government officials would be a nonstarter,” her lawyers wrote. “But because Hedgepeth is a public employee, the Seventh Circuit held that the First Amendment does not bar the government from firing her based on the views she expressed in off-the-job speech on topics unrelated to her work.” The school district has argued that the incident was only the final straw. In filings to the Supreme Court, the district wrote that Hedgepeth started to struggle with “appropriately moderating her interactions with students” immediately following the 2016 presidential election. The teacher had already been suspended twice for “profane outbursts” at students by the time her employment was terminated, the school said. Ultimately, the school district received 113 emails about Hedgepeth’s posts — some of which had multiple signatories, according to court filings. “Petitioner frames this case as presenting broad questions concerning off-campus speech and ‘cancel culture,’” wrote the school district’s lawyers. “In fact, the Seventh Circuit’s fact-specific assessment of the summary-judgment record adheres to this Court’s long-established precedent and has little import beyond Petitioner’s individual case.”
Health worker shortage will worsen with student loan limit, 25 states say in suit - The Washington Post -A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia sued the Education Department on Tuesday over new graduate student loan limits, arguing the restrictions will worsen the health care workforce shortage. “Higher education is expensive, and our health care system is already under immense strain. This rule will shut talented people out of critical professions and leave communities with fewer healthcare providers they desperately need,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is co-leading the coalition with Maryland, Nevada and Colorado, said in a statement.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, comes nearly three weeks after the Education Department finalized rules that lower the amount of money graduate students can borrow from the federal government. The rules, which take effect July 1, are a feature of the One Big Beautiful Bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last summer. They implement borrowing caps based on whether students are pursuing a degree in what is designated as a professional or graduate program.Students in professional programs can borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 total, while those in graduate programs will face annual limits of $20,500 and a lifetime limit of $100,000. The law listed examples of professional programs, including pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.Before now, all graduate students could borrow up to the full cost of attendance, which conservative lawmakers blamed for high program costs and high student debt.In the fall, the Education Department and a committee of higher education experts negotiated the details of the loan caps, but the terms sparked a backlash over the exclusion of some professions from the higher loan limits, including nursing, physical therapy and social work. The department received more than 80,000 comments on the proposed rule, with many industry groups challenging the professional designation and warning that students would be shut out of critical fields.Professional degrees are not limited to the list, the regulation says, but the Education Department held fast to the examples — only agreeing to add clinical psychology after intense debate with experts. The Education Department refused to further expand the list of degrees deemed professional in the final rules.In the lawsuit, the states claim the department exceeded its authority with an arbitrary definition of “professional degree” that Congress never envisioned.“The Department heavily relied on ‘its own historical practice’ in defining ‘professional degrees’ … as well as whether a worker was ‘supervised by another professional who has … more education, training, and qualifications,’ … neither of which Congress intended it to consider,” the legal complaint states. The coalition of states fears the rules will force many students to rely on more expensive private loans, delay completing their education or abandon their pursuit of an advanced degree altogether. The group worries the rules will worsen workforce shortages and make it harder for patients, especially those in rural and underserved communities, to access health care. The states are asking the court to block the rules. In a joint statement, the American Academy of Physician Associates and the PA Education Association said: “We welcome today’s legal challenge and will continue leading this fight until this harmful rule is overturned and future healthcare providers are treated fairly under the law.”
Minority children have higher odds of severe post-COVID complications, study suggests Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Black children have been significantly more likely than White children to require intensive care, develop inflammatory syndromes, and experience other severe post-COVID complications, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Infectious Diseases. For the review, a team led by researchers at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Dallas looked at data from 31 studies published from 2020 to 2024 that examined racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric long COVID, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). Together, the studies included children from the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Spain, France, Brazil, and Ireland. Compared with White children, Black children had nearly double the odds of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (odds ratio [OR], 1.89) and were more than twice as likely to develop MIS-C (OR, 2.37). Black children also had markedly higher odds of developing PIMS-TS, a rare and potentially life-threatening hyperinflammatory condition (OR, 16.28). While Hispanic children appeared somewhat less likely to develop severe MIS-C, their overall MIS-C incidence remained higher than that of White children (OR, 2.70). The findings also showed elevated risks of MIS-C death among Asian/Pacific Islander (OR, 6.79) and American Indian/Alaska Native children (OR, 4.07), although these figures had wide confidence intervals, indicating imprecision. Long-COVID findings were less clear. Black and mixed-race children were likely to report persistent symptoms, but the findings were not statistically significant, while PIMS-TS was shown to disproportionately affect minority children across all the studies in the review. The disparities likely reflect broader structural inequities that shaped the pandemic and highlight the need for more equitable healthcare strategies. The researchers said the disparities likely reflect broader structural inequities that shaped the pandemic and highlight the need for more equitable healthcare strategies. “These findings align with adult studies, which also reveal disparities in Long COVID outcomes, and underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the disproportionate burden of post-COVID conditions in minority groups,” they write. “Ensuring equitable access to healthcare and early management strategies is critical to mitigating these disparities.”
Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines 70% to 76% effective against severe illness in kids in 2022, data suggest --The adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) against moderate to severe COVID-19 infection in Taiwanese children aged 6 to 11 years was 69.9% for the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine and 75.5% for the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine during Omicron BA.2/BA.5 predominance in 2022, researchers from Chang Gung University estimated late last week in Biomedical Journal. The adjusted VE against infection of any severity was 58.8% for BNT162b2 and 73.9% for mRNA-1273. Both vaccines maintained high protection in children with underlying medical conditions and reduced visits to the emergency department (ED).The research was based on the Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database and the National Immunization Information System on SARS-CoV-2–naive children 6 to 11 years old who either completed a two-dose primary series in May and June 2022 or were still unvaccinated through the end of 2022. Participants were followed from July to December 2022.“In children, COVID-19 is usually less severe than in adults, however, infections remain common and can contribute to household and school-based transmission, and a small proportion of patients still develop severe disease requiring hospitalization or critical care, particularly those with underlying comorbidities,” the investigators noted. Among 347,715 children, 33.2% received BNT162b2, 26.3% were given mRNA-1273, and 40.5% were unvaccinated. During follow-up, 32.0% of all participants contracted COVID-19. The crude infection rate was 39.7% in BNT162b2 recipients, 35.5% in the mRNA-1273 group, and 23.4% in unvaccinated children. In total, 0.61% of participants developed moderate-to-severe COVID-19, including 0.29%, 0.23%, and 1.42% in the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and unvaccinated groups, respectively. Three deaths occurred, one in the BNT162b2 group and two in unvaccinated children, for corresponding death rates of 0.02% and 0.06%, respectively. The crude incidence of infection was 0.35% in the BNT162b2 group, 0.21% in the mRNA-1273 group, and 0.79% in unvaccinated participants.
Early antiviral use may lower risk of long COVID in mildly ill patients, aid recovery from infection | CIDRAP - A pair of new observational studies by the same research group links early oral antiviral drug use to both a 14% lower risk of long COVID in nonhospitalized patients with Omicron infections and better patient-reported and functional outcomes after infection.For the first study, published late last week in JAMA Network Open, researchers in Japan analyzed registry data from 51 Japanese hospitals during the period dominated by Omicron sublineages JN.1 and KP.3. Participants were COVID-19 outpatients aged 12 to 98 years who became ill no more than five days before enrollment from February to October 2024, with follow-up through February 2025. Of 7,699 participants, 28.3% received antiviral drugs (ensitrelvir, molnupiravir, or nirmatrelvir-ritonavir [Paxlovid]), 98.7% had mild infections, and 89.6% had received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses. Post–COVID-19 condition (PCC), or long COVID, was defined as the persistence of at least one of five symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, malaise, impaired smell, and impaired taste) on surveys on days 28 and 84. After adjustment, the estimated risk of long COVID was 21.5% in antiviral recipients and 25.1% in those not receiving antivirals. Antiviral use was tied to a lower risk of long COVID than no antiviral use (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.86), with an adjusted risk difference (aRD) of −4.14 percentage points and a number needed to treat (NNT) of 24.2. A lower risk of long COVID was observed among 1,698 ensitrelvir recipients (aRR, 0.86; aRD, −3.85 percentage points; NNT, 26.0) and 385 molnupiravir recipients (aRR, 0.81; aRD, −5.58 percentage points; NNT, 17.9). The direction of associations was consistent across all studied subgroups. Point estimates favored nirmatrelvir-ritonavir use, but the association wasn’t statistically significant (98 recipients; aRR, 0.88; aRD, −3.53 percentage points). Among patients who completed the 84-day survey, failure to return to usual health was less common among antiviral recipients than among those who didn’t receive antivirals (9.9% vs 12.9%; aRR, 0.77; aRD, −3.19 percentage points; NNT, 31.4). Antivirals were consistently linked to lower proportions of participants reporting COVID symptoms such as impaired smell or taste. In the second study, published this month in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the investigators studied a subset of the same patient cohort over the same period to compare rates of medical reconsultation, recovery from illness, and work productivity and activity through 28 days between those with and without early use of ensitrelvir, nirmatrelvir, or molnupiravir. In total, 2,271 participants received an antiviral, and 5,768 didn’t. The most commonly used antiviral was ensitrelvir (77.7%), followed by molnupiravir (17.8%) and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (4.5%).“Many patients require repeated medical visits or re-consultations, experience prolonged symptoms that hinder return to pre–COVID-19 health, and face reductions in quality of life and productivity,” the researchers wrote. “Secondary bacterial infections and associated antibiotic use pose additional challenges with respect to clinical management and antimicrobial stewardship.” After adjustment, unscheduled COVID-related medical reconsultations were documented in 16.2% of the antiviral group and 17.4% in the no-antiviral group. Although re-consultation rates were numerically lower in antiviral recipients, the difference was not statistically significant (aRR, 0.93). Ensitrelvir was associated with lower odds of reconsultation compared with no antiviral use (aRR, 0.88; NNT, 44.4). The estimates for nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (aRR, 1.32) and molnupiravir (aRR, 1.09) weren’t statistically significant. After adjustment, 25.6% of participants in the antiviral group experienced failure to return to usual health by 28 days, compared with 33.7% in the no antiviral group. Antiviral use was associated with a lower risk of failure to return to usual health by 28 days (aRR, 0.76; NNT, 11.4).
Myocarditis rates surged during COVID and stayed high, study suggests | CIDRAP COVID-19 appears to have driven a sharp rise in myocarditis cases during the pandemic, and rates have remained elevated ever since, according to a study published this week in Catheterization & Cardiovascular Interventions. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that often occurs after a viral infection. For the retrospective cohort study, a research team at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, analyzed electronic health record data from 778 patients with myocarditis across 10 hospitals from 2017 through 2024. Before the pandemic, myocarditis hospitalizations were relatively stable, with annual case counts ranging from 67 to 71 between 2017 and 2019. During the pandemic, hospitalizations climbed sharply, reaching 103 cases in 2020, 128 in 2021, and 139 in 2022, for an increase of roughly 80% above baseline. Population-level analyses have shown that COVID infection was tied to a roughly 16-fold increased risk of myocarditis, note the authors. Myocarditis hospitalizations did not return to baseline after the pandemic began to wane. Researchers recorded 96 myocarditis admissions in 2023 and 105 in 2024, about 46% higher than prepandemic levels. There are several plausible explanations for elevated myocarditis rates in the post-pandemic period, note the researchers, including persistent cardiac inflammation following a COVID infection, lingering immune system dysregulation, and ongoing circulation of COVID. The study also pointed to a shift in the demographic characteristics of patients hospitalized with myocarditis. Compared with prepandemic patients, those hospitalized during and after the pandemic peak were older. The mean age increased from 46 years prepandemic to roughly 51 years during the pandemic. Patients hospitalized for myocarditis during and after the pandemic peak were also more likely to have cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. “This clinical profile mirrors the well‐described predilection of COVID‐19 to cause more severe disease in older patients with greater comorbidity burden,” write the researchers. The study also found racial disparities. The proportion of Black patients hospitalized with myocarditis increased during and after the pandemic peak, rising from about 46% before the pandemic to approximately 58% during the pandemic and 53% after the peak, while the proportion of White patients decreased from 44% prepandemic to 30% during the pandemic and roughly 29% thereafter. “This trend may reflect the disproportionate effects that COVID‐19 had on minority populations,” write the researchers. “During the pandemic, African American populations experienced higher rates of COVID‐19 exposure and lower vaccination uptake. “In addition, due to longstanding barriers to healthcare access, African Americans carry a higher burden of cardiometabolic comorbidities, including hypertension [high blood pressure], diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease, which may increase susceptibility to myocardial injury.” While myocarditis associated with mRNA vaccination has been documented, cases are rare, the authors note, and most occurred among young males. Post-pandemic myocarditis patients identified in this study were generally older and had multiple chronic conditions. “Furthermore, observational studies have demonstrated vaccination to be associated with reduced COVID‐19 disease severity, mortality, and length of hospital stay, making vaccine-associated myocarditis an unlikely contributor to myocarditis-related hospital admissions.”
- Yesterday, 25 Democrat-led states and Washington, DC, sued the US Department of Education over new graduate-student loan limits, saying that they will worsen the country’s healthcare worker shortage, the Washington Post reports. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading the coalition along with Maryland, Nevada, and Colorado, said in a statement that college is expensive and the healthcare system is already under considerable strain. The lawsuit comes on the heels of education-department finalized rules that limit loans for professional-program students to $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total and those for grad students to $20,500 a year and a total of $100,000.
- The US Food and Drug Administration’s long-awaited final report on purported child deaths after COVID-19 vaccination has uncovered no definitive link. The report concluded that of nine pediatric deaths allegedly tied to the vaccines, seven were “possibly” and two were “probably” related but acknowledged there could have been alternative causes. The report was prompted by a leaked internal memo in 2025 that claimed that 10 children had died from the vaccines.
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has, without Senate approval, named Stephanie Haridopolos, MD, a top staffer in the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) and wife of Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), to carry out certain duties of the to-be confirmed surgeon general. “Effective immediately, Dr. Haridopolos will take on the honorific title of Director of National Health Communications for the Office of the Surgeon General,” Kennedy said in a letter to HHS staff. “In this capacity, she will promote OSG public health actions, advisories, and guidance until our next Surgeon General is sworn into office.” President Donald Trump’s latest pick for the post is former Fox News contributor and radiologist Nicole Saphier, MD.
HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday withdrew its amended charter for a highly influential vaccine advisory committee that would have loosened eligibility requirements, citing administrative errors. In a notice set to be officially published in the Federal Register, HHS formally withdrew its proposed amendment to the charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proposal would have replaced the previous charter’s requirement that ACIP members have “expertise in the use of vaccines and other immunobiologic agents in clinical practice or preventive medicine, have expertise with clinical or laboratory vaccine research, or have expertise in assessment of vaccine efficacy and safety.” “The notice of charter renewal published on April 6, 2026 (91 FR 17279) is hereby withdrawn due to an administrative error in meeting the revised public notification timing requirements under the revised Federal Advisory Committee Act regulation,” the notice on Monday stated. The proposed amended charter was published soon after a federal judge effectively undid the current committee, remade entirely by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with ideological allies, as well as its votes that remade U.S. vaccine guidance. The last ACIP charter expired last month, and the new amended charter needed to be filed seven days after it was published.
Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docks in the Netherlands for disinfection (AP) — The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has docked at the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection, wrapping up a troubled journey that put international health authorities on alert. The MV Hondius was still carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as it reached Europe’s largest port on Monday morning, after its passengers disembarked on the Spanish island of Tenerife last week. An Associated Press journalist saw people board the boat from a pier wearing white hazardous materials suits. A short distance from where the ship docked, authorities had set up white containers along the water, in between a line of windmills. The crew will now go into quarantine, with those who cannot be immediately repatriated spending their time in quarantine in these containers. “Luckily so far the crew has suffered no symptoms,” Yvonne van Duijnhoven, the director of public health in Rotterdam told The Associated Press. Crew members will be tested upon arrival and then weekly for the duration of their quarantine. Trump rolls out expansion to TrumpRx.com, adding 600 generic drugs After everyone on board has disembarked, the ship will be decontaminated based on Dutch public health guidelines, a process that will take about three days, according to van Duijnhoven. She stressed that the risk to the public is very low. “We have very strict protocols to prevent virus going from the ship towards the outside world,” she said. Public health officials will inspect the vessel before it is allowed to sail again. The Dutch company that owns the ship said it doesn’t foresee any changes to its operations. It has an Arctic cruise setting sail from Keflavik, Iceland, on May 29. The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius is the first known case on a cruise ship.
Colorado hantavirus death not linked to cruise outbreak - An adult in Colorado who died from a hantavirus case was not linked to an outbreak on a cruise ship, according to a Monday release from the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that there are no Andes hantavirus cases in the U.S. from the cruise liner outbreak. The individual in Colorado contracted the Sin Nombre strain of the hantavirus, which regularly appears in the spring. Health officials in Colorado disclosed that the adult was a resident in Douglas County but did not provide their name or date of death. Officials are investigating how the adult was exposed to the deadly virus. State officials said early evidence suggests the individual was in contact with a rodent, which is typically how the disease is transferred. The concern with the Andes hantavirus strain is that the disease could potentially be spread from human-to-human contact, as it appeared to do aboard the MV Hondius cruise liner. In total, three people aboard the cruise ship died from the Andes strain, while the World Health Organization said there have been eight confirmed and two probable cases on board.
Canadian passenger now presumed positive for hantavirus | CIDRAP - A Canadian passenger from the MV Hondius, one of four Canadians who were quarantining in British Columbia, has tested “presumptive positive” for Andes hantavirus, according to government officials. "The person was transported to hospital for assessment and care on May 14 along with their spouse who also has mild symptoms. The couple were passengers on the MV Hondius. Both will remain in isolation in hospital. Out of an abundance of caution, a third individual who was in secure lodging for isolation has been transferred to hospital for assessment and testing,” Canadian officials said.The case count from the Dutch cruise outbreak remains at 11 cases, including three fatalities. Late last week, the case count had been reduced to 10 cases after an American with an inconclusive test had been ruled out as having the virus, which is spread via inhaling rodent droppings or, rarely, from person to person.Currently, 41 Americans are still being monitored for up to 42 days for the virus, which can have a long incubation period.Today, the MV Hondius returned to Rotterdam for disinfection.
Hantavirus can survive in semen 6 years after infection: Study— A 2023 study suggesting the hantavirus can live for years in semen and be transmitted sexually long after infection is getting attention following the deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius. Three passengers on the Dutch‑flagged cruise ship died after contracting the Andes strain of hantavirus, and several others were infected. A small number of Americans who disembarked have either tested positive or are being monitored in the U.S. Global health officials say the Andes strain — the only known form of hantavirus capable of person‑to‑person transmission — is not expected to trigger a pandemic. However, the virus has a mortality rate estimated at up to 40 percent. The recent cases have prompted renewed focus on a peer‑reviewed study, “Presence and Persistence of Andes Virus RNA in Human Semen,” published in 2023 in the journal Viruses.In that study, Swiss researchers analyzed a 55‑year‑old man who had survived severe complications from Andes hantavirus nearly six years earlier. While the virus was no longer detected in his blood or urine, researchers found viral RNA in his semen. Based on those findings, the researchers concluded that sexual transmission of the virus could be possible for up to 71 months after the initial infection, though they noted more research is needed to better understand the risk. Scientists said the persistence of pathogens in the male reproductive system is not unique. Viruses such as Ebola and Zika have also been shown to remain in semen and, in some cases, be transmitted sexually.
- The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has confirmed a positive case of hantavirus in a Canadian passenger on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. A sample from the passenger, who has been in isolation, was confirmed positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus at PHAC’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. A traveling partner tested negative, and PHAC says no further cases have been identified. In related news, a US passenger currently in isolation at a special quarantine unit in Nebraska told the New York Times she received a federal order to stay at the facility for at least two more weeks and is being denied the right to quarantine at home. The passenger said she has tested negative for hantavirus and is not experiencing symptoms but had brief conversations with a passenger on the ship who died from the virus.
- The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has withdrawn a charter renewal for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), according to Reuters. The charter, issued on April 6 after a federal judge ruled that members named to the federal advisory board by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were not qualified under the group’s original charter, changed the qualifications for ACIP membership and expanded its focus to include vaccine risks and gaps in safety evidence. HHS officials said the new charter was withdrawn because of an administrative error. Since becoming HHS secretary, Kennedy has sought to shape ACIP by adding more vaccine-skeptical voices.
- After a nearly two-year hiatus, HHS has scheduled a meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB). According to a posting in the Federal Registry, the next meeting of the group will be held on June 16. PACCARB was established in 2014 to provide recommendations to HHS for addressing the threat of drug-resistant bacteria. Its last meeting was in August 2024. The focus of the upcoming meeting is to provide input and information to a federal task force developing the next iteration of a five-year national action plan for antibiotic resistance.
Quick takes: Another hantavirus case, polio in 3 countries, NIAID head steps down | CIDRAP
- Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Netherlands has reported one more case of hantavirus in a crew member who left the MV Hondius cruise ship in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and has been isolating in the Netherlands since then, for a total of 12 cases and three deaths tied to the outbreak. There have been no deaths in 20 days. “The situation is stabilizing,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said on X. “WHO is actively monitoring all quarantined passengers and crew alongside national governments. Surveillance will continue until the incubation period ends for everyone who was on board.”
- This week, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative reported one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case each in Nigeria and Yemen and one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) case in South Sudan. The Nigerian cVDPV2 patient, from Kebbi state, had a paralysis onset of March 17. The country has documented 24 cases so far this year. In Yemen, the cVDPV2 patient, from Abyan governorate, became paralyzed on December 6, 2025. The 2025 total in that country is now 31. The cVDPV1 patient in South Sudan, from Upper Nile state, became paralyzed on March 27, the third such case this year.
- Jeffery Taubenberger, MD, PhD, acting director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stepped down from his post two weeks ago, senators revealed yesterday during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting, leaving another National Institutes of Health (NIH) agency with no leader. A virologist, Taubenberger was appointed acting director in April 2025 after the Trump administration ousted Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH. In the meeting, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, said NIAID needed new leadership because it is shifting away from its focus on civilian biodefense. In a statement today, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and other professional organizations said that such federal leadership departures endanger everyone.
American cruise ship passengers push for home quarantine after hantavirus exposure -- At least two Americans say they received quarantine orders to stay in a Nebraska biocontainment unit following their exposure to hantavirus aboard a Dutch cruise ship. The orders, sent early this week and signed by Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, the head of both the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, were issued after the passengers pushed to leave and quarantine at home after receiving negative hantavirus tests.The passengers have been told they need to stay in Nebraska until May 31, despite earlier messaging suggesting they could finish the 42-day incubation period at home. The incubation period is the time from exposure to first appearance of symptoms. Some of the passengers said they had been in contact with state health departments to draw up details of their home quarantine. A total of 18 Americans are being monitored at the Nebraska facility, the CDC said yesterday. “No one here is asking to be released from quarantine,” one anonymous passenger told CNN. “We are asking for the less restrictive alternative of a quarantine at home. That is what everyone was planning until this bombshell on Sunday [May 17].”Yesterday the CDC confirmed that no Americans associated with the cruise have tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only hantavirus strain known to involve person-to-person transmission.A report from the UK Health Security Agency yesterday showed no evidence of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic transmission in a systematic evidence summary based on studies conducted on Andes virus. The mean incubation period seen in these studies was 21 to 27 days.Currently the Andes strain outbreak related to the MV Hondius stands at 11 cases, including 3 deaths.
WHO declares Ebola outbreak an emergency as CDC restricts travel, confirms US doctor infected --An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is now a public health emergency of international concern, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).The outbreak is confirmed to be the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, which has a case-fatality rate of 25% to 50%. No vaccine or therapeutics target this strain. At least 100 deaths have been reported, with more than 390 cases suspected, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention told the BBC today. But the true case count is likely higher.Reuters reports that the first known Ebola patient died April 24 and that the outbreak wasn’t declared until May 15 because initial lab testing used cartridges for the wrong Ebola strain. The three-week gap likely allowed the virus to spread unchecked, especially in open-casket funeral processions common in the affected part of the DRC. “Unusual clusters of community deaths with symptoms compatible with Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) have been reported across several health zones in Ituri,” the WHO said. “At least four deaths among healthcare workers in a clinical context suggestive of viral haemorrhagic fever have been reported from the affected area raising concerns regarding healthcare-associated transmission, gaps in infection prevention and control measures, and the potential for amplification within health facilities.” Today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the use of a Title 42 order banning all non-US citizens from entering the country for the next 30 days if they have been in the DRC, South Sudan, or Uganda in the previous three weeks. The CDC also placed travel to the DRC under a Level Four travel advisory.
WHO rep: ‘Significant uncertainty’ about how far Ebola has spread -- The World Health Organization’s (WHO) representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Anne Ancia MD, MPH, told reporters today there were at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths in a growing Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.“We have significant uncertainty about the number of infections and how far the virus has spread,” Ancia said. “I don't think that we have the ‘patient zero’ for now.”Ancia shared what’s known: A person died in Bunia, in Ituri province, in late April. The body was returned to Mongbwalu, a mining area, where the family switched coffins for the person and then had a large funeral. On May 5, dozens of cases developed after that funeral, and the WHO was alerted. Initial testing in Bunia was negative for Ebola because tests could detect only Ebola Zaire, not this species, Ebola Bundibugyo.Once samples arrived for testing in Kinshasa last week, officials were able to detect Ebola Bundibugyo. Ancia said the WHO has 40 health professionals on the ground in the region, working in what she called a “highly complex epidemiological, operational and humanitarian context.”Ancia also said the virus has now been confirmed in North Kivu, with cases in Butembo and Goma. North Kivu last saw a large Ebola outbreak in 2018-19. The current outbreak is the seventeenth in the DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976. Ebola Bundibugyo was first identified in Uganda in 2007.During his opening remarks at the WHO’s Emergency Committee on the Ebola epidemic today, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebeyesus, PhD, said several factors warrant serious concern, including documented cases among healthcare workers, spread in urban centers, and a population with at least 100,000 displaced residents.“The area is also a mining zone, with high levels of population movement that increase the risk of further spread,” he said.Yesterday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was issuing a travel ban on foreigners with recent travel to the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. The move garnered some pushback from Jean Kaseya, MD, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) director general.“The fastest path to protecting all countries in the world is to aggressively support outbreak control at the source,” said Kaseya in a statement. “Global health security cannot be achieved through borders alone. It is achieved through partnership, trust, science and rapid investment in preparedness and response capacity.”The Africa CDC said the Bundibugyo species was identified nearly two decades ago, yet no licensed vaccines or therapeutics specific to this strain exist. “Africa CDC believes that if this disease had predominantly threatened wealthier regions of the world, medical countermeasures would likely already be available,” the organization said. Ancia commented on using the existing Ebola Zaire vaccine, Ervebo, in the current outbreak, given some evidence of possible cross-protection, but warned “it would take two months for it to be available.”
Former CDC director warns of Ebola pandemic - Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the first Trump administration, warned that the Ebola outbreak in Africa could become a “significant pandemic.” Last week, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak occurring primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to be a public health emergency of international concern, with more than 500 suspected cases reported from the two countries. “I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” Redfield said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognized very quickly. I’m not sure why,” he added. The Bundibugyo Ebola virus behind the current outbreak is highly contagious but is not airborne. It spreads through body fluids and contaminated objects. One American worker reportedly came in contact with the virus while working in Congo and was transported to Germany for treatment. On Thursday, the State Department issued a travel advisory requiring that all U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the U.S. go through “enhanced public health screening” carried out by the CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. All non-U.S. passport holders coming from affected countries have been banned by the CDC.
At least 600 Ebola cases suspected as US pledges to fund 50 treatment clinics - There are now 600 suspected cases and more than 160 deaths in a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, with numbers expected to rise. "Our absolute priority now is to identify all the existing chains of transmission," Chikwe Ihekweazu, MBBS, MPH, WHO emergencies chief, said today at a press conference. So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in the DRC provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where a major Ebola outbreak took place in 2018-19. Uganda has also confirmed two cases in the capital, Kampala. The WHO today said the first suspected case may date back to April 20 but that the previously reported May 5 funeral of a patient, which involved changing coffins and an open casket, was likely a superspreader event. No vaccines or therapeutics are available for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is causing this outbreak. The WHO estimates the case-fatality rate of Bundibugyo at around 40%. Yesterday and today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed during media calls that the overall risk to Americans is low and that seven Americans exposed to the virus in the DRC and Uganda have been evacuated by the State Department to Germany. One of the seven, an American doctor in Uganda, has been taken to the Czech Republic for observation. Only one American, Peter Stafford, MD, is confirmed to have the virus. He is being treated at Charite University Hospital in Berlin, and the CDC said he in stable condition. His wife and children have also been evacuated to Germany and are being monitored. During the media call, Satish Pillai, MD, MPH, incident manager for the US CDC’s Ebola response, said the choice to move Stafford to Charite instead of an American hospital was, “…based on the conditions on the ground, the need to rapidly mobilize, as you know, that this was a very rapid set of circumstances that unfolded over the weekend.” Anonymous sources told the Washington Post today that the decision was made by the White House and President Donald Trump, who did not want the optics of bringing an Ebola-infected person onto US soil. A spokesperson for the White House denied that claim. Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would fund up to 50 Ebola treatment units in the outbreak area. “The United States has an ironclad commitment to ensuring this response is fully resourced, rapid, and cooperative between key global health and humanitarian partners,” read a statement from the State Department.
US begins enhanced airport screening as race to contain Ebola outbreak continues - Beginning today, all US nationals and lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, or Uganda in the past 21 days must go through Washington-Dulles International airport for enhanced Ebola screening.So far the outbreak in the DRC remains at more than 600 suspected cases and 148 deaths, per the United Nations. Experts believe transmission may date back to early April, weeks before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak on May 15.Foreign nationals who have been in the three spotlighted countries the previous three weeks are not able to enter the United States at this time. All travel restrictions are in place for 30 days.“To date, no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States, and the risk of Ebola domestically is low,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement today. “However, public health entry screening is part of a layered approach that, when used with other public health measures already in place to detect symptomatic arriving travelers, can slow and reduce the spread of disease into the United States.”Yesterday, an Air France plane headed to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after US Customs and Border Protection related that a passenger on that flight was from the DRC. Air France told The Washington Post the diversion represented no medical emergency and was instead an effort to comply with US entry requirements. Today the Associated Press is reporting an arson attack in Rwampara, Ituri province, with angry residents burning an Ebola treatment center because the body of deceased man would not be released to his friends for burial. Handling dead bodies can be a common transmission route in Ebola outbreaks, but burial rituals are important to local residents.Experts are working to contain the virus, identify transmission chains, and educate the population on proper handling of suspected patients, which are the only tools to curb the outbreak, because there is no available vaccine or treatment for the circulating Bundibugyo strain.
White House denies blocking Ebola-exposed doctor's return - The White House on Thursday pushed back on reports that it resisted allowing an American physician who was exposed to the Ebola virus back into the U.S., calling them “absolutely false.” “President Trump has consistently taken great risks to ensure Americans exposed to deadly and contagious diseases are safely brought back home, from quickly evacuating diplomats from China at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to more recently repatriating the Americans who were exposed to the recent Andes virus outbreak,” spokesperson Kush Desai told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation. “The idea that the White House was concerned that bringing a sick American back home to receive the best standard of care would somehow be poor optics is not only false, but nonsensical,” he added. The Washington Post reported a day earlier that U.S. health experts advocated for Peter Stafford to be evacuated to the U.S. from Congo after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus but were met with opposition from the Trump administration, citing individuals familiar with the response. “The president and his people did not want him back in the United States,” one individual told the newspaper. Stafford was working at a hospital in Bunia in northeastern Congo when he was exposed to Ebola-infected patients, according to the international Christian mission organization Serge. The other two physicians, including his wife, Rebekah Stafford, and Patrick LaRochelle, were also exposed but remain asymptomatic. Stafford was ultimately transported from the outbreak zone to Germany for treatment and observation, along with six other Americans. Desai defended the decision to send Stafford to Germany by insisting there was a need to move quickly, and Europe was the closest option. “Time is of the essence, and Germany is 12 hours closer to the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] than the DRC is to the United States,” he said. “Given that this American was in a very unstable part of the DRC, which as a whole is an unstable country, the Administration continues to take the most effective actions to maximize this American’s odds of survival and minimize the odds of further transmission.” But The Washington Post noted a contrast between the current administration’s response and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, in which the first two American patients were brought to Atlanta for treatment. President Trump railed against that move, writing on social media at the time that former President Obama “should apologize to the American people & resign” if a doctor flown from West Africa to New York had the virus.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak reaches nearly 750 suspected cases, 177 deaths as area risk upgraded to ‘very high’ The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has grown to nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to upgrade the risk level in that nation from “high” to “very high.” The global risk, however, remains low, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said at a media briefing today. In total, 82 Ebola cases and seven deaths have been confirmed in the DRC, but Tedros warned that the outbreak is likely much larger, and authorities have acknowledged that the outbreak likely began weeks to months before it was first investigated. Uganda has reported two cases and one death in people who traveled from the DRC but no ongoing spread, warranting a WHO risk assessment of “high.” In the United States, at a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) briefing today, Satish Pillai, MD, MPH, incident manager for the agency’s Ebola response, said that the CDC has dispatched 20 epidemiologists to the DRC and is training 50 community healthcare workers there. In Uganda, 23 epidemiologists are supporting response activities, and the CDC will deploy another seven subject-matter experts for both countries. The Ebola strain involved in the outbreak is Bundibugyo, for which no vaccines or treatments are available. The WHO is working with leaders from other agencies to review the vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tests in the pipeline, Tedros said. It also convened its R&D (research and development) Blueprint technical advisory group on therapeutics, recommending that two monoclonal antibodies be prioritized for clinical trials. But any vaccine rollout would likely take at least six to nine months, experts say. The WHO advisory group also recommended assessing the antiviral drug obeldesivir in a clinical trial with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Collaborative Open Research Consortium on Filoviruses as post-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk contacts of Ebola patients. Several factors are facilitating disease spread and complicating the response effort, Tedros said. The DRC’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces, the outbreak epicenters, have been compromised by international aid cuts and armed conflict that has led to significant displacement. Another challenge is distrust of outside authorities and the spread of misinformation, which led youths to torch a hospital in Ituri province yesterday after authorities refused to release to the body of a local football player who died of suspected Ebola. To combat misinformation, volunteers from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are going door to door advising people in Mongbwalu on how to protect themselves and when to seek care. With other agencies, the WHO is supporting the response led by the governments of the DRC and Uganda. “In addition to our national staff in DRC, so far we have deployed 22 international staff to the field, including some of our most experienced people; and we have released US$ 3.9 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies,” Tedros said, adding that the United Nations has also allocated $60 million to the response. The WHO is supporting national officials with such efforts as contact tracing, establishment of Ebola clinics, risk communication, and community engagement and is working with Africa CDC to build an incident-management support team, Tedros said. Today, the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee also issued temporary recommendations for countries at different levels of risk from the outbreak.
Analysis of past Ebola outbreaks suggests 54% death rate, identifies hemorrhage as key risk factor A meta-analysis of previous Ebola outbreaks from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—the epicenter of the current African outbreak—finds a high but improving mortality rate and identifies hemorrhage as a key predictor of death, although the certainty of evidence varied widely. The University of Kinshasa researchers say the findings of the meta-analysis, published today in BMC Infectious Diseases, underscore the importance of early access to care, high-quality supportive management, and sustained implementation of effective therapeutic strategies to further lower the Ebola-related death rate, especially in areas with scarce resources. The meta-analysis included 10 observational studies and one randomized controlled trial on Ebola death rates published up to November 10, 2025. The study was conducted to update and fill gaps in the literature, the study authors said. “Available studies are heterogeneous with respect to diagnostic criteria, definitions of mortality, therapeutic strategies, and the quality of supportive care,” they wrote. “In addition, results are often derived from single-center cohorts with limited sample sizes, substantial loss to follow-up, and insufficient adjustment for confounding factors.” It’s important to note that the current DRC outbreak, which totaled 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths as of this morning, is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, which has been identified in only two previous outbreaks, in 2007 and 2012, and was not the causative strain in the studies included in this analysis. Bundibugyo is of particular concern because no vaccines or treatments for it have been approved. The 11 included studies were published from 2015 to 2025 and covered epidemics ranging from 2013 to 2020. Most studies were conducted in West African countries, mainly Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, while two studies were from the DRC. There was no statistically detectable publication bias. Sample sizes ranged widely, from 61 to 14,163 participants, with a mean or median age of 3 to 39 years, reflecting both pediatric and adult populations. Case-fatality rates among 16,413 Ebola patients ranged from 34% to 79%, with a pooled mortality rate of 54% among hospitalized patients, but the certainty of evidence for this finding was deemed low because of high inter-study heterogeneity and the observational nature of most included studies. The 95% prediction interval ranged from 20.3% to 87.6%, indicating wide variability in death rates by setting. The mortality rate was higher (56%) during the 2014-16 West African epidemic—the largest Ebola outbreak thus far—than in the 2018-20 Central African outbreaks (43%). The higher mortality rate in the earlier outbreak was likely due to the extreme strain on healthcare systems, delays in case detection, and major logistical problems at that time. The Central African outbreaks had lower and more homogeneous mortality (43%), likely reflecting improvements in care organization, the introduction of standardized supportive care protocols, and access to new therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, the researchers said. Pediatric mortality (46%) appeared lower than that of adults (56%), but the small number of pediatric studies and widely overlapping confidence intervals didn’t support a definite conclusion. Among the clinical risk factors for death, hemorrhagic manifestations were most strongly linked (odds ratio [OR], 3.52), with a moderate certainty of evidence owing to the consistent direction of effect and a relatively large pooled effect estimate. Diarrhea may also be a risk factor, although the certainty of evidence was rated as very low because of serious imprecision, inconsistency, and the limited number of studies (OR, 6.64). While age didn’t appear associated with risk of death, the substantial heterogeneity across studies limited the ability to interpret this finding. Sensitivity analyses that excluded studies at higher risk of bias and considered the influence of large studies didn’t substantially change the estimated pooled death rate. The findings confirm that Ebola remains one of the most deadly human infections, consistent with case-fatality rates reported in previous outbreaks of 25% to 90%, depending on the virus strain and healthcare context. “These findings are also consistent with comprehensive reviews describing persistently high EVD [Ebola virus disease] mortality despite advances in clinical management,” the authors wrote.
People with Ebola pose little risk to public in US, experts say - Public health experts say there's no scientific basis for banning travelers from the United States just because they have recently visited a country experiencing an Ebola outbreak. The Trump Administration announced Friday that non-citizens, including green card holders, will be barred from entering the country if they have recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan, as mean of preventing the spread of the Ebola virus. Although the Ebola outbreak is growing rapidly in central Africa, experts say it doesn’t pose a public health threat to the United States. The outbreak, centered in the DRC, has grown to nearly 750 suspected cases and more than 170 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today. Although the risk from Ebola in the DRC is high, the risk of global spread is low, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said. Many US infectious diseases experts agree.“This is a horrible situation in affected areas of Africa,” said Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, which publishes CIDRAP News. “But for the world, it is not.”That’s because Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, is far more difficult to spread than the airborne respiratory viruses that Americans have confronted in recent years, such as influenza, COVID-19, measles, and even the Andes strain of the hantavirus, which recently caused an outbreak on a cruise ship. Two things make Ebola less infectious: how it spreads and when it spreads. “Ebola is not airborne,” Osterholm said. “There's no evidence of that at all. To be infected, you've got to have body fluid contact with someone who is quite ill.” Significantly, people with Ebola don’t spread the virus before developing symptoms, said Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. And even people with early Ebola symptoms—such as a fever, sore throat, headache and body aches—are unlikely to spread the virus. Ebola doesn’t spread through coughing, sneezing, or shaking hands.“You cannot get Ebola from passing someone in an airport, sitting near someone freely, or through other casual contacts,” said Captain Satish K. Pillai, MD, MPH, incident manager for Ebola response at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said today at a press conference. The world learned a lot about how Ebola spreads in 2014, during an outbreak in West Africa that infected more than 28,000 people and killed more than 11,000. It remains by far the world’s largest ever recorded.
CDC confirms 59 new measles cases, 1,952 total - As the nation moves closer to topping last year’s measles total in just the first half of 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirmed 59 new cases in a nationwide outbreak that has now reached 1,952 infections. All but nine cases are locally acquired, with the rest related to international travel. The total for all of last year was 2,288 confirmed cases.The agency reported two new outbreaks, for a total of 29. Last year the nation saw 48 outbreaks. Of this year’s cases, 21% involve children younger than 5 years, and 72% involve kids and young adults up to 19 years. Among all 2026 patients, 92% have been unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status. Six percent of patients this year have been hospitalized, compared with 11% last year.According to the CDC measles map, South Carolina has recorded the most cases so far this year, at 669, though its outbreak is now over. Utah is next, with 482 cases—although the Utah health department lists 474, eight more than last week. Parents with students at schools in Heber City in Wasatch County, Utah, are being encouraged to keep unvaccinated children home after two new cases in students.Texas has 182 cases, and Florida 135, three of them new, according to the CDC map.Arizona confirmed two new cases, bringing its total to 95. Washington state officials have reported a new case, bringing the state’s total to 45. Pennsylvania has confirmed three new cases in the Susquehanna Valley, and three family members in Atlanta, Georgia, have also tested positive.In international news, measles deaths in Bangladesh have risen to 499 (11 new), and officials in Mexico have documented four measles deaths in the past month, for a total of 40 in 2025 and 2026.
A week’s warning in the sewers: Wastewater may predict flu surges - Wastewater surveillance may be able to predict flu outbreaks and distinguish which strain is predominant roughly a week before official surveillance data are published, according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Osaka in Japan. The findings, published in the Water and Environment Journal, suggest that wastewater-based epidemiology could help hospitals and public health officials prepare for surges in flu activity, including anticipating demand for hospital beds and other healthcare resources. The researchers measured influenza A virus (IAV) and influenza B virus (IBV) RNA concentrations in weekly wastewater samples collected from three treatment plants in Osaka Prefecture from April 2023 through April 2025. The treatment plants served about 884,000 residents, or roughly 10% of the prefecture’s population. Overall, 303 samples were collected—101 samples from each treatment plant. Then the team measured concentrations of IAV and IBV RNA in the untreated wastewater samples and compared them with surveillance data collected through Japan’s sentinel healthcare system. The findings showed that flu activity rose in several waves during the study period, with the biggest surge occurring at the end of 2024. Reported influenza cases peaked at about 22 cases per monitoring site per week in late 2023, climbed again to 30 cases per site in early 2024, and then reached 66 cases per site in late 2024. The wastewater data followed a similar pattern. Levels of IAV RNA in wastewater peaked during the late-2023 surge, while influenza B virus levels peaked earlier, in the first part of 2024, reaching a maximum in early 2025. The type of flu circulating also shifted over time. Influenza A was the dominant strain in late 2023 and again in late 2024, while influenza B accounted for more infections in early 2024, before falling to low levels after early 2025. The researchers concluded that the wastewater samples could predict type-specific flu trends with high accuracy about one week before patient data became publicly available, potentially helping hospitals and public health officials make proactive decisions about how to allocate healthcare resources such as clinical and hospital staff and hospital beds.
Study highlights global burden of Staph aureus respiratory infections, including MRSA -Global deaths from Staphylococcus aureus–associated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in older adults nearly tripled from 1990 to 2021, according to a study published yesterday in BMC Infectious Diseases. Using data from the MICROBE (Multidisciplinary Investigation of Clinical Research Outcomes and Burden Estimates) database, Chinese researchers analyzed estimates on deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with 22 pathogens and 84 drug-pathogen combinations across 204 countries. They focused specifically on S aureus, including deaths and DALYs attributable to methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). S aureus colonizes skin and mucosal surfaces, and the researchers note that older adults are particularly vulnerable to S aureus LRTIs because of the deterioration of the immune system that accompanies aging, the prevalence of comorbidities, and frequent contact with healthcare facilities. MRSA compounds the problem by limiting treatment options. “The global spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in S. aureus, especially methicillin resistance (MRSA), represents a critical public health issue,” they wrote. S aureus–associated LRTI deaths in older adults (age 70 and older) rose from 83,363 in 1990 to 250,347 in 2021, and the mortality rate increased from 41.3 per 100,000 to 50.6. DALYs rose from 1.15 million to 3.29 million. MRSA contributed significantly to mortality. Deaths from MRSA LRTIs in older adults rose from 22,481 in 1990 to 75,038 in 2021, and death rates from 11.1 per 100,000 to 15.2 per 100,000. In 2021, MRSA mortality among older adults was 6.7 times higher than in adults aged 50 to 69, 9.5-fold higher than in children under 5 years, and more than 70-fold higher than in those aged 5 to 49. DALYs mirrored these trends. The highest mortality burden in 2021 was seen in high-income countries, a finding the study authors attribute in part to rapid demographic aging, while countries in sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest DALY rate. “This analysis demonstrates increasing S. aureus LRTIs burden in older adults globally,” the authors concluded. “Our findings underscore the urgent need to prioritize targeted interventions and antimicrobial stewardship to prevent the growing burden of resistant pathogens.”
Sexually transmitted infections are reaching record highs in Europe - New data show Europe is experiencing an explosion of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The data presented in a series of new epidemiologic surveillance reports released today show that reported cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis in European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries have reached their highest levels in over a decade, with gonorrhea cases rising by 303% since 2015 and syphilis cases more than doubling over the same period. The increases are being seen disproportionately in men who have sex with men (MSM). Gonorrhea and syphilis cases have risen by 221% and 65%, respectively, in MSM since 2015, mostly among younger MSM. But data also show that, since 2021, reported syphilis cases have shown sustained increases in heterosexual men and women. There’s also been a surge in cases of congenital syphilis, in which the infection is transmitted from the mother to the fetus. Confirmed cases of congenital syphilis nearly doubled in 2024, rising from 78 cases to 140. It’s the most cases in the EU/EEA since 2009. ECDC officials said the increase closely mirrors a rise in reported syphilis cases in women of reproductive age in several EU/EEA countries. “The rise in congenital syphilis is probably one of the most concerning findings of the 2024 data,” Otilia Mardh, MD, MSc, ECDC’s scientific officer for HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, said yesterday at a press briefing. “Congenital syphilis is fully preventable.” Lina Nerlander, PhD, MPH, a principal expert for STIs at the ECDC, said there’s no clear evidence for what’s causing the surge in STIs. But she offered several theories that have been discussed with European health officials, including more sexual partners, increased use of dating apps, and a “post-pandemic cohort effect” that could explain the significant increases seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Maybe young people during the pandemic didn’t see each other very much and didn’t have as many contacts as they would normally, and then maybe there was a surge after the pandemic,” Nerlander said. As for longer-term trends that might be behind the increase in STIs, Nerlander said less concern about HIV and an expansion of HIV PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis [prevention]) may mean people aren’t using condoms as much. She also noted that the increase in HIV PrEP uptake in MSM is resulting in more STI testing, which in turn is resulting in more reported asymptomatic cases. The rise in congenital syphilis is probably one of the most concerning findings of the 2024 data. To help turn the tide, ECDC officials are urging EU/EEA countries to update their national STI strategy, increase access to STI testing by removing punitive laws and any requirement for parental consent, promote condom use, boost sexual education in schools, and ensure evidence-based treatment guidelines are in place and used. Untreated STIs can lead to serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pain, and infertility, Nerlander said. In related news, the ECDC yesterday released a report warning of the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella infections in Europe, primarily in MSM. The surveillance report shows that more than 2,300 infections linked to seven genetically distinct clusters of MDR/XDR Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri have been reported in Europe since 2023. The clusters include transmission chains that have primarily, but not exclusively, been associated with MSM. Shigellosis causes diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. While most shigellosis cases are self-limiting, some can be severe, and the MDR and XDR strains have limited treatment options.Though Shigella transmission has traditionally been associated with consumption of contaminated food and water, the report notes that cases reported to ECDC in recent years have increasingly involved sexual transmission. Similar trends have been observed in the United States.
Mpox infections may outnumber diagnosed cases 33 to 1, study suggests - Asymptomatic mpox infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) may be far more common than previously recognized and could be playing a role in ongoing transmission, according to a study published last week in Nature Communications. Researchers estimate that actual infections may outnumber diagnosed cases by 33 to one.The findings challenge the assumption that most mpox cases are spread by people with symptoms. For the study, researchers led by teams at the University of California (UC) at Berkeley and Kaiser Permanente Southern California tested for mpox in MSM in Los Angeles during routine sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening from May to November 2024. Then they monitored the same group of MSM for clinically diagnosed mpox.Among nearly 8,000 eligible participants, only 15 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were identified through standard clinical testing. But when the team tested for mpox DNA in 1,190 specimens collected from the routine STI tests, they found infections in six men who never presented with mpox symptoms or received an mpox diagnosis. “We used the specimens from routine testing for other sexually transmitted diseases to test for mpox and found roughly 1% of men had asymptomatic infections without knowing it,” lead study author Joseph A. Lewnard, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, said in a news release. “From the testing, we estimated that only about one in every 33 infections gets diagnosed,” meaning infections exceeded reported cases by a 33-fold margin. These cryptic infections likely contribute to under-the-radar mpox spread. The authors estimate that undiagnosed infections may account for at least 31% to 44% of all transmission events and, under “realistic modelling assumptions,” potentially much more. The findings run counter to current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has advised that people with symptoms primarily drive mpox spread, despite a lack of connection to a symptomatic partner. “We have not known how mpox is transmitted, and why the cases seem to have very few connections to other cases,” senior study author and Kaiser Permanente scientist Sara Y. Tartof, PhD, MPH, said in the news release. “These findings help resolve a fundamental question in the epidemiology of mpox by suggesting that infected people pose a risk of transmitting the disease to others even in the absence of clinical symptoms."
Poll highlights Americans’ uneven knowledge of STI prevention, treatment -- While 75% to 95% of Americans know that diseases such as human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and genital herpes are sexually transmitted, gaps in knowledge about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain, including whether there are vaccines against them. Those findings, from a poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania, underscore the need for more education against a backdrop of elevated and rising rates of some STIs, the authors say. STIs are very common, with roughly 20% of Americans having an STI on any given day in 2018 and 85% infected with HPV at some point in their life. And although case counts of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis fell in the United States from 2022 to 2024, they are still 13% higher than they were 10 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nationally representative poll of 1,639 US adults was fielded in April 2026. It had a margin of sampling error of ± 3.5 percentage points. 1 in 5 incorrectly implicated toilet seats in STI spread. Nearly half (47%) of respondents said they or someone they know had ever been diagnosed as having an STI, with 72% of them knowing at least two people with that STI. The proportions of participants who knew that certain diseases are sexually transmitted were high for genital herpes (95%), gonorrhea (94%), syphilis (91%), chlamydia (89%), and HPV (75%, up six percentage points from 2024). Americans were more aware that HIV can be sexually transmitted (92%) than mpox (35%) or Zika (13%), which is mainly mosquito-borne. While 92% recognize HIV as sexually transmitted, only 33% know it also can be transmitted by breastfeeding. “Public understanding improves when accurate health information reaches people clearly and consistently,” Ken Winneg, PhD, APPC managing director of survey research, said in the release. “But these findings show continuing gaps in awareness about diseases which can be sexually transmitted such as HPV, mpox, and Zika.” Americans’ knowledge of common modes of STI transmission was very high, at 97% for vaginal sex, 94% for anal sex, 91% for genital-to-genital contact, and 89% for oral sex. Also, 49% of respondents indicated that STIs can spread by kissing, which although an uncommon route, is possible for syphilis when a sore is present and may be a risk factor for oral gonorrhea. While 20% said sitting on a contaminated toilet seat is a risk factor, the CDC says it isn’t. “Public understanding is uneven around less common transmission pathways for HIV, in particular,” the release said. “While 92% recognize HIV as sexually transmitted, only 33% know it also can be transmitted by breastfeeding. According to the CDC, HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.” Half incorrectly thought an HIV vaccine exists. Knowledge of which diseases can be prevented by vaccination was spotty, with 68% of respondents correctly indicating that an HPV vaccine is available and 42% correctly identifying mpox as vaccine-preventable. Likewise, most Americans were unaware that there is no vaccine against HIV (52% unsure or incorrectly thought a vaccine exists), genital herpes (54%), gonorrhea (58%), chlamydia (60%), syphilis (61%), and Zika (81%). Amid rising rates of syphilis and congenital syphilis, many Americans didn’t know how it can be prevented and treated. Although most (91%) of participants correctly identified syphilis as sexually transmitted, 61% were either unclear whether there is a vaccine against it (44%) or incorrectly indicated that a vaccine exists (17%).
Dust reveals 54 viruses in buildings, pointing to new outbreak warning tool Gathering dust from buildings may hold promise as a more efficient way to track viral outbreaks in indoor settings, according to a new study published in Building and Environment by researchers from the Ohio State University. After collecting nearly 30 vacuumed dust samples from places like schools, university residence halls and office buildings, the team simultaneously identified the presence of 54 distinct viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, norovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and others. Indoor dust tends to accumulate biological material shed by occupants and also integrates signatures from the air, surfaces and human activity over time, which means using these particles to monitor viral pathogen trends could aid early detection efforts against future outbreaks. "It's really important that we understand broadly how to track disease in our community," said Karen Dannemiller, senior author of the study and an associate professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering and environmental health sciences at The Ohio State University. "Similar to wastewater monitoring, which tracks disease clusters on a large-scale level, we've created an intermediate tool that has those same benefits for a smaller population." Compared to traditional sampling methods, dust-based techniques are advantageous because the particles are easily collected during routine cleaning, it requires no specialized plumbing access, and dust can remain stable at room temperature for extended periods. These simple but critical aspects can lead to quick, high-resolution insights into what is happening within a specific space and help researchers take appropriate measures to address it, said Dannemiller. "This is groundbreaking work," she said. "While people have sequenced viruses out of dust before, it's been on a pretty limited basis and was not proposed as a surveillance tool." To take a targeted look at these pathogens, researchers utilized both PCR analysis and a novel sequencing technique that detects the RNA molecules that viruses leave behind after they decay. By comparing the findings in their sample to a library panel of 200 potential pathogens, the team measured and categorized many viruses at once, a capability that, on the ground, would increase both the efficiency and utility of future viral investigations. "Research like this is useful for monitoring a range of buildings where there's a variety of things that you're concerned about," said Dannemiller. "By using that information to help pinpoint those issues, it's possible to improve our decisions about where to direct limited mitigation resources." Significantly, building dust could also be used to capture data from both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, a noninvasive aspect that would allow researchers and decision-makers to infer viral patterns without the need for direct clinical testing. While researchers in this study did not measure the viability of the sampled viruses, it's unlikely that leftover viral particles in dust would still be infectious—depending on the bug. Given the minimal risk, establishing a robust and easily scalable dust-based monitoring tool would provide the public with a much broader understanding of community transmission.
Another popular pantry item recalled over potential salmonella contamination – Yet another item that may be in your pantry has been recalled over possible salmonella contamination. A recall notice shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows select croutons sold at Kroger stores in 17 states are being pulled from the shelves because an ingredient, a dry milk powder, may have been contaminated with salmonella. The same powder has already sparked several other recalls this month.The latest item is Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons, which are sold in 5-ounce pouches with a UPC of 0 11110 81353 4. According to the notice, affected crouton pouches were sold at Kroger stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin between March 7 and April 7 of this year.
Malaria reintroduction into US is possible: CDC report | CIDRAP -The United States eliminated malaria in the 1950s, but that doesn't mean this parasitic disease is gone for good, warns a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) The report points to a 2023 outbreak in which 10 people across four states—Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, and Texas—were infected with locally acquired mosquito-transmitted malaria. These cases were not associated with travel, which poses serious public health implications, as malaria can be a life-threatening or life-altering disease, especially for young children. There are roughly 2,000 malaria cases in the United States each year. Virtually all are imported, meaning people are bitten by an infected mosquito while abroad. The cases from the 2023 outbreak were the first locally acquired malaria infections that were reported to the CDC in two decades. The report notes these infections coincided with the most imported cases since the United States reached elimination status in 1951. The timing suggests that, after acquiring malaria while traveling, the patients were bitten by mosquitoes in the United States. Those newly infected mosquitoes then bit additional people, resulting in local transmission. The report offers updated guidance for public health officials responding to cases of locally acquired malaria. During outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, the CDC says health departments should spray insecticides and reduce breeding habitats, such as landscape ponds, birdbaths, and rain barrels. Other measures include encouraging clinicians to report suspected and confirmed cases to health departments and distributing nets and topical repellent to high-risk populations, including people experiencing housing instability or homelessness. Public health workers should consider searching for additional malaria cases among patients who might have been misdiagnosed, as well as among those who become ill after the initial cases are identified. Under a microscope, the malaria parasite can resemble another parasite that causes babesiosis, a tickborne disease that's endemic to the United States. The illnesses cause similar symptoms: fever, chills, headache, body aches, and nausea. The CDC recommends polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to ensure accurate diagnosis.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome Up 5,566% in Ten Years -- Anecdotal reports, many with accompanying video evidence, from around North America have inundated social media — well, on X at least; I don’t know about the others because my accounts all got nuked during COVID — of astronomical increases in tick populations as well as boxes of ticks mysteriously appearing on farms and in woods. Is the government, or some other entity, really carpet-bombing the countryside with ticks out of helicopters? Sounds kind of nuts, right? The stuff of tin-foil anti-vaxxers. But, for anyone willing to take a close look at the historical record, weaponized ticks as tools of biological warfare have precedent extending back deep into the 20th century. Via Principia Scientific: “During the Cold War, the United States maintained an active biological warfare program from 1943 until President Richard Nixon ordered its termination in 1969. Centered at Fort Detrick in Maryland*, the program explored various delivery systems for pathogens, including insects such as fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks. One notable experiment, Operation Big Itch in 1954, involved releasing approximately 670,000 fleas from cluster munitions to test their viability as disease vectors. Researchers also studied ticks extensively, with some work reportedly conducted at Plum Island, where large colonies of both soft and hard ticks were maintained. Wildlife, including deer and birds, moved freely between the island and the Connecticut mainland, creating potential pathways for pathogens to reach local populations.The program gained additional momentum during the Kennedy administration. In response to Cuba’s alignment with the Soviet Union, the United States launched Operation Mongoose, a covert campaign aimed at undermining Fidel Castro’s regime. Some proposals reportedly examined the use of disease-carrying insects to target Cuban agricultural workers, particularly in sugarcane and tobacco fields, in an effort to disrupt the island’s economy.While the full extent of these plans remains debated, declassified documents confirm that Project 112, authorized in 1962, expanded biological weapons testing and included research on mass insect production.Between 1966 and 1969, the U.S. military released 282,800 ticks labeled with radioactive carbon-14 along bird migration routes in Virginia. The goal was to study how ticks—and the diseases they might carry—could spread across wide areas. Notably, lone star ticks, previously not found north of the Mason-Dixon line, soon established populations on Long Island.” *The same Fort Detrick bioweapons facility that was mysteriously shut down in mid-2019 after receiving a cease-and-desist order from the CDC. According to some accounts, the infected tick bombing was not just the theoretical product of an overactive sociopathic imagination but enacted in practice. Reporter Kris Newby, author of “Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons,” claims to have interviewed a CIA black ops agent. Via The Spectator: I met a man in his seventies who had been in black ops in the CIA. He told me that the strangest thing he ever did was drop infected ticks on Cuban sugarcane workers in 1962. I verified the details of what he told me – it turned out that the dropping of infected ticks in Cuba was a subproject of Operation Mongoose, which aimed to weaken Fidel Castro’s position in Cuba by destroying its economy... The US entomological bioweapons program was directed by the Chemical Corps, headquartered at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The program was almost as large and secretive as the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. In 1951, Willy Burgdorfer, a medical zoologist with experience working with ticks and Q fever, was recruited from Basel, Switzerland, to conduct feasibility studies for Fort Detrick. His lab was based in the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, which was home to the largest living tick collection in the US. Burgdorfer often traveled to Fort Detrick, where he worked alongside former Nazi biowarfare scientists who had been allowed into the country through Operation Paperclip.” Lone Star tick populations have both increased in number and expanded beyond their previous geographic confines in the south, heading as far north as Connecticut. Along with that rise in tick populations has been reported a 5,566% in a ten-year window of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as mammalian meat allergy (MMA). Via Cureus (emphasis added): “The lone star tick has been linked to other disease entities in the past, including, but not limited to, Francisella tularensis, southern tick-associated rash illness, and, more recently, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Traditionally found primarily in southern states, lone star ticks have been seen more frequently in northeastern states such as Delaware and Connecticut. This shift may be due to rising global temperatures**, which contribute to more favorable conditions for tick survival and growth. The warming pattern may also increase the duration of tick activity, further extending the period of disease transmission. In addition, lone star ticks can lay thousands of eggs at a time, which facilitates their spread. A study of lone star ticks in New York identified genetic differences that may suggest adaptation conferring resistance to the northern climate….Between 2015 and 2025, the incidence and prevalence of MMA increased significantly across all demographics. Based on TriNetX analysis of a national cohort of 114,696,176 patients, the number of new MMA diagnoses rose from 180 cases during 2015-2020 to 10,132 cases during 2021-2025. This corresponds to a 5,520% increase in incidence proportion and a 5,566% increase in prevalence, reflecting substantial growth in both new diagnoses and the total number of individuals living with the condition.” **Yes, it could be the climate change, or it could be the apparent tick packages airdropped by black helicopters all over the country.
Avian flu hits 4 US poultry farms, polar bear on Norway island | CIDRAP - The latest updates from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) show four avian flu detections in the past week on commercial poultry operations in Indiana and Minnesota.A commercial breeder facility in Becker County, Minnesota, reported an outbreak among 4,300 birds, which is the second avian flu detection in the county this month. In Indiana, commercial duck facilities in LaGrange and Elkhart counties reported outbreaks involving more than 11,000 birds total.Overall, in the past 30 days APHIS has confirmed avian flu in 18 flocks, including 11 commercial flocks and seven flocks of backyard birds. A total of 200,000 birds have been affected. For the first time the avian influenza strain H5N5 has been detected in a polar bear, according to a new report from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute earlier this week.This is the first detection of avian flu in polar bears in Europe. The one-year-old polar bear and a walrus were found dead in Raudfjorden on Svalbard, an archipelago and territory of Norway between Norway and the North Pole, well north of the Arctic Circle. H5N5 had previously been detected in Svalbard in wild birds, foxes, and walruses.
Penn State Deer Research Center quarantined after buck tests positive for CWD A white-tailed deer at Penn State’s Deer Research Center has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), leading to a five-year quarantine of the facility and herd, the college announced this week. The buck, found dead during a routine daily herd check in March, hadn’t displayed signs of CWD before its death, but staff submitted diagnostic samples to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at Penn State, which detected the disease. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the finding on May 5. The campus is located in University Park, Centre County, in the central part of the state. This isn’t the first CWD detection in the county, where CWD has been detected in wild deer. The Penn State Department of Animal Science and the Deer Research Center are working with state officials and have imposed a mandated five-year quarantine of the facility and the remaining herd, the news release said. So far, no other deer in the herd have shown signs of CWD. “The quarantine plan includes strict containment measures, ongoing monitoring and testing, mandatory reporting, comprehensive documentation of herd inventory, and continued sanitization of the facility,” the release said. “In addition, staff are evaluating the potential use of genetic testing to understand individual animals’ susceptibility to CWD better.” Since it was established in the 1970s, the Deer Research Center has given students hands-on opportunities to work with deer. The center operates as a closed herd, with no external deer introduced since 1997. The College of Agricultural Sciences is assessing how research activities and educational programming will proceed during quarantine. CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of cervids (eg, deer, elk, moose) caused by infectious misfolded proteins called prions, which spread from cervid to cervid and through environmental contamination. Prions can persist for years in the environment, and animals may be infected for years—silently spreading the disease—before they show symptoms. No vaccine or treatment is available.
Animal disease outbreaks threaten protein supply chains as global investment gap widens, industry warns | S&P Global --Global protein supply chains face mounting pressure from animal disease outbreaks as industry representatives warned that inadequate investment in animal health systems is leaving livestock sectors exposed to rising biosecurity risks. Speaking at the European Feed Association conference May 19-21, representatives from Spain, Germany and the Netherlands flagged African swine fever and avian influenza as the most immediate threats to European protein markets. "Currently, ASF has not affected domestic pork farms in Spain, the EU's major pork producer," a representative for the Spanish association of pork and animal feed producers, ANPROGRAPOR, told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, on the sidelines of the conference. "However, if the disease spreads to domestic farms, it could significantly impact pork production." The warnings come as the World Organisation for Animal Health, in its latest State of the World's Animal Health report released May 13, said animal diseases destroy more than 20% of global production each year, yet animal health receives as little as 0.6% of global health spending. Development assistance for health declined to about $39.1 billion in 2025, with animal health accounting for less than 2.5% of that total, the report said. Bringing veterinary services in every country up to international standards would cost about $2.3 billion per year -- less than 0.05% of the $3.6 trillion in economic losses attributed to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, a disease that most likely originated in animals, the report said. "Animal health systems sit at the very center of food security, economic stability, welfare and human health, and yet are chronically underfunded," WOAH Director General Emmanuelle Soubeyran said in a statement in the report. More than 2,000 outbreaks of high-pathogenicity avian influenza were reported by 64 countries and territories between 2025 and 2026, resulting in the culling or loss of more than 140 million poultry. African swine fever continues to spread through notable long-distance jumps, while foot-and-mouth disease has caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa and re-emerged in Europe. Trade disruption and industry response The trade consequences of inadequate disease management are already visible. ASF has disrupted pork supply chains across Europe and Asia, forcing exporters to renegotiate market access and implement costly containment measures. "In a world where animal disease risks are becoming more frequent, reliability is not the absence of incidents. Reliability is the capacity to detect, contain, communicate and maintain trust," Alberto Herranz, director general of Spain's pork interprofessional INTERPORC, told Platts in a telephone interview May 21. Seventy-five percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals, making animal health systems the world's first line of defense against outbreaks, including a potential next pandemic, WOAH said. However, 18% of countries recently assessed by WOAH showed declining veterinary capacity, and 22% showed declining paraprofessional capacity, the WOAH report said. Based on 54 countries assessed by WOAH, an average 52% budget increase would be required to meet the actual annual cost of effective veterinary services, it said. "Disease does not recognise borders. A gap in animal health surveillance in one country is a vulnerability for every country," WOAH World Assembly of Delegates President Susana Pombo said in the report.
Michigan gets $108M in Monsanto settlement to clean up PCB contamination - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced a $108 million settlement with Monsanto Co. to address longstanding environmental contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) across the state. States, including Michigan, filed lawsuits against Monsanto over long-term environmental contamination caused by PCBs, a toxic industrial chemical the company manufactured for decades before it was banned in the United States in 1979. The states allege that PCBs persist in waterways, soil, and wildlife and continue to pose risks to public health through environmental exposure and fish consumption. The cases seek to hold the company financially responsible for cleanup costs and damage to natural resources.The settlement funds will support cleanup and restoration of PCB-impacted sites across Michigan, with oversight shared by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Officials said the money will be used to reduce contamination risks, improve water quality, and restore damaged natural resources.Under the agreement, Monsanto will pay Michigan $32 million in June and another $32 million in March 2027. Additional contingency payments tied to related litigation could range from $44 million to $176 million, bringing the total potential value of the settlement to as much as $240 million.EGLE officials said no specific cleanup projects have been selected yet, but the agencies will work together to determine where funding can remediate PCB-contaminated sites and restore impacted natural resources. The agencies plan to consult with local governments, tribes, and environmental organizations, and may distribute some funds through grants and matching programs.Nessel said the settlement ensures accountability for longstanding pollution tied to the chemicals.
In Coal Country, Black Lung Surges as Federal Protections Stall - While the Trump administration is directing hundreds of millions of dollars to coal projects, miners in Appalachia are suffering from a resurgence of black lung disease. But industry pushback is delaying federal rules that would reduce miners’ exposure to deadly silica dust. A few years after he graduated from high school and got married, Justin Smarsh went to work in a coal mine in his home county, just as his father and grandfather had. “It was the best-paying job around,” he said. “It still is.” Today, Smarsh said, he gets “suffocated just walking.” He has a constant dry cough, and he loses his breath if he bends down to tie his shoes. Smarsh, 42, has progressive massive fibrosis — the most severe form of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or black lung. There is no cure for Smarsh’s condition. He tries to slow the progression with “piles of meds,” he said, but things will eventually worsen, potentially to the point of heart failure. In patients with advanced disease, a flu or common cold can lead to a kind of drowning as the lungs fill with fluid. Smarsh’s doctors say he won’t live to see 50.“Most people think coal mining is a thing of the past,” said Deanna Istik, CEO of Lungs at Work, a black lung clinic in Washington County, Pennsylvania. “Meanwhile, we see more people being diagnosed with black lung disease than we ever have before.”Coal mining has always been a hazardous occupation. But today’s miners face a new danger because they’re inhaling something worse than the coal dust that settles in lungs, triggering immune cells to form nodules, masses, and scarified black tissue. Most of the large coal seams in the mountains of Appalachia are gone now. To reach smaller seams, miners must cut through much more rock with high levels of quartz, which gets pulverized into crystalline silica.When tiny particles of silica are inhaled, they act like minute shards of glass, leading to severe tissue scarring and inflammation and eventually to progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, estimate the disease now afflicts one in 10 working miners who have worked in mines for at least 25 years. Rising rates of the disease have led to stark increases in lung transplants and mortality. Between 2013 and 2017, hundreds of cases of progressive massive fibrosis were identified at three Virginia clinics alone, leading NIOSH to declare a renewed black lung epidemic. Black-lung-associated deaths, which declined between 1999 and 2018, rose between 2020 and 2023.The disease is on the uptick at a time when the Trump administration is calling for the expansion of coal production. Last fall, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it was investing $625 million in coal projects, and this month, President Trump signed an executive order reaffirming coal as essential to national security, a move that will direct billions of dollars in federal funding to the industry. But while the administration is calling for more coal, it is simultaneously delaying implementation of new regulations that would protect miners from deadly silica.In the United States, black lung was officially acknowledged as a workplace-related illness only in the late 1960s, after a highly publicized disaster at a West Virginia mine killed 78 coal miners. Subsequent strikes and protests led to the passage of the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, which mandated federal safety inspections of mines, set fines for violations, and established a benefits program to compensate miners with black lung.Rates of the disease dropped almost immediately, and by the end of the 20th century, thanks to the implementation of those standards and a strong union presence in mines in Pennsylvania and across Appalachia, black lung was nearly eradicated.In the last two decades, U.S. coal production has fallen precipitously. It peaked in 2008 at more than 1,170 million tons, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration; in 2023, production was 578 million tons, a drop of more than 50 percent.But in Pennsylvania, says Istik, “this is not a dead industry. We’re still cutting coal.” A 2024 report by the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance counted more than 5,000 mining jobs generating some $2.2 billion in economic output. Nationwide, there are still close to 40,000 coal workers. Black lung diagnoses continue to mount. Doctors and miner advocates say the condition is underdiagnosed, as many miners are reluctant to undergo testing for fear of losing their jobs should their employer find out. “I think there’s always going to be that fear of retribution,” said Istik. But eventually, she added, the symptoms become debilitating. Smarsh, a patient of Lungs at Work, didn’t see a doctor about his labored breathing until his wife, Alicia, insisted he had no choice.Black lung clinics are seeing more and more patients like Smarsh, who’ve gotten sick in their 30s and 40s. In earlier generations, miners might have needed decades of coal dust exposure to develop serious disease, if they got sick at all. “My dad and my pap were both miners, and they didn’t get it,” Smarsh said. “So, I thought, ‘Who says I’m going to?’” But today’s workers, who are breathing a much higher proportion of silica, can develop a disabling illness in much less time.Smarsh worked mostly as a roof bolter — the person responsible for installing supports to prevent cave-ins — drilling up into rock. He spent eight years underground before his lung condition made it impossible for him to work, or to walk across his own backyard without using an inhaler.Experts have understood the dangers of silica dust for decades. In the 1970s, NIOSH suggested regulations that would limit exposure to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over a 10-hour workday in the mine. In 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopted the 50-microgram silica standard for other occupations, like construction and manufacturing. But in 2017, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA — which is mandated to conduct quarterly inspections of underground mines and enforce safety standards — responded to industry pressure and set the limit for mining at 100 micrograms over an eight-hour workday.After a negotiation process that spanned years and multiple administrations and involved mining industry lobbyists, legal groups, and scientists from NIOSH and other agencies, MSHA announced in 2024 that it would issue a new rule reducing the silica exposure limit in mines to 50 micrograms, with enforcement to begin in April 2025. The new rule would require operators to use “engineering controls,” such as improved ventilation systems, as the primary means of meeting the standard. Those tools could be supplemented, when necessary, by “administrative controls,” such as clothing decontamination and avoidance of especially dusty areas, to keep miners from breathing unacceptable amounts of silica.The National Mining Association and other industry groups mounted a legal challenge, arguing that when ventilation systems aren’t enough to bring respirable silica levels below the 50-microgram standard, operators should be able to require miners to use respirators to achieve compliance. But “respirators are really the last line of defense, because they aren’t foolproof,” Istik said. “Silica is such a small particle; it still comes through.” Smarsh wore a respirator some of the time when he was underground. But there were other times, he said, when it was too difficult to see or breathe through it. “Anytime you’re underground, you see dust,” he said. “But it’s not the dust you see that gets you. It’s the little stuff you don’t see.” When the Trump administration came into office, it cut MSHA’s budget and staff. The agency had already been operating at a disadvantage: According to data from the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, MSHA’s coal mine enforcement staff has been cut in half over the last decade. The American Federation of Government Employees reported that another 7 percent of the agency’s full-time workforce accepted the Trump administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout last year, and 90 newly hired mine inspectors had their job offers rescinded. There were concerns among black lung experts and advocates about the diminished agency’s ability to implement the new silica exposure rule. The loss included people “we desperately needed,” Carey Clarkson, who represents Labor Department workers for the federation, told NPR at the time. “I can’t image how many years of experience we lost.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority Produced a Booklet Downplaying Coal Ash Risks. Top Researchers Call it ‘Dishonest.’ - -A 35-page booklet distributed in a public meeting by the Tennessee Valley Authority about coal ash is filled with “lies” and misleading information, according to coal ash researchers. The booklet, titled “Know the Facts: Coal Ash,” did not include any TVA branding or author information, but the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says TVA employees distributed the pamphlets at a public comment session on the agency’s coal ash remediation plan for one of its coal plants in Tennessee. Avner Vengosh, chair of environmental quality at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, called the booklet “unbelievable” and part of a “misleading public campaign.” “It’s scary,” Vengosh told Inside Climate News after reviewing the booklet. “It’s like alternative reality.” Vengosh leads a research group at Duke that has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on coal ash contamination in the environment. Coal ash, or coal combustion residuals (CCR), is the solid material left over after burning coal. It contains potentially toxic levels of substances like mercury, arsenic and lead that are associated with human health problems, including cancer. “I’m not sure why they’re having this campaign, but basically everything there is lies, to be the most direct I can,” Vengosh said of the booklet. Tracy O’Neill, decarbonization advocacy director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said she picked up the booklet from a TVA table at the April 15 public comment session held by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation on the TVA’s coal ash remediation plan for its Cumberland Fossil Plant. “At the conclusion of the TDEC presentation, everyone was kind of mingling, and I went to the TVA table, which was outside of the meeting room itself,” O’Neill said. “It was directly outside the door, and there were maybe a dozen or so of these packets.” The booklet’s first page states “Coal Ash is Not Hazardous,” noting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision not to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Instead, EPA classifies coal ash as a special waste, along with cement kiln dust, crude oil and natural gas waste, mining and mine processing waste, and other forms of fossil fuel combustion waste. The TVA booklet does not mention that classification. Instead, it uses charts and diagrams to show that coal ash contains many of the same elements found in “rocks and soil” and noting that the harmful contaminants in coal ash are also found in the natural environment, in trace amounts. The booklet highlighted benefits of coal ash recycling and listed other ways that people could be exposed to coal ash contaminants like arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. Howard Frumkin, professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Public Health, said the pamphlet included “many deceptive statements.” “The headline declares that ‘Coal Ash Is Not Hazardous;’ this is simply untrue,” Frumkin said in an email. “The list of coal ash ingredients in the pamphlet omits dangerous metals; this is dishonest. “The pamphlet minimizes the risk of coal ash by equating coal combustion to campfires and coal ash to garden soil; this is like equating an automatic weapon to a slingshot.”
40 000 ordered to evacuate after chemical tank failure risk in Garden Grove, California - A methyl methacrylate leak from a storage tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, California, was reported at around 15:30 LT (22:30 UTC) on May 21, 2026, prompting evacuation orders for about 40 000 people across northwestern Orange County. Satellite view of the GKN Aerospace facility area in Garden Grove, California, where a methyl methacrylate leak from a storage tank was reported at around on May 21, 2026. Credit: The Watchers, ESRI U.S. Representative Derek Tran, whose district includes Garden Grove, said Orange County Fire Authority crews received reports of the leak at around 15:30 LT on May 21. The leak involved methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable chemical, from a 129 000 L (34 000 gallons) storage tank at the GKN Aerospace facility. About 22 700 to 26 500 L (6 000 to 7 000 gallons) of the chemical reportedly remained in the tank when it began overheating and venting vapors. Garden Grove first reported an evacuation order at 18:37 LT on May 21 for an area north of Garden Grove Boulevard, south of Orangewood Avenue, east of Monarch Avenue, and west of Beach Boulevard. The city temporarily lifted residential evacuation orders at around 20:00 LT, leaving street closures in place, but reissued evacuation orders at around 06:30 LT on May 22 after damage to a valve on the tank created additional operational challenges and prevented complete mitigation.
Trump proposes partial rollback of ‘forever chemical’ drinking water protections - The Trump administration on Monday moved to partially roll back drinking water protections from toxic “forever chemicals.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to allow some delays for water systems to regulate these chemicals. It also said it would rescind four of the six types of forever chemicals covered under a Biden-era rule. Under that Biden-era regulation, water systems are required to filter out at least some of these toxic substances by a 2029 deadline. Now, the administration is proposing to allow companies to apply for extensions to push that deadline back to 2031, meaning some communities could end up drinking contaminated water for up to two extra years. An EPA official told reporters that extensions would be granted on a case-by-case basis and that even with an extension, systems with high levels of contamination would need to take interim measures to reduce it. The official declined to say whether most companies that apply for an extension would be likely to receive one. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday described the approach as realistic and legally durable. “Technologies are still being developed,” he said. “A deadline you cannot physically meet is not a public health protection,” he said at an event at the agency’s headquarters alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who was previously an environmental lawyer and a key figure in the Make America Healthy Again Movement, also defended the changes. “Public health protections only work if communities can implement them,” he said. Critics argued that the EPA’s action would remove health protections.
EPA to roll back PFAS limits for drinking water - The Trump administration on Monday proposed rolling back limits on “forever chemicals” that contaminate millions of Americans’ drinking water and have been linked to a range of health problems. The proposal would partially rescind the first national drinking water limits for the chemicals — also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — set by the Biden administration. Under the changes, EPA would eliminate strict limits for four PFAS and allow utilities to request a two-year extension to remove two other PFAS from tap water. PFAS are a class of thousands of synthetic substances nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down. They are present in the drinking water of over 100 million Americans, with human exposure linked to cancer, developmental problems in children, high cholesterol and other adverse health effects. Trump administration officials said the changes would reduce costs for water utilities and address legal deficiencies in the existing drinking water rule, which water utilities and chemical makers have sued to overturn. “The Biden administration cut corners and failed to follow the law,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release. “We are fixing that error with standards water systems can actually implement and that will hold up to scrutiny, while addressing PFOA and PFOS, two of the best-studied PFAS with well-documented health impacts.” But while EPA touted the announcement as a win for the Make America Healthy Again movement, critics said the partial rollback would leave people more exposed to harmful substances. “The fact that they’re proposing to rescind four of the six limits and delay the other two is directly contrary to MAHA,” said Anna Reade, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The repeal is incredibly concerning and disappointing, because there has already been so much work and science to show that those protections are needed and justified.” Some outspoken MAHA influencers have pushed back against the decision as well. “Any rollback of PFAS protections in our drinking water is a betrayal to MAHA and all of the American people,” said Kelly Ryerson, co-executive director of MAHA-aligned nonprofit American Regeneration who is known online as “Glyphosate Girl.” The changes are likely to draw legal challenges if finalized. The Safe Drinking Water Act bars EPA from “backsliding,” or amending existing regulations to be less protective of public health. Some water sector experts are also skeptical that eliminating limits for some PFAS but not others would reduce costs. Alan Roberson, the former executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, said removing PFOA and PFOS alone — even with a potential extension — from water is costly for utilities and the customers they serve. “If they say it’s going to save a lot of money, that’s not completely accurate,” Roberson said.
EPA announces $39M to Pa. for PFAS in drinking water while rolling back limits - The Allegheny Front - In the same week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would give Pennsylvania more than $39 million to address PFAS contamination in drinking water, the agency also said it would roll back PFAS regulations. PFAS, also known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of chemicals used in consumer goods, including stain-resistant rugs, waterproof clothing, nonstick pans and firefighting foam. They’re called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down, accumulating in the environment, including waterways, and the human body. PFAS are linked to developmental delays in children, some cancers, and other health issues. PFAS were found in 76% of rivers and streams around Pennsylvania surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey. They have contaminated drinking supplies in the LeHigh Valley, and “alarming levels” of PFAS from the Pittsburgh International Airport were found to be discharging into the Montour Run watershed.“Addressing them is not optional. It is essential to making America healthy again,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. He was joined at a roundtable event this week with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., who brought the Make America Healthy Again movement into Trump’s voting base.Under Zeldin’s plan, the EPA will repeal limits on four types of PFAS, including some that have contaminated drinking water sources. The agency will also give utilities an additional two years to meet the remaining PFAS limits.Meanwhile, the $39 million EPA grant for Pennsylvania is “for communities, drinking water systems, and private well owners to help with testing, planning, and infrastructure projects addressing PFAS and other emerging contaminants,” according to the EPA press release. The funds are from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed under the Biden administration.“It feels like a real hypocrisy,” said Steve Hvozdovich, of the non-profit Clean Water Action in Pennsylvania. “[The administration is saying], ‘We’re going to give you money to deal with this threat from a toxic chemical, but at the same time we’re going to roll back protections…we’re ripping away the safeguards and protections that exist around drinking water for the very same constituents,’” he said.Zeldin said his agency will create new, what he calls, more legally-sound PFAS regulations. Chemical makers have already sued the federal government over the PFAS drinking water standards. “This regulation from the Biden administration would not stand a court challenge,” Zeldin said. Hvozdovich doesn’t want Pennsylvania to wait for the EPA to create new regulations. Currently, the state’s PFAS regulations allow significantly more contamination than the Biden-EPA standards. There are bipartisan bills in the state legislature, including one to limit the use of firefighting foam containing PFAS.
Fish can pass PFAS safety limits one chemical at a time, but cocktail effects reveal a bigger unseen risk -- Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," are now found almost everywhere scientists look. They have been detected in rivers, oceans, wildlife, food and even human blood.These synthetic chemicals have been used since the 1950s in products ranging from waterproof clothing and non-stick cookware to firefighting foams and food packaging. Their strength comes from their resistance to heat, grease and water. But that same durability means they barely break down once released into the environment. Our new study of the Solent, the stretch of sea between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England, builds on our previous research. It shows how deeply these chemicals have entered a protected coastal ecosystem. We found PFAS in surface waters, sediments, treated wastewater effluent and marine wildlife. This included seaweeds, invertebrates, fish and harbor porpoises.But the most important finding was not that PFAS were present. It was that current regulation may be missing the bigger picture. Most environmental rules still assess PFAS one chemical at a time. In the UK and Europe, monitoring and legal thresholds focus more on compounds such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Yet, in the real world, wildlife and people are exposed to mixtures of many PFAS simultaneously. When we assessed our Solent samples using individual chemical thresholds, most species appeared to fall within existing legal limits. Harbor porpoise liver was the major exception. It contained PFOS concentrations far above the ecological standard. But when we applied a mixture-based approach, the picture changed substantially. We combined the toxicity of multiple PFAS into a single "PFOA equivalent" measure. Many more samples exceeded a European Food Safety Authority health benchmark. In other words, an organism can appear compliant under a single chemical regulation while still carrying a potentially concerning mixture burden. That matters because PFAS do not enter coastal ecosystems from a single source. The Solent is surrounded by wastewater treatment infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, urban runoff and hundreds of historic landfill sites. We identified around 194 combined sewer overflow outlets and more than 500 historic landfills close to the coastline.We also found that treated wastewater from two major local treatment plants still contained a broad range of PFAS after processing. Conventional wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove these chemicals effectively. This means they can continue entering rivers and coastal waters even after treatment. Some PFAS behave differently once released. Long-chain PFAS compounds (made up of six or more carbon atoms) such as PFOS tend to accumulate in sediments and animal tissues. Short-chain replacements (compounds which have fewer carbon atoms in their structure) are often more mobile in water. They can spread more widely and more easily through rivers, estuaries and coastal waters.That difference was visible in our results. Sediments and marine mammals were dominated by PFOS and other long chain compounds. Wastewater, surface waters and some seaweeds contained a broader mixture that included newer short-chain PFAS. The highest concentrations we recorded were in harbor porpoise liver tissue. Fish and invertebrates generally contained lower levels, but PFAS were still widespread across the food web. We also found evidence that some seaweeds and small invertebrates contained short-chain PFAS and precursor compounds. This likely facilitates the movement of contamination through coastal ecosystems.
DNA floating in seawater is now enough to let scientists monitor the health of America's dolphin populations -DNA is everywhere in the world's oceans—not only packaged inside cells from skin, scales, mucus, feces, and blood, but also floating freely. Sequencing such "environmental DNA" (eDNA) from open water has long been used as a cost-effective way of gauging the number and identity of species in a region, especially when they are rare and elusive or living at great depths. But species richness is only the most basic biodiversity measure. Until now, eDNA-based methods could only give limited insight into the variables that are most relevant for conservation: the number of individuals, the evenness of the abundances of co-occurring species, or their within-species genetic diversity. But that may be about to change, shows a new, groundbreaking study in Frontiers in Marine Science."Here we show that repeated eDNA sampling can be used to estimate the genetic diversity of dolphins that occur in large schools and have very large populations," said corresponding author Dr. Frederick Archer from the NOAA/NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California."This is important because genetic diversity, its outcome measure, can be used as a measure of population size and how ready a population is to react to changes in its environment." Around Santa Catalina Island, located 47 km off Long Beach in California, in October and December 2021, the researchers followed 15 schools of dolphins with small boats. They focused on the most common species locally: long-beaked common dolphins, short-beaked common dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins, and Risso's dolphins. The project was directed by the Marine Mammal Institute of Oregon State University (OSU). Whenever they encountered a school, the researchers collected a series of two-liter samples of seawater from the surface within 10 meters from the animals. Back in the laboratory, they sequenced each sample's mitochondrial eDNA in the laboratory—paying particular attention to quality control—and compared the observed genetic diversity to that in public databases. The scientists found 836 mitochondrial sequence variants in 126 water samples, of which 76% were from cetaceans and 60% from toothed whales. Overall, 29% were from the species of the school which had been visually identified. Long-beaked common dolphins had the greatest genetic diversity, followed by short-beaked common dolphins, while Risso's and bottlenose dolphins proved much less diverse around Santa Catalina.
DR Congo fishermen resort to trawling plastic waste The mighty Congo River feeds millions of people along its course through the vast Democratic Republic of Congo but fishermen near the capital now find more plastic than fish in their nets. Some have even ditched fishing altogether because it is more profitable to sell the plastic waste they trawl out of the river, the world's second-most powerful watercourse after the Amazon. According to government figures, around 60,000 tonnes of fish are taken annually from the Congo, which flows for more than 4,300 kilometers (2,700 miles) east to west through the huge central African country. But in recent years, fishermen on the outskirts of Kinshasa have noticed their catches dwindling. "A few years ago, I used to catch big fish like captains and catfish but because of the pollution, they've moved further out to sea," fisherman Gilby Mwana-Fioti told AFP. Since dawn, he and around 20 colleagues have paddled along the riverbanks in their weathered wooden canoes. In recent years, fishermen on the outskirts of Kinshasa have noticed their catches dwindling. The catch is meager—small fish, lots of plastic bottles and too many used nappies. "We'll end up disappearing," said Willy Ngepa, who has been a fisherman for more than 40 years in the DRC, one of the poorest countries in the world. Kinshasa, an overcrowded city of more than 17 million people, churns out at least 10 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to environmental experts. Empty plastic bottles pile up on the curbs of its potholed streets. The rubbish gets into the watercourses that criss-cross the capital and, from there, finds its way into the Congo River where it harms wildlife and pollutes the water. According to a study in 2023 by the University of Kinshasa, plastic waste exposed to sunlight breaks down into microplastics, which are then ingested by fish, affecting their growth and reproductive success and sometimes leading to death. Kinshasa churns out at least 10 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to environmental experts. The microplastics ultimately accumulate in the food chain, harming humans and other creatures that eat the fish. The waste can also clog the aquatic vegetation where the fish would feed and breed, and contaminate the water on which they depend. "Plastic pollution has reached alarming levels," said Vincent Kunda, head of Kongo River, an NGO which raises awareness of the scourge. "Less than 20% of waste is processed," he continued. In 2017, the DRC passed a law banning the manufacture and import of plastic bags and bottles but the regulation remains largely ignored. Waste collection is virtually non-existent in Kinshasa, due to a chronic lack of local authority funding. Illegal fly-tips abound, particularly along waterways. A few kilometers from Kinshasa, small-scale fishing still provides a livelihood for more than 600 families on the small river island of Kimpoko. Money is scarce and life precarious. The fishermen, who live in rudimentary wooden houses on stilts, say they now earn no more than $10 to $20 a week from catches, compared to $100 a decade ago. Charles Moluwa Nzeni Masela, 71, has spent his entire life on the river. Paddle in hand, he now collects the rubbish that accumulates in the reeds along the swampy banks to sell to recycling companies. A kilogram of waste fetches around 40 dollar cents (1,000 Congolese francs), which is more profitable than selling fish. "It's a shame it's come to this but we have no choice. It's a way to survive," he said. The Trump Administration is extending a waiver that allows some Russian oil to be purchased despite sanctions on Moscow, as the war in Iran leads to higher gas, oil and energy prices. The policy is intended to help nations that are the most vulnerable to high prices, the administration said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post Monday that his department will issue “a temporary 30-day general license to provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea.” “This extension will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these nations to provide specific licenses as needed. This general license will help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries,” he wrote. This is not the first time the Trump administration has allowed the purchase of Russian oil in recent months; it previously extended a sanctions waiver last month that it first issued in March.. Since the conflict began, the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil previously flowed, has effectively closed. The crunch has sent oil prices, and therefore gasoline prices, skyrocketing. The national average gasoline price was about $4.52 per gallon on Monday. Both the Biden and Trump administrations had previously imposed sanctions on Russian oil because of the country’s war in Ukraine. They argued that cutting off Russian oil could end a major revenue stream for the oil-heavy country and hurt its ability to continue the war.
Urban life makes animals bolder, more aggressive across 133 species, analysis finds - A global analysis has found that urban animals are bolder and more aggressive, exploratory and active than their rural counterparts. The findings are published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. Researchers at Lewis & Clark College (Portland), CEFE-CNRS in Montpellier, and North Dakota State University have conducted a first of its kind, global meta-analysis of how animal behavior varies between urban and non-urban populations of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects.They found that urban populations exhibited heightened boldness, aggression, exploration, and activity compared to rural counterparts. These findings were most pronounced in birds, but the researchers caution that there was much more limited data on the other animal groups. "We found that no matter where you are in the world, urbanization is changing behavior in consistent, predictable ways. The strongest result was that animals seemed to be more risk positive. They're more bold." The researchers warn that a shift towards these traits could increase the risk of human-wildlife conflict and zoonotic disease transmission. "If animals are more risk-taking and they're less averse to human presence, we're going to be coming into contact with wildlife a lot more in certain areas, and that is potentially bad for both us and wildlife." said Dr. Burkhard. The researchers also warn that it's not just species that we're used to seeing in cities—like rats, gulls and pigeons—that are becoming bolder. The same behavioral shifts are being seen in species that are more commonly associated with rural habitats, but which are now adapting to urban life, such as whitethroat, yellow hammer and redpoll. The results highlight the need for urban planners to consider animal behavior, especially as urbanization increases. This could include creating connected greenspaces to maintain connectivity and gene flow among urban animal subpopulations. In the analyses, the researchers combined data from 80 existing studies that looked at animal behavioral traits. These studies spanned 28 countries and 133 distinct species. Over 70% of the research was on birds, with insects, amphibians and reptiles making up just 10% of the data, indicating that most species remain understudied in terms of the effect of urbanization on behavior.
Kenya's new poaching problem: Smuggling Giant Harvester Ants Kenyan ant expert Dino Martins gushes over the red and black insects that have become the center of an international smuggling trade. Martins has been visiting the network of nests of these Giant African Harvester Ants outside Nairobi for 40 years. "They're big and bold... They're the tigers of the ant world," the entomologist told AFP. "Each nest here has just one queen and she is the mother who founded this nest 40, 50 or even 60 years ago," he said. Martins was shocked when he learned that thousands of queens from this Messor cephalotes species were being harvested and shipped abroad in syringes and test tubes to be sold for hundreds of dollars each. The trade came to light in Kenya last year when two Belgian teenagers were arrested in possession of nearly 5,000 queen ants, and accused of "biopiracy." Kenyan authorities fear a new form of poaching, focused less on ivory and furs, and more on insects, reptiles and rare plants. Dr Dino Martins has been visiting Giant African Harvester Ant nests for 40 years. The judge even compared it to the slave trade. "Imagine being violently removed from your home and packed into a container with many others like you... It almost sounds as if the reference above is to the slave trade," he said in his ruling. The Belgians were handed a fine of around $8,000, but as more cases have emerged, sentences have hardened: last month a Chinese national was sentenced to one year in prison for attempting to traffic 2,000 ants. On several European websites, the queens go for around 200 euros ($230). Though marked as unavailable, they are increasingly easy to buy with the right connections, said Ryan, a 25-year-old from France who gave only his first name. He finds ants "hypnotizing," and wanted the largest harvesters, so he bought a starter kit including a queen and 12 workers from an authorized seller for 450 euros. The Giant African Harvester Ant is among the prized by collectors around the world. That's "very reasonable," he said—a decade ago, a queen could fetch 1,000 euros.
Worker bumble bees help determine which baby bee will become queen - Every bumble bee colony has a queen, but a new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests the process of determining which baby bee reigns supreme may be less monarchal than the royal title suggests. The study, published in the journal Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, explored why some bumble bee larvae become workers and others become queens, despite coming from the same eggs.The team found that juvenile hormone—a hormone in insects responsible for insect development, molting and reproduction—was key to this process. When researchers administered the hormone to worker bees, they passed it to all the larvae through feeding. The more hormone the larvae received, the more likely they were to become queens.It's the first study to show that bumble bee caste is determined by the workers, shifting the understanding of the colony from a top-down hierarchy to a decentralized system where the caregivers can alter the future of baby bees, the researchers said.Etya Amsalem, associate professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and corresponding author on the study, said that understanding larval fate is key to understanding social behavior in the insects, which rely on reproductive division of labor: some females reproduce while others help. "Since all these females share the same DNA, it's a striking example of how the same genotype can produce very different forms," she said. "It's also a practical question since bumble bees are important for pollination, so knowing how to produce queens could improve commercial breeding and management." Queen bees and worker bees don't just have different social roles, they are also physically very different, the researchers said. Bumblebee queens are large, long-lived and reproductive, while workers are smaller and do not reproduce. Seyed Ali Modarres Hasani, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State and lead author on the paper, said that previously, scientists knew hormones were involved in the process that determined whether larvae become workers or queens, but the exact mechanisms were unknown. "A single female egg in bumblebees holds the blueprint for two completely different life paths: the giant, reproductive queen or the small, sterile worker," he said. "We wanted to understand what triggers the change in the female life trajectory, when does it happen and who controls the process."
New Jersey declares State of Emergency and seeks Disaster designation after April freeze causes USD 300 million in crop losses - New Jersey declared a State of Emergency on May 20, 2026, and requested a federal Disaster designation after freezing temperatures between April 19 and 22 caused widespread agricultural damage across the state during a critical growing stage. Early estimates place losses at more than USD 300 million. A State of Emergency was declared for New Jersey on May 20 due to the freezing temperatures that impacted the state between April 19 and 22, causing sweeping agricultural losses across the state. In mid-April 2026, New Jersey experienced an unusual weather sequence that devastated the agricultural sector. A prolonged warm spell pushed temperatures above 32.2°C (90°F) in some areas, causing fruit trees and crops to flower earlier than normal. That warm period was immediately followed by a sharp temperature drop, with lows below -6.7°C (20°F) recorded across parts of the state between April 19 and 22. The timing was particularly destructive, as crops were at a critical developmental stage when the freeze hit, damaging blossoms and newly forming fruit. “The damage was widespread, affecting peaches, cherries, pears, grapes, plums, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples, and other crops across the entire state. Some farmers reported losses approaching or exceeding 90%. In several regions, the losses may prove season-ending for key fruit crops,” New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said. The emergency declaration allows for interagency coordination to minimize the financial harm and stabilize local economies. The governor has also requested a “Disaster” designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to qualify for further federal assistance. “Loss assessments reviewed by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture confirm damage exceeding the 30% crop-loss disaster threshold required to qualify for federal assistance,” Sherrill said. Early estimates suggest that at least USD 300 million worth of crops have been lost. Many areas saw more than 30% crop damage, with some growers expecting losses of up to 100% for certain crops, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and Farm Service Agency County Committees. “This freeze was unlike anything our growers have experienced in decades, and the damage is staggering. An entire season of peaches, apples, and grapes was almost entirely decimated in a matter of hours. Many other fruits are also suffering significant losses,” Senator Cory Booker said. “The devastating spring freeze in April hit our farmers hard, especially as they continue to face increasing financial pressures from inflation and rising fuel and operating costs,” Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, chair of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, said. “This Secretarial Disaster Designation would provide desperately needed relief to the Garden State farming community, helping these essential businesses recover their losses and continue the vital operations on which we all depend,” Perez added.
Pennsylvania fruit crops decimated by warm April and hard freezes - The Allegheny Front - Fruit growers across Pennsylvania have experienced partial to total losses of their 2026 crops, due to unseasonably warm temperatures interspersed with devastating hard freezes this spring.“This is the worst it’s been in probably 40 years, maybe even longer,” said Dan Weber, a commercial fruit tree educator at Penn State Extension. “It is a dire situation, and it’s going to affect everybody, from the packing houses … into the processors.”Early estimates point to economic losses between $150 and $200 million for Pennsylvania’s specialty crop industry, with predictions of nearly 100% losses for some fruit crops.Weber has been traveling across the state visiting orchards, and he estimates that plum, sweet and tart cherry crops will see near-total losses. Peaches, he said, will vary more, with 70% to 90% crop loss. The state’s biggest fruit crop, apples, may see losses in the 80% to 95% range.Last month was the warmest April on record in the Pittsburgh region, with average temperatures almost 7 degrees higher than normal.Fruit trees at Soergel Orchards and across the state were in full bloom in April, due to unseasonably warm weather.“During that very warm April, things were able to bloom early and the trees got going early,” said Chris Leonard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But that unseasonably warm month was interspersed with blossom-killing hard freezes across the state.The first hard freeze took place April 8, with temperatures plunging into the low 20s across the state. Weber says growers saw steep losses after that first freeze, but took precautions to preserve what remained of their crops. Then a second hard freeze hit on April 21.“”That second wave pretty much knocked everything out,” Weber said.The one fruit that weathered the cold was pears, Weber noted. Pear trees had already set fruit when the freezes hit and were able to tolerate the cold. But though the fruit made it through, they are marred with a “frost ring” — a layer of damaged tissue on the skin that gives the fruit a russeted, or rough, appearance.“A lot of people find it unpalatable or unsightly, even though it doesn’t affect the flavor,” Weber said. But it means that farmers won’t be able to sell their pears for a premium price. “So even those who had pears that made it through, they’re gonna be suffering a loss of profit because they can’t sell it for what they would normally expect.”Soergel Orchards in Allegheny and Butler Counties was one of the many farms that saw its blossoms freeze and drop from their branches before they could bear fruit. The family farm was founded in 1850, and sixth-generation farmer Adam Voll is still tending Soergel’s 450 acres.Voll says the April 21 freeze was a worst-case scenario.“We were basically in the most vulnerable spot there could be,” Voll said. “We were pretty much in full bloom.”Temperatures plunged to 25 degrees overnight at the Butler County Airport weather station. Voll believes some of Soergel’s orchards, which are in several locations across Allegheny and Butler counties, may have seen even lower temperatures.“On stone fruit, it’s pretty much totally gone for us in their area,” Voll said. “We won’t have really any of our own peaches or cherries this year.” He says he’s forecasting the apple crop will fare a bit better. It’s hard to diagnose at this point because there are apples on the trees, and they appear to be growing well.“But whenever you cut some of them open, you actually find the seed cavity is brown. It was frozen, so it’s not producing seeds. The tree tends to abort that fruit. Some of them are already dropping off now,” Voll said.Soergel Orchards expects to have a better idea of where the crop stands in June, but Voll’s current forecast is that they will see 50% of their crop, though some apple tree varieties may only bear 10% of what the farm expected.Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins, urging the federal government to provide disaster assistance for affected farmers, including expedited damage assessments that will help growers file crop insurance claims.Voll said he has seen total crop losses in the past, and feels lucky that Soergel is diversified, with many other vegetable and fruit crops. But he has already lost two plantings of sweet corn to the variable weather. “To have fruit and then some of our starting vegetables all take a hit in one year? That’s not normal,” Voll said.
Trump to eliminate U.S. Forest Service research, and close four facilities in Pennsylvania - The Allegheny Front - The Trump administration is drastically cutting the budget, and reorganizing the U.S. Forest Service, moving its headquarters and research facilities to western states. In Pennsylvania, four research sites are on the chopping block. As forest ecologist Richard Bowden walks through an old growth section of the Allegheny National Forest, he points toward the ground. It’s barren of young trees. “There’s nothing,” said Bowden, a professor of environmental science and sustainability at nearby Allegheny College. “And that’s because of deer.” Deer overpopulated this area, called Heart’s Content, and much of the Allegheny Plateau, for decades; they eat whatever vegetation they can reach. He stops walking at a small fenced area. “This is a deer exclosure,” he explains that the fence keeps deer out. On the ground inside, there are plants growing.“You can see all those young hemlocks coming up, and a number of other hardwoods coming up in there. In a couple weeks when everything fully leaves out, we’ll see a lot more low lying vegetation,” he said.Bowden said a vibrant forest understory is important for growing new generations of trees, which supports birds and other wildlife, and the timber industry.While the ideas behind this deer management demonstration might seem simple, it’s taken decades of research to understand the problem, and do the work to actually keep the deer population in balance with the forest. Much of the research, and the coordination of solutions on the ground, was done by the Forest Service Northern Research Station in Irvine, Pennsylvania. It’s a small building in the woods outside the boundary of the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County.But the Irvine lab is slated for closure in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s reorganization plan announced in March. “I’m heartbroken,” said Susan Stout, who retired in 2018 after nearly 40 years as a research forester and team leader at the Irvine lab. The plan calls for the closure of 57 of the 77 US Forest Service research sites nationwide, including four in Pennsylvania: Irvine, in the northwest, Williamsport, York, and Long Pond, in the Poconos. Stout said it would be a huge loss. For nearly a hundred years, the Forest Service lab in Irvine has researched everything from deer, to black cherry and sugar maple trees, hemlock wooly adelgid, and other forest pests, according to Stout. She said that research takes time. The Irvine lab started studying deer in the Allegheny National Forest in the 1970s.“Were deer the cause of regeneration failures in the forest? Which we learned very quickly the answer was ‘yes’,” Stout said. “Then of course deer are also part of the forest. So how many deer are too many? And that’s probably the most famous study that we did, and that ran from the early 1980s through about 1990.” Their findings on deer management are used within the 515,000 acres of the Allegheny, throughout the nearly 17 million acres of public and private forestland in Pennsylvania, around the US, and in other countries, she said.Researchers at the Irvine lab also created a popular software tool to help foresters figure out when a tree stand could be sustainably harvested. For many years, they’ve been bringing foresters together for training.“There are thousands of foresters who’ve worked with us and over time that became a working relationship,” Stout said. “It’s that continuity over time and through intellectual heritage from one generation of foresters to another acting in a continuous way that is what’s really at risk of being lost,” she said.
Late-season snowstorm shuts down I-80 in southern Wyoming - A late-season winter storm brought heavy snow and hazardous travel conditions to southern Wyoming on May 18, 2026, shutting down sections of Interstate 80 and other roads. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Cheyenne issued winter storm and blizzard warnings for parts of Carbon and Albany counties, while the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) reported road closures, reduced visibility, and winter travel hazards across affected corridors. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Cheyenne issued winter storm warnings for parts of the region and upgraded the Arlington area to a Blizzard Warning due to whiteout conditions caused by heavy and blowing snow. Playlist advancing in 5 seconds Video Paused The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) reported winter condition closures and rolling restrictions along sections of I-80 through the Rawlins, Rock Springs, and Laramie areas. Many motorists were stranded for extended periods during the height of the storm, while power outages affected parts of Carbon County, including Rawlins. Meteorologist Don Day reported as much as 61 cm (24 inches) of snow was measured in Centennial. Early May 19 road reports listed slick roads, drifted snow, fog, black ice, strong winds, blowing snow, and limited visibility in parts of I-80. WYDOT reported WY 71 closed between Rawlins and the southern end of the route due to winter conditions, while US 287/WY 789 south of Rawlins had slick and drifted snow, blowing snow, and reduced visibility. Additional mountain routes, including sections of WY 130, were also affected by hazardous winter travel conditions. NWS Cheyenne maintained freeze warnings and watches for parts of southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska on May 19, warning that temperatures could fall well below freezing overnight into Wednesday morning. Forecast temperatures in some areas were expected to drop as low as -11°C (12°F), with lows generally ranging from -11 to -7°C (12 to 19°F), prolonging icy conditions on roads.
25 tornadoes reported in central United States, damage in Iowa and Nebraska - 4 YouTube videos- At least 25 tornadoes were reported across four states in the central United States on May 17, 2026, with widespread damage being reported in parts of Iowa and Nebraska. The Storm Prediction Center received at least 25 tornado reports through May 17 across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Florida. Out of the 25, 14 tornadoes were reported in Iowa, affecting multiple counties, including Woodbury, Plymouth, Cherokee, Calhoun, Pocahontas, Dickinson, and Palo Alto counties. While widespread tornado damage has been reported in the affected area, the extent of it is yet to be surveyed. Seven tornadoes were reported in Howard, Hall, Thayer, Saunders, and Cass counties in Nebraska. Homes south of Plattsmouth were damaged due to a possible tornado in Cass County. At least two tornadoes were reported in Minnesota. An unconfirmed tornado was reported approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) southwest of Worthington, in Nobles County, with debris being observed. Meanwhile, a short-rope tornado was reported near the I-90 in Martin County. The tornado was confirmed by a local police officer and a trained spotter. A possible landspout was reported near Susank in Barton County, Kansas, while another tornado/landspout was reported near Cape Coral in Lee County. YouTube video YouTube video For May 18, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed portions of central and northeastern Kansas and far southeastern Nebraska under a Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms. Supercells are forecast to produce all severe hazards, including 5–10+ cm (2–4+ inches) of hail and strong to intense tornadoes, mainly from central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska.
EF3 tornado destroys multiple homes north of St. Libory, Nebraska - 3 videos - Three tornadoes touched down across south-central Nebraska on May 17, 2026, including a high-end EF3 tornado near St. Libory in Howard County that destroyed multiple homes and damaged power infrastructure, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The strongest tornado, rated EF3, developed rapidly near a farmstead west of Highway 281, where small outbuildings were destroyed and numerous trees damaged. It touched down at 17:04 CDT, about 6.4 km (4 miles) northwest of St. Libory, and remained on the ground until 17:15 CDT, tracking a 9.8 km (6.09 miles) long path eastward across southeastern Howard County. Estimated peak winds reached 257 km/h (160 mph), while the maximum path width was measured at 320 m (1 050 feet). At least four homes and two garages in the area were destroyed, along with a nearby center pivot irrigation system. It snapped power poles before crossing Highway 281 about 3 km (2 miles) north of the Highway 58 intersection and intensified further as it moved into a rural housing development east of the highway. The tornado dissipated just west of Merrick County, about 6.4 km (4 miles) northeast of St. Libory. No fatalities or injuries were reported. Meanwhile, an EF1 tornado touched down at 18:42 CDT about 5 km (3 miles) southwest of Hebron in Thayer County and lifted at 18:53 CDT about 1.6 km (1 mile) east-southeast of Hebron. It had a path length of 6.8 km (4.25 miles) with a maximum width of 183 m (600 feet) and produced estimated peak winds of 153 km/h (95 mph). Survey teams found the Hebron tornado began with EF0 tree limb damage near Spring Creek before intensifying to EF1 strength as it moved east-northeast. Trees were uprooted, and part of the roof of a golf cart shed at the Hebron Country Club was uplifted. The tornado weakened while crossing near the airport before dissipating on the east-southeast side of town, where additional tree damage and roofing loss from a farm shed were documented near the Little Blue River. Another tornado was confirmed in rural southwestern Howard County near Dannebrog at 16:51 CDT. However, it was rated EFU because no damage indicators were identified to support a wind speed estimate.
New Mexico wildfire sparked by fatal medical plane crash spreads quickly in rural area - A fast-growing wildfire sparked by the fatal crash of a small medical plane outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, has triggered evacuations for a rural area north of the Capitan Mountains and closures in the Lincoln National Forest, officials said Monday. The plane was en route from Roswell Air Center to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it crashed before dawn Thursday, killing the four people aboard. They were identified as pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara with the company Generation Jets and flight nurses Jamie Novick and Sarah Clark with Trans Aero MedEvac. "Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones navigating an unimaginable loss," Matt Goertz, vice president of Trans Aero MedEvac, said in a joint statement with Generation Jets. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The wildfire grew rapidly over the weekend amid dry and windy conditions, nearly doubling in size between Sunday and Monday morning to more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometers). It was burning out of control in a sparsely populated area despite the efforts of more than 600 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and several interagency Hotshot crews. Adam Turner, a public information officer for the fire, said steep, rugged terrain has made it impossible for crews to engage the fire directly. "This is what firefighters call 'mountain goat territory,'" said Turner, adding that crews were instead working to contain and steer the fire away from several evacuated cattle ranches to the northeast and the community of Arabella to the west. A red flag warning remained in effect across southern New Mexico on Monday, with wind speeds forecast between 20-30 mph (32-50 kph).
State of Disaster Emergency declared for Colorado as Sharpe Fire grows to over 11 400 ha (28 000 acres) - YouTube videos - A State of Disaster Emergency has been declared for the state of Colorado due to the rapidly growing Sharpe Fire that has scorched 11 400 ha (28 000 acres). Mandatory evacuations were issued for Campo and surrounding rural areas in southeastern Colorado after the Sharpe Fire crossed from Oklahoma under critical fire weather conditions on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The blaze, dubbed the Sharpe Fire, was discovered in Cimarron County in the Oklahoma Panhandle on May 16 at around 05:30 local time (LT). It has since burned 11 430 ha (28 244 acres) and stands at 5% containment. Strong southwest winds pushed the Sharpe Fire northward into Baca County, Colorado. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Campo and nearby rural areas south of County Road J, including sections along Road 24 extending toward the Oklahoma border. Baca County emergency officials warned residents of an active threat to life and property and urged immediate evacuation. Evacuation orders were lifted for Campo itself by Sunday evening, though some nearby rural evacuation zones remained active while wildfire suppression operations continued. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency Sunday and activated the State Emergency Operations Center as the wildfire intensified across southeastern Colorado. The Sharpe Fire has caused estimated damages worth over USD 313 000 since it ignited, according to Wildfire EGP. “The fire line is currently holding around Campo. Several crews remain on scene to monitor overnight. Conditions are not favorable tomorrow, so please stay aware,” said Baca County Emergency Management. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the county through 20:00 local time (LT) on Monday, May 18. The Sharpe Fire expanded under dangerous fire-weather conditions, with dry southwest wind gusts reaching over 56 km/h (35 mph). Critical fire-weather conditions will continue into Monday across parts of southeastern Colorado.
Largest fire ever recorded on Santa Rosa Island endangers 'gem of California coast' – A wildfire sparked by the flare of a shipwrecked mariner has burned around one-fourth of Santa Rosa Island and marks what officials called the largest blaze recorded on the island in modern history. Firefighters ferried in personnel, equipment and pallets of supplies by boat amid gusty winds and rough seas as they raced to save sensitive wildlife, including the continent’s rarest species of pine tree. Preservationists were worried the flames could burn through pristine terrain unique to the region. “It’s one of our gems of the California coast,” said Michael Cohen, chair of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. “It looks like it did 100 years ago — it’s just untouched.” The fire had burned nearly 15,000 acres as of late Monday and remained 0% contained. Flames spread up steep slopes, chewing through island chaparral, along with some grass and brush, said Mike Theune, fire information officer assigned to the incident. Two historic buildings were destroyed — Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and the Wreck Line Camp Cabin — along with a storage structure, he said. A helicopter evacuated 11 employees of the National Park Service, which manages the island as part of the Channel Islands National Park, on Sunday. Flames were about a half-mile from the island’s stand of Torrey pines — one of just two places in the world where the species grows naturally, Theune said. Firefighters were seeking to contain the fire using preexisting features such as roads, ridges and trails rather than carving a fire line through the island’s sensitive ecosystems, he said. Each of the Channel Islands has endemic species and subspecies, including island foxes, that are found nowhere else, said Phyllis Grifman, vice chair of the advisory council. “They’re kind of known as the Galapagos of [North] America.” Santa Rosa is home to six endemic plants, as well as the island spotted skunk and rare birds, Cohen said. It also has a rich cultural history — North America’s oldest definitively dated human remains were found here in 1959, and there are culturally significant Chumash sites, said Cohen, who is also president of the Santa Barbara Adventure Co. The fire was inadvertently sparked by a man who crashed his sailboat into rocks on the island’s rugged south side and then fired emergency flares to signal for help, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and eyewitness accounts. Jace Malone, who helms the New Hustler sportfishing boat, saw smoke around 9:30 a.m. Friday and drove closer to the island so the children on his boat could take a look. Then he saw someone waving. A man stood on a small sliver of unburned land, surrounded by scorched vegetation, Malone said. Small pieces of his vessel were scattered among the rocks. He’d somehow scratched “SOS” into the blackened earth, a photo released by the Coast Guard shows. Malone called the Coast Guard, which sent a helicopter to hoist the man up, he said. The mariner, who was not seriously injured, had spent Thursday night stranded on the island, the agency said in a social media post. Windy conditions initially fanned the flames and made it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze. A gale warning was in effect from Friday night to early Monday, and forecasters had warned boats of all sizes to remain in harbor, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Winds also precluded the use of water-dropping aircraft: Firefighters attempted one drop, but the wind blew the water away before it reached the ground, Theune said. Still, firefighters reached the island less than 12 hours after the fire was confirmed, which “was no easy feat,” he said. They traveled by boat, which he described as the most time-efficient mode of transport and also necessary to accommodate all the supplies needed to fight a wildfire. “That’s what makes fighting a fire like this different, as opposed to mainland firefight where we can drive in trucks and equipment,” he said. A firefighting aircraft was able to fly over the fire Monday and was conferring with firefighters on the ground to decide whether it would be possible to use more aircraft, Theune said. About 70 people were assigned to the fire, and more were on the way, he said.
Largest wildfire in Santa Rosa Island history burns more than 5 900 ha (14 600 acres), threatening rare Torrey pines, California - YouTube video - A record-breaking wildfire burning on California’s Santa Rosa Island has scorched more than 5 900 ha (14 600 acres) and continues to threaten rare Torrey pine trees, endangered plant species, and historic structures. Multiple wildfires continue to burn in California, including the record-breaking Santa Rosa Fire, which started on May 15 and has burned through more than 5 666 ha (14 000 acres) since then. Santa Rosa Island is part of the Channel Islands National Park and is home to thousands of rare and endangered plants and animals. The fire is reportedly the largest ever to have burned on the island and the largest wildfire to have ignited in California in 2026. At least two historical structures have been damaged by the blaze: the Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge and the Wreck Line Cabin on the eastern edge. Multiple structures continue to be threatened as the blaze continues to grow. The fire is also threatening the Torrey pine trees in the area, which are the rarest North American pines and are found only on Santa Rosa Island and at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in San Diego County. Five other rare plant species found only on the island are also threatened by the fire’s spread. While the cause remains under investigation, authorities believe the fire started after a 67-year-old sailor crashed his boat on the island’s shore, after which he fired two flares to attract nearby boats for rescue. Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard arrived in the area. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter that was already in flight to retrieve the man, who had spent the night on the island. The man had etched the letters “SOS” onto the charred ground. Officials took him to a hospital in nearby Camarillo without apparent injuries. Santa Rosa Island Fire burning on May 15, 2026Santa Rosa Island Fire burning on May 15, 2026. Credit: USCG Southwest Image of the coastal areas burned by the Santa Rosa Island Fire on May 15, 2026Image of the coastal areas burned by the Santa Rosa Island Fire on May 15, 2026. Credit: USCG Southwest The flames burned more than 405 ha (1 000 acres) on the first day and had grown to more than 4 047 ha (10 000 acres) by the third day. As of 17:30 LT on May 18, the fire had burned approximately 5 908 ha (14 600 acres) and stood at 0% containment. At least 11 National Park Service employees were evacuated by helicopter to Oxnard Airport on May 17. “Extreme fire behavior continues to challenge suppression efforts, including wind-driven uphill runs. Structures remain threatened, while coastal marine layer conditions and high winds are impacting air operations. Additional challenges include protecting endangered species, cultural and heritage resources, and overcoming remote island access and communication limitations,” said Cal Fire in its incident update on May 18. The National Park Service has closed the island to tourists through the week as firefighters continue suppression efforts.
More than 17,000 under evacuation orders as Southern California wildfire threatens homes (AP) — More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California on Tuesday as a wildfire threatened suburban homes.The wind-driven Sandy Fire was reported Monday in the hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.By Tuesday morning, it had consumed more than two square miles (five square kilometers) of dry brush and destroyed at least one home, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.The flames were initially pushed by gusts that topped 30 mph (48 kph), but firefighters were aided by calmer winds overnight, said department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.“We’ve made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions,” Dowd said. Crews hoped to make further progress before winds increased again, he said.The fire was 5% contained. The cause is under investigation.Evacuation orders and warnings were still in place for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people that was shrouded in smoke as aircraft made water drops.Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a 23-square-mile (59-square-kilometer) blaze on Santa Rosa Island, off the Southern California coast. The fire destroyed a cabin and an equipment shed and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees.There was no containment as of Tuesday morning.Santa Rosa, a popular destination for camping and hiking, is home to island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.
Wildfire Crews Race to Keep Fierce California Blaze From Former Nuclear Reactor Site - Inside Climate News - Most neighbors in West Hills—about 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles—stayed put after only a voluntary “evacuation warning” was issued for the area. But not Melissa Bumstead. As the ever-growing Sandy Fire swept across Southern California, the 45-year-old mother could only think of one thing. Bumstead lives less than four miles from the site of possibly the worst nuclear meltdown in U.S. history besides the Three Mile Island accident.The Santa Susana Field Laboratory, or SSFL, is known locally as a problem site—with a pockmarked history amid a spotty cleanup. A blaze hitting the former nuclear reactor and rocket testing site, Bumstead is sure, would be a cataclysm. “This is what it looks like to evacuate when you’re scared,” she said Monday, “because if the smoke were to be radioactive or toxic, you don’t want to breathe it.” Bumstead returned home Tuesday but remains on alert as the Sandy Fire rages on. The fireline was about a quarter-mile from the site on Tuesday morning. Boeing—which has owned SSFL since 1996—said it has evacuated all personnel from the site who are not involved with fire control. “We are actively monitoring the Sandy Fire near the Santa Susana site and are in close coordination with local authorities and emergency responders,” a Boeing spokesman told Inside Climate News in an email. “This is an ongoing situation, and as it evolves, we will continue to monitor fire conditions,” he said, deferring to the state for other questions. Radiation exposure has short-term as well as long-term impacts, including greater risk of developing cancer and possible harms to cardiovascular and immune systems.The Sandy Fire, which surpassed 1,600 acres on Tuesday with only 15 percent containment based on early response efforts, burned near Simi Valley.More than 33,000 people in the valley and other communities were placed under evacuation orders. At least one home has been destroyed as of Tuesday afternoon. The cause remains under investigation. Fire crews made strides in cutting firelines since Monday morning, when the incident first began as a brush fire. At about 4 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, prevailing winds shifted direction from the west, fueled by out-of-season Santa Ana winds. The shifting conditions placed the Santa Susana Field Lab in the immediate path of the Sandy Fire—raising alarms from nearby families like Bumstead’s. Fire crews raced to the scene. “That is an area that we’re trying to keep the fire out of and we’re putting multiple dozer lines in place, as well as our hand crews are working to increase containment and build contingency lines,” Andy VanSciver, a firefighter and spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, told Inside Climate News on Tuesday.VanSciver said first responders were at the former nuclear site “right away.”The state Department of Toxic Substances Control did not immediately provide comment Tuesday afternoon. A multi-agency hazardous materials group, or HazMat, “has been established and is closely monitoring the situation” at SSFL, Karin Grennan, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, said Wednesday morning. “At this time, we are not aware of any confirmed off-site air quality impacts specifically associated with the Santa Susana Field Laboratory area,” said Grennan. She noted air monitoring activities were in the works but did not have further details.The U.S. Department of Energy said in a statement online that it “is closely monitoring the Sandy Fire located adjacent to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.” So far, “there is no impact to the site,” the agency wrote.VanSciver said he was confident the community would be protected as the fire department arrived at the site quickly, but noted that updates will be provided online.
Intensifying droughts may be pushing tropical forests toward a dangerous threshold - Tropical forests, often described as the lungs of the planet, may be edging closer to a dangerous threshold as droughts become more frequent and widespread across the world's humid tropics. New research suggests these ecosystems are increasingly struggling to recover from prolonged dry conditions, raising concerns that some forests could eventually shift from absorbing carbon dioxide to releasing it back into the atmosphere.The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, analyzed nearly four decades of satellite observations and climate records spanning tropical regions in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Dr. Shuai Cheng, from China's Eastern Institute of Technology, and colleagues found that drought affecting tropical vegetation has increased steadily since the early 1980s, with some of the strongest trends appearing in African tropical forests.Scientists have long known that tropical forests play a critical role in regulating Earth's climate. Trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, storing huge amounts of carbon in trunks, branches, roots and soils. Together, tropical ecosystems remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, helping slow the pace of global warming. But this natural buffering system depends on forests remaining healthy enough to keep growing. As temperatures rise and rainfall patterns shift, drought stress is becoming a growing threat to that balance. Rather than relying solely on rainfall records, the researchers developed a method designed to capture how vegetation itself responds to drought conditions. Using long-term satellite measurements of plant activity alongside climate data from 1982 to 2019, they identified periods when tropical vegetation showed signs of physiological stress caused by both low soil moisture and dry air.This distinction matters because forests do not necessarily respond to drought in simple ways. A region may receive near-average rainfall, but higher temperatures can increase evaporation and dry out soils more quickly. At the same time, warmer air can draw more moisture from leaves through a process known as atmospheric evaporative demand, placing additional strain on plants.The study found that these combined stresses are intensifying across much of the tropics. More than half of the increase in vegetation droughts was linked to declining soil moisture driven largely by warming temperatures and increased atmospheric drying.Africa experienced the strongest expansion in drought-affected vegetation, although significant increases were also observed in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. The researchers say the trend suggests tropical ecosystems are being exposed to longer and more widespread periods of water stress than in previous decades.For tropical forests, repeated drought can have cascading effects. Trees under water stress often close tiny pores on their leaves, known as stomata, to conserve moisture. While this helps prevent dehydration, it also limits the amount of carbon dioxide the trees can absorb for photosynthesis.If droughts persist, tree growth slows, leaves may be shed earlier, and mortality rates can increase. Severe drought can also make forests more vulnerable to fire, disease and storm damage. Over time, these pressures can weaken the forest's ability to act as a carbon sink.Scientists are increasingly concerned about the possibility of "tipping points" in some tropical ecosystems, referring to the threshold beyond which an ecosystem changes rapidly and may struggle to return to its previous state. In the Amazon, for example, researchers have warned that extensive warming, drying and deforestation could eventually push parts of the rainforest toward a more open, savanna-like landscape.This new study does not claim that tropical forests have already crossed such a threshold. However, the authors argue that the increasing frequency and extent of vegetation droughts indicate some regions may be approaching limits on how much climatic stress they can tolerate.
Extreme weather events are accelerating tidal wetland loss, satellite data show - Tidal wetlands are critical, yet vulnerable ecosystems. Tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and tidal flats support biodiversity, protect against flooding and storm surges, sequester carbon, and improve water quality. Due to human development and climate change, tidal wetland areas have been shrinking globally. A new study using 40 years of satellite data shows that this loss has been accelerating in the U.S. and that this acceleration is being increasingly driven by extreme weather events.This work was led by Xiucheng Yang, a former UConn postdoctoral researcher and current senior research fellow at the University of Victoria, and Zhe Zhu, an associate professor and director of Global Environmental Remote Sensing (GERS) Laboratory in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR).The study is published in the journal Nature Communications."What we provide here is that we are continuously and consistently monitoring tidal wetland change," Yang says. "This way we can link the change to specific events like hurricanes or storms."The predominant hypothesis about what is driving tidal wetland loss has long held sea level rise responsible. However, Yang and Zhu's research proves there's more to the story.This paper marks the very first time scientists have successfully linked tidal wetland loss to specific storm events. This is especially significant given that storms are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change."By separating the abrupt changes (e.g., extreme weather events) and gradual changes (e.g., sea level rise), we are able to quantify their contribution to the tidal wetland loss," Zhu says."The total area loss is still dominated by sea level rise. But, if you're looking at the acceleration of this loss, it's actually dominated by extreme weather events (1.4 times that of the chronic stressors)."Since 1985, the U.S. has lost more than 7.5%, or 1,600 square kilometers, of its tidal wetlands. This loss is accelerating by approximately 0.73 square kilometers per year.Studying tidal wetlands poses a unique challenge for researchers because the landscape changes with the tides. To compensate for this influence, Yang and Zhu developed a time series model called DECODE (DEtection and Characterization of cOastal tiDal wEtlands).While existing algorithms can determine what kind of land is shown in an image, researchers historically struggled to attribute the mapped losses to specific historical extreme weather events to determine when and why the tidal wetland area was decreasing over time."We don't have comprehensive driver maps," Zhu says. "So, we are using the high-frequent tidal wetland loss map to create a random sample and manually interpret, looking at the historical data, what is a major driver of this tidal wetland loss."
Sea level rise is swallowing US Mid-Atlantic farmland faster than expected, study finds - Ghost forests, the cemetery-like groupings of dead trees killed by saltwater intrusion, have become haunting symbols of sea level rise overtaking land along the Mid-Atlantic coast. But a new study published in Nature Sustainability, led by William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS, points to even more dramatic land losses in the region's coastal farmlands, where the rate of marsh encroachment is happening nearly twice as fast.Using satellite data spanning decades as well as recent field measurements, the study's authors found that between 1984 and 2022 approximately 25,000 acres of farmland was lost to sea level rise in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds, despite preventative measures taken by local farmers. "There's this assumption that we'll never let sea level rise consume farmland, that people will protect valuable land. And it's just wrong," said Matt Kirwan, co-author and professor of marine science at the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS. "We found lots of examples where small levees were built at the edges of fields to prevent saltwater intrusion, but they only slowed down the loss. They couldn't stop it." As sea levels continue to rise due to human-driven climate change, saltwater creeps farther inland through groundwater, tidal creeks, and storm surges. This process, known as saltwater intrusion, gradually kills freshwater plants and replaces them with salt-tolerant marsh grasses. Scientists track this transformation by measuring how the boundary between dry land and marsh shifts over time, a metric known as retreat. Rather than measuring only how far inland the marsh boundary moved, which can depend on how flat or steep the land is, the authors tracked the elevation of the boundary as well. This approach accounts for differences in terrain and allows for a more direct comparison of marsh encroachment between farmland and forest. The Mid-Atlantic coast experiences sea level rise at roughly double the global average, making it both a hotspot for these changes and an ideal location to study them. The study shows that marsh encroachment can be up to seven times more frequent on agricultural land compared to forestland in the Mid-Atlantic and that regionally, agricultural land appears to have accelerated the impacts of saltwater intrusion. "We hypothesized, and most people would intuitively expect, that marshes would migrate slower into farmland, that forests are more vulnerable than farmland. But we found the opposite," Kirwan said. "On farmland, it's much more subtle. It's a row of crops at the edge of the field that's brown instead of green, but it still adds up to thousands of acres of lost agricultural production." The study references an assumption that coastal farmland's economic value incentivizes flood mitigation strategies to protect against sea level rise. In point of fact, Mid-Atlantic farmers have built levees or earthen berms around their land to reduce inundation, along with other mechanisms like ditches. However, because Virginia and Maryland made tidal wetlands protected ecosystems in the 1970s, few structural interventions have been built since then, raising doubts about whether coastal farmlands are as protected as presumed. "Some of the berms are still being used and maintained, but a lot of them have been abandoned and are now surrounded by marsh,"
El Niño to bring US high tide floods, experts warn - — Forecasters are expecting a strong El Niño to emerge by July 2026, and it could bring high tide flooding to parts of the U.S.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting that El Niño will emerge soon, with an 82 percent chance of it appearing between May and July, and continuing through the winter months, with a 96 percent chance of experiencing the phenomenon between December 2026 and February 2027. El Niño splits the Pacific jet stream, a river of air that determines weather patterns, causing it to move south of its usual position. That can cause elevated sea levels along the West Coast and bring more rain than normal to the Gulf Coast and Southeast. Strong El Niños have caused more flooding in the past, with the effect more pronounced in recent decades. The agency officially declared the end of La Niña, El Niño’s counterpart climate pattern. The two patterns, based on warming and cooling phases, cycle through every two to seven years. During El Niño, trade winds weaken across the Pacific, triggering Kelvin waves that move eastward along the equator and up the West Coast. Unlike regular waves, which curl over and crash, Kelvin waves are large, planetary waves that move without crashing. Those waves warm the upper ocean, raising sea levels and sea surface temperatures for months or longer. During La Niña, trade winds strengthen, bringing cooler water to the Pacific and up the West Coast, cooling sea temperatures and causing different weather patterns across the U.S. Both are part of a larger pattern known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, which also has a neutral phase in between. That phase can last for months or years and is characterized by sea surface temperatures near average.There is a possibility of a “super El Niño” circumstance, which occurs when temperatures rise at least 2 degrees Celsius above normal, according to Matthew Sittel, assistant state climatologist at Kansas State University. There have only been four super El Niños since 1950. NOAA has estimated there is about a 50 percent chance that this year’s El Niño could develop into a strong one.
NOAA predicts below-normal hurricane season amid building El Niño --The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday predicted that the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season could be below normal as El Niño intensifies amid its development. NOAA’s outlook predicts a 55 percent chance of a below-normal season, with between eight and 14 named storms likely to develop. Between three and six of those storms should develop into hurricanes, including one or three that become category 3, 4, or 5 major hurricanes. Hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. El Niño, the weather pattern where water temperatures near the equator of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean rise above the historic average for months at a time, will develop and intensify. These conditions typically support fewer tropical storms and hurricanes, with warmer water temperatures and low winds possibly leading to a more active season in 2027. “Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said in a report. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.” NOAA’s outlook does not forecast when hurricanes could make landfall. The outlook is for overall seasonal activity based on large-scale weather and climate patterns and not “where or when any storms may affect land as that is determined by short-term and variable weather patterns,” the agency stated.
NOAA forecasts 8-14 named storms in below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook - The Watchers -NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) forecast a 55% chance of a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes between June 1 and November 30.
- The outlook gives a 35% probability of near-normal activity and a 10% probability of above-normal activity, with a 70% confidence in the forecast ranges.
- An average Atlantic season produces 14 named storms, including 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. Named storms have winds of at least 63 km/h (39 mph), hurricanes reach at least 119 km/h (74 mph), and major hurricanes are Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 179 km/h (111 mph).
The below-normal forecast this year reflects competing climate factors — El Niño, warmer ocean temperatures, and weaker trade winds. El Niño is expected during the hurricane season and tends to suppress Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane development. At the same time, Atlantic Ocean temperatures are expected to remain slightly warmer than normal and trade winds weaker than average, supporting higher activity.El Niño is likely to emerge soon, with an 82% chance during May-July 2026, and continue through Northern Hemisphere winter 2026-27, with a 96% chance during December 2026-February 2027, according to the Climate Prediction Center report issued on May 14.
As El Niño Approaches, Scientists Predict Fierce Heatwaves, Wildfires and Floods - Scientists said this week that a developing El Niño is likely to amplify heatwaves, droughts and floods this year, but warned that the long-term warming caused by burning fossil fuels remains the main driver of climate extremes.El Niño is the warm phase of a semi-regular temperature oscillation in the tropical Pacific Ocean, during which massive amounts of heat stored in the ocean are released into the atmosphere, temporarily raising the average annual global surface temperature by as much as 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit.During an online briefing this week, researchers said that the consequences of a moderate or strong El Niño today are more damaging than those of similar events just a few decades ago because the entire global climate system is now substantially warmer. If the projected El Niño emerges on top of that warmer climate, there is a “serious risk of unprecedented weather extremes” that would not have happened during similar historical El Niños, said Fredi Otto, a professor in climate science at Imperial College London and a lead researcher with World Weather Attribution, a research group assessing how global warming affects climate extremes.El Niño conditions in 2015-2016 and 2023-2024 helped boost Earth’s long-running fever to new records; climatologists expect another spike in the months ahead. But the planet’s temperature will keep reaching new record highs in any case “because of human-induced climate change,” Otto said during the press conference.World Weather Attribution has assessed the effects of global warming on more than 100 extreme climate events since 2014. Often, she said, those studies try to isolate El Niño’s role in a particular extreme event to accurately measure the effect of human-caused warming. In almost every case, the WWA researchers found “human-induced climate change has a much greater influence on the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events” than El Niño cycles, she said. One of their assessments showed that human-caused warming “far eclipsed” the effects of a strong El Niño on extreme rains in the Horn of Africa at the end of 2023.Jemilah Mahmood, director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in Indonesia, said during the press conference that the scientific projections for serious climate impacts from a combination of long-term warming and El Niño this year can be measured in terms of life and death, especially regarding extreme heat.“Heat is exactly the kind of crisis that our systems are designed to ignore until it’s too late,” Mahmood said.“It doesn’t arrive with a named storm or a visible floodline. It kills quietly, in homes, in open fields, in the bodies of workers who have no choice but to be outside,” she said, tallying grim statistics like the estimated 546,000 total annual heat-related global deaths.“We have normalized a public health emergency by failing to name it as one,” she said. “Those who contributed the least to this crisis are often those paying the highest health costs, but that is the equity scandal at the heart of everything we are discussing today.”
How a super El Niño could trigger global famine -Extreme heat and drought could damage harvests and worsen global food insecurity this summer.Climate scientists, agricultural experts and policymakers warn that a super El Niño could tip vulnerable populations towards famine. El Niño is a climate phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather patterns globally. Rare "super" El Niños generate exceptionally intense warming of water at the surface of the Pacific, with temperatures rising more than 2°C above historical averages. This sharply disrupts global weather, increasing the risk of extreme heat, droughts and flooding. Yet El Niño is only one pressure bearing down on an already dysfunctional and fragile global food system. Hunger is fundamentally political and economic. Wars disrupt trade. Inequality limits access to food. Both are intensified by a profit-driven food system that prioritizes feeding animals for slaughter over feeding people. Millions of people are vulnerable even in normal times—and catastrophically so when shocks arrive.El Niño alters rainfall, shifts jet streams and raises global temperatures.Human-induced global heating intensifies these dangers. A study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization shows that rising heat could make farm work unsafe for much of the year across South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Americas. Crop yields have dropped sharply above 30°C, while heat stress reduces livestock productivity and survival. Modern agriculture depends heavily on fossil-fuel-based fertilizers transported over long distances. If fertilizer fails to arrive in time for key planting windows, yields decline months later. In wealthy countries, this translates into higher prices; in poorer ones, it translates into hunger. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly exposed, importing around 80% of its fertilizer. Yet the current Middle East war has revealed already existing fault lines. Over recent decades, food production has been reorganized into long, energy-intensive supply chains. These chains rely on cheap fossil fuels, synthetic fertilizers and monocultures designed to maximize output rather than resilience. My research shows that such systems can simultaneously raise total food production while worsening food insecurity. Nowhere is this clearer than in heavily indebted countries across the developing world. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean, governments are struggling with high food import bills alongside heavy debt repayments. This leaves little financial buffer to cushion households when prices spike.Unsurprisingly, hunger is rising most rapidly where debt and food dependence intersect. Because of this, the humanitarian charity Oxfam is calling for G7 countries (including the UK, France and Germany) to redirect less than 3% of their military spending to vulnerable countries to reduce chronic hunger while easing debt pressures. Emergency finance is essential—but it is only a stopgap. Preventing future food crises requires structural change to how food is produced.Livestock production is among the most fertilizer- and fossil-fuel-intensive forms of agriculture. It is responsible for about 14.5% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.A lot of farmland grows maize and soy to feed livestock rather than people. These "feed crops" require increasing fertilizers to maintain the same output. Studies on maize production in China find that exposure to temperatures above 28°C leads to sharp increases in fertilizer use. The feed-livestock complex therefore results in rising fossil-fuel use—a pressure intensified by climate breakdown.Meanwhile, global meat production is predicted to double between the early 2000s and 2050. When grazing land and feed cropland are combined, livestock production accounts for roughly 80% of global agricultural land.Expanding this system increases land use, fertilizer demand, energy inputs and greenhouse gas emissions—exactly the opposite of what a climate-stressed world requires.Rather than simply reflecting consumer demand, state support enables the expansion of feed-livestock production. Of the approximately US$540 billion (£400 billion) annual subsidies to agriculture, the largest recipients are beef and milk producers. Many subsidies provide support to buy pesticides and fertilizers. A shift away from feed-intensive livestock systems towards more plant-based, agroecological farming would reduce pressure on land, while cutting demand for fertilizers and fossil fuels. Agroecology is a form of farming that works with ecological processes, emphasizing crop diversity, nutrient cycling, healthy soils and locally adapted practices instead of heavy chemical inputs.Even where agroecology delivers slightly lower yields, reducing the production of crops to feed livestock frees up land. This allows agroecological farms to scale up and increase their food output. Studies show how diverse agroecological systems, including mixed crop-livestock farming, produce stronger food security and more nutritional food crops than industrial monoculture agriculture.In parts of southern Malawi, farmers relied on monocropped maize supported by expensive fertilizer. Good years brought modest yields; bad years brought hunger. When farmers shifted to maize–legume intercropping—combining maize with pigeon pea, cowpea or groundnut—yields increased. Maize yields increased by about 800kg per hectare with less fertilizer, providing protein-rich legumes and greater stability in dry years, Climate and geopolitical shocks—from El Niño, global heating or wars—hit a food system which already magnifies environmental and social vulnerabilities. Feed-based livestock production worsens climate breakdown, diverts land and resources from feeding people, and deepens risk. Shifting to agroecological, plant-centered food systems is essential, but requires sustained political action and public pressure.
Less low cloud cover lets in more heat from the sun—and may lock in centuries of sea level rise - According to NOAA, the global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rate at which the sea level is rising is increasing, threatening coastal cities and ecosystems around the world. Exactly how long levels continue to rise and remain high depends on several factors, but many models predict sea levels will remain high long past emission mitigation. Now, researchers have created a new model that incorporates cloud cover and sea ice to figure out why sea levels are predicted to stay high for centuries, even when emissions are significantly reduced. The results, described in a new study published in Nature Communications, suggest that low-lying clouds are a big part of the equation. Even with strong climate mitigation, global sea levels are projected to remain elevated for centuries. Research has attributed this persistence to the ocean's large thermal inertia—a resistance to temperature change due to water's high heat capacity. The oceans absorb the vast majority of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases. Then, because water expands as it warms, this heat continues to cause the ocean layers to expand for hundreds of years. In addition to water expansion, land ice melt adds to the volume of the ocean. However, the role of ocean heat uptake and release and the influence of sea surface temperature (SST) patterns have not been deeply explored. Past models are also missing an important factor: they do not fully account for how surface warming patterns and cloud feedback affect sea level rise. Furthermore, the authors of the new study say that most models neglect the contribution of sea ice melting. Instead, they use land-based ice contributions to sea level rise, which are calculated offline and then combined with thermal expansion to estimate total sea level rise. "The persistence of sea level rise highly depends on the timescales of two critical processes: (i) the transport of accumulated subsurface heat back to the surface layer, and (ii) the release of heat from the sea surface to the atmosphere. These processes interact with complex atmospheric and oceanic dynamics, ultimately leading to the prolonged sea level rise," the study authors write. In the new study, the team developed a model showing how a distinct SST pattern drives persistent and additional sea level rise, even with sharply reduced anthropogenic emission mitigation. One of the main components of increased sea level rise, according to the study, is the excess absorption of shortwave (SW) radiation from the sun by the ocean. This radiation creates a sort of feedback loop in conjunction with cloud cover. Normally, clouds help to reflect radiation—especially SW radiation—from the sun back into the atmosphere. However, the team found that increased heat from the ocean's surface reduced cloud cover, which in turn, allowed in more heat. More heat meant even less cloud cover. This was particularly true for low cloud cover, closer to the ocean's surface. "The temporal evolution of cloud cover reveals that, unlike high clouds, low clouds decrease in response to CO2 forcing and remain reduced. This reduction in low clouds allows more solar radiation to reach the ocean surface, amplifying the initial warming," the study authors explain. The models also showed that sea ice contributed to the problem in a similar manner. Unmelted sea ice reflects back radiation from the sun, helping to keep the ocean cool. But when the ocean's internal heat melts the ice, it can no longer reflect back that radiation. This, in turn, heats the water more and melts additional sea ice, which means less radiation is reflected away, since the darker-colored water absorbs the unreflected radiation.
Climate catch-22: Cleaning up air pollution could speed key Atlantic current decline - It may sound counterintuitive, but new research suggests that cleaning up air pollution could contribute to a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This is the ocean current system that acts like a giant conveyor belt, moving warm surface water northward and cool deep water southward. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are already known to weaken the AMOC. But according to a study published in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, that weakening could be accelerated by reducing air pollution, specifically pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and black carbon, that float over Europe and North America. An international team of researchers used eight different climate models to see how changes in human-made air pollution affected the strength of the AMOC. They ran a total of 80 simulations and looked at what happens across the globe and within specific regions between the years 2015 and 2050 under two key scenarios—one with strong air pollution controls and the other with weak controls. The team found that cleaning up air pollution globally will cause the AMOC to weaken by about 6% by the middle of the century. This reduction is on top of the weakening already caused by greenhouse gases. However, this effect varied by location. The impact on the AMOC was greatest when pollution was reduced in North America and Europe, followed by Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. In South Asia, reducing emissions has a minimal statistical effect on the current. As the researchers note in the study, "Efforts to improve air quality, particularly around the Atlantic basin but also far away in East Asia, will contribute to future AMOC weakening." So, what is happening? According to the paper, aerosols act like a temporary sunshade that reduces how much sunlight reaches the ocean. When this pollution is cleaned up, the extra sunlight warms the North Atlantic, disrupting the temperature balance needed to keep the conveyor belt moving. "Aerosol perturbations that feature larger positive North Atlantic ERF are associated with larger AMOC weakening," continued the scientists. The research has highlighted a catch-22 situation. On the one hand, we need to remove air pollution to protect human health and save lives. Yet if we do, we risk worsening the effects of climate change. Ultimately, these findings present policymakers with a monumental challenge. Namely, finding ways to clean up the air we breathe without influencing major ocean circulation systems in unintended ways.
UN passes climate resolution, US votes against - The United Nations voted this week to affirm that countries have a responsibility to protect people from climate change, while the U.S. was one of a handful of member states to vote against the resolution. The measure, brought by Vanuatu, calls on countries to take steps to avoid significant climate and environmental damage, including emissions within their borders. It also calls on them to keep up with their climate pledges. It passed 141-8, while 28 countries abstained. The ones that voted against the resolution were: the U.S., Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The vote follows up on a ruling last year from the International Court of Justice, which determined that nations have an obligation to protect the environment from planet-warming emissions. The U.N. has described the court ruling as not binding but says it can help “clarify and develop international law by defining States’ legal obligations.” In a post on social platform X, the U.S. Mission to the U.N. (USUN) defended its vote against the resolution, which it called an “effort to rewrite international law to attack American energy.” The U.S. also said it was able to get changes that helped to water down the measure, though it still opposed it. “For example, the final version removed a devastating registry of damages aimed at ‘climate reparations’ to allow the world to fine Americans for our energy usage. We cut the resolution’s overly broad language that would ban certain kinds of energy over time,” USUN said. “What the General Assembly wound up passing was a mandate for a new report from the Secretary General, but one that requires American input. We still opposed that (we don’t need another UN report) but thanks to our efforts, American energy workers won’t have to fear for their jobs because of this resolution,” it added. On the other hand, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres praised the resolution’s passage as “a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science & the responsibility of states to protect people from the escalating climate crisis,”
UN climate resolution passes despite US opposition - A landmark United Nations resolution on whether countries are obligated to address climate change was adopted Wednesday despite muscular opposition from the United States and other oil-producing nations, including Iran.The measure, put forward by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, sought political support for an advisory opinion issued last year by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. The court, often considered the world’s highest legal authority, determined that governments can be held liable for climate inaction based on existing international law.The court’s opinion is nonbinding, and so is the resolution adopted Wednesday. But it does signal countries’ commitment to take the court’s opinion forward by acknowledging its ruling. It also provided an example of countries aligning themselves against the United States and a handful of other nations that are opposed to climate action. “Climate obligations are not political aspirations, they are legal duties,” said Filipo Tarakinikini, Fiji’s representative to the U.N. “Today, this assembly gives that principle the political force it demands.”The resolution passed with the support of 141 countries during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, including major emitters such as China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Australia. Eight countries opposed the measure, including the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel and Iran. Twenty-eight nations abstained, including Turkey, which is hosting the COP31 climate talks later this year.“This resolution is highly problematic in calling on states to comply with so-called obligations that are based on nonbinding conclusions of the court on which U.N. member states’ views diverge,” Tammy Bruce, the United States’ deputy representative to the U.N., said in remarks before the vote.The resolution included “inappropriate political demands” related to fossil fuels and other climate topics, and “amplifies legal errors” in ICJ’s opinion, she said, adding that the measure goes beyond the court’s conclusions “in several concerning ways.”“The resolution repeats the court’s failure to recognize the climate treaties are the sole source of a state’s climate obligations,” Bruce said.In 2023, the U.S. under then-President Joe Biden declined to support a different resolution related to the climate case before ICJ. The Biden administration also argued in 2024 that the Paris Agreement was the primary mechanism to hold countries accountable for climate action.Since then, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris pact and initiated action to leave the broader U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.The Trump administration’s pushback Wednesday was the latest example of its fierce opposition to global climate measures. Trump has personally attacked a carbon tax that would address climate pollution from shipping and denounced nations for investing in clean energy.The resolution stemmed from months of negotiation. It calls for countries to comply with their obligations under international law and urges them to act on their Paris Agreement pledges, including a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. It also highlights the finding by ICJ, that government inaction constitutes an “internationally wrongful act” that may result in “cessation” of the wrongful act or financial reparations.It calls on the U.N. secretary-general to submit a report that would recommend ways to comply with the court’s findingThe final draft was weaker than the original measure, and several countries that voted to adopt it said they were not in complete agreement. A representative for Canada said the resolution “provided an incomplete and at times inaccurate account of the advisory opinion.”But for many of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, it provided a hearty endorsement of a yearslong campaign to highlight global inaction on climate change and the U.N.’s inability to persuade countries to deliver on their pledges under Paris.“Today’s vote sends a clear message: multilateralism is not broken, and climate justice will not be blocked by a handful of holdout states,” said Joie Chowdhury, an attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. “The ICJ opinion is already reshaping the global legal landscape, and this resolution helps ensure it continues to serve as a catalyst for real-world climate action and accountability.”
A closely guarded plan to cool Earth is revealed - --A company that aims to make billions of dollars by cooling the Earth has lifted the veil of secrecy that until now has hidden its plans for preventing sunlight from overheating the planet.It hinges on aerosol particles that are 125 times smaller than the tiniest grains of sand.Stardust Solutions has raised $75 million since 2023 from investors who are betting that global warming could get so out of control that governments might decide to pay the Israeli-U.S. startup to spray millions of tons of sunlight-reflecting aerosols into the stratosphere. Its plans were so guarded that it required scientists to sign nondisclosure agreements before they could study its potentially planet-altering technologies.On Thursday, the company revealed the makeup of its proprietary particles. They are made of what’s known as amorphous silica and are 0.5 microns in size — only visible with a microscope. The startup also shared information about the systems it could use to disperse the spherical silica particles some 11 miles above the ground and monitor them as they fall back to the Earth.“Our premise from the start was that the only way sunlight reflection technology would be considered by governments is if we provided robust scientifically-based solutions to all the challenges and concerns and proved it to be safe, practical, and controllable,” Stardust CEO Yanai Yedvab said in a statement. “That is the mission we took upon ourselves, and the details we are releasing today represent a major step toward that goal.” The company is a leader in solar geoengineering — the hypothetical pursuit of altering clouds or changing other characteristics of the atmosphere in ways that would interrupt sun rays before they hit the Earth. Other ideas envision building massive sun shades in space or creating bubbly mixtures of reflective sea foam to limit the amount of heat absorbed by the oceans.Geoengineering is unlike other responses to climate change because, while it can theoretically reduce warming, it does not address the root cause: the burning of fossil fuels. That means the world would be effectively hooked on solar geoengineering until nations reduce their use of oil, gas and coal to safe levels and then remove excess climate pollution from the air and seas.Stardust’s revelations came as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a rare bilateral summit in Beijing and after record-breaking heat and drought this year have triggered historic wildfires in the U.S. and Southeast Asia. While climate change and geoengineering was not on summit agenda, both countries’ support — or tacit acceptance — would likely be necessary for Stardust to deploy its particles and repay its investors, according to analysts.“Just given their size, they’re key players in all this,” said Erin Sikorsky, who served on the National Intelligence Council during the Obama administration, referring to the U.S. and China. She now leads the Center for Climate and Security, a think tank. “They could stop somebody from doing this if they wanted to. And so that matters to a company like Stardust.”Yedvab, the company’s CEO, said in an email that the timing of the release was “not connected” to the U.S.-China summit.The new details about Stardust’s silica particles and other systems were disclosed in six academic papers that it posted online. Most of the papers were written with experts at leading universities, but they have not yet undergone peer review — a critical step in the scientific publishing process where other experts review and comment on the findings.The company is currently seeking patents for its particles and other technologies — a key component of its business strategy. Stardust said it is also submitting the papers to scientific journals.Stardust is developing two types of amorphous silica-based particles. One is “fully bio-safe, manufacturable at scale today, and at a very advanced stage of validation,” according to a summary of the research. Another similarly sized version of the silica particle includes a calcium carbonate core that it said would more effectively block solar radiation.“Both designs are intentionally engineered to recycle into existing natural cycles after they settle to the ground,” the summary said.Amorphous silica has a different atomic structure than crystalline silica, the reactive, hazardous dust released by cutting or crushing certain types of rocks. Stardust is not using crystalline silica in its process. Amorphous silica isn’t known to pose a risk to humans at low doses, according to the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency.Stardust has previously pitched investors on a plan for “global full-scale deployment” as soon as 2035, according to an investor deck previously reported by POLITICO Magazine. At that point, the company’s expected revenues would be around $1.5 billion annually, the deck said. Stardust has said the presentation from 2023 no longer reflects its current thinking.Some scientists remain wary of Stardust and other solar geoengineering companies. They fear that the technology could be misused at a time when international cooperation is fraying.“This announcement is a clear example of why self governance led by for-profit entities does not work,” said Shuchi Talati, the executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, a nonprofit that seeks to include marginalized countries and communities in debates over sunlight-reflecting technologies.Stardust, she said, “cannot create their own principles and then applaud themselves for following them. They cannot define safety according to their own standards and then self-certify that they meet them. The field requires coordinated, legitimate, and independent research governance.”
Trump relaxes refrigerant rule in a move framed as affordability fix (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday loosened federal rules requiring grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cooling equipment, a step that President Donald Trump said would help lower grocery costs.Trump said at a White House ceremony that the action by the Environmental Protection Agency would “substantially lower costs for consumers” by delaying costly restrictions that limit the type of refrigerants U.S. businesses and families can use.The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, emitted by refrigerators and other appliances was the latest attempt by the Republican administration before pivotal elections in November to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living.It is not clear how much or how quickly grocery prices could be impacted. Industry groups said it could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment. Inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, amid price spikes caused by the Iran war and Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.
Geothermal, hydro research bills up for markup - --The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will vote on legislation this week that aims to improve the federal government’s research work into geothermal and hydroelectric energy.The panel will vote on H.R. 8790, the “Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act,” from Reps. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), which would direct the Department of Energy to support efforts to research and commercialize next-generation geothermal energy systerms.“A supercritical geothermal well can produce more than seven times the energy of a conventional geothermal well, and next-generation geothermal has the potential to deliver 90 gigawatts of power to the United States alone,” said Harrigan in a statement.“This bill puts the Department of Energy to work solving the engineering challenges standing between us and that potential through the kind of public-private partnerships that actually get results,” he added.
New analysis sheds light on unexpected reversal in Earth’s molten outer core beneath the Pacific - A new analysis of geomagnetic observations from 1997 to 2025 shows that the unexpected reversal in Earth’s outer-core flow beneath the equatorial Pacific around 2010 has weakened since 2020, refining scientists’ understanding of one of the most unusual deep-Earth changes detected in recent decades. A broad region of molten iron circulating within Earth’s liquid outer core beneath the equatorial Pacific reversed direction around 2010, shifting from weak westward motion to strong eastward flow, according to a study combining geomagnetic observations from 1997 to 2025 using ground observatories and satellite missions. The research used data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm constellation, Germany’s CHAMP mission, Denmark’s Ørsted mission, CryoSat data, and ground-based magnetic observatories. Swarm’s three satellites, launched in 2013, measure magnetic signals from Earth’s core, mantle, crust, oceans, ionosphere, and magnetosphere, helping researchers isolate changes linked to deep-Earth processes. “Although Swarm was launched after the dramatic reversal event of 2010, it has provided high-precision data that tell us about Earth’s inner core in the period that followed,” said Anja Stromme, ESA’s Swarm Mission Manager. The outer core lies about 2 200 km (1 367 miles) beneath Earth’s surface and consists mainly of electrically conducting molten iron circulating around the solid inner core. Motion in this layer generates Earth’s magnetic field through the geodynamo process, forming the magnetic shield that helps deflect charged particles from the Sun. For decades, large-scale flow near the core–mantle boundary had generally been interpreted as predominantly westward, consistent with the westward drift of Earth’s magnetic field. The new analysis shows that flow beneath the equatorial Pacific changed around 2010, moving from weakly westward to strongly eastward. The study reports that the Pacific eastward flow has weakened since 2020. “The large-scale flow reversal beneath the Pacific raises new questions about the behavior of Earth’s deep interior,” said Frederik Dahl Madsen of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Geosciences. Researchers now need to determine whether the reversal was a short-lived fluctuation, part of a repeating oscillation, or a new stable state for core circulation, he said. The cause of the reversal remains unresolved. Madsen and co-authors hypothesize that changes in Earth’s deep interior triggered the inferred flow change beneath the Pacific, noting that the rise of strong eastward flow was contemporary with a change in inner-core behavior observed from geodesy and seismology. That proposed link remains a hypothesis, not a confirmed mechanism.
Extreme subsidence in Mexico City exceeds 2 cm (0.8 inches) per month - Preliminary measurements from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite mapped parts of Mexico City and surrounding areas subsiding by more than 2 cm (0.8 inches) per month between October 25, 2025, and January 17, 2026, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) reported. JPL attributed the deformation in large part to groundwater pumping and long-term compaction of the ancient lakebed beneath the metropolitan area. NISAR mapped ground movement beneath Mexico City with L-band synthetic aperture radar, a long-wavelength instrument designed to measure small changes in land and ice surfaces from orbit. The satellite can operate day and night and through cloud cover, allowing repeated measurement of land sinking, land uplift, glacier motion, and crop growth during multiple overpasses each month. The analysis was based on preliminary measurements collected during Mexico City’s dry season. JPL said dark blue areas in the image provided mark zones subsiding by more than 2 cm (0.8 inches) per month, while yellow and red areas are likely residual noise signals and are expected to decrease as NISAR collects additional data. Mexico City and its surrounding urban area are home to about 20 million people and sit above an aquifer in the basin of an ancient lake. JPL attributed more than a century of compaction to extensive groundwater pumping combined with the weight of urban development, with the issue first documented by an engineer in 1925. Uneven elevation loss has accumulated over decades, fracturing roads, buildings, and water lines. By the 1990s and 2000s, parts of the metropolitan area were sinking by around 35 cm (14 inches) per year, further damaging infrastructure, including the Metro system. Peer-reviewed research has identified Metro-related vulnerabilities linked to subsidence deformation, including braking-safety design constraints, railway flooding hazard, railway bending, and reduced service life for elevated overpasses. The NISAR image places Benito Juárez International Airport near the center of the mapped deformation field, with Lake Nabor Carrillo visible northeast of the airport. Angel of Independence along Paseo de la Reforma, in particular, is a visible marker of long-term subsidence. This 35 m (114 feet) monument, built in 1910, has had 14 steps added to its base as the surrounding land gradually sank.
Energy and Commerce approves recycling bill - The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to send a bipartisan recycling and composting bill to the floor.The panel voted 45-0 in favor of the “Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act,” H.R. 2145, one week after the Environment Subcommittee voted to advance the bill.The legislation, led by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), would establish an EPA pilot program with two main goals: Dole out grants to rural communities to help expand curbside collection and processing infrastructure, and give EPA the authority it needs to collect data about recycling rates. The Senate passed its version of the bill, S.351, in December.
Committee approves highway bill after sparring over EV fees, climate repeals - The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved its surface transportation bill early Friday after dismissing Democratic amendments on electric vehicle fees, environmental reviews and the restoration of climate programs that the bill proposes to repeal.The “BUILD America 250 Act,” from Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and ranking member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), advanced 62-2. It sets up a clash with the Senate later this year over the EV fees, a railway safety proposal and other contentious provisions.Graves and Larsen touted the bill’s proposed funding increases for bridge construction and repairs, as well as the new fees on lower-emission vehicles — the first new revenue for the Highway Trust Fund since the early 1990s.Members lauded proposed boosts for highways and transit, as well as provisions that would ease environmental reviews for certain infrastructure projects, update a wildlife crossing program and study fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.
Wright meets with Republicans on permitting — but deal remains elusive as ever - Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday had dinner with a group of Republican lawmakers to discuss changes to the nation’s permitting laws. That followed a dinner Monday between top Senate committee leaders engaged in negotiations toward a bipartisan overhaul. But despite signs of momentum and a goal among senators of reaching a deal by summer, permitting reform — for the moment — remains something that enjoys wide support and never a clear path to enactment. That’s because for all the common ground in both parties around encouraging more energy production and accelerating projects of all types, permitting also touches on thorny issues for congressional Republicans, Democrats and this White House. Many Democrats are open to negotiating changes to bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act but their allies in the environmental community are wary of giving away too much. Republicans are skeptical of taking authority away from states over power lines. And President Donald Trump has been on a crusade against renewable energy, particularly wind. Whether Congress can pass a broad permitting law after years of trying will depend on lawmakers and the White House reconciling clashing priorities during a contentious election year. “We see this as a window of opportunity, given the need to be able to build things, the challenges we have for either transmission or energy production or building of anything,” said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, who wants to use her clout to push for a deal. But Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, one of the key negotiators on the issue, said the administration continues jeopardizing the talks. “The thing that is the biggest threat to permitting reform right now is that the Trump administration backslid into a series of stalled-out permits,” Heinrich said. “They’re permitting fossil fuel projects left and right, and they’re not moving solar, wind and batteries.” Heinrich and Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) cut off negotiations in December after the administration moved to halt five near-complete offshore wind farms along the Eastern Seaboard.The Democrats returned to the table after judges ruled against the stop-work orders and the administration began to show signs of easing its blockade on solar projects — a clean energy source that is supported by influential parts of the MAGA coalition.But the administration is still working against offshore wind, and industry advocates say the Defense Department has been sitting on national security reviews for more than a hundred onshore projects around the nation.During an April hearing, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, “This is the moment” for permitting reform. But then said earlier this month the administration would appeal a ruling against his department’s enhanced scrutiny of renewable energy. Whitehouse told POLITICO that Democrats would take an internal caucus vote before moving forward with any bill. “And if none of our caucus believes that the Trump administration can be trusted, then good luck getting the bill done at the end,” he said.
Trump administration inks permitting agreement with Utah - The Trump administration’s federal Permitting Council is signing a memorandum of understanding with Utah on Friday aimed at speeding up the state’s permitting process, POLITICO has exclusively learned. Under the agreement, the state’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox — a vocal permitting reform advocate — committed to joining the agency’s FAST-41 expedited permitting program and aligning their state environmental review timelines with federal targets for priority energy projects. It’s the fourth state to ink such a partnership with the council under the Trump administration after Alaska, Idaho and Tennessee, relying on a previously unused authority from the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Emily Domenech, executive director of the Permitting Council, said she will sign the MOU with Cox at the governor’s Operation Gigawatt Summit, where he is convening industry, policymakers and investors to help devise ways to meet the state’s goal to double power production over the next decade.
Grid batteries get record boost from data centers - The U.S. market for grid-scale battery storage surged to its best first quarter in history this year, highlighting how data centers and surging power demand are bolstering the industry despite federal policy headwinds.The Solar Energy Industries Association and the research firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said Thursday the industry installed 9.7 gigawatt-hours of new capacity in the first three months of the year, a year-over-year spike of 32 percent. The increase occurred despite permitting issues and trade uncertainty under the Trump administration.“Energy storage is no longer just for backup, it’s critical energy security infrastructure,” Shan Tomouk, lead battery storage analyst at Benchmark, said in a statement. Electricity demand is shaping the broader energy sector. Among other things, battery installations are helping ease the risks of power outages this summer despite the growth of artificial intelligence, the nation’s grid watchdog said Tuesday.Currently, utility-scale projects dominate roughly 75 percent of the storage market, but data centers and other “behind-the-meter” applications are projected to increase their share from 14 percent to 20 percent by decade’s end, according to the report.Large technology companies have announced multiple deals for grid batteries, including for advanced technology that gets away from the widely used lithium-ion models. Google announced plans in February to deploy 30 GWh of long-duration “iron-air” batteries in Minnesota. Meta has reserved up to 100 GWh of capacity for a reversible solid oxide fuel cell technology from Noon Energy.The idea with the newer technologies is to allow backup for longer periods of time, even if some systems may be at a higher cost point.“These systems provide 100+ hours of discharge, enabling these facilities to maintain critical uptime during multiday renewable energy lulls. Other data centers will continue to opt for a multi-stage battery approach, with lithium-ion systems in use for peak shaving outside the facility,” the report said.While batteries historically have been paired with renewables, large data center operators are sometimes pairing them with natural gas, which is powering much of the AI boom. Elon Musk’s xAI Colossus facility in Tennessee uses Tesla batteries combined with gas turbines, for example.Energy storage targets in 13 states also are helping boost grid batteries. Texas, Arizona and California have the largest energy storage markets overall and led utility-scale installations in the first quarter.
NERC Flags Fewer Grid Risks as Natural Gas Demand Climbs - North America's power grid appears better prepared for summer 2026 than a year ago, but the remaining risks identified by reliability officials could still tighten natural gas balances if extreme heat develops during the peak cooling season. Summer peak demand is expected to grow in 2026, but resource additions outpace load growth, supporting improved grid reliability, according to NERC. At a Glance:
Reliability outlook improves
Demand growth accelerates
Regional volatility risks remain
Texas water plan ignores data center surge - A tidal wave of data centers is heading for Texas. Just don’t expect the state water plan to mention it. State agencies have only recently started seeking information about how much water data centers could use in some of Texas’ driest regions. And a landmark 2025 state law includes no stipulations for how to track or manage data center water use. The result: A draft water plan for 2027 that does not allude to data centers — and probably won’t until there’s a new draft in five years. Conversations about data centers across the country often focus on the massive amounts of electricity that industrial buildings use. But concerns about water are growing as local stress points arise, including in a small Georgia town that saw 30 million gallons of water go missing. In growing Sun Belt states and beyond, leaders are starting to look at how data centers and their need for cooling could affect water costs and supplies, especially in regions prone to drought.“The water issue is one that wasn’t at the forefront initially, and then really kind of came onto the scene because we spent a lot of time talking about electricity,” Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, told state lawmakers last month. “Water is a really scarce resource in this state and so we have to have a clear picture of what these facilities use on the water side.”Even without accounting for water used by data centers, the draft 2027 water plan released in April estimates that Texas will need to spend $174 billion over the next 50 years on projects to stave off regional water crises. Texas has hundreds of data center locations operating or in development, second only to Virginia among U.S. states, as companies seek to help power artificial intelligence.More than 65 percent of Texas was in a drought as of May 12, and the Texas Water Development Board estimates the state’s existing water supplies — those that could be relied on during a drought — could decrease by 10 percent between 2030 and 2080. But the data center boom’s impact on water supplies wasn’t include in the board’s 2027 draft water plan because the agency uses historical data to plan for future needs.A Gallup poll released last week found that 7 in 10 Americans oppose construction of a data center in their local area, with water usage listed as one of the top concerns for those against local developments. Multiple states have been working to pass rules and regulations related to data centers’ water use as the industry struggles with public opinion issues. South Carolina lawmakers are considering a bill that would require regulators to study proposed data centers’ water consumption and sourcing before they could be built. And Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill this month that bars water management districts from issuing permits to “large-scale data center” applicants if their water use is “harmful to the water resources of the area.” Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, estimate that data centers could account for more than 9 percent of Texas’ total water use by 2040, or potentially more water than the oil and gas industry is projected to use for production that same year. The office of Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a vocal advocate of data center growth, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Abbott appoints members of the PUC and the Texas Water Development Board. Rachel Hanes, a policy director with the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, said data center requests are likely to keep piling up until the Legislature convenes for its 2027 regular session. “It’s just popped up so fast and changed so fast, even in between the time of the start of the last legislative session and now that the state is running really behind,” Hanes said. Data center developers are embracing cooling technologies that use less water — including closed-loop systems that suck up millions of gallons one time but require minimal water after the initial withdrawal. Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, pointed to a Virginia legislative audit that found 83 percent of data centers used the same amount of water — or less — as an average large office building in 2023. He said data centers should be compared to other industrial users, like manufacturers or oil refiners, instead of being put in a class of their own.
Duke Energy holds a groundbreaking ceremony for their Cayuga Energy Complex — New jobs and more energy opportunities will soon be coming to Vermillion County after Duke Energy announced new natural gas turbines will be coming to their Cayuga Energy Complex. Duke Energy broke ground on the new facility, which will be built at the Cayuga station. Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar mentioned how these two new combined-cycle natural gas turbines will help an ever-growing need for energy for homes and businesses. “We’re adding nearly 500 megawatts of generation to our system,” Pinegar said. “We currently generate 1000 megawatts at the coal station. When this is installed, we will be at 1475 megawatts. That’s a big deal for us because we need the power to accommodate the growth that we have throughout our service territory. Suzie Jaworowski is the Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources for the state of Indiana and she mentioned how natural gas can help both Duke Energy and its customers once these are online. “The natural gas plant is a clean, reliable, dispatchable energy source,” Jaworowski said. “Which means that we’ll have it on when we need it. It’s on and available 24/7/365 days a year. That reliability creates an affordable and very important generation source for the state of Indiana.” Officials with Duke Energy mentioned several hundred jobs will be coming to the area during construction and they believe the jobs will stay local. “Our partners in this project are Kiewit for the general contractor,” Pinegar said. “They’re well-regarded around the world for building gas units. They’ll be pulling in nearly 700 employees here to help build this plant. We’re using as much local talent as we can possibly find.” Duke Energy will also be conducting a feasibility test with its current coal plant that is at the Cayuga facility to see if it should sell it to a third-party group to use it, something Vermillion County Commissioners President RJ Dunavan hopes can stay up and running once the turbines are completed. “From a county’s perspective, we would love to see the coal plant stay in operation,” Dunavan said. “That employs, I think, close to 100 jobs. So, as long as Duke gets their feasibility study done and if they can find a partner like Reliable Energy to take that coal plant over and open this new gas plant, that’s more generation for the local economy, it’s more power generation statewide.” These new turbines coming to the Cayuga facility show the continuing growing relationship between Duke Energy and Vermillion County. “We like to say Vermillion County could become the power-generating capital of Indiana,” Dunavan said. “Due to their improvements and investment over the years, it has just been a great, great process for us and we just look forward to more investment coming to the county.” Along with the jobs coming from the construction of the project, officials with Duke Energy say there can be nearly 3,700 jobs added to the area between construction, suppliers, and other industries being affected by the new turbines. The first turbine is expected to be completed and online in 2029, while the second one is expected to be completed and online in 2030.
Duke Energy’s Large-Scale Powergen Expansion Adding 14 GW by 2031 - Marcellus Drilling News - Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest U.S. energy holding companies, serving 8.7 million electric customers and 1.8 million gas customers across six states. While the company dabbles in unreliable renewables like solar and wind, its bread-and-butter, go-to source for new electric power generation is natural gas, which it gets from the Marcellus/Utica. We’ve reported on many of Duke’s announced new gas-fired power plant projects (see our stories here). The company recently issued its first quarter 2026 report, which is a good opportunity for us to share a detailed list of the active gas-fired power plant and pipeline projects Duke is pursuing.
NextEra Energy/Dominion Combo May Accelerate Gas-Fired Plant Buildout | RBN Energy - With their scale, financial wherewithal and 130-gigawatt (GW) pipeline of new large-load customers, the planned combination of electric utility and wholesale power giants NextEra Energy and Dominion has the potential to substantially accelerate the buildout of new natural gas-fired power plants and gas transmission infrastructure and, with that, the need for incremental gas production to support it all. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss how we view the likely impact of the NextEra/Dominion merger, focusing primarily on the near- and midterm.Many of you have already heard or read about the deal, so we’ll keep our summary to a short paragraph. NextEra Energy, corporate parent of regulated utility FPL and wholesale power developer NextEra Energy Resources, on May 18 announced an agreement to merge with Dominion in an all-stock deal valued at more than $66 billion. NextEra shareholders will hold a 74.5% stake in the combined company and shareholders of Dominion, which has 3.6 million electric customers of its own in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina (plus a half-million gas customers in South Carolina), will hold a 25.5% stake. The massive deal is expected to close in 12 to 18 months; the duration is tied in part to the fact that it needs to be reviewed and approved by four state public service commissions. (Oh, and while a single entity will be formed, NextEra and Dominion will retain their names and operate out of dual headquarters in Florida and Virginia, respectively.)In announcing the agreement, John Ketchum, NextEra’s chairman, president and CEO, said “To really put our size and scale into perspective, consider this: The combined company's enterprise value would make us the third-largest company in the energy sector in America, behind ExxonMobil and just barely behind Chevron, and bigger than the next two largest power companies combined.”To get a handle on the merger’s significance to data centers, power development and U.S. gas consumption — the primary focus of our analysis today — let’s briefly describe the three biggest elements of the two parent companies:
- NextEra Energy’s (NEE) FPL subsidiary is the largest electric utility in the U.S., with more than 6 million customers, the vast majority of them on the Florida peninsula and a much smaller number in the state’s panhandle. FPL also is the nation’s #1 end-use consumer of natural gas; the utility’s 37-GW-plus generation fleet includes more than 20 GW of combined-cycle plants and 3 GW of combustion turbines (CTs) that likely consume an average of 1.5 to 2 Bcf/d in the warmer, more humid months of the year when air conditioning demand is highest. FPL’s pipeline supply contracts add up to some 2.2 Bcf/d, equal to the demand of an LNG export terminal. Its pipeline contracts represent about half of all the gas consumed in Florida.
- NEE’s NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) unit is the U.S.’s largest developer, owner and operator of independent power facilities, almost all of which sell their output to utilities and others under long-term power purchase agreements. NEER’s current generation portfolio tops 36 GW, with wind farms accounting for about 60% of the total, followed by solar (28%), nuclear (6%), natural gas (4%, or about 1.5 GW), and biomass and other renewables (2%). The subsidiary also has more than 5 GW of battery storage capacity.
- Dominion, finally, owns three regulated utilities: Dominion Energy Virginia, Dominion Energy North Carolina and Dominion Energy South Carolina. The North Carolina utility serves the northeastern corner of the state and operates in conjunction with its much larger Virginia counterpart. Their installed capacity totals more than 23 GW, including 8.4 GW of utility-owned gas-fired plants. Dominion Energy South Carolina, in turn, has about 6 GW of existing capacity, nearly half of it fueled by gas.
There are three more things we should note here — all of which will play into what we’ll be discussing in a moment. One is that Dominion Energy Virginia serves the largest concentration of energy-intensive data centers on the planet (see Sweet Virginia). Another is that FPL and the Dominion utilities have locked up a substantial share of the existing and planned pipeline capacity serving the lower half of the East Coast. Yet another is that NextEra in the past couple of years has entered into several agreements — with gas-plant provider GE Vernova, utility giants Entergy and Xcel Energy, and mega-tech companies Google and Meta, among others — aimed at quickly advancing the development of power projects to support massive data center plans across the U.S. Figure 1 below puts the size and ambitions of NextEra and Dominion into perspective. The short green bar to the right illustrates the capacity of Dominion’s (stock symbol D) existing generation fleet (about 30 GW), while the blue bar shows NextEra’s (stock symbol NEE) 80 GW and the black bar shows the pro forma company’s combined 110 GW. The tall green bar to the far left shows what the companies see as the potential size of NextEra/Dominion’s fleet in 2032, by which time they expect to add another 115 to 150 GW of capacity, most of it from solar, battery storage and gas-fired projects (and maybe some nuclear). NextEra’s Ketchum, who will serve as the merged company’s CEO, noted that the expected addition of about 130 GW of capacity over the next six years is “more than three times the total installed capacity of the entire state of New York.” As we said recently in The Big Picture, a two-part blog series on rising gas demand and new pipeline capacity in the Southeast, FPL has identified plans to add another 4 GW of gas-fired CT capacity — 0.7 GW in 2027, 0.9 GW in 2032, and the other 2.4 GW in 2033-35 — plus some 12 GW of new solar capacity and 7.5 GW of battery storage over the next 10 years. Dominion Energy Virginia, in turn, has said it is planning another 6 GW of combined-cycle capacity and 2.6 GW of CTs that would come online between 2032 and 2038. Most recently, on May 7, the utility announced plans for a 3-GW combined-cycle facility — the utility’s largest ever — in Cumberland County, VA, that is scheduled to start up in 2033-34 (see rendering below). Another similarly sized plant at a yet-to-be-identified site is slated to follow in 2037-38, according to Dominion Virginia Power’s latest IRP. Dominion Energy South Carolina plans to add another 2 GW of gas-fired capacity — about half of it combined-cycle and half CTs — between 2033 and 2045. (The Dominion utilities also are planning several GW of solar; the Virginia one also is in the process of installing 2.6 GW of offshore wind.) That’s about 15 GW of new gas plants from the utility side of things (4 + 8.6 + 2) — note that a good bit of it will come online post-2032 and therefore doesn’t really figure into the roughly 130 GW in additions the companies envision over the next six years.
A Utility Mega-Merger Is All About Data Centers - A proposed merger of the largest utility in the country by market value, NextEra Energy, with the sixth-largest, Dominion, would create a megacompany at a time when data centers and rapid increases in electricity demand are reshaping the industry.The proposal, announced Monday morning and contingent on state and federal regulatory approval, would result in a company that leads in nearly every aspect of the U.S. power and utility industry, including overall electricity generation, natural gas generation and renewables.The $67 billion deal combines NextEra’s size and reach with Dominion’s positioning as the local utility for the world’s largest concentration of data centers in northern Virginia. But the results are likely bad for consumers and the environment, creating a company with enormous financial and political strength that will be difficult to effectively regulate, according to consumer advocates and analysts. For perspective, only Exxon Mobil and Chevron would be larger based on market value among U.S.-based energy companies. “Mergers are not about consumers; they’re about shareholders,” said Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School. “For the Dominion shareholders, they are selling their shares at a premium. The executives are getting massive payouts for facilitating this, assuming it all goes through, and obviously NextEra believes the transaction is going to add value to the company. Ratepayers are all an afterthought.” The deal makes financial sense for both companies, said Andrew Bischof, an equity analyst for Morningstar. “We view the transaction as allowing NextEra to accelerate its data center ambitions, which had trailed those of its regulated peers, by using Dominion’s expertise and relationships to expedite NextEra’s data center hub plans,” he said in a note to clients. NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, includes Florida Power & Light, the largest regulated electricity utility in the state, and NextEra Energy Resources, a wholesale electricity supplier that owns power plants across the nation. Dominion, based in Richmond, Virginia, includes regulated utilities serving much of Virginia, parts of North Carolina and South Carolina and other assets across the country. The company would be called NextEra Energy and NextEra CEO John W. Ketchum would serve in the same role after the deal closes. Robert M. Blue, Dominion’s CEO, would be the CEO for regulated utilities for the merged company. The parties said they expect regulatory approvals to take 12 to 18 months. NextEra shareholders would own 74.5 percent and Dominion shareholders would own 25.5 percent, respectively, of the combined company in the all-stock transaction. “We are bringing NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy together because scale matters more than ever— not for the sake of size, but because scale translates into capital and operating efficiencies,” Ketchum said in a statement. The post-merger NextEra would be the leader in so many categories in the U.S. utility sector that it’s easier to list the ones where it wouldn’t be on top. It would rank second in nuclear power generating capacity and in the number of regulated utility customers, trailing Exelon Corp. of Chicago in both. NextEra and Dominion both have substantial carbon emissions, but neither was among the top five utility companies in the country in 2024, according to the most recent edition of the Benchmarking Air Emissions report from the Natural Resources Defense Council. NextEra ranked sixth and Dominion ranked 11th, and their sum was less than that of each of the leaders, Vistra Energy and Duke Energy. But those are still massive emissions from a company that stands to gain more clout because of its size. “If we continue to add dangerous climate pollution into the mix, then people who are already suffering and are typically hurt first and worst will suffer even more,” said Susan Glickman, vice president of policy and partnerships at the CLEO Institute, a Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to climate education and advocacy. She noted that those with the fewest resources often are the most affected by disasters like hurricanes, which are intensifying as fossil fuel emissions warm the global climate.“They’re going to continue to be at the short end of the stick, while these companies build more methane gas plants to provide additional power for data centers, and adding to the problem of pollution that is warming our climate.”
Regulators approve Canadys Station energy project in Colleton County – State regulators on Thursday approved plans for a new energy facility in Colleton County, allowing Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper to move forward with the proposed Canadys Station project. Both companies would run the facility.The South Carolina Public Service Commission voted to approve the joint application to build a natural gas combined-cycle plant at the site of a former coal-fired facility, about 40 miles northwest of Charleston.According to the utilities, the plant would generate approximately 2,200 megawatts of electricity – enough to power more than 1 million homes – as they say energy demand continues to grow across the state.Project leaders say the facility will use existing infrastructure at the former plant site, limiting the need for additional land clearing and allowing access to established transmission lines. Supporters, including leaders from both utilities, say the project will help meet future energy needs while providing economic benefits to the region. They point to hundreds of construction jobs and additional full-time positions once the plant becomes operational.Dominion Energy officials have said the project will use advanced technology and environmental protections designed to reduce emissions and improve efficiency.However, the project has drawn opposition from some environmental groups and Lowcountry advocates, who argue it could negatively impact the surrounding ecosystem and public health.Advocates have raised particular concerns about the plant’s proximity to the Edisto River and the ACE Basin, a watershed widely considered one of the most environmentally significant areas on the East Coast.“The Edisto is part of the ACE Basin, which has been called one of the last great places,” said Hugo Krispyn, executive director of Friends of the Edisto, in a News 2 report from January. “This project … is going to impact things that have taken centuries … and we’re going to do permanent damage to that legacy.”Opponents have also questioned potential air quality impacts. A study commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Project found the plant could emit fine particulate matter, an air pollutant linked to health issues, and estimated millions in annual healthcare-related costs. “The gas plant will cause a mass disabling event if allowed to be built,” said Mel Moore, director of New Disabled South Rising, citing concerns about respiratory and cardiovascular effects.The utilities have disputed those claims. Santee Cooper called the study flawed, saying it relies on outdated models and unapproved methods. The company said the project will undergo a full environmental permitting process with scientific review and public input. Dominion Energy has also said the facility is necessary to meet growing electricity demand in South Carolina and is not tied to powering data centers, a claim raised by some opponents.Protests have been held in Charleston and elsewhere as advocacy groups continue to push for renewable energy alternatives instead of a new natural gas plant. The approval from the Public Service Commission marks a significant step forward for the project, though additional regulatory approvals are still required before construction can begin.
EPA rollbacks push the South toward dirtier air and higher health risks - Southern Environmental Law Center - Imagine Birmingham, Alabama, before clean air laws, when the city’s steel mills and coke plants belched smoke so thick that it left the skyline in a haze and coated neighborhoods with soot. This poor air quality earned Birmingham the unsavory moniker, “Smoke City.” In rural Appalachia, coal dust settled on mining towns and unregulated chemical pollution left toxic odors hanging in the air in cities and towns across the South.By 2020, the Clean Air Act had prevented 230,000 premature deaths annually. It has reduced asthma attacks, heart disease, and respiratory illness. The economic benefits are at least 30 times what they cost to implement.“The Clean Air Act, at its core, is a public health law,” said SELC’s Air Program Leader Keri Powell in her September 2025 testimony defending the Clean Air Act before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee. She emphasized that strong clean air protections are implemented through permits.“Rather than weakening this essential tool for protecting air quality, Congress should be providing more support to state and local agencies charged with issuing and enforcing air permits. They need technical and scientific support, legal support, and funding,” Powell testified. “What they do not need are fuzzy requirements full of loopholes that prevent them from issuing strong permits that help them protect public health in their communities.“The Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections threatens to take us back to these dangerous conditions before the 1970 passage of the modern Clean Air Act.With only an email, some of the nation’s biggest polluters have been granted presidential exemptions, providing them with a pass from complying with the law while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to weaken federal hazardous-air-pollutant limits across the board. The Trump administration isn’t just bending the rules — it’s opening the door to the past we fought so hard to leave behind. Since the start of the second Trump administration in early 2025, EPA has rolled back some of our most basic clean air protections, including:
- Loosening emissions rules for cars and trucks,
- Ignoring deadlines to implement tighter limits on fine particle pollution (soot),
- Weakening standards for new power plants, and
- Announcing it will stop factoring in the health and economic harms from some of the most toxic and dangerous pollutants when making new regulations.
Poor air quality is exacerbated by climate change. With a warming climate and fewer regulations, air quality has been steadily deteriorating for millions of Americans, according to the American Lung Association’s 2026 “State of the Air” report. Following historic patterns, the report underscores that exposure to dirty air is not equal: much of the toxic burden is placed on Black, Brown, and communities earning a lower income. Report findings at a glance:
- Communities of color are more than twice as likely to live in areas with polluted air,
- Approximately half of the nation’s children — or 33.5 million — are exposed to harmful levels of air pollution, and
- More than 7 million children, or 10% of all kids, live somewhere that failed every air quality measure.
EPA’s own data tells a similar story. Air pollution spikes from coal-fired power plants in 2025 led to emissions levels rising at one of the sharpest percentage rates in a quarter‑century, as the majority of about 210 power plants recorded increases in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution. Sulfur dioxide emissions rose more than 18%, climbing from 597,000 tons in 2024 to 705,000 in 2025. Nitrogen oxide emissions from coal plants increased about 12%, from 464,000 to 521,000 tons. Both of these pollutants can exacerbate asthma, reduce lung function, and increase risks of heart disease.Our communities and families deserve clean air. SELC is working alongside our local and national partners to block these harmful rollbacks. Here’s how we’re fighting back.As the Trump administration inflicts more harm on local communities through delay and inaction on deadly soot pollution, we are asking a federal court to hold EPA accountable for implementing its own strengthened standard that will save thousands of lives.EPA has estimated that the strengthened standard would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths annually, avoid 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms and 2,000 emergency room visits, and yield up to $46 billion in net health benefits once implemented.The federal agency’s failure to implement the standard by the legal deadline puts communities at greater risk of breathing in more deadly pollution that can cause asthma, lung disease, heart attacks and coronary heart disease, depression and suicide, preterm births, and premature death.The lifesaving Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have already reduced toxic mercury emissions by 90% from the power sector, protecting the health of children and communities across the country. Restrictions on mercury and air toxics from power plants are commonsense health protections that utilities have already largely complied with. Nonetheless, the Trump administration is dismantling them. On March 30, SELC, representing national public health organizations, filed a lawsuit along with 12 other health, environmental, and community groups to challenge EPA’s repeal of updated limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants finalized in 2024.
Proof That Data Centers Don’t Raise Residential Electric Rates -- Marcellus Drilling News --We’re facing a full-blown crisis in building new AI data centers — at least in Pennsylvania (and in many other states). How do we know? Read this story published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday: The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam. We also know because of our own private conversations with friends who live in Pennsylvania—very conservative, Republicans—who are deadset against data center projects. Their perception, right or wrong, is that big companies are forcing these projects on rural or disadvantaged communities that can’t fight back and that contain all the negatives, like noise and water use, with no positives. Our friends maintain that these data centers will use power from the local grid, driving up costs for everyone (particularly residences). That last argument is simply not true. Demonstrably not true. But the perception that data centers cause high electricity prices (as wrong as it is) persists.
NANO Nuclear's Reactor Construction Permit Accepted For Review - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has formally begun its review of the construction permit application for an advanced microreactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The announcement marks the transition from the agency’s acceptance review to the substantive technical evaluation of NANO Nuclear’s KRONOS design.This step carries more weight than the initial filing. Submitting an application demonstrates readiness on paper; the NRC’s decision to open a full review confirms the submission meets the threshold for detailed scrutiny. For a first-of-a-kind microreactor project, clearing that gate is a concrete regulatory advance. We've tracked the Illinois project closely, including the construction permit application submission itself, described at the time as a defining moment for commercial microreactor deployment. Earlier coverage in October 2025 detailed the start of drilling and site preparation work with the university. We've also detailed other updates from the company including their recent MOU with Supermicro and progress with their high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) transportation package.The KRONOS effort is also not occurring in isolation. Other advanced reactor programs have recorded measurable NRC milestones in recent months with TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Wyoming receiving its construction permit and X-energy achieving a notable environmental clearance for its four-unit Xe-100 project at Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas.
At Least 82 Killed After Blast at Northern China Coal Mine (Kurdistan24) - A powerful gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in northern China's Shanxi province on Saturday has killed at least 82 people, marking one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years. Rescue operations remained intensive on Saturday as emergency crews searched for nine workers who were still missing following the blast. The incident occurred at approximately 7:29 p.m. local time on Friday in Qinyuan County. According to AFP reporting by Isabel Kua, there were 247 miners underground at the time of the explosion. While the majority of the workers were successfully brought to the surface by Saturday morning, the death toll rose sharply as recovery efforts progressed throughout the day. State broadcaster CCTV aired footage from the disaster site showing rescue teams wearing helmets and carrying stretchers through the mine complex, with a fleet of ambulances stationed nearby. Early reports provided by state media indicated that toxic levels of carbon monoxide, a lethal, odorless gas, had significantly exceeded safety limits, hindering initial recovery efforts and leaving several trapped miners in critical condition. In the wake of the catastrophe, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued urgent instructions for an "all-out effort" to locate the missing and treat the injured. As reported by China's Xinhua news agency, President Xi, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion and insisted on strict accountability. A person identified as "responsible for" the company involved in the explosion has already been placed under official control by authorities. President Xi further directed departments across the nation to learn from the tragedy, urging them to remain vigilant and implement stricter workplace safety measures. He specifically called for the identification and elimination of potential risks to prevent similar "catastrophic accidents" in the future. Premier Li Qiang also issued directives regarding the rescue, calling for a nationwide overhaul of safety protocols in key industrial sectors. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has since led a specialized team to the site in Shanxi to oversee the rescue operations and the handling of the disaster's aftermath. Shanxi province is recognized as China's primary coal-producing region, but it has long struggled with industrial hazards. Although the national government has made efforts to improve mine safety over the past two decades, enforcement of regulations often remains inconsistent in high-output sectors where safety protocols can be lax. The current disaster echoes previous tragedies in China's mining industry. In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit mine in the Inner Mongolia region resulted in 53 deaths, and a 2009 explosion in Heilongjiang province claimed the lives of more than 100 miners. China remains the world's leading consumer of coal, maintaining a heavy reliance on the fossil fuel for its energy needs despite a rapid expansion in renewable energy infrastructure. In addition to the mining investigation, President Xi noted that as China enters its flood season, emergency preparedness must be strengthened across all departments to safeguard lives and property. As of Saturday afternoon, the fate of the nine missing miners remains unknown. Search and rescue teams continue to navigate the damaged sections of the Liushenyu mine, where structural instability and residual gas levels remain primary concerns for the recovery units. Authorities have pledged to provide transparent updates as the formal investigation into the origin of the blast proceeds.
BLM Ready to Auction Land in OH Wayne Nat’l Forest for Drilling -- Marcellus Drilling News - Wayne National Forest map (click for larger version) Last December, MDN brought you the fantastic news that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had opened a public scoping period to receive public input on 41 oil and gas parcels totaling 2,795 acres that may be included in a September 2026 lease sale in the Wayne National Forest (WNF) located in southeastern Ohio (see BLM Plans Ohio Wayne Nat’l Forest Lease Sale for September 2026). This is the first lease sale held in WNF since March 2017 (the first Trump administration). The comment period ended Jan. 15, 2026. But what’s this? The BLM is once again seeking public comments on the same list of properties up for lease/auction. This time, the public has until June 17, 2026, to comment,
Major gas line leak forces evacuations, closes 12th Street in Strasburg - A major gas line leak prompted evacuations and a road closure in Strasburg on Thursday afternoon, according to local police. The Strasburg Police Department said in a social media post made around 1:10 p.m. that the leak was reported on 12th Street NE. Authorities said nearby businesses were evacuated as a precaution while police and fire crews responded to manage the situation. 12th Street was closed to all traffic Thursday afternoon, and motorists were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes. Emergency responders were working to secure the scene and ensure public safety, police said. No injuries were immediately reported, and additional details about the cause of the leak were not immediately available. Officials said updates would be provided as more information becomes available.
Infinity Natural's Ohio Utica Deal Reshapes Growth And Valuation Story - Infinity Natural Resources focuses on Appalachian energy assets, and the Ohio Utica acquisition significantly expands its footprint in that region. For investors watching US shale producers, this move places NYSE:INR more clearly in the group of companies with a scaled position in a single, established basin.With production already close to double prior levels and a larger borrowing base in place, Infinity is signaling that it intends to run a larger business than before the deal. The share repurchase program adds another element for investors to track, since capital returns now sit alongside a larger drilling and development plan as key parts of the NYSE:INR story. (investment analysis follows)
East Daley has highlighted the outlook for growing gas demand in the Midwest, spurred by data center development and opportunities to convert older coal plants. TC Energy owns several key pipelines in the region, including ANR, Columbia Gas and Crossroads, and is well positioned to capitalize on this growth (see map from TRP investor relations).The company recently completed two successful non-binding open seasons that confirm the market upside.One, an open season to expand Columbia Gas to serve new load in the Columbus, OH area, closed on Jan. 9. That project had targeted 500 MMcf of new capacity, yet the open season received ~1.5 Bcf/d in total bids, TRP said. It is unclear if Appalachian Supply is designed to meet customer interest from that open season.A second open season to expand the 300 MMcf/d Crossroads Pipeline by 1.5 Bcf/d closed in mid-March. That open season was 2.5 times oversubscribed. TRP is still working through the bids to determine the best approach to expand Crossroads, management said on the earnings call.It is unclear if the two open seasons are related. Crossroads spans just over 200 miles from northwest Ohio to the Indiana/Illinois border, where several developers have proposed new data centers around Chicago. TC Energy could potentially build a lateral from Crossroads to connect to Columbia Gas Transmission, allowing Appalachian supply to flow into the Chicago market.Another option is to use Panhandle Eastern or ANR as connectors between Columbia Gas and Crossroads. On the earnings call, executives said they intend to link assets with access to low-cost supply, like Columbia Gas, to systems like ANR that serve long-duration demand. Taken together, the projects suggest TRP is positioning Columbia Gas and Crossroads to capture accelerating gas demand tied to data centers, electrification and new gas-fired generation across the Midwest and Northeast.
Natural gas pipeline proposed in Campbell, Pendleton Counties draws criticism from property owners - — WCPO asked anyone from Northern Kentucky who had a potential news story to join us at our Alexandria "Let's Talk" event, and Rebecca and Todd Kirchoff sat down with us to share their concerns. The Kirchoffs told us about the NKY Gate Enhancement pipeline project that would run directly through their property.The 25-mile natural gas pipeline proposal would cross Bracken, Pendleton and Campbell counties, where the Kirchoff's farm and two homes sit in California, Ky., into Hamilton County, Ohio.TC Energy is the company driving the effort to build the 36-inch steel-coated line to replace 43 miles of existing aging pipeline. According to a survey done by the Kirchoffs, the existing line would run parallel to the newly proposed line side-by-side on their property, amounting to a 100-foot total easement cutting through the farm. TC Energy has been negotiating an additional 75-foot temporary easement on their property for staging and construction access, amounting to 175 feet that would be cleared, excavated and otherwise disturbed according to the family. "Every tree you see from that direction, through that direction, will be gone. They will take every tree," Todd said, gesturing to two wooded areas lining both sides of his gravel drive. Todd said both he and his sister have asked TC Energy to preserve some oak trees on their property that they believe to be more than 100 years old. Their family has owned the property since 1967. The potential construction scar isn't the main concern for Todd and Rebecca.They said the original contract they had with Duke Energy Kentucky allowed them to tap into the natural gas line on their property for cheap, readily available fuel to both of their homes, and the construction of the new line would eliminate their access to a farm tap. "My whole house is gas, natural gas," Rebecca said.Todd said he's worried that alternatives, electric or propane appliances and heat would be more expensive to use, and conversion costs could be prohibitive in both of the homes on their property.Rebecca said Duke had offered them $25,000 each as compensation for conversion costs, but Todd said the family was looking at tens of thousands in expenses, especially if they decided to install propane tanks on their property."It's $5,000 to put the tank in," he said, pointing to the ground next to his home. "My house is $10,000," Rebecca added.We reached out to both TC Energy and Duke Energy for comment on the family's concerns.TC Energy responded with a statement: "Our proposed NKY Gate Enhancement Project is intended to replace portions of aging natural gas infrastructure with state-of-the-art steel pipe. The project is designed to enhance the safety, integrity and reliability to serve current and future natural gas demand in the region, and we’re committed to being a trusted partner by providing transparent and timely communication as the project progresses." As for the farm taps, TC Energy referred us to Duke. A Duke Energy spokesperson declined an interview and sent a statement instead:"Duke Energy Kentucky continues to work with TC Energy and the Kentucky Public Service Commission on how to best serve these customers who may be impacted by the pipeline replacement project. Our top priority will always be safely serving our customers with reliable utility service in accordance with applicable laws and regulations." Todd said that part of the problem in finding solutions between the two corporations was a lack of transparency.Through tears, Rebecca said she just wanted to ensure the family would be able to remain on the property they've known for decades. "I don't plan on going anywhere else," she said. "I love my farm."
MPLX Marcellus Utilization Hits 94%, Driving Gathering Expansion - Marcellus Drilling News - In 2015, MPLX (i.e., Marathon Petroleum) bought out and merged with the Utica Shale’s premier midstream company, MarkWest Energy, for $15 billion (see MarkWest Energy Investors/Unitholders Approve Merger with Marathon). The “new” MarkWest, aka MPLX, now plays on a much larger stage, owning and operating major assets in the Permian Basin, the Bakken Shale, and the Marcellus/Utica. However, the M-U still plays a starring role for the company. MPLX recently issued its first quarter 2026 update. MPLX is seeing increased natural gas gathering throughput in both Marcellus and Utica, indicating robust upstream activity.
23 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 11 – 17 -- Marcellus Drilling News - - The Marcellus/Utica region received 23 new drilling permits last week, May 11 – 17, up from the 22 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 14 of last week’s permits. Ohio issued 4 new permits. West Virginia issued 5 new permits last week. The drillers who received new permits included: EOG Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, and Range Resources. Bradford County | EOG Resources | EQT Corp | Expand Energy | Greene County (PA) | Guernsey County | Marion County | Ohio County | Range Resources Corp | Susquehanna County | Washington County
Midwest Demand Growth Drives $1.5B Columbia Gas Expansion - East Daley Analytics --TC Energy (TRP) plans to invest $1.5B to meet load growth on the Columbia Gas system, part of a trend of growing natural gas demand from data centers and power plants based in the Midwest. TRP announced the expansion, the Appalachian Supply project, on May 1 in its 1Q26 earnings update. The 800 MMcf/d expansion is backed by a 20-year contract with an investor-grade utility and has an expected build multiple of 7.3x, the company said. The project will serve new power generation load.Appalachian Supply has an anticipated in-service date in 2030, and can potentially be expanded up to 2 Bcf/d with additional compression. On the earnings call, executives said they expect demand on the Columbia Gas system will expand 4 Bcf/d by 2035. Columbia Gas Transmission extends from Ohio through the mid-Atlantic region. The sprawling system spans nearly 12,000 miles and 10 states, connecting to Appalachian production and storage, as well as major interstate pipelines like ANR, Texas Eastern, Tennessee, and Panhandle Eastern.
McKean County Injection Well Operating Without Permit from PA DEP -- Marcellus Drilling News - On May 14, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a notice of violation to Sandstone Development LLC for operating the McKay 7A conventional well as an oil and gas wastewater injection disposal site in McKean County without a state permit. Which may sound like a major, flagrant (intentional) violation. But it’s not. Sandstone holds a federal EPA permit allowing daily injections of up to 10,500 gallons. Sandstone said it was unaware that, in addition to the federal EPA permit, it is also required to seek and obtain a state DEP permit for the same thing. In other words, Sandstone didn’t ask DEP, “Mother, May I?”
PA DEP Report: Leachate from Landfills with Shale Cuttings Safe -- Marcellus Drilling News - Can we PLEASE now put to bed the pervasive lie spread by anti-shale people that drill cuttings (the leftover rock and dirt that comes out of the ground when drilling a shale well) are somehow glow-in-the-dark radioactive and if disposed of in a landfill will cause people who live near such a landfill to die from radiation poisoning? A two-year study by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) concluded that radium levels in landfill wastewater (leachate) do NOT pose a risk to human health.
EQT Corp: gas producer updates investors after latest quarterly earnings - US natural gas producer EQT Corp. recently reported its latest quarterly results, updating investors on production levels, capital spending and shareholder returns such as dividends and buybacks. EQT Corp. is one of the largest independent natural gas producers in the United States, with a focus on the Appalachian Basin, particularly the Marcellus and Utica shale plays. The company’s business model centers on acquiring, developing and producing natural gas and associated liquids from its acreage in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and neighboring states, according to company information published on its website and recent filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, such as the 2025 Form 10-K referenced by SEC filings as of 02/22/2026.The company generates revenue primarily by selling produced natural gas into US markets, including utilities, industrial customers and gas marketers, often under long-term transportation and sales agreements. Because natural gas prices can be volatile, EQT Corp. employs a hedging strategy using derivatives to stabilize cash flows and protect its capital program. This hedging activity can result in gains or losses that significantly influence reported earnings in a given quarter, even when underlying production volumes remain relatively stable, as highlighted in management commentary in recent quarterly presentations made available on the investor relations site in early 2026.EQT Corp.’s cost structure is driven by drilling and completion expenses, gathering and transportation fees, and operating costs such as labor, maintenance and environmental compliance. Over recent years the company has emphasized efficiency improvements and longer laterals to reduce per-unit costs. Management has also focused on balance sheet repair, using free cash flow at times of favorable gas prices to reduce debt and strengthen credit metrics, which is frequently cited as a strategic priority in company presentations and earnings materials accessible via EQT investor materials as of 04/29/2026. The most important revenue driver for EQT Corp. is the volume of natural gas it produces and sells each quarter. Production levels depend on the pace of drilling and well completions, which in turn reflect the company’s capital expenditure plans and expectations for future gas prices. In its latest quarterly report for the first quarter of 2026, management highlighted production volumes that were broadly in line with prior guidance, while reiterating full-year volume targets, according to the company’s earnings release published in late April 2026 and summarized by Nasdaq data as of 04/30/2026.In addition to dry gas, EQT Corp. produces natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, propane and butane. These NGLs can provide incremental revenue, especially when petrochemical demand is strong and NGL pricing is favorable relative to dry gas. However, NGL volumes and realizations typically represent a smaller share of total revenue compared to the core natural gas business. The company’s marketing strategy seeks to optimize the mix of pipeline capacity, regional basis exposure and sales into premium markets such as LNG-linked demand on the US Gulf Coast, where possible. Another key driver is the company’s realized price, which reflects benchmark gas prices such as Henry Hub, regional basis differentials in Appalachia, and the impact of hedging. In the first quarter of 2026, EQT Corp. discussed how lower spot prices compared with the prior year weighed on revenue, while hedging gains partially offset the decline, according to comments from the earnings call and related presentation materials published on 04/29/2026. Management noted that the company continues to adjust its hedge book to support its multi-year drilling program and protect its base dividend, with decisions informed by forward curves and internal price expectations. Fee-based and ancillary income, such as firm transportation commitments and gathering arrangements, also play a role in EQT Corp.’s financial profile. While the company has streamlined its midstream exposure compared with earlier years, gathering and transportation remain critical for moving gas from wellheads to end markets. Costs associated with these services can be significant, but securing long-term capacity helps ensure that production is not bottlenecked during periods of strong demand. In recent communications, management has pointed out that infrastructure availability in Appalachia can constrain regional growth, making existing capacity an important competitive asset.
CT Sierra Club Lies About Enbridge Project Beacon Cost, Pollution - Marcellus Drilling News - Yesterday, MDN told you that Enbridge has launched an open season for customers to sign up for capacity along an expanded Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline in New England (see Enbridge Proposes Major Expansion of Algonquin Pipe: Project Beacon). While details about Project Beacon are still vague, the company has indicated it would replace sections of the pipeline with larger-diameter pipes in some places and run secondary pipelines (called looping) alongside existing pipes in others. Project Beacon also involves expanding some compressor stations along the route, and could include new gas storage facilities. A day after the project was officially announced, the Connecticut chapter of the radical Sierra Club launched a campaign to lie about and smear the project.
Constellation Seeks to Keep Boston LNG Terminal Online Long-Term -- Marcellus Drilling News - -A study commissioned by Constellation Energy concludes that the Everett Marine Terminal (EMT) in Massachusetts (LNG import terminal) remains critical to New England’s gas and electric reliability, particularly during peak winter demand. Constellation owns EMT. The report (full copy below) highlights EMT’s role during Winter Storm Fern in early 2025, when it prevented supply shortages and price spikes. Existing contracts with Massachusetts utilities run through 2030, costing ratepayers an estimated $946 million. The report says replacing EMT via pipeline expansion could cost $4.6–$6.1 billion. While consumer and environmental advocates favor demand-side alternatives such as electrification and efficiency, the report is skeptical, calling these strategies high-risk and unverified.
4th Circuit Panel Rejects Antis’ Plea to Block Transco SESE Work - Marcellus Drilling News - One week ago, MDN told you that a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circuit) heard oral arguments from Big Green asking the court to block construction of Williams’ Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SESE) while a court case challenging permits issued for the project grinds slowly through the legal system (see 4th Circuit Judge Tells Antis to Post a $100M Bond to Block Pipe). This past Monday, the judges politely (in legalese) told Big Green to kiss off.
Infrastructure Week: The Real Story Is Underground | RealClearEnergy -During Infrastructure Week, policymakers and industry leaders will highlight the systems that keep America moving. Roads, bridges, ports, and airports rightly receive attention. But one of the most important infrastructure stories this year is happening underground. Natural gas pipelines are in focus because America's energy needs are growing, quickly.Electricity needs are climbing, in part because artificial intelligence and data centers require enormous amounts of reliable power. At the same time, liquefied natural gas exports continue to expand, allowing the U.S. to supply allies and trading partners abroad while strengthening domestic production. In its 2026 Annual Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects strong long-term growth in natural gas demand from both the power sector and export markets. Natural gas is the largest source of electricity generation in the U.S. at approximately 41%, providing reliable and affordable power to homes, businesses, manufacturers, hospitals, and schools. As demand for natural gas continues to grow, infrastructure capacity must grow with it so that low-cost, reliable energy can reach the consumers and businesses that depend on it. The Appalachian Basin, home to the Marcellus and Utica shales, is expected to play a central role in meeting future demand. Production in the East region remains among the lowest-cost in the nation. But abundant supply alone is not enough. Natural gas must be transported to where it is needed, including manufacturing centers, power plants, and export terminals along the Gulf Coast. Pipelines are the essential link between America's energy resources and the consumers who depend on them. They deliver affordable energy to homes, fuel industrial growth, support grid reliability, and enable exports that enhance national security. Without pipelines, natural gas cannot get from the wellhead to power plants, factories, or family homes. Without adequate pipeline capacity, supply bottlenecks emerge, prices become more volatile, and economic opportunities are lost. The infrastructure required to meet that demand is significant. The INGAA Foundation’s recent North American Midstream Infrastructure Report projects that more than $1 trillion in new midstream investment will be required through 2052. That includes roughly 37,000 miles of additional natural gas transmission pipelines and more than 100,000 miles of gathering systems needed to connect production to processing facilities and major transmission networks.According to Fortune, natural gas pipeline construction in the U.S. is experiencing its largest growth surge in nearly two decades, since the beginning of the shale revolution. More than 150 pipeline projects are planned nationwide, representing roughly 150 billion cubic feet of new capacity, according to analytics firm Arbo. Wood Mackenzie estimates that companies have committed $50 billion to new pipeline investments that would add approximately 8,800 miles of infrastructure across the country.This builds on the approximately 6.3 billion cubic feet per day of new capacity added to the grid in 2025, with most of that infrastructure directed toward the South-Central region and the rapidly growing LNG corridor along the Gulf Coast. Last year’s buildout, coupled with progress being made today are meaningful, much more infrastructure will be needed in the years ahead to keep pace with rising demandThis Infrastructure Week, policymakers should recognize that pipelines are every bit as vital as highways and bridges. They may run underground and out of sight, but they help power factories, data centers, export terminals, and homes across the country.
US ethylene exports remain elevated as Middle East war tightens European supply | S&P Global -A significant uptick in European demand since the war in the Middle East broke out has kept US ethylene exports elevated, according to the latest full-month S&P Global Commodities at Sea data.US ethylene exports have been going steadily to Europe since 2025, but shipments jumped significantly after the start of the Middle East conflict.. Total US ethylene exports rose from 60,000 metric tons in February to 155,000 mt in March, with most of the volume going to Europe, according to CAS data. The main recipients were Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal. During this time, the US' share of global ethylene exports also increased from42% to 89.8%. These levels remained elevated throughout April, totaling 124,000 mt out of the US. This surge in volume came as cracker outages in Europe kept ethylene supply tight, driving spot prices higher and boosting demand for imports. In the US, this was reflected in higher terminal fees for spot cargoes, reaching 20-25 cents/pound in mid-April, up from a previously fixed 4-6 cents/lb. "Europe couldn't really take the risk for late delivery, so that is why the 20-cent/lb cargo got done," an olefins trader said. While the fees on spot cargo exports have since come down from their peaks, they remained elevated at about 12 cents/pound, according to the latest market feedback, widening the spread between domestic and export ethylene prices while still maintaining an open arbitrage to Europe. Enterprise Products said during its first-quarter earnings call that its ethylene exports had been "really high," with co-CEO James Teage citing 3 million barrels. The company, in a joint venture with Navigator Holding, owns the biggest ethylene export terminal in the US, with a recently expanded capacity of 1.55 million mt/year. Additionally, Tyler Cott, senior vice president of hydrocarbon marketing, said spot loading rates on the US Gulf Coast had risen following the surge in demand, reaching as high as 55 cents for various products, including ethylene, propylene, LPG and ethane. "Yes. We've seen elevated spot rates. They've been volatile," Cott said. "They've been as high as kind of what you mentioned, and they're off from those highs now. Our system has more flexibility than it did previously. And so we'll respond to what products the markets need and have the highest value with the spot capacity that we have available." Domestically, ethylene's margins to upstream and downstream markets have widened since the beginning of the war, with significant price increases in the polyethylene export market and ethane's prices remaining low despite the uptick in export demand. "There is a lot of good reason for [the] market to become tighter [higher exports and summer season demand for natural gas and ethane], but there is a lot of room for buffer for spread ethane," a second olefins trader said. These wide margins have created a disconnect in immediate market dynamics throughout the chain, with ethylene market participants saying prices have been balancing mainly to European arbitrage conditions. However, following announcements that crackers are coming back online in Europe earlier than anticipated, demand for US imports might be impacted. "We are already seeing less interest in US ethylene into Europe," a shipbroker said. Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, last assessed spot ethylene at 30.50 cents/lb Mont Belvieu pipeline and at 42.50 cents/lb FOB USGC on May 21, both down 0.50 cent day over day. Market participants remained in a wait-and-see mode, with their attention fixed on the possibility of a US-Iran agreement. However, confidence remained that market conditions would remain balanced.
U.S. Propane Inventories Remain Elevated Despite Smaller-Than-Expected Build | RBN Energy -The EIA reported a propane/propylene inventory build of 421 Mbbl for the week ended May 15, coming in well below both industry expectations for a 1.8-MMbbl build and the average build for the week of 1.7 MMbbl. Total U.S. propane/propylene inventories now stand at 81.6 MMbbl, which is 28.5 MMbbl, or 54%, above the same week in 2025, 14.9 MMbbl, or 22%, above the five-year maximum, and 26.6 MMbbl, or 48%, above the five-year average. Despite historically elevated inventory levels, the smaller-than-expected weekly inventory increase may suggest storage growth is beginning to moderate.Weekly U.S. propane exports reported by the EIA declined by about 170 Mb/d to 2 MMb/d, falling below the four-week average of 2.1 MMb/d but remaining above the 1.7 MMb/d reported during the same week last year and the year-to-date average of 1.95 MMb/d. At the same time, total U.S. propane/propylene production remained near 3 MMb/d, just below the record-high levels reached in April. The recent decline in propane exports may partly reflect stronger butane export activity, while the combination of softer propane exports and still-elevated production levels continues to support ample domestic propane supply availability.
Mont Belvieu Propane Price Soars over Conway | RBN Energy - The Iran war has significantly increased the value of Gulf Coast propane relative to inland markets. Concerns over disruption to Middle East LPG flows through the Strait of Hormuz has pushed international buyers toward U.S. cargoes, strengthening Gulf Coast export demand and lifting Mont Belvieu propane prices relative to the key midcontinent hub in Conway, KS. Higher freight costs and strong export terminal utilization also have contributed to the move. Since 2019, Mont Belvieu propane has averaged about 2.75 c/gal above Conway with winter heating demand occasionally narrowing or briefly reversing the spread. As shown in the graph below, the recent move from roughly 2.2 c/gal in May-December 2025 to nearly 9 c/gal last week reflects the unusually strong export pull on Gulf Coast barrels.
Northeast Natural Gas Revival Seen Cutting Gulf Coast Supply Short -Appalachian natural gas supplies will be “desperately needed” on the Gulf Coast in the coming years, but growing demand in the Northeast and other hurdles could prevent much of those volumes from moving further south, according to Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co (TPH).NGI Appalachia forward basis curves chart showing regional natural gas pricing trends through June 2028. At a Glance:
5 Bcf/d Gulf Coast deficit projected
Appalachian production to continue growing
Planned Northeast pipelines oversubscribed
Q1 2026 Earnings Call: Expand Energy Bets Big on LNG-Related Gas Demand | RBN Energy -Expand Energy’s Q1 2026 earnings call made one thing clear: the company is positioning itself for a long-term structural growth cycle in U.S. natural gas demand, with LNG exports sitting at the center of the strategy. Management repeatedly emphasized that Expand’s Haynesville position is uniquely advantaged because it sits directly on the Gulf Coast LNG corridor. Expand sees LNG as a long-term extension of its upstream business and intends to move further down the value chain through marketing, transportation and potentially gas supply management services tied to export facilities. A major focus of the call was Expand’s new LNG agreement with Delfin FLNG, which management described as a foundational piece of its broader LNG strategy. The company signed a new SPA tied to Delfin’s first floating LNG vessel for 1.15 million tons per year (0.15 Bcf/d of natural gas throughput) after terminating a prior arrangement connected to Delfin’s second vessel. Management said the new deal is larger, expected to reach market sooner and carry better economics than the previous agreement. Beyond simply supplying gas, Expand is negotiating to become Delfin’s gas supply manager, which would allow the company to help manage upstream supply and transportation into the LNG facility. Executives framed the arrangement as part of a broader effort to build an integrated LNG portfolio that gives Expand exposure not only to Gulf Coast demand growth, but also to international LNG pricing through markets like JKM and TTF. The company also indicated it plans to continue pursuing additional LNG opportunities over time using a portfolio approach that blends long-term contracts, shorter-term sales and downstream commercial partnerships.
Caturus Takes FID on Commonwealth LNG --Commonwealth LNG has reached a final investment decision (FID) on its 9.5 MMtpa export terminal (1.3 Bcf/d) near Cameron Parish, Louisiana.Caturus (formerly Kimmeridge Energy) is targeting operations for 2030 (see picture below). The project has obtained all required regulatory approvals. In April, EQT and Glencore each agreed to take an additional 1 MMtpa (0.13 Bcf/d) from the project after JERA exited its long-term contract. The terminal now has 8 MMtpa (1.05 Bcf/d) of capacity secured under binding agreements.As we discuss in the LNG Voyager Weekly Report, this marks the second LNG project to reach FID this year, following Venture Global’s FID on CP2 Phase 2 in March. With Commonwealth moving forward, U.S. export capacity is expected to exceed 32 Bcf/d by the early 2030s. In 2025, six new LNG projects got the greenlight and the pace of FIDs surged. One U.S. project, Texas LNG, appears likely to advance in the near term. In the long term, several projects remain, including developments from industry heavyweights Cheniere and Venture Global. Many are still awaiting regulatory approvals but could come under consideration once permits are granted, likely next year.
Woodside Assessing Steel Options Amid Middle East Supply Risks - Woodside Energy’s Louisiana LNG project remains on track to ship its first cargo by 2029 as work at the 790-acre site on the west bank of the Calcasieu River continues. At a Glance:
- Progress continues on first three trains
- FERC reports no issues with schedule
- Bechtel sourcing steel from UAE
Q1 2026 Earnings Calls: Venture Global Plans Expanded LNG Exports | RBN Energy - During its quarterly earnings call last week, Venture Global gave an update on the timeline of its pending and existing LNG facilities. The company plans to grow to 85 mtpa of LNG capacity by the end of 2029. As shown in the graph below from their report, this would make them the largest LNG exporter in the U.S. and the second-largest in the world. This plan includes two bolt-on expansions (the light-blue area of the VG bar in the chart) to be developed after CP2 Phases 1 and 2 are operational. There are bolt-on expansions at the CP2 site and at the Plaquemines site, each targeting FID in 2027. The former would have a 10 mtpa capacity (1.3 Bcf/d in feedgas) and the latter has 6.4 mtpa capacity (0.8 Bcf/d feedgas). Venture Global is targeting first production from these bolt-ons in late 2028 (at CP2) and 2029 (at Plaquemines). In news from a project currently under construction, Venture Global expects to reach first LNG at CP2 in the second half of 2027. CEO Mike Sabel confirmed that the facility will rely heavily on the Permian Basin for its supply. CP2 will have a “very large nitrogen unit, among the biggest in the country” in order to mitigate the problem of excessive nitrogen in the LNG feed (which we blogged about in It’s a Gas Gas Gas). Sabel described “transportation agreements that physically connect us directly with Waha” at Katy, where they can then route gas via Blackfin to the CP Express pipeline which leads to CP2. This will link Venture Global’s LNG supply to what is currently by far the cheapest domestic gas production basin.
Sempra Seeks DOE Approval for Port Arthur LNG Cooldown Cargoes - Sempra has asked the US Department of Energy for permission to import and re-export LNG cooldown cargos at its Port Arthur LNG project as the timeline for startup of the first train at the Texas facility firms. At a Glance:
- Commissioning activity could begin in fall
- Port Arthur adds late-decade demand
- Gulf Coast gas flows keep rising
Cheniere’s Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3 Expansion Nearly Complete -- Train 6 at the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project in South Texas is producing LNG and expected to conclude commissioning and enter commercial service this summer, Cheniere Energy confirmed this week.The seventh and final train at the expansion is also on track to be done this fall. Once finished, the 10 Mt/y project would boost the facility’s output to 25 Mt/y.
Feedgas Flows to U.S. LNG Export Plants Hit 16-Week Low on Tues. -- Marcellus Drilling News - U.S. natural gas flows to LNG export facilities were set to hit a 16-week low of 15.1 Bcf/d on Tuesday, May 19, despite the anticipated return of QatarEnergy/ExxonMobil’s Golden Pass plant in Texas, according to LSEG data. Average flows dropped from a record 18.8 Bcf/d in April to 16.9 Bcf/d in May due to spring maintenance at multiple facilities, including Golden Pass and Freeport LNG.
Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver Another 90 Days, Includes LNG -- Marcellus Drilling News - On March 18, President Trump issued a 60-day waiver pausing the enforcement of the Jones Act (see President Trump Issues 60-Day Waiver of Jones Act, Includes LNG). For *years* we have railed against the 106-year-old Jones Act and its requirement that any goods (like LNG) that are transported from one U.S. port to another be on a ship manufactured in the U.S., owned by a U.S. company, and crewed by a U.S. crew. The effect of this law in the modern age is to ban LNG (and other shipments, like gasoline, propane, coal, and other products manufactured in the U.S.) from being shipped cheaply from port to port. Suspension made it possible to ship LNG from one U.S. port to another. However, the waiver expired at 12 am ET on May 18. But, good news! President Trump extended the waiver for another 90 days.
FERC proposes faster permitting for gas pipeline projects - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday proposed a revamp of a decades-old blanket certificate program for natural gas projects — framing it as beneficial for building more pipeline infrastructure amid rising energy demand. FERC’s blanket certificate program — which provides a path for natural gas companies to carry out certain routine activities without the need to get a case-specific permit — was last majorly updated 20 years ago and includes cost limits that FERC leaders say haven’t kept up with the pace of inflation. “I’m very proud of the step that FERC took today on the gas pipeline blanket proceeding towards clearing the way to expansion that is critical to meeting our country’s explosive energy needs,” said Republican FERC Chair Laura Swett, speaking to reporters at FERC’s meeting. “Our proposal is grounded in thousands of hours of experience and thousands of cases and an eye to providing what we believe is a legally defensible approach in court grounded in the record while providing the industry the confidence it needs to invest in infrastructure,” she said.
Freeport LNG Feedgas Noms Rebound After Gulf South Maintenance Drop - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers. North American LNG export capacity is poised for significant growth through 2028 as new liquefaction projects ramp up, reinforcing the region’s role as a key supplier to global natural gas markets.
- 0.87 Bcf/d: Freeport LNG feedgas nominations have partially recovered after slipping sharply Tuesday due to maintenance on the Gulf South Pipeline. Scheduled volumes to Freeport rose to around 0.87 Bcf/d in Tuesday night nominations, up from roughly 0.47 Bcf/d during the drop. The decline coincided with a notice for maintenance at the Wilson Compressor Station, which temporarily constrained capacity on the Coastal Bend delivery corridor serving the export facility. The partial recovery suggests the impact was short-lived and tied to the maintenance window, though flows are still at roughly 50% of capacity, according to Wood Mackenzie pipeline data.
- 9.3 Mt/y: Australian union workers at Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG are planning work stoppages of several hours a day starting May 27 for two weeks. Australian Workers’ Union leaders reported contract talks ended last week without a reasonable agreement. A strike at the 9.3 Mt/y capacity facility could further tighten global LNG markets already strained by Middle East conflict, with Ichthys accounting for about 2% of global production. The majority of those annual volumes head to Japan, which is facing rising temperatures over the next several weeks.
- $34.8 billion: In other Australian news, Inpex is doubling down on its Australian LNG position as PetroChina exits Woodside Energy’s Browse LNG project. The Japanese company agreed to purchase PetroChina’s 10.67% stake in the development in an agreement estimated at $34.8 billion. Browse LNG is a proposed development of several Western Australia offshore fields intended to feed LNG production through the North West Shelf facility. The project could tap reserves estimated to hold about 13.9 Tcf of dry gas and 390 million bbls of condensate, supporting potential output of around 11.4 Mt/y of LNG, LPG and domestic gas.
- 2.12 Mt: US LNG exports are set for a 0.26 Mt week/week dip after scheduled maintenance and operational issues cut into feedgas nominations for almost two weeks, according to Kpler data. Estimated loadings are expected to reach 2.12 Mt the week of May 18, down from 2.38 Mt the week prior. Weekly US exports this spring peaked at 2.71 Mt the week of April 20 and have since plateaued. Nominations to Golden Pass, Sabine Pass and Freeport LNG have returned to near optimal levels, indicating maintenance events are wrapping up, but overall Lower 48 feedgas flows are well below April levels, according to NGI's US LNG Export Flow Tracker.
Will LNG Exporters Dodge Hurricane Season Again This Year? -- National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters are calling for a below-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year, which would be welcome news for Gulf Coast LNG exporters and offshore producers. “NOAA outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season projects 8-14 named storms, including up to six hurricanes and three major hurricanes." At a Glance:
- Storms seen veering out to sea
- LNG growth amplifies market impacts
- Late-season storms could track toward Gulf
El Niño Threat Raises Stakes for Global Natural Gas Markets --Appalachian natural gas supplies will be “desperately needed” on the Gulf Coast in the coming years, but growing demand in the Northeast and other hurdles could prevent much of those volumes from moving further south, according to Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co (TPH). NGI Appalachia forward basis curves chart showing regional natural gas pricing trends through June 2028. At a Glance:
5 Bcf/d Gulf Coast deficit projected
Appalachian production to continue growing
Planned Northeast pipelines oversubscribed
Panama Canal Outlook Eases Near-Term Risk for US LNG Shipments to Asia --The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported it does not expect restrictions on the critical waterway this year, offering a measure of relief as the call for US LNG from Asian buyers raises traffic through the canal. Map of the Panama Canal lock system showing Gatun, Pedro Miguel, Miraflores locks, key shipping routes between Atlantic, Pacific. At a Glance:
US LNG traffic to Asia rises
Freight rates begin firming again
Canal flows rebound from drought lows
Q1 2026 Earnings Calls: Targa Infrastructure Update | RBN Energy - During its Q1 2026 earnings call, Targa reported increased gathering and processing volumes despite poor Waha gas pricing. President Jen Kneale noted that Permian volumes were more than 250 MMcf/d above the Q1 average, even with 200-400 MMcf/d of Permian gas temporarily shut in by producers on any given day. In the Q&A, CEO Matthew Meloy said the setup points to a stronger volume picture once more gas takeaway is available: “We have even had some tell us that they're pushing and delaying some of their completions and activity into the back half of this year. And so, even with some of that happening, us being on track for our volumes in the first part of the year with these shut-ins, paints a really good picture for us as that activity ramps when there's sufficient egress on the gas side.”Their list of gas processing plant projects shows how Targa is building around Permian growth. In the Midland Basin, East Pembrook entered service at the end of Q1 earlier than expected, while East Driver remains on track for Q3 2026. In the Delaware Basin, Falcon II came online in Q1 while Copperhead, Yeti I and Yeti II remain on schedule; all plants have an inlet capacity of 275 MMcf/d. Targa announced two new plants, Roadrunner III (265 MMcf/d) and Copperhead II (275 MMcf/d) that are expected to start up in Q1 2028 to further support growth in the Delaware.Other midstream projects the company provided an update on include the Delaware Express NGL pipeline, a 30" intra-basin system moving Delaware Basin liquids toward Targa’s Grand Prix pipeline is currently ramping up while Speedway, the 500 Mb/d NGL pipeline from the Permian to Mont Belvieu is expected to ramp up in Q3 2027. Fractionator Train 11 at Mont Belvieu began operations early in Q2, Train 12 is expected to enter service in Q1 2027, and Train 13 for Q1 2028, all with a fractionation capacity of 150 Mb/d. Other projects are tabulated below.Downstream at Galena Park, Targa averaged 13.1 MMbbl per month (MMb/m) or ~430 Mb/d of LPG loadings in Q1 despite the outage of a low-ethane propane unit, that was "quickly resolved". Galena Park's LPG export expansion is expected online in Q3 2027, raising capacity to more than 19 MMb/m (~625 Mb/d). In Q&A, President of Logistics and Transportation Ben Branstetter said that global demand is creating more butane opportunities and that Targa has “more inbounds than I've certainly ever seen, from others around the world thinking about getting into the U.S. LPG market”, from customers seeking U.S. LPG under multiyear contracts.
Could Permian’s High Nitrogen Natural Gas Pose Hurdle for Gulf Coast LNG Exporters? - Giant US export facilities on the Gulf Coast are betting on cheap, bountiful natural gas from the Permian Basin to meet surging global demand, but nitrogen content poses an operational challenge. Chart shows global LNG capacity under development led by US projects between 2025-2030, with growth also from Qatar, Canada and Australia. At a Glance:
Nitrogen cuts liquefaction efficiency
Waha prices stay deeply negative
CP2 adds major removal units
US gas futures hit seven-week high as heat drives demand and output slips (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 2% to a seven-week high on Monday on forecasts for warmer-than-expected weather and higher air conditioning demand over the next two weeks, as well as lower output in recent weeks. Front-month gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 6.4 cents, or 2.2%, to settle at $3.024 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since March 27 for a second day in a row. Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states slipped to 109.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in May, from 109.8 bcfd in April and a monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. Meteorologists forecast the weather will remain mostly warmer than normal through June 2. Temperatures in Washington D.C. will reach record-breaking levels of 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius) on Monday, 101 F on Tuesday and 97 F on Wednesday, according to weather forecaster AccuWeather. That compares with an all-time high of 96 F hit on May 18, 1877, May 19, 1997, and on May 20, 1996. The normal high in the nation's capital around this time of year is 77 F. To escape the heat, homes and businesses in the PJM power grid, which includes Washington, cranked up their air conditioners, boosting spot prices for Monday by 249% to $145 per megawatt-hour, the highest since February. PJM manages the electric grid in all or part of 13 states from New Jersey to Illinois. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would rise from 98.1 bcfd this week to 98.8 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants fell from a monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April to 17.0 bcfd so far in May due to spring maintenance reductions at several plants, including ExxonMobil XOM.N/QatarEnergy's Golden Pass and Freeport LNG's plant in Texas. In other LNG news, there are now three vessels expected to reach China in June directly from the U.S. No LNG vessel has sailed straight from the U.S. to China since February 2025, according to LSEG data, due primarily to trade disruptions between the world's two economic superpowers during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term.
US natural gas futures rise as output drops and demand outlook improves (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures edged up on Thursday as stronger demand forecasts and lower output supported prices despite a larger-than-expected storage build and reduced LNG flows. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said energy firms added 101 billion cubic feet of gas to storage during the week ended May 15. That was bigger than the 95-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of 119 bcf during the same week last year and a five-year (2021-2025) average increase of 92 bcf for the period. Front-month gas futures for June delivery NGc1 on the New York Mercantile Exchange edged up 1.4 cents, or 0.5%, to $3.018 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Looking forward, the premium of futures for July over June fell to a 13-month low near 14 cents per mmBtu. Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states fell to 109.3 billion cubic feet per day so far in May, down from 109.8 bcfd in April and a monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. Meteorologists forecast weather will remain mostly warmer than normal through June 5, prompting power companies to burn more gas than usual as some homes and businesses keep their air conditioners cranked up. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would slide from 99.0 bcfd this week to 98.3 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Wednesday. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants fell from a monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April to 17.0 bcfd so far in May due to spring maintenance reductions at several plants, including ExxonMobil XOM.N/QatarEnergy's Golden Pass and Freeport LNG's plant in Texas.
Gulf Coast Crude Exports Soar to Record 5.9 Million Barrels Per Day | RBN Energy - According to vessel tracking data, U.S. Gulf Coast crude exports skyrocketed to a record-breaking 5.9 MMb/d for the week ended May 15 (far right in chart below), underscoring the Gulf’s growing role as the world’s balancing barrel supplier amid heightened geopolitical risk and resilient international demand. As discussed in this week's Crude Voyager, this milestone was driven primarily by exceptional European buying, with exports to Europe alone climbing to an unprecedented 3.3 MMb/d and Dutch imports reaching a historic 1.6 MMb/d. The scale of flows highlights how Atlantic Basin refiners are increasingly leaning on U.S. crude as Middle East supply uncertainty intensifies around the Strait of Hormuz. The record export performance is particularly notable because it is occurring despite relatively flat domestic production growth. Instead, the market is relying heavily on commercial inventory draws and Strategic Petroleum Reserve barrels to sustain elevated outbound volumes. That dynamic suggests the current export pace may be difficult to maintain over the longer term without stronger upstream supply growth or a normalization in global crude trade flows.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Records Largest Draw in History | RBN Energy -The EIA’s latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) released this morning highlights the growing strain the Iran conflict is placing on global oil balances. For the week ended May 15, inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) – the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil - posted a nearly 10 MMbbl draw (far right in chart below), dropping stocks to 374 MMbbl. As discussed in this week's Crude Oil Billboard, this is the largest weekly decline on record and surpasses last week’s then-record 8.6 MMbbl draw, as Washington continues releasing emergency barrels to offset supply disruptions tied to the war and instability around the Strait of Hormuz. This draw is part of the larger coordinated 400 MMbbl release with the IEA and participating member countries as a way to address supply disruptions and price hikes connected to the War in Iran.
Motor oil shortage may lead to increased costs for American drivers --Many drivers get oil changes before Memorial Day weekend road trips to avoid mishaps on the road like engine overheating. Those oil changes could become more expensive due to costs related to the Iran war. Some major automotive brands are prepping their dealers for a motor oil shortage, according to reporting from automotive news site The Drive. A shortage would increase wholesale prices, forcing auto parts and repair shops to increase sales prices and labor fees to protect their profit margins. Motor oil used in internal combustion engine, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars is primarily made of base oils and chemical additives that coat moving engine components to provide lubrication and protection. The United States imports a large percentage of the base oils used in motor oil from plants and refineries in the Middle East. Attacks near the Strait of Hormuz along with port blockades have resulted in massive shipping delays for crude oil. The U.S. Energy Information Administration calls the Strait of Hormuz the "world's most important oil transit chokepoint" and war-related disruptions are having a global impact on oil supply and pricing.Gas prices have increased dramatically in the weeks following the start of the war in Iran on Feb. 28. Now, American drivers may see motor oil prices (and oil change prices) increase drastically as well. Dealers and car service centers who were warned of a potential motor oil shortage by automakers and suppliers could increase prices soon to protect profit margins.Which cars will be most impacted by a potential motor oil shortage?A potential motor oil shortage mostly impacts "low-viscosity synthetic oils like 0W-8 and 0W-16, which are commonly used in newer hybrid and fuel-efficient engines," says Yahoo Autos. Drivers that own hybrid cars could experience the impact of a motor oil shortage first because of the lightweight oils their vehicles require. Today, several of the best-selling vehicles on the road are standard hybrid models, like the Toyota Camry.According to Yahoo Autos, automotive companies like Toyota and Nissan are acknowledging the potential for a motor oil shortage and are advising dealers to "occasionally substitute heavier oil grades for certain service intervals" as a short-term solution to avoid quickly diminishing the supply of some low-viscosity synthetic motor oil grades.Gas expert Patrick De Haan shared an internal AutoZone email referencing challenges with the supply of certain motor oils that would lead to price adjustments. AutoZone operates over 6,800 locations across the U.S. and is the largest aftermarket automotive parts and accessories retailer in the country.De Haan also posted a Nissan message to its dealer partners, which stated "a supplier-driven price adjustment is expected in the near term" regarding motor oil. Prices for motor oil and oil changes will rise as the supply of base oils begins to run dry.
FERC Oil & Liquids Pipeline Index Rates Stabilize After Inflation Spike | RBN Energy --Starting July 1, oil and liquids pipelines regulated by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and charging “index” rates will be permitted to increase their rates by just over 1.4% (red circle in chart below). Index rates remain the most popular form of ratemaking for interstate oil and liquids pipelines. This year, FERC’s index rate formula, Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (PPI-FG) minus 0.55%, resulted in a positive 0.01429. As a result, liquids pipelines must multiply their July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, index ceiling levels by 1.014290 to calculate their index ceiling levels effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. While recent annual increases have been moderated, they come on the heels of two historically large inflation-driven adjustments. FERC issued an order reinstating index levels in September 2024, and the July index rate — which exceeded 14% — marked the largest increase since FERC adopted its current methodology in 1992. That followed a nearly 10% increase the year before. The PPI-FG is tied to inflation trends, and FERC reviews the index level every five years to ensure it reflects changes in industry costs. The result is a framework that is backwards-looking because it relies on historical costs but updated annually to reflect inflationary changes. For more on the methodology, see You Really Got Me.
Devon Energy Enhances Permian Inventory in Federal Lease Sale - — Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN) announced the successful acquisition of 16,300 net undeveloped acres in the core of the Delaware Basin in Lea and Eddy Counties, New Mexico, for approximately $2.6 billion, or approximately $161,500 per net acre, through the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) Oil and Gas Lease Sale. This acquisition bolsters the premier Delaware Basin positions in the industry, extends inventory life, and is accretive to net asset value per share. HIGHLIGHTS:
- Acquisition adds approximately 400 net locations normalized to 2-mile laterals, with expected strong well economics and low breakevens supported by:
- High Net Revenue Interest: Federal leases carry an 87.5% net revenue interest (“NRI”), with 10-year terms across all depths, more favorable than NRIs typical of state and fee leases in the region.
- Contiguous Acreage Position: Provides the ability to drill longer laterals and lower costs through co-development and multi-well pad development.
- Top-Tier Productivity: Highly productive wells across multiple zones expected to compete for near-term capital.
- Leveraging Competitive Cost Structure: Acreage is directly adjacent to Devon’s existing Delaware Basin position, providing the ability to leverage existing facilities and infrastructure. Devon’s top-tier drilling and completion cost performance across its Delaware Basin operations provides a significant underwriting advantage in developing these assets.
- Transaction value of $2.6 billion ($161,500 per net acre or $6.5 million per location) is expected to be funded with cash on hand while maintaining our strong credit profile. Devon remains fully committed to a disciplined cash-return framework, including its recently announced $8 billion share repurchase program.
“This BLM lease sale presented a rare and compelling opportunity to add high-quality, contiguous federal acreage at scale in the core of the Delaware Basin,” said Clay Gaspar, Devon’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Each tract was evaluated on rock quality, midstream connectivity, strategic fit and per-share value accretion for our owners. The favorable federal lease terms, including the lower royalty burden, multi-pay potential and the ability to develop with longer laterals on multi-well pads, are immediately accretive to our top-tier inventory. This acquisition is consistent with our successful ground game track record and strengthens our leading Delaware Basin position.” “The success we achieved in this auction is a testament to the alignment of our Board and the effectiveness of our team, even as we continue to accelerate through the integration of a major merger completed just two weeks ago. Our combined understanding of the basin following the Coterra merger only reinforced our conviction in the quality and depth of this inventory and our confidence in moving decisively to capture these accretive high-quality opportunities.”
Summertime ... and the Blendin’ Is Easy – Fuel Waiver May Lower Costs, Boost Gasoline Supplies | RBN Energy - By mid-May, the U.S. would typically be a couple of weeks into “summer refining season,” a monthslong period when refineries and refined product terminals are required to supply gasoline with lower Reid vapor pressure (RVP) — and a lot less butane. However, an emergency fuel waiver by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is allowing them to market gasoline with an RVP of up to 10 pounds per square inch (psi) for E10 and E15 gasoline. In addition, the waiver streamlines compliance, making it easier for midstream operators to blend butane up to the RVP limit. As we discuss in today’s RBN blog, the waiver — temporary but likely to be extended — may well increase summertime gasoline supply and improve refinery and complicated blender economics. As we said a couple of years ago in Wasting Away in Butane Blendingville, gasoline is among the most complex hydrocarbon products out there, with as many as a dozen specs — each with its own characteristics, such as octane, RVP, distillation points, aromatics, olefins, etc. — that when combined need to meet the exacting standards of regulators and, at the same time, turn as big a financial return as possible. And, to keep things interesting, federal and state regulations ratchet down the allowable RVP levels each spring and ratchet them up in late summer (often to different levels in different markets, and even at different dates). Because of varying summer temperatures across the country and because certain parts of the U.S. face more serious challenges regarding smog than others, the EPA over the years has designated areas where even stricter summertime limits are enforced. Some states, like California, New York and Illinois — established even lower RVP caps of their own (with the EPA’s blessing) to address specific pollution concerns.Generally speaking, U.S. refineries and refined product terminals have needed to meet the warmer-weather RVP requirements from May 1 to September 15, and retailers had to do the same from June 1 to September 15. That one-month delay in the enforcement startup date for retailers is designed to give them time to eliminate their remaining supplies of higher-RVP, cooler-weather gasoline. Typically, refineries start making “summer gasoline” in the second half of March and switch back to “winter gasoline” in the first half of September.With gasoline prices up by more than 50% since the start of the Iran war on February 28, the Trump administration in March and April took several steps to ease the regulatory burden on refineries and gasoline blenders with the dual aims of increasing gasoline supply and holding down gasoline prices. First, on March 24, the EPA extended for 20 days (starting May 1) the right to market E15 gasoline — that is, gasoline with 15% ethanol — repeating a loosening-up it initially approved on a similar emergency basis a few summers back. (Prior to 2022, E15 sales had been limited to non-summer months because of its high RVP and the lack of a statutory 1-psi RVP waiver for E15; see Growing Sideways.) The EPA also waived (again for an initial period of 20 days starting May 1) a long-standing federal requirement that refineries and refined product terminals ratchet down the RVP level in E15 gasoline to 9 psi, thereby permitting an RVP level of up to 10 psi in E15 during the summer months.Moreover, the waiver has streamlined and simplified summer compliance processes, making summertime butane blending by midstream players realistic. Under the standard rules, pipelines, barges, storage facilities and terminals are not allowed to blend in butane in the summer even if there is room on the RVP side without adhering to onerous sampling and testing requirements. The waiver allows for the simpler winter compliance processes for butane blending to continue during the summer months.Further, the EPA said it would suspend federal enforcement of all state “boutique” requirements for summertime RVP levels of less than 9 psi, noting that states with stricter RVP limits could continue to enforce them if they wished. The agency added that federal law limits the duration of emergency waivers to 20 days but said, “It is EPA’s intention to issue new waivers effectively extending these waivers until such time as the extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances described in this action are no longer present.” Then, on April 13, the EPA clarified its earlier actions by specifically allowing more butane to be blended into reformulated gasoline before oxygenated blend (RBOB) just as it was already allowed (via the March 24 order) for conventional gasoline before oxygenated blend (CBOB). The agency also said that gasoline distributors could redesignate CBOB as RBOB “so that there is fuel fungibility between conventional gasoline and RFG.” In other words, the EPA established — in theory, at least — a single, national gasoline pool with the same 10-psi RVP standard for summertime gasoline. Oh, and the agency extended its emergency waiver for another 20 days, the first of several likely renewals.Before we go further, we should provide a few more reminders about gasoline production and distribution and the role of butane:
- The CBOB or RBOB that refineries produce includes a carefully concocted blend of many ingredients, the largest by volume typically being (in descending order) fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) gasoline, straight-run gasoline (directly from crude distillation), reformate (a high-octane blendstock), and alkylate (a low-RVP octane booster), plus limited volumes of butane (1%-2%).
- Refineries’ end product is a “sub-octane” gasoline (either CBOB or RBOB) that is blended downstream with high-octane ethanol — and sometimes, depending on the circumstances and time of year, with more butane — to meet the final gasoline specifications before it is trucked to retail outlets.
- To refineries and refined product distributors, butane is a highly desirable gasoline component because of its low cost (about $49/bbl at Mont Belvieu earlier this month, compared to about $131/bbl for RIN-adjusted CBOB at the USGC — more on this below) and high octane content (an AKI, or anti-knock index, of about 92, or close to that of premium gasoline). Therefore, their aim is to add as much as they can. However, as we’ve noted, there are limits to how much butane can be blended into gasoline because of butane’s high RVP level (north of 50 psi) — and, of course, the related federal and state regs.
There are three primary ways to blend butane into gasoline between the refinery and the pump: (1) along the pipelines or onto barges that transport gasoline to market, (2) via direct injection into tanks, and/or (3) via rack blending, in which butane is injected into gasoline at the terminal rack where ethanol is also added. (Each approach has its pros and cons — see Wasting Away in Butane Blendingville for more on that.)The new, more lenient limits for RVP in summer gasoline currently in effect are likely having only modest effects on refinery operations. In many cases, refineries are still making gasoline with two or more levels of RVP aimed at the various regulatory markets they sell into — assuming they have the tankage to handle that. And, we should note, refineries are unlikely to make big operational changes, given that the increase in allowable RVP is only for sequential 20-day periods — there's no rock-solid commitment that the higher limit will stay in place through the summer. That doesn’t mean, though, that the EPA’s action isn’t presenting very real — and potentially very lucrative — opportunities for blending a lot more butane into CBOB and RBOB downstream of refineries at pipelines, barges, tanks and terminal racks in areas where the 10-psi rule is in force. And remember that increasing the volume of butane in gasoline by only a couple of percentage points would have a very measurable effect on the volume of gasoline available to U.S. consumers.
DOJ moves fight over California oil pipeline to federal bench - --Following setbacks in state court, the Justice Department is transferring a legal fight over the restart of a California oil pipeline to a federal bench.The Trump administration notified a federal district court in California late last week that it was shifting venues after a judge on the California Superior Court declined to dissolve her injunction blocking the restart of Sable Offshore’s Santa Ynez pipeline system.Sable Offshore, which joined the federal government in its removal notice, is in the process of reviving oil production near the Santa Barbara Channel after a 2015 oil spill that shuttered the Santa Ynez Unit for a decade. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had sought to bypass legal battles over the company’s pipeline by issuing an order requiring its restart under the Defense Production Act. Sable Offshore began operating its pipeline shortly after the secretary’s March order.
Oil industry allies swarm Supreme Court to shield companies from climate suits - Former Trump administration officials, Republican senators, nearly 100 representatives and 27 red states joined forces on behalf of the oil and gas industry Thursday, urging the Supreme Court to block local governments from suing fossil fuel producers for climate change. Allies of energy producers — including several “dark money” groups with conservative backing — along with the American Petroleum Institute and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, filed more than two dozen “friend of the court” briefs on behalf of oil companies. The legal show of force for the industry comes a week after Exxon Mobil and Canada’s Suncor Energy outlined their arguments in Suncor v. Boulder, a blockbuster climate case the Supreme Court will decide next term. Exxon, Suncor and others have asked the justices to overturn a 2025 Colorado Supreme Court ruling allowing a lawsuit filed against the companies by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, to proceed in state court. The suit is one of dozens from local governments seeking compensation from fossil fuel companies for the costs of dealing with climate change. The companies contend the lawsuits could cost them billions of dollars, if successful.
Q1 2026 Earnings Calls: Enbridge's Project Backlog Continues Growing | RBN Energy -With its Q1 2026 results release and conference call on May 8, Enbridge provided updates on its operations and projects, and added another $1 billion to its secured project backlog, which is now up to $40 billion. There were no changes to timing guidance for previously sanctioned projects, and several newly sanctioned projects were announced.In its liquids pipeline business, Enbridge noted that its Mainline was practically full in Q1, averaging 3.2 MMb/d compared to nameplate capacity of 3.22 MMb/d, and that capacity has been apportioned all year so far. The 120 Mb/d Gray Oak pipeline expansion, and the 2.5 MMBbl Ingleside Energy Center storage expansion, entered service earlier this year.In support of its 250 Mb/d Mainline Optimization Phase 2 project (MLO2), in April Enbridge launched binding open seasons for up to 200 Mb/d of capacity on Flanagan South (FSP), and up to 50 Mb/d of capacity on the Southern Access Extension pipeline (SAX), offering service from Western Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. These open seasons became public knowledge in April and are expected to conclude on May 29. FSP volumes would move onto Seaway at Cushing, OK, while SAX volumes would move onto the ETCOP pipeline at Patoka, IL. The Q1 press release clarified that these open seasons were “intended to offer incremental Western Canada Sedimentary Basin egress”. In other words, these are capacity expansions.In Enbridge’s Gas Transmission, Distribution, and Storage businesses, an expansion of storage at Tres Palacios was announced that would add about 25 Bcf of storage in the 2028-2030 timeframe. Enbridge also announced it had sanctioned a western extension of its Vector pipeline that will add 400 MMcf/d of capacity into Wisconsin by 2028, coupled with a successful non-binding open season for 300-500 MMcf/d of capacity. At Dawn, Ontario Enbridge is adding 8 Bcf of unregulated gas storage with a 2029 expected in-service date (ISD). The Sunrise expansion project, which will add 300 MMcf/d of capacity on the southern portion of the Westcoast pipeline system in British Columbia, was approved in April, with ISD expected by late 2028. Enbridge also sanctioned the Cone project, a 300 MW onshore wind facility in Texas expected online in 2027.
For the First Time in a Long Time – After a Long, Steady Decline, Alaska Oil Production Is on the Rise | RBN Energy - Last year, Alaska produced only 421 Mb/d of crude oil, barely one-fifth the more than 2 MMb/d that wells there were churning out back in 1988, when North Slope production peaked. It’s been a long, steady decline, but two new projects — one already producing and the other only weeks away from “first oil” — will add a combined 100 Mb/d once both are fully up and running. And Alaska’s biggest new project in years, ConocoPhillips’s massive Willow effort, will contribute another 180 Mb/d by 2030. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the ongoing rebound in North Slope production and the prospects for even more growth going forward.As we said five years ago in The End?, it’s been a challenging few decades for producers in the 49th state. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, Alaska was seen as the next big thing for U.S. crude oil production. With the 1977 completion of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) from Prudhoe Bay in the north to Valdez in the south, Alaska North Slope (ANS) production took off (blue line in Figure 1 below), and just 11 years later the state not only accounted for 25% of total U.S. crude oil output, it also briefly knocked Texas off its perch as the #1 oil-producing state. Alaska crude oil production was all downhill from there, however. By 1995, it had fallen to less than 1.5 MMb/d, and by 2000, it was below 1 MMb/d. The slide didn’t end there. Through the mid-2010s, production was hovering around 500 Mb/d, and so far in the 2020s it’s been averaging less than 450 Mb/d — or just over 3% of total U.S. output. That’s about to change, at least a little. In December 2024, ConocoPhillips, the largest North Slope producer, achieved first oil at its Nuna project (lower-right part of yellow-shaded area in Figure 2 below) within the Kuparuk River Unit (KRU). A representative for the E&P said during a recent conference in Alaska that Nuna is producing about 10 Mb/d, with output expected to double to 20 Mb/d soon. ConocoPhillips is in the early stages of developing the adjoining Coyote project (lower-left of yellow-shaded area), where output is expected to rise to 13 Mb/d. A couple of considerably larger projects are on deck, the first being the 80-Mb/d Pikka development (pink-shaded area) being undertaken by Australia’s Santos Ltd. (with a 51% stake) and Spain’s Repsol (49%); a final investment decision (FID) on the project was reached in August 2022. Santos said in a May 18 update that Pikka had achieved “first oil.” Crude will be flowing to market via the new 22-mile Pikka Sales Oil Pipeline (magenta line) and the existing Kuparuk Extension (tan line), Kuparuk Sales Oil Pipeline (orange line) and TAPS (purple line). First sales revenue is expected to occur approximately two months following first oil. Plateau capacity of 80 Mb/d is expected in mid-2026. The Santos/Repsol team also reported the successful completion of an appraisal well at their nearby Quokka development (aqua-shaded area), which could end up producing as much per day as Pikka in a few years.By far the biggest new development on the horizon is ConocoPhillips’s 180-Mb/d Willow project (blue-shaded area). A five-pad project was originally approved by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in October 2020. However, that approval was vacated by a federal court the following August and a scaled-down, three-pad version was approved in August 2023. ConocoPhillips reached FID on Willow that December and the project, now estimated to cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion, is expected to start producing crude oil in early 2029. To reach TAPS, oil from Willow will flow through the planned 32-mile Willow Sales Oil Pipeline (dashed blue line) and the existing Alpine Sales Oil Pipeline (teal line), Kuparuk Extension and Kuparuk Sales Oil Pipeline.It’s not just new developments that are breathing new life into Alaska production. Hilcorp, which acquired BP’s Prudhoe Bay production assets and its 49% stake in TAPS for $5.6 billion in July 2020, is implementing Project Taiga with its Prudhoe Bay partners. The project will use polymer flooding — a type of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) Hilcorp has already successfully demonstrated at its Milne Point production area — to boost Prudhoe Bay’s output by an estimated 25 Mb/d in 2028 and another 15 Mb/d in the early 2030s. Those gains will help to offset natural declines in production there.The combination of new projects (Nuna, Pikka and Willow) and legacy-project rejuvenation (Project Taiga) is finally reversing ANS’s downhill slide. According to a crude oil production forecast released by the Alaska Department of Revenue in March, North Slope production is expected to average 459 Mb/d in the state’s 2026 fiscal year (FY 2026), which ends June 30. From there, the department sees production rising to 518 Mb/d in FY 2027 and topping 600 Mb/d by FY 2032 and 650 Mb/d by FY 2034. (Figure 3 below shows estimated ANS output by fiscal year.) There is, of course, ample takeaway capacity on TAPS; the pipeline was designed to transport up to 2 MMb/d. We should note that the state’s production forecast is based on an average ANS oil price of $75.26/bbl for FY 2026, which combined an average price of $67.34/bbl for July 2025 through February 2026 with a forecast average price of $91.09/bbl for the Iran war-impacted March-through-June period we’re in the middle of right now. The forecast for FY 2027 is an even $75/bbl, which assumes that prices will be higher than $80/bbl at the start of the fiscal year in July and decline through the rest of the 12-month period. After that, the Department of Revenue assumes the average price will hover around $70/bbl from FY 2028 through FY 2032, then rise to $75/bbl by FY 2036.
Alaska LNG Project Advances With New ConocoPhillips Natural Gas Supply Pact - Glenfarne Group said Monday it signed a deal for ConocoPhillips to supply natural gas for its Alaska LNG project, bringing the first phase closer to being sanctioned. At A Glance:
- 30-year supply deal signed
- Enough to support first phase pipeline
- FID still pending
Kitsault Energy Revives BC Export Hub as LNG Reshapes AECO -Developers of the Kitsault Energy project in northwest British Columbia (BC) are shining the spotlight on the former mining area once again as answer to Canada’s strategy of expanding exports and economic ties to Asian allies.NGI chart shows NOVA/AECO C spot, forward natural gas prices in Western Canada rising above $2/MMBtu by winter 2027-2028. At a Glance:
- C$40B plan targets Asian buyers
- Kitsault seeks role in LNG boom
- Pipeline approvals remain key hurdle
Q1 2026 Earnings Calls: TotalEnergies Doubles Down on LNG Projects | RBN Energy - In its Q1 2026 earnings call, TotalEnergies made clear that, unlike some of its European peers, it is not retreating from hydrocarbons. The company reported 12% quarter-over-quarter growth in LNG production, with LNG sales reaching 12.4 million tons, reinforcing LNG as one of its primary long-term growth pillars and a central focus of future expansion. CEO Patrick Pouyanné stressed that recent geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East and mounting risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have fundamentally altered global LNG market dynamics, increasing the strategic importance of supply flexibility, shipping access, and portfolio diversification. TotalEnergies noted that roughly 20% of global LNG volumes transit through Hormuz, and that rerouting Qatari cargoes around Africa could add approximately 15 days to voyage times, tightening vessel availability and supporting higher global gas prices. Against this backdrop, the company highlighted its increasingly diversified global LNG portfolio as a key competitive advantage.During the call, executives referred to Mozambique as the “Qatar of Africa” and outlined ongoing remobilization efforts, including financing, workforce returns, and procurement activity. A major milestone was achieved during the quarter with a full restart of construction on the Mozambique LNG project in January. Construction on the Mozambique LNG project was previously suspended following insurgent attacks in 2021. With a planned capacity of 13 mtpa (1.75 Bcf/d gas equivalent) and a target startup date of 2029, this project represents one of the largest energy investments ever undertaken in Africa. Overall, TotalEnergies’ messaging reinforced the view that the company is positioning itself not just as a major LNG producer, but as one of the world’s leading integrated LNG portfolio managers and traders, capable of monetizing volatility, optimizing global flows, and capitalizing on growing concerns around global gas security. Management also emphasized that future LNG demand growth will depend increasingly on reliability and supply flexibility, rather than simply low-cost production.
Kitsault Energy Revives BC Export Hub as LNG Reshapes AECO -Developers of the Kitsault Energy project in northwest British Columbia (BC) are shining the spotlight on the former mining area once again as answer to Canada’s strategy of expanding exports and economic ties to Asian allies.NGI chart shows NOVA/AECO C spot, forward natural gas prices in Western Canada rising above $2/MMBtu by winter 2027-2028. At a Glance:
- C$40B plan targets Asian buyers
- Kitsault seeks role in LNG boom
- Pipeline approvals remain key hurdle
Shell’s ARC Deal Seen as ‘Big Vote of Confidence’ for Western Canada -Shell’s recently announced acquisition of ARC Resources could be transformative for the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, signaling a shift toward major international investment and a potential acceleration of west coast LNG exports. Map of Western Canada natural gas pipelines, LNG export terminals, data centers, power generation, proposed infrastructure projects. At a Glance:
- LNG Canada expansion gains push
- Regulators face faster approval calls
- ARC adds major natural gas volumes
At a Glance:
No end in sight for conflict
TTF, JKM climb
Outages multiply
Wood Mackenzie Warns Hormuz Closure Could Reshape LNG Demand - An extended disruption caused by a prolonged Iran War could have severe impacts on the global LNG market, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie. At a Glance:
- Middle East LNG faces lasting losses
- Asian buyers lean on coal
- US exporters gain diversification demand
Govt gets $61M in compensation from IOPC for Tobago oilspill disaster - Trinidad Guardian - Two years after Gulfstream capsized off the coast of Tobago, causing an oil spill affecting Scarborough and the Southern Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago has only managed to recover just over $61 million from its clean-up operations from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds). The IOPC had a compensation offer to T&T of $86.3 million. The clean-up operations were handled by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and Heritage and totalled $311.7 million according to claims submitted to the IOPC. According to documents obtained by Guardian Media Investigations Desk, the MEEI has only been reimbursed $51.6 million from $138.9 million in claims submitted and reviewed, while Heritage has only been reimbursed $10 million from $50 million in claims submitted. The documents showed that the IOPC reviewed $189.3 million in claims, queried $84 million, rejected $15 million and eventually paid $61 million as of March 2026. If T&T wants to access more money from the IOPC, it has until February 2027 to make further claims. Under the IOPC’s rules, claimants ultimately lose their right to compensation under the 1992 Fund Convention after a three-year period. The latest IOPC report on the Gulfstream oil spill, dated March 10, 2026, said 306 claims had been assessed and $60,567,688 had been paid. Those claims covered clean-up operations in Tobago and fisheries where oil from the spill also washed ashore. It also covered operations surrounding the salvaging of the vessel and the remaining bunker fuel. T&T has access to the IOPC’s 1992 Fund, which allows countries affected by spills to seek compensation for eligible clean-up and recovery costs. But claims are not paid automatically. They must be supported by invoices, accounting records and other evidence showing the money was actually spent and that the loss can be quantified. In May 2024, the IOPC document had said: “Initial estimates of the cost of the response to the oil spill, inclusive of oil removal from the wreck so far, is in the region of USD 23.5 million (TTD 160 million). So far, it is estimated that USD12.5 million (TTD 85 million) has been spent as of 6 April 2024. Further costs and claims for economic losses are expected. Bulk clean-up operations were completed in March 2024 and the shoreline clean-up is expected to be completed in April 2024. The oil removal from the wreck is also expected to be completed by mid-May 2024.” In a May 11 IOPC document, T&T’s delegation acknowledged that the country was party to the international oil-spill compensation conventions, but had not yet passed the local laws needed to bring those rules fully into local law at the time of the Gulfstream oil spill. That did not stop T&T from making claims and getting access to the IOPC Funds following lobbying by former minister of energy Stuart Young in 2024 during his tenure. According to the document, T&T told the IOPC that it faces challenges dedicating money to the claims process and to the continued investigation of the Solo Creed and its owners through the Maritime Services Division and the Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS). In an exclusive investigation by Guardian Media and Bellingcat in March 2024, the registered owner of the Solo Creed was identified as Melissa Rona Gonzalez, an officer of Melaj Offshore Corporation, whose principal owner is Augustine Jackson. Jackson has a history of involvement in oil deals in Venezuela and Guyana. But when contacted, Jackson claimed that the Solo Creed and the Gulfstream barge had been sold to Abraham Olalekan of Nigeria. The IOPC Secretariat said it had been engaging with the State Attorney’s Office in T&T on the proper implementation of the conventions into domestic law. The Gulfstream barge capsized and sank off Tobago in early February 2024 while being towed by the tug Solo Creed. According to the IOPC report, the barge began spilling oil about 16 km off Tobago before coming to rest between 150 and 200m off Canoe Bay. It said the vessel was believed to have been travelling from Pozuelos Bay, Venezuela, to Guyana. No emergency calls were transmitted by the tug. The IOPC report said remnants of the oil slick travelled about 830 km across the Caribbean Sea. On February 26, 2024, traces of oil and tar balls washed up on the east coast of Bonaire. T&T Salvage LLC and QT Environmental Inc were retained to remove oil from the wreck and remove the vessel. By August 2024, 32,675 barrels of oil had been recovered from the Gulfstream. The barge was refloated on August 19, 2024, and towed to Trinidad, arriving on August 22, 2024. The oil was later advertised for sale by auction. According to the document, because the origin of the oil could not be determined, only one international buyer was willing to purchase it in late 2025 for about US$986,000. The IOPC report said the money will be used to defray costs incurred by the country and reduce its claims against the 1992 Fund.
Venezuela minister wants compensation from T&T for oil spill - Trinidad Guardian - Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil is demanding information from Trinidad and Tobago about the recent oil spill that his government insists originated from Trinidad, as well as compensation for the fallout from it. Venezuela’s state-run media VTV yesterday reported that Gil said the spill, which emanated from a Heritage Petroleum field, is “extremely serious,” as is “the lack of information” from T&T’s Government, and asserted that they do not know the exact origin, volume and type of hydrocarbons involved from the incident. “Trinidad and Tobago has an obligation, first and foremost, to immediately report to the Venezuelan government any spill or environmental incident. Secondly, we must have information on the type of product that was spilled and the measures taken to mitigate it,” Gil stated. The Foreign Affairs Minister demanded “responsibility for this type of event” and asserted that his country has sent various types of communication statements to the T&T Government to assess the impact. Gil showed satellite images recorded since April 28 that show the spill from Trinidad. He also said Venezuela has been “working for several weeks” on this “very worrying issue” with teams from the Venezuelan Ministries of Eco-socialism (Environment) and Fisheries and Aquaculture; the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the National Institute of Aquatic Spaces (INEA) and the Navy. Gil warned of an impact to 1,625 square kilometres in 12 strategic wetland systems in his country, as well as on the activity of more than 500 fishermen. In addition, Gil pointed out that four Venezuelan national parks are at risk. “There have been operational limitations for the fishing fleet, which generates significant costs and limits marketing. There has been a real economic and environmental impact,” the foreign minister stated, adding that more than 140 fish species were affected in the area, in addition to the mangroves. He also claimed that this was not the first oil spill from T&T that has affected Venezuela. “So far, more than 12 tons of hydrocarbon products have been collected and are being analysed,” Gil said, adding that “between 2015 and 2023, more than 876 spills of different types of compounds occurred in the area.” Contacted for comment on the claim yesterday, Energy and Energy Industries Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said, “We are arranging to have discussions with our Venezuelan counterparts later this week and will sort out all these matters re small oil spill. We have been busy doing the technical and scientific work.” Two weeks ago, in response to a Venezuelan government communiqué on the oil spill, T&T’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries released an account of the incident confirming that Heritage Petroleum detected an oil spill at its main offshore field at approximately 7.25 am on May 1. The ministry reported that oil spill trajectory modelling indicated a risk of untreated hydrocarbons potentially crossing into Venezuelan waters.
Imports of Venezuelan Crude Soar to Highest Level Since 2019 | RBN Energy - According to today’s EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) for the week ended May 9, U.S. imports of Venezuelan crude surged to 588 Mb/d (far right of chart below), marking the highest weekly volume since January 2019. Venezuelan crude imports have trended steadily higher throughout much of 2026, as Gulf Coast refiners increased purchases of heavy sour barrels following the U.S.-Venezuela trade agreement announced earlier this year, alongside tightening global supply balances and ongoing disruptions in the Middle East.As discussed in our Crude Billboard, this rebound comes as refiners continue to run hard and prioritize distillate production, increasing demand for heavier feedstocks that can maximize diesel and jet fuel yields. Even with the sharp increase in Venezuelan arrivals, strong crude exports of 5.5 MMb/d kept net U.S. imports near historically low levels, underscoring how rapidly Atlantic Basin trade flows are reshuffling to offset geopolitical supply risks. For more on the situation in Venezuela and its export capabilities, see Keep On Pushin'.
Keep Pushin’ – Venezuela’s Crude Oil Terminals Need Minor Fixes, Major Overhauls to Boost Exports | RBN Energy -A lot of work must be done to revive Venezuela’s crude oil industry, which has suffered from years of poor management and underinvestment. One of the biggest priorities is to improve and expand its export capacity, which will require repairs and upgrades to export terminals while also fixing problems around unreliable power supply and tanker congestion. Exports have rebounded sharply in early 2026 after collapsing late last year, but much more could happen. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll outline the additional steps that could be completed to improve Venezuela’s facilities and boost export volumes.Venezuela has been a frequent topic in the RBN blogosphere since the start of the year, when U.S. forces deposed and arrested President Nicolás Maduro. In Take Me Money and Run Venezuela, we recapped how the country went from a major global supplier to producing less than 1 MMb/d today — roughly one-quarter of its former output. We then dug into Venezuela’s crude slate in Orinoco Flow, noting that most reserves lie in the 21,000-square-mile Orinoco Belt and are extra-heavy, making the oil difficult and costly to move and refine. In When Love Comes to Town, we compared Venezuelan and Canadian heavy crudes and why they’re attractive to U.S. Gulf Coast refiners. In Round and Round (which previewed our first Drill Down Report of 2026, which is available here), we laid out the practical steps Venezuela would need to take to boost crude production. Most recently, The Show Goes On detailed the country’s refining sector, Upgrade U examined the important role the country’s crude upgraders figure to play in any plan to boost domestic production and increase exports, while Don’t You (Forget About Me) looked at the country’s expansive natural gas reserves. Most Venezuelan crude oil production is low-API, high-sulfur crude, coming from the previously noted Orinoco Belt. Because the crude is so dense and viscous, it needs to be blended with a diluent — typically condensate or natural gasoline — or upgraded to a lighter synthetic crude oil (SCO) before it can be transported easily, similar to crude produced in the Canadian oil sands. Exports of crude and refined products have rebounded sharply this year after collapsing late last year. Shipments bottomed out near 100 Mb/d in early January (see Figure 1 below) following a steep December decline, then recovered to roughly 500–550 Mb/d by late January. After holding relatively flat through February, exports climbed to around 1.1 MMb/d in March — the highest level in about six months — before briefly spiking to around 1.4 MMb/d in early April.
Norway’s Natural Gas Role Grows as Europe Manages LNG Risk - Germany’s carbon-conscious electricity traders are turning to Norwegian pipeline natural gas supply as LNG price volatility shakes up Europe’s energy transition. At a Glance:
- Equinor secures German demand
- Natural gas backs renewable growth
- Europe seeks lower emissions supply
VLGC Freight Rate to Japan Hits All-Time High - The impact of the war in Iran, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have certainly impacted crude oil and LNG markets, but as we wrote in Stuck in a (Gulf) You Can’t Get Out Of, the LPG market hasn’t gotten away unscathed by a long shot. Since the start of the year, the spot VLGC freight rate from the U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC) to Chiba, Japan via the Panama Canal has risen 126%, going from $136/MT to a record $307.5/MT as of May 11 (righthand chart in figure below).There are two big things going on that are driving the increase in freight rate. The first, and largest piece of the puzzle is the increase in Asian demand for USGC LPG cargoes, parts of the world that have traditionally sourced the majority of their imports from the Persian Gulf. The second, growing congestion, and fees at the Panama Canal has started to impact VLGC navigation. According to RBN’s NGL Voyager Report, more vessels are making the voyage to Southeast Asia and parts of India via the Cape of Good Hope (COGH). The result is longer transit times both laden (with cargo) and unladen (without cargo heading back to the USGC). Not only does this cut down on vessel availability, but the longer transit times also raises the tonnage cost.So long as these two factors continue to impact the VLGC freight market, which seems likely for as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, spot freight rates to Asia are likely to remain elevated.
Bessent confirmed that the US will extend the authorization to purchase Russian oil for another month | УНН The US Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day general license to allow the most vulnerable countries to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea. This was announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, UNN reports. Bessent noted that "extending the deadline will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these countries to provide specific licenses as needed." This general license will help stabilize the physical crude oil market and ensure oil delivery to the most energy-vulnerable countries. It will also help redirect existing supplies to the countries that need them most, reducing China's ability to stockpile discounted oil,
Malaysia urged to tighten maritime waste controls as traffic through Strait of Melaka grows | Malay Mail — The head of a waste management consultancy has warned that Malaysia must impose a stricter maritime waste management system to protect the Strait of Melaka from environmental pollution, as shipping traffic is set to increase significantly through the passageway. This is in view that the incidence of oil spills can increase as more vessels ply between Europe and Asia and are redirected through the strait as an alternative route to avoid the conflict-stricken Strait of Hormuz, said Nur Zulaikha Yusof, head of sustainability and strategic planning at Hexagon Synergy Group. She also said there should be coordination between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, which share the Strait of Melaka waterway, to ensure effective enforcement. “Vessel volume is projected to increase by between 10 and 20 per cent as more shippers seek an alternative route between Europe and Asia,” she told Bernama recently. As a result, there is a likelihood of increased oil spills as well as other incidents. This could expose the strait to greater environmental danger which could adversely affect the marine ecosystem and the livelihood of fishermen. Nur Zulaikha recounted how in just eight years between 2014 and 2022, there were an alarming 130 oil spills along the Strait of Melaka. “Accommodating more redirected vessels here makes the Strait of Melaka vulnerable.” She said the efficiency of the straits, including the Strait of Melaka, stemmed from their role in connecting Middle Eastern supply with East Asian demand. “Yet this advantage comes at a cost: the corridor is narrow, congested, and environmentally fragile.” While the recalibrating situation allows the Strait of Melaka to absorb the spillover traffic, it also creates a familiar paradox for Malaysia—greater strategic relevance accompanied by higher environmental exposure. More recently, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) identified 39 cases of illegal bilge discharge and unauthorised ship-to-ship transfers between 2021 and April 2026, often involving foreign-flagged vessels. These incidents underscore why the Strait of Melaka is not only heavily utilised, but also increasingly vulnerable, she said. Its geography magnifies risk as dense traffic funnels through narrow channels, often in proximity to coastlines and fishing grounds. This being the case, the environmental stakes are high and rising and will disrupt fisheries and the livelihood of fishermen who depend on a clean and stable marine ecosystem. New forms of pollution are also entering the equation, she said, adding that a 2021 study by the International Council on Clean Transportation identified the Melaka Strait as one of the world’s largest scrubber washwater hotspots, alongside regions in Europe and the Caribbean, with more than 180 million tonnes discharged annually. Scrubber washwater is the contaminated water byproduct generated by marine exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) used to remove sulphur and other pollutants from ship engine exhausts. “While Malaysia has banned open-loop scrubber discharge within port limits, enforcement beyond those boundaries remains difficult, allowing pollutants to accumulate in adjacent sea lanes,” she said. Nur Zulaikha also said that any sustained disruption in the Gulf, whether in the Strait of Hormuz or the Red Sea, will push more traffic through Southeast Asia. Scenario assessments suggest vessel volumes could rise by 10–20 per cent. “That may sound manageable on paper but in reality, it compounds pressure on already strained systems such as ports, anchorages and critically, waste management infrastructure,” she said.
Drone strikes UAE nuclear plant as US and Iran rattle sabers again - A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant Sunday in what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack.” No one was blamed, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the United States and Iran signaled they were ready to fight again. There were no reported injuries or radiological release. The UAE, which has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks. Tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway tightly controlled by Iran, which is under a U.S. naval blockade. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” President Trump posted on social media shortly after a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran sparked the war on Feb. 28. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. “Our armed forces' fingers are on the trigger, while diplomacy is also continuing,” Mohsen Rezaei, a military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, said on state television. The ceasefire remains tenuous, with diplomatic efforts for a more durable peace having faltered. And fighting has heated up between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon despite a nominal ceasefire there. Related video: Trump tells Iran 'clock is ticking' The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones had come over its western border with Saudi Arabia, with the other two intercepted. It was investigating who launched them. Iran and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq have launched repeated drone attacks targeting gulf Arab states in the war. The attack, “whether carried out by the principal actor or through one of its proxies, represents a dangerous escalation,” Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, said on social media. Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, and later said it had intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace. The $20-billion Barakah nuclear power plant was built by the UAE with the help of South Korea and went online in 2020. It is the only nuclear power plant in the Arab world and can provide a quarter of the energy needs in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms that is home to Dubai. The UAE’s nuclear regulator said on X the fire didn’t affect plant safety and “all units are operating as normal.” The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, said the strike caused a fire in an electrical generator and one reactor was being powered by emergency diesel generators. It's the first time the four-reactor Barakah plant has been targeted in the war. It is near the border with Saudi Arabia, some 140 miles west of the UAE's capital city, Abu Dhabi. Yemen's Irani-backed Houthi rebels, whom the UAE has battled as part of a Saudi-led coalition, claimed to have targeted the plant while it was under construction in 2017, which Abu Dhabi denied. The UAE signed a strict deal with the U.S. over the nuclear power plant, known as a “123 agreement,” in which it agreed to forgo domestic uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent fuel to ease any proliferation concerns. Its uranium comes from abroad. That's very different from the nuclear program in Iran, which is at the heart of long-running tensions with the United States and Israel. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, but it has enriched its uranium close to weapons-grade levels and is widely suspected of having had a military component to its program until at least 2003. It has often restricted the work of U.N. inspectors, including since the 12-day war with Israel last year. Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed country in the region, but has neither confirmed nor denied having atomic weapons. Iran struck near Israel's Dimona nuclear facility during the war. Nuclear plants have increasingly been targeted in wars in recent years, including during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. During the Iran war, Tehran has repeatedly claimed its Bushehr nuclear power plant came under attack, though there was no direct damage to its Russian-run reactor or any radiological release.
Barakah Nuclear Attack Pushes a New Oil Price Hike -Times of Dubai - A drone attacked a power generator on the outskirts of Barakah nuclear power plant in Al Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi, on Sunday evening. While it was an attack on a crucial infrastructure facility, the authorities confirmed it did not cause radiation leaks nor did it lead to any injuries. All units are reportedly operating normally, according to the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation. In every sense of the word, the Barakah nuclear attack was contained. However, the response from the oil market was more significant. By Monday morning, Brent crude climbed 1.62 percent to $111.03 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 2.01 percent to $107.54. Reuters reported both contracts climbed to 2-week highs but pulled back a bit. The oil prices that followed the Barakah nuclear attack were not only caused by the burning generator, they once again underscored just how unfairly this war is hitting the common man across the globe. The Barakah nuclear power plant is the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world, situated in the UAE’s Al Dhafra region which is adjacent to major oil and gas facilities in western Abu Dhabi. The plant is currently operating four reactor units to generate around 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity. The drone crashed into an electrical generator located outside the inner security fence at the facility, but the explosion only caused a fire which was contained without any structural or radioactive damage, as per a report by Arabian Gulf Business Insight. The UAE’s Foreign Ministry released a statement calling the strike a “dangerous escalation, an unacceptable act of aggression, and a direct threat to the country’s security. The UAE has the right to respond to what the UAE officials described as “terrorist attacks,” they said. Three drones were also intercepted separately in Saudi Arabia on the same day from Iraqi airspace, as per a Reuters report. The geographic spread of Sunday’s strikes across two countries in a single day confirmed that the conflict’s infrastructure targeting strategy is widening, not narrowing. The oil prices after the Barakah nuclear attack generated on Monday are not a standalone event. They are the latest increment in a sustained, structurally driven energy price surge that began the moment the war started on February 28. Understanding what Barakah nuclear attack on Sunday added requires understanding what was already in place. When the first US-Israeli airstrikes hit Iran on February 28, Brent crude was trading at approximately $65 to $68 per barrel. Within ten days it had crossed $120, a 65 percent increase that the World Road Transport Organisation (IRU) described as one of the fastest oil price escalations in modern market history. Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil on a daily basis. By the end of March, overall oil export losses were more than 13 million barrels per day, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) had estimated that of the 360 million barrels exported, producing an unprecedented 6 million barrel per day supply-demand gap, and an additional 440 million would be exported in April. In the process the energy infrastructure of the region sustained a blow after another. A drone attacked Saudi Arabia’s biggest refinery in Ras Tanura on March 2. It shut down for weeks, and immediately caused a global price increase. Each time a critical energy facility was targeted, the market added a new risk premium to crude prices. Sunday’s strike on Barakah adds another layer to that premium calculation. Both Brent and WTI gained more than 7 percent last week alone as hopes for a peace deal that would end ship attacks and seizures around the Strait of Hormuz faded, according to Reuters. Sunday’s attack arrived on top of that 7 percent weekly gain, compounding rather than initiating a rally that was already in motion. The oil price movement on Monday is not just about one generator. It is about what comes next. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet top national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for military action against Iran, according to Axios. On Truth Social over the weekend, he posted: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.” That language, combined with the stalling of ceasefire negotiations, has reintroduced the scenario markets fear most. An escalation that takes the conflict beyond its current boundaries. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore described Sunday’s drone strikes as “a pointed warning — renewed US or Israeli strikes on Iran could trigger more proxy attacks on Gulf energy and critical infrastructure by Iran or its regional proxies”. That cycle, in which Western action generates infrastructure attacks on Gulf allies, is precisely what the risk premium in current oil prices is pricing in. One additional variable shapes the current oil price environment in ways that were not present in previous regional crises. The UAE formally exited OPEC and the wider OPEC+ alliance on May 1. The departure removed one of the few members with meaningful spare production capacity, leaving OPEC structurally weaker and less able to manage supply responses to crises, according to Jorge León of Rystad Energy, cited by Dawn. Furthermore, the Trump administration on Saturday allowed the lapse of a sanctions waiver that had permitted countries including India to buy Russian seaborne oil, effectively tightening global supply further at precisely the moment a new attack was adding to demand for risk premium. The result is a market operating without the traditional shock absorbers. Experts believe OPEC cannot easily replace UAE spare capacity. Russian oil access is being restricted. The Strait of Hormuz remains contested. And now, the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant has been targeted by a drone strike. Renowned economist Mohamed El-Erian posted on X on Sunday night that Brent crude opening above $110 in Asian markets reflected a market that had not priced in how far this conflict could still go. Sunday’s strike on Barakah was not the largest attack of this war. However, it may prove to be one of the most consequential for what it signals about the conflict’s next phase..
Oil Prices Hit Two-Week High After Drone Attack On UAE Nuclear Plant – Oil prices climbed to their highest levels in two weeks on Monday after a drone attack targeted a nuclear power facility in the United Arab Emirates, raising fears of a wider escalation in the Iran conflict and fresh disruption to global energy supplies. Brent crude rose more than 1.5 per cent to above $110 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained nearly 2 per cent as investors reacted to mounting geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. The gains came amid signs that diplomatic efforts to ease the Iran war had stalled, with the United States reportedly considering further military options against Tehran. Drone attacks targeting the UAE and Saudi Arabia over the weekend intensified concerns that the conflict could spread across the Gulf region and threaten critical oil infrastructure. “These drone strikes are a pointed warning – renewed US or Israeli strikes on Iran could trigger more proxy attacks on Gulf energy and critical infrastructure by Iran or its regional proxies,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said. Officials in the UAE said investigations were ongoing into the strike on the Barakah nuclear power plant, while Saudi Arabia confirmed intercepting three drones that crossed into its airspace from Iraq. Saudi authorities warned they would take “necessary operational measures” to defend the country’s sovereignty and security. Oil markets have remained volatile since attacks and seizures involving vessels around the Strait of Hormuz disrupted one of the world’s most important shipping routes for crude exports. Both Brent and WTI crude gained more than 7 per cent last week as hopes for a ceasefire between Iran and its adversaries weakened. Last week’s discussions between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended without any major breakthrough on resolving the crisis. Reports by Axios also said Trump was expected to meet senior national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss possible military action relating to Iran. Analysts said the latest developments have heightened fears over global oil supply disruptions, especially as the United States also allowed a sanctions waiver permitting some countries to purchase Russian seaborne oil to expire. “Fears of renewed strikes on Iran have worsened supply fears the United States letting the Russia sanctions waiver lapse didn’t help,” founder of Vanda Insights, Vandana Hari, said.
Oil prices climb as Donald Trump signals tougher action on Iran | Euronews - Oil prices climbed on Monday and European markets opened lower as US President Donald Trump sent a new warning to Iran via social media. International benchmark Brent crude futures for July rose 1.81% to trade at $111.27 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures (WTI) for June gained 2.15% to $107.69 per barrel as investors weighed President Trump's latest message to Iran. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said on Sunday: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Washington has been locked in a conflict with Tehran since US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on the Islamic republic at the end of February. Since then, little progress has been made on ending the war that has sent global energy prices soaring. A drone strike over the weekend on a United Arab Emirates’ nuclear power plant further added to worries over a potential escalation in the conflict. In other trade early Monday, markets in Japan and South Korea pulled further back from their records. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to 60,843.09, a decline led by technology-related stocks, after it reached all-time intraday high levels last week above 63,000. The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond surged to 2.8%, its highest level since the late 1990s, part of a shift toward higher yields as the Bank of Japan gradually raises interest rates and higher energy costs raise expectations of rising inflation. That’s up from around 2.55% just one week ago. Seoul’s Kospi jumped 0.9% to 7,558.50 after trading lower earlier in the day. It crossed the 8,000 mark on Friday, supported by buying of technology shares driven by the boom in artificial intelligence, but later declined partly on profit-taking by investors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.6% to 25,543.32. The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% lower to 4,132.24, after China reported weaker-than-expected retail data for April. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.4% to 8,508.40, while Taiwan’s Taiex dropped 1.1%. India’s Sensex fell 0.6%. In other dealings, the US dollar rose to 159.02 Japanese yen from 158.62 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1626, up from $1.1622. Related Drone strike sparks fire near UAE nuclear plant amid Iran ceasefire tension Wall Street's fall from records US stock futures, meanwhile, were trading flat after the American stock market fell from its records on Friday and joined a worldwide drop for stocks after higher oil prices sent a shiver through the bond market. Stocks that had been caught up in the euphoria around artificial-intelligence technology led the way lower.
Oil Extends Rise on Dimming Peace Prospects, Fresh Attacks (DTN) -- Crude oil futures rose to their highest in nearly two weeks Monday morning on escalation fears fueled by fresh drone attacks in the Middle East and renewed threats out of Washington D.C. and Tehran. Near 7:15 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for July delivery was up $1.43 to trade near $110.69 bbl, after reaching $112 bbl earlier in the session, the highest since May 5. The NYMEX WTI contract for June rose $1.41 to $106.83 bbl on its penultimate trading day, and WTI for July delivery advanced $1.55 to $102.57 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for June delivery added $0.0710 to $4.1244 gallon, and front-month NYMEX RBOB futures gained $0.0312 to $3.7331 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was little changed, down 0.055 points to 99.155 against a basket of foreign currencies. On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates reported damages to a nuclear power plant following a drone strike. The UAE and Saudi Arabia said they had intercepted several more drones. Authorities were still investigating whether the attacks came from Iran or one of its regional proxies. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, issued a new warning toward Tehran on Sunday, posting on social media that Iran "better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them." Israel also continued to launch attacks on Lebanon despite the existing ceasefire, which on Friday was extended for 45 days. Iran in early April briefly allowed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the initial ceasefire announcement between Israel and Lebanon. The cessation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon was a core Iranian condition for further negotiations with the U.S. Oil prices rose 7% last week on dimming prospects of a negotiated permanent resolution to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran which led to the largest oil supply disruption in history. Iran has since the start of the conflict in late February effectively halted commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, shutting in a fifth of global petroleum liquids supply. The U.S. blockade of Iranian maritime trade, meanwhile, on Monday entered its fifth week. The head of the International Energy Agency on Monday warned that commercial oil inventories were rapidly depleting and would only cover a few more weeks of demand. He said that the release of strategic petroleum reserves has added some 2.5 million bpd to global oil supply, which has been in a steep deficit for more than two and a half months.
Oil Market Jumps as Drone Attacks and Fading Peace Hopes Fuel Supply Fears - The oil market continued to trend higher on Monday as the prospect for peace in the Middle East continued to fade following drone attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia and the rhetoric from the United States and Iran raised concerns of an escalation in the conflict. Over the weekend, Emirati officials said they were investigating the source of the strike on the Barakah nuclear power plant, adding that the UAE had the right to respond to what it said were “terrorist attacks”, while Saudi Arabia, which intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace, warned it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security. Also, on Sunday, Axios reported that President Donald Trump is expected to meet national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for military action. The crude market traded higher in overnight trading, trading to $108.70. However, the market erased its gains and sold off to a low of $102.65 on news that Pakistan shared with the U.S. a revised proposal from Iran to end the conflict. The market was further pressured on an Iranian news report stating that the U.S. had accepted waiving sanctions on Iranian crude oil temporarily. However, the market bounced off its low and rallied higher ahead of the close to a high of $109.47. The head of the IEA, Fatih Birol, said that commercial crude oil inventories were depleting rapidly, with only a few weeks of supplies left. The June WTI contract settled up $3.24 cents at $108.66 and the July Brent contract settled up $2.84 at $112.10. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 6.11 cents at $4.1145 and the RB market settling up 5.88 cents at $3.7607. U.S. President Donald Trump said that he was holding off on a planned military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday, while efforts continue to reach a deal, adding that the United States was ready to resume attacking if one is not reached. He said he was asked by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to hold off on its planned military attack. On Sunday, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials, that President Donald Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday with his top national security advisers to discuss the options for military action regarding Iran. Bloomberg reported that about 23 tankers have been spotted around Iran’s Kharg Island, the largest cluster to have gathered at the island since the U.S. Navy began a blockade on the country’s ports a month ago. The carriers berthed at crude or liquefied petroleum gas loading jetties were visible on satellite images taken on May 16th. The current number of tankers compares to four on April 13th, just before U.S. warships began gathering in the Gulf of Oman to check and stop vessels. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 58,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending May 22nd, increasing available refining capacity by 397,000 bpd from the previous week. Offline capacity is expected to increase to 99,000 bpd in the week ending May 29th.
Oil prices rise 3% to two-week high on Iran war supply concerns - Hawaii Tribune-— Oil prices climbed about 3% to a two-week high in volatile trade on Monday as worries over supply disruption from the Iran war offset a report that the U.S. had agreed to waive sanctions on Iranian crude during talks. Brent futures for July delivery rose $2.84, or 2.6%, to settle at $112.10 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery rose $3.24, or 3.1%, to settle at $108.66. That was the highest close for Brent since May 4 and the highest for WTI since April 7. Futures are often volatile ahead of contract expiration due to low volumes. With only around 55,000 contracts traded, WTI June futures, which rose over $4 a barrel and fell over $2 on Monday, will expire on Tuesday. WTI front-month volume has averaged about 359,000 contracts per day in 2026. After the market closed, both crude benchmarks pared gains after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold off an attack on Iran that was scheduled for Tuesday. Last week, both contracts jumped more than 7% as hopes dimmed for a peace deal to end the almost total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, said commercial oil inventories were depleting rapidly, with only a few weeks’ worth left due to the conflict and the closure of the strait to shipping. Birol, who is participating in the Group of Seven finance leaders meeting in Paris, told reporters the release of strategic reserves had added 2.5 million barrels of oil per day to the market, but they were “not endless”. “We feel that progress toward a diplomatic solution to the U.S./Iran war is little changed from around the middle of March when nearby WTI was about where it is now,” analysts at energy advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates said in a note. Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim said it was told by a source close to the negotiation team that unlike its previous texts, the Americans had accepted in the new text to waive Iran’s oil sanctions during the period of talks.
Oil prices plunge as Trump decides to halt strike on Iran | УНН --Oil prices fell by 2% in early Asian trading on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had suspended a planned strike on Iran to allow for negotiations to end the war in the Middle East, UNN reports, citing Reuters. Brent crude futures for July delivery fell $2.26, or 2%, to $109.84 a barrel by 03:52 GMT (06:52 Kyiv time), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery fell $1.22, or 1.1%, to $107.44. In the previous session, the benchmarks reached their highest levels since May 5 and April 30, respectively. The June WTI contract expires on Tuesday, while the more active July contract fell $1.63, or 1.6%, to $102.75 per barrel. On Monday, Trump stated there is a "very high probability" of the U.S. reaching a deal with Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, hours after announcing a cessation of hostilities for negotiations. "While Trump's signal has somewhat eased immediate pressure, fundamental risks remain… The market is now watching to see if Trump's comments represent a genuine shift toward de-escalation or just a tactical pause," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. In addition, Iran's reaction to recent events and what is actually happening on the water with tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz are key factors determining the further movement of oil prices, the publication writes. Iran ready to transfer uranium stockpiles to Russia as part of peace deal with US - media 19.05.26, 08:59 • 3809 views The conflict in the Middle East has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the most important waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, raising fears of supply disruptions. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Monday that Tehran's position had been conveyed to the U.S. via Pakistan but provided no further details. A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Islamabad had conveyed a new proposal between the two sides but emphasized slow progress. "One would think the oil market would become increasingly indifferent to such headlines," ING said in an analyst note to clients. "However, the scale of supply disruptions is significant and becomes more concerning with each day that oil supplies remain suspended." Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Washington had agreed to lift sanctions on Tehran's oil exports during the talks, but a U.S. official denied the claim. Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended a sanctions waiver for 30 days to allow "energy-vulnerable" countries to continue purchasing Russian oil by sea. According to the Department of Energy, a record 9.9 million barrels of oil were withdrawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve last week, bringing inventories down to approximately 374 million barrels, the lowest level since July 2024. Four analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.4 million barrels in the week ending May 15.
Oil Slips After Trump Alleges Iran Strike Postponement -- Oil futures edged lower Tuesday morning after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had put on hold planned Tuesday attacks on Iran amid the current ceasefire. Near 08:00 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for July delivery was down $1.07 to trade near $111.03 barrel (bbl) and NYMEX WTI for June delivery fell $0.28 to $108.38 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for June delivery softened $0.0305 to $4.0840 gallon and front-month NYMEX RBOB futures slipped by $0.0423 to $3.7184 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was little changed, up 0.045 points to 99.15 against a basket of foreign currencies. The president on Monday claimed he postponed new strikes on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, alleging "serious negotiations" were taking place. Oil prices slipped in response to the announcement. The month-long ceasefire has so far mostly held, allowing for potential negotiations. Tehran's key demands for peace were little changed in its latest proposal submitted to the United States. Iranian state media reported that the peace offer included an end of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions, a reduction of U.S. military presence in the region and the payment of reparations. The White House is reportedly open to sanctions relief but has in the past ruled out war damage reparations and a military scale back. The U.S. Treasury, meanwhile, on Monday extended the sanctions waver on Russian oil for 30 days. Indian refiners have relied heavily on Russian crude oil amid the drought of deliveries from the Middle East. In the U.S., the largest oil supply disruption in history continued to draw on inventories amid surging exports. Commercial crude oil stocks have over the past four weeks shrunken by more than 12.8 million bbl, and the strategic petroleum reserve fell 33.8 million bbl to its lowest level in nearly two years. Total oil and product inventories have been declining since late March and are expected to further decrease as domestic crude and fuel demand pick up the pace and international demand is set to remain high. The American Petroleum Institute's weekly inventory estimate is scheduled for release later Tuesday, followed by data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.
Oil slips as Vance cites Iran talk progress - Oil prices settled lower on Tuesday after Vice President JD Vance said the US and Iran had made progress in talks, with neither side wanting to see a resumption of military action. "We think that we've made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal," Vance told reporters at a White House briefing. On Monday, Trump posted on social media that he was holding off on a military attack that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Efforts to reach a deal with Iran continued, though he added the US was ready to resume attacks if a deal was not reached. Brent futures for July settled down 82 cents, or 0.73%, at US$111.28 a barrel. The US West Texas Intermediate crude contract for June delivery, which expired on Tuesday, settled down 89 cents, or 0.82%, to US$107.77. The more-active July contract settled down 23 cents at US$104.15. Even with Tuesday's dip, prices remained elevated. On Monday, Brent hit its highest since May 5 and WTI its highest since April 30. "We continue to have significant amounts of oil offline and with the regional infrastructure being in the crosshairs we are just holding our breath here until either we get a deal or another round of military action, so a pretty significant binary outcome awaits," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital. The Middle East conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that typically carries daily about a fifth of global supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas, creating the world's biggest oil supply disruption, according to the International Energy Agency. Tehran's latest peace proposal to the US involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of US forces from areas close to Iran and reparations for destruction caused by the war, state media reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the US imposed sanctions on an Iranian foreign currency exchange house and what it said were front companies overseeing transactions on behalf of Iranian banks. It also blocked 19 vessels it said were involved in shipping Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals to foreign customers. Elsewhere, Chinese state refiners have slashed oil throughput by more than 1 million barrels per day since the outbreak of the Iran war, analysts and market sources said, as disruption to crude supplies and poor margins forced them to scale back operations. Chinese state refiners are processing 8.4 million barrels per day of crude this month, down from 8.6 million bpd in April and 9.5 million bpd in March, according to consultancy Energy Aspects. That compares with about 10 million bpd before the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended a sanctions waiver by 30 days to allow "energy-vulnerable" countries to continue purchasing Russian seaborne oil. Separately, Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, which accounts for almost 5% of the country's total refining volumes, stopped processing after a Ukrainian drone attack last Friday, two industry sources said on Tuesday. In the US, a record 9.9 million barrels were drawn last week from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Department data showed. This reduced stockpiles to about 374 million barrels, the lowest since July 2024. US crude stocks are expected to have fallen by about 3.4 million barrels in the week to May 15. The weekly data from the Energy Information Administration is due on Wednesday.
Oil Market Remains Volatile Amid U.S.-Iran Talks and Conflict Fears -- The crude market on Tuesday posted an inside trading day after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he paused a planned attack on Iran that had been planned for Tuesday to allow for negotiations to end the war. However, President Trump said the U.S. was ready to resume attacks if a deal is not reached, which limited the market’s losses. The oil market posted a low of $106.76 on the opening and retraced some of its losses, posting a high of $109.24 by mid-morning. The market later settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The June WTI contract settled down 89 cents at $107.77 and the July Brent contract settled 82 cents at $111.28. The oil market ended lower in light of comments made by Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. and Iran made progress in talks, with neither country wanting a resumption of military action. Meanwhile, the product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling up 4.8 cents at $4.1625 and the RB market settling down 6.45 cents at $3.6962. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on an Iranian foreign currency exchange house and what it said were front companies overseeing transactions on behalf of Iranian banks as the U.S. maintains pressure on Tehran. The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Iran-based Amin Exchange, also known as Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company, which it said has a widespread network of front companies spanning multiple jurisdictions, including in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Hong Kong. The U.S. also blocked 19 vessels it said were involved in shipping Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals to foreign customers. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said there were no special arrangements in place for the export of energy products, but that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had added complexity to supply chains in the region. Saudi state media reported that Saudi Ports Authority Mawani has launched the “Red Sea Express” shipping service at King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, to speed up cargo handling, cut waiting times, and increase logistics efficiency at the port. The service links the ports of Jeddah, Yanbu, Ain Sokhna in Egypt, and Aqaba in Jordan. King Fahd Industrial Port, in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, is one of the largest ports for loading crude oil and petrochemicals in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has increased shipments through Yanbu to offset a near-halt to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. According to BloombergNEF, U.S. diesel prices have increased more sharply than gasoline, passing $5.60/gallon last week, 20 cents shy of a 2022 peak. It said the increased price of diesel makes a compelling business case for electric trucks, in a market now boosted by the first large-scale production of Tesla Inc.’s Semi offering.
Oil prices subdued amid mixed signals from US on Iran war - Global oil prices traded subdued on Wednesday morning, holding above $110 a barrel, as markets weighed mixed signals from US president Donald Trump on the prospects of the war on Iran.At 8:11 AM, the July contract of Brent was trading at $111 per barrel, lower by 0.25%, while WTI fell 0.21% to $103.93 a barrel.The relative calm in crude comes even as geopolitical risks remain elevated, the Strait of Hormuz stays shut, and India—heavily dependent on West Asian crude—raises retail fuel prices for the second time in a week.. Trump claimed that efforts were underway to end the ongoing conflict, while also warning that Washington could launch fresh strikes if negotiations failed.Trump told reporters that the US could launch a renewed strike on Iran by early next week if negotiations to end the conflict fail, noting that further attacks might become necessary, reported Al Jazeera. Further, the US Senate has advanced a resolution to halt the military campaign in Iran unless the US president receives an explicit approval from the Congress. The resolution, however, requires a majority in the House, after which it would face Trump’s presidential veto in order to take effect.On the other hand, Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a tweet: "With lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises."The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has severely impacted India as prior to the war, it imported about 60–70% of its oil requirement from West Asia.The supply shock has begun feeding into domestic pump prices. Retail fuel prices in India were raised for the second time in a week on Tuesday. Oil marketing companies increased petrol and diesel prices by around 90 paise per litre.In the national capital, petrol prices rose from ₹97.77 to ₹98.64 per litre, while diesel increased from ₹90.67 to ₹91.58 per litre, according to data from Indian Oil Corp Ltd.Prices were earlier hiked by ₹3 per litre on Friday, 15 May, after a gap of four years.Following Friday’s increase, state-owned oil firms have reduced their combined daily losses to ₹750 crore from ₹1,000 crore, Sujata Sharma, joint secretary, petroleum ministry, told reporters on Monday.The Indian crude oil basket stood at $112.79 per barrel as on 18 May. It represents a derived basket comprising Sweet grade (Brent Dated) and Sour grade (Oman & Dubai average) of crude oil imported by Indian refineries.
Oil Slips on De-escalation Hopes as VLCCs Attempt Transit (DTN) -- Oil futures extended their decline Wednesday morning on hopes of a detente in the U.S.-Iran war and of a sooner-than-expected resumption of flows from the Middle East. By 7:25 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for July delivery was down $2.61 to trade near $108.67 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for July delivery fell $2.11 to $102.04 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for June delivery slipped $0.1137 to $4.0488 gallon, and front-month NYMEX RBOB futures retreated $0.0772 to $3.6190 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index edged higher by 0.045 points to 99.31 against a basket of foreign currencies. Tuesday's remarks from the White House weighed on oil futures. U.S. President Donald Trump said he for now prioritized diplomacy over renewed attacks, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance touted progress in peace talks, adding that "the Iranians want to make a deal." Prices also eased on reports suggesting that NATO was considering a plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz should the Iranian blockade persist through June. This would mark a stark reversal from the defensive alliance's previous stance which limited involvement to post-conflict stabilization. Two Chinese-flagged and one South Korean VLCC, carrying a combined 6 million bbl of crude oil, attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday before they stopped transmitting signals. If successful, it would mark the first time in more than three weeks that three laden VLCCs not linked to Iran made it through the blockade. Although largely symbolic given the scale of the supply disruption, a safe passage of the three ships may entice other shippers to attempt the same as Asian refiners grow increasingly desperate for crude oil barrels. Oil importers have increasingly turned to the U.S. to plug the supply gap, leading to record-high crude and refined product exports from the U.S. rapidly drawing down inventories. The American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported across-the-board declines in domestic gasoline, distillate fuel oil and crude oil stocks. The API estimated that commercial crude inventories shrank by 9.1 million bbl in the week ended May 15. If confirmed by official U.S. Energy Information Administration data scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT release Wednesday, the fourth consecutive weekly decline in commercial oil stocks would mark the largest since September.
Oil Prices Extend Decline After The Largest Crude Inventory Drawdown In History, Cushing 'Tank Bottoms' Loom - Oil futures are down bigly this morning following comments from President Trump that the war in Iran would be ended "very quickly," but investors remained uncertain about the potential for de-escalation. "We're going to end that war very quickly. They want to make a deal so badly, they're tired of - this should have happened for 47 years," Trump told a group of Congress members at the White House's annual congressional picnic on Tuesday. "Somebody should have done something about it. And it's going to happen, and it's going to happen fast. And you're going to see oil prices plummet," the president added. Oil's declines were also reportedly driven by this optimism about a final deal draft peace agreement: On Tuesday, two Chinese tankers carrying crude oil traversed the Strait of Hormuz. Another, a South Korean vessel, was passing through it, according to a Reuters report. Jim Reid, of Deutsche Bank, noted that this marks "one of the busiest days since the closure." However, Iran's Revolutionary Guards also warned on Wednesday that any renewed strikes on Iran could expand the war beyond the region.. The IRGC also said it had not used all its capacities against the U.S. and Israel, while warning that their "devastating blows will crush" the adversaries, the IRGC said in a statement on its Sepah News website. For now, all eyes are on the official inventory and supply data (and SPR) after yuuuge draws reported by API overnight... API
- Crude -9.1mm (-3.4mm exp)
- Cushing -1.4mm
- Gasoline -5.8mm
- Distillates -1.0mm
DOE
- Crude -7.863mm (-6.0mm exp)
- Cushing -1.604mm
- Gasoline -1.548mm
- Distillates +372k
Crude stocks tumbled last week (biggest draw since Feb 13th) for the fourth week in a row. Gasoline inventories saw their 14th weekly drawdown in a row while distillates saw another small build... Graphics Source: Bloomberg. Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdowns continue to accelerate with 9.92mm barrels/day - a record - drained last week. That means over 10% of the SPR has been drained in the last few weeks... Total US crude stocks including the SPR are at the lowest level since June 2025 with this week seeing the largest SPR + Commercial stock drawdown in history... Gasoline stockpiles continued their steady decline last week, falling another 1.5 million barrels. Stocks are still at the lowest seasonal levels since 2014. Cushing stocks are rapidly approaching 'tank bottoms' once again... US Crude production dipped very modestly last week... WTI (July 2026) suddenly plunged below $100 just ahead of the official data (on peace deal optimism) and extended the losses after the big draw... Finally, though the closure of the Strait has already pushed oil prices up by more than half, analytics firm Woods Mackenzie said if the war is extended until the end of the year, oil prices could rise as high as US$200 per barrel, though a quick settlement could lower Brent prices to US$80 by year end. "The Strait of Hormuz is the most critical chokepoint in global energy markets, and a prolonged closure would become far more than an energy crisis," said Peter Martin, head of economics at Wood Mackenzie. "The longer disruption persists, the greater the impact on energy prices, industrial activity, trade flows and global economic growth." The market is awaiting the start of the high-demand U.S. summer driving season, which begins with this weekend's Memorial Day holiday. It appears that American drivers will face the highest gas prices ever for Memorial Day...
Oil prices slide after Trump says US-Iran negotiations in 'final stages' (Reuters) - Oil prices fell about 6% on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were in the final stages, although investors remained wary about the outcome of peace talks as disruption to Middle Eastern supply continued. Brent crude futures settled $6.26, or 5.63%, lower at $105.02 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down $5.89, or 5.66%, at $98.26. Trump said negotiations with Iran were in the final stages but warned of further attacks unless Iran agreed to a deal. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was ready to develop protocols for safe shipping traffic in cooperation with other coastal states, without providing further details. Despite signs of progress, some market participants and analysts remained wary about the outcome of negotiations and global supply tightness that will likely persist even if the U.S. and Iran reach a deal. "You've got to take all these pronouncements with a grain of salt these days, but the market was also quick to reward it and price in the hope of a resolution," . Analysts at Citi said on Tuesday that they expect Brent crude to rise to $120 a barrel in the near term, stating that oil markets are underpricing the risk of prolonged supply disruption, and Wood Mackenzie estimated that it could approach $200 if the Strait of Hormuz stays largely shut until the end of the year. Similarly, PVM analysts said global oil stocks could reach critically low levels. "Yet, as observed lately, market players are comparatively nonchalant (or complacent) about what the conflict might bring," PVM said. The premium on Brent contracts for delivery next month over contracts for delivery in six months - an indicator of traders' views of current supply tightness - is around $20 a barrel, way below last month's highs above $35. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that some countries were lifting sanctions on Russian oil because global markets cannot function without it, the state TASS news agency reported. After a blockbuster earnings season, the honeymoon for stocks may be fading fast. Three supertankers were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, carrying oil bound for Asian markets, after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months with 6 million barrels of Middle East crude on board. The number of vessels crossing the strait remains well below the 130 or so ships that crossed daily before the war. The CEO of UAE's ADNOC, Sultan Al Jaber, said on Wednesday it will take at least four months to get back to 80% of pre-conflict flows. To make up the supply shortfall, countries are relying on commercial and strategic inventories. U.S. crude stockpiles fell last week as demand remained elevated, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Crude inventories fell by 7.9 million barrels to 445 million barrels in the week ended May 15, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.9 million-barrel draw.
Oil prices gain 3% after Reuters report signals complication to US-Iran peace talks - Oil prices were up 3% on Thursday after Reuters reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, denting hopes for a swift resolution to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The report, citing two senior Iranian sources, signaled that Tehran is hardening its stance on a key U.S. demand. The directive from Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei could further complicate negotiations and frustrate U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker an end to the war. Brent crude futures gained $3.07, or 2.9%, to $108.09 a barrel at 11:12 a.m. EDT (1512 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose $3.52, or 3.6%, to $101.78. Both were trading lower before the report. The development came a day after Iran’s announcement of a new “Persian Gulf Strait Authority,” which would oversee a “controlled maritime zone” in the Strait of Hormuz. Prices were volatile. Gains accelerated after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a proposed tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible. Prices pared gains later after he added that officials from Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator, will travel to Iran for talks. Pakistan stepped up diplomatic efforts to hasten the U.S.-Iran peace talks, as Tehran said it was reviewing Washington’s latest responses. Trump suggested he could wait a few days for “the right answers” from Tehran but was also willing to resume attacks on the country. “We’ve been in this situation multiple times before, which ultimately led to disappointment,” ING analysts said in a note on Thursday, forecasting an average Brent price of $104 a barrel in the current quarter. Separately, UBS raised its oil price forecasts by $10 a barrel on Thursday, projecting Brent crude at $105 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude at $97 in September. Iran warned against further attacks and unveiled steps entrenching its control of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains mostly closed. Before the war the strait carried oil and liquefied natural gas shipments equal to about 20% of global consumption. Economic activity in the euro zone shrank at its sharpest rate in more than 2-1/2 years in May as a war-driven surge in living costs hammered demand for services across Europe and firms accelerated layoffs, surveys showed on Thursday. Seven leading OPEC+ oil-producing countries will likely agree to a modest hike in July output when they meet on June 7, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing four sources. Typically, output decisions from the group would move markets, but that was not the case during Thursday’s session, as supply disruptions linked to the Iran war continue to affect deliveries from several producers. The start of peak summer fuel demand combined with the lack of new oil exports from the Middle East and depleting stocks could push the oil market into the “red zone” in July-August, International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol said on Thursday. Even if the Middle East conflict ended now, full oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz will not return before the first or second quarter of 2027, Sultan Al Jaber , the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said. Iran effectively closed the strait in response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks that started the war on February 28. Most of the fighting has stopped since an April ceasefire, but while Iran is limiting traffic through Hormuz, the U.S. has blockaded its coastline. Supply losses from the key Middle Eastern producing region because of the war have forced countries to tap their commercial and strategic inventories at a rapid rate, raising concerns about draining them. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday the country withdrew nearly 10 million barrels of oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve last week for its biggest drawdown on record. U.S. crude inventories also fell by more than expected last week, according to EIA data.
Oil prices fall after Iranian news agency says US and Iran may be 'hours' from announcing deal - Oil prices abruptly reversed course Thursday afternoon, turning from gains to losses on news that the US and Iran may be only hours away from announcing terms for peace negotiations. Futures on Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 2.6% to trade around $102.30 per barrel after gaining as much as 3.5% before the news broke. Those on US benchmark WTI crude fell 2.5% to trade below $96 after rising as much as 4% earlier in the session. The US and Iran have reached an agreement, mediated by Pakistan, that includes a full ceasefire — including any targeting of infrastructure — “freedom of navigation” in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and a gradual lifting of economic sanctions on Iran, the Iranian semi-official news agency ILNA said in a post on Telegram. While the post from the ILNA made no mention of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, it stated that negotiations on “outstanding issues” would begin within seven days. US and Iranian negotiators have been working toward an agreement that would bring both parties back to the table for second-round negotiations after a first round fell apart in mid-April.The losses marked a sharp change of course for oil prices that had originally risen on Thursday after Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the regime’s stores of enriched, near-weapons-grade uranium shouldn’t be sent abroad, throwing a wrench into dealmaking between the US and the Islamic Republic.The development complicates negotiations between Iran and the US, where the White House has said the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium supply is a key red line for any deal.Trump has repeatedly stated his belief that Iran can’t develop nuclear weaponry and that the US must dismantle the country’s enrichment program for any deal to go through. He has reportedly personally assured Israeli leaders that any deal must include the removal of the uranium stores, per Reuters.The directive from Tehran throws into question Trump’s comments on the US getting close to a deal with Iran. The regime is reportedly working on a response to the latest US proposal that “narrowed the gaps to some extent,” according to Iran’s ISNA news agency. Mediators see few signs of progress toward agreement between Washington and Tehran, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Iran has remained steadfast in its demands for war reparations, sanctions relief, and control over the Strait of Hormuz, while the regime continues to deny US goals for dismantling the country’s nuclear program.“Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains shut, another 14 million barrels of oil has failed to make it to market, and the first two months on the Brent curve are trading over $100,” Mizuho director of energy futures Robert Yawger said Thursday morning.Trump said Wednesday that he is prepared to direct military action against Iran if the US doesn’t receive “complete 100% good answers” from the Iranian regime, telling reporters, “It’s right on the borderline, believe me.” When asked how long he would be willing to wait for a response from Tehran, he added that a decision to strike “could go very quickly.”Tehran said the same day that any US military action would be met with “crushing blows in places you do not expect” throughout the Middle East, per the state-owned Tasnim news agency, and that “the regional war that had been promised will this time extend beyond the region.” Oil’s slide on Wednesday came after reports that a South Korean supertanker and two Chinese supertankers, all laden with crude, were successfully transiting the strait. However, the ships appeared to follow a route designated by Iran, according to ship-tracking data, and the Iranian government claimed South Korean and Chinese leaders had directly coordinated the passage of three ships with the IRGC.Reports have documented Iran’s strengthening control over safe passage, which includes directing routes, charging fees, and negotiating directly with governments looking to see their ships exit the waterway safely. The Iranian ambassador to France said Wednesday that Iran and Oman, which are on opposite sides of the Strait of Hormuz, are working toward a joint management system for the waterway that would include a permanent tolling regime.“Iran and Oman must mobilize all their resources both to provide security services and to manage navigation in the most appropriate manner,” Iranian ambassador to France Mohammad Amin-Nejad said to Bloomberg on Wednesday.“This will entail costs, and it goes without saying that those who wish to benefit from this traffic must also pay their share,” he said.
Oil Slumps After Conflicting Reports Over US-Iran Deal - - Crude and product futures reversed course to settle lower Thursday as reports that the U.S. and Iran were close to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz conflicted with statements by Tehran that it was not ready yet for a peace agreement. Market volatility was also amplified by post-expiry position shifts on NYMEX, as traders rebalanced portfolios in the newly prompt July crude contract ahead of Monday's Memorial Day holiday, triggering intraday swings across the energy complex. On the Middle East conflict, reports said Pakistani mediators had prepared a peace draft for Iran and the U.S. that will reinforce an existing ceasefire that lasted the past six weeks. The signing parties will agree not to target regional infrastructure and also guarantee freedom of navigation on the Hormuz and the wider Persian Gulf under a joint monitoring mechanism, the reports said. U.S. sanctions against Iran will be gradually lifted in return for Tehran's compliance to the deal, with negotiations on outstanding issues beginning seven days after the signing, the reports added. Energy markets tumbled on the news after rallying earlier on reports that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had refused to transfer the country's enriched uranium to a third country accepted by the U.S. But just after the settlement of NYMEX trade at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Iranian media reported the country's president and army chief as not in agreement yet with the Pakistani mediation effort. NYMEX WTI for July delivery settled the day down $1.91 at $96.35 bbl, dropping 2% to extend the previous session's 6% slide. ICE Brent for July delivery closed down $2.44 at $102.58 bbl, also deepening Wednesday's 6% retreat with a dip of 2%. Market participants said any further drop in crude prices would depend on Iran's permitting of vessels back on the Hormuz, a waterway it has blocked for most of the near three-month long war, crippling some 20 million bpd of petroleum liquids that account for a fifth of global daily supply. "Whatever happens, I see WTI holding at $85 and above in the distant future, and Brent at $90 and above," John Kilduff, partner at New York energy hedge fund Again Capital, told DTN. Among refined products, NYMEX ULSD for June delivery fell $0.1155 to finish at $3.9471 gallon, while June RBOB futures edged lower by $0.1078 to end at $2.2796 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index strengthened by 0.171 points to 99.185 against a basket of foreign currencies.
Oil Market Ends Lower After Reversing Gains Amid Draft U.S. Iran Deal Reports -- The oil market ended the session lower on Thursday after reversing earlier gains amid reports of a draft U.S.-Iran deal. Early in the session, the market weighed the possibility of getting the U.S.-Iran peace talks on track against signals that Iran was hardening its stance on one of the main U.S. demands. In overnight trading, the market traded sideways amid reports that Pakistan stepped up its diplomatic efforts on Thursday to hasten the peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, as Tehran said it was reviewing Washington’s latest responses. On Wednesday, U.S. President Trump suggested he could wait a few days for “the right answers” from Tehran, while also noting the willingness to resume attacks on Iran. The crude market later in the morning traded higher and extended its gains to $4.40 as it posted a high of $102.66 after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad. The market was well supported by concerns that the order could complicate talks on ending the war. However, the crude market later erased its gains and breached its earlier lows as it sold off to a low of $95.76 ahead of the close on prospects for a U.S.-Iran deal. The July WTI contract settled down $1.91 at $96.35 and the July Brent contract settled down $2.44 at $102.58. The product markets ended the session in negative territory, with the June heating oil contract settling down 11.55 cents at $3.8316 and the RB market settling down 10.78 cents at $3.3796. The head of the International Energy Agency said the start of peak summer fuel demand combined with the lack of new oil exports from the Middle East and depleting stocks could push the oil market into the “red zone” in July-August. He said the world entered the oil supply crisis caused by the Iran war with a surplus of oil, which helped to absorb the shock, but now stocks are eroding. He said it will take a lot of time to bring Middle East oil production and refining capacity back to pre-war levels and the recovery time will differ from country to country. According to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., global stockpiles of crude oil and products are being drawn down at a record pace as the Iran war drags on, curtailing supplies. It said inventories fell by 8.7 million bpd so far this month, almost double the average pace since the conflict began. Crude inventories in the U.S., including the SPR, fell by 17.8 million barrels last week. UBS raised its September oil price forecasts by $10/barrel on Thursday, projecting Brent crude at $105/barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude at $97/barrel. A Bloomberg Intelligence survey showed that oil market participants are increasingly seeing crude capped near $100/barrel over the next year as demand is forced to slow to counter the supply losses from the war. Sources stated that seven leading OPEC+ oil-producing countries will likely agree to a modest increase to their July output when they meet on June 7th. The monthly target set by seven core OPEC+ members is expected to be raised by about 188,000 bpd. All spoke on condition of anonymity and said a final decision had not been made. The seven of 21 OPEC+ members due to meet are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Oman.
Oil Prices Rise as Traders Grow Skeptical of U.S.-Iran Deal - Oil prices climbed in early Asian trade on Friday as skepticism grew that U.S.-Iran negotiations would produce a breakthrough, with all the major sticking points still unresolved despite claims of progress. At the time of writing, Brent futures were trading at $104.80, 2.13% higher on the day, while WTI futures climbed to $97.99, up 1.70%.The price spike comes after both benchmarks fell roughly 2% on Thursday to their lowest levels in nearly two weeks, as traders briefly priced in the possibility of diplomatic progress. It seems that sentiment has shifted overnight after conflicting signals emerged from negotiators. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that no agreement had been reached, but the two sides had narrowed some gaps. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been “some good signs” in talks, but warned that any Iranian attempt to impose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz would be unacceptable.Six weeks into the ceasefire, efforts to secure a lasting agreement have made little meaningful progress, with oil markets frequently reacting to claims from both sides before rebounding when nothing comes to fruition.Meanwhile, the ever-tightening state of physical markets has sparked major inflation fears globally, particularly as elevated fuel costs ripple through transportation and manufacturing sectors. Global oil inventories have been falling at a record pace, and countries around the world are implementing emergency measures to counter rising prices.Underscoring the market’s anxiety, ADNOC’s chief executive yesterday warned that full oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz may not resume until at least the first or second quarter of 2027, even if hostilities were to end immediately. The UAE, having left OPEC, is now aggressively focused on increasing its export capacity beyond Hormuz with a new pipeline.In the short term, the only real solution for oil markets remains the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and markets will be nervously awaiting either a diplomatic breakthrough or a major military escalation.
Oil prices rise amid uncertainty over US-Iran talks - Pakistan Observer – The global oil prices rose on Friday but the market remained on course for a weekly decline as uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the United States and Iran continued to weigh on investor confidence. Brent crude futures climbed by $1.66, or 1.6 percent, to reach $104.24 per barrel during early trading, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.11, or 1.2 percent, to trade at $97.46 per barrel. Despite the increase, both oil benchmarks were set to record weekly losses amid fluctuating market sentiment linked to developments in the US-Iran talks. Brent crude was down 4.6 percent for the week, while WTI had fallen 7.6 percent. Reports indicating some progress in diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran briefly supported the market. A senior Iranian official stated that differences between the two countries had narrowed, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to “positive signs” in the negotiations. However, key disagreements remain over Iran’s uranium stockpile and control of the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts believe oil prices are likely to stay elevated due to persistent supply concerns and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. David Oxley, chief commodities economist at Capital Economics, said global oil fundamentals are unlikely to improve significantly before 2027. The ongoing conflict has disrupted energy markets despite a fragile ceasefire that has remained in place for nearly six weeks. Rising fuel prices have also increased concerns about inflation and pressure on the global economy. Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst at Rakuten Securities, said WTI crude is expected to remain within the range of $90 to $110 per barrel next week, continuing the pattern seen since late March. Meanwhile, BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, raised its average Brent crude forecast for 2026 to $90 per barrel from $81.50, citing supply shortages, damage to Middle East energy infrastructure and the extended time required for market recovery after the conflict. Before the conflict, nearly 20 percent of global energy supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The war disrupted around 14 million barrels per day of oil supply, affecting exports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The head of ADNOC said full restoration of oil flows through the Strait may not occur before the first or second quarter of 2027, even if the conflict ends immediately. In addition, sources said seven major OPEC+ oil-producing countries are expected to support a modest increase in output during their meeting on June 7, although supplies from some producers remain affected by the Iran conflict.
Oil Up Anticipating Iran Hormuz Toll, Memorial Day Travel - -- Oil prices steadied after a three-day decline to settle slightly higher Friday as tensions swelled again in the Middle East from U.S. opposition to Iran's plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz. Record travel forecast across the United States for next week's Memorial Day holiday also boosted sentiment in futures trading of fuel. NYMEX WTI crude for July delivery settled up $0.25, or 0.3%, at $96.60 bbl, while ICE Brent for July finished higher by $0.96, or 1%, at $103.54 bbl. For the week, WTI fell 9% and Brent 5%, impacted by losses from Tuesday through Thursday when the market reacted to attempts by mediator Pakistan to secure a permanent peace deal between the U.S. and Iran and reopen Hormuz, blockaded by Tehran, to tankers carrying a fifth of world petroleum supply. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for June delivery advanced by $0.0562 to close at $3.8878 gallon. June RBOB climbed $0.0743 to end at $3.4539. Fuel prices rose as the AAA forecast that a record 45 million people in the United States will travel between Thursday, May 21, and the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 25. After rising with few stops between March and April, energy markets have reversed course this month as the U.S. attempts to end the war with Iran which it began at end-February and restore shipping on the Hormuz. Tehran plans a toll of $2 million on each oil tanker crossing the strait, creating a major negotiation sticking point despite claims from United States officials that talks show some positive signs. Iran and Oman reportedly held discussions Friday on enforcing the toll, ignoring warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that the international waterway must remain free. Iran also opposes handing over its enriched uranium to the U.S. or any other country chosen by the Trump administration, defying another core condition set by the White House for a permanent truce. Negotiations toward a deal have also been held up by Iran's demands that the U.S. lift its blockade on Iranian ports in order for any talks to begin.
Oil Slick Reaches a Pristine Persian Gulf Island in Iran - The New York Times - An oil spill has reached the shores of a pristine Persian Gulf island in Iran surrounded by clear turquoise waters that provide refuge for endangered sea turtles and dolphins, according to videos circulating on social media.The tiny, uninhabited island of Shidvar is one of Iran’s most important protected nature reserves. It is home to large coral reefs and a breeding ground for more than 80,000 birds.The videos, verified by The New York Times, show large dark ribbons of oil snaking along the island’s pristine white sand beaches. Birds, turtles and crabs can be seen trapped inside mounds of tar.“It is known as the Maldives of Iran — a beautiful place,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the U.N. University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health.The videos have provided some of the first evidence of the environmental toll the war has taken on the area. Iran has been under an internet blackout since the United States and Israel started a war in late February, severely limiting visibility into the impacts of the conflict.In one of the videos, a small boat plies through waters darkened from an oil slick, as the men on board point to smoke billowing up from the oil refinery at the nearby island of Lavan. The videos appear to have been taken not long after April 8, when Iranian state media said the Lavan refinery was struck, hours after a cease-fire had taken hold. It is unclear why the videos have emerged more than a month later, but it is likely because of the recent easing of restrictions on Iran’s nationwide internet blackout.The cause of devastation, Mr. Madani said, was likely the strikes on the Lavan refinery. “That video, I can say with a lot of certainty, is from the oil spill of Lavan, and we know the cause of that,” he added.Another oil slick has been spotted near Kharg Island, one of Iran’s most crucial oil export and storage sites. But the causes of it are less clear.Some U.S. officials accuse Iran of having dumped or mishandled oil in Persian Gulf waters. Iran has denied this, and Mr. Madani said there was no available evidence to support the dumping theory.The damage from oil spills to the Persian Gulf’s fragile ecosystem is still not known. But it could extend beyond animals, said Manoochehr Shirzaei, an Iranian environmental expert who teaches geophysics and remote sensing at Virginia Tech University.“Among the most immediate and widespread consequences could be impacts on desalination infrastructure, as many Gulf countries rely heavily on desalinated seawater for municipal and industrial water supply,” he said.“These facilities draw seawater directly from the Persian Gulf, making them highly vulnerable to oil contamination.”Mr. Shirzaei said he was able to detect several slicks off the waters of Shidvar and Lavan with satellite imagery. He also used satellite imagery from early May to detect the large oil slick reported close to Kharg Island, which could also have serious environmental consequences for the region.The oil spills come at a particularly critical time of year for the region’s delicate ecosystem, experts say. It is currently breeding season for many birds, who could struggle to find food for their young off Shidvar island, and may not have time to learn to adapt to the sudden change to their habitat.On Shidvar’s shores, thousands of turtle hatchlings should be emerging at this time from sands now covered in oil, which may make their first steps fatal.The impact of this damage could be compounded because the Persian Gulf is not an open ocean, but rather semi-enclosed, the experts said, and slower water circulation means oil slicks may linger. That intensifies the impact on humans and animals and allows the slicks to spread. “Once oil enters the Gulf, it does not remain inside the logic of war,” said Iman Ebrahimi, an Iranian conservationist who monitored the bird populations of Shidvar for four years.“It moves into beaches, nests, feathers, turtle hatchlings, fish nurseries and the bodies of animals that belong to the whole region.”
US Forces Board Iranian-Flagged Tanker in Gulf of Oman - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker, M/T Celestial Sea, in the Gulf of Oman on May 20, after it was “suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port.”Footage posted by CENTCOM shows US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit launching a helicopter from the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, and fast-roping down onto the M/T Celestial Sea.“American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course,” CENTCOM said in a brief statement posted online. “US forces continue to fully enforce the blockade and have now redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance.”
Iran asserts jurisdiction over UAE and Oman waters in new Strait of Hormuz map - Iran has published a map claiming regulatory control over a stretch of the Strait of Hormuz that extends deep into the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, prompting five Gulf states to formally warn shipping companies through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) not to comply. In a post on X on Wednesday, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority defined its claimed management zone as running from Kuh-e Mobarak in Iran to the south of Fujairah in the UAE at the strait's eastern entrance, and from the end of Qeshm Island in Iran to Umm al-Quwain in the UAE at its western entrance. The zone covers waters that the UAE and Oman regard as their own sovereign territory. All vessels transiting the defined area are required to obtain prior authorisation from the PGSA. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent a joint letter to the IMO this week, warning commercial and merchant vessels not to engage with the PGSA or transit the waterway using Iran's designated route. The letter was distributed by the IMO. Earlier in May, Iran had established an email-based application process for vessels seeking to transit the strait through the PGSA. The authority was said to have become operational on Monday. The crucial waterway has been largely blocked since the outbreak of the Iran war on 28 February, first by Tehran, and then by a US blockade of Iranian ports and ships declared by President Donald Trump. So far, the only operators paying PGSA tolls are predominantly Chinese-linked shadow fleet vessels. No Western-flagged operator has publicly acknowledged making a payment, partly because doing so could expose companies to US sanctions. The Washington-based think-tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Iranian officials remained divided over nuclear concessions but had united around formalising control of the strait. "Iran’s demands over the Strait of Hormuz demonstrate that Iranian officials believe they won the war because formalising Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz is a territorial claim on the sovereign territory of another country," the ISW said in an assessment on Friday. The institute noted that a new map published on Wednesday appeared to extend Iran's claimed management zone beyond the boundaries it had outlined on 4 May, suggesting a deliberate step-by-step expansion of its territorial claims. "The new PGSA-defined zone runs from Kuh Mobarak in Iran to southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the east and from the end of Gheshm Island in Iran to Umm al Qaiwain in the UAE in the west," the ISW explained. "This change lays explicit claim to control over the territorial waters of the UAE and Oman," it concluded. The UAE port of Fujairah sits at the seaward end of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's West-East pipeline, which was built specifically to allow oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC Navy coordinates safe passage of another 35 ships through Strait of Hormuz -The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced that it coordinated the transit of another 35 ships through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. “Over the past 24 hours, 35 ships, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, after obtaining permission, [and] with the coordination and security protection of the IRGC Navy,” the Public Relations Office of the IRGC’s Navy said in a statement on Friday. The passage came on top of 31 vessels—including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships—that passed through the strait in the previous 24 hours, the IRGC Navy announced on Thursday. The Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf has defined the supervisory management zone of the waterway, announcing on Wednesday that movement through the strategic corridor requires coordination and a permit. The zone is "the line connecting Mount Mubarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, on the eastern side of the strait, extending to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates, on the western side of the strait." Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz to its enemies and their allies following the latest US-Israeli aggression against the country. According to a new Reuters report, the IRGC plays a central role in a new multi-layered transit system that gives preference to ships linked to allies such as China and Russia, while other vessels may require government-to-government arrangements or payments to pass. The IRGC reviews an affiliation document supplied by a ship owner or operator and during the process they may want to physically inspect the ship, the news agency said. "The affiliation check is to identify if the vessel has any connection to the US or Israel," a European shipping source told Reuters. The IRGC requires ship owners to disclose details including the value of the ship's cargo, the flag, its origin and destination, the registered owner and manager, and nationalities of the crew, according to documents sent to shipping industry sources by Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority. The vetting is carried out by Iranian state institutions including the Ports and Maritime Organization, the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the national shipping organization, and the security overseer of the Supreme National Security Council, according to the report. Ship owners' willingness to deal directly with Iran shows the degree to which the strait is under the Islamic Republic's control, Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer who specializes in Iran research and analysis, told Reuters. "The straits will be blocked or opened up only by the approval of the Iranian government," said Citrinowicz. "Some will get through because of political alliances, others will have to pay, others will be turned back. This is the new norm." Bilateral arrangements for passage include an additional step: Countries contact Iran's foreign minister to request permission. The minister forwards these to the Supreme National Security Council. A decision is then made and communicated to the relevant bodies, including the IRGC which then provides the coordinates and instructions needed for safe passage. Other countries have worked out different arrangements. Among them is India, which imports about 90% of its oil needs and about 50% of its gas, much of which passes through Hormuz. New Delhi uses its embassy in Tehran to liaise with Iranian authorities, including the IRGC and the Iranian navy, which vets ships India wants to sail out of the Persian Gulf, according to an Indian shipping ministry official cited by Reuters. "The Indian navy also told us that if the Iranians ask you to stop, then you should stop. If they ask you to move, you should move," the report said, "And we've been following those instructions."
Satellite images reveal extent of damage to Israeli military bases in Irans strikes Newly analyzed satellite imagery has exposed damage to multiple Israeli military installations from Iran and Hezbollah's defensive operations, raising questions about the extent of destruction that Tel Aviv may be concealing from public view. Analysis of satellite images published by Soar shows strikes on several military bases across the occupied territories during Iran’s recent defensive strikes, codenamed Operation True Promise 4, that came in response to the US-Israeli aggression starting on February 28. The unprovoked aggression began with airstrikes assassinating senior Iranian officials, including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and targeting civilian infrastructure. Iran responded by launching devastating strikes against US and Israeli bases and assets across the region. The report by Yedioth Ahronoth, released Friday with military censor approval, has used low-quality images, casting further doubt on the regime's transparency about the actual scale of damage sustained. Images from the Sentinel-2 satellite reveal that Ramat David Air Base was hit in two separate areas. According to the analysis, one damaged zone apparently housed support vehicles and equipment, while the second served as a refueling and service point for fighter jets—critical infrastructure for Israel's air operations. The imagery also points to a sudden change near a structure inside the Mishar base, a Unit 8200 signals intelligence facility near Safed. Soar's analysis indicates a possible strike on the base between March 5 and March 10. Additional satellite images show damage to a position at Nevatim Air Base, clearly visible on March 25. The base has been a key target in Iran's response to the US-Israeli aggression. Furthermore, images reveal a major fire at Camp Shimshon beginning March 10, the same day Hezbollah announced it attacked the site with a swarm of drones. According to the analysis, the fire burned for several days and spread across approximately 200 meters inside the base. Comparisons with older high-resolution images from 2016, 2024, and 2025 showed the damaged area had consistently been used for operational purposes, including military vehicle placement and logistical preparations. The analysis noted that past images showed no significant vegetation in the area, "indicating that the fire was caused by a strike on a significant area inside the base rather than by burning vegetation."
Alberta: Oil-rich province to vote on whether to separate from Canada -Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced plans for the oil-rich province to hold a non-binding vote in the fall on whether its residents wish to remain a part of Canada — or move ahead with a second binding vote on separation.The move marks the first time in Canadian history that a province other than Quebec has put the question of separation to the public and comes after months of campaigning from a group of separatists. Speaking during a televised address on Thursday evening, Alberta’s Smith said she supports the province remaining in Canada and would vote as such in a provincial referendum.“However, despite my personal support for remaining in Canada, I’m deeply troubled by an erroneous court decision that interferes with the democratic rights of hundreds of thousands of Albertans,” Smith said.An Alberta judge had previously thrown out a petition seeking for the province to separate from Canada.Backers of the citizen-led group Stay Free Alberta said that they’d collected more than 301,000 signatures in support of their campaign, which is partly driven by the view that the province has long been overlooked by decision-makers in Ottawa.Opinion polls indicate that separatism in Alberta lacks broad appeal, however. A separate petition calling for the province to stay in Canada says it has gathered more than 404,000 signatures.“Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society,” Smith said.“It’s time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on,” she added.The provincial vote, which is scheduled to take place on Oct. 19, will put the following question to Albertans: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”Alberta is Canada’s fourth most-populous province, with an estimated population of around 5 million people.The province is well-known for its oil sands, which contribute significantly to Alberta and Canada’s economy.Alberta’s oil sands’ proven reserves are equal to approximately 158.9 billion barrels of oil, which means the province has the fourth-largest such reserves in the world, after Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Israel's Ben Gvir Sparks Outrage With Gaza Flotilla Activist Abuse Video - --Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday sparked global outrage by posting a video showing the mockery and abuse of activists who were abducted by Israeli forces while attempting to bring aid to the besieged Gaza Strip via boat as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The video, posted on X, shows Ben Gvir taunting the activists as they’re detained with their hands tied behind their backs and on their knees facing the floor. At one point in the video, the Israeli national anthem can be heard playing while activists are detained face down on what appears to be an Israeli vessel.Several nations responded by summoning Israeli ambassadors to their capitals, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Canada, Al Jazeera reported. “The images of the Israeli minister Ben Gvir are unacceptable. It is inadmissible that these demonstrators, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment that violates human dignity,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a post on X. “The Italian Government is immediately taking, at the highest institutional levels, all necessary steps to secure the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved,” Meloni wrote, adding that Rome demanded an apology from Israel and would summon the Israeli ambassador to Italy.Jean-Noel Barrot, the foreign minister of France, said on X that the French government didn’t support the flotilla but that the French activists involved “must be treated with respect and released as quickly as possible” and that Paris was summoning the Israeli ambassador to “express our indignation and obtain explanations.”Ben Gvir’s video went too far even for some members of the Israeli government, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who said that Ben Gvir “knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display.”According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, 50 boats have been recently intercepted by Israeli forces, and 428 activists from all over the world have been taken captive in Israel. Ahead of Wednesday’s incident, the US sanctioned four activists involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla. The US has not taken any action or imposed any consequences on Israel for continuing attacks on Gaza, maintaining restrictions on aid, and taking additional territory in the Strip, all violations of the President Trump-backed ceasefire deal signed in October 2025.
Israeli Attacks in Gaza Have Killed More Than 880 Palestinians Since So-Called Ceasefire Deal Was Signed - Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the so-called ceasefire deal was supposed to go into effect in October 2025, according to numbers released by Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Health Ministry said in its daily update, which it releases about midday Gaza time, that it recorded the killing of at least one Palestinian and the injury of 16 over the previous 24-hour period.The ministry said that since the ceasefire deal was signed, 881 Palestinians have been killed and 2,621 have been wounded, a total of more than 3,500 Palestinian casualties. “A number of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, as ambulance and civil defense crews have been unable to reach them so far,” the ministry wrote on Telegram.Israeli attacks continued on Wednesday, with the Palestinian news agency WAFA reporting that at least seven Palestinians, including three children, were wounded by Israeli shelling across the Strip overnight. Israel has also violated the ceasefire deal by taking more territory in Gaza, as the IDF now occupies 60% of the Strip, up from the 53% it controlled at the start of the so-called truce, and continuing aid restrictions. While the US and Israel are accusing Hamas of violating the deal by not disarming, the actual agreement Hamas and Israel signed only established a ceasefire and a mechanism for the release of Israeli hostages and the recovery of Israeli bodies buried under the rubble. Issues like Hamas’s disarmament and a full Israeli withdrawal were meant to be dealt with in follow-up negotiations, which have been stalled.
Netanyahu Admits Israel Is Taking More Territory in Gaza in Violation of Ceasefire Deal - -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted at a cabinet meeting that Israel has taken more territory in Gaza since the ceasefire was supposed to go into effect in October 2025, an acknowledgment of an Israeli violation of the truce deal.When the deal was signed in October 2025, Israeli troops pulled back to an agreed-upon line, known as the “yellow line,” which left about 53% of Gaza under IDF occupation, but that area of control has expanded. “In Gaza now, we already control not 50%, but 60%,” he said, according to The Times of Israel, confirming reports that said Israel now controls 60% of the Palestinian territory. The ceasefire deal that Israel and Hamas signed in October 2025 said that the “IDF will not return to areas that have been withdrawn from, as long as Hamas fully implements the agreement,” and Hamas had fulfilled its side of the deal by releasing all living Israeli hostages and bodies that it had and working to recover other Israeli remains.Israeli officials have claimed Hamas is violating the deal by not disarming, but the agreement didn’t commit Hamas to giving up its weapons. The two sides agreed to a US proposal that called for the “demilitarization” of Gaza as a framework for negotiations, but the issue of disarmament was meant to be worked out in follow-up negotiations.For its part, Hamas has maintained that disarmament must be linked to a path toward a Palestinian state and has also stated that it won’t discuss the issue until the first phase of the ceasefire is actually implemented. Israel has constantly violated the agreement by launching daily attacks in Gaza, killing more than 870 Palestinians since it was supposed to go into effect, and it has also not consistently allowed the agreed-upon number of aid trucks to enter the besieged territory.Despite the constant Israeli violations, the so-called “Board of Peace,” a US-led body meant to oversee the implementation of the agreement, has put the blame on Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm for the lack of progress in implementing President Trump’s plan for the Palestinian territroy.
In Response To ICC Arrest Warrant, Israel's Smotrich Orders the Destruction of a Palestinian Village - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Tuesday ordered the destruction of a Palestinian Bedouin village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move that he said was a response to the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking an arrest warrant for him.Middle East Eye first reported on Monday that the office of the prosecutor at the ICC had filed an arrest warrant for Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Israeli Defense Ministry that gives him the power to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.According to MEE, the charges against Smotrich include forced displacement as a crime against humanity and a war crime, the transfer of Israel’s own population as a war crime, and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity.. The Israeli minister said on Monday that the warrant is a “declaration of war” and accused the court of being “antisemitic.” In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It also issued warrants for three Hamas leaders, but they have all been killed by the IDF. “As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that regularly stand against the State of Israel, against our biblical, historical, and legal rights in our homeland, and against our right and duty to self-defense and security,” Smotrich said at a press conference. According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli minister announced that he was ordering the demolition of the Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village east of Jerusalem in the West Bank that’s home to about 150 Palestinians. Israel has been looking to destroy the village for years, but has held off as several international bodies have said that it would be a violation of international law. Smotrich has said repeatedly that the idea of his settlement expansions in the West Bank is to “kill a Palestinian state” and has also been explicit in his desire for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the establishment of Jewish settlements there.
Israeli Troops Advance into Southwest Syria to ‘Investigate Shepherds’ - Israeli forces continue to operate militarily in southwestern Syria, though exactly what they are attempting to accomplish is increasingly uncertain, with raids into Quneitra and Daraa Governorates involving ill-defined investigations of random homes or people.The weekend operation was near the town of Jamleh, and saw Israeli troops enter Syria to capture a group of shepherds as part of an ongoing investigation related to their shepherding. They were later released without incident.Another operation was reported further north in Quneitra this weekend, with IDF military vehicles entering the village of Ayn al-Baida and conducting a “surprise raid” on a civilian home. Here again, it’s not clear what if anything was accomplished. Yesterday, Israeli troops also reportedly raided the village Saida al-Hanout, searching several homes. No arrests were made there. Syrian state media was critical of these operations as a violation of 1974 agreements, though the Israeli government was largely mum on them.Over the past week, Amnesty International issued a statement calling for a war crimes investigation related to the Israeli invasion of Syria and the destruction of civilian homes “with absolutely no military necessity.” They said Israel has an obligation to make reparations to civilians who lost their homes in this way.
Israeli Soldiers Detail Ongoing Looting in Southern Lebanon - With the “ceasefire” in Lebanon that Israel continues to violate, having been extended another 45 days last week, Israeli commanders are finding themselves increasingly unclear about why exactly they’re still in Lebanon, whether the ceasefire is meant to be complied with or designed to fail, and indeed what purpose the further presence is meant to serve. The commanders see Israel as in something of a “tangle,” where the US is opposing them advancing any further, but their policy is to remain in southern Lebanon, destroying villages and clashing with Hezbollah fighters. This adds to the controversy surrounding an ongoing series of reports from Haaretz in which Israeli soldiers report that the primary thing they’re actually doing inside Lebanon is looting and destroying Lebanese villages. The soldiers said they view looting as an unofficial but “primary” mission of the ongoing occupation of southern Lebanon. Haaretz has repeatedly reported on the ongoing problem of troops bringing loot back across the border, saying Israeli military leadership is not holding looters to account, and citing troops who say they assumed it was acceptable behavior. One reservist described the systematic taking of goods out of Lebanese villages and bringing them back to the Israeli outpost “so they’d be waiting for the soldiers when they went home.” Haaretz ran a similar report last month describing the widespread looting of Lebanese territory. Since Israel invaded southern Lebanon in early March, the Lebanese Health Ministry has reported some 3,089 people who have been killed in the war, and 9,397 others wounded. This includes hundreds of both women and children.
Ukrainian Drone Attack on Moscow Kills at Least Three Russian Civilians - A massive Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian capital of Moscow killed at least three Russian civilians in the surrounding areas as Ukraine carried out one of its biggest attacks on Russian territory in the more than four-year-old conflict. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, two men were killed in the city of Mytishchi in the Moscow Oblast when a Ukrainian drone hit a house that was under construction. A woman was also killed by a drone that hit a house in Khimki, another city just outside of Moscow. Another Russian was killed by a drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to Al Jazeera, bringing the death toll inside Russia to at least four, and the Russian Defense Ministry said that it shot down 556 drones over Russian regions. Media reports have previously revealed that Ukraine relies on intelligence from the US and NATO to launch its long-range drone attacks inside Russia, meaning the attacks always risk an escalation between Russia and NATO countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the Ukrainian attacks on Russia were an “entirely justified” response to Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian cities. The attack came a few days after Russia launched one of its biggest attacks on Kyiv, which killed 24 people, including two children, according to Ukrainian officials.“This time, Ukrainian long-range sanctions reached the Moscow region, and we are clearly telling the Russians: their state must end its war. Ukrainian drone and missile manufacturers continue their work,” Zelensky wrote on X.The escalation in the war comes after a failed short-term ceasefire and talks between the US and Russia on potentially ending the war. The main sticking point is Russia’s demand that Ukraine cede the territory it still controls in the Donbas, something Zelensky refuses to do, and will likely continue to reject as long as he continues receiving Western support.The Trump administration continues to fuel the war by providing military aid, mainly funded by other NATO countries, and the US House of Representatives is expected to vote soon on a bill to provide Ukraine with $1.3 billion in military assistance.
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