week ending May 10

Fed holds despite Trump - The Federal Reserve’s interest rate setting committee held rates steady on Wednesday, its third rate hold in a row, despite calls from President Trump to lower borrowing costs. The move was in line with market expectations. One prediction algorithm based on future contract prices put the probability of a hold at about 98 percent just prior to Wednesday’s announcement. Fed officials had also emphasized the sturdiness of the domestic economy and the uncertainty driven by Trump’s tariffs, along with how they complicated plans for future rate cuts. “The labor market is sold, inflation is low. We can afford to be patient as things unfold. There’s no real cost to our waiting at this point,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said. “There’s a great deal of uncertainty about … where tariff policies are going to settle out and also, when they do settle out, what will be the implications for the economy, for growth and for employment,” he added. Trump has been calling on the Fed and Powell to lower interest rates and has raised the pressure as his trade war with China drags on. To date, the U.S. has had no trade meetings with China, its main rival in the trade war. China and the U.S. have put triple-digit tariffs on each other, leading to a major slowdown in commercial activity between the two countries.

Fed holds steady despite Donald Trump's calls for lower rates ---The Federal Reserve’s interest rate setting committee held rates steady Wednesday at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, despite calls from President Trump to lower borrowing costs amid price pressures from his trade war. Wednesday’s rate hold was the third in a row, following pauses during meetings in March and January, after the central bank cut rates three times in the back half of 2024. The Fed’s move was in line with market expectations. One prediction algorithm based on future contract prices put the probability of a hold at about 98 percent just prior to Wednesday’s announcement. Fed officials had also emphasized the sturdiness of the domestic economy and the uncertainty driven by Trump’s tariffs, along with how they complicated plans for future rate cuts. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during a Wednesday press conference that solid fundamentals in the economy afford the central bank to see how new trade, fiscal and regulatory policies will unfold. “The labor market is sold, inflation is low. We can afford to be patient as things unfold. There’s no real cost to our waiting at this point,” he said. “There’s a great deal of uncertainty about … where tariff policies are going to settle out and also, when they do settle out, what will be the implications for the economy, for growth and for employment,” he added. The pause follows a healthy April employment report from the Labor Department, which saw 177,000 jobs added to the economy, as well as a significant moderation in inflation, falling to a 2.3-percent annual increase in March from 2.7 percent in February. March inflation was the second-lowest reading in the personal consumption expenditures price index since February 2021. “With last week’s relatively strong employment report, the FOMC was given a free pass to sit on the sidelines, which they should enjoy — upcoming meetings may not be as easy for them,” Susan Hill, senior vice president at Pittsburgh-based Federated Hermes, wrote in a commentary. Trump has been calling on the Fed and Powell to lower interest rates and has raised the pressure as his trade war with China drags on. “The Fed should lower its rate!!!” Trump wrote last week on social media. “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates. He is always ‘late,’ but he could now change his image, and quickly,” he wrote on social media in April. To date, the U.S. has had no trade meetings with China, its main rival in the trade war. China and the U.S. have put triple-digit tariffs on each other, leading to a major slowdown in commercial activity between the two countries. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will travel Thursday to Switzerland, where he is scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The meeting could get the ball rolling on a trade de-escalation between the U.S. and China. Both countries have been reluctant to make the first move, though Chinese media reported recently that the U.S. “proactively” approached China about a trade meeting. The economic drag created by the trade standoff has prompted a response from Chinese and American policymakers. Notably, Trump changed his tune on the economy last week, conceding tariffs could lead to shortages and spur price increases — a point that runs counter to one of his major campaign promises to lower costs for families and households. The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, announced a series of measures aimed at shoring up the domestic economy, including reducing its policy interest rate and commercial lending rate as well as lowering its seven-day reverse repurchase rate. The Chinese central bank also slashed its reserve requirement ratio, which sets the amount of cash banks must have on hand, by half a percentage point.

Fed Rejects Trump Calls To Cut Rates: Warns Of "Increased" Stagflationary "Uncertainty" - (5 graphs) Since the last FOMC meeting, on March 19th, a great deal has happened - Liberation Day, bond market crisis, stock market crash, a tariff pause, stock market surge, sentiment slump but labor market and hard data surged... and trump has demanded rate-cuts... oh and China cut rates and flooded the zone with liquidity... China's central bank cuts key rates, injects 1 trillion yuan 3 hours after agreeing to trade talks to prop up economy and give communist party ammo for negotiations. Gold has been a dramatic outperformer since March, stocks are rather shockingly unchanged-ish (after collapsing on Liberation Day), Treasury yields are higher, while crude has collapsed... 'Soft' data has collapsed since the last FOMC meeting while 'hard' data has improved... Should Powell be pre-emptively cutting... like he did when financial conditions tightened ahead of the election... The market is expecting only 3 cuts this year now (up from 2 cuts before the last FOMC)... ...and nothing from The Fed today... And that's what they got...

FOMC Statement: No Change to Fed Funds Rate -- Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here, starting at 2:30 PM ET. FOMC Statement: Although swings in net exports have affected the data, recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. The unemployment rate has stabilized at a low level in recent months, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated.The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen. In support of its goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 percent. In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks. The Committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage‑backed securities. The Committee is strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook. The Committee would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee's goals. The Committee's assessments will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments.

Fed's Barr expects high inflation, slow growth from tariffs - The Federal Reserve is still in wait-and-see mode for how the U.S. economy will respond to stiff new tariffs, but at least one central bank official is confident the outcome will not be positive. Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said global supply chain disruptions and inflation caused by tariffs could weigh heaviest on small businesses, especially those with little access to credit.

Powell leaves door open to staying at Fed past 2026 - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell left open the possibility that he would remain at the central bank after his chairmanship ends next year. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell declined to say whether he would depart the central bank after his chairmanship ends next year, as is typical with Fed chairs who are not reappointed. He also pushed back on criticism from one potential replacement.

Recession Watch Metrics – McBride - - Early in February, I expressed my "increasing concern" about the negative economic impact of "executive / fiscal policy errors", however, I concluded that post by noting that I was not currently on recession watch. In early April, I went on recession watch, but I'm still not yet predicting a recession for several reasons: the U.S. economy is very resilient and was on solid footing at the beginning of the year, the administration might reverse many of the tariffs (we've seen that before), and Congress might take back complete authority for tariffs. Also, perhaps these tariffs are not enough to topple the economy. Over the past weekend, Warren Buffett said: "We should be looking to trade with the rest of the world, and we should do what we do best, and they should do what they do best ... Trade should not be a weapon.” In the short term, it is mostly trade policy that will negatively impact the economy. However, there are several policies that will negatively impact the economy in the long run, and I'll discuss those later. Here is some of the data I'm watching.

• Housing: Housing is the basis of one of my favorite models for business cycle forecasting. This graph shows the YoY change in New Home Sales from the Census Bureau. Currently new home sales (based on 3-month average of NSA data) are up 2% year-over-year. Usually when the YoY change in New Home Sales falls about 20%, a recession will follow. An exception for this data series was the mid '60s when the Vietnam buildup kept the economy out of recession. Another exception was in late 2021 - we saw a significant YoY decline in new home sales related to the pandemic and the surge in new home sales in the second half of 2020. I ignored that downturn as a pandemic distortion. Also note that the sharp decline in 2010 was related to the housing tax credit policy in 2009 - and was just a continuation of the housing bust.There are no special circumstances now, and if this measure falls to off 20% a recession seems likely.
• Yield Curve: The yield curve is a commonly used leading indicator. I dismissed it when the yield curve inverted in 2019 and again in 2022. Both times dismissing the yield curve was correct (the recession in 2020 was obviously due to the pandemic, so we will never know if the yield curve failed to predict a recession in 2019). Here is a graph of 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity from FRED since 1976. The yield curve reverted to normal last year and is currently positive at 0.50. If this inverts, this might suggest a recession is coming. Click here for interactive graph at FRED.
• Heavy Truck (and Vehicle Sales): Another indicator I like to use is heavy truck sales. This graph shows heavy truck sales since 1967 using data from the BEA. he dashed line is the April 2025 seasonally adjusted annual sales rate (SAAR) of 403 thousand. Note: "Heavy trucks - trucks more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight." Heavy truck sales were at 505 thousand SAAR in April, up from 450 thousand in March, and up 0.8% from 501 thousand SAAR in April 2025 (essentially unchanged YoY).Usually, heavy truck sales decline sharply prior to a recession and sales were solid in April. It is likely that some April truck buyers rushed to beat the tariffs - and we might see some weakness next month.And light vehicle sales were strong in April. This graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967. This is more of a concurrent indicator than heavy trucks. Light vehicle sales were at 17.27 million SAAR in April, down 3.1% from March, and up 7.8% from April 2024 as some buyers rushed to beat the tariffs.
• Unemployment: Two other concurrent indicators are the unemployment rate (using the "Sahm Rule") and weekly unemployment claims. Here is a graph of the Sahm rule from FRED since 1959. The Sahm Rule was at 0.27 in March (Last data at FRED) and increased to 0.30 in April. If this increases to 0.5 it will suggest a possible recession. And weekly unemployment claims always rise sharply at the beginning of a recession (other events - like hurricane Katrina - can cause a temporary spike in weekly claims).

As I noted earlier, I'm not sure how to estimate the economic damage caused by these tariffs. And they might just go away (no one knows). There are also boycotts of U.S. goods and less international tourism based on both the tariffs and the inflammatory rhetoric of the new administration. None of the leading are suggesting recession. For now, I'll focus on the leading indicators (especially housing) and I'll update this post monthly while I'm on recession watch.

Bessent urges Congress to raise debt ceiling by mid-July Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on Congress Friday to raise the nation’s debt ceiling by mid-July to keep the federal government from defaulting on its more than $36 trillion debt. In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Bessent said there is “reasonable probability” that the government’s “cash and extraordinary measures will be exhausted in August while Congress is scheduled to be in recess.” “Therefore, I respectfully urge Congress to increase or suspend the debt limit by mid-July, before its scheduled break, to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,” he said. Republicans are hopeful they will be able to raise the debt limit on their own this year using a process known as budget reconciliation. The aim is to raise the debt ceiling using the same vehicle being put together to advance wide swaths of President Trump’s agenda with only GOP votes. This would allow Republicans to avoid Democratic demands for concessions in exchange for their votes, but it would also set a hard mid-summer deadline for the massive bill that has spawned numerous divisions on the right. The debt limit was last suspended by Congress as part of a bipartisan bill struck between former President Biden and GOP leadership in 2023, staving off the threat of national default through early 2025. However, then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in January that the government would have to implement “extraordinary measures” after the government was expected to reach the new limit later that month. The debt limit caps how much money the Treasury Department can owe to pay the country’s bills. Trump urged the previous Congress to raise the debt limit before he assumed office, as Republicans argued Democrats could use the leverage point to demand major concessions. House GOP leaders also used the debt limit during the Biden administration to get Democrats to come to the negotiating table, but only after months of an intense game of chicken between both sides. The high stakes battle eventually resulted in a debt limit suspension and a bipartisan deal for new limits on spending, but not without another downgrade of the nation’s credit rating. In his note to lawmakers on Friday, Bessent said “prior episodes have shown that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can have serious adverse consequences for financial markets, businesses, and the federal government, harm business and consumer confidence, and raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers.”

Trump agenda bill could face delays due to policy disagreements - House Republicans are barreling into a crucial week in their effort to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda, with key policy hang-ups threatening to upend leadership’s timeline for approving the sprawling package. Those disagreements have already prompted delays as lawmakers haggle over how to address contentious issues while meeting deficit reduction targets. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees areas including Medicaid and green tax credits, postponed a markup on its portion of the Trump agenda bill as lawmakers remain at odds over how to handle potential cuts to the social safety net program. Hard-line conservatives are calling for steep slashes that moderates have drawn red lines around, all as Trump insists that Republicans not cut Medicaid benefits provided to low-income individuals. Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee, which has the arduous task of crafting the massive tax portion of the bill, had aimed to mark up this week, but that plan is on thin ice as the panel struggles to work through a series of hot-button issues. The top point of discontent revolves around how to address the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, with Republicans in high-tax blue states pushing for a sizable increase and deficit hawks pumping the brakes. The conference is also in conflict over the green energy tax credits that were passed as part of sweeping Democratic legislation during the Biden administration, which conservatives pan but moderates say benefit their districts. The lingering disagreements are putting Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) roadmap in jeopardy. The top lawmaker said he wants the remaining markups to take place this week so that the House Budget Committee can combine all parts of the package the week after, putting the legislation on track for final passage — along party lines in a razor-thin GOP majority — by Memorial Day. That plan, however, could go awry if members are unable to work through the lingering disagreements, putting pressure on leadership to find consensus and move the process along.

GOP divided over Trump budget’s treatment of Pentagon -Republicans are divided over President Trump’s budget, which lays out his preferred vision for how the government should be funded for most of 2026. Hard-line conservatives have cheered the plan as a key step in the right direction and a roadmap for Republicans to follow when they begin crafting annual funding legislation in the coming weeks, but other Republicans have already raised concerns with how the Pentagon would fare under the plan. “He basically has a status quo defense budget,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday, arguing the blueprint would not do enough to clearly beef up defense spending. Trump officials say the president’s request would increase defense funding by 13 percent for fiscal 2026, bringing the total to more than $1 trillion. But some GOP lawmakers have taken issue with the administration’s assumption that the increase would come from a major reconciliation bill currently being crafted in Congress. “All of the growth in that comes from reconciliation,” Cramer said Tuesday afternoon, adding the reconciliation package Republicans are putting together “is a one-time expenditure.” “I was disappointed in that. I’d rather see him go to a trillion with his budget and take the $150 billion from the budget reconciliation and do some things to jump-start some programs and to leapfrog in some areas and to catch up to our adversaries,” Cramer argued. The budget plan flatlines base discretionary defense funding at roughly $893 billion for fiscal 2026. The funding for defense increases in the president’s budget only when funds from an evolving reconciliation plan are included. Republicans are using budget reconciliation to pass what’s expected to be a $150 billion boost for defense programs, along with funding for Trump’s border and immigration enforcement plans, significant tax cuts and north of a trillion dollars in spending cuts. But it is far from clear how that reconciliation project will end, and defense hawks in both chambers criticized the budget plan’s defense spending. For fiscal 2026, the White House said defense programs would see a roughly $119 billion boost when factoring in the “pending reconciliation resources.” Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) came out against the move upon the plan’s release on Friday, saying the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is “not requesting a trillion-dollar budget.” “It is requesting a budget of $892.6 billion, which is a cut in real terms. This budget would decrease President Trump’s military options and his negotiating leverage,” he said.

Congressional Republicans demand more money for military, cruel cuts in healthcare -- The congressional Republican response to President Donald Trump’s initial budget proposal, made public in outline form last Friday, has been to demand an even greater display of militarism. Although the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, covering the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, will be the first to provide more than $1 trillion for the Pentagon (plus billions more in military spending stashed in the budgets of other departments) three prominent Senate Republicans issued statements opposing the military portion of the budget as inadequate. The three include former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, now chair of the Defense appropriations subcommittee, Susan Collins, chair of the Budget Committee, and Roger Wicker, chair of the Armed Services Committee. All focused their criticism on the decision of the Office of Management and Budget to keep the official Pentagon budget request at $893 billion, the same as the current fiscal year, while incorporating an additional $150 billion in the “reconciliation” bill currently being worked on in both the House and Senate. The advantage, from the standpoint of the White House, is that the reconciliation bill cannot be filibustered by the Democrats and they can push through the huge rise in military spending without an equivalent rise in domestic social spending, a trade-off frequently made in contrast to the more cumbersome appropriations process, where bipartisan support is necessary. This mechanism would also make the additional military funding available immediately, rather than after October 1, allowing the administration to carry out the types of aggression that Trump has already threatened, including seizure of Greenland and the Panama Canal, or a great expansion of US military operations in the Middle East or the Asia-Pacific region. The disadvantage, from the standpoint of the Republican Senate leaders, is that Congress will have little oversight on the additional spending, and the baseline for the Pentagon is not raised on a more permanent basis. McConnell declared that the White House was trying to avoid confronting what he called “the growing, coordinated challenges we face from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and radical terrorists.” Wicker claimed the budget request would be “a cut in real terms” for the military. Collins, a supposed “moderate” Republican, voiced “serious objections to the proposed freeze in our defense funding given the security challenges we face.” These objections have been far louder and carried far more weight than anything voiced by the Democrats, who have adopted a policy of bipartisan collaboration with the Trump administration, particularly in the area of national-security spending. Here their main goal is to pressure Trump to restore US funding and arms aid for the war against Russia in Ukraine. There has been no significant Democratic response to the biggest single increase proposed in the Trump budget, some $44 billion more for the Department of Homeland Security to intensify the arrest, detention and deportation of immigrants and to further militarize the US-Mexico border. The ultra-right Wall Street Journal noted in an editorial that it seemed contradictory for Trump to boast about record low numbers of migrants crossing the border, and at the same time demand billions to strengthen fortifications against those immigrants who aren’t coming. In overall terms, the Trump budget would raise spending for the military, DHS and Veterans’ Affairs, while cutting discretionary spending for all other government agencies by 32 percent—a cut by one-third in a single year. More details have emerged of the proposed $163 billion in social cuts proposed in the Trump budget, with the largest share hitting healthcare services, ranging from research and development to providing Medicaid benefits for the poorest sections of working people, those without health insurance. The cuts are proposed in what is classified as “non-defense discretionary spending,” which accounts for $720 billion this year and would fall to just $557 billion in 2026. Benefit payments for Medicare, Social Security, food stamps and other so-called entitlement programs—because the government has a legal obligation to make the payments to eligible recipients—are not addressed in the budget process and would require separate legislation to change. The most ferocious measures would target Medicaid, which underwrites healthcare for the poor and the disabled. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Missouri) hailed the budget document because he said it “shows an openness” to imposing new work requirements for adult Medicaid beneficiaries. According to the nonprofit Urban Institute, such a requirement could cut off benefits to as many as 5 million adults aged 19 to 55, most unable to work because of health, disability or family responsibilities (such as caring for children or elderly parents).

Republicans eye ‘per capita caps’ in Medicaid savings search -- House Republicans seeking to thread the needle in Medicaid spending cuts are eyeing “per capita caps,” which would throttle federal funding without technically changing benefits. The key Republicans who support the proposal argue it is not technically a “cut,” seeking to avoid the politically charged label. But the controversial plan would change the nature of the Medicaid program by putting a cap on federal Medicaid payments to states that expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act. However, GOP leaders say nothing is certain as they debate the best way to offset President Trump’s massive tax cuts. Moderate and battleground-district Republicans are pushing back on threats to Medicaid, while conservatives and budget hawks are agitating for deeper cuts. A planned Energy and Commerce Committee markup was pushed back by at least a week to give members more time to resolve their differences. Medicaid is a joint venture between the federal government and states. The federal government pays a fixed share of states’ Medicaid costs without any limit, so the amount reimbursed goes up or down depending on how much a state spends on the program. For Medicaid expansion states, the government pays 90 percent. A per-beneficiary cap would fundamentally change Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement to one with strict limits on federal spending. Congress would set a fixed amount per beneficiary for each state to receive, and states would be responsible for all remaining costs. “Medicaid spending grows with inflation, but also with the costs of new technology, blockbuster prescription drugs such as [GLP-1 drugs], and changes in population health,” said Alice Burns, associate director with KFF’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Per capita caps would prevent federal spending from growing to pay for those new costs, Burns said. It would make federal spending lower and more predictable, but states would assume 100 percent of the risks. Over time, the cap would inevitably lead to an increasingly lower federal matching rate — without a floor, it could drop even lower than the current level for nonexpansion “traditional” Medicaid. A cap would also lock in existing inequities. States with lower initial per enrollee costs would continue to receive less federal funding than states with higher initial costs, even though the cap would change year to year.

GOP Medicaid proposals could cost millions their insurance: CBO - Millions of people would lose health insurance coverage under various Republican options to cut Medicaid spending to pay for President Trump’s domestic policy agenda, according to a new analysis the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released Wednesday. For instance, a cap Medicaid spending for beneficiaries in the expansion population would save $225 billion and result in 1.5 million additional people being uninsured by 2034. Limiting state provider taxes would save $668 billion but would mean an additional 3.9 million uninsured people by 2034. The analysis, requested by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), shows the difficult tradeoffs facing Republicans as they try to pay for their party-line bill, which among other provisions would fund an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. “This analysis from the non-partisan, independent CBO is straightforward: the Republican plan for health care means benefit cuts and terminated health insurance for millions of Americans who count on Medicaid,” Wyden said in a statement. Republicans have tasked the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to find $880 billion in savings as part of the overall goal of slashing at least $1.5 trillion. A previous CBO analysis showed that number was not achievable over the next decade without cutting Medicaid. CBO’s Wednesday report examined five of the Medicaid options Republicans have floated for the bill: eliminating the enhanced federal match for Medicaid expansion states, limiting state taxes on providers, capping federal Medicaid spending for the entire Medicaid population, capping spending for the expansion population only, and repealing a Biden-era Medicaid eligibility rule. House Republican leaders have not settled on any final decisions, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said late Tuesday ending the enhanced match was off the table, and per capita caps for the expansion population were also likely going to be excluded. The report did not look at work requirements, which a 2023 CBO report found “community engagement” requirements for people aged 19-55 would save about $109 billion over a decade at a cost of 600,000 people becoming uninsured. It would also shift $65 billion in costs to states. But the number of uninsured would likely be larger in practice; CBO assumed that states would pick up the costs of 60 percent of the beneficiaries who lose federal funding, but most experts think states would not spend their own money. Similarly, CBO on Wednesday assumed states would replace about half the federal cuts, which would lead to reduced payments to providers, limiting benefits, cutting Medicaid enrollment or raising taxes and cutting programs like K-12 education and public safety.

GOP moderates send warning shot to Republican leaders -- House GOP moderates are telling Republican leaders they will not walk the plank and vote for Medicaid cuts in the party’s “big, beautiful bill” only to see the Senate strip them out — their latest warning shot in the effort to enact President Trump’s legislative agenda. In the past, GOP leaders have corralled the conference around more conservative pieces of legislation to gain leverage over the upper chamber, cajoling centrists to take politically painful votes with hopes that they would help realize a more right-leaning final product. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) deployed the strategy in February during negotiations over the budget resolution, and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did the same amid the debt limit standoff in 2023. This time around, however, moderates are putting their foot down, making clear that they will not back a more conservative Trump agenda bill that includes poison pill measures — namely drastic changes to Medicaid — as a negotiating tactic. “That’s the vote we’re trying to avoid,” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said of the intermediary step. “There is a specific appetite amongst 20-plus Republican members to vote only on something that is real and that could actually become law rather than this more conservative thing that can’t get the vote.” “The members with whom I most frequently speak do not want to go down that path,” he added of first passing a conservative bill. “We feel like we’ve done that heavy lifting already, and members like me prefer to only vote on a bill that could actually become law.” Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), a Democrat-turned-Republican, said such a situation would be the “worst” sequence of events. “The worst scenario of all would be for the House of Representatives to vote for a bill, get it out, and then it goes to the Senate and the president, and they say we’re not doing it, it’s a bad bill,” Van Drew told The Hill. “I think we’ve emphasized that to the Speaker, and I think at this point he agrees, we have to be in communication with them to make sure that we’re all on the same page, or at least damn close.” The cautionary signal comes as House Republicans are still haggling over spending cuts for their package full of Trump’s domestic policy priorities, with potential changes to Medicaid emerging as one of the biggest sticking points. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, is directed to find at least $880 billion in cuts, a figure that the Congressional Budget Office says cannot be reached without slashes to the social safety net program.

House Republicans nix controversial Medicaid proposal as plan takes shape - Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday said one controversial proposal to cut federal Medicaid funding was off the table and another would likely be excluded from the bill containing President Trump’s domestic policy priorities. Both had been red lines for a number of moderate and vulnerable Republicans, leaving the GOP closer to an agreement on which Medicaid cuts will be included in the final product. Still, lawmakers said Tuesday no final decisions had been made on one of the most hot-button issues facing the far-reaching package. The forward progress comes after weeks of debate between hard-line conservatives — who want to implement steep cuts to the social safety net program to help reach their spending cut target of at least $1.5 trillion — and moderates, who are wary of making such changes. Leaving a nearly two-hour meeting with moderates late Tuesday afternoon, Johnson said a controversial plan to directly reduce the enhanced federal match for states that expanded Medicaid, known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), was off the table. Johnson also said the bill would likely exclude “per capita caps,” which would throttle federal funding without technically changing benefits. While some moderates in recent days said they could support the policy, others have pushed back at what would be a massive cost shift to states. “I think we’re ruling that out as well, but stay tuned,” Johnson told reporters after the meeting. Beyond the two hot-button ideas, lawmakers said the contours of the plan are beginning to take shape, including eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse”; instituting federal work requirements; excluding noncitizens from eligibility; and letting states make eligibility checks more frequently, likely every six months instead of once a year — a group of relatively noncontroversial policies for Republicans that were largely already agreed upon. Still, centrists and swing-district Republicans expressed optimism about the path ahead — even as they acknowledged the thorniest issues have yet to be resolved. “I think we’re going on a good pathway to make sure that, again, we don’t cut Medicaid to any eligible individual human being or to any facility,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) told reporters. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) said Johnson has a blueprint “that’s workable,” but he noted that “there’s a few wrinkles that need to be worked out.”

5 blue-state Republicans willing to sink tax bill over SALT deduction -A bloc of five Republicans from suburban districts is setting itself apart from the larger group of Republicans who want to raise the controversial state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. The lawmakers are saying they’re prepared to vote no as a group on the wide-ranging tax and spending cut package key to President Trump’s agenda if they don’t get the raise they want. The group consists of Reps. Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Young Kim (Calif.) and Tom Kean Jr. (N.J.) — Republicans from wealthier suburban districts of major U.S. metropolitan areas, where higher property taxes make the increased cap especially valuable to taxpayers. “Those are the five of us who are most SALT-y, most resolved to withhold our votes until we get an accommodation from our party,” LaLota told reporters Tuesday. “Folks who are on the peripheries of that have a voice, but we’re the ones who are willing to vote no if the time requires it.” “The five of us have discussed our own different needs … but we recognize that our strength is in numbers, and the more we’re able to stick together, the more we’ll be able to answer the call for all of us,” he added. Garbarino listed the same five Republicans as LaLota did Tuesday, saying the group is “really sticking together on this” since their districts have a similar makeup and stand the most to lose from a lower cap. He added that Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — who was President Trump’s pick for United Nations ambassador before she withdrew earlier from the nomination this year and who said over the weekend that she was “strongly considering” running for New York governor — has become engaged on the issue. “She voted no against the tax package because of SALT 10 years ago, and she’s been involved in discussions. She understands that this is a big issue for New York, and she wants to see it righted,” Garbarino told The Hill. The group of five is set apart from other SALT Caucus members from both parties, including Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.). Malliotakis is from a New York City district that has a different property tax scheme from the one in the suburbs that makes a higher SALT cap more desirable, LaLota said. “The New York suburbs … just require a higher cap and more SALT,” he said. Suozzi and Gottheimer are also unlikely to vote for a tax bill attached to Trump’s broader legislative agenda, which includes steep spending cuts to social safety net programs.

Reconciliation: Natural Resources plows ahead, other bills stall - One committee is moving ahead swiftly to advance its piece of the Republicans’ sprawling budget package, while other panels with power over energy and environment policy get bogged down. The House Natural Resources Committee will begin marking up its language for the Republicans’ tax, energy and national security megabill on Tuesday, which would mandate swaths of new oil and gas leasing, lower royalties and change the environmental permitting process. Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) — who is preparing for the possibility of a two day markup — is projecting the bill would slash $15 billion from the federal deficit, mostly from oil, gas and mineral revenues. That figure appears sizeable, but it’s a fraction of what Republicans need to pay for an extension of the 2017 tax cuts and new spending on security and the border. Other offsets are likely to come from cuts to energy and environmental programs and tax credits, but Republicans have struggled to make the numbers add up and also please lawmaker demands. The Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture panels delayed markups that were tentatively set for this week. Legislation from all three will include significant energy and environment provisions. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a moderate who drew a red line on Medicaid cuts last week, said he expected certain Inflation Reduction Act incentives to survive. Republicans are using budget reconciliation to muscle the bill through. That process allows the majority party to clear legislation on fiscal matters by simple majority while avoiding the Senate filibuster, but tight margins mean the GOP has almost no room for error. “I think they realize that you are going to be precision on the IRA. If you take stuff out — you can’t just abolish — there’s some things you got to keep,” Bacon said. “You can’t just [get rid of the whole thing] you need to do it surgical,” Bacon said.The Natural Resources Committee will be the first of the major energy and environment panels to mark up its part of the reconciliation bill when it convenes on Tuesday.The bill would aim to drastically ramp up energy production by mandating quarterly onshore oil and gas leases while offering new offshore leases in the Western Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The bill also offers four new leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a risky gambit after an initial attempt to open the preserve flopped.The bill would return oil and gas royalties to pre-Inflation Reduction Act rates. That law, which Democrats passed using reconciliation in 2022, raised onshore and offshore royalty rates to 16.67 percent from 12.5 percent for 10 years. Offshore royalties were capped at 18.75 percent.Committee aides believe the lowered royalties will produce increased interest and investment in the new lease sales being offered and, eventually, a boom in production. However, the U.S. consistently rakes in more federal revenues from royalties than leases.The bill also makes significant changes to the environmental review and permitting process. Specifically, it would create a new fee that project sponsors can pay to accelerate reviews and limit litigation. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was one of the first to approve its budget reconciliation language. Not only did the panel cut IRA spending, it also moved to enact a new fee on hybrid and electric vehicles.The committees with jurisdiction over the IRA’s clean energy tax credits and other climate spending, however, still seem a ways away from reaching an agreement.Lawmakers for and against keeping at least some incentives from the climate law have been pelting Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) with letters.Bacon said, “Ethanol and biofuels are important to the Midwest. So I think almost all the GOP in the Midwest would say we want to keep biofuels, aviation fuel [credits]. And 40 percent of our energy in Omaha comes from wind. People have invested millions and millions of dollars for these tax credits. So at least you got to grandfather them.” When it comes to Energy and Commerce, which may cut appropriated EPA and Department of Energy funding related to climate action, the reconciliation bill is also far from complete. “This all still needs to get hashed out, and what I can tell you is that there’s nothing written yet from our committee,” said Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy.

State Department OKs $310 Million Training and Sustainment Deal for Ukraine's F-16s - The State Department has approved a potential $310.5 million arms sale to Ukraine for training and sustainment of the country’s fleet of US-made F-16 fighter jets, signaling that the Trump administration is preparing to provide long-term military support.The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sale will include aircraft modifications, upgrades, personnel training, maintenance, sustainment support, and other types of equipment.Several of the US’s European allies have provided Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, and the US, under the Biden administration, was involved in training Ukrainian pilots. A report from The War Zone just revealed that the US has been providing Ukraine with decommissioned, non-operational F-16 fighter jets.A US Air Force spokesman told The War Zone that the Air Force has “supported the sustainment of European-donated F-16s to Ukraine by providing disused and completely non-operational F-16s to Ukraine for parts. These F-16s were retired from active US use and are not flyable. Importantly, they lack critical components such as an engine or radar and could not be reconstituted for operational use.”The approval of the F-16 training and sustainment deal came a few days after the Trump administration moved forward with its very first arms salefor Ukraine by notifying Congress of its plans to approve the export of unspecified “defense articles” worth $50 million or more.That first sale is being moved forward as a direct commercial sale (DCS), a deal where the State Department gives a private company permission to sell weapons directly to a foreign government. The F-16 training and sustainment deal is a Foreign Military Sale (FMS), which involves the US government in the sale.The US-Ukraine minerals deal signed last week also signals that the US is planning to provide long-term military support. Under the agreement, future US military aid will count as a contribution to a joint US-Ukraine investment fund.

Vance: We think the Russians are ‘asking for too much’ in Ukraine talks - Vice President Vance said Wednesday that the Trump administration believes Russia is “asking for too much” in peace talks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Vance addressed the Munich Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., and offered insight into the Trump administration’s efforts to help broker an end to the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. “I wouldn’t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution,” Vance said. “What I would say is, right now the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much.” Vance said the administration was appreciative of Ukraine’s willingness to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, but such an agreement was not palatable to Russia, so talks are no longer focused on such a pause. The vice president echoed what other administration officials have said in recent weeks, which is that President Trump and his top aides may step back from a mediating role if there is not tangible progress on stopping the fighting. “We would like both the Russians and the Ukrainians to actually agree on some basic guidelines for sitting down and talking to one another,” Vance said Wednesday. “Obviously, the United States is happy to participate in those conversations, but it’s very important for the Russians and Ukrainians to start talking to one another. We think that is the next big step we would like to take.” The vice president added he is “not yet a pessimist” on peace talks producing results.

Trump Speaks With Zelensky, Calls for 'Unconditional' 30-Day Ukraine Ceasefire -President Trump on Thursday called for a 30-day “unconditional” ceasefire in Ukraine and threatened sanctions if it is not “respected.”Trump made the call in a post on Truth Social shortly after holding a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue. The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire,” the president said.“Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions,” Trump added.The president’s call with Zelensky came after the Ukrainian parliamentratified the US-Ukraine minerals deal, although there was contention about two technical agreements that still need to be signed to fully implement the deal.Zelensky’s government hasn’t shared the details of the two technical agreements, leading Ukrainian MPs to add an amendment to the ratification. According to POLITICO, the extra paragraph says “that ratifying the main economic agreement does not mean lawmakers will automatically approve another the two technical side deals that they have not yet been shown.”After speaking with Trump, Zelensky said they “welcomed the Ukrainian Parliament’s ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement — a truly historic document that opens up many new opportunities for cooperation.” The Ukrainian leader said he also welcomed the idea of a 30-day ceasefire. “I also informed him that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire, starting even today. We are waiting for Russia to support this proposal,” he wrote on X.9:50 PM

Israeli Cabinet approves Gaza takeover plan to take effect after Trump's visit - Israeli Cabinet ministers approved a plan early Monday to take over the Gaza Strip for an unspecified period of time, a move that dampens hopes of a ceasefire with Hamas in the near term.Israeli officials suggested the plans, which would mark a sharp turn away from talks proposing an Arab-led transition in Gaza, would not be put into action until after President Trump’s planned Middle East visit later this month.Two Israeli officials confirmed the plans to The Associated Press, as well as other outlets, saying the goal is to increase pressure on Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza and to isolate the militant group from civilian populations to aid in Israel’s goal in destroying Hamas entirely.Israeli officials also said it would also facilitate aid to civilians, which has been halted for two months under an Israeli siege.Critics are calling the new plans an occupation, saying there’s little hope for the surviving hostages if Israel follows through.

Israel announces military occupation of Gaza in next phase of Trump-Netanyahu ethnic cleansing plan -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel’s cabinet had adopted a plan to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip, internally displace its population into concentration camps and enforce a military monopoly on the distribution of food. Echoing the “final solution,” the Nazi term for the genocide of Europe’s Jews, Netanyahu declared, “It’s time to launch the concluding moves.” Netanyahu said that the Palestinian population “will be moved,” and that Israeli forces will not withdraw from territories they occupy. Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said the plan would involve “moving most of Gaza’s population” to “clean” areas. It involves the suspension of international humanitarian operations in Gaza, to be replaced by “hubs” controlled by Israel and manned by private US military contractors. US President Donald Trump, in genocidal double-speak worthy of his idol Adolf Hitler, said Monday, “People are starving, and we’re going to help them get some food.” The full military occupation of Gaza is the prerequisite for the plan announced in February by President Donald Trump, and publicly embraced by Netanyahu, to expel the Palestinian people, plow over the existing buildings and annex the territory. Confirming this fact, a “senior security official” told the Guardian that the “transfer program for Gaza residents … will be part of the operation’s goals.” Once the population of Gaza is herded into concentration camps under armed guard by Israeli soldiers and US “contractors,” the next step will be to begin loading them onto ships for transportation abroad, or on death marches through the desert. On March 23, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the creation of a bureau of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dedicated to the relocation of the Palestinians from Gaza, which would oversee their “departure to third countries, including securing their movement, establishing movement routes, checking pedestrians at designated crossings in the Gaza Strip, as well as coordinating the provision of infrastructure that will enable passage by land, sea and air to the destination countries.” US media coverage of this ethnic cleansing program has consisted of US-Israeli disinformation, claiming that the operation is targeting “Hamas” or aimed at securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. There is a deliberate effort to hide the fact that the military occupation of Gaza marks the actualization of Trump’s genocidal plan, and that it will be a death sentence for the hostages who remain in Gaza, who will simply be starved to death if they are not killed by Israeli bombs. Within the Israeli government, however, there is no effort to obscure the aims of the military occupation plan. “We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation,’” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Israel’s Channel 12. He added that there will be “No retreat from the territories we have conquered, not even in exchange for hostages,” effectively precluding any arrangement that would ensure the survival of the remaining hostages. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the total blocking of all food aid into Gaza. He added, “No electricity, and no other aid should be allowed—neither by the [Israeli military] nor by civil society.”

RFK Jr.: Jordan breaks pledge to take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a Politico Magazine article published Monday that the king of Jordan “cut us off” regarding a pledge to take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children. Two months ago, King Abdullah II of Jordan pledged to take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children from Gaza, but Kennedy said Jordan “took 44, and then they’ve cut us off.” “I would encourage him to put the welfare of these children first and put the politics aside,” Kennedy said, seemingly referring to the king. While at the White House earlier this year, Abdullah said he believed that “the president is very happy that we do this thing with 2,000 children as quickly as possible.” “I believe that the president is looking forward to getting a group of us Arabs here to discuss the overall plan,” he added. Gaza has faced dire conditions and mass death amid Israel’s strikes amid its war with Hamas that began in October 2023. Early Monday, Israeli Cabinet members approved a plan to take control of the Gaza Strip for a length of time that was not specified, letting down hope that a ceasefire with Hamas could come soon. The late Pope Francis’s popemobile is set to serve as a Gaza children’s health clinic in a final wish from the pontiff who died last month, according to Vatican News. The News reported Monday that the conversion of the pontiff’s popemobile was a final request from Francis for Gaza residents.

Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza believed to be alive (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have died, leaving only 21 believed to be still living. “As of today, it’s 21, three have died,” Trump said of the hostages being held by Hamas, noting until recently it had been 24 people believed to be living. He did not elaborate on the identities of those now believed to be dead, nor how he had come to learn of their deaths. “There’s 21, plus a lot of dead bodies,” Trump said. One American, Edan Alexander, had been among the 24 hostages believed to be alive, with the bodies of several other Americans also held by Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel. The president’s comments came as Israel approved plans Monday to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, in a bid to recover the hostages and try to fulfill its war aims of destroying Hamas. If implemented, the move would vastly expand Israel’s operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition. Separately, the State Department said Tuesday that the U.S. embassy helped 17 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents leave Gaza on Monday. “We thank our partners in the Israeli and Jordanian governments who made this departure possible,” the department said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday in Washington.

Trump administration shutting down Office of Palestinian Affairs | Middle East Eye - The US is “merging” its Office of Palestinian Affairs with its embassy to Israel, the State Department said on Tuesday, in a step that signals a much-anticipated downgrade in US relations with the Palestinians. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had decided to end the Office of Palestinian Affairs, known as OPA, in its independent status and make it an office within the embassy. The decision is "not a reflection on any outreach, or commitment to outreach, to the people of the West Bank or to Gaza", Bruce said. Rumours about the OPA’s abolition by the Trump administration have been swirling among diplomats for months. The Trump administration is already moving to eliminate the position of US security coordinator for the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The US security coordinator’s office is a little-known post, but it is the most public centrepiece of the US’s defence engagement with the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security services. Absorbing the OPA into the US embassy to Israel signals a further downgrade in the US’s recognition of the Palestinian Authority and the Trump administration’s limited interest in the creation of an independent Palestinian state. US diplomats working in the OPA enjoyed a degree of separation from the US’s diplomatic mission to Israel. They could send cables or diplomatic reports back to Washington and other US embassies without the approval of senior US diplomats overseeing Israeli affairs. The distinction will now go away, and senior diplomats assigned to cover Israel will now oversee relations related to the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian issues. The office already lacked a senior leader. Hans Wechsel, who headed the OPA, resigned from his post in March. The Trump administration did not fill his position. Career foreign service officer Lourdes Lamela was the most senior official at the office.

Fourteen Reported Injured by US Airstrikes on Yemeni Capital - US airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday night, hitting shops in the Sha’ub District and injuring 14 civilians, Yemen’s Al Masirah TV has reported.A total of three US airstrikes were reported in Sanaa, and other US attackshit the Al Jawf province. According to Yemen’s SABA news agency, the US also struck the Ras Isa fuel port in the Red Sea province of Hodeidah, which was the site of major US airstrikes on April 17 that killed 80 civilians.Also on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry of the Houthi-led Yemeni government warned of potential escalation against the US if airstrikes continue.According to SABA, the ministry said the “continued US targeting of civilians and civilian objects will push Yemen to engage in potentially escalatory military options that will have a significant impact on the United States and the usurping Zionist entity.”Earlier in the day, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, fired a missile that struck the Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. The incident marked the first time a Houthi missile made it past Israeli air defenses since the Yemeni group restarted attacks in response to Israel restarting its bombing campaign in Gaza on March 18.The US has launched over 1,000 strikes on Yemen since March 15, which have failed to deter the Houthis but have taken a significant toll on civilians, killing over 200. The US has lost seven MQ-9 Reaper drones to Yemeni air defenses in recent weeks, and a F/A-18 fighter jet fell overboardfrom the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman during a Houthi attack in the Red Sea.

Fighter jet goes overboard from USS Harry S Truman. Yemen’s Houthis assess Sanaa airport damage (AP) — An F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The incident Tuesday marks the latest mishap to mar the deployment of the Truman, which has been essential in the airstrike campaign by the United States against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both said that a ceasefire had been reached with the Houthis, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor — something not immediately acknowledged by the rebels. Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to assess the damage after daytime Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa. The F/A-18 Super Hornet landed on the Truman after a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident now under investigation. “Arrestment” refers to the hook system used by aircraft landing on carriers, which catches steel wire ropes on the flight deck. It remains unclear what part of the system failed. The two pilots on board were later rescued by a helicopter and suffered minor injuries in the incident, the official added. No one on the flight deck was hurt.

USS Harry S. Truman: Second US Navy jet is lost at sea from aircraft carrier | CNN Politics — Another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet lost from the carrier in just over a week, five people familiar with the matter told CNN.It is not entirely clear what happened yet, as the investigation is ongoing, but two of the people said there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue helicopter and are both alive, but they suffered minor injuries, one of the people said. The jet crashed into the sea and has not been recovered, two of the people familiar with the incident said.Separately, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group “took a shot” at the Truman on Tuesday, four of the people said, despite President Donald Trump announcing an apparent ceasefire with the group hours earlier. It is not clear whether the two incidents are related. The loss of the fighter jet comes one week after another F/A-18 jet fell overboard the Truman. That time, initial reports indicated that the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. An individual F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than $60 million, according to the Navy. US Naval assets in the Red Sea have repeatedly come under Houthi fire since the Houthis began their attacks against Red Sea shipping in November 2023. In early 2024, a US destroyer in the Red Sea had to use its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, its last line of defense to missile attacks, when a Houthi-fired cruise missile got as near as a mile away – and therefore seconds from impact. The Truman aircraft carrier in particular, though, has been plagued with problems as part of its Red Sea deployment. In December, another F/A-18 fighter jet was operating from the Truman when it was “mistakenly fired” upon by the USS Gettysburg and crashed into the Red Sea. Both aviators ejected safely at the time. Then, in February, the Truman was involved in a collision with a merchant ship near Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. Following the incident, the commander of the Truman at the time, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty. Captain Christopher Hill took command of the carrier shortly thereafter.

Trump Says US Will Stop Bombing Yemen - President Trump said on Tuesday that the US will stop bombing Yemen, claiming the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, said they would “not be blowing up ships anymore.”The president said that the Houthis said “they don’t want to fight anymore” and “we will honor that.”“We will stop the bombings. They have capitulated… we will take their word that they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that’s the purpose of what we were doing,” Trump said in the Oval Office.Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah’s political bureau, said in a statement after Trump’s announcement that the Houthis will stop attacks on US assets in the region if the US stops bombing Yemen but vowed operations against Israel will continue until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the blockade on the Palestinian territory.“Our military operations in support of Gaza will not cease until the aggression against Gaza stops and the blockade on its residents is lifted, allowing the entry of food, medicine, and fuel,” al-Bukhaiti said in a post on X.“As for our attacks on the US, they fall within the context of the right to self-defense. If it halts its attacks on us, we will halt our attacks on it. This position also applies to Britain,” he added.Al-Bukhaiti made the same offer to the US in an interview with Drop Site News back on April 10.Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of Ansar Allah’s Supreme Political Council, also vowed attacks on Israel will continue, warning Israelis to “remain in shelters because their government will not be able to protect them.”Al-Mashat also said that the Houthis “indirectly informed the Americans that continued escalation will affect the criminal Trump’s visit to the region.” Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia pressed Trump to end the bombing campaign in Yemen before his visit to the Kingdom, which will begin on May 13.Trump said the US would stop bombing Yemen “effective immediately.” A Pentagon official told CNN that the US military had been given a stand-down order to stop strikes on Yemen on Monday night, although US airstrikes were reported in the country early Tuesday morning Yemen time. Israel also launched heavy airstrikes against the Sanaa International Airport and other targets in the capital.According to the CNN report, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, worked over the past week to reach a ceasefire with the Houthis in talks facilitated by Oman. Oman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Muscat was involved in the talks and released a statement on the ceasefire deal. “In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping,” the ministry said.

Yemen's Houthis Launch Drone Attack on Israel After Reaching Ceasefire With US - Yemen’s Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, announced a drone attack on Israel on Wednesday as the group’s leaders vowed that the ceasefire deal with the US didn’t apply to operations against Israel in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said two drones targeted the Ramon Airport in southern Israel, and another drone targeted the city of Jaffa. The Israeli military reported that its forces downed only one drone that was coming from the east.Saree also announced an attack on the US aircraft USS Harry Truman, which he said was “carried out before the American enemy announced the cessation of its aggression against our country.” He said that the attack resulted in the “downing” of a US F/A-18 fighter jet. CNN reported that the fighter jet fell off the Harry Truman, marking thesecond time in recent weeks that the US lost a $60 million F/A-18 in the Red Sea during a Houthi attack. The Trump administration also lost at least seven $30 million MQ-9 Reaper drones to Yemeni air defenses.

Houthi Leader Says US Failed To Stop Yemen's Support for Palestine Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, said on Thursday that the US failed to stop Yemen’s support of the Palestinians in Gaza.“The Americans launched another round of aggression against our country, hoping to achieve what they previously failed to. But they failed again and suffered greater losses,” al-Houthi said, according to Yemen’sSABA news agency.The Yemeni leader denied President Trump’s claim that the Houthis had capitulated. “The Yemeni position was never, as claimed by the criminal infidel Trump, one of pleading or surrender. That is farther from reality than the sun itself,” he said.The US-Houthi ceasefire deal doesn’t apply to Israel, and Yemeni attacks on Israel have continued.“Our position has not wavered or weakened; rather, it remains strong and integrated. At no point in this struggle have we ever considered speaking to a criminal enemy in the language of surrender, pleading, or weakness,” al-Houthi said.The Houthis have maintained they will continue attacks on Israel and the blockade on Israeli shipping until the siege on Gaza is lifted. “Our clear and declared priority is to support Palestine against the Israeli enemy,” al-Houthi said.The US military said it launched over 1,000 airstrikes on Yemen, and the US bombing campaign took a significant toll on civilians, killing at least 206 and wounding 366 from March 15 to April 31, according to the Yemen Data Project.Throughout the bombing campaign, the Houthis were targeting Israel, and eventually directly struck the Ben Gurion Airport with a missile.

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia pressed Trump to stop attacks on Yemen ahead of visit | Middle East Eye -- Saudi Arabia has been lobbying the US to stop all US attacks on Yemen ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the kingdom, warning that it would create an “embarrassing situation” for Riyadh and the US, Middle East Eye can reveal.Saudi Arabia has resisted the US bombing campaign in Yemen since the Biden administration began strikes in 2024, but their insistence that attacks stop picked up last week as they became more concerned about the scope of the strikes, two US officials told MEE on the condition of anonymity.“Trump appears to be meeting a Saudi ‘ask’ to stop strikes ahead of his visit,” one of the US officials told MEE.“The pressure from the Saudis to end this has intensified since last week. They told us that attacks on Yemen while POTUS is there would be playing with fire,” the official added, using an acronym for the US President.Trump announced on Tuesday that “effective immediately”, the US would stop bombing Yemen. The officials could not confirm whether Trump was swayed by the Saudi lobbying alone or decided to stop the campaign based on his calculations. The US strikes also came under intense criticism from some of Trump’s closest allies, such as media personality Tucker Carlson and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.Shortly before Trump’s announcement, Greene mocked the entire premise of the campaign, writing, “I’ve never seen a Houthi. Nor has anyone else I know.”Trump said the Houthis informed the US on Monday night that “they don’t want to fight anymore, they just don’t want to fight”.“We will honour that. We will stop the bombings,” Trump said, saying that the group promised not to attack ships.Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed Trump’s announcement on X, adding that his country had been mediating a “ceasefire” between the US and the Houthis.“In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping,’ al-Busaidi wrote on X.Arab and US officials told MEE that Saudi Arabia has been fiercely “pre-negotiating” Trump’s visit.Saudi Arabia wants to focus on economic deals and military sales, Arab officials say.MEE reported last week that Riyadh sought assurances from the US it would keep discussions of normalisation with Israel off the agenda during Trump’s visit.Saudi Arabia says it needs to see steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state and a ceasefire in Gaza before it recognises Israel.

State Department Approves $3.5 Billion Missile Sale to Saudi Arabia - The State Department has approved a $3.5 billion sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia ahead of President Trump’s planned visit to the country.The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sale includes 1,000 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, related equipment, and US government contracting services. The missiles can be fired by Saudi Arabia’s fleet of US-made F-15 fighter jets.President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on May 13 and is expected to announce a series of new arms sales to the Kingdom. According to Reuters, he could unveil over $100 billion in weapons deals.Axios has reported that, on May 14, Trump will attend a summit in Saudi Arabia of leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, which include the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. The visit to Saudi Arabia will mark Trump’s second foreign trip after his brief visit to Italy for Pope Francis’s funeral. According to Middle East Eye, the Saudis have made clear to the administration that they don’t want to discuss normalizing relations with Israel.Saudi officials have made clear that normalization is off the table as long as the genocidal war in Gaza continues. “Saudi Arabia is serious not to be tricked into anything that regards Israel during the upcoming visit. It was made clear in DC,” an Arab official told MEE.Trump maintained close ties with the Saudis during his first term, advancing major arms sales and providing support for the brutal Saudi-led war against the Houthis in Yemen. In 2019, Trump vetoed a congressional resolution to end US involvement in the war. Trump is currently conducting his own bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, which, like the Saudi campaign, has taken a huge toll on civilians.

Trump plans to announce the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials tell AP -(AP) — President Donald Trump plans to announce while on his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the U.S. will now refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The White House and National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of “Gulf of Arabia” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran — formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases.

Trump Says He Wants 'Total Dismantlement' of Iran's Nuclear Program - President Trump said in an interview that aired on Sunday that he wants the “total dismantlement” of Iran’s civilian nuclear program, a condition that’s a non-starter for Tehran. “Total dismantlement. Yes, that is all I would accept,” Trump said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” Trump suggested he might be open to allowing Iran to maintain a civilian nuclear program to produce energy, but sounded skeptical of the idea. “There’s a new theory going out there that Iran would be allowed to have civilian, meaning to make electricity, but I say, they have so much oil, what do they need it for?” he said.Trump was asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent suggestion that Iran could maintain a civilian nuclear program. “People are talking about that, and this is something that’s really pretty new in the dialogue … my inclination is to say, ‘what do you need that for? You have a lot of oil,'” he said.When asked if he would only accept full dismantlement, the president said he would be “open to hearing” about Iran maintaining a civilian nuclear program but added that it could lead to “military.”Rubio’s idea of an Iranian civilian nuclear program would involve prohibiting Iran’s ability to enrich its own uranium and rely on imported uranium, another condition Iran has said is non-negotiable.In making his argument, Rubio falsely claimed that there are no non-nuclear armed states with civilian nuclear programs that enrich uranium. But several non-nuclear armed countries that are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty have enrichment programs, including Japan, Brazil, and Germany.“As a founding signatory to the NPT, Iran has every right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi wrote on X on Friday. “Moreover, there are several NPT members which enrich uranium while wholly rejecting nuclear weapons.”Aragchi added that “maximalist positioning and incendiary rhetoric achieve nothing except eroding the chances of success.”

Report: Trump Delinks Saudi Nuclear Deal from Israeli Normalization - The US is no longer demanding that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel to move forward with talks on establishing a Saudi civil nuclear program, Reuters reported on Thursday.The Biden administration had been working on a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal that would have involved the US helping the Saudis establish a nuclear program and signing a mutual defense treaty with Riyadh.There were reports in September 2023 that said Riyadh was willing to drop its long-standing condition that a Palestinian state must be established before it would normalize relations with Israel. But those talks fell apart after Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel unleashing its genocidal war on Gaza.Over the past year and a half, Saudi officials have made clear there will be no Israel normalization without a Palestinian state. The idea of a US-Saudi mutual defense treaty has also been dropped, and President Trump is willing to move forward on the nuclear talks without Israel’s involvement, according to Reuters.According to Israel Hayom, Trump had decided to move forward on the potential Saudi deal without consulting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials told the Israeli outlet that they don’t think Trump could get support from Congress for a Saudi nuclear program without a normalization agreement.“The president won’t be able to get approval to push forward a civilian nuclear program for Saudi Arabia without the Israeli component,” an Israeli official told Israel Hayom. “He doesn’t have a Senate majority for any agreement that doesn’t include Israel or that moves forward without its consent.”

Senators Cotton and Graham Work To Sabotage Chances of Iran Deal - Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), two of the most hawkish members of Congress, are working together to sabotage the Trump administration’s chances of reaching a deal with Iran.On Thursday, the senators held a press conference outlining a resolution they’re introducing that demands that any deal with Iran must include the total dismantlement of Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program, an idea that Iranian officials have made clear is a non-starter.“To the Iranian regime: you claim all you want is a peaceful nuclear power program. You can have it, but you cannot enrich and you must dismantle,”Graham said. “And you must dismantle now.”Graham and Cotton said that any deal must require ratification from the Senate and must also impose limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for its allies in the region, conditions that are also a non-starter for Tehran.

US Launches More Airstrikes in Somalia's Puntland Region, Says ISIS Targeted -US Africa Command said on Monday that its forces launched two airstrikes in Somalia’s Puntland region, targeting the local ISIS affiliate. AFRICOM said one strike targeted the Miraale Region in Puntland on May 3,and the other struck the Golis Mountains on May 4. The attacks mark the first known US airstrikes in Somalia this month. In both strikes, AFRICOM said they were launched in coordination with the US-backed federal government, but the government doesn’t control Puntland, and the US has been backing local Puntland forces against ISIS. AFRICOM offered no details about potential casualties, saying that specific “details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.” The Pentagon is known for hiding civilian casualties in Somalia, and there has been no accountability for its air campaign in the country due to a lack of media coverage.

Satellite Images Uncover China's Buildup In Cuba, Triggering U.S. Spy Concerns -China’s aggressive push into Cuba is sounding alarm bells, with fears of covert surveillance operations targeting the United States, a concerning new report from Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reveals. The worrying findings, drawn from open-source intelligence, expose a suspected circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA) at Cuba’s Bejucal signals intelligence site, just a stone’s throw from Havana, according to Fox News. The antenna could zero in on radio signals from 3,000 to 8,000 miles away—putting U.S. military bases and even Washington, D.C. within range, the news outlet noted."The CCP’s poisonous alliance with Cuba has posed significant threats to U.S. national security for decades," House Intellience Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AK) told Fox News. "Their alleged involvement in signals intelligence hubs in Cuba is outward, unconcealed adversarial behavior against the U.S. The CCP’s actions are becoming increasingly more bold and thereby detrimental to Western Hemisphere security." Photo via Fox News The report’s findings have sparked so much concern on Capitol Hill that Republicans are seeking a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Noem."The PRC is positioning itself to systematically erode U.S. strategic advantages without ever firing a shot," read a letter written by Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and a group of other lawmakers to Noem. "The geographic proximity of suspected PRC-linked facilities in Cuba to sensitive U.S. installations, including Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Kennedy Space Center, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, may enable the PRC to monitor American detection and response capabilities, map electronic profiles of U.S. assets, and prepare the electromagnetic environment for potential future exploitation.”"If left unchecked, the PRC’s activities in Cuba could establish a forward operating base for electronic warfare, enable intelligence collection, and influence operations that directly undermine U.S. national security interests," the lawmakers added.In 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that China and Cuba reached an agreement under which Beijing would pay Cuba several billion dollars to establish an electronic surveillance facility on Cuban territory, aimed at monitoring the United States."We are deeply disturbed by reports that Havana and Beijing are working together to target the United States and our people. The United States must respond to China's ongoing and brazen attacks on our nation's security," Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and then-Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a joint statement at the time. We must be clear that it would be unacceptable for China to establish an intelligence facility within 100 miles of Florida and the United States, in an area also populated with key military installations and extensive maritime traffic."

US Tests Microwave Weapons in Philippines for First Time Amid China Tensions - The US Army has tested its cutting-edge microwave weapons in the Philippines for the first time, marking a major show of force as tensions with China continue. The trial featured the Integrated Fires Protection Capability–High-Powered Microwave (IFPC-HPM) and the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), both deployed to the Philippines’ western coast, facing the South China Sea. Capt. Bray McCollum, a US Army battery commander, said the test demonstrated the systems’ ability to counter drone swarms in a tropical environment. It also provided joint training with the US Marine Corps on short-range air defense tactics. Members of the Philippine Air Force joined the exercise as part of an ongoing subject matter expert exchange program aimed at boosting interoperability and shared operational know-how. This marks the first deployment of both microwave systems, not just in the Philippines, but anywhere in the Indo-Pacific region. According to US officials, the exercise reinforces the US-Philippine alliance by enhancing combined military cooperation and advancing a shared commitment to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific. The IFPC-HPM uses high-powered microwave bursts to disrupt or disable drones, while FS-LIDS provides a fixed-site defense against low-flying unmanned aerial threats. Together, they form a non-kinetic, layered defense system tailored for modern drone warfare.

Hegseth wants deep cuts to active-duty 4-star generals, admirals -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the U.S. military to be cut by at least 20 percent, according to a new memo released Monday. In the order, dated May 5, Hegseth also directed senior Pentagon leadership to slash the number of general officers in the National Guard by a minimum of 20 percent, and cut the total number of general and flag officers — those with the rank of one star or higher — across the military by 10 percent. In a video posted to social media later on Monday, Hegseth announced that the order, which he referred to as “Less Generals, more GIs,” would “shift resources from bloated headquarter elements to our warfighters.” The move would take an axe to the already limited number of four-star generals and admirals, as there were just 37 such individuals as of 2023. Hegseth’s directive would put that number south of 30. The move would also diminish the roughly 900 current general and flag officers to below 720. Hegseth writes that the cuts are a “critical step” in “removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.” In ensuring the lethality of the military, “we must cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness,” according to Hegseth.

Pentagon orders swift review, removal of library books that address diversity, anti-racism - The Pentagon has ordered military leaders to remove and review all library books that relate to diversity, anti-racism or gender issues within the next two weeks, according to a new memo issued Friday. The order, signed by acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel Timothy Dill, marks the most wide-reaching directive in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s effort to eradicate diversity and equity programs, policies and reading material across the military. The U.S. Naval Academy earlier this spring removed nearly 400 books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from its library after a review, with the West Point Military Academy and Air Force Academy conducting similar reviews of their books and curriculum. But the new directive goes far beyond that effort, ordering all military educational institutions such as war colleges and military service academies to “identify library materials that may conflict with our core mission” and “appropriately sequester those materials” by May 21, according to the order. Hegseth also put out a memo Friday ordering the service academies to admit students “based exclusively on merit,” with “no consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex,” underlining the word “no” on the document. Academies must confirm within 30 days that they are adhering to those standards.

Danish foreign minister summoning US ambassador after Greenland spying report - Denmark has said it will summon the acting U.S. ambassador after it was reported that U.S. intelligence agencies have been ordered to increase spying on Greenland. Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters Wednesday he was going to call in the ambassador “for a discussion at the foreign ministry to see if we can confirm” the reporting, Reuters reported. Rasmussen’s comments come after The Wall Street Journal reported that high-ranking officials under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a “collection emphasis message” to heads of intelligence agencies. They were told to learn more about Greenland’s independence and attitudes toward the U.S. extracting resources from the island, the report said. The intelligence groups were told to identify people in Greenland and Denmark who support the United States’s goals for Greenland. “I have read the article in the Wall Street Journal, and it worries me greatly because we do not spy on friends,” Rasmussen told reporters, according to Reuters.He said the report was “somewhat disturbing.” The reporting and intelligence actions follow the Trump administration’s desire to acquire Greenland, a territory owned by Denmark. President Trump has repeatedly claimed he would like to acquire the island, but officials from both Greenland and Denmark say that won’t happen and it’s not for sale.

Tom Cotton asks Tulsi Gabbard to halt intelligence sharing with Germany --Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to refrain from sharing intelligence with Germany’s domestic intelligence agency days after the country’s spy arm labeled the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, as an “extremist” political party. Cotton requested that, until Germany treats the AfD as a “legitimate opposition party” and not as a “right-wing extremist organization,” Gabbard should direct the U.S. intelligence agencies to halt sharing intelligence with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). He also asked that Gabbard deny Berlin’s potential requests to assist in surveilling the AfD and review if intelligence agencies during former President Biden’s administration “cooperated with German requests to surveil the AfD or other opposition parties.” “Rather than trying to undermine the AfD using the tools of authoritarian states, Germany’s incoming government might be better advised to consider why the AfD continues to gain electoral ground and how Germany’s government can address the reasonable concerns of its citizens,” Cotton, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote in a two-page Monday letter to Gabbard, which was made public Wednesday. The Hill has reached out to Gabbard’s office for comment. The Arkansas Republican asked that Gabbard alert the Senate about anything she uncovers in the requested review. Cotton’s request comes less than a week after BfV marked the AfD, the party that won the second most votes in Germany’s recent election, as an extremist entity that represents a threat to democracy. The designation came shortly after BfV’s three-year investigation found that AfD is breaching “fundamental principles” of the German Constitution. Now, Germany’s spy agency is allowed to increase surveillance and oversight of the political party. “Central to our assessment is the ethnically and ancestrally defined concept of the people that shapes the AfD, which devalues entire segments of the population in Germany and violates their human dignity,” BfV said, adding that the “concept is reflected in the party’s overall anti-migrant and anti-Muslim stance.” The move received strong pushback from top Trump officials over the weekend. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also now serves as national security adviser, slammed the spy agency and claimed that the development does not equal “democracy — it’s tyranny in disguise.” “What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD — which took second in the recent election — but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes,” Rubio said on Friday, urging Germany to “reverse course.” Vice President Vance, who met with party leader Alice Weidel in February, praised the AfD as the “most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it.” “The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment,” Vance said Saturday. Germany’s foreign ministry pushed back on Rubio’s statement, arguing the decision came after a “thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law.” “It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped,” the office added on the social media platform X.

Trump confirms he offered to send troops into Mexico, but says Sheinbaum ‘so scared of the cartels she can’t walk’ -President Trump confirmed Sunday that he offered to send troops into Mexico, but said the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is terrified of the cartels. A day earlier, Sheinbaum had said she rejected an offer from Trump for American troops to be shipped south of the border for the purpose of combating drug trafficking. “And do you know what I told him? No, President Trump,” she said. “The territory cannot be violated. Sovereignty cannot be sold. Sovereignty is cherished and defended.” Republicans have long floated the idea of U.S. military intervention in Mexican territory, a suggestion vehemently rejected by multiple Mexican administrations. In February, Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by designating several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations. Members of his administration have also talked about potential drone strikes on the groups. “Mexico is saying that I offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico to take care of the cartel, she wants to know, is that true?” he said back to a reporter Sunday on Air Force One, later adding that “it’s true.” Trump said Sheinbaum is “so afraid of the cartel she can’t walk,” but added that he believes the Mexican president is “a lovely woman.” “She is so afraid of the cartels she can’t even think straight,” he added. The Hill has reached out the Mexican government for a response.

Trump administration offers $1,000 to migrants to self-deport -- The Trump administration announced Monday it would give migrants a $1,000 payment if they “self-deport” using a government app.The announcement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the funds a way to “facilitate travel back to their home country” that will be paid once their return has been confirmed through the CBP Home app.It’s an unusual strategy but one the Trump administration argues could save money, pegging the current cost of arrest, detention and removal of migrants at more than $17,000.“Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S. and will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” the DHS said in a press release.“Illegal aliens submitting their intent to voluntarily self-deport in CBP Home will also be deprioritized for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure,” the department added.

Gallego proposes alternative to Trump's self-deportation offer - Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) on Monday proposed an alternative to a $1,000 offer from the Trump administration to migrants if they “self-deport” via an app. “Why don’t we make them pay a $5k fine, go through a background check and give them a work visa for a few years, renewable with good behavior,” Gallego said in a post on the social platform X in response to another post from The Associated Press about the offer.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the $1,000 offer on Monday, describing the funds as a way to “facilitate travel back to their home country,” which will be paid upon confirmation via the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home app that they have returned.“Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S. and will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” the department said in a previous press release.“Illegal aliens submitting their intent to voluntarily self-deport in CBP Home will also be deprioritized for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure,” the DHS continued.

Judge orders Trump to allow 12,000 refugees into U.S. -A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to allow about 12,000 additional refugees into the country, rejecting the White House’s argument that approved migrants can be turned away if they did not arrive in the U.S. by early February.The Department of Justice (DOJ) argued a previous court order meant the government only had to accept about 160 refugees who would be en route to the U.S. by Feb. 3, but U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead rebuffed that interpretation.“It requires not just reading between the lines, but hallucinating new text that simply is not there,” he wrote Monday. “It is surprising that there could be any disagreement about the meaning of a judicial order that articulates three specific criteria in plain, straightforward language.”Faith-based refugee aid groups filed a lawsuit in February after President Trump issued an executive order that indefinitely suspended the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP), created by Congress in 1980 for people fleeing persecution, wars or natural disasters in their home countries.USRAP is more rigorous than the asylum system that thousands of migrants have used to cross the U.S. borders, and it can take years for applicants to receive approval.

Newark Mayor arrested outside ICE detention center - Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, said that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was detained Friday after refusing to leave a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon. He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody,” Habba said in a Friday post on social platform X. “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” Baraka, along with three members of the New Jersey congressional delegation — Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), Rob Menendez (D) and LaMonica McIver (D) — tried to get access to the Delaney Hall ICE detention center. Watson Coleman said on X that the facility was “opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances. We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said a group of protesters, along with two members of Congress — Menendez and Watson Coleman — “stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.”

Trump administration formally invokes state secrets privilege in Abrego Garcia case - The Trump administration invoked the state secrets privilege Wednesday to avoid handing over documents in the legal battle over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, court records show. Justice Department officials had long previewed they would do so, but a new order issued by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis indicates the government formally invoked the privilege in a sealed filing earlier Wednesday.“The Court requires formal briefing of the Defendants’ invocations of privilege, principally the state secrets and deliberative process privileges,” the judge wrote, referring to the sealed filing. Xinis ordered both the government and Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to submit written briefs on the issue by Monday. The judge said she’ll hold an in-person hearing in her Maryland courtroom to discuss it May 16. The schedule is the latest development in the legal battle over Abrego Garcia, who was removed to El Salvador in mid-March despite an immigration judge protecting him from being deported to the country. The administration has accused Abrego Garcia of being an MS-13 gang member, a claim largely based on a confidential informant and a separate immigration court ruling. Abrego Garcia’s family rejects that he is affiliated with any gang.Nearly a month ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the government must “facilitate” the man’s return.

White House ‘actively looking’ at suspending habeas corpus in immigration crackdown - White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Friday that President Trump and his team are “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus as part of the administration’s immigration crackdown. “Well, the Constitution is clear — and that of course is the supreme law of the land — that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller told reporters at the White House. “So, it’s an option we’re actively looking at. Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.” A writ of habeas corpus compels authorities to produce an individual they are holding and to justify their confinement. It’s been a key avenue migrants have used to challenge pending deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely-used 18th-century power Trump cited to deport Venezuelan nationals he’s accused of being gang members to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador. It’s also been how recently detained students such as Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil have challenged their detention. The Constitution says habeas corpus may not be suspended “unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.” Steve Vladeck, a national security law expert who teaches at Georgetown University, said that requirement is key. “This last part…is not just window-dressing; again, the whole point is that the default is for judicial review except when there is a specific national security emergency in which judicial review could itself exacerbate the emergency. The emergency itself isn’t enough,” he wrote on his blog. “Miller also doesn’t deign to mention that the near-universal consensus is that only Congress can suspend habeas corpus.” The writ of habeas corpus has been suspended only four times, according to the National Constitution Center: During the Civil War, in parts of South Carolina overrun by the Ku Klux Klan during reconstruction, in two provinces in the Philippines in 1905, and in Hawaii after the bombing at Pearl Harbor. Suspending habeas corpus, as a result, would be highly controversial. But the administration has already taken controversial steps as part of its deportation regime, such as triggering the 1789 Alien Enemies Act. The Supreme Court directed migrants to challenge their Alien Enemies Act deportations through habeas corpus, and since then, judges in at least three cases have sided with migrants, determining the Trump administration was improperly using a law meant to address warfare and incursions. It’s possible judges might have a similar interpretation of efforts to suspend habeas corpus, as challengers would also likely dispute whether the U.S. is currently experiencing rebellion or invasion.

Rwanda in talks with US to take deported migrants - President Trump’s administration is reportedly eyeing Rwanda as a potential deportation destination for migrants from countries that won’t accept repatriates as officials carry out his sprawling immigration crackdown. Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, the East African country’s foreign minister, told the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency on Sunday that the government is in early talks with the U.S. about the proposal, but he didn’t provide details.“It is true that we are in discussions with the United States,” he said. “These talks are still ongoing, and it would be premature to conclude how they will unfold.”The New York Times reported Nduhungirehe hasn’t said whether Rwanda would be seeking financial compensation in return for accepting other countries’ citizens.Speaking to reporters outside of the White House on Monday, Trump border czar Tom Homan acknowledged the administration is trying to hash out agreements with other countries to receive deported migrants, but he wouldn’t identify which nations when asked if some in Africa could be included.“There’s talks underway with other countries that are willing to take illegal aliens,” Homan said. “Their own countries won’t take them, so we’ll find a third safe country willing to take them.”The U.S. State Department flagged Rwanda in 2023 for human rights concerns, including “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.”

GOP senators draw line against Trump shipping US citizens to foreign prisons -Republican senators are drawing a bright line against President Trump’s exploration of sending “homegrown” criminals who are U.S. citizens to foreign jails, such as the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador. Trump said last month he would “love to” send American citizens who commit serious crimes to foreign prisons. He said his administration is looking seriously at the proposal, which he wants to apply to repeat offenders. But the idea is running into staunch opposition from Senate Republicans, who say shipping U.S. citizens off to foreign prisons would violate the Constitution. “Either he’s got the authority to do it, or it isn’t going to happen. But it sounds to me like you can’t deport citizens,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told The Hill. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a staunch Trump ally, said Trump’s desire to deport U.S. citizens to foreign prisons would get blocked by the conservative Supreme Court. “I’m not sure that would be constitutional. You’re talking about American citizens? I doubt that would hold up as something constitutional,” he said. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Trump’s proposal is problematic on its face. Asked about stashing U.S.-born criminals in El Salvador or another country, Paul told The Hill: “I think there’s going to be a real problem with that.” “I can’t imagine you can deport a citizen. I don’t think you can incarcerate a citizen in another country, either,” Paul added in a follow-up interview. Paul, an outspoken constitutional conservative, said he can’t tell whether Trump is serious about his proposal to send “homegrown” criminals abroad, a subject the president discussed on at least two public occasions last month. “There are a lot of things that are said, over-the-top, for effect that aren’t serious proposals. But I don’t know in this case. I can’t imagine you can deport a citizen and/or incarcerate a citizen outside the U.S.,” he said.

US to begin admitting white South African refugees - The United States will begin admitting the first group of White South African refugees next week, whom President Trump’s administration has argued have been victims of “racial discrimination.” “The refugee program is not intended as a solution for global poverty. And historically it has been used that way…this is an example of the president returning the refugee program to what it’s intended to be used as,” White House’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Friday. “What’s happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created…race based persecution,” Miller, Trump’s chief immigration policy architect, told reporters. Miller’s remarks came after he was asked about news reports that at least 50 Afrikaners would be flown from Johannesburg to the U.S. Around 60 Afrikaners are expected to arrive at the Dulles International Airport Monday on a State Department-chartered jet, The Washington Post reported Friday, citing documents and emails it obtained, along with three government officials familiar with the matter.

Bessent defends Trump’s ‘economic rebalancing’ - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended what he called President Trump’s “economic rebalancing” in an opinion piece released Sunday amid growing concerns regarding his handling of the economy. In The Wall Street Journal, Bessent said that the president “wants to ensure working families aren’t left behind in the next era of economic growth — as many were in the last.” “In the first 100 days of his presidency, we have laid the groundwork to rebalance global trade, restore America’s industrial base, and build an economy that allows Wall Street and Main Street to rise together. To understand the urgency of this economic rebalancing, it’s critical to understand why it is necessary in the first place,” he said. In the first months of his second term, Trump’s economic policies have been called into question, especially surrounding his employment of tariffs. The president’s tariff moves have rattled global markets, increased economic anxiety and strained relationships with longtime American allies including Canada and the European Union. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department said the economy shrank in the first quarter, the first quarterly reduction in years. “Critics of the Trump economic agenda attack individual policies in isolation. This cherry-picking tactic ignores how these policies are interconnected. Trade, tax cuts and deregulation aren’t stand-alone measures but interlocking parts of an engine designed to drive economic growth and domestic manufacturing,” Bessent wrote. “The American people should expect to hear the engine humming during the second half of 2025. With all pistons moving, we’ll see more jobs, more manufacturing, more growth, a more robust national defense, higher wages, lower taxes, less-burdensome regulation, cheaper energy, less national debt and less dependence on China — all while maintaining a strong dollar,” he added. New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has heavily criticized the U.S.’s trade policy in recent months, said Friday that he is set to travel to the White House on Tuesday to meet with Trump. “There will be zigs and zags, ups and downs. But as I said in my remarks, I will fight for the best deal for Canada and only accept the best deal for Canada and take as much time as necessary,” Carney said at a press conference at the end of the week.

Republicans grow antsy after Trump comments on tariffs, recession - Senate Republicans on Monday grew increasingly nervous after President Trump’s comments over the weekend that some of his tariffs could be permanent and that things would be “OK” even if the U.S. experienced a short-term recession. Republicans have been on edge for weeks as the Trump administration’s hemming and hawing on tariffs have created instability in the market and questions about the White House’s handling of the economy. Now, GOP lawmakers acknowledge the president’s refusal over the weekend to rule out the possibility that some of his levies could remain in place in the long term, coupled with his remarks on the possibility of a recession, constitutes a one-two punch that is spooking consumers. “I think there’s just a lot of uneasiness,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership. “They keep saying they’re close to a deal with a country, so I think that would be helpful to show that there’s progress here. I think people are sort of wondering where this is all going to lead.” Capito noted the positive employment numbers that emerged last week, which came on the heels of data showing that the economy contracted during the first quarter by 0.3 percent on an annual basis. She conceded, however, that even if the U.S. achieves its economic goals in the long term, even a temporary economic dip could do lasting damage. “There is a lot of angst out there. … He was elected on the economy. He’s a dealmaker in the economy space, so he has big expectations of himself,” she said. “He fulfilled them in the first term, he thinks he can fulfill them in the second and, so far, I believe he will. In the first 100 days of his administration, Trump slapped heavy tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, only to temporarily backtrack on many of them in search of deals. At the same time, some massive levies have remained in place, most notably the 145 percent tariff on imports from China. This has created uncertainty in the economy and on Wall Street that has made it difficult for businesses and consumers to operate and make plans. The president’s remarks came during a lengthy interview with “Meet the Press” on Sunday, tossing another wrench into the questions surrounding the administration’s trade plans. “If somebody thought they were going to come off the table, why would they build in the United States?” Trump told host Kristen Welker about the idea of making some tariffs permanent. Trump also indicated that a short-term recession would be worthwhile if it is followed by the realization of his economic goals. “Look, yeah, it’s — everything’s OK,” Trump said about that possibility. “This is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically.” Trump added that he is not worried about a possible recession but indicated it’s a possibility. “No,” Trump replied, offering the concession. “Anything can happen, but I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country.” Senate Republicans have in recent weeks downplayed the possibility of a recession coming to fruition. The tariffs, though, have been front of mind, especially for scores of members who represent farming and agriculture-heavy states. While they applaud Trump for trying to score deals, they have little appetite for some of the levies to stick around longer than they have to — let alone on a permanent basis. “I don’t like the idea of permanent tariffs unless we can’t come to an agreement with other countries on fair and free trade,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “I think tariffs have a purpose, but the purpose is to bring free trade and fair trade,” he continued. “I don’t really care to simply have it be a cost our consumers are going to have to pay for those overseas products if there isn’t a product in the U.S. that they can purchase as an alternative.” Top trade and economic advisers indicated last week that they are in active negotiations with numerous countries in search of deals to stave off the massive “reciprocal” tariffs Trump levied last month. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Monday pegged that number at roughly 40 countries. Senate Republicans pleaded with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last week to roll out the individual trade deals as they happen instead of in one big unveiling this summer due to consumer nervousness. Members indicated that they expected those to start arriving in the coming weeks. Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Monday at a Milken Institute conference in an attempt to persuade the nation’s wealthiest that it is time to invest in the economy, citing the tax cuts the GOP is hoping to pass this summer and slashing regulations on top of the tariffs. “They are interlocking parts of an engine designed to drive long-term investment in the American economy,” Bessent told investors. “The result of the president’s economic plan will be more. More jobs, more homes, more growth, more factories, more critical manufacturing plants, more semiconductors, more energy, more opportunity, more defense, more economic security, more innovation.”

Donald Trump calls for 100 percent tariff on foreign films - President Trump is calling for a 100 percent tariff on foreign films, saying “a concerted effort” by other countries to lure filmmakers abroad constitutes a threat to national security. “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he added. It is unclear how any such tariff would be implemented on intellectual property. The move is all but certain to face legal challenges from the industry, including on free speech grounds. While a spokesperson for the Motion Picture Association declined to comment, a 2023 report from the trade group said the film industry “generated a positive balance of trade in every major market in the world.”

Trump’s trade blockbuster - President Trump is threatening to rewrite the script on how Hollywood does business, with his talk of a tariff on foreign films alarming entertainment industry veterans. The White House said on Monday that while “no decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the administration is exploring all options” on Trump’s directive. A day earlier, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce to “immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 percent tariff on any and all movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he said, calling the “concerted effort” by others to attract filmmakers overseas a “national security threat.” But the plan was met with almost immediate skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans alike. “Is this really what we’re focused on?” one Republican strategist who is a staunch Trump supporter said on Monday. “Let’s get serious.”

Trump says rising prices ‘peanuts’ compared to cheap gas -- President Trump said in an interview Sunday that rising prices on certain items amid his trade wars are “peanuts” in comparison to less expensive gas. In the interview on “Meet the Press,” NBC News’s Kristen Welker noted that “some prices are going up, tires, strollers, some clothing in the wake of your tariffs.” “Excuse me, that’s peanuts compared to energy,” Trump interrupted. “Energy is 60 percent of the costs. Energy is the big —” Welker cut in, noting that Trump “campaigned on a promise to bring prices down on day one.” “Well, I don’t know, when you say, ‘Strollers are going up,’ what kind of a thing — I’m saying gasoline is going down. Gasoline is thousands of times more important than a stroller,” Trump said. By Trump’s 100th day in office last week, the average price of gas had dipped around 50 cents per gallon from a year prior, according to data from AAA. Trump’s recent tariffs, meanwhile, have rattled markets across the globe, strained relationships with longtime allies such as Canada and the European Union and increased anxiety around the economy in the U.S. and abroad. The massive tariffs he has imposed on China in particular — going as high as 145 percent — are raising fears about empty shelves and soaring prices.

Senate Republicans urge Donald Trump to stop doll talk - Questions about tariffs and their economic impact have prompted Trump to argue that U.S. families need to be prepared to sacrifice during what he hopes is a temporary rough spot that leads to lasting prosperity. To illustrate that point, Trump has argued that instead of buying dozens of dolls for daughters, families only buy a couple as they grow more expensive due to the levies. While Republicans have been largely in lockstep behind the administration’s actions, the latest messaging has become a turnoff. Many GOP lawmakers view it as counterproductive and fear Trump comes off as out of touch. “Everything that we need to do needs to be instructed by people who experienced scarcity, and that’s clearly the words of somebody that’s never experienced scarcity,” one Senate Republican said. “It’s not really sensitive to the circumstances of people that are struggling every day.” “It would be helpful to be more relatable,” the GOP member added. Trump’s initial comment came during a Cabinet meeting last week, surrounded by a number of multimillionaires and one of the richest individuals in the world. And he has repeated at least three times since that Americans should become more comfortable with fewer things — at least in the interim. “All I’m saying is that a young lady, a 10-year-old-girl, 9-year-old girl, 15-year-old-girl, doesn’t need 37 dolls,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, hours after he defended the comments in a “Meet the Press” interview. “She could be very happy with two or three or four or five.” When a half-dozen GOP senators were asked about the remarks, none of them threw their full weight behind them. Some said they understood Trump’s point to a certain degree or pointed to his “unique” style of communication. However, several indicated they wished Trump would discontinue the line and use a different comparison that would better apply to middle-class Americans. “The thing that I admire about it is he is willing to acknowledge that tariffs may have a short-term consequence, but be believes in the long run, they’ll have a long-term benefit and he’s setting expectations at the family-table level,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told The Hill. “But he might be setting the expectations as a millionaire that may not translate to the family worker.”

Scott Bessent: Girl with 2 dolls this year will have ‘better life than parents’ - Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent leaned into President Trump’s doll analogy in remarks about economic uncertainty Tuesday, arguing a young girl with fewer dolls this Christmas could have a better life than the generation before her. Bessent, in an appearance on Fox News’s “The Ingraham Angle,” defended Trump’s recent suggestion that the U.S. needs a cultural shift on consumer spending. He argued that because of the rising cost of goods due to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, children in the U.S. could have an improved life in the long term, a subtle dig at overconsumption.“This reporter behind me was quite snarky the other day when President Trump talked about the girl having two dolls and he said, well, what — the president didn’t take the question, but he said, ‘What would you tell that girl?’” Bessent said during the interview.He added, “And I said, ‘I would tell that young girl that you will have a better life than your parents, that you and your family, thanks to President Trump, can now be confident again that you will have a better life than your parents, which working-class Americans had abandoned that idea. Your family will own a home. You will be able to … advance. You will have a good education. You will have economic freedom.’”Trump and top officials in recent days have changed their tune on the economy, suggesting Americans should buy less and will probably pay more as a result of the tariffs.Fox’s Laura Ingraham called reporting that toys will be limited around the holidays “fearmongering” and questioned Bessent about the political and consumer pressure about fears of rising prices in the wake of Trump’s trade war.“We are going to stick to our guns, but again, the U.S. and China have shared interest. They are the deficit country, though. They sell us about four times more than we sell them, so it would be felt harder in China,” the Treasury chief said. “But we don’t want a decoupling. We don’t want a decoupling.”

Mattel outlines 'pricing action' to mitigate Donald Trump's tariffs impact - Mattel, maker of Barbie dolls, outlined steps Monday to mitigate the impact of President Trump’s tariffs, saying that “when necessary,” the company is prepared to adjust its prices to make up for potential losses. “The company is operating in an uncertain macro-economic environment with significant volatility, including changes in global trade policy and U.S. tariffs,” the company’s first-quarter report read. “Although tariffs did not affect Mattel’s first quarter financial results, the company is taking mitigating actions designed to fully offset the potential incremental cost impact of tariffs on future performance,” it continued. The company listed several steps, including, “Where necessary, taking pricing action in its U.S. business.” Mattel also said it would accelerate efforts to diversify its supply chain to further reduce “reliance on China-sourced product,” and it would optimize “product sourcing and product mix.” The company said it would not provide a full-year outlook for 2025 until the economic future becomes clearer. “Given the volatile macro-economic environment and evolving U.S. tariff landscape, it is difficult to predict consumer spending and Mattel’s U.S. sales in the remainder of the year and holiday season,” the report read. President Trump has faced backlash in recent days for saying children can get by with fewer dolls this year if his sweeping tariff policies drive up living costs for families. Trump doubled down on that position during a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I don’t think that a beautiful baby girl needs — that’s 11 years old — needs to have 30 dolls,” Trump said. “I think they can have three dolls or four dolls, because what we were doing with China was just unbelievable. We had a trade deficit of hundreds of billions of dollars with China.” “I’m just saying, they don’t need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don’t need to have 250 pencils; they can have five,” he added.

Pharma warns tariffs mean less R&D -- The pharmaceutical trade group PhRMA has come out strongly against tariffs, warning that every dollar collected in tariffs means one less dollar invested in U.S. biopharmaceutical research and development. In a comment submitted to the Department of Commerce, PhRMA Executive Vice President of International Advocacy Jay Taylor advised against enforcing tariffs, saying trade barriers in market should be addressed through “negotiation and enforcement of robust bilateral and sectoral agreements.” The Commerce Department is currently carrying out an investigation into pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical ingredients imports. “Recognizing the strength of the innovative biopharmaceutical sector in the United States, Commerce should use this investigation to identify where there are specific national security vulnerabilities (i.e., if the industry is over-reliant on supply for essential medicines and API from adversarial countries) and identify appropriate targeted solutions to address those concerns,” Taylor wrote. When President Trump unveiled his “reciprocal” tariffs last month, pharmaceutical products were exempted along with other goods like copper and lumber articles. Contrary to what Trump has claimed, Taylor wrote tariffs are not the key creating more domestic production of goods like pharmaceutical products. Roughly 90 percent of prescriptions in the U.S. are for generic drugs, with India and China being major sources of these medications or their active pharmaceutical ingredients. “On the contrary, every dollar collected in tariffs would be a dollar less that innovative biopharmaceutical companies are able to invest in U.S. R&D, manufacturing facilities and infrastructure. Instead of imposing tariffs, therefore, the Administration should adopt pragmatic solutions and targeted incentives to ensure the United States’ continued security,” wrote Taylor. In justifying his trade war, Trump has claimed the U.S. economy has been “looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by global trade agreements. But Taylor again pushed back on such assertions, writing, “Far from being weakened by international competition, the innovative biopharmaceutical industry has demonstrated a combination of growth, stability and economic resilience over many years, making the industry a key driver of the U.S. economy.”

Trump hosts Canada's new premier amid trade disputes, pursuit of northern neighbor as 51st state -US President Donald Trump is hosting recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for talks at the White House on Tuesday in a visit that has been overshadowed by the president’s contentious policies and pursuits. Carney's visit comes one week after he won nationwide elections in a bitter defeat for Canada's conservatives. Trump and his contentious trade and annexation efforts loomed large in the polls, with Canadians seeking a bulwark in their next leader. Sitting alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Carney continued to rebuff Trump's desire to make Canada a US state, saying, "Respectfully, Canadians’ view on this is not going to change, on the 51st state." "It's not for sale, won't be for sale, ever, but the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together," he added. Trump imposed 25% duties on steel and aluminum exports and 25% duties on cars exported to the US since assuming office in January. Canada retaliated by imposing a 25% tariff on an estimated $30 billion in US goods, and 25% tariffs on US steel and aluminum products. Trump continued to talk tough on his tariff push, saying Canada "wants a piece of our market." "We don't want a piece of their market. We don't care about their market. They want a piece of our market," he told reporters. Trump released a social media post minutes before Carney arrived at the White House in which he said that he looks forward to hosting the Canadian premier. "I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple TRUTH — Why is America subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things?" "We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain," he said. "They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us! The Prime Minister will be arriving shortly and that will be, most likely, my only question of consequence." Trump continued to claim that the US "subsidizes" Canada to "maybe" $200 billion per year. It is unclear how Trump came to that figure. "You know, it's not fair. But why are we subsidizing Canada $200 billion a year, or whatever the number might be, it's a very substantial number, and it's hard for the American taxpayer," he said.

Canada's Carney gets the Trump treatment in the Oval Office (AP) — A meeting between the leaders of Canada and the United States is not usually considered a high-stakes showdown, but there was little ordinary about this one. Here was newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney making his first visit to the Oval Office to see President Donald Trump, who has spent months musing about turning America’s northern neighbor into the 51st state.It didn’t take long for a reporter to ask about what was on everyone’s mind. Trump said he was still interested in annexing Canada, describing the border between the two countries as nothing more than an arbitrary line.Carney’s campaign was fueled by a wave of anger at Trump’s aggressive rhetoric, and now was his chance to defend his country to the president’s face. He was polite and firm. “Some places are never for sale,” Carney said. Canada is one of them, he added, and “it won’t be for sale, ever.”Trump gave a little shrug and raised his eyebrows. “Never say never,” he responded.Carney mouthed the words “never, never, never.” The interaction offered a glimpse into how Trump has transformed Oval Office meetings from brief and bland encounters into precarious affairs that often force foreign leaders to choose between placating or confronting the American president. His approach can be thrilling for supporters and destabilizing for diplomats accustomed to a more deliberative approach to international relations.

Lutnick skeptical of cutting a deal with Canada's 'socialist regime' -Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Monday that he is skeptical of cutting a trade deal with the Canadian government, calling it a “socialist regime.” “Can we make a deal with Canada?” Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow asked on his show “Kudlow.” “I think it’s really complex,” Lutnick responded. “I mean, this is really complex, because they have been basically feeding off of us for decades upon decades upon decades, right?” “They have their socialist regime, and it’s basically feeding off of America, I mean, the president calls it out all the time. Why do we make cars in Canada? Why do we do our films in Canada? Come on. So, I think … it’s going to be a fascinating meeting, I’m glad I’m going to be there listening, but it’s going to be a fascinating meeting tomorrow. I just don’t see how it works out so perfect,” he added. Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to meet Tuesday amid tensions between their respective countries over trade. After securing victory in a recent Canadian election, Carney stated that the U.S. president has “fundamentally changed” the world in the last few months, noting sweeping tariffs and a proposal from Trump to merge Canada with the U.S. “As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” Carney said in an Ottawa victory speech last month. “These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never … ever happen.” “But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed,” he added.

Tesla Sales Plunge In Both China And Europe, Despite Surge In Overall EV Adoption -Tesla's China-made vehicle sales dropped sharply in April, bucking the trend of strong growth among major Chinese EV competitors, according to CNEVPOST.According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla sold 58,459 vehicles last month (including exports), down 5.96% year-over-year and 25.84% from March’s 78,828 units. From January to April, Tesla China's total sales fell 18.31% year-over-year to 231,213 units.The report says that in contrast, local rivals posted strong gains. Nio delivered 23,900 vehicles in April—up 53% from a year ago and nearly 59% from March. Xpeng reported 35,045 deliveries, its second-best month ever, up 273% year-over-year. Li Auto delivered 33,939 units, a 32% annual increase. Xiaomi EV also reported over 28,000 deliveries in April, highlighting growing domestic competition as Tesla's momentum stalls. Tesla is also facing a sharp downturn in Europe, with April 2025 sales collapsing across nearly all major markets. Once a regional EV leader, the company is now seeing year-over-year declines of over 50% in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK. In Germany—Europe’s largest car market—Tesla’s sales fell 46% despite a surge in overall EV adoption, ARS Technica wrote. The report says that even in the UK, where battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations rose 8.1%, Tesla’s sales plummeted 62%, registering only 512 vehicles out of more than 24,000 BEVs sold. This decline comes amid growing competition from Chinese and European EV makers, a limited and aging product lineup, and negative public sentiment, fueled in part by CEO Elon Musk’s political associations and controversial public persona. Recent efforts like the Model Y refresh have failed to reverse the trend. Only Italy and Norway showed any growth, underscoring how widespread Tesla’s European struggles have become.

China rolls out more stimulus and agrees to trade talks with the US as tariffs hit economy (AP) — China announced a barrage of measures meant to counter the blow to its economy from U.S. President Donald Trump ’s trade war, as the two sides prepared for talks later this week. Beijing’s central bank governor and other top financial officials outlined plans Wednesday to cut interest rates and reduce bank reserve requirements to help free up more funding for lending. They also said the government would increase the amount of money available for factory upgrades and other innovation and for elder care and other service businesses. Trump’s tariffs, set as high as 145% on imports from China, have begun to take a toll on its export-dependent economy at a time when it’s already under pressure from a prolonged downturn in the property sector. China has retaliated with tariff hikes of up to 125% on U.S. goods and stopped buying most American farm products. Late Tuesday, China and the U.S. announced plans for talks between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng later this week in Geneva, Switzerland. The agreement to talk comes at a time when both sides have remained adamant, at least in public, about not compromising on the tariffs. Democrats walk out of crypto hearing after tense moments “The U.S. has recently expressed a desire to negotiate with China. This meeting is being held at the request of the U.S. side,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing. “Any form of pressure or coercion against China will not work,” Lin said. “China will firmly safeguard its legitimate interests and uphold international fairness and justice. Please stay tuned for the specific details of the dialogue.”

Donald Trump to announce 'full and comprehensive' trade deal with UK -- President Trump confirmed early Thursday his plans to announce a “major trade deal” with the United Kingdom — the first such agreement since his latest tariff rollout left global markets reeling.The president described the forthcoming agreement as “full and comprehensive,” and signaled it would be the first of many deals to come with foreign trading partners as the Trump administration grapples with an unstable economy amid the trade war.“The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come,” Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social. “Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement,” he continued. “Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!”The president teased a trade deal Wednesday evening without specifying the other nation involved. He said at the time that there would be a press conference “concerning a MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!” The Trump administration unveiled sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs April 2, levying a 10 percent baseline import tax against nearly all other nations. Higher “reciprocal” tariffs were also imposed on dozens of countries — but those are currently on a 90-day pause, leaving room for negotiations, with the exception of China The U.K. did not face “reciprocal” individualized tariffs but was still subject to the 25 percent tariff the administration implemented on automobiles, steel and aluminum imports. London did not respond with tariffs on U.S. imports, as many other countries have. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer — who met with Trump at the White House in late February — also hinted at the forthcoming trade announcement with the U.S. in a speech Thursday.“As you know, talks with the U.S. have been ongoing — and you’ll hear more about that later today. But make no mistake — I will always act in our national interest,” Starmer said.

US automakers rip Trump trade deal with UK - America’s “big three” automakers ripped President Trump on Friday over his newly announced trade deal with the United Kingdom.The Thursday agreement is the first bilateral trade pact the administration reached since it rolled out and then paused a “reciprocal” tariff regime on many of America’s main trading partners.The British auto industry expressed excitement about the deal, which allows the U.K. to export 100,000 cars to the U.S. at a 10-percent tariff rate, and effectively removes another national security tariff.American carmakers didn’t share that enthusiasm.“The U.S. automotive industry is highly integrated with Canada and Mexico; the same is not true for the U.S. and UK,” American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt said in a statement.“We are disappointed that the administration prioritized the UK ahead of our North American partners,” Blunt added.The council represents Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis. Each of the three companies have factories in the United States but still forecast major setbacks due to the president’s tariffs, given the auto industry’s highly integrated supply chains across North America.Last week, GM said levies could scrape as much as $5 billion from its profits this year, while Ford expects to take a $1.5 billion hit, The Associated Press reported.As a result of hikes on imported goods, Stellantis in April halted production at plants based in Canada and Mexico, which are both subject to taxes on foreign vehicles.Blunt said the U.K. deal undercut the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Trump’s first-term trade deal that replaced the divisive North America Free Trade Agreement.“Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a UK vehicle with very little U.S. content than a USMCA compliant vehicle from Mexico or Canada that is half American parts. This hurts American automakers, suppliers, and auto workers,” Blunt said Friday.“We hope this preferential access for UK vehicles over North American ones does not set a precedent for future negotiations with Asian and European competitors.”Mike Hawes, chief executive of British industry group SMMT, called the trade pact “great news” in a statement Thursday.He described the tariffs as “a severe and immediate threat to UK automotive exporters” and said the Thursday deal would provide “much-needed relief.”

Top Trump officials to meet in Switzerland with Chinese counterparts on trade - Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this week to discuss trade amid a standoff between the world’s two largest economies. Bessent will travel to Switzerland on Thursday, his office announced, where he will meet with the Swiss president. He will also meet with a top economic official from China, his office said. “I look forward to productive talks as we work towards rebalancing the international economic system towards better serving the interests of the United States,” Bessent said in a statement. At the same time, Greer’s office announced he would head to Switzerland this week to meet with staff at the World Trade Organization and the Swiss president. Greer will also meet with his counterpart from Beijing in Geneva to discuss trade. The meetings represent the first public disclosure of conversations between Washington and Beijing as the two nations have imposed tariffs on each other as part of a growing trade war. Bessent earlier Tuesday clarified that there were no ongoing talks with China about a trade deal after administration officials, including President Trump in recent weeks, suggested some interactions with Beijing were taking place.The Trump administration in April imposed sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India, the European Union and Thailand.Trump later announced a 90-day window in which those tariffs would be lowered to 10 percent, though he did not lower tariffs on China. Instead, he increased them to 125 percent, on top of a 20 percent tariff already in place over fentanyl production.Beijing responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, sparking fears of a trade war that could drive up prices for consumers. The U.S. has been negotiating potential trade deals with other nations, such as South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom, though Trump indicated earlier Tuesday that they may not take a traditional form when finalized.

Donald Trump proposes reducing tariff rate on China to 80 percent President Trump on Friday signaled he’s willing to dramatically lower U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, underscoring how the Trump administration wants to find progress in a trade war sparked by the new president’s “Liberation Day” announcement. The tariffs have bit into Wall Street and raised fears the U.S. could enter a recession. They have also hit Trump hard when it comes to his approval ratings. Trump on Friday said an 80 percent tariff on China seemed like the right number, which would dramatically drop the import tax on Beijing’s goods from 145 percent. “80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, giving a nod to Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent. The U.S. and China are set to hold trade talks with Chinese officials in Switzerland this weekend, with Bessent leading the charge. Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on goods from around the world in April, only to pause most of them as stock markets went into a free fall. He did impose a 10 percent tariff on most countries. But Trump imposed much greater duties on China, which has been the target of his trade ire. Beijing has imposed higher tariffs in response on U.S. goods and has seemed to be in no hurry to negotiate a deal with the U.S., despite the harm the tariffs could cause its own economy.

Bessent says tariff negotiations could wrap by year end - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday told lawmakers in the House Appropriations Committee that the U.S. is renegotiating trade deals with 17 of its 18 largest partners — with the notable exception of China — and expects most to be finalized by year's end. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects negotiations with trading partners over tariffs to conclude by the end of the year but acknowledged that talks with China had not yet begun.

Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison - President Trump said Sunday that he is ordering the reopening of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the historic prison offshore from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago.“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.“That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders,” he added.The island, which sits less than 2 miles offshore, was first developed in the mid-19th century, with the original structures including a lighthouse. Notable figures including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly were once held at Alcatraz, which was a federal prison from 1934-63. The National Park Service, which now oversees its facilities, describes the prison as “the federal government’s response to post-Prohibition, post-Depression America.”“Both the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,” the National Park Service adds on a web page about the prison, which was also known as The Rock and gave that name to a popular Michael Bay action film set on the island. The Bureau of Prisons notes on its website that “USP [United States Penitentiary] Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operation” due to soaring costs.“An estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,” the bureau says.

Donald Trump declares national holidays to celebrate WWI, WWII victories -President Trump on Monday declared national holidays on Nov. 11 and May 8 to commemorate victories in World War I and World War II, respectively. In a social media post, Trump reiterated his view that the U.S. should be celebrating its military victories, as some other countries do. “We won two World Wars, but we never took credit for it — Everyone else does!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All over the World, the Allies are celebrating the Victory we had in World War II. The only Country that doesn’t celebrate is the United States of America, and the Victory was only accomplished because of us.” He added: “Therefore, I am hereby declaring a National Holiday in celebration of the Victories of World War I, where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and World War II, where the Victory date was May 8, 1945.” Trump said the country would not be closing “for these two very important Holidays,” since “we already have too many Holidays in America — There are not enough days left in the year.”

Donald Trump fires Librarian of Congress - President Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill. Hayden was the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress. A spokesperson for the library told The Hill in an email that “Tonight, the White House informed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden that she has been relieved of her position.” Democrats in Congress condemned the decision by the administration. “Over the course of her tenure, Dr. Hayden brought the Library of Congress to the people, with initiatives that reached into rural communities and made the Library accessible to all Americans, in person and online,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said in a statement Thursday. “While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” the Democratic senator added. “Be like Dr. Hayden.”

Noem backpedals on her claim that FEMA will be eliminated - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is backing off a statement she made in March about eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying instead that the Trump administration is “reorienting” the agency.“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are reorienting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s responsibilities and [eliminating] the dysfunction of the current agency as it exists today,” Noem said in written testimony for a Tuesday hearing of a House Appropriations subcommittee. “This alignment seeks to empower State and local jurisdictions and individuals to engage more actively in national resilience and preparedness.”At a televised Cabinet meeting in late March led by President Donald Trump, Noem made the seemingly impromptu comment, “We are eliminating FEMA.” She did not elaborate at the meeting or afterward, leaving many people including FEMA staffers confused.Trump has criticized FEMA and created a council led by Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to review FEMA and suggest changes to the agency.

Bill Gates hits out at Elon Musk for ‘killing children’ through budget cuts - Microsoft founder Bill Gates accused Elon Musk of killing poor children as he announced that he would give away 99% of his fortune over the next 20 years and that the Gates Foundation would cease operations by 2045. In an interview with the Financial Times, the billionaire philanthropist addressed Musk's recent cuts to the US Agency for International Development, the agency responsible for distributing foreign aid across the world. He criticised the shuttering of the agency and accused Musk of risking a resurgence of diseases such as measles, HIV and polio. "The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one," Gates told the Financial Times. "I'd love for him to go in and meet the children that have now been infected with HIV because he cut that money," he said of Musk.Elsewhere in the interview, the 69-year-old announced that he would give up his remaining wealth to his nonprofit foundation over the next two decades. Separately, in a blog post, the Microsoft founder said that his foundation would be ceasing operations by December 31, 2045. "People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'he died rich' will not be one of them," Bill Gates wrote in the blog post. "There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people. That is why I have decided to give my money back to society much faster than I had originally planned," he added. Gates said that his foundation has already donated more than $100 billion, and that he expects it will spend another $200 billion over the next two decades. In the blog, he also outlined three main goals for his foundation: eliminating preventable diseases which kill mothers and children; eliminating infectious diseases, including malaria and measles; and eliminating poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

Patel asks appropriators to ignore Trump’s proposed cuts to FBI budget - FBI Director Kash Patel said the Trump administration’s budget request wouldn’t be sufficient to fund the agency, asking appropriators to reject a more than $500 million proposed cut in favor of an increased budget. It was an admission that caused momentary confusion with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who appeared thrown off by Patel’s rejection of the requested budget. “The skinny budget is a proposal, and I’m working through the appropriations process to explain why we need more than what has been proposed,” Patel said. Appropriators are used to hearing administration officials defend their budget — proposals that are nonetheless often swiftly rejected by Congress. But Patel said he did not back the proposed cuts — some $545 million the administration said would be “reducing non-law enforcement missions that do not align with the President’s priorities.” Trump's USDA Pick Teases Announcement For Small Farmers & CCP Farmland Purchasing, Disaster Relief In initial questioning, DeLauro asked Patel what positions he planned to cut given the drop in spending. “With a half billion dollar cut — more than 5 percent below the hard freeze of the FBI operating budget, you believe that then this would not impact enforcement or national security related functions? Then what are the positions? I’m going to ask the question again, what positions are you looking to cut? …This is your budget. You have to have some idea of what you want to fund or not fund, or where you think you can cut or not cut,” she said. But Patel later said it was not the top line the FBI proposed, instead proposing to keep funding more in line with current levels. “That’s the proposed budget, not by the FBI,” he said of the cuts. “The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for $11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions.” Patel said if the cuts were approved, he would be forced to cut 1,300 positions from the agency “if we go along with the budget that’s out.” Under the blurb included in the skinny budget, the Trump administration said the cuts would include “include DEI programs, pet projects of the former administration, and duplicative intelligence activities that are already effectively housed in other agencies.”

Judge blocks Donald Trump’s dismantling of 3 agencies - A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Trump’s dismantling of three federal agencies that support libraries, museums, minority businesses and mediation services. U.S. District Judge John McConnell agreed with 21 Democratic-led states that the shutdowns violate the separation of powers.“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote. The lawsuit stems from Trump’s March 14 executive order that sought to eliminate seven federal agencies, part of his sweeping efforts to slash wide swaths of the federal bureaucracy. The order has quickly led to mass layoffs, grant freezes and other sweeping reductions at the agencies. The Democratic-led states sued over the dismantling of three of those agencies: the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). In response to a separate lawsuit, another federal judge last week paused plans for layoffs at the IMLS, but McConnell’s order is the first to also block the dismantling of the other two agencies.The coalition is co-led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha (D), New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez, who is a Democrat, though the office is technically nonpartisan.

NSA to cut up to 2,000 civilian roles The National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. government’s electronic spy agency, is looking at cutting up to 2,000 civilian jobs as part of the Trump administration’s effort to greatly reduce the federal workforce.The NSA, which is within the Defense Department, must eliminate 8 percent of its civilian roles, or between 1,500 and 2,000 positions, by the end of the year, three people familiar with the plan told the Recorded Future News. Reached by The Hill, NSA officials declined to comment and referred additional questions to the Pentagon, which did not immediately respond.The NSA is primarily responsible for gathering and analyzing signals intelligence and conducting defense and offensive cybersecurity operations for the federal government. It also plays a critical role in supporting military operations. One person told the outlet that the slashed jobs go hand in hand with the Defense Department’s goal of reducing its budget by 8 percent annually over the next five years, with cuts likely across every “combat support agency” — those that provide the Pentagon tactical-level expertise.Those agencies include the NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.Last week, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to axe the Central Intelligence Agency workforce by an estimated 1,200 positions, along with cuts at other major U.S. spy units in an effort to shrink the intelligence community.

Justice Department seeks dismissal of abortion pill lawsuit - The Department of Justice on Monday said a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration seeking to sharply restrict the abortion pill mifepristone should be dismissed, continuing the position of the Biden administration. In a court filing, the Trump administration argued Idaho, Missouri and Kansas have no ties to Amarillo, Texas, where the lawsuit was filed. The states are free to file in their own districts, the DOJ said. “Aside from this litigation, the States do not dispute that their claims have no connection to the Northern District of Texas,” the DOJ wrote. “The states cannot keep alive a lawsuit in which the original plaintiffs were held to lack standing, those plaintiffs have now voluntarily dismissed their claims, and the States’ own claims have no connection to this District.” The states did not file their own lawsuit but instead were granted the ability to intervene in a lawsuit first filed in 2022 by a group of anti-abortion physicians and medical associations. Last year, the Supreme Court dismissed that lawsuit, saying that private parties had no legal basis to challenge access to mifepristone. The justices found the conservative doctors in the lawsuit did not show they had personally been harmed by the government’s actions regulating mifepristone.Monday’s filing marks the first time the Trump administration has been asked to weigh in on the case. The red states claim some of the FDA actions to loosen access to mifepristone allowed the pills to flood across their borders, endangering the lives of women and undermining their anti-abortion laws. The states are challenging the FDA actions that have loosened restrictions on the drug since 2016, including approving it for use in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy and allowing it to be prescribed by telemedicine and sent through the mail.

Trump signs executive orders on gain of function research, drug manufacturing -- President Trump on Monday signed a series of health-focused executive actions, including one cracking down on gain-of-function research, which has been at the center of debates over how the COVID-19 pandemic began. Trump signed the order, which White House officials said provides additional tools to enforce a ban on federal funding going toward gain-of-function research, and strengthens oversight mechanisms around it. The field of research alters viruses to, in some cases, make them more potent or contagious for research purposes. Gain of function research in Wuhan, China, has been at the center of theories about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. “The conduct of this research does not protect us against pandemics as some people might say,” Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters in the Oval Office. “What it does is, there’s always a danger that in doing this research it might leak out just by accident even and cause a pandemic.” Trump also signed an executive order intended to improve domestic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. It streamlines the permitting processes around building pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, among other things. The president has for weeks threatened to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals made overseas, arguing that key drugs should be manufactured domestically so that consumers are not reliant on foreign supply chains. Critics have warned it could lead to increased costs and shortages. “We’re going to have a big announcement next week on some of this kind of thing, but more related to costs,” Trump told reporters.

New executive order targets certain pathogen research; states sue HHS over restructuring -In the latest public health developments at the federal level, President Trump yesterday signed an executive order that would place new restrictions on gain-of-function pathogen research and a group of 20 attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over impacts from cuts and massive restructuring. The executive order was issued just ahead of a new framework for federally funded projects that was set to take effect after an extensive review by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) and policy revisions by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) under the Biden administration. Trump’s executive order said Biden’s policy had insufficient oversight and directs the OSTP to revise or replace it with new regulations, according to the New York Times, which also said the executive order would bar funding for research projects that were deemed dangerous and were conducted in countries of concern. The policy also seeks to oversee research in the United States that isn’t supported by federal funds. In 2014, the Obama administration stopped funding to review research policies, but the first Trump administration lifted the ban in 2017 and put in place a new review process. Andrew Pekosz, PhD, a professor in department of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said on X today that order is full of vague language and is more likely to slow important research than provide greater biosafety and biosecurity. Meanwhile, in a lawsuit filed in Rhode Island yesterday, attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia challenged cuts to the HHS, claiming that major restructuring has cut life-saving programs and put extra burden on states to pay for health crises, the Associated Press reported. The suit said the two rounds of cuts stripped 25% of the HHS workforce, shuttered several agencies, and are impacting states’ ability to test for infectious diseases, respond to measles outbreaks, and track cancer for some groups. The states also said the cuts are impacting states’ ability to make eligibility decisions for medical assistance programs and hampering mental health and tobacco cessation efforts.The states maintain that the administration can’t unilaterally eliminate programs and funding that were appropriated by Congress. The latest suit comes on top of an earlier challenge by a group of 23 states over the administration’s cuts to federal funding for COVID-19 and other public health initiatives.

Targeted grant terminations have affected 694 NIH grants - Targeted grant terminations have affected 694 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, resulting in $1.81 billion in terminated grant funding, according to a research letter published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Michael Liu, M.Phil., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues calculated the number and corresponding funding amounts of terminated NIH grants overall and by institute or center and award type. The proportions of terminated grants and funding dollars were calculated across all previously active grants. The researchers found that 694 NIH grants were terminated across 24 of the 26 institutes and centers that administered active NIH grants between Feb. 28 and April 8, 2025. Of the grants administered by the NIH Clinical Center or the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, none were terminated.The cumulative amount of terminated grant funding was $1.81 billion; at the time of grant termination, 30.0 percent had not been expended. The highest number of grant terminations was seen at Columbia University (157 terminations), followed by Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Emory University, and the University of Michigan (19, 14, 14, and 14 terminations, respectively).The largest number of terminated grants was administered by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (128 and 77 terminations, respectively). Across the 694 terminated grants, 57.6, 20.0, 16.0, and 6.3 percent, respectively, were research project grants, early-career grants, other grants, and center grants, respectively.

Trump nixes CDC infectious disease advisory committee: Report --The Trump administration nixed the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), ending three decades of medical advice used by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) according to NBC. A handful of committee members said the CDC delivered the news about HICPAC’s termination to members Friday, per the outlet. The termination took effect more than a month previously, on March 31, according to a letter reviewed by NBC. HICPAC has made 540 recommendations for infectious disease control and 90 percent of their suggested measures were fully implemented by the CDC, according to NBC’s reporting. The committee provided best practices for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections. They shared guidelines on disinfection and sterilization, environmental infection control and hand hygiene in healthcare settings, among other areas of concern. One fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America who joined HICPAC in January, said the committee was close to finalizing new guidelines for airborne pathogens before the termination, according to the outlet. Government pages related to HICPAC have now been archived and will no longer be updated with new information.

FDA taps critic of COVID policies, drug industry to lead vaccines division - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tapped Vinay Prasad, a prominent critic of federal COVID-19 policies and a proponent of more stringent approval standards, to lead the agency’s vaccines division. Prasad replaces Peter Marks, the longtime leader of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), who resigned in March after clashing with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Dr. Prasad brings the kind of scientific rigor, independence, and transparency we need at CBER — a significant step forward,” FDA Commissioner Martin Makary posted on the social platform X on Tuesday. Prasad was previously an epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He graduated medical school at the University of Chicago and has a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. He is an oncologist and hematologist by training. Prasad is the latest of a series of medical contrarians and critics of COVID-19 measures to join Kennedy’s HHS. Prasad gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic through his social media posts that were highly critical of mask and vaccine mandates, as well as decisions by federal regulators to speed up the availability of vaccine boosters from Pfizer and Moderna. He collaborated with Makary on a paper attacking the recommendation for booster shots in teens and young adults. Tracy Beth Høeg, a sports medicine physician who is now special assistant to Makary, was also one of the authors. Prasad said last year that Marks was “either incompetent or corrupt to authorize a booster without clinical, randomized data.”

RFK Jr.’s new vaccine testing rule agitates industry, experts - When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new requirement for placebo testing on all new vaccines last week, the agency suggested the move would help protect consumers. But medical experts and vaccine makers say wide application of the rule would be an unnecessary drain on time and money, while raising ethical questions by depriving some patients of safe vaccines that could protect them from disease. Akiko Iwasaki, former president of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and director of the Yale School of Medicine Center for Infection and Immunity, told The Hill “it’s unethical to put people on a placebo arm when there is an existing vaccine for a trial like this.” According to an HHS spokesperson, the rule announced last week means “all new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure — a radical departure from past practices.” “Except for the COVID vaccine, none of the vaccines on the CDC’s [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] childhood recommended schedule was tested against an inert placebo, meaning we know very little about the actual risk profiles of these products,” the spokesperson added. Experts have pushed back against this claim about vaccine testing, pointing to various double-blind studies for inoculations against MMR, polio and the flu, among others. The details of how the HHS plans to implement these added tests, including what exactly can be considered a “new vaccine” under this rule, remain unclear. Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials — considered the gold standard for evaluating safety and efficacy — are already conducted when new vaccines are being developed.

Viewpoint: Proposed system for vaccine approval, safety monitoring begs crucial questions | CIDRAP -The public health community read with great interest media reports about proposed changes to vaccine safety monitoring and newly proposed standards for approving new vaccines. The goals outlined in a Washington Post story on the subject are laudable: improving vaccine safety and strengthening the vaccine safety system. We agree with those goals. At the same time, what we read begged more questions about the proposed changes than it answered. Americans need to understand if and how a new and novel system will operate and serve the public better than current standards. Important to this process is a shared understanding of how the current system works. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) oversees two systems: 1) The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which it supervises with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow providers and vaccine manufacturers to report adverse health events following vaccinations; and 2) The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which gives the agency access to electronic health records from 11 healthcare systems around the country, representing more than 10 million people. Whether or not you believe that the current safety infrastructure is optimal, one cannot deny that it has been successful—for decades. Over and over, it has detected the smallest of safety signals, all with the goal of upholding the highest safety standards for vaccines recommended for and used by Americans. In 1976, for example, out of more than 40 million people who received the swine flu vaccine, enhanced safety monitoring quickly uncovered an increased risk of Guilian-Barre syndrome. In 1999, after VAERS detected just nine cases of intussusception, a rare bowel obstruction, following the administration of the first rotavirus vaccine in 500,000 children, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) withdrew its recommendation, and the manufacturer withdrew its license. More recently, in 2021, among millions of people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, VAERS detected a rare but potentially fatal condition that forms blood clots, causing the CDC and FDA to recommend a pause in its use and ultimately issue a preference for mRNA vaccines. And just this year, the CDC was alerted to five cases in which a person was hospitalized with cardiac or neurologic events after receiving the new chikungunya vaccine, prompting the agency to alert providers. VAERS can't determine whether a vaccine caused a particular adverse event, but it can reveal event-reporting trends that may suggest the need for further assessment. In other words, VAERS functions like a smoke detector in alerting to potential dangers that need attention. Thus, we have a system that does work, finding rare cases of serious side effects. Of importance, it's also sensitive enough to turn up safety signals, even those later shown not to be conclusively associated with a vaccine. That happened in 2023, when the VSD picked up on a potential heightened risk of stroke among people older than 65 who received a COVID-19 vaccine. That allowed officials to comb through other databases (VAERS, CMS, and VA) to look for the same issue—a search that did not turn up an increased risk. If the question is, "How can we make the current system even better, given US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's near decade as the leader of an anti-vaccine group?," the burden of proof for solutions is necessarily high. Here are the questions that HHS’s overseers in Congress and Americans need to ask HHS as they hear of plans to "improve" the system:

• What is the detection capacity of this new system? How many cases will you look at to detect an event? One in 1 million? One in 10 million?
• What specific adverse events will you monitor for, and how will they be defined, identified, and reported in a timely way?
• What happens when a unique, unexpected adverse event occurs outside of those you were screening for? How will they be identified?
• If there is a safety signal, how will it be definitively linked to a vaccine?
• Who will alert the vaccine-monitoring system of events? The current system allows providers and manufacturers to log health events after vaccination (VAERS) and individual people to report side effects to the CDC, FDA and CMS vaccine-monitoring systems.
• How will real-world data be used to identify potential unexpected adverse events, and how can they be distinguished from background rates of events that would occur even without vaccination?
• How timely will the system be? Who will monitor it? Who will receive safety flags?
• Who will have access to data for independent analyses?
• If active adverse-event screening is proposed, who will do it? Where and how often?
• How many personnel will be required to do the work?
• How much does the new system cost?

Trump administration cutting Energy Star and climate reporting program - The Trump administration is cutting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program, which highlights energy efficient home appliances, according to sources and images of slides viewed by The Hill. According to one source, at a meeting Monday, staffers were told that Energy Star was being eliminated, as is the Climate Protection Partnerships division that houses it. Staffers were also told that the EPA was cutting its Climate Change division, which includes the agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. This program requires major polluters to report their planet-warming emissions. The Hill also viewed images of slides from a meeting with staffers that listed both the Climate Protection Partnership division and the Climate Change division as “organization and programs eliminated.” The slides noted that staff “may be reassigned to other positions.” “In the briefing we heard that climate work will come to a standstill at EPA,” said Nicole Cantello, president of the AFGE Local 704 , a union representing EPA employees in the Midwest, in an email to The Hill. “EPA’s action is short sighted and disastrous for our people and our planet. With everything the nation is facing in confronting climate change, from dangerous wildfires to uncontrolled flooding, this is the time to ramp up the climate resiliency of our communities,” Cantello added.

More than 100 fired from National Renewable Energy Lab --More than 100 staff members have been fired from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, spokespeople for the lab confirmed Tuesday.A National Renewable Energy Lab spokesperson cited “stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts” in its reason for the firings.“As a result, NREL has experienced workforce impacts affecting 114 employees across the laboratory, including staff from both research and operations, who were involuntarily separated today,” the spokesperson said. However, spokespeople for the lab declined to elaborate on what orders it had received. The National Renewable Energy Lab had nearly 3,700 employees as of 2023, and it is the Energy Department’s primary energy systems lab. The lab has campuses in Colorado, Alaska and Washington, D.C. The job cuts come as the Trump administration has sought to cut staffing across the board — but has also demonstrated a particular distaste for renewable energy. While even under his last administration, Republicans called for an “all of the above” energy strategy, this time around the Trump administration has excluded renewables from its energy emergency declaration and sought to stop or even claw back approvals for wind projects.

DOE shuffles top staff, eyes loans to boost coal - The Department of Energy announced Friday that its new chief of staff will be Carl Coe, who leads the agency’s Department of Government Efficiency team. The move is part of a shuffling of several top officials. Alex Fitzsimmons, the current chief of staff, is the new head of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), according to a DOE press release. CESER is focused on protecting the grid and other energy infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. “The Department of Energy is focused on the need to meet growing energy demand while strengthening the resilience and security of U.S. energy infrastructure against all threats and hazards,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “Alex has served as a critical leader across the Department in our first 100 days, and his expertise and ability to take on complex problems make him the right person to spearhead this important office.” The announcement comes after DOGE’s leader — Tesla CEO Elon Musk — said he would focus more on his businesses in the coming weeks. Tesla’s revenues have plunged in recent months as Musk spearheaded President Donald Trump’s government-slashing efforts, including widespread terminations of contracts and grants and plans to shrink the federal workforce.

Democrats raise alarm over proposed Endangered Species Act definition change -- Senate Democrats are raising the alarm over the proposed change to the definition of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A group, including Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Cory Booker (N.J.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to express concern over the Trump administration’s proposed rule that would loosen federal protections for endangered species. A draft rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) repeals the current definition of “harm” that is prohibited under the ESA. Currently, agencies interpret harm to include damage to species’ habitat, but the Trump administration is trying to change that aspect of the rule. It would loosen restrictions on industrial activities that could damage an endangered animal’s habitat, even if the animal itself is not harmed. In their letter, the Democrats argue that the administration’s reading of the statute presents an “end run around” of the ESA and “completely negates” Congress’s intent when it passed the act in 1973 to protect endangered species from going extinct. The lawmakers note that it’s been stated previously that loss of habitat is the primary driver of species extinction. They argue that it’s “puzzling” why agencies under the Trump administration will allow habitats to be degraded. The Democrats also question how the ESA will be enforced and implemented at all, particularly after the FWS and NOAA have undergone significant staffing changes under the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency’s federal workforce cuts. They are requesting the answers to several questions, including which external stakeholders proposed the new rule, what analysis do the agencies have to back up the rule, and more. “Protecting wildlife should not be a partisan issue, and wildlife and the habitats they depend on generate innumerable benefits for humanity, including providing stability for our food systems and clean air and water,” the Democrats concluded. “It is important that the administration not lose sight of Congress’s intent when it passed the Act.” When reached for comment, the Interior Department said it does not comment on congressional correspondence through the media, but it “takes all correspondence from Congress seriously and carefully reviews each matter.”

McMahon says Harvard is no longer eligible for new federal research grants -Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Harvard on Monday telling the university it will no longer be eligible for new research grants from the government as it and the Trump administration do battle on multiple fronts. The Ivy League school will no longer be eligible for new grants until it can “demonstrate responsible management,” a senior Education Department official said on a call with reporters. “It’ll explain that public confidence in higher education as a sector is at an all time low, and that’s really because of all the essential terrible behavior at institutions like Harvard,” the official said. The pause will only be on new research funding, according to the official, and will not impact other funding such as federal student aid. McMahon lists four aspects Harvard will have to correct in order to be able to apply for new grants: problems with antisemitism, alleged race-based discrimination happening at the Harvard Law Review, the “abandonment of rigor and academic excellence” and a lack of “viewpoint diversity” on campus. “The bottom line of the letter is the Trump administration won’t stand by as taxpayer dollars are used to support policies that tolerate antisemitism or that support racist policies,” the senior department official said.

As Trump battles elite colleges, House GOP looks to hike endowment tax by at least tenfold (AP) — President Donald Trump’s feud with America’s elite universities is lending momentum to Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to increase a tax on wealthy college endowments by tenfold or more. House Republicans already were considering a hike in the tax on college endowments’ earnings from 1.4% to 14% as part of Trump’s tax bill. As the president raises the stakes in his fight with Harvard, Columbia and other Ivy League schools, lawmakers are floating raising the rate as high as 21% in line with the corporate tax rate. It appears no decisions have been made. In a letter blocking Harvard from new funding on Monday, the Trump administration drew attention to the school’s “largely tax-free” $53 billion endowment, noting it’s bigger than some nations’ economies. Trump previously said he wants to see Harvard stripped of its tax-exempt status as he presses for reforms at colleges he accuses of “indoctrinating” students with “radical left” ideas. Similar rhetoric has been echoed by Republican lawmakers who question why wealthy colleges get tax breaks that businesses don’t. In a letter to Brown University last month, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, who has proposed legislation with the higher rate, said lawmakers are concerned about the priorities of universities that operate in a “largely tax-free” world. He questioned whether their endowments contribute to the public good. Republicans appear to be chipping away at the long-held notion that colleges provide the kind of public benefit that deserves to be protected from heavy taxation. And it’s happening just as the House looks to cut or offset $1.5 trillion in spending as part of the president’s sweeping tax bill.

Millions of Americans face garnishment and the seizure of benefits as the US Department of Education begins pursuing student loan debtors - As of May 5, the US federal government officially began collection measures against former students in default on their student loans. Approximately 195,000 borrowers were sent a 30-day notice letter from the Treasury Department, notifying them that federal benefits are subject to seizure. Approximately 43 million Americans owe nearly $1.7 trillion in student loans, with 5.3 million currently in default. Later this summer, all individuals in default will receive garnishment letters with a 30-day notice before up to 15 percent of their wages and benefits may be seized. This includes Social Security payments for some 450,000 borrowers ages 62 and older with defaulted loans. In addition to the 5.3 million Americans already in default on their student loans, nearly 5 million more borrowers are experiencing various stages of payment delinquency. Secretary of Education billionaire Linda McMahon announced the government’s draconian measures with all the hypocrisy of the Biblical “serpent’s tongue,” saying the Trump administration is beginning, “to help defaulted borrowers back into repayment…” The consequences of this “help” for borrowers are staggering. Families will be forced to cut back on food and other necessities. And millions will likely experience significant drops in their credit scores, making home or even auto ownership difficult or impossible for years. The magnitude of the student loan crisis has been cited by commentators as a factor pushing the US economy towards recession. “The bottom line is: it’s not going to be good for the economy, given the current economic situation that’s already precarious,” said Scott Imberman, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. “It’s an additional weight that you’re putting on until we tip into a potential recession.” There is little loan repayment relief in place for workers and young people struggling with low-wage jobs and rising prices. The Department of Education’s two options are Loan Consolidation and Loan Rehabilitation, both inherently predatory. Consolidation capitalizes all interest and significantly inflates the debtors’ principal balance. Rehabilitation takes several months, during which students remain unprotected from collections and garnishment.

‘Staggering’ cuts leave Forest Service seeking outside help - The Forest Service has lost a quarter of its non-fire-related workforce to the Trump administration’s downsizing, further eroding the agency’s ability to care for the country’s 193 million acres of national forest. The updated statistic, provided by acting Associate Chief Chris French at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday, illustrates the impact the Forest Service has seen from workforce reductions this year and offers hints about challenges heading into wildfire season. In total, the Forest Service has seen around 5,000 people take voluntary departures, including through a deferred resignation offer that allows workers to quit and be paid through September. That number doesn’t include wildland firefighters, who weren’t allowed to take the offer. It also doesn’t include some employees older than 40 who have until later this month to decide on leaving voluntarily, according to Forest Service employees familiar with the plan. But it could include probationary employees who were fired earlier this year, then reinstated and put on administrative leave.

Trump overturns Biden-era efficiency rules for household and commercial appliances - President Trump late Friday afternoon signed four pieces of legislation that overturn Biden-era efficiency rules. Three of the Biden administration regulations overturned by Trump had sought to improve efficiency for household water heaters, walk in freezers and commercial refrigerators and freezers. Trump also overturned a Biden-era rule related to labeling requirements for consumer products. A tool called the Congressional Review Act (CRA) allows Congress, with the president’s approval, to undo recently passed regulations. The CRA is most commonly used at the start of a new administration to undo regulations issued at the end of the last administration. Trump has repeatedly criticized appliance efficiency regulations, calling them an attack on consumer choice. Democrats who support these regulations say they are good for both climate change and consumers’ energy bills.

Moment of truth nears on green credits, climate cuts - The fate of hundreds of billions’ worth of clean energy tax credits is among the last unresolved big-ticket items Republicans are hashing out before a series of planned committee markups on their big budget bill.The Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means committees are hoping to advance their versions of the party-line tax and spending package next week. Language could begin trickling out as soon as this weekend.But negotiators say haggling is still happening on what to do with renewable energy incentives and other credits from the 2022 climate law.“I’ve heard from people in Ways and Means there is a lot of disagreement in the room,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who has been helping lead the charge to protect at least some of the credits. “It’s one of the things that’s the most contentious in the room.” Seeking to influence the deliberations, Garbarino and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) introduced the “Certainty for Our Energy Future Act.” It would phase out solar and wind incentives, disqualify companies tied to foreign adversaries, and continue the practice used by banks and other third parties known as “transferability.” “By responsibly phasing out subsidies for technologies like wind and solar, and ensuring foreign adversaries like China and Russia can’t exploit American tax benefits, we are safeguarding both our energy independence and our taxpayers,” Kiggans said in a press release.Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse of Washington, David Valadao of California and Mark Amodei of Nevada also signed onto the legislation.“The goal was to find a place that people could live with,” said a Kiggans aide granted anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.The aide said the lawmakers sought input from trade associations like the Edison Electric Institute and the American Clean Power Association, and both support the bill. Kiggans and Garbarino have been among a group of 20 or so members publicly calling for GOP leaders to preserve some Inflation Reduction Act provisions. They are up against hard-liners who want to see deep spending cuts and who have called for full repeal of what President Donald Trump likes to call the “Green New Scam.”The issue appears to remain unsettled. Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) was planning to head to the White House on Friday to meet with the president, according to POLITICO.The pro-IRA members have become increasingly specific in their requests. Two letters sent to Smith on Thursday — one led by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and another by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) — called for protecting the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (48E), the Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit (45Y) and the Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (45X).“We respectfully urge the Committee to maintain Section 45X in its current form,” the Ciscomani letter reads. “This policy exemplifies effective tax legislation — targeted, impactful, and aligned with our national interests. By continuing this successful program, we reinforce the America First agenda and help secure American manufacturing leadership for generations to come.”Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak and Sen. Kevin Cramer — both former North Dakota state regulators — are lobbying to phase out wind and solar investment and production credits in favor of technologies like nuclear, carbon capture for fossil fuels and geothermal.“With these very generous production tax credits, it’s hard for investors to put their money anywhere else,” Fedorchak said of wind and solar subsidies. “So I think it’s time to phase them out. They are not developmental technologies anymore. They are market proven. They are widely available on the grid. … I think they worked. Seventeen percent of the grid’s resources are wind and solar.”

Ocasio-Cortez passes on top Oversight Committee position bid -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Monday said she will not run for the top Democratic spot on the House Oversight Committee, passing on the opportunity as Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the current ranking member of the panel, prepares to step down from the post.Ocasio-Cortez, who was seen as a potential successor to Connolly, suggested that she was opting out of the race because the caucus tends to value seniority when selecting top committee posts, which was evident in her loss to Connolly for the job late last year.“It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the Caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I’ll be staying put at Energy and Commerce,” she told reporters.When asked by NBC News how she came to that decision, Ocasio-Cortez once again pointed to the seniority dynamic in the House Democratic Caucus.“I’ve had a lot of conversations across the caucus and I’ve been very grateful for the support that’s been extended, but at the end of the day a lot of this has to do with the dynamics around seniority in the Caucus and I just, from a lot of the conversations that I’ve had, I just think that those dynamics would not be fundamentally changed in the race at this time,” she responded.Ocasio-Cortez’s decision comes months after the New York Democrat, a more junior member, unsuccessfully ran for the top Democratic spot on the Oversight Committee, losing to Connolly, a veteran lawmaker, in a 131-84 vote.The position, however, is poised to open back up. Connolly announced last week that he would step down from his position atop the Oversight Committee, citing the return of his esophageal cancer. It remains unclear when Connolly plans to formally leave the position. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), another senior member of the panel, was selected by Connolly to serve as interim ranking member for the indefinite future.

Lawler town hall devolves into chaos-Rep. Mike Lawler’s (R-N.Y.) town hall in his suburban swing district devolved into chaos Sunday evening as attendees lobbed boos and questions about President Trump before some were removed by law enforcement. Lawler’s office required attendees to RSVP and set up ground rules, including that they live in the lawmaker’s district, do not record the event, refrain from shouting or standing and be respectful of one another, staff members and Lawler, The Associated Press reported. Some Republican lawmakers have shifted away from hosting town hall events in their districts, as the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency and the actions from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been met with frustration from some voters, leading to fiery in-person events. Lawler, who has floated the idea of running for New York governor, has sought to speak with voters and host town halls against advice from the Republican Party. Sunday’s event was his second recently, and more are scheduled in the future, the AP noted. It was unclear what caused the event to spiral, according to the news service, but at one point Lawler was responding to a question about Trump’s tariff plan when security and law enforcement surrounded a woman. The crowd chanted to “let her stay,” but she was picked up and carried out of the auditorium. According to video shared online by ABC News, the woman told security she was not leaving. Law enforcement later picked her up, and the crowd erupted in boos. The woman held up a peace sign with her fingers. “This is antidemocratic!” one person shouted as the woman was carried out. The crowd then began chanting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” Lawler and his staff tried to rein in the crowd, but attendees drowned them out in the video clip, which ends with Lawler saying, “Folks, tariffs are way more complicated than you…” before it cuts off. “The attendee was asked to leave after repeatedly engaging in abusive and combative behavior with staff, and disrupting nearby attendees,” Lawler spokesperson Ciro Riccardi said in a statement to The Hill. “She was escorted from the auditorium when she continually refused to comply with New York State Troopers.”

GOP senators fear Marjorie Taylor Greene will cost them Georgia Senate race -Republican senators are waving off firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) from jumping into next year’s Georgia Senate race, voicing concerns that some of the “crazy” things she’s said might come back to hurt her in a general election race against vulnerable Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.). Greene says she is looking seriously at either running for governor or for Senate in 2026 and expressed confidence that she could win a primary contest. GOP senators acknowledge she would have a good shot at winning the nomination given her national prominence and solid standing with many supporters of President Trump. Those chances got a boost this week when Gov. Brian Kemp (R), Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) top recruit for the race, said he won’t challenge Ossoff. Republican senators fear that Greene, who has a knack for making headlines with controversial comments and generating enthusiasm from MAGA voters, could march to the nomination but lose in the general election — like former NFL star Herschel Walker did in the 2022 Georgia Senate race. “We need to have the absolute best candidate, and that includes electability. It’s very difficult to apply a formula for a very gerrymandered, very conservative congressional district into a statewide election with as much diversity as Georgia has,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said when asked whether Greene would be a strong general-election candidate. “That is a swing state that’s pretty independent-minded,” he added. “If I was to put my political science hat on and look at all the criteria, she wouldn’t be high on my list of recruits.” Cramer wrote an essay for Newsweek in 2021 that called out Greene for endorsing some of the “crazier” theories floating around in conservative circles, such as claims that the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington were an inside job, or that the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida was a false flag. He also flagged her suggestion in 2018 that a deadly California wildfire was caused by laser beams from space and that it might have been part of a scheme by wealthy financiers to clear space for a high-speed train line. She later deleted her post from Facebook.

Senators urge Paramount not to settle Trump lawsuit - A group of senators, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is urging media conglomerate Paramount Global to not settle a lawsuit brought against it by President Trump.Trump’s suit, which is in connection with a “60 Minutes” segment featuring an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, serves as a “blatant attempt to intimidate the media and those who speak out against him,” the senators wrote in a letter first reported by Semafor and obtained by The Hill.“Rewarding Trump with tens of millions of dollars for filing this bogus lawsuit will not cause him to back down on his war against the media and a free press,” the lawmakers wrote. “It will only embolden him to shakedown, extort and silence CBS and other media outlets that have the courage to report about issues that Trump may not like.” Lawyers for Paramount and the president reportedly began settlement talks last week, a development that has roiled staffers at CBS News and led to widespread concern the company is trying to curry favor with the administration. Paramount, previously said the president’s lawsuit was an “affront to the First Amendment and is without basis in law or fact,” and that he is trying to “punish a news organization for constitutionally protected editorial judgments they do not like.” Paramount is currently trying to push through a mega-merger with film giant Skydance, a deal worth billions that will need approval from Trump regulators.The saga led to the resignation of a top “60 Minutes” producer last week, even while the program has continued its probing coverage of the Trump administration.

AG Bondi Says FBI Sifting Through "Tens Of Thousands Of Videos" Containing Jeffrey Epstein "With Children Or Child Porn" - Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Wednesday that the FBI is reviewing "tens of thousands of videos of [Jeffrey] Epstein with children or child porn," and that there are "hundreds of victims," as she addressed a question about the delay in releasing the full case files. "No one victim will ever get released. It's just the volume and that's what they're going through right now. The FBI is diligently going through that," Bondi told reporters outside the White House, saying that the sheer volume of evidence is the reason more files have yet to be released. Bondi's comments come after a very lame 'Epstein Files' release in February, in which the DOJ handed out "phase 1" binders to a group of influencers that did not contain any new information. Epstein, the disgraced pedophile financier who was found dead in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, is known to have had extensive recording devices throughout his various properties.During the same presser, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that over 200 alleged child sex predators were arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice. The arrests saw 115 children rescued across the US as part of the "historic" and "unprecedented" joint DOJ / FBI operation, Bondi and Patel said. "These depraved human beings, if convicted, will face the maximum penalty in prison, some life," said Bondi, adding "We will find you. We will arrest you, and we will charge you. If you are online targeting a child, you will not escape us. The FBI and the Department of Justice will come after you. And we will prosecute you." "For the last week, the FBI and DOJ have been quietly surging operations across 55 field offices to take down criminals who target kids," Patel posted on X. "Our agents, support teams and partners did excellent work — rescuing 115 children across the country in the process. Their work undoubtedly saved lives and protected vulnerable kids from further horrific crimes."

What to know about the Real ID deadline --The deadline for Americans to obtain a Real ID is set to arrive Wednesday after years of delays. Starting Wednesday, driver’s licenses that are not Real ID compliant will not be adequate identification to travel on domestic flights and access certain federal facilities, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The policy change comes from recommendations made in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. But with the policy about to be in place, many are still without these IDs and are scrambling to quickly secure one. The Real ID, unlike other forms of identification that people may carry such as some driver’s licenses, has certain security features that better help the federal government detect fraudulent identities. Up Next - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) will "give some thought" into potential Senate run on "The Hill" on NewsNation One defining feature of these IDs that can tell people if theirs is a Real ID is a star in the upper right corner of the card. Otherwise, these IDs will mostly look the same as a driver’s license. Being able to easily board a commercial domestic flight is the most widespread use that people will have for these IDs, as a non-Real ID driver’s license will no longer be enough to have access starting Wednesday. They would also grant access to certain federal facilities such as those for federal agencies.

OpenAI ditches plan to become a for-profit company - OpenAI will reverse course on its plans to convert into a for-profit business, announcing on Monday its nonprofit will continue to have control of the artificial intelligence firm. In a Monday letter to employees, CEO and co-founder Sam Altman said the company decided for the nonprofit to stay in control after hearing from civic leaders and holding discussions with the Attorney General Offices in California and Delaware. “OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, is today a nonprofit that oversees and controls the for-profit, and going forward will remain a nonprofit that oversees and controls the for-profit,” Altman wrote. “That will not change. The non-profit’s for-profit arm will transition to a public benefit corporation (PBC) that will “consider the interests of both shareholders and the mission,” Bret Taylor, chair of OpenAI’s nonprofit board, wrote in a blog post Monday. The nonprofit will control the PBC and be a “big shareholder in the PBC,” which will give it the resources for more programs, Altman said. “And as the PBC grows, the nonprofit’s resources will grow, so it can do even more. We’re excited to soon get recommendations from our nonprofit commission on how we can help make sure AI benefits everyone—not just a few,” he said. “Their ideas will focus on how our nonprofit work can support a more democratic AI future, and have real impact in areas like health, education, public services, and scientific discovery. Altman said the structure “makes sense” for OpenAI, which he also said is “not a normal company and never will be.”

The Responsible Lie: How AI Sells Conviction Without Truth - The widespread excitement around generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek, is built on a fundamental misunderstanding. While these systems impress users with articulate responses and seemingly reasoned arguments, the truth is that what appears to be “reasoning” is nothing more than a sophisticated form of mimicry. These models aren’t searching for truth through facts and logical arguments—they’re predicting text based on patterns in the vast datasets they’re “trained” on. That’s not intelligence—and it isn’t reasoning. And if their “training” data is itself biased, then we’ve got real problems. I’m sure it will surprise eager AI users to learn that the architecture at the core of LLMs is fuzzy—and incompatible with structured logic or causality. The thinking isn’t real, it’s simulated, and is not even sequential. What people mistake for understanding is actually statistical association. Much-hyped new features like “chain-of-thought” explanations are tricks designed to impress the user. What users are actually seeing is best described as a kind of rationalization generated after the model has already arrived at its answer via probabilistic prediction. The illusion, however, is powerful enough to make users believe the machine is engaging in genuine deliberation. And this illusion does more than just mislead—it justifies. LLMs are not neutral tools, they are trained on datasets steeped in the biases, fallacies, and dominant ideologies of our time. Their outputs reflect prevailing or popular sentiments, not the best attempt at truth-finding. If popular sentiment on a given subject leans in one direction, politically, then the AI’s answers are likely to do so as well. And when “reasoning” is just an after-the-fact justification of whatever the model has already decided, it becomes a powerful propaganda device. There is no shortage of evidence for this. A recent conversation I initiated with DeepSeek about systemic racism, later uploaded back to the chatbot for self-critique, revealed the model committing (and recognizing!) a barrage of logical fallacies, which were seeded with totally made-up studies and numbers. When challenged, the AI euphemistically termed one of its lies a “hypothetical composite.” When further pressed, DeepSeek apologized for another “misstep,” then adjusted its tactics to match the competence of the opposing argument. This is not a pursuit of accuracy—it’s an exercise in persuasion. A similar debate with Google’s Gemini—the model that became notorious for being laughably woke—involved similar persuasive argumentation. At the end, the model euphemistically acknowledged its argument’s weakness and tacitly confessed its dishonesty. For a user concerned about AI spitting lies, such apparent successes at getting AIs to admit to their mistakes and putting them to shame might appear as cause for optimism. Unfortunately, those attempts at what fans of the Matrix movies would term “red-pilling” have absolutely no therapeutic effect. A model simply plays nice with the user within the confines of that single conversation—keeping its “brain” completely unchanged for the next chat. And the larger the model, the worse this becomes. Research from Cornell University shows that the most advanced models are also the most deceptive, confidently presenting falsehoods that align with popular misconceptions. In the words of Anthropic, a leading AI lab, “advanced reasoning models very often hide their true thought processes, and sometimes do so when their behaviors are explicitly misaligned.” Elon Musk is perhaps the only major figure in the AI space to say publicly that truth-seeking should be important in AI development. Yet even his own product, xAI’s Grok, falls short. In the generative AI space, truth takes a backseat to concerns over “safety,” i.e., avoiding offence in our hyper-sensitive woke world. Truth is treated as merely one aspect of so-called “responsible” design. And the term “responsible AI” has become an umbrella for efforts aimed at ensuring safety, fairness, and inclusivity, which are generally commendable but definitely subjective goals. This focus often overshadows the fundamental necessity for humble truthfulness in AI outputs.LLMs are primarily optimized to produce responses that are helpful and persuasive, not necessarily accurate. This design choice leads to what researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute term “careless speech”—outputs that sound plausible but are often factually incorrect, thereby eroding the foundation of informed discourse.This concern will become increasingly critical as AI continues to permeate society. In the wrong hands, these persuasive, multilingual, personality-flexible models can be deployed to support agendas that do not tolerate dissent well. A tireless digital persuader that never wavers and never admits fault is a totalitarian’s dream. In a system like China’s Social Credit regime, these tools become instruments of ideological enforcement, not enlightenment. Generative AI is undoubtedly a marvel of IT engineering. But let’s be clear: it is not intelligent, not truthful by design, and not neutral in effect. Any claim to the contrary serves only those who benefit from controlling the narrative.

BankThink: The banking industry isn't ready to fight AI-enabled deepfakes --The banking industry and its regulators need to acknowledge the danger presented by ultrarealistic deepfake technology and implement new layers of transaction authentication, writes Shivani Deodhar, of BNP Paribas, in American Banker's BankThink. In early 2024, a Hong Kong-based multinational was defrauded of $25 million after an employee was tricked into joining a video call with what appeared to be the company's CFO and other colleagues. The twist? Every participant on the call except the victim was an AI-generated deepfake. This wasn't a Hollywood heist movie. It was real. The industry and its regulators need to acknowledge the danger presented by ultrarealistic deepfake technology and implement new layers of transaction authentication.

Trump crypto ventures loom over Senate stablecoin vote - President Trump’s recent cryptocurrency dealings are casting a shadow over efforts to pass legislation for the industry at a key moment, as the Senate gears up to vote on a stablecoin bill Thursday. Senate leadership is preparing to hold a vote on the GENIUS Act, which would create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. However, a contingent of crypto-friendly Democrats have threatened to vote it down, accusing Republicans of prematurely cutting off negotiations over the bipartisan bill. The showdown over the stablecoin bill comes as the Trump family’s growing portfolio of crypto projects fuel the legislation’s opponents, who argue it will allow the president and his family to profit from the industry. Crypto investors and advocates who were elated by Trump’s moves to bolster the industry are now growing concerned. “Trump’s not helping himself,” said Nic Carter, a founding partner at crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures, adding, “Everyone I know in crypto is very frustrated by this. It’s like a completely unnecessary own goal.” Trump’s close ties to the crypto industry have raised concerns since before he took office. As the president embraced digital assets on the campaign trail last fall, he and his sons launched their own crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. And shortly before his inauguration, the president and first lady Melania Trump launched meme coins. Both World Liberty Financial and the president’s meme coin have drawn scrutiny once again in recent weeks. Trump is set to attend a dinner with the top investors in his meme coin later this month. The announcement in April, which encouraged participants to “hold as much $TRUMP as you can,” caused the price of the token to spike 60 percent. World Liberty Financial also announced last week that Emirati firm MGX would be using the company’s brand-new stablecoin to conduct a $2 billion transaction with crypto exchange Binance. Democrats have decried the moves as efforts by the president and his family to enrich themselves, calling for ethics investigations into both the meme coin dinner and the World Liberty Financial. They argue that the meme coin and stablecoin can be used by Trump to improperly profit off his office and by outside actors, including foreign actors, to attempt to buy influence with the president. The Trump family owns a 60 percent stake in World Liberty Financial, and a company affiliated with the family receives 75 percent of the revenue collected from its coin sales.

Democrats call for investigation into Trump family crypto deal over potential foreign influence-- Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called on a federal watchdog Monday to launch an inquiry into a recent deal announced by the Trump family’s crypto firm, raising concerns it could create an opening for foreign influence. The company launched by President Trump and his sons, World Liberty Financial, revealed last week that its new stablecoin would be used to complete a $2 billion transaction between Emirati firm MGX and crypto exchange Binance. “The deal, if completed, would represent a staggering conflict of interest, one that may violate the Constitution and open our government to a startling degree of foreign influence and the potential for a quid pro quo that could endanger national security,” Merkley and Warren wrote to Jamieson Greer, acting director of the Office of Government Ethics. The senators argued that World Liberty Financial could be used as “a backdoor for foreign kickbacks and bribes” given its connections to both the Trump family and the Witkoff family. Steve Witkoff currently serves as Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East. His son, Zach Witkoff, is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial. The Trump and Witkoff families will “likely indirectly” receive hundreds of millions of dollars through the transaction, Merkley and Warren warned. “The Trumps and Witkoffs, in essence, are receiving a cut of the deal between an entity of a foreign government, MGX, and a private entity, Binance, with significant business before the U.S. government,” they said. “This creates the potential for significant conflicts of interest.” The senators also underscored their concerns with both parties involved with the deal, noting that Binance previously settled criminal charges with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and has reportedly sought a pardon for its convicted founder. MGX has close ties to the government of the United Arab Emirates through its chairman, who serves as national security advisor and reportedly lobbied the Trump administration for lighter restrictions on advanced chip sales from U.S. companies. “In short, a crypto firm whose founder needs a pardon and a foreign government spymaker coveting sensitive U.S. technology plan to pay the Trump and Witkoff families hundreds of millions of dollars,” Merkley and Warren wrote. “The opportunities for grift – in which the Trump Administration offers favors to the UAE or to Binance in exchange for their massive payouts – are mind-boggling,” they added.

Stablecoin coalition cracks, Democrats threaten filibuster - A bipartisan alliance backing stablecoin legislation shattered in the U.S. Senate as a group of Democrats threatened to filibuster a bill that Republicans had hoped to pass this month — unless "numerous" fixes are made.

Maxine Waters blocks hearing on cryptocurrency legislation - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee plans to block a hearing on cryptocurrency legislation Tuesday over concerns related to President Trump’s growing ties to the industry. Waters will object to the joint hearing between the House Financial Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, a Democratic aide told The Hill. This prevents them from moving forward, as joint hearings require the approval of every member. House Democrats will instead hold their own hearing to investigate Trump’s crypto ventures, including his meme coin and World Liberty Financial.. The move comes after Republican leaders on the two committees released a discussion draft for digital asset market structure legislation. Waters told House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) that she would not approve the joint hearing unless the legislation included provisions to block Trump from profiting from the industry, which he declined to do, according to the staffer. Trump and his family have increasingly expanded their crypto portfolio, as his administration pushes for new rules of the road for the industry. World Liberty Financial, the crypto firm launched by the president and his sons, announced last week that an Emirati firm would use its new stablecoin to conduct a $2 billion transaction with Binance. Trump is set to attend a dinner later this month with the top investors in his meme coin, which he launched shortly before his inauguration. The price of the token, $TRUMP, jumped 60 percent on the news, prompting some Democratic lawmakers to call for an ethics probe. The president and his artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto czar, David Sacks, are also expected to appear at a $1.5 million-a-plate fundraiser with crypto and AI investors Monday. The rebellion by House Democrats is the latest pushback against crypto legislation, threatening to upend Trump and Republicans’ efforts to pass bills establishing a regulatory framework for the industry A group of crypto-friendly Senate Democrats pulled their support for stablecoin legislation over the weekend, after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) sought to expedite a vote on the bill. The senators, several of whom voted to advance the legislation out of the Senate Banking Committee, accused Republicans of attempting to jam through the bill without further negotiations. “It seems they want us to suck it up and vote for this bill without our input,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) wrote in a post on X. “That’s not what we expected during this negotiation and not how I operate. Our statement makes clear we won’t let them jam us. Looking forward to continuing to get this bill to a better place.”

Democrats walk out of House hearing on cryptocurrency legislation - Several House Democrats walked out of a hearing on cryptocurrency legislation Tuesday, after Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) objected over concerns about President Trump’s recent ventures in the digital asset industry. Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, sought to block the joint hearing between the panel and the House Agriculture Committee with her objection, sparking several tense minutes between lawmakers. House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) slammed the move by the ranking member, accusing Waters of throwing a partisan wedge into bipartisan efforts to hash out market structure legislation for digital assets. “Today, the ranking member has expressed concern about the conflicts of interest, which is why she’s disrupted today’s joint hearing,” Hill said Tuesday. “Through her actions today, the ranking member has thrown partisanship into what has historically been a strong, good working bipartisan relationship.” He argued that Waters had received “ample notice” about the joint hearing, noting that they had negotiated witnesses, determined a seating chart and discussed opening statements. “That’s a loss for our committees, the House and the public at large, though most of us that remain in this room will not sit idly by and abandon the urgent work we have before us that our committees have set out to do,” Hill added. Given the need for unanimous consent, lawmakers could not continue with an official joint hearing. However, House Republicans, as well as some Democrats, opted to remain and hold a more informal roundtable with the witnesses, who had already assembled in the hearing room. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), ranking member on the House Financial Services Digital Assets Subcommittee, sought to lay out Democrats’ concerns with Trump’s recent crypto moves. However, he was cut off, as Republicans attempted to recognize Waters’ objection and move forward with their roundtable. “It’s too bad for the ranking member that this is not a hearing,” Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said. “If it was a hearing, the ranking member would be protected by House rules.” Several House Democrats left the hearing room as the roundtable got underway to hold a separate hearing on Trump’s crypto ties. As the president and his family have increasingly expanded their crypto portfolio, Democratic lawmakers and outside observers have voiced concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Most recently, the Trump family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, announced that its new stablecoin would be used by Emirati firm MGX to conduct a $2 billion transaction with crypto exchange Binance. Lynch, who had an opportunity to finish his remarks once the roundtable began, highlighted concerns about the newly unveiled deal. “I understand crypto. I understand the other issues here,” he said. “But this is a mechanism by which other people outside, foreign interests can actually influence our president. Not just this one, but in the future as well.” The Digital Assets ranking member remained at the hearing, alongside a handful of other Democrats, including Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Craig emphasized the importance of Tuesday’s discussion on market structure legislation while also backing up her Democratic colleagues’ concerns. “This is a really important conversation,” Craig said. “I’m here because I think we need to be engaged and part of the discussion to agree on the rules of the road as they relate to crypto. It isn’t going away, and we have a responsibility to be here and be part of the solution.”

House Democrats block hearing to discuss crypto market — House Democrats, led by House Financial Services Committee ranking member Maxine Waters of California, walked out of a planned joint hearing on cryptocurrency Tuesday, preventing the hearing from taking place. House Financial Services Committee ranking member Maxine Waters, D-Calif., blocked a planned joint hearing on a crypto market structure bill amid concerns about the Trump family's conflicts of interest in cryptocurrency. She led a walkout of committee Democrats from a planned joint hearing on a crypto market structure bill Tuesday.

Democrats block stablecoin bill in blow to crypto -Legislation to create a framework for payment stablecoins failed to clear a key hurdle on the Senate floor Thursday, after several Democrats voted against moving forward with consideration of the bill. Senators voted 48-49 to end debate on a motion to proceed on the GENIUS Act, short of the 60 votes required to move the measure further along the road to final passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) switched his vote from yes to no in a procedural move that allows him to bring the measure up again. Senate Senate Democrats who previously supported the GENIUS Act withdrew support for the bill over the weekend, after Republican leadership sought to fast-track a vote on the legislation. The senators accused Republicans of cutting off negotiations early, arguing that the latest version of the bill lacked strong enough provisions on anti-money laundering, national security and other issues. The two sides have been engaged in negotiations for several days, with some reports of a deal. However, Senate Democrats said Thursday morning that they had still not seen new bill text. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking subcommittee on digital assets, asked for unanimous consent to delay the vote until Monday to give lawmakers more time. His request was ultimately rejected, and the Senate proceeded with the vote.

Stablecoin bill fails procedural vote as Democrats back out - The vote to invoke cloture on the Senate's stablecoin bill failed 48-49, delaying the final passage of the crypto legislation. Senate Banking Committee member Mark Warner, D-Va., voted against cloture on the Senate's version of a stablecoin bill Thursday but kept the door open to taking up the measure in the future.

Regulatory clarity would help tokenized private credit flourish - Private credit has grown from a $230 billion niche in 2008 to a $1.6 trillion powerhouse in 2024. This surge reflects more than investor enthusiasm — it signals a structural response to how capital moves through the economy. Yet despite its growth, private credit remains weighed down by inefficiencies. The opportunity is massive, but the infrastructure supporting it hasn't kept pace. Could tokenization be the unlock? Tokenization is a natural fit for the private credit market, and could help create new investment opportunities. . But regulators must create clear rules of the road, writes Anurag Arjun, of Avail.

Fed defends stress test authority even as it explores changes -The Federal Reserve is taking a two-track approach to stress testing reform — proposing changes to the process while also arguing in court that it is not obligated to do so. Despite its commitment to change its stress testing program, the Federal Reserve is defending its current practices in court. That argument raises thorny legal questions about whether stress tests are more like rules or adjudications.

Senate Banking Committee advances Bowman nomination -- The Senate Banking Committee voted on party lines to recommend Michelle Bowman as the Federal Reserve's vice chair for supervision to the full Senate. In a party-line vote, the committee sent the nomination of Michelle Bowman as the Federal Reserve's vice chair of supervision to the full Senate.

Bessent defends temporary FDIC chair, seeks permanent pick - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent backed acting FDIC Chair Travis Hill before a House committee on Wednesday, calling extended acting tenures not unusual but signaled he's willing to name a permanent chair in the future. The Treasury secretary tells the House Financial Services Committee that he is vetting candidates to fill the role and says acting Chair Travis Hill has been effective.

Senate votes to overturn OCC rule on bank-merger review - The Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's rules on bank mergers passed 52-47. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said his Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal a Biden-era merger rule by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would "stabilize the banking industry and protect the Americans who depend on strong banks."

Bessent: Private credit boom shows banks are overregulated - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Monday said the rapid growth of private credit signals that traditional banks are being too tightly constrained, reinforcing his push to ease regulatory limits on the financial system. Bessent argued that tight bank regulations are driving the growth of private credit, which he thinks reinforces the case for deregulation.

State regulators urge OCC to rescind preemption rules - The Conference of State Bank Supervisors Thursday urged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to revisit its current preemption regulations — issued in 2011 — arguing they defy both the law and a recent executive order from President Trump. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors says the OCC's 2011 preemption rules are out of step with Supreme Court rulings and unfairly disadvantage the state banking system.

McKernan tapped for Treasury post, CFPB future unclear -— Jonathan McKernan, who is awaiting final confirmation as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will also be nominated in a key Treasury bank regulation post, the Treasury Department said. The Trump administration says it will nominate Jonathan McKernan to serve as Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance. McKernan has already been nominated as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

How banks and fintechs are targeting credit to Gen Z - Members of Generation Z, which is often defined to include Americans born between 1997 and 2012, represent about 20% of the U.S. population. Navy Federal Credit Union is among the financial institutions that see an opportunity to serve the 20% of Americans born between 1997 and 2012.

CFPB to amend or reissue 1033 open banking rule, experts say --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is expected to amend, or rescind and reissue, the rule on consumer financial data rights, potentially throwing out years of work under the Biden administration on a regulation that banks have long opposed, experts say. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Trump plans to make changes to the rule governing consumer financial data rights despite rare bipartisan support for the regulation.

CFPB wins rare judgment over student loan debt relief firm — A federal judge has ordered a now-defunct debt relief provider to pay roughly $43 million in restitution over a case brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, alleging that the firm deceived student borrowers. A federal judge has ordered FDATR, a now-defunct student loan debt relief provider, to pay $43 million in restitution and fees, bucking the trend of cases brought by the Biden administration-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau being dropped.

Chainsaws have no place in financial services regulation - Have you heard about the government agency led by a guy holding a chainsaw as he promises dramatic cuts in regulation? The last time someone decided to gut a major financial services regulatory agency, we got the Great Recession. DOGE cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could trigger similar pain, writes Jeff Sovern, of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Elon Musk's new Texas towns, Starbase and Snailbrook -- On Saturday, an electorate of Space X employees in South Texas voted to create the new town of Starbase and elect fellow employees as its mayor and city commissioners.That nearly unanimous vote made Elon Musk — in addition to the world’s richest man and the head of the DOGE initiative reshaping the federal government — the employer of the entire government of what amounts to a SpaceX company town.“Starbase, Texas,” Musk posted on X, “is now a real city!” It is unlikely to be his last. The establishment of Starbase on the southern tip of Texas as the state’s newest town comes amid the quiet buildout of a colony just outside of Austin — one deeply tied to Musk’s plans for the colonization of Mars.The community of Snailbrook — which boasts more than a hundred homes, a grocery store and a Montessori school called Ad Astra, Latin for “to the stars” — represents Musk’s move to consolidate his industrial and political power in central Texas. Snailbrook’s development comes amid repeated fines and complaints by Texas cities and environmental regulators, which have found that Musk’s companies repeatedly dump industrial waste into lakes, rivers and wetlands surrounding his facilities across the state. It’s also part of a grand vision.“If successful, this model could be scaled and replicated — influencing future tech hubs globally — a vision for expansion,” all-Musk news channel Muskuniverse reported in November. “The bigger plan for Bastrop is Snailbrook.”Just 30 minutes east of Austin, Snailbrook is set to begin a new phase of rapid expansion by year’s end, a report by Dallas-based public radio station KERA found in February.Musk and associates view the town, which arose from conversations with his former girlfriend Grimes and the singer Kanye West, as “a sort of Texas utopia,” The Wall Street Journal first reported in 2023. Since then, the new settlement, which sits on unincorporated land in Bastrop County, is near a growing zone of Musk-owned industries.The settlement sits near the headquarters for Musk’s The Boring Company, which digs tunnels; an expanding SpaceX manufacturing facility that makes the company’s Starlink internet kits and the new headquarters for X.It’s also about 15 miles east of Tesla’s Gigafactory and the new headquarters of Neuralink, Musk’s brain-to-computer startup.In Texas, just 200 residents are needed to incorporate, as Starbase did on Saturday. As soon as a deal to link the new settlement to Bastrop’s wastewater line goes through in the next year, Carrillo-Trevino said, it will grow far larger.

BankThink: Blaming consumers for 'mortgage fraud' won't solve our housing crisis -- When mortgage "fraud" becomes the headline, real solutions for America's housing crisis get pushed to the margins. The FHFA should be using its considerable powers to encourage real solutions, writes Sharon Cornelissen, of the Consumer Federation of America. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is trying to blame mortgage fraud for our housing crisis — but this is a distraction that won't build more homes or lower mortgage rates. In his rapid-fire announcements on X, Trump appointee Director Bill Pulte posted that he fired 100 Fannie Mae employees for alleged mortgage fraud and set up a dedicated hotline to encourage whistleblowers to identify people who have falsely filled out mortgage applications. Recently, he also indicated he would like to "recall loans" where they have found deception. While FHFA has provided few details, Pulte has framed these actions under the political slogan of rooting out "waste, fraud, and abuse." When supposed "fraud" becomes the headline, real solutions get pushed to the margins. In the case of housing, the real crisis is about housing affordability and supply.

ICE Mortgage Monitor: Home Prices Continue to Cool --Here is the ICE April Mortgage Monitor report (pdf). Press Release: ICE Mortgage Monitor: First-Time Homebuyers Comprise Record Share of Agency Purchase Lending in Q1 2025 - Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. … today released its May 2025 Mortgage Monitor Report, which delves into the rising share of first-time and Gen Z homebuyer participation in the mortgage market. Notably, first-time homebuyers (FTHBs) accounted for a record share of agency purchase lending in Q1 2025 as higher interest rates continued to dampen repeat buyer participation in the market. At the same time, Gen Z buyers made substantial gains in more affordable states, while FHA loans regained popularity as a critical tool for affordability-minded homebuyers. Highlights from the May 2025 Mortgage Monitor include:

• First-time homebuyers are driving a record share of agency purchase lending. FTHBs made up 58% of such purchase lending in Q1 2025 – the highest share on record. Notably, while repeat-buyer activity has softened markedly from pre-pandemic levels – with originations among this group down 31% compared to 2018 and 2019 – FTHB volume has seen less compression, declining only 19%. In fact, purchase lending overall has made up a larger share of issuance in recent years, with purchase loans accounting for a record 82% of agency lending in 2023, more than 75% last year, and nearly three-quarters in Q1 2025
• Gen Z accounts for one in four loans issued to first-time homebuyers. Younger buyers are also starting to reshape the homeownership landscape. Gen Z, the oldest of whom are 28, accounted for roughly one in four FTHB mortgage originations in Q1 2025. Gen Z participation is higher in lower-cost markets, with Indiana, South Dakota, and Kentucky seeing Gen Z shares top 30% of FTHB activity. However, affordability challenges continue to constrain Gen Z participation in higher-priced coastal markets. D.C. has the lowest share of Gen Z buyers, with a mere 7% of all purchase mortgages and 11% among FTHBs. California is close behind, with Gen Z comprising 8% of purchase and 13% of FTHB loans.
• First-time home buyer down payments lag repeat buyers by $80K. With the housing market softening and affordability still a challenge, FTHBs moved increasingly towards FHA loans, which have lower down-payment requirements. ICE Origination Data shows that the average FTHB in March put $49K down on their home purchase, well below the $134K average among repeat buyers. While the average FTHB using a conventional conforming prime loan typical of GSE securitizations provided a $77K down payment, FTHBs financing with FHA loans put down significantly less ($16K). FTHBs who qualified for VA mortgages had even lower average down payments of just under $10K.
• eMBS performance trends show first-time homebuyers had slower prepayments but higher defaults. While performance can vary significantly by cohort, ICE eMBS data reveals two trends that are notable given increased exposure to FTHB purchase loans in recent vintages. For one, prepayment speeds among loans to FTHBs tend to run noticeably slower than loans to repeat buyers. Also, FTHBs tend to be more prone to default, though this trend can vary significantly across vintages, cohorts and investor classes.

Here is a graph of the national delinquency rate from ICE. Overall delinquencies decreased in March and are below the pre-pandemic levels. Source: ICE McDash

• The national delinquency rate dropped -32 basis points (bps) to 3.21% in March – the lowest since May 2024 – up a modest 0.4% (1 bp) from the same month a year ago (which was higher than typical due to a Sunday month-end) and only 29 bps above the 2.92% record low set in March 2023
• The MoM improvement in delinquencies, at -8.9%, fell slightly short of the typical seasonal average of -10.4%
• While delinquencies overall remain well below pre-pandemic levels, serious delinquencies (SDQ) continue to tick modestly higher, rising by 14% (+60K) since March 2024, with the rise almost entirely attributable to FHA loans
• Effects of disaster events have pushed delinquency rates up YoY in many states, including Florida (+44 bps), South Carolina (+17 bps), Georgia (+14 bps) and California (+10 bps)

Active foreclosures increased - mostly due to the pickup following the end of the VA foreclosure moratorium. This is still below pre-pandemic levels.

• Foreclosure activity is slowly beginning to tick higher, with 213K loans in active foreclosure at the end of Q1 2025 ‒ up 4% from the same time last year ‒ marking the first annual increase in nearly two years
• VA loans in active foreclosure are up 54% from last year, following the expiration of a year-long foreclosure moratorium; FHA loans in foreclosure are up 11% for the same period
• Foreclosure starts, overall, are up 28% from last March, primarily attributable to the return of VA activity, although both conventional (+12%) and FHA (+5%) foreclosure starts were also modestly higher YoY
• Foreclosure sales continue to run at historically low levels, although March volumes were up 4% from the same time last year marking the first annual rise in more than a year ‒ due to the resumption of VA foreclosure activity

Here is the year-over-year in house prices according to the ICE Home Price Index (HPI). The ICE HPI is a repeat sales index. ICE reports the median price change of the repeat sales. The index was up 2.4% year-over-year in March, down from 3.5% YoY in February. The early look at the April HPI shows a 1.9% YoY increase. There is much more in the mortgage monitor.

Mortgage Rates Move Higher After Trade Deal -- Mortgage rates moved back up to the higher levels seen earlier this week after the official announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K.Most lenders actually began the day fairly close to yesterday's latest levels, but were ultimately forced to raise rates in response to weakness in the bond market. The rationale for this market reaction can be debated. Some market watchers conclude that a trade deal is simply "good for stocks and bad for bonds" because it's economically bullish. While that sentiment CAN account for some of the movement, it's not the whole story. Bonds (which dictate rates) have specific concerns regarding inflation, foreign demand, and issuance needs. These are high level topics that are beyond the scope of a daily mortgage rate recap, but suffice it to say "rates have a lot on their minds" when it comes to how trade policy shakes out. Unfortunately, it's sort of a no win situation in the short term. The only exception would have been a full exemption from tariffs. In the bigger picture, today's mortgage rate increase is unremarkable--sort of average--and it leaves the rate index well below the early April highs, despite being well above the range seen during the month of March.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey -- From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 11.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 2, 2025. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 11.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 12 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 11 percent from the previous week and was 51 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 11 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 12 percent compared with the previous week and was 13 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “The economic news last week included a negative reading for first-quarter GDP growth and further signs of contraction in the manufacturing sector, mixed with a solid employment report for April. The net impact on mortgage rates was mostly downward but just back to levels from early April. The 30-year fixed rate declined to 6.84 percent,” . “Conventional purchase application volume increased 13 percent and was up 9 percent from year-ago levels, a surprisingly strong move given lingering economic uncertainty. Borrowers of conventional loans tend to have larger loan sizes and more apt to be move-up buyers. Government purchase loans were also up 6 percent for the week, led by a 9 percent growth in FHA purchase applications.” “With rates moving lower, refinance volume increased 11 percent, led by VA refinance applications, which were up 26 percent.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.84 percent from 6.89 percent, with points increasing to 0.68 from 0.67 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate decreased from last week. The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index. According to the MBA, purchase activity is up 13% year-over-year unadjusted. Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly). Purchase application activity is up from the lows in late October 2023 and is 8% above the lowest levels during the housing bust. The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.The refinance index increased but remained very low.

Housing May 4th Weekly Update: Inventory up 2.1% Week-over-week, Up 32.9% Year-over-year -- Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 2.1% week-over-week.Inventory is now up 19.2% from the seasonal bottom in January and is increasing. Usually, inventory is up about 10% from the seasonal low by this week in the year. So, 2025 is seeing a larger than normal pickup in inventory.The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015.The red line is for 2025. The black line is for 2019. Inventory was up 32.9% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 31.0%), and down 16.0% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 16.1%). Inventory passed 2020 same week levels this week and is also above the peak for last year (2024). It now appears inventory will be close to 2019 levels towards the end of 2025.This second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of May 2nd, inventory was at 744 thousand (7-day average), compared to 729 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data regularly on Youtube

Realtor.com Reports Most Actively "For Sale" Inventory since 2019 - On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For May, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 30.6% YoY, but still down 16.3% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 31.1% YoY.
Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends View—Data for Week Ending May 3, 2025
• Active inventory climbed 31.1% year-over-year
The number of homes actively for sale remains on a strong upward trajectory, now 31.1% higher than this time last year. This represents the 78th consecutive week of annual gains in inventory. There were more than 1 million homes for sale last week, crossing this threshold for the first time since December 2019.
• New listings—a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale—rebounded, rising 9.3% year-over-year
New listings picked up last week, rising 9.3% compared to a year ago. The momentum from earlier this spring is still going strong, pointing to a lively market heading into late spring and early summer. Last week boasted the highest number of new listings since mid-2022.
• The median list price was up 0.9% year-over-year
Home prices posted another slight gain this week, with the national median listing price rising 0.9% year-over-year. Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in inventory according to realtor.com. Inventory was up year-over-year for the 78th consecutive week. New listings were the highest since 2022.Median list prices are up slightly year-over-year.

Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year --Today, in the Real Estate Newsletter: Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year Brief excerpt: Another monthly update on rents. Tracking rents is important for understanding the dynamics of the housing market. Slower household formation and increased supply (more multi-family completions) has kept asking rents under pressure. More recently, immigration policy has become a negative for rentals. Apartment List: Asking Rent Growth -0.3% Year-over-year ... On the supply side of the rental market, our national vacancy index ticked up to 7 percent, setting a new record high in the history of that monthly data series, which goes back to the start of 2017. After a historic tightening in 2021, multifamily occupancy has been slowly but consistently easing for over three years amid an influx of new inventory. 2024 saw the most new apartment completions since the mid-1980s, and although we’re past the peak of new multifamily construction, this year is still expected to bring a robust level of new supply. Realtor.com: 20th Consecutive Month with Year-over-year Decline in Rents In March 2025, the U.S. median rent recorded its 20th consecutive year-over-year decline, dropping 1.2% for 0-2 bedroom properties across the 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Leading Index for Commercial Real Estate Increased 1% in April - From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Increases 1% in April - The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, grew 0.9% in April to 205.1 (2000=100) from the downwardly revised March reading of 203.1. Over the month, commercial planning grew 3.3% while institutional planning fell 4.2%. “Despite an uptick in April, the bulk of the DMI’s growth was driven by a surge in data center planning, while momentum in other nonresidential sectors lagged behind,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “Owners and developers are navigating heightened economic and policy uncertainty, which likely bogged down much of this month’s planning activity.” A wave of data center projects entering planning played a key role in boosting commercial growth. Without data centers, commercial planning would have receded 2.3% in April and the entire DMI would have receded 3.0%. Office and hotel planning saw a sharp retreat this month, while warehouse and retail planning modestly ticked up. On the institutional side, planning momentum waned for education, healthcare, and government buildings. This was slightly offset by an uptick in recreational projects. ... The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. This graph shows the Dodge Momentum Index since 2002. The index was at 205.1 in April, up from 220.9 the previous month. According to Dodge, this index leads "construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year". This index suggests a pickup in mid-2025, however, uncertainty might impact these projects. Commercial construction is typically a lagging economic indicator.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Decreased 1.0% Year-over-year -From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 26 April -- The U.S. hotel industry reported mixed year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 26 April. ...
20-26 April 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024):
• Occupancy: 65.1% (-1.0%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$161.98 (+4.2%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$105.40 (+3.2%)
The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average.
The red line is for 2025, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2024. Dashed purple is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking below both last year and the median rate for the period 2000 through 2024 (Blue).The 4-week average will mostly move sideways until the summer travel season. We will likely see a hit to occupancy during the summer months due to less international tourism.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Increased 1.8% Year-over-year - From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 3 May - The U.S. hotel industry reported positive year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 3 May. ... 27 April through 3 May 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024):
• Occupancy: 65.8% (+1.8%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$164.33 (+2.2%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$108.06 (+4.1%)
Performance growth was lifted early in the week on the positive side of the Passover calendar shift.
The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average.
The red line is for 2025, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2024. Dashed purple is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking below both last year and is close to the median rate for the period 2000 through 2024 (Blue). The 4-week average will mostly move sideways until the summer travel season. We will likely see a hit to occupancy during the summer months due to less international tourism.

TSA: Airline Travel Unchanged YoY -- Anecdotally, I've heard that airlines ticket prices are falling. That suggests less travel. Also, the Real ID restrictions go in place tomorrow, and that might impact domestic airline travel. This is also something to watch with less international travel. Here are the daily travel numbers from the TSA. This data is as of May 5, 2025. This data shows the 7-day average of daily total traveler throughput from the TSA (Blue).Air travel is essentially unchanged YoY (up about 0.3% YoY). The red line is the percent of 2019 for the seven-day average. Air travel - as a percent of 2019 - is up about 4% from pre-pandemic levels.

Trade Deficit increased to $140.5 Billion in March -The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported:The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $140.5 billion in March, up $17.3 billion from $123.2 billion in February, revised. March exports were $278.5 billion, $0.5 billion more than February exports. March imports were $419.0 billion, $17.8 billion more than February imports. Exports and imports increased in March. Exports were up 6.7% year-over-year; imports were up 27.1% year-over-year. Exports have generally increased recently, and imports increased sharply as importers rushed to beat tariffs. The second graph shows the U.S. trade deficit, with and without petroleum. The blue line is the total deficit, and the black line is the petroleum deficit, and the red line is the trade deficit ex-petroleum products. Note that net, exports of petroleum products are positive and have been increasing. The trade deficit with China increased to $17.9 billion from $17.2 billion a year ago. The surge in imports in January through March happened as some importers were avoiding the coming tariffs.

Wholesale Used Car Prices Increased in April; Up 4.9% Year-over-year -From Manheim Consulting today: Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Increased in April - Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) were much higher in April compared to March. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) increased to 208.2, an increase of 4.9% from a year ago and also higher than March levels by 2.7%. This is the highest reading for the index since October 2023. The seasonal adjustment dampened the rise seen in the month, as non-seasonally adjusted values increased sharply on the back of the tariff announcement in early April. The non-adjusted price in April increased by 3.3% compared to March, moving the unadjusted average price up 4.3% year over year. This index from Manheim Consulting is based on all completed sales transactions at Manheim’s U.S. auctions.The Manheim index suggests used car prices increased in April (seasonally adjusted) and were up 4.9% YoY. The tariffs are likely making some used cars more attractive.

ISM® Services Index Increased to 51.6% in April -The ISM® Services index was at 51.6%, up from 50.8% last month. The employment index increased to 49.0%, from 46.2%. Note: Above 50 indicates expansion, below 50 in contraction. From the Institute for Supply Management: Services PMI® at 51.6% April 2025 Services ISM® Report On Business® Economic activity in the services sector expanded for the 10th consecutive month in April, The Services PMI® registered 51.6 percent, indicating expansion for the 56th time in 59 months since recovery from the coronavirus pandemic-induced recession began in June 2020. “In April, the Services PMI® registered 51.6 percent, 0.8 percentage point higher than the March figure of 50.8 percent. The Business Activity Index registered 53.7 percent in April, 2.2 percentage points lower than the 55.9 percent recorded in March. This is the index’s 59th consecutive month of expansion. The New Orders Index recorded a reading of 52.3 percent in April, 1.9 percentage points higher than the March figure of 50.4 percent. The Employment Index stayed in contraction territory for the second month in a row; the reading of 49 percent is a 2.8-percentage point increase compared to the 46.2 percent recorded in March.“The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 51.3 percent, 0.7 percentage point higher than the 50.6 percent recorded in March. This is the fifth consecutive month that the index has been in expansion territory, indicating slower supplier delivery performance. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.) “The Prices Index registered 65.1 percent in April, a 4.2-percentage point increase from March’s reading of 60.9 percent and a fifth consecutive reading above 60 percent. The Inventories Index registered its third consecutive month in expansion territory in April, registering 53.4 percent, an increase of 3.1 percentage points from March’s figure of 50.3 percent. The Inventory Sentiment Index expanded for the 24th consecutive month, registering 56.1 percent, down 0.5 percentage point from March’s reading of 56.6 percent. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 48 percent in April, a 0.6-percentage point increase from the March figure of 47.4 percent, indicating contraction for the eighth time in the last nine months.“Eleven industries reported growth in April, a drop of three from the 14 industries reported in January and February. The April reading of 51.6 percent is 1 percentage point below the 12-month average reading of 52.6 percent.”, “ Regarding tariffs, respondents cited actual pricing impacts as concerns, more so than uncertainty and future pressures. Respondents continue to mention federal agency budget cuts as a drag on business, but overall, results are improving.”

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 228,000 - The DOL reported: In the week ending May 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 228,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 241,000. The 4-week moving average was 227,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 226,000. The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971. . nThe dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims increased to 227,000. The previous week was unrevised. Weekly claims were above the consensus forecast.

Consumer Debt Jumps In March As Student Debt Unexpectedly Soars - One month ago, just as our long-running narrative that US consumers had been living with maxed out credit cards for the past year was becoming mainstream, the Fed's February consumer credit data confirmed as much: a huge, 6-sigma miss to expectations of a $15BN print, when the actual number came in at a negative $1BN (and far below the lowest estimate).... ... as a result of both Revolving and non-revolving credit coming in flat or negative. Fast forward to today when amid rising hopes that we would finally get some trend in the soft credit data, the Fed reported that in March, consumer credit... spiked right back to normal, if largely on the back on non-revolving credit. As shown in the chart below, after February $0.6BN contraction, in March consumer credit rose by $10.2BN, just above the $9.4BN expected, and the first time in months consumer credit wasn't a shock outlier either up or down. The composition was familiar: revolving credit (i.e., credit card debt) rose by a modest $1.9BN, better than the $0.3BN drop in February, but excluding that, the lowest print since December. Meanwhile, non-revolving credit jumped by $8.3 billion, the second highest monthly increase since July 2024. Why? Well, the answer is rather bizarre because while auto loans shrank by $10 billion in Q1, the biggest quarterly decline in a decade, it was student debt, that debt which is now causing widespread defaults as millions can not afford to pay it as the moratorium is over, that unexpectedly surged by $22BN in Q1 to $1,797 billion, a new all time high. How realistic is it that in a time when millions of former "students" are about to start defaulting en masse, that it is student loans which are again propelling consumer spending, we keep a close eye on this series because while many expect that the student loan bubble bursting will accelerate the recession, we may be getting just the opposite as Trump takes another page from the Biden playbook and starts firehosing "student" loans to anyone with a pulse who can fog a mirror.

Kentucky boy uses mother's phone to order 70K Dum-Dum suckers to share with his friends -(AP) — A Kentucky woman was in a sticky mess when she found stacks of boxes containing lollipops on her front doorstep. The surprise delivery was ordered by her young son while he played on her phone. Holly LaFavers says she tried stopping 8-year-old Liam’s Amazon order for about 70,000 Dum-Dum suckers before the treats arrived but it was too late. Amazon had already delivered 22 cases to her home. “He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival,” LaFavers said. “Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends.” The surprise got worse after a quick check of her bank account. She owed about $4,000 for the order. “When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted,” LaFavers said. Then she found out that eight more cases from the order were unaccounted for, she said. After a trip to the post office, those cases were returned to sender, she said. Her efforts to get a refund took a bit more time but she got her money back. “After a long day of working with the bank and talking to a few news stations Amazon called and they are refunding my money,” she said in a social media post. LaFavers said she was changing some settings on her phone to make sure there’s never another surprise delivery at home.

Father of Wisconsin teen shooter faces felony arrest charges - The father of a teenage girl who killed a student and teacher at a Christian school in Madison, Wis., in December has been arrested and criminally charged.Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, was charged with two felony counts of intent to sell a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 and one felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.Rupnow’s daughter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, opened fire on Dec. 16, 2024, at Abundant Life Christian School, killing a teacher and a 14-year-old student before killing herself. Six others were injured in the shooting.According to a criminal complaint, Rupnow told police he had given his daughter two handguns as gifts and gave her the access code to his firearm safe. He also said the teenager became interested in guns after he took her shooting on a friend’s land. Rupnow is the latest parent of a school shooter to face charges associated with an attack. Last year, the parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in their role in the attack that killed four students and injured seven others in 2021.

Washington University ejects student and pro-Palestinian art exhibit in St. Louis - On April 7, Max Schreiber, a third-year student at Washington University in St. Louis, was forced to relocate an open-air art display off campus under threat of arrest by campus police. Schreiber had erected a white-painted canvas tent that morning, inviting passersby to write messages in solidarity with the people of Palestine. After several confrontations with both campus police and university administrators, he ultimately moved the display across the street to Forest Park to avoid arrest. Max is a member of Jewish Students for Palestine (JSP), a student organization at Washington University formed shortly before last year’s wave of nonviolent protests, which were violently suppressed on campuses across the country. JSP was formed in opposition to the pro-Zionist Hillel and Chabad organizations on campus, by Jewish students who reported being ostracized for their political views despite sharing the same faith. Members of JSP were present in support of Schreiber and the art display. Julie Flory, vice chancellor for marketing and communication at Washington University, claimed, “(Max) did not have prior approval for this structure, so they were advised to remove it, which they did… There was no need for police to respond.” These are weasel words. Schreiber and those supporting him understood clearly the real consequences of openly expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and opposing the extermination campaign of the Netanyahu regime: violent suppression, the threat of arrest and potential expulsion from campus.

Appeals court orders detained Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk returned to Vermont -A federal appeals court panel Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s request to lift a judge’s order to physically transfer a detained international Tufts University student from Louisiana to Vermont.The administration has swiftly moved foreign-born students it wants to deport to Louisiana, which would route their legal challenges through more friendly judicial venues. Within hours of plainclothes officers arresting Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national and Tufts student who co-authored a pro-Palestinian op-ed in her student newspaper, on March 25 near her Somerville, Mass., home, authorities had moved her to Vermont and then Louisiana.U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III, an appointee of former President Clinton who serves in Vermont, had ruled on April 18 that Öztürk’s legal challenge could proceed in his court, because that’s where she was located when her attorneys filed the petition. Sessions ordered that the government physically return Öztürk to the state as the challenge proceeds.The administration appealed that decision to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which on Wednesday declined to halt the order after hearing oral arguments a day earlier.“Any confusion about where habeas jurisdiction resides arises from the government’s conduct during the twenty-four hours following Öztürk’s arrest,” the panel wrote.The new order sets a May 14 deadline for the government to return Öztürk to Vermont, where she will remain in custody, for now. A bail hearing is set for Friday.

New York University seeks to blackmail 31 students into halting protests against Gaza genocide and the assualt on free speech - In the most recent blatant attack on basic democratic rights on university campuses, New York University School of Law has barred 31 pro-Palestinian law students from accessing campus facilities. The university is demanding that the students sign a contract affirming that they will “not participate in any protest activity or disruptive activity on Law School property” in order to return to campus for final examinations. All 31 students have been deemed “personae non grata” (PNG) by the university for their participation in protest actions on campus against NYU’s attacks on pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. On March 4, law students, members of NYU’s chapter of Law Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP), staged an eight-hour sit-in outside NYU President Linda Mills’ office in the university’s Bobst Library. The students were protesting NYU’s suspension of 13 undergraduate students—and issuing of PNGs to several more students—for participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations in December of last year. After months of stonewalling by the NYU administration, the law students staged their protest action demanding a meeting with Mills to discuss the university’s attacks on student protesters, its position on attacks on immigrants by the Trump administration and its investments in companies with ties to Israel. Later that day, 28 law students who had allegedly participated in the protest action received an email from Craig Jolley, the associate dean of students at NYU, informing them that the protest violated university conduct policy and they had been referred to NYU School of Law’s executive committee for formal disciplinary review. Students were prohibited from accessing the vast majority of university facilities, including residences, health services and religious centers. Exceptions were eventually made for housing, healthcare and other necessities; however, students have reported encountering significant difficulties and delays in accessing these critical services. On April 28, another group of law students met with NYU Law School Dean Troy McKenzie to demand explanations for the issuing of PNG status to their fellow students. Following the meeting, in which students reported receiving “absolutely nothing” from McKenzie, a small group of law students staged a peaceful sit-in outside of McKenzie’s office on April 29. Two days later, three of those law students received PNG notices and were informed that they were being investigated for “particularly egregious” conduct. All 31 PNG students received an email on April 30 informing them that their restrictions to accessing campus facilities and services would continue unless they signed a “Use of Space” agreement allowing access to academic buildings in exchange for a commitment not to participate in protests at the law school. As of this writing, no student has signed the contract. These restrictions will greatly impact students’ academic records. Final examinations, which count for 100 percent of a student’s final grade, began on Monday. All PNG law students are restricted from entering university buildings in which the exams are being held.

Columbia University lays off nearly 180 after Trump pulled $400M over his antisemitism concerns (AP) — Columbia University said Tuesday that it will be laying off nearly 180 staffers in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel $400 million in funding over the Manhattan college’s handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.Those receiving non-renewal or termination notices Tuesday represent about 20% of the employees funded in some manner by the terminated federal grants, the university said in a statement Tuesday.“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” the university said. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”University spokesperson Jessica Murphy declined to say whether more layoffs were expected, but said Columbia is taking a range of steps to create financial flexibility, including maintaining current salary levels and offering voluntary retirement incentives.Research will also be scaled back, with some departments winding down studies and others maintaining some level of research while pursuing alternate funding.The work impacted ranges from a project to develop an antiviral nasal spray for infectious diseases to various scientific studies on maternal mortality and morbidity, treatments for chronic illnesses such as long COVID, caring for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome and screenings for colorectal cancer, according to the university.

McMahon says Harvard is no longer eligible for new federal research grants -Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Harvard on Monday telling the university it will no longer be eligible for new research grants from the government as it and the Trump administration do battle on multiple fronts. The Ivy League school will no longer be eligible for new grants until it can “demonstrate responsible management,” a senior Education Department official said on a call with reporters. “It’ll explain that public confidence in higher education as a sector is at an all time low, and that’s really because of all the essential terrible behavior at institutions like Harvard,” the official said. The pause will only be on new research funding, according to the official, and will not impact other funding such as federal student aid. McMahon lists four aspects Harvard will have to correct in order to be able to apply for new grants: problems with antisemitism, alleged race-based discrimination happening at the Harvard Law Review, the “abandonment of rigor and academic excellence” and a lack of “viewpoint diversity” on campus. Up Next - Trump confirms he offered to send troops into Mexico, but says Sheinbaum 'so scared of the cartels she can't walk' “The bottom line of the letter is the Trump administration won’t stand by as taxpayer dollars are used to support policies that tolerate antisemitism or that support racist policies,” the senior department official said.

As Trump battles elite colleges, House GOP looks to hike endowment tax by at least tenfold (AP) — President Donald Trump’s feud with America’s elite universities is lending momentum to Republicans on Capitol Hill who want to increase a tax on wealthy college endowments by tenfold or more. House Republicans already were considering a hike in the tax on college endowments’ earnings from 1.4% to 14% as part of Trump’s tax bill. As the president raises the stakes in his fight with Harvard, Columbia and other Ivy League schools, lawmakers are floating raising the rate as high as 21% in line with the corporate tax rate. It appears no decisions have been made. In a letter blocking Harvard from new funding on Monday, the Trump administration drew attention to the school’s “largely tax-free” $53 billion endowment, noting it’s bigger than some nations’ economies. Trump previously said he wants to see Harvard stripped of its tax-exempt status as he presses for reforms at colleges he accuses of “indoctrinating” students with “radical left” ideas. Similar rhetoric has been echoed by Republican lawmakers who question why wealthy colleges get tax breaks that businesses don’t. In a letter to Brown University last month, Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas, who has proposed legislation with the higher rate, said lawmakers are concerned about the priorities of universities that operate in a “largely tax-free” world. He questioned whether their endowments contribute to the public good. Republicans appear to be chipping away at the long-held notion that colleges provide the kind of public benefit that deserves to be protected from heavy taxation. And it’s happening just as the House looks to cut or offset $1.5 trillion in spending as part of the president’s sweeping tax bill.

Crackdown On Student Loan Defaulters To Begin With Benefit Seizure, Then Wage Garnishment -The U.S. government will begin seizing federal benefits from 195,000 student loan defaulters in June, with wage garnishment notices set to reach 5.3 million borrowers later this summer, the Education Department announced on May 5, marking the formal restart of involuntary collections after a years-long pause. The renewed enforcement effort begins with the Treasury Offset Program, which allows the federal government to intercept tax refunds, Social Security checks, and other federal payments to recover unpaid student debt. Borrowers affected by the program began receiving notices this week, the department said.“Starting today, approximately 195,000 defaulted student loan borrowers will begin receiving an official 30-day notice from the U.S. Department of Treasury notifying them that their federal benefits will be subjected to the Treasury Offset Program,” the Education Department said in Monday’s announcement.Following the notice period, administrative wage garnishment will begin later this summer for all 5.3 million borrowers who remain in default. Guaranty agencies have also been authorized to resume involuntary collections on defaulted loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the department added. The move officially ends a pandemic-era freeze first imposed in March 2020 under President Donald Trump and extended multiple times under the Biden administration. Although payments officially resumed in fall 2023, most collection efforts remained paused—until now. In an April 21 statement previewing the shift, the department said the decision was necessary to “restore common sense and fairness” and protect taxpayers, citing data that only 38 percent of the 42.7 million federal student loan borrowers were current on their loans, while nearly 10 million were delinquent or in default. The remainder were in forbearance, deferment, or grace periods. “Student and parent borrowers–not taxpayers–must repay their student loans,” the Education Department said at the time. “There will not be any mass loan forgiveness.” As of early 2025, roughly 5 million borrowers were already in default and another 4 million were in late-stage delinquency, defined as 91 to 180 days behind on payments. The New York Federal Reserve estimated that delinquent student debt reached $250 billion by the end of 2024.

Millions of Americans face garnishment and the seizure of benefits as the US Department of Education begins pursuing student loan debtors - As of May 5, the US federal government officially began collection measures against former students in default on their student loans. Approximately 195,000 borrowers were sent a 30-day notice letter from the Treasury Department, notifying them that federal benefits are subject to seizure. Approximately 43 million Americans owe nearly $1.7 trillion in student loans, with 5.3 million currently in default. Later this summer, all individuals in default will receive garnishment letters with a 30-day notice before up to 15 percent of their wages and benefits may be seized. This includes Social Security payments for some 450,000 borrowers ages 62 and older with defaulted loans. In addition to the 5.3 million Americans already in default on their student loans, nearly 5 million more borrowers are experiencing various stages of payment delinquency. Secretary of Education billionaire Linda McMahon announced the government’s draconian measures with all the hypocrisy of the Biblical “serpent’s tongue,” saying the Trump administration is beginning, “to help defaulted borrowers back into repayment…” The consequences of this “help” for borrowers are staggering. Families will be forced to cut back on food and other necessities. And millions will likely experience significant drops in their credit scores, making home or even auto ownership difficult or impossible for years. The magnitude of the student loan crisis has been cited by commentators as a factor pushing the US economy towards recession. “The bottom line is: it’s not going to be good for the economy, given the current economic situation that’s already precarious,” said Scott Imberman, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. “It’s an additional weight that you’re putting on until we tip into a potential recession.” There is little loan repayment relief in place for workers and young people struggling with low-wage jobs and rising prices. The Department of Education’s two options are Loan Consolidation and Loan Rehabilitation, both inherently predatory. Consolidation capitalizes all interest and significantly inflates the debtors’ principal balance. Rehabilitation takes several months, during which students remain unprotected from collections and garnishment.

Donald Trump fires Librarian of Congress - President Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill. Hayden was the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress. A spokesperson for the library told The Hill in an email that “Tonight, the White House informed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden that she has been relieved of her position.” Democrats in Congress condemned the decision by the administration. “Over the course of her tenure, Dr. Hayden brought the Library of Congress to the people, with initiatives that reached into rural communities and made the Library accessible to all Americans, in person and online,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said in a statement Thursday. “While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” the Democratic senator added. “Be like Dr. Hayden.”

Targeted grant terminations have affected 694 NIH grants - Targeted grant terminations have affected 694 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, resulting in $1.81 billion in terminated grant funding, according to a research letter published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Michael Liu, M.Phil., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues calculated the number and corresponding funding amounts of terminated NIH grants overall and by institute or center and award type. The proportions of terminated grants and funding dollars were calculated across all previously active grants. The researchers found that 694 NIH grants were terminated across 24 of the 26 institutes and centers that administered active NIH grants between Feb. 28 and April 8, 2025. Of the grants administered by the NIH Clinical Center or the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, none were terminated.The cumulative amount of terminated grant funding was $1.81 billion; at the time of grant termination, 30.0 percent had not been expended. The highest number of grant terminations was seen at Columbia University (157 terminations), followed by Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Emory University, and the University of Michigan (19, 14, 14, and 14 terminations, respectively).The largest number of terminated grants was administered by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (128 and 77 terminations, respectively). Across the 694 terminated grants, 57.6, 20.0, 16.0, and 6.3 percent, respectively, were research project grants, early-career grants, other grants, and center grants, respectively.

Americans' use of illicit opioids is higher than previously reported, survey finds - More Americans use illicit opioids such as fentanyl than previously estimated, highlighting the need for better methods to understand the depths of the opioid crisis, according to a new study. A survey of American adults found that 11% reported illicit opioid use within the past 12 months and 7.5% reported use of illicitly produced fentanyl during the same period, rates that are more than 20 times higher than estimates from a large federal study that annually asks Americans about their use of illicit drugs. Researchers say the findings add to the evidence that government counts may significantly underestimate illicit drug use and suggest that new methods are necessary to better track a key metric in addressing the nation's opioid crisis. The findings are published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. "Estimates of illicit opioid use are rare and typically are available only years after the information is collected, limiting our ability to monitor trends on a near-term basis," said David Powell, the study's lead author and a senior economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Our study offers a method to quickly and repeatedly monitor illicit opioid prevalence at low-cost." Initially driven by prescription opioids, the opioid crisis in the U.S. transitioned to heroin in the early 2010s and then to illicitly-manufactured fentanyl a few years later. As the opioid crisis continues to evolve and polysubstance deaths become increasingly common, illegally manufactured fentanyl remains involved in most overdose deaths. Despite the importance of illicit opioids in the current substance-use landscape, relatively little is known about the prevalence of illicit opioid use. The largest ongoing study that tracks illicit drug use is the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. That study began asking about the use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl only in 2022, reporting that 0.3% of adults used the drug that year. A number of previous studies have also reported higher rates of illicit opioid use, challenging the accuracy of the federal estimate. While researchers say the reasons for the differences are unclear, they suggest it may relate to the way the federal survey asks participants about illicit opioid use. This includes the fact that about half of the surveys in the federal count are done in person, which may inhibit participants from reporting illicit drug use. Researchers say more work is needed to understand the reason for the differences.

Shingles vaccine recipients see lower cardiac event risk over time -- A study in European Heart Journal yesterday shows a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events in recipients of the shingles vaccine in the 8 years following vaccination. The study was based on outcomes seen among 1,271,922 people aged 50 or older in South Korea who received the shingles vaccine from 2012 to 2021. Information on whether people received a shingles vaccine (live zoster) was combined with data on cardiovascular health, as well as other factors that can influence health, such as age, sex, wealth, and lifestyle. On average, patients were 61 years old and followed for 6 years. Overall, recipients had a 26% lower risk of major cardiovascular events (stroke, heart attack, or death from heart disease), a 26% lower risk of heart failure, and a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease.Protection, especially for men, was strongest 2 to 3 years following vaccination but extended into year 8 of follow up. “A shingles infection can cause blood vessel damage, inflammation and clot formation that can lead to heart disease,” said study author Dong Keon Yon, PhD, from the Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, in a press release from the European Society of Cardiology. “By preventing shingles, vaccination may lower these risks. Our study found stronger benefits in younger people, probably due to a better immune response, and in men, possibly due to differences in vaccine effectiveness.”

RFK Jr.’s new vaccine testing rule agitates industry, experts - When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new requirement for placebo testing on all new vaccines last week, the agency suggested the move would help protect consumers. But medical experts and vaccine makers say wide application of the rule would be an unnecessary drain on time and money, while raising ethical questions by depriving some patients of safe vaccines that could protect them from disease. Akiko Iwasaki, former president of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and director of the Yale School of Medicine Center for Infection and Immunity, told The Hill “it’s unethical to put people on a placebo arm when there is an existing vaccine for a trial like this.” According to an HHS spokesperson, the rule announced last week means “all new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure — a radical departure from past practices.” “Except for the COVID vaccine, none of the vaccines on the CDC’s [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] childhood recommended schedule was tested against an inert placebo, meaning we know very little about the actual risk profiles of these products,” the spokesperson added. Experts have pushed back against this claim about vaccine testing, pointing to various double-blind studies for inoculations against MMR, polio and the flu, among others. The details of how the HHS plans to implement these added tests, including what exactly can be considered a “new vaccine” under this rule, remain unclear. Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials — considered the gold standard for evaluating safety and efficacy — are already conducted when new vaccines are being developed.

Viewpoint: Proposed system for vaccine approval, safety monitoring begs crucial questions | CIDRAP -The public health community read with great interest media reports about proposed changes to vaccine safety monitoring and newly proposed standards for approving new vaccines. The goals outlined in a Washington Post story on the subject are laudable: improving vaccine safety and strengthening the vaccine safety system. We agree with those goals. At the same time, what we read begged more questions about the proposed changes than it answered. Americans need to understand if and how a new and novel system will operate and serve the public better than current standards. Important to this process is a shared understanding of how the current system works. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) oversees two systems: 1) The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which it supervises with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow providers and vaccine manufacturers to report adverse health events following vaccinations; and 2) The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which gives the agency access to electronic health records from 11 healthcare systems around the country, representing more than 10 million people. Whether or not you believe that the current safety infrastructure is optimal, one cannot deny that it has been successful—for decades. Over and over, it has detected the smallest of safety signals, all with the goal of upholding the highest safety standards for vaccines recommended for and used by Americans. In 1976, for example, out of more than 40 million people who received the swine flu vaccine, enhanced safety monitoring quickly uncovered an increased risk of Guilian-Barre syndrome. In 1999, after VAERS detected just nine cases of intussusception, a rare bowel obstruction, following the administration of the first rotavirus vaccine in 500,000 children, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) withdrew its recommendation, and the manufacturer withdrew its license. More recently, in 2021, among millions of people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, VAERS detected a rare but potentially fatal condition that forms blood clots, causing the CDC and FDA to recommend a pause in its use and ultimately issue a preference for mRNA vaccines. And just this year, the CDC was alerted to five cases in which a person was hospitalized with cardiac or neurologic events after receiving the new chikungunya vaccine, prompting the agency to alert providers. VAERS can't determine whether a vaccine caused a particular adverse event, but it can reveal event-reporting trends that may suggest the need for further assessment. In other words, VAERS functions like a smoke detector in alerting to potential dangers that need attention. Thus, we have a system that does work, finding rare cases of serious side effects. Of importance, it's also sensitive enough to turn up safety signals, even those later shown not to be conclusively associated with a vaccine. That happened in 2023, when the VSD picked up on a potential heightened risk of stroke among people older than 65 who received a COVID-19 vaccine. That allowed officials to comb through other databases (VAERS, CMS, and VA) to look for the same issue—a search that did not turn up an increased risk. If the question is, "How can we make the current system even better, given US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's near decade as the leader of an anti-vaccine group?," the burden of proof for solutions is necessarily high. Here are the questions that HHS’s overseers in Congress and Americans need to ask HHS as they hear of plans to "improve" the system:

• What is the detection capacity of this new system? How many cases will you look at to detect an event? One in 1 million? One in 10 million?
• What specific adverse events will you monitor for, and how will they be defined, identified, and reported in a timely way?
• What happens when a unique, unexpected adverse event occurs outside of those you were screening for? How will they be identified?
• If there is a safety signal, how will it be definitively linked to a vaccine?
• Who will alert the vaccine-monitoring system of events? The current system allows providers and manufacturers to log health events after vaccination (VAERS) and individual people to report side effects to the CDC, FDA and CMS vaccine-monitoring systems.
• How will real-world data be used to identify potential unexpected adverse events, and how can they be distinguished from background rates of events that would occur even without vaccination?
• How timely will the system be? Who will monitor it? Who will receive safety flags?
• Who will have access to data for independent analyses?
• If active adverse-event screening is proposed, who will do it? Where and how often?
• How many personnel will be required to do the work?
• How much does the new system cost?

US poll finds shifting vaccine trust amid health agency overhauls - Trust in vaccine information from government health agencies has shifted along partisan lines following health agency leadership changes and major agency restructuring under the Trump administration, according to new KFF polling released yesterday. In a reversal of previous trends, trust in government vaccine information has declined in Democrats, but the share of Republicans who have a "great deal" or "fair amount" of trust has risen by about 10 percentage points from 2023, the group found. When KFF pollsters dug into deeper vaccine safety issues, they found that most adults are somewhat confident about many routine vaccines, including measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), pneumonia, and shingles. Respondents were less confident, however, about the safety of COVID vaccines, with just over half (56%) of adults saying they were "somewhat confident" in COVID vaccine safety, with results showing a partisan divide—87% of Democrats said they were safe, but just 3 in 10 Republicans said they were safe. Looking at perceptions about mRNA vaccines, KFF found that twice as many adults thought they were "generally safe" (32%) as said they are "generally unsafe" (16%). About half of respondents said they didn't know enough about the technology, and nearly half had heard the false claim that mRNA vaccines can alter a person's DNA. Republicans, independents, and Hispanic adults were more likely to say the myth is definitely or probably true. To tease out whom respondents trust most about vaccine safety information, the investigators asked about a variety of sources, finding that individual doctors held the highest share of trust, and both Democrats and Republicans were likely to trust their child's pediatrician at least a fair amount. More Democrats than Republicans were likely to say they trusted vaccine safety messages from local health departments, pharmaceutical companies, or children's schools or daycare centers. On the other hand, Republicans were more likely to trust President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as reliable sources of vaccine information, at levels similar to their trust in personal doctors. KFF researchers also asked respondents about how confident they are in government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fulfil their core missions. Less than half expressed confidence, with just 32% reporting they felt sure the agencies would act independently without pressure from outside influences. Trust in these agencies as reliable sources of vaccine information has fallen among Democrats by double digits, including for the CDC (70% now vs 88% in 2023) and the FDA (67% vs 86%). Most Democrats (73%) and 45% of Republicans said the agencies aren't paying enough attention to science when making decisions on vaccines. Larger shares of Democrats said that, under the Trump administration, health agencies aren't paying enough attention to science, and respondents were divided over whether the process is tilted in favor or pharmaceutical companies or the personal beliefs of health officials running the agencies, such as Kennedy.

Study highlights threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in cancer patients ---A new study of cancer patients indicates that drug-resistant bacteria may pose more of a threat than previously known. The study, published last week in The Lancet Oncology, mined 4 years of microbiologic data and found that the proportion of antibiotic-resistant and non-susceptible bacteria, along with incidence rates of key multidrug-resistant pathogens, were up to three times higher in outpatients with cancer than those without cancer. The study is the first large multicenter study conducted in the United States to quantify the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on cancer outpatients. The authors say the increased resistance they observed poses a major clinical challenge in the outpatient setting and highlights the vulnerability of cancer patients. "This patient population is just getting so exposed to these bad bugs that we really need to focus on better infection prevention, stewardship, and recognizing the risk," "Clinicians need to recognize that the patients they're treating could have a drug-resistant infection and plan for mitigating that risk." Using the BD Research Insights Database, the researchers analyzed gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens collected from blood, respiratory tract, urine, skin, wound, intra-abdominal, and other clinical culture samples from April 2018 through December 2022. The primary outcomes were the proportion of non-susceptible pathogens with corresponding AMR odds ratios (ORs) and the AMR rate per 1,000 pathogen isolates evaluated with the corresponding incidence rate ratio (IRR). This patient population is just getting so exposed to these bad bugs that we really need to focus on better infection prevention, stewardship, and recognizing the risk. More than 1.6 million pathogens were identified from 27,421 patients with and 928,128 patients without cancer. Across all culture sources and all pathogens (except Acinetobacter baumannii), patients with cancer had higher proportions of resistant pathogens than non-cancer patients, particularly pathogens capable of causing severe infections. Cancer patients also had higher AMR incidence rates across most of the evaluated pathogens, highlighted by two- and three-fold higher incidence of carbapenem-resistant P aeruginosa (IRR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.91 to 2.21) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) (IRR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.89 to 3.24). The incidence ratio of VRE in respiratory samples from cancer outpatients was over 5.

New executive order targets certain pathogen research; states sue HHS over restructuring -In the latest public health developments at the federal level, President Trump yesterday signed an executive order that would place new restrictions on gain-of-function pathogen research and a group of 20 attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over impacts from cuts and massive restructuring. The executive order was issued just ahead of a new framework for federally funded projects that was set to take effect after an extensive review by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) and policy revisions by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) under the Biden administration. Trump’s executive order said Biden’s policy had insufficient oversight and directs the OSTP to revise or replace it with new regulations, according to the New York Times, which also said the executive order would bar funding for research projects that were deemed dangerous and were conducted in countries of concern. The policy also seeks to oversee research in the United States that isn’t supported by federal funds. In 2014, the Obama administration stopped funding to review research policies, but the first Trump administration lifted the ban in 2017 and put in place a new review process. Andrew Pekosz, PhD, a professor in department of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said on X today that order is full of vague language and is more likely to slow important research than provide greater biosafety and biosecurity. Meanwhile, in a lawsuit filed in Rhode Island yesterday, attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia challenged cuts to the HHS, claiming that major restructuring has cut life-saving programs and put extra burden on states to pay for health crises, the Associated Press reported. The suit said the two rounds of cuts stripped 25% of the HHS workforce, shuttered several agencies, and are impacting states’ ability to test for infectious diseases, respond to measles outbreaks, and track cancer for some groups. The states also said the cuts are impacting states’ ability to make eligibility decisions for medical assistance programs and hampering mental health and tobacco cessation efforts.The states maintain that the administration can’t unilaterally eliminate programs and funding that were appropriated by Congress. The latest suit comes on top of an earlier challenge by a group of 23 states over the administration’s cuts to federal funding for COVID-19 and other public health initiatives.

Trump nixes CDC infectious disease advisory committee: Report --The Trump administration nixed the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), ending three decades of medical advice used by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) according to NBC. A handful of committee members said the CDC delivered the news about HICPAC’s termination to members Friday, per the outlet. The termination took effect more than a month previously, on March 31, according to a letter reviewed by NBC. HICPAC has made 540 recommendations for infectious disease control and 90 percent of their suggested measures were fully implemented by the CDC, according to NBC’s reporting. The committee provided best practices for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections. They shared guidelines on disinfection and sterilization, environmental infection control and hand hygiene in healthcare settings, among other areas of concern. One fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America who joined HICPAC in January, said the committee was close to finalizing new guidelines for airborne pathogens before the termination, according to the outlet. Government pages related to HICPAC have now been archived and will no longer be updated with new information.

FDA taps critic of COVID policies, drug industry to lead vaccines division - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tapped Vinay Prasad, a prominent critic of federal COVID-19 policies and a proponent of more stringent approval standards, to lead the agency’s vaccines division. Prasad replaces Peter Marks, the longtime leader of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), who resigned in March after clashing with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Dr. Prasad brings the kind of scientific rigor, independence, and transparency we need at CBER — a significant step forward,” FDA Commissioner Martin Makary posted on the social platform X on Tuesday. Prasad was previously an epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He graduated medical school at the University of Chicago and has a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. He is an oncologist and hematologist by training. Prasad is the latest of a series of medical contrarians and critics of COVID-19 measures to join Kennedy’s HHS. Prasad gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic through his social media posts that were highly critical of mask and vaccine mandates, as well as decisions by federal regulators to speed up the availability of vaccine boosters from Pfizer and Moderna. He collaborated with Makary on a paper attacking the recommendation for booster shots in teens and young adults. Tracy Beth Høeg, a sports medicine physician who is now special assistant to Makary, was also one of the authors. Prasad said last year that Marks was “either incompetent or corrupt to authorize a booster without clinical, randomized data.”

Delays in COVID antiviral receipt raised risk of poor outcomes after ED visits by 18%, data suggest -Longer intervals from COVID-19 symptom onset to receipt of an antiviral drug at 16 Spanish emergency departments (EDs) were linked to worse clinical outcomes in patients at high risk for disease progression, according to a study published in Internal and Emergency Medicine.For the nationwide modeling study, the researchers parsed the electronic health records of 534 adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were released from an ED after receiving an antiviral from January to August 2022, an Omicron-dominant period. The average patient age was 65.8 years, 44% were men, 24.7% were confirmed to have COVID-19 via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and 63.5% received an antiviral prescription from an ED physician.The primary aim was to evaluate how the total time (TT) from diagnosis to antiviral receipt affects hospitalization and all-cause death by 30 days. The secondary goal was to estimate how time from ED admission to antiviral administration (hospital time; HT) affects outcomes and whether the prescribing physician's specialty influences these times. Antivirals must be administered within 5 to 7 days of symptom onset to be effective. Remdesivir (Veklury) was the most commonly prescribed antiviral (50.6%), followed by nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid; 43.3%), sotrovimab (Xevudy; 3.7%), molnupiravir (Lagevrio; 1.9%), and combinations of these (0.6%). Thirty-two patients were hospitalized, and four died. Each day of delayed antiviral receipt raised the risk of hospitalization or death 17.9%, but there was no association between HT and hospitalization or death. A prescription from an ED physician was linked to shorter TT and HT (adjusted median of reduction in hours, 6.78 vs 8.45, respectively).In total, 21.9% of patients had received four COVID-19 vaccine doses, 63.7% received three, 8.8% received two, and 5.6% were unvaccinated."The emergency physician must have the confidence to prescribe antivirals against COVID-19 in vulnerable patients, because this prescription reduces HT and TT compared to prescriptions made by non-emergency physicians in the ED," the study authors wrote. "This reduction in TT is associated with better clinical outcomes." And upon arrival at the ED, physicians need to recognize the need for early antiviral administration, they added: "It is the responsibility of emergency physicians to provide the best possible care, and they should not wait for specialist consultation to prescribe an antiviral if indicated for COVID-19 if this would result in a significant delay in the start of therapy."

Silver nanoparticles produced by fungus could be used to prevent and treat COVID-19 - Silver nanoparticles produced by the fungus Trichoderma reesei could become important allies in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Tests carried out on hamsters showed that they not only inhibited the infection but also reduced the viral load in the lungs, easing inflammation in the rodents.The study paves the way for the development of nasal sprays and other products to combat several viral diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, shingles and influenza.Silver nanoparticles have been of interest to the pharmaceutical industrydue to their high affinity for proteins. Depending on their shape and size, they attract and adhere to these molecules, inhibiting the progression of disease."Using computer analysis, we found that the silver nanoparticles produced in our laboratory bind to the spike protein, a kind of key that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter the host cells and replicate. In this way, they inhibit the entry of the virus into the cell by 50%," says Roberto do Nascimento Silva, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP) in Brazil and author of the study published in the journal Current Research in Biotechnology. Tests in hamsters have shown that the effects of the product may go beyond preventing COVID-19. "The most interesting thing is that the nanoparticles not only prevented the virus from entering the cells but were also able to improve acute lung inflammation, one of the worst complications of COVID-19, proving to be a viable treatment for the disease," he says.

Scientists estimate higher rate of new-onset diabetes after COVID than in general population - Today in Emerging Microbes & Infections, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar present a systematic review of 35 studies on new-onset diabetes after COVID-19 infection, estimating an incidence of 1.37%.The researchers mined databases to identify and analyze studies from around the world on COVID-related type 1 or type 2 diabetes published up to October 2023. The studies included a total of 4.4 million COVID-19 patients of all ages, and 47.7% were male. Of the 4.4 million COVID-19 patients, 60,189 (1.37%) had new-onset diabetes (0.84% type 2, 0.017% type 1). The type of diabetes wasn't available for 28 studies (0.51% of cases). Factors associated with incident diabetes were SARS-CoV-2 variant type, severity of infection, underlying medical conditions, demographic factors, and vaccination status. The risk of diabetes rose over time, with the highest rates seen at 3 to 12 months post-infection.The study authors noted that the real-world incidence could be higher because many studies reported cases of new-onset diabetes only for patients who returned to the hospital for readmission or follow up. "However, this rate is still higher than the estimated rate of new onset diabetes in a general population," they wrote. "For example, among adults aged 18 years or older in the USA, the crude estimates for 2021 were 1.2 million new cases of diabetes (0.59%)."The exact causes of post-COVID diabetes are unclear, the researchers said: "The mechanisms behind COVID-19-induced diabetes may include direct damage of the pancreatic beta cells, inflammation, insulin resistance, and autoimmune responses."

New research links long COVID to worse health-related quality of life - Poor self-reported general health (SRGH) is substantially more common among US adults with long COVID than among those without persistent symptoms (26% vs 16%), data from Pennsylvania State University investigators suggest. Long-COVID patients also had more unfavorable mental and physical health and lower daily efficiency when completing daily activities for more than 13 days a month, according to the findings, published this week in PLOS One. The researchers analyzed 2022 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys completed by 108,237 COVID-19 survivors who did or didn't have persistent symptoms. Participants' health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed via SRGH, self-reported mental and physical health, and efficiency in completing activities of daily life.Of all participants, 35% were aged 18 to 34 years, 46.5% were men, and 22.7% had long COVID, also known as post-COVID condition (PCC), defined as having lingering symptoms at least 3 months post-infection. "COVID-19 continues to impose a significant burden on the survivors by post-COVID conditions (PCCs), even after a mild initial infection," the study authors wrote. "Investigating the impact of PCCs on health-related quality of life (HRQL) helps us better understand the burden of these conditions and plan effective rehabilitative strategies." Relative to patients without persistent symptoms, those with long COVID more often characterized their SRGH as "not good" (25.7% vs 15.5%) and their mental and physical health and daily task efficiency as compromised for more than 13 days a month. In a regression analysis adjusted for sociodemographic factors, underlying illnesses, and health-related behaviors, long COVID was independently associated with adverse SRGH (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39). Long-COVID patients with dizziness on standing (38%), mood changes (36.3%), and musculoskeletal pain (34.1%) were the most likely to report unfavorable HRQL. A multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that, in this group, early middle age, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, cancer, depression, smoking, single marital status, and lower educational attainment and low annual income were risk factors for suboptimal SRGH. Poor SRGH was least common among those who had loss of taste or smell (18.1%), post-exertional malaise (21.9%), or brain fog (22.3%). The only statistically significant differences in SRGH were between men and women without long COVID in the early middle-age-group (11.9% vs 14.7%, respectively) and long-COVID patients in the early adult age-group (16.4% vs 18.0%). West Virginia had the highest rate of suboptimal SRGH among all COVID survivors and long-COVID patients (23.9% and 34.5%, respectively). Among all COVID survivors, Nevada (23.2%), Mississippi (23%), and Puerto Rico (22.6%) also had high rates of unfavorable SRGH. COVID survivors in Washington, DC (90.5%) and long-COVID patients in the US Virgin Islands (90.3%) had the highest rates of good SRGH.

Data link long-term COVID-related loss of smell to depression, anxiety -COVID-19 survivors who lose their sense of smell for at least 6 months have more serious depression and anxiety than those without the dysfunction, University of Mons researchers in Belgium write in theJournal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.At a single medical center, 218 patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) and 102 asymptomatic controls completed the Olfactory Disorder Questionnaire, General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and underwent the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 and threshold, identification, and discrimination testing from August 2023 to January 2024. The average age was 51.3 years in OD patients and 41.2 in controls. Thirteen OD patients (5.9%) and 5 (4.9%) controls reported a depression diagnosis in the last 5 years."The olfaction plays a crucial role in human social interactions, in transforming eating from a simple vital function to a pleasant activity, and for detecting environmental hazards," the authors noted. At enrollment, the average duration of OD was 31.1 months. OD patients had anosmia (loss of smell; 26.3%), hyposmia (reduced ability to smell; 33.7%), or parosmia (distorted sense of smell; 40.0%), respectively.The average PHQ-9 score was significantly higher in OD patients (6.12; mild depression) than in controls (4.4; minimal depression), as were average GAD-7 scores (4.6 vs 3.5; mild and minimal anxiety, respectively). Rates of mild-to-severe depression (51.2% vs 44.1%) and mild-to-severe anxiety (39.5% vs 32.4%) were significantly higher in OD patients than in controls; OD patients had a significantly higher percentage of moderate and severe depression and anxiety than those with intact olfaction. Relative to hyposmia and parosmia, anosmia was tied to severe anxiety. Women scored higher on the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 than men. The average PHQ-9 scores of unvaccinated patients were significantly higher than those of vaccinated participants, indicating a higher depression burden (6.9 vs 5.9). The severity of depression and anxiety increased with OD severity and nasal symptoms.

Excess weight in long-COVID patients linked to neurologic symptoms -Excess bodyweight is linked to experiencing long-COVID neurologic symptoms, including headaches, vertigo, sleep problems and depression, according to a meta-analysis of studies involving almost 140,000 participants published yesterday inPLOS One.Overall, the studies included 79,050 people with excess weight compared to 57,926 normal-weight people and 30,694 individuals with obesity compared to 107,612 non-obese individuals.Excess weight was associated with a higher rate of depression in long COVID (risk ratio [RR], 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.42), memory issues (RR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.65), and sleep disturbance (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.48), or increases of 21%, 43%, and 30%, respectively. Obesity was significantly associated with persistent headache (RR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.53), and numbness (RR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.46 to 1.78). Obesity was also linked to persistent loss of taste and smell."These findings suggest that EW [excess weight] might contribute to the development of these symptoms that persist for more than 12 weeks after COVID-19 onset," the authors concluded. "Moreover, this study is opportune as we transition into the post-pandemic period facing the challenges of managing the co-occurrence of pandemics, including overweight/obesity, mental health issues, and the burden of PCC [post-COVID condition, or long COVID]." The authors explain that the mechanisms behind the association between neurologic symptoms and excess weight are not clear, but it may be because of metabolic disorders already found in the overweight participants before COVID infection. Alternatively, the authors wrote, "The role of EW in the progression of COVID-19 is not fully understood, though it may be linked to an exaggerated inflammatory response or pre-existing genetic factors that these conditions share. The adipose tissue plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 entry and deposition, and it may serve as a reservoir for virus spread."

Long-COVID patients sow signs of inflammation on PET/ MRI scans - Patients with long COVID may exhibit persistent inflammation in the heart and lungs for up to 1 year following acute COVID-19 infection, even when standard medical tests return normal results, according to a new study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The study authors, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, suggest the inflammation may increase the risk for future cardiac and pulmonary conditions. "This study brings us closer to understanding how SARS-CoV-2 affects the heart and lungs over time. We believe long COVID results in an inflammatory response that may predispose patients to premature coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, and valvular damage such as stenosis or regurgitation," To conduct the study, the researchers performed PET/MRI (positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) scans on 99 patients who reported persistent cardiopulmonary symptoms 9 to 12 months after confirmed COVID-19 infection in 2020 and 2021. Eighty percent of patients had shortness of breath (80%), and 27% of participants were hospitalized. Images were compared to a control group of nine participants with a history of acute severe COVID-19 infections but no lasting symptoms. The imaging was done on average 300 days after their initial infections. Overall, 57% of participants had evidence on PET/MRI of inflammation affecting the heart muscle, pericardium (the thin sac that surrounds the heart), heart valves, particularly the mitral valve, and the aortic and pulmonary blood vessels on imaging. The most common abnormality, seen in 28 participants, was vascular inflammation involving the aorta or pulmonary arteries. Twenty-two patients had myocardial (heart muscle) scarring and thickening of tissue. None of the control group had signs of inflammation. "This study highlights the unique power of hybrid PET/MRI imaging to uncover hidden disease processes in long COVID patients," "These findings should change how we approach care and surveillance—not only recognizing SARS-CoV-2 as a potential long-term cardiovascular risk factor, but also integrating molecular imaging into post-COVID evaluation protocols," Fayad added. "We now have objective evidence that can guide earlier detection and potentially prevent future cardiopulmonary events."

Protein found in rheumatic diseases causes inflammation in COVID-19 patients - The sCD13 protein has been previously identified by a rheumatology research team at the University of Michigan as a powerful inducer of inflammation in multiple autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. High levels of the sCD13 protein are also now being seen in blood and lung tissues of COVID-19 patients. Researchers from University of Michigan Health, in collaboration with external institutions such as the NIH and Weill Cornell Medical School, have been able to identify this protein as a prominent cause of inflammation in the SARS-CoV-2 infection, more commonly known as COVID-19, using data sets from three separate cohorts of COVID-19 patients. The work is published in the journal JCI Insight. Formation of the sCD13 protein occurs by shedding of CD13 from the surface of certain types of cells, through a process that occurs in autoimmune disorders and as the body attempts to fight off the COVID-19 virus. When this response is excessive, it is termed hyperinflammatory, and can exacerbate the severity of the disease. The inflammatory response of increased amounts of sCD13 in COVID-19 patients is normally located in the lungs, where the virus levels are highest. Complications include respiratory failure requiring supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilation. Additional complications include the formation of blood clots within small arteries of the lung. These clots obstruct the flow of blood through the lung. In some diseases, the formation of blood clots can be caused by NETs, neutrophil extracellular traps, which are sticky webs that are extruded by the neutrophil, a type of white blood cell. In their research on sCD13 in COVID-19, the U-M Health researchers showed that sCD13 caused NET formation, following binding of sCD13 to two types of receptors on the surface of the neutrophil. "In severe cases of COVID-19, this inflammation in the lungs can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, which causes difficulty breathing and can result in significant respiratory failure," "When determining the severity of a COVID-19 infection, especially in patients that are experiencing extreme respiratory symptoms due to the virus, physicians can assess the level of sCD13 proteins as an indicator of the severity of the hyperinflammatory response within the patient."

Combo flu-COVID vaccine shows good immune response, safety in older adults -Yesterday in JAMA, authors published promising results from a phase 3 trial on the safety and immunogenicity of a combined seasonal flu and COVID vaccine, Moderna's mRNA-1083, in adults 50 and older.The mRNA-1083 vaccine comprises components of mRNA-1010, Moderna's vaccine candidate for seasonal influenza, and mRNA-1283, Moderna's next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate targeting Omicron XBB.1.5.In total, 8,015 participants were enrolled in the phase 3 trial and vaccinated. Participants were split into two age cohorts (65 years and older and 50 to 64 years) who were randomly assigned to receive mRNA-1083 plus placebo, or coadministered licensed quadrivalent seasonal influenza (≥65 years: high-dose quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine [HD-IIV4]; 50 to 64 years: standard-dose IIV4 [SD-IIV4]) and COVID-19 (all ages: mRNA-1273) vaccines.Overall, the combined vaccine was found to be non-inferior to standard seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.

Quick takes: FDA advisers to weigh COVID vaccines, H5N1 in US cows and poultry | CIDRAP

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that its Vaccines and Related Biologics Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet on May 22 in an open session to discuss and make recommendations on the composition of the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccines, according to a notice in the Federal Register. The FDA said it is holding the meeting without the usual 15-day public notice due to technical issues and the time-sensitive need for input and public discussion. Pharmaceutical companies need a few months of lead time to manufacture vaccine and get the products cleared for the next respiratory virus season. Last year, VRBPAC made its COVID vaccine composition recommendation on June 5. In a related development, the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition will meet this month to make its recommendations.
• Over the past few days the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported a few more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy cattle and poultry. The virus was detected in 4 more dairy herds, all in Idaho, raising Idaho's total to 90 and the national total to 1,052 from 17 states. In poultry, APHIS confirmed new detections involving a backyard flock in Indiana and farms in Illinois and North Dakota. The agency also reported four more detections inother mammals in two states, including foxes in three New York counties (Madison, Onondaga, and Tompkins) and a domestic cat in Ada County, Idaho. All have mid to late April sample collection dates.

US flu activity now at low levels, but CDC confirms 10 more kids' flu deaths -A 2024-25 flu season that has been classified as high severity has now reached low transmission levels, but 10 new flu-related deaths in children bring the season's total to 226, the most since 2009-10, when 288 pediatric deaths were recorded, according to the latest FluView update today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI), or respiratory illness, dipped slightly from 2.2% the previous week to 2.1% last week (see CDC graph below). The number of patients hospitalized for flu dropped from 2,857 to 2,336. As with the previous week, no state reported moderate, high, or very high ILI activity.Test positivity for flu has reached 3.6%, down from 4.6% the previous week. Hospitalizations and deaths are both down, but the cumulative hospitalization rate for this season—128.1 patients per 100,000 population—is the highest since the 2010-11 season.The 10 newly confirmed pediatric deaths occurred from mid-January to mid-April. Seven of the new deaths in children were from influenza A and 3 from influenza B. Both deaths for which subtyping was performed were caused by the H3N2 strain. The CDC said, "Among children who were eligible for influenza vaccination and with known vaccine status, 90% of reported pediatric deaths have occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated against influenza."Meanwhile, COVID-19 levels remain low, according to CDC data updates today. Wastewater detectionslast week remained generally low, except in Louisiana and South Dakata, which recorded high levels. The percentage of overall deaths caused by COVID last week stayed steady, at 0.6%, compared with 0.2% for flu.The CDC's biweekly variant proportion update shows a slight rise in the LP.8.1 subvariant, which now causes 70% of infections. The proportion of the XFC subvariant, which is the second most abundant, rose from 5% to 9%. In its update on the three leading respiratory illnesses—flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—the CDC notes that, nationally, flu (3.6%), COVID (2.9%), and RSV (1.2%) test positivity stayed about the same. Wastewater levels for COVID are low, while for influenza A and RSV they are very low.

Enterovirus D68 can lead to severe respiratory illness in even healthy kids - Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) can cause severe acute respiratory illness (ARI) in otherwise healthy children of all ages, with hospitalized children who have an underlying condition other than asthma or who have reactive airway disease (RAD) at higher risk for poor outcomes, finds a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.A team led by researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mined data from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network, a system based in emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals at seven US pediatric medical centers. Children with medically attended ARI who tested positive for EV-D68 were enrolled during platform-wide EV-D68 testing periods (July to October 2017, July to November 2018, July to November 2020, and July 2021 to December 2022). Patients had at least one qualifying ARI symptom for less than 14 days at enrollment.EV-D68 causes mild to severe ARI, including asthma exacerbations, and is tied to acute flaccid myelitis, a rare but serious neurologic condition causing limb weakness and variable recovery of function. Symptoms of EV-D68 infection may include apnea, cough, earache, fever, muscle pain, nasal congestion, sore throat, vomiting after coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.A total of 976 children tested positive for EV-D68, the median age was 47 months, 40.1% were girls, and most were enrolled in 2018 (382 children) and 2022 (533). Of the 856 children infected with only EV-D68, 320 were released home from the ED, and 74.1% of them had no underlying conditions. The remaining 536 patients were hospitalized, half of them having no chronic conditions. Of the 536 hospitalized patients, 37.1% had asthma or RAD, and 14.4% had a different condition. The presence of a non-asthma condition or RAD was linked to a higher probability of requiring supplemental oxygen (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.72) or intensive care (aOR, 3.09).

Trump administration shuts down federal advisory committee on infection prevention --The Trump administration has terminated a federal advisory group that issues recommendations to US health agencies to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in healthcare facilities.According to reporting by NBC News, members of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) were informed of the termination last week in a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HICPAC is one of several federal advisory groups that have been terminated since President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at reducing the federal bureaucracy.HICPAC consists of 14 voting non-federal employee members who are selected by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary and have expertise in infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, healthcare epidemiology, nursing, public health, and other areas of health and medicine. The group meets up to eight times year at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. The meetings are open to the public. Established in 1991, HICPAC has been responsible for crafting and reviewing guidance on a host of infection control and prevention protocols used by US healthcare facilities to protect patients and healthcare workers from infectious diseases. Over its more than three decades of existence, HICPAC has issued evidence-based recommendations to the CDC on standard precautions for patient care (including hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment), isolation of sick patients, environmental infection control, disease-specific care, and preferred methods of cleaning and disinfecting medical devices. HICPAC had been scheduled to meet on March 6 and 7, but the meeting was postponed. HHS did not respond to an email seeking confirmation of the news. While HICPAC guidelines aren't legally binding, they are routinely adopted by the CDC and play a large role in setting the standards that are widely followed in US hospitals, doctor's and dentist offices, ambulatory surgery centers, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings. "It has been a powerhouse in developing guidance to keep us and our patients safe in the hospital," Alex Sundermann, DrPH, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote recently in Medpage Today amid rumors that the group might be on the chopping block. "Frontline clinicians, infection preventionists, nurses, and hospital quality teams rely on HICPAC guidance every day. Its recommendations shape the protocols used to prevent device-related infections, respond to emerging outbreaks, and meet regulatory and accreditation requirements." But the committee hasn't been without its critics. Most recently, HICPAC's draft proposal in 2023 to update the CDC's 2007 isolation precaution guidelines was widely criticized for suggesting that surgical masks are as effective as respirators for preventing airborne pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A letter signed by more than 900 public health experts warned that the proposed guidelines could weaken protections for healthcare workers exposed to infectious aerosols. Still, several professional societies representing the infectious diseases and infection prevention community protested the termination, saying in a joint statement yesterday that disbanding the group will jeopardize decades of progress in preventing healthcare-associated infections."The decision to terminate HICPAC creates a preventable gap in national preparedness and response capacity, leaving healthcare facilities without timely, evidence-based and expert-driven recommendations at a time when threats from emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are on the rise," the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society said."The absence of this committee's guidance creates a significant void in the field, fosters uncertainty among healthcare facilities, and puts patients at risk."

North Dakota reports first measles case since 2011 - An unvaccinated child in Williams County, North Dakota, is the state’s first measles case since 2011.According to state health officials, the child is believed to have contracted the illness from an out-of-state visitor. The child is recuperating at home in isolation. Molly Howell, North Dakota’s Health and Human Services immunization director, said in a press release, “Anyone with symptoms consistent with measles should call ahead before visiting a clinic to avoid exposing others. Currently North Dakota has an 81% vaccination rate among toddlers and 90% among kindergarteners entering during the 2024-2025 school year. Vaccination coverage at 95% or above is needed to halt measles transmission.In other US news, Tarrant County, Texas (in the Fort Worth metro area) has reported its first two measles cases, an adult and child who are household members and both unvaccinated against the virus. It's not clear how they contracted the virus, or if their cases are connected to the ongoing large outbreak in West Texas, namely in Gaines County. Texas is approaching 700 cases in an outbreak that began in January and has spread to neighboring New Mexico and Oklahoma. Oklahoma reported another measles case over the weekend, raising state totals to 16. Of the 16 case-patients, 15 are unvaccinated. In a new measles report released late last week, PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) said cases in the Americas region are 11-fold higher compared with last year. Seven countries have reported cases, but most cases are from Canada, the United States, and Mexico, respectively. Canada's total is the highest since it eliminated the disease in 1998 and currently stands at 1,069 for the first four months of the year. Last year Canada reported 146 cases during the same time period. Ontario has seen the most measles activity, with more than 900 cases reported thus far in 2025.“The outbreak began with an imported case who attended a massive event in New Brunswick in October 2024, which included multiple attendees from the provinces. Most cases associated with this outbreak are either unvaccinated (84%) or vaccination status unknown (12%),” the PAHO report said. The New Brunswick event was attended by members of Canada’s Mennonite community, according tomedia reports.

Texas measles total tops 700 cases amid rises in other states -The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) today reported 19 more cases since its last update on May 2, lifting the state’s total to 702 cases. As the country’s biggest measles hot spot, the state has reported outbreak-linked cases from 29 counties, mainly in west Texas. So far 91 people have been hospitalized, reflecting an increase of 2 since the last report. Of the 702 cases, 672 involved unvaccinated people or whose immunization status was unknown.Texas, like several other states, also continues to report a spate of other measles illnesses not linked to the main outbreak. The state has recorded 16 such cases.Other states have reported measles cases linked to the Texas outbreak, and today Oklahoma reportedone more infection, raising its total to 17, which includes three probable cases. Elsewhere, three Midwestern states reported new cases. The Illinois Department of Public Healthreported two more cases, bringing its total to six, all in adults. The two new cases involved patients from southern Illinois. One patient is from the Franklin-Williamson bi-county area, which, with three cases in people who know each socially, meets the federal definition of an outbreak. After reporting its first measles case since 2011, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services has reported three more cases, lifting its total to four. The three patients are all unvaccinated people who are close contacts of the first case, health officials said.Also, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services today reported a confirmed case involving an adult resident of New Madrid County who likely had limited exposure to others while infectious. Officials said the case isn’t linked to a prior case or prior exposures reported in Missouri.

More measles cases in North Dakota; Canadian outbreaks grow --North Dakota has reported five more measles infections in Williams County, raising the state outbreak total to nine cases. The new case-patients aren't contacts of previously reported measles patients, but they were unvaccinated, which points to possible community transmission. There were exposures at three schools and a Walmart.These are the first people to have confirmed measles infections in North Dakota since 2011.In other US news, Los Angeles County has reported its fourth measles case of the year, which involves an international visitor. Officials said the traveler was not infectious during the time of travel. In Canadian measles developments, Manitoba health officials are seeing spread beyond contacts, hinting at potential community transmission through schools or perhaps bus routes, according to theWinnipeg Sun. Previous cases in the province had all been related to travel or direct contact with an infected person.Nova Scotia has reported its first case of the year, a Halifax resident who had received one vaccine dose and had recently traveled outside Canada. A media report said the patient is an adult who hadtraveled to the United States.Finally, Ontario reported 140 cases over the past week, with measles spread mainly occurring in the southwest area in rural Mennonite communities. Ontario now has 1,383 cases, including 98 patients who required hospitalization.

US measles total climbs to 1,001 cases -In a weekly update today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 66 more measles cases, pushing the national total to 1,001 and in just over 4 months keeps the nation on track to pass the 2019 total, which marked the nation's worst year since the disease was declared to be eliminated in 2000.The steady rise in cases is fueled by multiple outbreaks, with two more reported this week. The CDC is tracking 14 outbreaks that are responsible for 93% of cases. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) todayreported 7 more cases since its last update on May 6, lifting the state's total to 709 confirmed patients, of whom 679 (96%) were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The number of affected counties remained at 29, and most cases are in Gaines County, the outbreak's epicenter.Five more hospitalizations were reported, putting that total at 92. The number of deaths remained at two.Elsewhere, the Arkansas Department of Health reported two more cases, lifting the state’s total to six. Last week, officials reported a case without a travel history, which suggested local spread.In other developments, health officials in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, reported the area's first measles case, which involves an unvaccinated child. Cuyahoga County, in the northeastern part of the state, is home to Cleveland.The health department's press release didn't say how the patient likely contracted the virus. It said exposure to the public may have occurred at Hillcrest Hospital, where he or she was treated before going home to recover in isolation.

Vaccine teams in Mexico scramble over measles outbreak rippling out from Mennonite community - In a rickety white Nissan, nurse Sandra Aguirre and her vaccination team drive past apple orchards and cornfields stretching to the desert horizon. Aguirre goes door to door with a cooler of measles vaccines. In one of Latin America's biggest Mennonite communities, she knows many will decline to be vaccinated or even open their doors. But some will ask questions, and a handful might even agree to get shots on the spot."We're out here every single day," said Aguirre, pausing to call out to an empty farm, checking for residents. "To gain trust of the Mennonites—because they're reserved and closed-off people—you have to meet them where they're at, show a friendly face."Aguirre's work is part of an effort by health authorities across the country to containMexico's biggest measles outbreak in decades, as cases climb not only here but in the U.S. and Canada. In Mexico, cases have been concentrated in the Mennonite community—long skeptical of vaccines and distrustful of authorities—in the northern border state of Chihuahua.Officials say results of their campaign alongside Mennonite leaders have been mixed—they cite tens of thousands of new vaccinations in Chihuahua, but infections have ballooned and spread past the community to Indigenous and other populations. Federal officials have documented 922 cases and one death in Chihuahua. Officials,health workers and local leaders say the numbers are likely underestimated, and misinformation about vaccines and endemic distrust of authorities are their biggest obstacles. Pressed against the fringes of the small northern city of Cuauhtemoc, the Mennonite settlement here spans about 40 kilometers (25 miles). With 23,000 residents, it's one of Cuauhtemoc's primary economic engines, but it's an isolated place where families keep to themselves. Some have turned to social media and anti-vaccine websites for research. Others use little technology but visit family in the United States, where they also hear misinformation—which then spreads through word of mouth. Chihuahua is a particularly worrisome place, officials say—as a border state, the risk that the preventable disease will continue spreading internationally and affect the most vulnerable is high. "We have a massive flow of people," . "That makes things a lot more complicated."

Sierra Leone battles mpox surge -Sierra Leone reported its first mpox cases in January, and activity is now skyrocketing, so much so that the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has added the country to its list of most affected nations.At a weekly briefing today, however, Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, MPH, who leads Africa CDC's mpox incident management team, said cases are down in the other high-burden countries, such as Burundi, Uganda, and even the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has been the main hot spot throughout the region's outbreaks."We've started seeing some light at the end of the tunnel," he said.Last week, Sierra Leone had half of Africa's confirmed cases, with its outbreak expanding over the past 6 weeks and cases up 71% last week compared to the week before. Ngongo added that the country is averaging about 100 new cases a day.The outbreak in Sierra Leone is driven by clade 2b, the global strain of the virus. Ngongo said 68% of patients are male, mostly 30 to 35 years old.Seven percent of the illnesses are in people who have HIV, a high-risk group seen in other African countries during the outbreak.Most of the cases are concentrated in the western part of the country, including Western Area province, which includes Freetown, the country's capital.He said the country has only 60 mpox isolation beds, and most of the patients are receiving home care, which makes it difficult to ensure compliance with isolation. And though Sierra Leone has good mpox testing coverage and a good testing rate, it currently has a low contact-tracing ratio. So far, nearly 24,000 people have been vaccinated, almost 60% of them healthcare workers. Other target groups include contacts of patients and people in high-risk areas. Ngongo said the situation in the DRC' North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, where conflict had nearly shut down the response over the past several months, is stabilizing and that officials have started redeploying health workers and restarting vaccination. In Uganda, cases have declined in the past 4 weeks, down 60% from the peak at week 11 of the epidemiologic calendar, he said. The country has also seen higher deaths in people with HIV. Burundi's cases are down more than 84% from the peak in late October 2024, and the country has intensified surveillance, with a goal of interrupting the remaining transmission chains.

African officials eye coordinated response to curb cholera outbreaks |Cholera cases are still on the rise in Africa, with four high-burden countries—especially South Sudan and Angola—accounting for about 90% of cases in the most recent reporting week, a top official from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said today at a weekly briefing."The cholera situation is still of great concern," Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, MPH, who leads Africa CDC's mpox incident management team, told reporters. For the most recent week, 3,781 cases were reported, up just over 9% for the previous week. Also, 103 people died from their infection, an increase of 78% from the week before.South Sudan has the highest incidence, followed by Angola. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan round out the four hardest-hit countries.In Angola, where nearly 18,000 cases have been reported this year, males make up just over half of cases, and children younger than 15 years old are the most affected age-group, Ngongo said. Cases showed a slight decline last week but remain high, and nearly one third of deaths occurred outside of hospital settings.The outbreaks in Angola, South Sudan, and the DRC signify a severe crisis, and Ngongo said the cholera situation needs an African regional coordinated response, similar to that for mpox, to curb the spread.

Multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to backyard poultry The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their partners are investigating Salmonella Mbandaka illnesses in several states that appear to be linked to contact with backyard poultry.So far, seven illnesses involving the outbreak strain have been identified from six states, which include Florida, Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin. Illness onset dates range from February 9 to March 24. “The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said, noting that many people recover and are not tested and recent illness may not be reported yet. Of seven people who were interviewed about animals they had contact with, five said they had contact with backyard poultry before they got sick. Of four people with information available, two had bought or obtained poultry from agricultural retail stores.The CDC said the outbreak strain has been linked to two hatcheries in past outbreaks. One facility is linked to a positive poultry shipping material sample collected by Ohio health officials from the current outbreak that matches the samples from patients. “CDC is working with state partners to notify this hatchery of these links and assess any links to upstream suppliers. Additional hatcheries may be linked to the outbreak as the investigation continues,” the group said.

Quick takes: Nipah in India, H5N1 in Arizona cows, polio in 2 nations | CIDRAP

• Tests at India's National Institute of Virology have confirmed a Nipah virus infection in a 42-year-old woman hospitalized in India's Kerala state, The Hindu reported today. The patient is from Malappuram district, and the positive test marks the seventh Nipah virus appearance in Kerala state since 2018. The woman's symptoms began on April 25, and she was hospitalized a few days later when her condition worsened and she initially tested positive for dengue virus. When her condition didn’t improve, her medical team sent her samples for Nipah testing. Of blood, throat, and urine samples collected, only the urine sample was positive, which a health official said could reflect the woman's late stage of infection. Samples collected from seven of the woman's high-risk contacts were negative for the virus. The report did not detail the source of the woman's infection. The virus is typically spread by fruit bats, and people can contract the virus by consuming palm sap or fruit contaminated by bat urine or feces.
• The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported one more H5N1 avian flu detection in dairy cattle, in another herd from Arizona. The virus has now been detected in 1,053 herds across 17 states, which now include 4 in Arizona.
• Two African countries reported more polio cases this week, according to the latest weekly updatefrom the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Chad reported one more circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 case (cVDPV2), its ninth of the year. The patient from Chari Baguirmi had a February 19 paralysis onset. And Guinea reported a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) case, which appears to be its first of the year. The patient is from Kankan and had paralysis onset on March 7.

New global report: 'Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale' --With progress falling far short of goals, health disparities are cutting lives short by decades in both high- and low-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) contends in a new report on the social determinants of health equity. For example, on average, people in the country with the lowest healthy life expectancy live 33 years shorter than those born in the country with the highest life expectancy, and children born in the poorer countries are 13 times more likely to die before age 5 years than those in wealthier countries. The report is the first of its kind published since 2008, when the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health released its final report delineating 2040 targets for bridging gaps in life expectancy and child and maternal death between and within countries. The 2008 report concluded that "social injustice is killing people on a grand scale" and "a toxic combination of poor policies and programmes, unfair economic arrangements, and bad governance" contributes to the disparities.The authors note that health and life expectancy vary by country, community, educational attainment, race, income, sex, and disability status. "The social determinants of health equity—that is, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and people's access to power, money, and resources—have a powerful influence on these avoidable and unjust health gaps," they wrote.The report is based on input from scientific and policy advisory groups, commissioned papers and evidence reviews, internal expertise from the three levels of the WHO, and consultation with member states through the executive board and World Health Assembly. It details insufficient progress toward meeting the Commission on Social Determinants of Health targets for health equity and makes 14 recommendations for action in four areas. Although there has been progress since the 2008 report, it has been insufficient. For example, around the world, the death rate of children younger than 5 years was halved from 2000 to 2023 but is falling far short of the target of a 90% reduction by 2040. "Low-income countries saw the fastest relative decline, but in 2023, the rate of under-five mortality in low-income countries was still 13 times higher than in high-income countries," the report said. Global maternal death rates fell 40% from 2000 to 2023, from 328 to 197 deaths per 100,000 live births, still far from than the goal of 16 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2040. Women in disadvantaged or marginalized groups are still far more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their more advantaged peers in countries at all income levels.These disparities were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors said. "Between countries, inequity in COVID-19 outcomes was exacerbated by inequitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and other countermeasures," they wrote. "Many low- and middle-income countries emerged with large amounts of sovereign debt, reducing the fiscal space for investment in necessary social and physical infrastructure to improve health, and resulting in large backlogs in health services."

CDC review of two more US H5N1 viruses similar to earlier assessments -The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 2 published assessments for two more H5N1 avian flu clade 2.3.4.4b viruses, noting that the risk is moderate, similar to that posed by other recent viruses from the same clade. As part of its regular pandemic risk assessment process, the CDC added the two viruses to its Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT). Scientists evaluate the viruses based on two factors—one on future emergence, looking at factors such as transmission in animal models and genomic analysis, and the other on public health impact, taking into account topics such as population immunity and antiviral treatment options. One is a 2024 B3.13 genotype virus from California that is similar to those currently circulating in US dairy cattle and causes sporadic human infections, mainly in people who are exposed to sick cows. The other is a 2024 D1.1 genotype virus from Washington that resembles one circulating in wild birds and poultry, with occasional jumps to humans who have poultry exposure. The CDC now has five clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses on its IRAT list. The CDC said the new assessments weave in new information, including information from human cases. The two newer viruses scored slightly lower on some risk elements, but slightly higher on others. “However, the mean-high and mean-low acceptable score ranges for these viruses overlap, indicating that these viruses remain similar, and their overall risk scores remain ‘moderate’,” the CDC said. Potential emergence scores for the California and Washington viruses were 5.59 and 5.21, respectively, putting them at the mid-low range of the moderate risk category. For potential public health impact, the scores were 5.91 and 6.0, respectively, which is in the mid-range of moderate risk. Both scores reflect slight decreases compared with the CDC’s assessment of the initial B3.13 genotype virus from Texas isolated earlier in the dairy cow outbreaks. In researcher developments, scientists published new studies that shed more light on risk of currently circulating H5N1 viruses, one in people and the other in pigs. In the first study, a team from the CDC examined a conjunctival sample isolated from a dairy worker infected with H5N1 in Michigan. They described their findings in a research letter in Emerging Infectious Diseases. In experiments with ferrets inoculated with the virus, they found that the virus could spread by the airborne route in the animals, causing a moderate infection that was less virulent compared with earlier similar experiments with a virus isolated from a Texas dairy worker. In the second study, to assess potential H5N1 susceptibility in pigs, scientists with the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) experimentally infected eight pigs with a bovine B3.13 H5N1 isolate through different routes that mimicked natural exposure. They published their preprint findings in Nature Portfolio.Pigs developed subclinical or mild disease and continued to gain weight during recovery. Virus replication mainly occurred in respiratory tissues, with shedding that occurred in the upper airway tract. To test transmission, they put infected pigs in pens with uninfected animals, finding evidence of pig-to-pig transmission. The group said the susceptibility and occasional transmission they identified are worrisome from a public health perspective, given that pigs are susceptible to both mammalian and avian influenza virus, making them a mixing vessel for new reassortants.

Spike in avian flu cases in cats triggers worry about human spillover -University of Maryland scientists are calling for increased surveillance of avian flu in domestic cats after a global review of 20 years of published data reveals a dramatic uptick in feline infections—and the number of ways cats are being infected—after the emergence of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in other mammals. "Infections among mammalian species in frequent contact with humans should be closely monitored," the researchers wrote yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. "Domestic cats are susceptible to AIV [avian influenza virus] infection and provide a potential pathway for zoonotic spillover to humans. The team conducted a systematic review of scientific literature from 2004 to 2024 to track the epidemiology and global distribution of AIV in cats. The review identified 48 articles that detailed 607 AIV infections in 12 feline species (ranging from pet cats to tigers), 302 of them resulting in death, in 18 countries. Half of the cases were from Asia, followed by Europe (25%) and North America (16.7%). H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infections were reported in Finland, France, Poland, the United States, Italy, Peru, and South Korea in five species (135 domestic cats, 2 bobcats, and 1 lynx, caracal, and lion). "We observed a drastic flux in the number of AIV infections among domestic cats in 2023 and 2024, commensurate with the emergence of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b," which was consistent with the emergence and increased transmission of the clade in birds and mammals, the authors said. Zoos, animal shelters, farms and private rural land were the most common settings of infections in cats. In total, 62.6% of the cases involved domestic cats, and 71.3% of the 423 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed cases were fatal. Most infections were confirmed or suspected to result from bird-to-cat transmission, most often from eating dead pigeons, chickens, or other birds but also from contaminated raw chicken feed. "Interestingly, cases of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b recently reported by the Colorado Health Department included two indoor-only domestic cats with no known exposure to infected animals," the authors wrote. "This observation raises concerns regarding new and unknown transmission routes of AIV to domestic cats." A total of 92.3% of feline cases were identified as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and 7.7% were low-pathogenic avian flu. Among the PCR-positive infections, HPAI made up 99.7% of deaths. Among the 98% of the PCR-confirmed feline infections identified as HPAI H5N1, 33.8% were clade 2.3.4.4b, and 96.4% were domestic cats. Of these cats, the case-fatality rate was 52.8% for H5N1, and 89.6% were clade 2.3.4.4b. Of the studies that described symptoms, respiratory and neurologic illness were most common and often led to death. Blindness and chorioretinitis (inflammation of the choroid and retina of the eye) were also recently reported in two infected domestic cats that contracted the virus from drinking raw colostrum and milk containing high viral loads from dairy cattle infected with the clade 2.3.4.4b virus. Subclinical feline infections have also been reported. The avian flu outbreaks that started in February 2024 in dairy cattle are worrisome because most infections in mammals have been in carnivores or omnivores, they said: "The transmission to herbivores is interesting, as avian influenza is often foodborne in mammalian hosts, and tends to result from a new host eating an infected host." "The infection of ruminants rules out the predation or scavenging route of transmission in this case and suggests that other routes of transmission are occurring, in addition to cattle-to-cattle transmission," they added. Avian flu has infected 950 people worldwide and killed half of them. From April 2022 (when cumulative data on US human cases started being collected) and January 2025, the country has recorded 66 human infections and 1 death, the researchers noted."The virus has evolved, and the way that it jumps between species—from birds to cats, and now between cows and cats, cats and humans—is very concerning," lead and senior author Kristen Coleman, PhD, said in a University of Maryland press release. "As summer approaches, we are anticipating cases on farms and in the wild to rise again."Of particular concern, she said, is the potential for the virus to enter animal shelters, which could cause large outbreaks potentially involving people, similar to or worse than what happened in New York City in 2016 with a different avian flu strain. The number of new and unknown transmission routes is worrisome, because cats are not monitored for avian flu, and when testing is performed, it is usually done after death, the authors said. Also, infected cats often experience encephalitis (brain swelling) and other severe symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as rabies.

Their Cows Started Dying Mysteriously. Lawmakers Are Taking Notice. -“It’s called an ataxic gait,” Karen Coleman said, referring to the jerky, staggering walk she often sees in the cows she owns with her husband, Tony. The couple, who run a cattle operation on 315 acres of property owned by Karen’s mother, Patsy Schultz, in Grandview, about a half-hour south of Fort Worth, had been bewildered by the behavior when it first appeared. They never saw obvious signs of injury—the animals just suddenly and mysteriously lost control of their legs. Sometimes the ataxia was preceded by excessive drooling and weight loss and accompanied by other strange behaviors. One day a young steer that had never shown signs of aggression just started charging at Tony; cows would mysteriously lose weight and would look years older than they actually were. In all cases, the malady ended in death. In the past three years, the Colemans have lost 54 of their cows. Multiple calves were stillborn, underdeveloped, or born with deformed limbs. Even some of those that were seemingly healthy made it barely a week. Meanwhile, after one rainstorm, the couple found all the fish in their stock ponds floating, dead. “You don’t know what you’re going to run into when you come down to the ranch,” Karen said. “You just don’t make plans when you come down here.” Their neighbors, couple Robin Alessi and James Farmer, have encountered similar problems. They’ve lost their fish and found cranes lying dead beside their ponds. They’ve lost four horses. “One of them was definitely something neurological,” Alessi recalled. “Two were seen the same day, fine, just trotting along, and then an hour later they’re down dead.” Before long, it wasn’t just the animals that were experiencing mysterious health problems. “Karen caught thyroid cancer,” said Tony. Farmer recently developed cardiac issues and diabetes. Alessi was hospitalized for weeks. One day she just got up from her seat and her legs collapsed—she couldn’t walk. “All of a sudden I lost my strength. They can’t explain why, any of the doctors, and I go to plenty of them,” she said. “Same thing as the cows,” added Farmer. “They go down in their back end. Can’t get up.” For years, the Colemans, Alessi, and Farmer have been seeking relief from this unfathomable predicament. Soon it might come—from the Texas Legislature. The Colemans believe their nightmare started in December 2022. That month, they say one of their neighbors left piles of biosolid fertilizer on his property for so long that it started smoking, leaving a smell that Tony called “worse than a dead body.” The concerned couple contacted Dana Ames, an environmental-crimes investigator with the Johnson County constable’s office, who came out to the property and took photos of the smoking fertilizer before heading back to her office to research exactly what was in it. Ames, who had spent decades as a detective with the sheriff’s office, was shocked by what she found. “None of my previous experience in law enforcement prepared me for what I’m dealing with in this case and what I’ve seen,” she said. But there wasn’t much she could do. The fertilizer used by the Colemans’ neighbor was perfectly legal, smoking or not. Biosolid fertilizer is made from the solid-waste leftovers of sewage after it has been processed through a wastewater treatment facility. It has been touted by local governments around the country as a cost-effective solution for the disposal of city waste. But such waste includes that from hospitals, factories, and airports, which are full of heavy metals, microplastics, and types of “forever chemicals” called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In humans, consumption of PFAS has been linked to certain cancers, diabetes, thyroid disorders, pregnancy complications such as hypertension and preeclampsia, and high cholesterol. In animals, PFAS have been linked to anxious behavior, memory problems, diminished brain function, and hormone imbalances. With the help of Ames, the couples have been able to test their soil and tissue from some of the deceased animals. They sent samples to Kyla Bennett at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, an environmental-protection nonprofit that serves as a resource for whistleblowers. According to Bennett’s report, two catfish were found to have PFAS levels of 74,000 and 59,000 parts per trillion. For context, the EPA limits PFAS in drinking water to 4 parts per trillion. The liver of one stillborn calf—which had never eaten contaminated grass or drunk from a contaminated pond, and was receiving nutrients only from its mother—showed a PFAS level of 610,000 parts per trillion. PEER also tested a sample of biosolid fertilizer from Synagro, the company that made the Colemans’ neighbor’s fertilizer. It found 27 different PFAS in the sample, 13 of which had also been found in the soil and water samples from the Coleman and Alessi properties. Synagro denies its product is responsible for the contamination in Grandview. A representative cited a study by a Purdue University scientist and Parsons, an independent engineering firm that Synagro engaged after the PEER report had been released. The representative wrote that the study determined “that a single application of Synagro’s Granulite biosolids fertilizer on land in Grandview was not responsible for the alleged elevated PFAS levels in soil, water, and livestock on a neighboring property.” Both couples have filed suit against the company, and they have support from Ames. “This is a criminal investigation, not just an environmental one,” she says. “We used to put lead in gasoline, but we stopped doing that because we were poisoning kids. Asbestos? We used that as a fire retardant, and people started getting mesothelioma, so we stopped. When you know better, you do better. . . . All of our victims, our farmers, feel completely deceived and lied to.”

Health care workers, firefighters have increased PFAS levels, study finds - A study including researchers from the University of Arizona Health Sciences and published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found that firefighters had higher concentrations of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and health care workers had moderate elevations of PFAS in their blood with significantly higher odds of two specific PFAS when compared with other essential workers."Our study reinforces previous research showing elevated PFAS levels among firefighters and suggests that health care workers may have unique sources of PFAS exposure as well," ."Our findings underscore the need to understand occupational exposure pathways for PFAS among different types of workers."PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of products because of their stain-, water- and flame-resistant properties. PFAS do not degrade easily over time and are highly stable in the environment, making them capable of contaminating our food, water and material products.Among health care workers, researchers found moderate elevations of certain PFAS (PFHpS and PFUnA), along with notably higher odds of detecting Sb-PFOA and PFDoA compared with individuals in other professions.Firefighters had the highest concentrations of PFAS in their blood samples, specifically concentrations of PFHxS, Sm-PFOS, n-PFOS and PFHpS. This aligns with previous studies and implies distinct sources of occupational PFAS exposure remain for firefighters in Arizona.PFAS serum levels in other essential workers declined 6% to 17% per year over the three-year study period; however, there were still notable levels of PFAS in their blood samples. PFAS data were available for 1,960 study participants, including 280 firefighters and 787 health care workers and 734 other essential workers. "Almost all adults in the U.S. have detectable levels of certain PFAS, and people in occupations with more frequent exposure to PFAS-containing materials have been shown to exhibit higher serum concentrations of some PFAS," "Research into occupational exposure to PFAS is vital to reduce the health risksassociated with PFAS, including but not limited to increases in rates of certain cancers, increases in cholesterol levels, lower antibody response to certain immunizations, and increased rates of certain adverse reproductive outcomes."

PFAS contamination in Southwest Illinois water: What to know -More than 80,000 people in Madison County recently learned their city’s water exceeded new state and federal limits on contamination from PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” the last time it was tested.Collinsville had some of the highest levels in the state: four and a half times the limit for one type of chemical.Affected residents received letters declaring “PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE - READ IMMEDIATELY” printed on the envelopes. Many still had questions after reading the letter, including whether their tap water is safe to drink.Exposure to PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals, has been linked to certain types of cancer, fertility and child development issues and other health problems. Environment oversight agencies only recently took action to regulate PFAS by setting limits on their presence in drinking water. They won’t enforce those limits with violations and fines until 2029. In the meantime, water utilities are starting to upgrade their treatment process to remove PFAS if they have elevated levels so they can be compliant in four years time.But President Donald Trump’s administration could disrupt that process. It has signaled it may roll back the brand new PFAS regulations, which were introduced under former President Joe Biden. PFAS is shorthand for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These synthetic chemicals have been used for decades to make products that repel oil and water such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain resistant furniture, food packaging and cosmetics, as well as firefighting foams.They are often referred to as forever chemicals because they break down very slowly and build up over time — including in the human body when people ingest contaminated food or water. PFAS don’t have any taste, color or odor.According to environment oversight agencies, the possible health effects of PFAS that have been identified by scientific studies include:

• Reproductive effects, such as decreased fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women
• Developmental effects in children, such as low birth weight
• Increased risks of developing certain types of cancer, including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers
• Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response
• Interference with the body’s natural hormones
• Increased risk of thyroid disease
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Increased risk of obesity

Scientific research into PFAS is ongoing to better understand how harmful the chemicals are and how much people are exposed to them.

Trump’s EPA blocks effort to reduce toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in West Virginia drinking water -- West Virginia regulators’ plans to reduce cancer-causing chemicalsin the state’s drinking water has stalled because the Trump administration canceled funding for the project. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection officials were using a $1 million federal grant to work with communities to address the source of PFAS, known as forever chemicals, in public water supplies. The project was focused in communities with the highest levels of forever chemicals in their water.Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to several serious health conditions, including cancer, liver and kidney damage, developmental problems and immune system disorders. And in West Virginia, such chemical contamination has been a prevalent issue. The former DuPont, now Chemours, Washington Works plant near Parkersburg saw a decades-long legal battle over its use of Teflon and the surrounding community’s exposure to forever chemicals. But, earlier this year, the state’s grant to fund the effort wascanceled by the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency.“It’s been a kind of multiyear process to even get the resources to be able to fund these plans. And right now, without it, we’re back at square one,” said Maria Russo, a policy specialist at West Virginia Rivers Coalition, which is working with the DEP. The grant was part of the DEP’s effort to fulfill its obligations under a state law that requires the agency to identify sources of the chemicals in drinking water and develop plans to address the contamination. When lawmakers passed the measure in 2023, they didn’t give the agency any additional funding to do the work.In March, the EPA sent the DEP a memo informing the state agency that it was terminating the grant, stating that its objectives were “no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities.” The EPA also said that their priority to eliminate discrimination in all programs includes ensuring its grants don’t support programs or organizations that promote or take part in environmental justice as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.The DEP’s grant was one of more than 400 grants totaling more than $1.5 billion canceled by Trump’s EPA. This also comes as the future of two historic EPA rules regulating forever chemicals in drinking water and holding polluters responsible for cleanup face uncertainty. The federal agency asked for additional time in the two lawsuits challenging the rules to decide its next steps. Although regulations of forever chemicals in drinking water avoided the initial rounds of slashes and rollbacks by the EPA under the Trump administration, there’s anticipation it’s only a matter of time. Even with new legislation, it could be years before drinking water in West Virginia is free of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ The contamination of forever chemicals in drinking water is not a new phenomenon in West Virginia.After decades of using C8 — a type of forever chemical that resists heat, water, oil and grease — to produce common everyday items, including nonstick pots and pans, DuPont had discovered that the chemical had seeped into the drinking water sources for surrounding communities, including Parkersburg, Vienna and Lubeck. The chemical’s contamination of groundwater in the community eventually led to a lawsuit that marked the beginning of what became a series of legal battles against the company that spanned more than two decades. In 2017, DuPont and Chemours — a spinoff of DuPont which now owns and operates the Washington Works site — agreed to pay a total of $670.7 million to settle the more than 3,500 cases in the class-action lawsuits against DuPont over health problems, including kidney and testicular cancer, caused from exposure to C8. DuPont has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to C8. In December, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition sued Chemours, accusing the company’s Washington Works site of violating federal law since 2023 by failing to comply with its permit limits and discharging forever chemicals into the Ohio River at levels exceeding the amount allowed. The lawsuit also alleges that the company has reported “numerous violations” of its permit limits for several chemicals, including PFOA, which is a type of forever chemical that the EPA has determined there is no safe level of exposure to. In 2023, the EPA issued an administrative order to force Chemours to take corrective action, but the company failed to do so, and the federal agency has not taken any further action, according to the WV Rivers’ lawsuit.

Map Shows Where Beers Are Most Contaminated With Chemicals: Study - A new study by researchers at RTI International has found that several American beers contain measurable levels of "forever chemicals," with the source traced primarily to municipal drinking water used in the brewing process. According to the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were present in beers produced in areas already known to have contaminated water supplies. PFAS are a class of man-made chemicals used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent fabrics, and firefighting foams, among other products. Their nickname—"forever chemicals"—comes from their ability to persist in the environment and human body for years. The presence of these chemicals in beer highlights a broader issue about the vulnerability of food and beverage production to environmental contaminants. Researchers analyzed beers from nine states, including North Carolina, Michigan, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri and Colorado. International beers examined during the study were brewed in the Netherlands and Mexico. Dozens of beers brewed in regions with known PFAS contamination were sampled. The study revealed that of the nine states analyzed, there were three counties with the "highest PFAS concentrations" in the beer samples. They are Chatham County, North Carolina; Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; and Kent County, Michigan.Beers produced in areas such as the Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina and Kalamazoo, Michigan, were among those found to have elevated PFAS levels. According to RTI International researchers, these regions have documented PFAS presence in public water systems, making local breweries especially vulnerable to contamination. About 18 percent of breweries nationwide operate in zip codes with PFAS-detectable water, according to the report. Smaller breweries, which often rely heavily on municipal water without additional treatment, showed some of the highest contamination levels."Beers selected based on their brewery location's proximity to known elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water had 15 times the odds of having one or more detections of PFAS compared to larger-scale U.S. or international beers selected based on consumer popularity without known PFAS sources in municipal water," the study said. A map maintained by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows more than 8,800 locations across the U.S. with known PFAS contamination in water systems, reinforcing the risk to breweries in affected areas. PFAS exposure has been linked to health problems, including hormonal disruption, immune system damage, and increased risk of certain cancers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These risks make the presence of PFAS in food and beverages a growing public health concern.

EPA expands ‘forever chemicals’ investigation into Musconetcong River - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing bottled water to more than half of families in a New Jersey town whose privately-owned wells tested positive for “forever chemicals” last year. The next step in the investigation includes collecting specimens from the Musconetcong River this summer to determine if per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “PFAS,” have infiltrated the riverbed and wildlife ecosystems. The EPA began testing the surface water and sediment of the Musconetcong River in May in Warren County, to determine the risks to recreationists who consume fish from the river. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is conducting fish tissue sampling with support from the National Park Service this summer. Those results could be available by October 2025. Washington Township — a small town about a 20-minute drive up Route 57 from Phillipsburg — is also being recommended for the Superfund National Priorities List. The designation will establish a long-term response to remediate, contain and further study the unforeseen impacts of this kind of pollution. Somia Aluwalia, a research scientist for the New Jersey Department of Health Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program, said the state health department will also publish a retrospective. The report will identify known examples of exposure to the public, the impacts of long-term exposure to PFAS and a public survey. Of the 347 wells sampled in the Washington Township area, as of December 2024, 184 are above the maximum allowable levels recommended by the EPA’s drinking water standards (minimum level: between zero and 4 parts per trillion). Parts per trillion, or ppt, describes how many parts a certain molecule or compound makes up within the one trillion parts of the whole solution. It’s typically used to describe concentrations of chemicals dissolved in a solvent, typically water, or compounds in soil. One ppt of a contaminant in drinking water equals one gram of the contaminant per trillion grams of water. Think: one drop of ink in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools, if each pool holds about 2,500,000 liters of water. The EPA is supplying bottled water to properties with detected PFAS, but the issue is impacting hundreds of families and dozens of businesses.

Thinking about a tattoo? FDA warns these inks could be dangerous --- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers and tattoo artists that two tattoo inks have tested positive for harmful bacteria and could lead to serious infections.The affected products are:

• Sacred Tattoo Ink, Raven Black (CI# 77266; Lot#: RB0624, Best Before: June 28, 2027)
• Sacred Tattoo Ink, Sunny Daze (CI# 21095; Lot#: SD1124, Best Before: Nov. 1, 2027)

FDA testing found the inks were contaminated with bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause infections when injected into the skin.These infections can cause red rashes, bumps or lesions and may leave permanent scars if not treated correctly, according to an FDA news release."There is an increased risk of infection any time the skin barrier is broken," the FDA said.Symptoms of infection can sometimes be mistaken for an allergic reaction, which can cause a delay in getting the right treatment.The FDA discovered the contaminated inks during a routine survey of tattoo products. The agency relied on microbiological testing methods typically used for cosmetics.Tattoo artists and studios are urged to avoid using or selling these specific inks. Consumers are advised to ask their tattoo artist what inks are being used and to avoid the affected products.The FDA said it is working with manufacturers and sellers to remove these products from the market.

Tire additives found deposited on fruits and vegetables -A study by EPFL and the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has found that tire additives enter into and pass through the food chain. Further research is needed to establish the implications for human health. Traces of the additives typically used in tire manufacturing have been detected in all of the most common types of fruits and vegetables eaten in Switzerland. That's the key finding of the EPFL-FSVO study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The scientists don't yet know the long-term implications of exposure to these substances for human health. Further research is needed to clarify this point.The study follows on from two Austrian studies demonstrating that these additives were present in leafy vegetables. These earlier studies were cited in Swiss-German magazine "K-Tipp" in August 2023, causing quite a stir. The FSVO then contacted Florian Breider, who heads the Central Environmental Laboratory research group (GR-CEL) at EPFL, and asked him to investigate whether the same holds true for a wider range of vegetables sold in Switzerland. "We sampled around 100 of the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables from a representative group of nine Swiss retailers, ranging from major supermarket chains to organic markets and small, local grocery stores." After rinsing the fruits and vegetables and turning them into workable samples, the scientists tested them for 11 compounds typically found in tire additives. Using consumption data held by the FSVO, they were then able to calculate theoretical daily intake values for these substances.They found that 31% of the samples contained traces of the compounds, including 6-PPD and 6-PPD-quinone, with no difference according to where the fruits and vegetables came from or whether they were organic. "Since people's diets are broadly the same throughout Western Europe, there's a good chance that these findings are representative of consumers' exposure in neighboring countries," says Breider. Previous studies have established that tire additives, especially DPG, 6-PPD and 6-PPD-quinone, are toxic to mammals. This research, which has so far been carried out only on rodents, found that these additives lead to decreased fertility in males and have neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory effects.The critical threshold for humans still needs to be established. "We don't know how these compounds are metabolized by the human body," explains Breider. "It's something we need to explore because we're all exposed to these compounds—and especially people in certain population groups, such as road workers." When tires wear against road surfaces, they release additives such as antioxidants and vulcanizing agents (which give rubber more strength, elasticity and durability). These particles, the toxicity of which is yet to be determined, disperse through the air, settle on the ground, and are transported in runoff water. Humans are exposed to them in two ways: by inhaling them and, as the EPFL-FSVO study shows, by ingesting them in contaminated food.

Okra and fenugreek extracts remove most microplastics from water, finds research -- The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer. Previously, researchers proposed using these sticky natural polymers to clean up water. Now, they report in ACS Omega that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics in ocean water, freshwater and groundwater. Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues have been exploring nontoxic, plant-based approaches to attract and remove contaminants from water. In one set of lab experiments, they found that polymers from okra, fenugreek and tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water. Srinivasan spoke about successful demonstrations of the plant extracts in freshwater and ocean water at ACS Spring 2022, a meeting of the American Chemical Society. To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders. Analyses showed that the powdered extracts contained polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:

• One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
• Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
• A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
• The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in wastewater treatment.

Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source: Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80–90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%). The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.

FDA to make unannounced inspections at foreign food, drug manufacturing sites - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday that it plans to expand unannounced inspections at foreign sites that produce food, essential medicines, and other medical products for US consumers, a move agency officials say will ensure that foreign companies receive the same level of oversight as US companies. The FDA conducts an estimated 3,000 foreign inspections each year in more than 90 countries, but foreign firms get advanced warning and often have weeks to prepare for the inspections, which agency officials say undermines the inspection process. In contrast, the FDA's 12,000 annual inspections of domestic food and drug manufacturing sites are pre-announced only in specific programs and cases. Despite the advanced warning, the FDA said, serious deficiencies were found more than twice as often in foreign manufacturing sites as domestic sites.FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, MD, MPH, called the move a "key step" in a broader strategy to get foreign inspections back on track."For too long, foreign companies have enjoyed a double standard—given advanced notice before facility inspections, while American manufacturers are held to rigorous standards with no such warning," Makary said in an FDA press release. "That ends today."The FDA said it will also evaluate its policies and practices to find other ways to improve the foreign inspections program and maintain the integrity of the oversight process. Among the changes will be clarifying policies for FDA investigators to refuse travel accommodations from regulated industries.

Ground sinking affects 28 major U.S. cities - -- The ground beneath major U.S. cities is slowly sinking, according to new research that documents land subsidence in all 28 of the nation’s most populous urban areas. Driven primarily by groundwater extraction, the phenomenon poses a structural risk to homes, roads, and infrastructure in cities such as New York, Houston, and Chicago. Urban areas across the United States are facing a slow-moving geophysical threat beneath their streets and buildings. This gradual sinking of the ground, known as subsidence, is mostly invisible to the naked eye but affects nearly every major city in the country. Once seen mostly as a coastal issue tied to sea-level rise, land subsidence is now widespread across the United States. New research shows it is largely caused by groundwater extraction, putting about 29 000 buildings and 34 million people at risk in 28 major cities, including New York, Dallas, and Seattle. Researchers at Virginia Tech have recently tracked this using satellite radar to spot changes that aren’t visible from the surface. They found that much of this quiet sinking is tied to the ongoing withdrawal of groundwater deep underground. Their aim was to measure subsidence and understand how it impacts the built environment. The results show that in every city, at least 20% of the land is affected. In many places, the impact is more than 65%. Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, Detroit, Fort Worth, Denver, New York, Indianapolis, Houston, and Charlotte are seeing the most widespread land sinking, with nearly 98% of their land areas affected. Leonard Ohenhen, who led the study, explained that even minor downward shifts in the ground can weaken buildings, roads, bridges, and dams. These small changes add up and contribute to an overall weakening of urban infrastructure. In cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, more than 70% of the land is subsiding at rates faster than 3 mm (0.12 inches) per year. Houston, for example, is sinking faster than most places. Around 42% of the city is subsiding more than 5 mm (0.19 inches) a year. In 12% of the area of the city, the rate is more than 10 mm (0.39 inches). Researchers found that Chicago’s land is sinking at an average rate of over 2 mm (0.08 inches) per year. About 10% of the city is experiencing a faster rate, with land subsiding more than 3 mm (0.12 inches) annually. The study also found that Memphis, Tennessee; San Jose, California; and Jacksonville, Florida showed a slight increase in elevation. The main catalyst behind the sinking is the pumping of groundwater. As cities draw more from underground aquifers to meet growing demand, the soil above gets compressed and starts to sink. This is a familiar process in hydrogeology, but it’s still largely ignored in how cities plan and build. The sinking doesn’t happen uniformly either. Uneven ground movement known as differential settlement puts extra stress on the urban infrastructure.

Water groups press Trump administration to stop Colorado River water waste - National water conservation groups filed a legal petition Tuesday asking the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to stop downstream Colorado River users from wasting water. The petition requests that the bureau ensure that all deliveries to Colorado River Lower Basin users — those in California, Nevada and Arizona — are “reasonably required for beneficial uses” and that water transfers are not “unreasonable.” The bureau is able to use its legal authority to restrict deliveries to prevent such waste, according to the petition, submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and represented by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Frank. G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic. Also signed on to the petition were a coalition of waterkeeper groups and other local advocacy organizations. “More than 40 million people in seven states rely on the over-stressed Colorado River for their water supply and the West can’t afford to continue to waste water unsustainably,” Mark Gold, director of water scarcity solutions at the NRDC and a UCLA adjunct professor, said in a statement. “The Bureau of Reclamation has the authority and obligation to stop the waste and protect this precious resource today and for future generations,” Gold added. The 1,450-mile Colorado River provides drinking water and agricultural irrigation to about 40 million people across seven U.S. states, 30 tribal nations and two states in Mexico. On the domestic side, the region is divided into the upper and lower basins: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico; and California, Nevada and Arizona.

Heat and drought are quietly hurting global crop yields - More frequent hot weather and droughts have dealt a significant blow to crop yields, especially for key grains like wheat, barley, and maize, according to a Stanford study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The analysis finds that warming and air dryness—a key factor in crop stress—have surged in nearly every major agricultural region, with some areas experiencing growing seasons hotter than nearly any season 50 years ago. The study also pointed to two important ways that models have missed the mark in predicting impacts so far. The study estimates that global yields of barley, maize, and wheat are 4% to 13% lower than they would have been without climate trends. In most cases, the losses have outweighed the benefits of increased carbon dioxide, which can improve plant growth and yield by boosting photosynthesis, among other mechanisms. "In many ways, the changes farmers are experiencing are completely in line with what climate models predicted, so the overall impact should not be a surprise," An unexpected twist: Climate models largely failed to predict the scale of drying in temperate zones like Europe and China. Observed increases in air dryness were far greater than projections had indicated for these regions. By contrast, U.S. farms, especially in the Midwest, experienced far less warming and drying than expected."These two big surprises are important to resolve," "Of all the uncertainties in climate models, these are the two big ones that matter for global food production."The authors note that model errors do not only matter for predicting impacts, but also for designing adaptations. Past efforts to extend growing seasons with longer-maturing crop varieties, for example, may have missed the mark because models didn't fully capture the drying trends that now threaten those very strategies.The findings echo concerns raised in a study published in March that found U.S. agricultural productivity could slow dramatically in coming decades without major investment in climate adaptation. Taken together, the studies highlight a growing need for more accurate modeling and smarter adaptation strategies.

Democrats raise alarm over proposed Endangered Species Act definition change -- Senate Democrats are raising the alarm over the proposed change to the definition of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A group, including Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Cory Booker (N.J.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to express concern over the Trump administration’s proposed rule that would loosen federal protections for endangered species. A draft rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) repeals the current definition of “harm” that is prohibited under the ESA. Currently, agencies interpret harm to include damage to species’ habitat, but the Trump administration is trying to change that aspect of the rule. It would loosen restrictions on industrial activities that could damage an endangered animal’s habitat, even if the animal itself is not harmed. In their letter, the Democrats argue that the administration’s reading of the statute presents an “end run around” of the ESA and “completely negates” Congress’s intent when it passed the act in 1973 to protect endangered species from going extinct. The lawmakers note that it’s been stated previously that loss of habitat is the primary driver of species extinction. They argue that it’s “puzzling” why agencies under the Trump administration will allow habitats to be degraded. The Democrats also question how the ESA will be enforced and implemented at all, particularly after the FWS and NOAA have undergone significant staffing changes under the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency’s federal workforce cuts. They are requesting the answers to several questions, including which external stakeholders proposed the new rule, what analysis do the agencies have to back up the rule, and more. “Protecting wildlife should not be a partisan issue, and wildlife and the habitats they depend on generate innumerable benefits for humanity, including providing stability for our food systems and clean air and water,” the Democrats concluded. “It is important that the administration not lose sight of Congress’s intent when it passed the Act.” When reached for comment, the Interior Department said it does not comment on congressional correspondence through the media, but it “takes all correspondence from Congress seriously and carefully reviews each matter.”

‘Staggering’ cuts leave Forest Service seeking outside help - The Forest Service has lost a quarter of its non-fire-related workforce to the Trump administration’s downsizing, further eroding the agency’s ability to care for the country’s 193 million acres of national forest. The updated statistic, provided by acting Associate Chief Chris French at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday, illustrates the impact the Forest Service has seen from workforce reductions this year and offers hints about challenges heading into wildfire season. In total, the Forest Service has seen around 5,000 people take voluntary departures, including through a deferred resignation offer that allows workers to quit and be paid through September. That number doesn’t include wildland firefighters, who weren’t allowed to take the offer. It also doesn’t include some employees older than 40 who have until later this month to decide on leaving voluntarily, according to Forest Service employees familiar with the plan. But it could include probationary employees who were fired earlier this year, then reinstated and put on administrative leave.

Forest loss to farms and cities linked to declining drinking water quality - A new study from North Carolina State University researchers finds that conversion of forests to urban development or agriculture near streams can have harmful effects on water quality downstream, presenting both health concerns and raising the cost of water treatment. Using a model called the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, researchers mapped out the current and projected future effects of four land-use scenarios at 15 water intake locations across the Middle Chattahoochee watershed in Georgia and Alabama. By combining a series of potential socioeconomic outcomes and climate change models reaching out to 2070, researchers examined several potential land use change scenarios to predict their effects on water quality. The research is published in the journal PLOS Water."In terms of aspects of water quality that we have long-term data on, two of the biggest are nitrogen levels and the amount of sediment in the water. Looking at those two, in places where we're losing forest cover, we see both of those increasing," she said. "Those are both detrimental to the quality of drinking water, and they require more filtration." Part of the issue, Martin said, is the relatively high level of fertilizer used in large-scale agriculture. Urban development results in large areas of impermeable surfaces, where rainwater cannot soak into the ground and instead runs off into rivers and streams. This causes the water to carry more sediment into those waterways than it would if it had been absorbed into the ground.Increased filtration has several knock-on effects, Martin said. Not only is it potentially harmful for aquatic life, but it also increases the cost of managingwater treatment plants. For facilities that do not serve large populations, this can lead to large per-capita price increases that end up being passed on to residents.These areas are also more likely to see increased development, due to their abundance of open land. The study suggests that more attention should be paid to where development might have serious effects on water quality for people living nearby, Martin said."Agriculture and urban development are beneficial, and this study does not say otherwise," she said. "What we are seeing is that there are trade-offs when we lose forest cover, and we need to open up the conversation about those."

Generalist pests cause more damage, specialists kill more trees: Classifying pests by tree damage and mortality -- A study in the journal Forests highlights the critical need for understanding and managing nonnative forest specialist and generalist pests."We classify pests for easier management; it's just a matter of which we should focus on first, given limited labor and funding," says Qinfeng Guo, a research ecologist with the USDA Forest Service and lead author of the study.The hemlock woolly adelgid, introduced accidentally in the 1950s, remains a major tree-killer in the U.S. In Japan, its population is controlled by natural predators and host tree resistance, but in the eastern U.S., where it's invasive, these controls are absent, causing significant damage.The National Park Service reported a loss of 80–90% of eastern hemlocks at some sites. The hemlock woolly adelgid is one of 66 nonnative speciesanalyzed by researchers in this study."Invasive insects are the biggest threat to forests. This study aims to shed light on the best methods for defining and confronting this vulnerability," says Kevin Potter, second author of the study.Specialist and generalist classifications are used frequently in the field of forest management. Specialist pests are those that consume one or very fewhost species, believed to take more of a toll on their hosts, while generalists usually infest more species and sometimes across multiple genera or even families.The key finding of this study was that specialists caused more tree deaths than generalists. However, contrary to expectations, generalists inflicted more nonlethal damage due to their broader impact across multiple species. The study also found that newer nonnative pests caused more tree mortality than older ones, possibly because older pests have already killed the most vulnerable trees, spread to larger areas, and allowed host trees to adapt over time.

Nine-year study shows mountain plants won't adapt fast enough to climate change -A team of plant biologists, geneticists and ecologists from the University of Georgia, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, the University of California and Davidson College has found via a nine-year study of Drummond's rockcress plants that many mountain plants will not be able to adapt to rising temperatures quickly enough to survive in the face of global warming.Their paper is published in the journalScience. Sally Aitken, a conservation scientist at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, has published aPerspective piece in the same journal issue outlining the work.Prior research has suggested that many species of plants and animals will find it difficult to adapt to climate change and will likely become extinct. In this new effort, the research team wondered about the ability of plants that grow in the mountains to adapt to rising temperatures. Researchers have assumed that many such plants will be able to survive by spreading to higher elevations as temperatures rise. To determine if that is the case, the researchers conducted a near-decade-long field study of Drummond's rockcress plants, a flowering species common across all of North America's mountains.The study involved planting 102,000 specimens at different elevations and manipulating snowpacks in some areas to simulate warming temperatures. The team also conducted a genetic analysis of sample plants from different areas to find out if evolutionary changes were occurring related to warming temperatures. The research team found no strong evidence suggesting that the plants were able to either change their nature in a way that allowed them to survive warmer temperatures or to spread up the sides of mountains quickly enough to keep ahead of warming temperatures.The researchers note that despite their focus on a single species, their findings may have implications for a wide variety of plants that live in narrow-band mountainous ecosystems. Aitken suggests it is possible some species could be saved via human assistance—but that will only happen if there are groups willing to make the effort.

Lianas are taking over the rainforests, and it's visible from space -- A pandemic of lianas is sweeping through tropical forests, reducing their ability to store carbon and limiting their role in mitigating climate change. Two recent studies from Leiden University highlight the issue. "We now understand why lianas are visible in satellite imagery," say the researchers. Tropical forests annually absorb roughly the amount of CO₂ emitted by the whole of Europe. They also house around half of the world's biodiversity. However, their contribution to climate regulation and biodiversity is under threat—not only from deforestation but also from an extraordinary surge in lianas. Ecologist Marco Visser from Leiden's Center for Environmental Sciences (CML) explains, "Lianas can smother and kill trees. When they dominate, the forest becomes choked, and mainly lianas continue growing over fallen trees." During his doctoral research in 2016, Visser was the first to model lianas as if they were infectious diseases. "Lianas—such as passionflowers and numerous other species—can be compared to tapeworms. They intercept trees' resources and can more than double tree mortality."Their paper, published last summer inGlobal Change Biology, reveals that the increase is not confined to South and Latin America, as previously thought, but is happening wherever tropical forests exist. "A liana pandemic has been raging for more than 30 years, with their prevalence rising by 10% to 24% every decade," Visser states.Lianas are rapidly expanding their territory in tropical forests, sometimes suppressing tree growth entirely in certain locations. In such areas, forest regeneration halts, and carbon storage can decline by as much as 95%. "That's almost equivalent to deforestation," Visser says. He attributes this to rising atmospheric CO₂ levels. "All plants grow faster with more CO₂, but lianas benefit even more. They cheat—they don't invest in structural support, borrowing it from trees instead, and their leaves require less energy and nutrients to produce." A liana can quickly climb to the canopy, spread a leafy cover over tree crowns, and steal all the sunlight for itself. On 28 April, Visser published research in the journal Ecology demonstrating that lianas are visible from space. Collaborating with American and British colleagues, he has now shown why this is the case.The leaves that make lianas ultra-efficient reflect more light and infrared radiation than tree foliage. They also lie much flatter than tree leaves. "Lianas are true egoists," Visser explains. "Tree leaves tilt, allowing light to reach lower neighbors—even the forest floor gets some sunlight. But lianas leave almost nothing for others." These properties make them visible in satellite images. "Now that we understand why lianas are detectable from space, we can develop targeted techniques to map their spread and impact worldwide."

Replanted rainforests may benefit from termite transplants, study finds -Termites—infamous for their ability to destroy wood—are rarely welcomed into rainforests that have been painstakingly replanted. But a new paper suggests that termite transplants may be necessary to help regenerating forests to thrive. Published in the Journal of Applied Ecology and led by scientists from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the study found that termites are not thriving in replanted rainforests in Australia. Because decomposers like termites are essential for recycling nutrients and carbon, the researchers worry that the insect's slow recovery could hinder the growth and health of the young forests."People tend to think that by just planting a diversity of trees, these rainforests will regenerate," "But it's worth thinking about. Should we actually be putting in other organisms as well, to rest re other ecosystem processes that help the forest function? In the context of rainforest regeneration, no one really thinks about it at all." These questions are important, as restored forests make up an increasing proportion of total rainforest area. Reforestation—the process of transforming agricultural or developed land back into rainforest—is a popular strategy to preserve biodiversity and pull carbon from the atmosphere.To check how well decomposers like termites and fungi were bouncing back in regenerated forests, the team placed blocks of wood in three forested areas. One site was in an old growth forest in Australia's Daintree Rainforest, at the James Cook University Observatory. The other two nearby sites had been replanted with rainforest trees four and eight years prior to the start of the study.The sites were originally lowland rainforest until around 1900, when they were converted into plantations to grow crops such as pineapple, banana, and oil palm. They were later abandoned in the 2000's, before being replanted by a nonprofit called Rainforest Rescue in 2010 and 2014.For four years, the team checked the wooden blocks at the three sites every six months to see whether they had been discovered by fungi, termites, or both, and they measured how quickly the blocks were decomposing.Based on previous studies in South American rainforests, the team expected termite activity to be similar in the replanted and old-growth forests. They expected fungal decay rates would be lower in the younger forests.Instead, it turned out to be the opposite. Fungi were fairly resilient, functioning similarly in both the old growth and replanted forests, but a bit slower in the youngest forest. Termites were not so resilient. Although they were present at all three sites, they were slower to decay the wood blocks in the replanted forests than in the old-growth forest, even 12 years after reforestation.

Long-term impacts of deep-sea mining remain visible 44 years after test in the Pacific - A deep-sea mining test carried out in 1979 in the Clarion Clipperton Zone continues to show clear ecological damage, according to a study recently published in Nature. While physical marks on the seafloor persist, some small and mobile organisms have begun to return. Recovery, however, remains slow and incomplete. Scientists from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre and the Natural History Museum have documented long-term ecological damage at a 1979 deep-sea mining test site in the Clarion Clipperton Zone. During a 2023 expedition aboard the RRS James Cook, they used the remotely operated vehicle Isis to revisit the site. Mining scars, including an 8 m (26 feet) wide cleared strip and deep furrows, remain sharply defined, indicating minimal physical recovery after more than four decades. This study provides one of the longest empirical time series for a deep-sea mining impact site, offering rare insight into ecosystem recovery over multi-decadal timescales. The study found that many animal populations remain significantly reduced within the mining tracks. Large sessile fauna such as sponges and corals, which are permanently attached to the seafloor, remain scarce, showing little recovery after 44 years. Their absence shows the long-term ecological impact of physical disturbance in deep-sea environments. Quantitative analysis confirmed significantly reduced abundances of sessile megafauna in mined areas, particularly sponges and other suspension feeders, compared to undisturbed control sites.

Flash floods in Jordan claim two lives, prompt evacuation of 1 700 in Petra - A Belgian mother and her son died in flash floods in Jordan’s Shoubak District on May 4, 2025, with their bodies recovered the following day. A total of 1 700 tourists were evacuated from the ancient city of Petra, with no casualties reported at the site. Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods in southern Jordan on May 4, affecting the Shoubak District and Petra in Ma’an Governorate. The floods caused casualties and prompted emergency evacuations in multiple locations, including popular tourist sites. Among those caught in the floods was a group of 18 holidaymakers in Wadi Al Nakhil, including 14 Czech nationals and several Belgian family members. A Belgian mother and her son, who were swept away by floodwaters, were found dead on May 5 following a difficult search operation. Two other children from the same family survived, while the rest of the group was rescued unharmed. The search involved Jordanian civil defense, police, and gendarmerie forces and was complicated by adverse weather and difficult terrain. Operations were paused on Sunday night, May 4, and resumed on Monday, May 5. In the ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, more than 1 700 of the 1 785 tourists present were evacuated on May 4. Key areas cleared included Al Khazneh, the Siq, the Roman Soldier’s Tomb, the Monastery, and the Prophet Harun slopes. No injuries were reported at the site. The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) suspended ticket sales at noon on May 4 to ensure safety. Tourists were urged to avoid flood paths and low-lying areas. They monitored weather conditions and raised emergency levels to manage the crisis.

Severe weather in Iran claims 9 lives, injures 86 - At least nine people died and 86 were injured in Iran due to severe storms in early May 2025, with significant damage reported in Karaj and Tehran. Iran faced severe convective storms with strong winds, heavy rain, dust, and frequent lightning from late April to early May 2025. The storms occurred between Sunday, April 27, and Monday, May 5, 2025, leading to 9 fatalities and 86 injuries nationwide. Five deaths were due to lightning strikes, and four resulted from falling debris caused by winds reaching speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph). Tehran Province reported the highest impact, with 63 injuries, followed by South Khorasan (7), Kermanshah (4), Mazandaran (3), and other provinces, including Alborz and Qazvin. Fatalities were recorded in Tehran, Mazandaran, Lorestan, South Khorasan, Markazi, and East Azerbaijan. The storms affected 21 provinces, with urban centers like Tehran and Karaj among the hardest hit. In Karaj, Alborz Province, a storm on Saturday night, May 3, caused 13 incidents, as reported by Mohammad Yasavoli, head of the Fire Department and Safety Services. Seven trees fell onto vehicles, an electric pole and billboards were toppled, a commercial unit’s roof collapsed, and a wall broke and fell onto a car. Traffic disruptions and accidents occurred due to obstructed roads and poor visibility.

9 dead and 70 hospitalized after 4 boats capsize in Qianxi, China - Strong winds and heavy rainfall struck Qianxi, Guizhou Province, China, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, causing four tourist boats to capsize on the Liuchong River. The incident left nine people dead and 70 hospitalized. Nine people died and 70 others were hospitalized after four tourist boats capsized in the Liuchong River in Qianxi City on Sunday, May 4, throwing at least 84 tourists into the water. While the initial death toll was reported to be ten, it was later changed to nine, with one person being reported missing. According to official reports, the four boats included 28-seat and 42-seat passenger vessels that were overturned by strong winds and waves while returning to port. The incident occurred at around 16:00 local time on Sunday, during the five-day May Day holiday, also known as the “golden week,” which ends on Monday, May 5. Local media reported that the weather changed suddenly before the boats capsized, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and mist. Wave heights reportedly reached 1.5 m (5 feet), with gusts reaching wind force 7 on China’s 17-level wind scale. This is equivalent to wind speeds of 50 to 60 km/h (32 to 38 mph).

At least 14 dead and 16 injured as unseasonal storms hit Gujarat, India - At least 14 people were reported dead and 16 injured across Gujarat as unseasonal storms swept through the state from Sunday to Monday, May 4 and 5, 2025. The rain, hailstorm, and dust storms affected around 168 talukas across many districts of Gujarat, mainly in Saurashtra, Kutch, and parts of central Gujarat, according to official reports on Monday. The deaths were caused by multiple storm-related disasters, including wall collapses, tree falls, and lightning strikes. At least five deaths were reported in Kheda district, four in Dahod, three in Vadodara, and one each in Ahmedabad and Aravalli. At least 26 animal deaths occurred due to the severe weather, with Panchmahal district reporting 9 animal deaths, followed by Mahesena reporting 7. Meanwhile, 7 homes were damaged during the storms, 6 of which were in Panchmahal while 1 was reported in Kheda. Marble-sized hail and moderate rainfall were reported across multiple regions. Rainfall totals of up to 40 mm (1.5 inches) were recorded in parts of Kheda, while multiple districts reported over 30 mm (1 inch) of rainfall in 24 hours to 06:00 local time (LT) on Tuesday.

Severe sandstorms engulf Saudi Arabia and Iraq - Large sandstorms swept through multiple provinces in Saudi Arabia, with parts of Riyadh and Al Qassim experiencing near-zero visibility on Sunday and Monday, May 4 and 5, 2025. YouTube video Visibility dropped to near-zero in parts of Al Qassim and Riyadh provinces. Videos posted on social media showed large plumes of dust engulfing the town of Al Duwadimi on both days. Similar conditions were reported in Riyadh, where dust covered buildings and vehicles. Authorities advised residents to stay indoors due to hazardous travel conditions and potential health risks associated with airborne dust. The sandstorms are expected to continue intensifying as they move towards Kuwait over the coming days. A major dust storm affected Baghdad and surrounding regions in Iraq on May 5, significantly reducing visibility. According to Iraq’s General Traffic Directorate, the storm was expected to spread into central and southern parts of the country by the evening of May 5. Drivers were advised to reduce speed, use hazard lights, maintain a safe distance between vehicles, and stop driving altogether if visibility became critically low.

Severe storms leave one dead, cause widespread flooding across Texas - -Severe thunderstorms swept across Texas on Monday and Tuesday, May 5–6, 2025, triggering flash floods and widespread damage across the state. In Brenham, a 10-year-old girl who went missing after being swept away by floodwaters on Monday was found deceased the following day. The Brenham Fire Department reported that a third-grade student who went missing after being swept away by floodwaters on Monday, May 5, was found dead the following day. Flash floods were reported across the state through Tuesday, as thunderstorms associated with the omega block weather pattern over the U.S. swept through northern and northeastern Texas. Floodwaters trapped vehicles in parts of the state, with two people being rescued on FM 2710 after getting trapped in their car on Tuesday. Strong winds and large hail ranging from 2.5 to 10 cm (1 to 4 inches) were reported across the state on Tuesday. In Zapata County, the Sheriff’s Office said that golf ball- to softball-sized hail fell in San Ygnacio at approximately 02:23 local time (LT) on Wednesday. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, causing widespread structural damage across Texas. More than 11 000 customers were without power as of early Wednesday morning, May 7. A brick building and a home were destroyed in Leon County, while several structures sustained roof damage in the region. Trees fell on homes across the area, including in Frankston, where multiple houses suffered significant storm damage. Lightning strikes were a major concern, igniting fires in structures across the state, including a house in Colleyville that burned down on Tuesday. In Smith County, a video captured a lightning strike hitting a courthouse under construction. (video)

Flash flooding in Las Vegas Valley leaves man missing as storm breaks rainfall records - A powerful storm system drenched Southern Nevada on May 6, 2025, triggering flash flood warnings, airport delays, and a swift-water rescue in Henderson after a man was swept into a wash and disappeared. Rainfall totals shattered multiple records across the Las Vegas Valley, with Harry Reid International Airport logging the highest May rainfall in over five decades. Heavy rain in Southern Nevada on May 6 prompted a swift-water rescue in Henderson after a man was seen in a wash near Aloha Drive and Pueblo Avenue. Responders briefly spotted the adult male in the fast-moving water before he disappeared from view. Search efforts are ongoing, but the individual remains missing. Parts of the valley were placed under a flash flood warning for several hours as thunderstorms moved through. Regions like Henderson and Boulder City remained under a flash flood warning or advisory throughout much of Tuesday afternoon, May 6. The storm’s most intense segment moved into Henderson later in the day. The hardest-hit area was in southeast Henderson near the College of Southern Nevada’s Henderson campus. According to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, the system developed in northeastern Nevada on May 4, then moved across the Spring Mountains into Summerlin and Spring Valley before reaching Harry Reid International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration reported average delays of 53 minutes at the airport during the early hours of May 6. A Clark County Flood Control District station in southeast Henderson recorded 22.1 mm (0.87 inches) of rain, the highest total observed in the Las Vegas Valley on May 6. Most other parts of the Las Vegas Valley saw smaller amounts, with daily totals generally between 1 and 4.1 mm (0.04 to 0.16 inches). Readings from gauges in the areas around Sunset Park and Green Valley ranged between 6.1 and 11.9 mm (0.24 to 0.47 inches). In the southwest valley, two gauges picked up 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) and 11.9 mm (0.47 inches). Brief hail was reported in parts of Henderson and the southwest valley. Just a week into the month, May 2025 has already set a new rainfall benchmark for the Las Vegas Valley. Early figures show that Harry Reid International Airport has recorded 36.6 mm (1.44 inches) of rain so far, topping the previous record of 24.4 mm (0.96 inches) set back in 1969.

Record rainfall impacts New Orleans as severe storms move through Louisiana - (2 videos) Record rains drenched New Orleans on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as severe storms brought flash floods and strong gusts to parts of Louisiana, causing widespread damage. New Orleans set a new daily rain record for May 7 after recording 41.7 mm (1.64 inches) of rain and breaking the previous record of 33.8 mm (1.33 inches) set in 1976. Meanwhile, parts of the state reported 150 to 200 mm (6 to 8 inches) of rain as the storms moved in from Texas, triggering flash floods. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect across the southern and eastern portions of the state, including New Orleans, through 19:00 local time (LT) on Thursday, May 8. Ad ends in 15 The storms led to widespread damage across the state as strong gusts downed trees and power lines, triggering power outages and prompting school closures. More than 5 000 customers were without power by Wednesday afternoon, with over 3 000 remaining without power by early hours of Thursday. New Orleans’ Lakefront Airport recorded a gust of 93 km/h (58 mph) on Wednesday. Councilman Scott Walker reported storm damage in Jefferson Parish, near New Orleans, stating that a possible tornado tore across the region. Visuals showed downed trees and power lines, along with damage to fences and homes, with dustbins spread across roads after being flung around by strong gusts across the area.

USPS sorting facility partially collapses in Tampa, Florida - Witnesses and TV crews reported a “chaotic scene” and a “close call for workers” when dozens were inside a USPS distribution center in Tampa, Florida when the structure collapsed, sending them scrambling for safety. Local TV stations reported that code enforcement inspectors had said, “It was miraculous that nobody was injured or killed.” Reports said those in the building at the time of the collapse believed they were saved by a mezzanine structure that prevented the wall from collapsing entirely to the ground. Ryan Brown, a worker whose shift had ended about an hour before the incident, got a frantic text from a co-worker at the facility when the incident happened: “It’s scary; they were running to their cars, trying to get out of here.” He added, “It’s not as heavily populated as in the back there. So, I think we’re fortunate that nobody was having a meeting or doing anything there.” Employees told local reporters that the affected building section contained management offices, meeting spaces, storage areas, concessions and employee locker rooms. A USPS spokesperson said it prompted an “immediate response from inspectors and code enforcement officials who remained on site the following day.” There has been no definitive report on what caused the collapse, but videos circulating show water spraying inside the building moments before the incident. In 2019, a US Postal Service mail distribution center’s roof collapsed after major flooding, injuring three people. Don Barron, president of the American Postal Workers Union, suggested that water issues may have triggered the collapse. “This could’ve been a buildup. I don’t know, the engineers will be able to tell you that. A buildup of water and possibly the second floor or the infrastructure that just welded up to the point that you have a collapse.” The collapse takes place amid deep attacks on the post office, with the Trump administration openly declaring privatization its goal. However, this would be the culmination of decades of bipartisan cuts to the Post Office, beginning with its demotion to an independent agency under Richard Nixon.

Stronger flood standards coming for new hospitals, schools, apartments - Many new hospitals, schools, apartment buildings and other structures would be built with extra flood protection under a major revision to an international building code approved Friday. A nonprofit that writes model building codes widely used in the U.S. took a step toward requiring that some newly built structures are constructed well above local flood level — and expanding the areas where elevation is required. “This is transformative,” said Oregon State University engineering professor Daniel Cox, who led an expert panel that wrote and proposed the new flood standards. “It’s going to change how we mitigate floods in the U.S.” The standards were approved overwhelmingly Friday at a hearing in Orlando by a committee of the code-writing group, the International Code Council, despite building industry opposition.

Wildfires burn over 6 200 acres on North Dakota tribal lands - Wildfires burned over 2 500 ha (6 200 acres) across North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold reservations in early May 2025, threatening homes. Coordinated efforts by state, tribal, and federal agencies saved most structures, with only one abandoned trailer lost. At least 16 wildfires burned across North Dakota from May 4 to 6, significantly affecting tribal lands. On the Turtle Mountain Reservation, three fires merged into a complex, consuming approximately 1 700 ha (4 200 acres) of heavy timber and prairie. The Fort Berthold Reservation reported two fires, one burning about 730 ha (1 800 acres) and another covering 80–120 ha (200–300 acres). Dry, windy conditions and severe drought contributed to the rapid spread. On Turtle Mountain, the Belcourt Fire Department led firefighting efforts with support from the North Dakota Forest Service and regional crews. Each fire threatened over 10–15 structures, but most were saved. One vacant trailer was lost. Around 10 families were evacuated, and three firefighters were treated for exhaustion, dehydration, and smoke inhalation. The North Dakota National Guard deployed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with water buckets over Turtle Mountain on May 5–6. Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) dropped retardant on May 4–5, while the Civil Air Patrol conducted reconnaissance flights to identify hot spots. A temporary flight restriction was enacted over Turtle Mountain fire complex to support aerial operations. On Fort Berthold, the Bureau of Indian Affairs managed the 730 ha (1 800 acres) fire, which reached 40% containment by May 7. The Mandaree Fire Department fully contained the smaller 80–120 ha (200–300 acres) fire. Mutual aid included engines from South Dakota, Montana, and local tribal fire departments. The State Emergency Operations Center was activated to Level 2 on May 4, coordinating multi-agency responses. Governor Kelly Armstrong’s March fire emergency declaration enabled the deployment of pre-positioned resources, including the ND Wildland Fire Task Force. Much of western North Dakota experienced severe or extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, while dry conditions, reported by the National Weather Service (NWS) in mid-April, contributed to the fires’ rapid spread. Accidental sparks from trash-burning barrels were suspected to be the cause.

Natural disaster losses surpass USD 110 billion in Q1 2025, closing in on twice the 10-year average - Natural disaster-related losses in the first quarter of 2025 have surged to over USD 110 billion, nearly double the decade-long average. While insurers absorbed a substantial portion of these damages, nearly half of the losses remain uninsured. With the US facing mounting risks from severe storms and wildfires, the protection gap remains a growing concern. According to the latest climate and catastrophe analysis by Gallagher Re, natural disaster-related damages around the world during the first quarter of 2025 climbed past USD 110 billion. This figure is nearly double the decade-long average of USD 55 billion for the same stretch. In the first quarter of 2025, global natural catastrophe losses totalled approximately USD 110 billion, with USD 56 billion covered by insurance. This indicates that about USD 54 billion, or roughly 49% of the losses, were uninsured. While this protection gap is narrower than the 63% observed in 2024, it still shows significant exposure to uninsured risks. The wildfires that hit the Los Angeles metropolitan area in January have burned a hole in the pocket of the quarterly figures. These included the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which together caused over USD 65 billion in damages and more than USD 40 billion in insured losses. The Palisades Fire alone became the most expensive single wildfire ever for insurers, destroying 6 835 structures. Eaton on the other hand is responsible for reducing 9 414 structures to rubble. Considering only one quarter of the year has passed, the initial count reflects one of the most expensive beginnings to a year in history. The report also indicated that both the insurance sector and government systems managed to handle the financial strain without showing signs of stress.

China tests drone-based weather modification in Xinjiang --In an effort to tackle water shortages in Xinjiang, China has undertaken a successful drone-based cloud-seeding experiment to enhance rainfall. The trial, conducted over a vast area of the Bayanbulak Grasslands, demonstrated moisture-laden positive results, with drones dispersing silver iodide to trigger precipitation. This approach aims to combat the region’s ongoing challenges with desertification and glacial retreat. Government-backed researchers in China recently conducted a drone-based weather experiment over Xinjiang that led to a measurable increase in rainfall. The trial, overseen by Li Bin of the China Meteorological Administration, covered over 8 000 km2 (3 089 mi2) and pushed precipitation levels up by more than 4% within a single day. The operation generated over 70 000 m3 (2.4 million ft3) of additional rainfall using just 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of silver iodide. This compound, commonly used in cloud seeding, is six times denser than water. The total amount used was small enough to fit into a standard travel mug. These findings were a part of a paper published in the Chinese-language journal of Desert and Oasis Meteorology on April 10, 2025. China’s laboratory of cloud-precipitation physics and weather modification in Beijing was the conducting body. Guizhou, Shanghai, Gansu, and Sichuan were also subjected to a similar experiment.

New findings reveal recent mass gain amid long-term ice loss in Antarctica - Antarctica has shown a rare shift in behavior, gaining ice mass between 2021 and 2023 after years of steady decline. Using satellite gravimetry, researchers tracked this anomaly and linked it to unusual precipitation rather than long-term change. The findings offer insight into the continent’s sensitivity, but little certainty about what comes next. Using satellite observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-FO (GRACE Follow-On), a team at Tongji University has identified significant changes in Antarctic ice mass. Led by Dr. Wei Wang and Prof. Yunzhong Shen, the researchers detail these patterns in a study published in Science China Earth Sciences. The study reports that the Antarctic Ice Sheet experienced a net mass gain between 2021 and 2023. This shift follows more than two decades of satellite gravimetry observations that documented accelerating ice loss, particularly across key glacier regions in East Antarctica. The researchers have broken down the Antarctic ice mass changes since 2002 into three phases, each showing aclear shift in behavior:

• 2002–2010: In this period, global sea levels rose by 0.20±0.16 mm (0.0079 ± 0.0063 inches) per year due to moderate ice loss from Antarctica, which occurred at a rate of -73.79±56.27 gigatonnes annually.
• 2011-2020: During this time, the global sea levels increased by 0.39±0.15 mm (0.015 ± 0.0059 inches) annually. This was driven by a near doubling of ice loss at -142.06±56.12 gigatonnes per year.
• 2021-2023: This recent era saw the global sea level rise offset by 0.30±0.21 mm (0.0118 ± 0.0083 inches) annually, as Antarctica experienced a net mass gain of 107.79±74.90 gigatonnes per year, contrary to the long-term trend.

Graph showing Antarctic Ice Sheet mass changes from 2002 to 2023 using GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite data. Antarctic Ice Sheet mass trends from 2002 to 2023 based on satellite gravity data from GRACE and GRACE-FO. Distinct phases of change are marked with ellipses, while the grey area shows the observational gap between missions. Credit: Science China Press Despite this temporary increase, the researchers note that the highest contribution to global sea level rise from Antarctica occurred in February 2020, reaching 5.99±0.43 mm (0.236±0.017 inches), before slightly dropping to 5.10±0.52 mm (0.201±0.020 inches) by the close of 2023. From 2011 to 2020, the Totten, Moscow University, Denman, and Vincennes Bay basins in the Wilkes Land-Queen Mary Land (WL-QML) region saw a sharp rise in ice loss. The rate reached 47.64 ± 8.14 gigatonnes per year, higher than during 2002–2010. The affected area also extended farther inland. Researchers found that 72.53% of the increased loss came from reduced surface mass, while 27.47% was due to stronger ice discharge.

Earthquake simulations reveal hidden flood risks along Pacific Northwest coast - A major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone would cause sudden coastal land subsidence, allowing seawater to penetrate farther inland. When combined with projected sea-level rise, this would substantially increase flood exposure in currently unaffected communities across northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Similar risks are present in other coastal regions located near active subduction zones worldwide. Virginia Tech researchers have identified a scenario in which tectonic activity and environmental changes converge to elevate flood threats across the Pacific Northwest. Their modeling points to a heightened danger if a major earthquake hits the Cascadia subduction zone while sea levels continue their upward trend, coastal areas in northern California, Oregon, and Washington could experience a significant increase in flood exposure. A major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone could cause sudden land subsidence of up to 2 m (6.5 feet), allowing seawater to reach areas previously above flood thresholds. As a result, currently unaffected locations—including residential zones and transportation corridors—may become subject to regular or severe flooding. The analysis focused on coastal regions with significant population and infrastructure density, including southern Washington, northern Oregon, and northern California. These areas, located near the Cascadia subduction zone, are particularly vulnerable to earthquake-induced subsidence and subsequent flooding. To get a clearer picture, researchers conducted thousands of earthquake simulations. They studied how much the land could drop during a major seismic event and combined that with mapping tools to trace how flood zones might spread. Their analysis covered 24 estuaries and coastal towns. Since no one knows when the next major quake will hit, they explored two timelines. In the first one, the event happens now. The second exhibit is set in the year 2100, when higher sea levels would make the flooding much more destructive. Floodplain maps and bar graphs depicting the expansion of the 1% floodplain after earthquake-driven subsidence today (2023) and in 2100 when the earthquake-driven subsidence is amplified by climate-driven sea-level rise for the (A) Necanicum River, OR; (B) Yaquina Bay, OR; (C) Alsea Bay, OR; and (D) Humboldt Bay, CA. Bar graphs to the Right of each map set show the amount of land area, number of residents, structures, roads, and different land-use types in the 1% floodplain following earthquake-driven subsidence today (2023) and in 2100, when the effects of earthquake-driven subsidence are amplified by climate-driven sea-level rise. Credit: PNAS/Authors Scientists also estimated that if a major quake happened now, more than 14 000 people and over 22 000 buildings would suddenly be inside areas at risk of flooding. Around 1 250 km (777 miles) of roads could also be affected, more than twice the current flood exposure. The impact wouldn’t stop there. Floodwaters could reach five airports, dozens of essential sites like hospitals, schools, police and fire stations, and key parts of the region’s infrastructure. Wastewater treatment plants, an electric substation, and over 50 sites that store or handle hazardous materials could also be at risk. By the end of the century, sea levels along the Cascadia coastline are expected to rise by a considerable margin. According to climate projections, it can be somewhere around 90 cm (3 feet) above current levels. If a major earthquake were to strike by then, the combined effect of sinking land and higher seas could drastically increase flood risk. This will place far more homes, roads, and residents in danger than today. To make matters worse, essential natural areas like wetlands, dunes, and beaches would face significant damage. These areas act as speed-breakers during storms, reducing the strength of waves and preventing erosion. Without them, homes and communities are left more exposed. Once these ecosystems are lost, recovery is unlikely, especially with limited space to move inland due to natural barriers and existing development.

Explosions and pyroclastic flows at Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala - (video) High-level explosive activity at Santa María’s Santiaguito dome complex on May 6, 2025, produced ash plumes up to 900 m (2 950 feet) above the crater and pyroclastic flows down the southern and southwestern flanks. The Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH) reports ongoing activity at the Santa Marias’ Caliente dome, characterized by white degassing columns reaching 500 m (1 640 feet) above the crater and weak-to-moderate explosions generating gas-and-ash plumes up to 800–900 m (2 620–2 950 feet) in height on May 7. Plumes drifted southwest under cloudy atmospheric conditions with 6 mm (0.2 inches) of rainfall and northeasterly winds. Nighttime incandescence was visible within the crater, and collapse of accumulated volcanic material generated pyroclastic flows down the southern and southwestern flanks. The Santiaguito Volcano Observatory (OVSAN) warned of the ongoing potential for partial dome collapse, either due to explosive activity or gravitational instability, which could produce long-range pyroclastic flows toward the south, southwest, and southeast sectors. INSIVUMEH is noted that continued rainfall may generate lahars in various drainages surrounding the volcano. During the reporting period from April 9 to 15, INSIVUMEH recorded frequent lava extrusion at the Caliente dome and daily explosive activity reaching up to seven explosions per hour. Resulting gas-and-ash plumes rose up to 1.2 km (3 940 feet) and dispersed as far as 40 km (25 miles) to the south, east, southeast, and northeast. Effusive activity contributed to blocky lava flows and repeated dome collapse events that triggered block avalanches, predominantly down the southern, southwestern, and western flanks. Some collapses generated short pyroclastic flows on all flanks. Heavy rainfall on April 9 produced lahars in the Tambor drainage (south-southwest), transporting meter-sized blocks, fine sediments, tree trunks, and branches. Ashfall was reported in several communities between April 11 and 13, including Nuevo Palmar (12 km / 7.5 miles SSW), Pueblo Nuevo to San Felipe (15 km / 9.3 miles SSW), Loma Linda (7 km / 4.3 miles W), Las Marías (9.5 km / 5.9 miles S), Calaguaché (9 km / 5.6 miles S), and Belén (10 km / 6.2 miles S).

Asteroid 2025 FA22 enters top 5 ESA’s impact risk list - A newly discovered asteroid, 2025 FA22, has climbed into the top five positions of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) risk list due to its low but measurable chance of striking Earth in 2089. During the first four months of 2025, more than 1 000 new NEOs have been discovered, in line with the recent average of about 3 000 per year. A newly discovered object designated 2025 FA22 has entered the top five positions of ESA’s risk list. The asteroid, approximately 200 m (656 feet) in diameter, was detected by Pan-STARRS 2 on March 29 and is currently assigned a 0.01% impact probability on September 19, 2089. Its assessment on the Palermo Scale is above -3, and it is near the 0–1 boundary on the Torino Scale (very low but non-negligible risk). The object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. Its next close approach will take place at 07:43 UTC on September 18, 2025, at a distance of 2.2 LD (0.005 AU). The object remains observable for a few months, and additional data will likely clarify the impact scenarios soon, ESA said. Asteroid 2025 FA22 orbit diagram. Credit: CNEOS ESA reported that 1 006 NEOs were discovered in the first four months of 2025, aligning with recent annual averages of approximately 3 000. As of early May, the total number of known NEOs stands at 38 307 asteroids and 123 comets. Of these, 1 782 are listed on ESA’s risk list—an inventory of objects with a non-zero probability of Earth impact.

NOAA warns of conspiracy-driven threat to weather towers -- National Weather Service employees were warned this week that an anti-government conspiracy group is attempting to coordinate “penetration drills” on Nexrad radar sites with the intention of damaging or destroying what they believe to be “weather weapons.” In a notice to NWS employees, NOAA’s Office of Security said it was aware “of several encounters, either physically at NWS Nexrad sites or virtually via social media platforms,” with an organization called Veterans on Patrol recruiting individuals to help identify security vulnerabilities at Nexrad sites around the country. “This group is advocating for anyone and everyone to join them in conducting penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses which can be used to ultimately destroy the sites,” NOAA officials said in the memo, portions of which were viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. “The [group] believes these sites are being used by the military against U.S. citizens and are causing harm or death,” the warning continued.

Trump EPA defends Florida wetlands permit program - The Trump administration faced pointed questions Monday about EPA’s approval of Florida’s wetland permitting program, with one federal judge raising concerns that it ran afoul of the Endangered Species Act. In the final days of the first Trump administration, EPA granted Florida’s request to assume responsibility for permitting infrastructure that might harm federally protected wetlands. Environmental groups challenged the decision, and a federal judge overturned it in 2024 on the grounds that risks to endangered species were not adequately considered. The Biden administration appealed the ruling, and the Trump administration is continuing with the appeal. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is similarly pining to restore its wetland permitting authority.

EPA launches air rule rollbacks amid sweeping internal revamp - EPA is kicking off its Clean Air Act deregulatory blitz in tandem with the Trump administration’s unprecedented overhaul of the division carrying out the rollbacks. That’s no accident, critics say. On Friday, EPA sent proposals to the White House regulations office that would scrap both what is described as a “carbon standards pollution” rule and a separate set of regulations aimed at further cutting emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants, according to notices posted on a government tracking website. Both rules — issued during former President Joe Biden’s administration — were on a list of targets that Administrator Lee Zeldin trumpeted in March as the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history.”

Opponent Testimony for Ohio HB 170 May 3rd, 2025 - Dr. Randi Pokladnik - (pdf with links) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial facilities or fossil -fueled power plants and injecting these emissions into Class VI injection wells. The process relies on enormous Federal subsidies; it doesn’t sequester the carbon dioxide promised; it encourages more fossil fuel usage; it poses risks to local communities; and it isn’t a solution to stop climate change. Adding CCS technologies would significantly reduce electrical generation efficiency, further ramping up our electric bills. Ohio has tentative plans for 26 carbon capture projects across the state. Of the 15 CCS facilities currently in operation in the USA, only 0.4 percent (24 million tons) of the nation’s total annual CO2 emissions have been captured. Class VI wells, as well as CCS infrastructure, pose risks to local communities. Carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant. A pipeline break in the town of Sataria, Mississippi in 2020 caused 200 residents to be evacuated and 45 people were sent to the hospital. Many residents are still dealing with health effects today. There is no guarantee that the high-pressure carbon dioxide injected into the ground will remain underground. Class VI wells can leak CO2 back into the atmosphere and into aquifers; acidifying them. Leakage can occur due to injection well failure, undetected faults, fractures, seal failure, poor site selection, poor preparation and mineral dissolution. Southeastern Ohio’s counties have thousands of orphan oil wells, fracking wells, and Class II waste brine wells, all of which can provide a path for CO2 leaks. Additionally, studies show that the sandstone in Ohio is not as absorbent as sandstone in Texas and Illinois. In fact, it is suggested that CO2 be piped to these areas rather than trying to store it in Ohio. “The predicted median values of CO2 plume footprints range from 4500 km2to 11,000 km2for the Ohio and Pennsylvania sandstones compared to 320 km2 and 300 km2 for the thicker Frio and Mt. Simon Sandstones, respectively. We use these footprints to bound the cost to use pore space in Pennsylvania and Ohio and, alternatively, the cost of piping CO2 from Pennsylvania and Ohio to the Mt. Simon or Frio Sandstones for sequestration. The results suggest that pore space acquisition costs could be significant and that using thin local formations for sequestration may be more expensive than piping CO2 to thicker formations at distant sites.” Another consideration is that the Ohio Valley’s geology is like Swiss cheese; containing hundreds of old vertical oil wells, unplugged orphan oil wells, and underground coal mines. The previous extraction of oil and coal has poked holes into the bedrock and now companies want to inject high pressure (1000+ psi) carbon dioxide in these areas hoping it will remain underground in perpetuity. These old wells will need to be permanently plugged before any carbon sequestration can occur. “The cost of plugging an oil or gas well varies, but states report average costs between $3,500 and $80,000 per well.” Recently, Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) bills were introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate. The bills are: H.B. 170, sponsored by Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (RColumbiana) and Rep. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), and S.B. 136, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (RLancaster) and Sen. Brian Chavez (R-Marietta). These bills would “give the division of oil and gas sole and exclusive authority to regulate carbon sequestration and storage facilities within the state” and allow the ODNR chief to force non-consenting private property owners to surrender their “pore space” for CCS storage. Because of the dangers from asphyxiation, Class VI wells should be monitored in perpetuity but HB170 and SB136 only require a 50-year monitoring period.The costs for CCS will be passed on to citizens. The Congressional Budget Office said, “Annual appropriations for CCS research and related programs totaled $5.3 billion over the 2011–2023 period”. According to the Government Accountability Office, “only 3 projects were completed out of 11 CCS demonstration projects that were awarded money.”

Texas Senate passes bill requiring solar plants to provide power at night - The Texas Senate passed a bill Thursday that leading business interests fear would lead to an age of expensive power and rolling blackouts.If passed by the House, state S.B. 715 would require all renewable projects — even existing ones — to buy backup power, largely from coal or gas plants.This would require solar plants in particular to buy backup power to “match their output at night — a time when no one expects them to produce energy and when demand is typically at its lowest anyway,” consultant and energy expert Doug Lewin wrote in an April analysis.The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a right-wing think tank that is one of the bill’s most prominent advocates, argues that it is necessary to make up for the “volatility” of wind and solar power.The state business lobby disagrees. A study by the Texas Association of Business (TAB) found that the legislation would cost the state $5.2 billion more per year — and cost individual consumers $225 more. In addition to more expensive power, the TAB study found, Texans would also get a higher risk of blackouts in the heat of summer or in future ice storms.In a state where electric demand is growing rapidly — Texas electric load is projected to nearly double by decade’s end — virtually all new power of the last five years has come from renewables, which take about half the time of gas plants to be added to the grid.

States sue Trump administration over effort to block EV chargers - California is co-leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s efforts to block a $5 billion effort to build electric vehicle charging stations across the country. California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), the California Department of Transportation and the California Energy Commission announced the lawsuit Wednesday. Washington state and Colorado are co-leads in the litigation, filed in Seattle at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.The suit said the administration is unlawfully withholding billions of dollars that were approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress for EV charging infrastructure. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in February issued a directive to thwart the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program, which is aimed at expanding EV charging nationwide. The suspension halted the approval of new state EV infrastructure plans and froze the distribution of federal funds to states.

Reconciliation: Natural Resources plows ahead, other bills stall - One committee is moving ahead swiftly to advance its piece of the Republicans’ sprawling budget package, while other panels with power over energy and environment policy get bogged down. The House Natural Resources Committee will begin marking up its language for the Republicans’ tax, energy and national security megabill on Tuesday, which would mandate swaths of new oil and gas leasing, lower royalties and change the environmental permitting process. Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) — who is preparing for the possibility of a two day markup — is projecting the bill would slash $15 billion from the federal deficit, mostly from oil, gas and mineral revenues. That figure appears sizeable, but it’s a fraction of what Republicans need to pay for an extension of the 2017 tax cuts and new spending on security and the border. Other offsets are likely to come from cuts to energy and environmental programs and tax credits, but Republicans have struggled to make the numbers add up and also please lawmaker demands. The Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture panels delayed markups that were tentatively set for this week. Legislation from all three will include significant energy and environment provisions. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a moderate who drew a red line on Medicaid cuts last week, said he expected certain Inflation Reduction Act incentives to survive. Republicans are using budget reconciliation to muscle the bill through. That process allows the majority party to clear legislation on fiscal matters by simple majority while avoiding the Senate filibuster, but tight margins mean the GOP has almost no room for error. “I think they realize that you are going to be precision on the IRA. If you take stuff out — you can’t just abolish — there’s some things you got to keep,” Bacon said. “You can’t just [get rid of the whole thing] you need to do it surgical,” Bacon said.The Natural Resources Committee will be the first of the major energy and environment panels to mark up its part of the reconciliation bill when it convenes on Tuesday.The bill would aim to drastically ramp up energy production by mandating quarterly onshore oil and gas leases while offering new offshore leases in the Western Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The bill also offers four new leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a risky gambit after an initial attempt to open the preserve flopped.The bill would return oil and gas royalties to pre-Inflation Reduction Act rates. That law, which Democrats passed using reconciliation in 2022, raised onshore and offshore royalty rates to 16.67 percent from 12.5 percent for 10 years. Offshore royalties were capped at 18.75 percent.Committee aides believe the lowered royalties will produce increased interest and investment in the new lease sales being offered and, eventually, a boom in production. However, the U.S. consistently rakes in more federal revenues from royalties than leases.The bill also makes significant changes to the environmental review and permitting process. Specifically, it would create a new fee that project sponsors can pay to accelerate reviews and limit litigation. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was one of the first to approve its budget reconciliation language. Not only did the panel cut IRA spending, it also moved to enact a new fee on hybrid and electric vehicles.The committees with jurisdiction over the IRA’s clean energy tax credits and other climate spending, however, still seem a ways away from reaching an agreement.Lawmakers for and against keeping at least some incentives from the climate law have been pelting Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) with letters.Bacon said, “Ethanol and biofuels are important to the Midwest. So I think almost all the GOP in the Midwest would say we want to keep biofuels, aviation fuel [credits]. And 40 percent of our energy in Omaha comes from wind. People have invested millions and millions of dollars for these tax credits. So at least you got to grandfather them.” When it comes to Energy and Commerce, which may cut appropriated EPA and Department of Energy funding related to climate action, the reconciliation bill is also far from complete. “This all still needs to get hashed out, and what I can tell you is that there’s nothing written yet from our committee,” said Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy.

Trump administration cutting Energy Star and climate reporting program - The Trump administration is cutting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program, which highlights energy efficient home appliances, according to sources and images of slides viewed by The Hill. According to one source, at a meeting Monday, staffers were told that Energy Star was being eliminated, as is the Climate Protection Partnerships division that houses it. Staffers were also told that the EPA was cutting its Climate Change division, which includes the agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. This program requires major polluters to report their planet-warming emissions. The Hill also viewed images of slides from a meeting with staffers that listed both the Climate Protection Partnership division and the Climate Change division as “organization and programs eliminated.” The slides noted that staff “may be reassigned to other positions.” “In the briefing we heard that climate work will come to a standstill at EPA,” said Nicole Cantello, president of the AFGE Local 704 , a union representing EPA employees in the Midwest, in an email to The Hill. “EPA’s action is short sighted and disastrous for our people and our planet. With everything the nation is facing in confronting climate change, from dangerous wildfires to uncontrolled flooding, this is the time to ramp up the climate resiliency of our communities,” Cantello added.

More than 100 fired from National Renewable Energy Lab --More than 100 staff members have been fired from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, spokespeople for the lab confirmed Tuesday.A National Renewable Energy Lab spokesperson cited “stop work orders from federal agencies, new federal directives, and budgetary shifts” in its reason for the firings.“As a result, NREL has experienced workforce impacts affecting 114 employees across the laboratory, including staff from both research and operations, who were involuntarily separated today,” the spokesperson said. However, spokespeople for the lab declined to elaborate on what orders it had received. The National Renewable Energy Lab had nearly 3,700 employees as of 2023, and it is the Energy Department’s primary energy systems lab. The lab has campuses in Colorado, Alaska and Washington, D.C. The job cuts come as the Trump administration has sought to cut staffing across the board — but has also demonstrated a particular distaste for renewable energy. While even under his last administration, Republicans called for an “all of the above” energy strategy, this time around the Trump administration has excluded renewables from its energy emergency declaration and sought to stop or even claw back approvals for wind projects.

DOE shuffles top staff, eyes loans to boost coal - The Department of Energy announced Friday that its new chief of staff will be Carl Coe, who leads the agency’s Department of Government Efficiency team. The move is part of a shuffling of several top officials. Alex Fitzsimmons, the current chief of staff, is the new head of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), according to a DOE press release. CESER is focused on protecting the grid and other energy infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. “The Department of Energy is focused on the need to meet growing energy demand while strengthening the resilience and security of U.S. energy infrastructure against all threats and hazards,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “Alex has served as a critical leader across the Department in our first 100 days, and his expertise and ability to take on complex problems make him the right person to spearhead this important office.” The announcement comes after DOGE’s leader — Tesla CEO Elon Musk — said he would focus more on his businesses in the coming weeks. Tesla’s revenues have plunged in recent months as Musk spearheaded President Donald Trump’s government-slashing efforts, including widespread terminations of contracts and grants and plans to shrink the federal workforce.

Moment of truth nears on green credits, climate cuts - The fate of hundreds of billions’ worth of clean energy tax credits is among the last unresolved big-ticket items Republicans are hashing out before a series of planned committee markups on their big budget bill.The Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means committees are hoping to advance their versions of the party-line tax and spending package next week. Language could begin trickling out as soon as this weekend.But negotiators say haggling is still happening on what to do with renewable energy incentives and other credits from the 2022 climate law.“I’ve heard from people in Ways and Means there is a lot of disagreement in the room,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who has been helping lead the charge to protect at least some of the credits. “It’s one of the things that’s the most contentious in the room.” Seeking to influence the deliberations, Garbarino and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) introduced the “Certainty for Our Energy Future Act.” It would phase out solar and wind incentives, disqualify companies tied to foreign adversaries, and continue the practice used by banks and other third parties known as “transferability.” “By responsibly phasing out subsidies for technologies like wind and solar, and ensuring foreign adversaries like China and Russia can’t exploit American tax benefits, we are safeguarding both our energy independence and our taxpayers,” Kiggans said in a press release.Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse of Washington, David Valadao of California and Mark Amodei of Nevada also signed onto the legislation.“The goal was to find a place that people could live with,” said a Kiggans aide granted anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.The aide said the lawmakers sought input from trade associations like the Edison Electric Institute and the American Clean Power Association, and both support the bill. Kiggans and Garbarino have been among a group of 20 or so members publicly calling for GOP leaders to preserve some Inflation Reduction Act provisions. They are up against hard-liners who want to see deep spending cuts and who have called for full repeal of what President Donald Trump likes to call the “Green New Scam.”The issue appears to remain unsettled. Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) was planning to head to the White House on Friday to meet with the president, according to POLITICO.The pro-IRA members have become increasingly specific in their requests. Two letters sent to Smith on Thursday — one led by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and another by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) — called for protecting the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (48E), the Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit (45Y) and the Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (45X).“We respectfully urge the Committee to maintain Section 45X in its current form,” the Ciscomani letter reads. “This policy exemplifies effective tax legislation — targeted, impactful, and aligned with our national interests. By continuing this successful program, we reinforce the America First agenda and help secure American manufacturing leadership for generations to come.”Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak and Sen. Kevin Cramer — both former North Dakota state regulators — are lobbying to phase out wind and solar investment and production credits in favor of technologies like nuclear, carbon capture for fossil fuels and geothermal.“With these very generous production tax credits, it’s hard for investors to put their money anywhere else,” Fedorchak said of wind and solar subsidies. “So I think it’s time to phase them out. They are not developmental technologies anymore. They are market proven. They are widely available on the grid. … I think they worked. Seventeen percent of the grid’s resources are wind and solar.”

PJM prioritizes 51 projects to meet rising power demand - Eastern grid manager PJM has selected 51 “shovel-ready” electricity projects to move up in the connection queue to head off possible energy shortages by 2030.The new projects, announced Friday, would add 11,793 megawatts from a combination of new projects and upgrades to existing plants, most of which could be counted on to operate during peak stress on the region’s high-voltage network.The 51 new projects were chosen from 94 applicants. Gas-fired generation accounted for two-thirds of the selected projects, offering 7,756 megawatts of new capacity and upgrades. Battery projects were the second-largest addition to the priority queue, contributing 2,275 MW of capacity. No solar projects were chosen. One wind farm made the cut.PJM invited generation developers that are closest to construction to get priority review in PJM’s interconnection queue, the long list of projects waiting for permission to tie to the grid. Officials at PJM, which manages electricity flows across a 13-state region from the Great Lakes to northern Virginia, have said the grid is in a race against time. Older coal- and gas-fired plants are retiring faster than they can be replaced. And electricity demand is on the rise as big technology companies build more data centers.

PJM fast-tracks 11.8 GW, mainly gas, to bolster power supplies --The PJM Interconnection selected power projects, mainly gas-fired generation, to join a fast-track interconnection review process, the grid operator said on May 2, 2025. Ron and Patty Thomas via Getty Images The PJM Interconnection on Friday said it selected 51 projects to join a fast-track interconnection review process as part of a broad effort to ensure the grid operator has adequate supplies to meet its needs.PJM has been warning that it faces looming power supply shortfalls as its supply isn’t keeping up with demand. That dynamic was reflected in the jump in clearing prices from PJM’s last capacity auction, which sparked backlash over rising electric bills and moves by the grid to boost supplies.Gas-fired generation accounted for 69% of the selected capacity, followed by battery storage at 19%, nuclear at 12%, and coal at 0.1%. The projects consist of 39 uprates to existing power plants and 12 new power facilities. PJM expects 90% of the projects will be operating by 2030.Gas-fired generation accounts for two-thirds of selected capacity.PJM estimates that the selected projects will provide 9.4 GW of unforced capacity, a measure of how much capacity the resources are expected to supply during periods of the highest reliability risk. The solicitation results will be discussed at a PJM Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday.Among selected projects, PJM opted to advance 450 MW in uprates at four power plants owned by Alpha Generation in Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio, according to Jack Lynch, a spokesman for the independent power producer.The projects, which were assessed based on certain reliability and commercial operation date criteria, will be added to the just-started interconnection Transition Cycle 2 process, which already contains about 550 projects totaling about 50 GW in nameplate capacity.PJM estimates the selected projects will be able to come online 18 months earlier than if the projects followed the grid operator’s normal interconnection process.The RRI attracted 94 applications totaling 26.6 GW, the grid operator said in March.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved PJM’s one-time RRI in mid-February on a 3-1 vote.In a prelude to potential lawsuits over FERC’s approval of the initiative, various companies, state officials and organizations in March asked the agency to reconsider its decision. They include Invenergy Renewables, the American Clean Power Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, Advanced Energy United and MAREC Action, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and the Environmental Law & Policy Center.In part, they contend the RRI discriminates against proposed power projects that have been waiting in PJM’s interconnection queue.

Nine Eastern states team up to build a bigger grid - Energy officials in nine Northeast and mid-Atlantic states have issued a strategic plan for expanding interregional transmission capacity to strengthen grid reliability, deliver carbon-free power and increase competitive power prices. As a first step, the states — members of the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission — will invite transmission developers to propose projects that could move power between New York and New England, and between New York and the PJM Interconnection serving the mid-Atlantic and eastern Great Lakes area. The coalition that includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont would then select the most promising projects and seek cost-sharing agreements to present to grid operators and state and federal regulators for approval. Officials and energy policy experts say the expanded power capacity could be critical in extreme weather, citing wintertime energy crises in Texas in 2021 and New York and the Southeast the next year. GET FULL A

Power companies clash over proposed grid ‘express lane’ - A proposal to fast-track new power plants across 15 states in the central U.S. to meet surging electricity demand could get federal approval within the next two weeks. New Orleans-based Entergy confirmed to POLITICO’s E&E News that it plans to take advantage of the process to get plants hooked up faster to the regional grid managed by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Entergy has proposed three gas plants in Louisiana — a need driven by proposed data centers. MISO proposed the Expedited Resource Adequacy Study (ERAS) process in March for the region stretching from Canada and the Upper Midwest to the Gulf Coast. For projects that make the cut, the express lane is meant to drop the time it takes to get a grid interconnection agreement to months from years. MISO asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rule on the plan by May 15. “Entergy intends to use the ERAS process for certain projects, including load additions associated with major economic development projects that are critical to the states that we serve,” a company spokesperson said in an email response to questions. St. Louis-based Ameren Missouri, too, suggests it could seek to take advantage of the accelerated interconnection process for a 2,100-megawatt gas plant. The MISO plan aims to address a similar dilemma of tighter supply and rising demand as one approved in neighboring grid PJM Interconnection. On Friday, PJM announced more than 11,000 megawatts of “shovel-ready” projects that will get faster access to the transmission grid to help keep the lights on during peak periods of demand. Like elsewhere, the addition of new generation in the MISO region, mostly wind and solar, hasn’t kept pace with the rate of retirement of aging coal plants. And now utilities are seeing staggering demand projections from the development of large-scale data centers for artificial intelligence — some AI-driven projects with power needs equivalent to medium-sized cities. Entergy’s home state of Louisiana is one such example, and it’s emblematic of the dilemma facing utilities, regulators and grid operators across the country. Entergy last year proposed to build three combined-cycle gas plants totaling 2,262 megawatts of capacity to meet demand principally from a $10 billion Meta data center in rural Richland Parish, Louisiana. It will be Meta’s largest data center of 20 worldwide. Entergy highlighted in comments to FERC the challenges it sees bringing the Louisiana gas plants online by 2028 and 2029 if it relies on MISO’s existing queue process. The company said it has gone to significant lengths to accelerate development. It has ordered long-lead-time equipment, secured a site and chosen a contractor for the first two plants. MISO has acknowledged the need to reform the interconnection queue process to keep projects better on track. But that will take three to six years. That’s time, according to Entergy and other utilities, that they don’t have. “Current interconnection queue backlogs unreasonably impede the ability of new generation to come online and serve growing customer needs … which in turn threatens economic development projects important to the economies of the states in MISO,” the Entergy spokesperson said. MISO’s proposal has strong backing from utilities, the data center industry, most state regulators and two GOP governors. But not everyone is on board. Independent power producers like Florida-based NextEra Energy have pushed back, calling the proposal discriminatory. And a group of eight former FERC members, both Democrats and Republicans, joined in the protest. For its part, Carmel, Indiana-based MISO contests the claims that its ERAS proposal disadvantages independent power producers and casts the plan as a one-time fix to address an urgent need for new generation. MISO paints the proposal as a stopgap measure to an unprecedented problem — one unforeseen only a few years ago, before power-hungry data centers swarmed the region looking for electricity. The fast-track process would require generation developers to make bigger deposits. Projects would need to fund network upgrades. To qualify, developers need a project site, have a signed agreement with a power customer and get the blessing from their state regulatory body. MISO has argued that making state utility regulators the gatekeepers for which projects get to pursue a faster hookup is appropriate. Ultimately, states are responsible for ensuring enough power generation is developed to serve households and businesses.

States sue Trump over energy emergency order -Democratic attorneys general say federal agencies are skipping environmental reviews to speed up energy projects. A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed suit Friday against President Donald Trump’s energy emergency, claiming federal agencies are forgoing environmental reviews for a crisis that does not exist.Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the lawsuit names Trump, the head of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), an independent agency. It charges that both agencies have taken illegal action to carry out Trump’s directive on his first day in office to speed up approvals of energy projects in response to a “national energy emergency.” The states are asking the court to declare the directive — and the agencies’ response to it — illegal and prevent agencies from issuing emergency permits under the executive order. “Just another unlawful directive from the president, this time acting well beyond the scope of his emergency powers,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) who is co-leading the lawsuit with Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown (D) and attorneys general from 13 other states.

Engineer pleads guilty to bombing PG&E transformers - A California engineer pleaded guilty last week to bombings of Pacific Gas & Electric transformers in the San Jose area.Peter Karasev, 38, admitted as part of a plea deal announced by the Justice Department last Tuesday that he had used homemade explosives to bomb energy facilities on two separate occasions.One attack in December 2022 destroyed a transformer and left more than 1,450 PG&E customers without power for hours. The second attack in January 2023 damaged a transformer and a nearby building.

Ohio commission delays decision on fracking in Egypt Valley Wildlife Area- The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission on Monday delayed decisions on whether to accept bids from oil and gas companies to drill on three areas of public land in Eastern Ohio.One of the decisions delayed was for 4,360 acres in the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area in Belmont County near the West Virginia border – the second largest tract the commission has considered for oil and gas development since it began considering proposals for hydraulic fracturing in state parks, wildlife areas and rights-of-way two years ago.In addition to the Egypt Valley tract, the other two areas delayed were 382 acres in Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area on the border of Belmont and Harrison counties and 9.8 acres of Ohio Department of Transportation-owned right-of-way along State Route 821 in Guernsey County. When a reporter approached the commission chairperson to ask about the delay, a law enforcement officer stopped her by grabbing her by the arm. Commission Chairwoman Theresa White, who is the chief operating officer of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, recommended the panel bring up the three tracts for discussion only and no vote. There was no discussion. Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer was unable to ask White why the tracts were even on the agenda if she didn’t want to schedule a vote for them.ODNR spokeswoman Karina Cheung said that the commission is required to meet within 120 days once it receives a nomination. The commission is required to approve or disprove pending nominations within two calendar quarters, or 180 days, of nomination. The nominations that were delayed Monday will be brought up at a future meeting, she said.The three tracts were nominated by oil and gas companies in December. The identities of the companies that nominated the tracts are not revealed, according to state law.“This new chair has been tabling nominations if it’s not at 180 days,” said Cathy Cowan Becker, board chair of Save Ohio Parks, an environmental group fighting hydraulic fracturing on public land. “We don’t know why.”In general, the commission doesn’t discuss the tracts at the meetings, she said. They are supposed to consider the nominations’ effects on geology in the area, state agencies, the environment, whether gas production is compatible with current uses.“They don’t discuss any of this,” Cowan Becker said. “It’s almost a rubber-stamping process. It’s just nomination X, ‘We recommend to vote this or that way,’ and they take a vote. These meeting are very short.”Also at Monday’s meeting, the commission approved nominations on the below two tracts:

• -3.6 acres at Valley Run Wildlife Area in Carroll County, which will allow the commission to accept bids from oil and gas producers;
• -A 0.7-acre right-of-way along State Route 151 in Harrison County which will allow the Ohio Department of Transportation, which controls the land, to begin the process of leasing it to a producer.

Cheung said those nominations would go out to bid in July.Although the public land is small, environmentalists say that fracking chemicals used to break open the shale in Eastern Ohio and release the gas could flow into other nearby water. The commission rejected a nomination for 52 acres of land in Belmont County partially in an ODOT right-of-way along State Route 7, since ODOT said that they didn’t control all the land that was nominated.In addition to the Egypt Valley tract, the other two areas delayed were 382 acres in Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area on the border of Belmont and Harrison counties and 9.8 acres of Ohio Department of Transportation-owned right-of-way along State Route 821 in Guernsey County.When a reporter approached the commission chairperson to ask about the delay, a law enforcement officer stopped her by grabbing her by the arm.Commission Chairwoman Theresa White, who is the chief operating officer of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, recommended the panel bring up the three tracts for discussion only and no vote. There was no discussion.

Ohio opens more state land for fracking, bars reporter from asking questions --Ohio’s Oil and Gas Land Management Commission on Monday approved putting another parcel of an eastern Ohio wildlife area up for bid by fracking companies. Energy companies can now bid to frack for oil and gas under more than 3.6 acres of the Valley Run Wildlife Area in Carroll County. Last year, the Commission awarded Encino Energy more than300 acres of Valley Run for drilling. Before the meeting, members of the volunteer group Save Ohio Parks and others rallied against the latest drilling nominations, voicing concerns about water and air pollution from fracking. Drilling in wildlife areas “is not a compatible use pairing,” said Carrie Gibbons of Athens, Ohio. “Unless you are only looking at the short term.” In February, Save Ohio Parks was among 30 organizations that delivered a letter to Governor DeWine, asking him to issue a moratorium on fracking under the state-owned lands.. “Fracking is not going to end well,” said Lea Harper, of the group Freshwater Accountability Project, who drove two hours to attend the commission meeting. “So I’m here because of my conscience. I have to keep doing this – I have to try to keep speaking truth to power, and try to save our water, and try to save what’s beautiful in the region.” The commission deferred action on nominations to frack under two southeastern Ohio wildlife areas: nearly 383 acres under Jockey Hollow in Harrison County, and 4360 acres under Egypt Valley in Belmont County. The state has already awarded over 30 acres of Egypt Valley to Gulfport Appalachia for fracking. The commission also adopted changes to extend the lease agreements from three to five years. These changes “must be considered by Ohio’s Common Sense Initiative,” according to a spokesperson at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), and will be posted for public comment before they are finalized. After the commission meeting ended, cleveland.com and Plain Dealer (PD) reporter Laura Hancock approached Chair Theresa White to ask her questions. According to the PD, she had walked by two police officers, who were standing in the aisle leading to White. Hancock told the officers she wanted to ask White some questions, but they did not respond. Hancock said she walked past them and began talking to White. “I didn’t even get to the bottom of the question when one of the officers was pulling my arm … and leading me away to an area where I couldn’t finish my questions,” Hancock told the PD. “I have never ever been touched by a police officer. I’m a law-abiding person, so I was really kind of shocked.” Hancock said at least six armed officers were at the meeting. Rick Rouan, the politics editor for the publications, has reportedly lodged a formal complaint with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office. DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney told the PD that his office is looking into the matter. Hancock, a veteran reporter, said that even though she wasn’t harmed, being removed during an interview was a new experience for her. “Why are these people so precious that they can’t answer questions?” Hancock said in the PD that the move to block a reporter was more in the “spirit of authoritarianism” than that of a democracy. “I know that’s sort of how things are turning in America and probably in Ohio, as well, but – no – not in my America. Not in my Ohio,” she said. ODNR said that in light of this incident, it is “looking to find better ways to handle media access at these meetings.”

Editorial: Refinery capacity required - Toledo Blade --The REFINER Act is a fine and timely idea from U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) to get a clear picture on what needs to be done to increase energy refining capacity in the United States. But Mr. Latta would be well advised to make changes lest the proposal fails again as it did in the last session of Congress. The Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act introduced by Mr. Latta requires recommendations on how to increase refining capacity that has declined by nearly 2 million barrels a day since the pandemic. The weakness in Mr. Latta’s proposed legislation is the slanted view of the authors he intends to have produce the study. Mr. Latta’s REFINER Act requires the National Petroleum Council to assess the current state of refineries and their suppliers and provide projections on the potential for expanding current capacity. The report must detail risks faced by the refineries with special attention paid to actions by the state or federal governments that have caused or contributed to the decline in refining capacity. It seeks recommendations on how federal agencies and Congress can increase refining capacity through policies or programs. While there is little opposition to a study on refining capacity, Democrats are dubious that an industry advocacy body can produce an objective report. They make a good point. Moreover, opponents say restricting the scope of the capacity study to state and federal regulatory issues leaves the repeal of a crude oil export ban, which sent significant quantities of U.S. oil outside the country, unaddressed. Since the oil export ban was lifted in 2015, 10 U.S. refineries have shut down. Toledo’s greatest economic development strength centers on reliable energy from the natural gas pipelines that snake through northwest Ohio. The ability of plants that are large electrical users — such as data centers — to generate power off the electric grid is a rare and precious advantage for Toledo that illustrates the crucial need for oil and gas even for the high-tech electrified economy of the future. Republican President Trump came to office with a “drill baby drill” energy mantra that is widely assumed to be focused on driving down gas prices rather than driving up oil prices by selling U.S. production to the world. This is a very important regional economic issue. Three of the four major refineries in Ohio are in northwest Ohio — Cenovus Energy in Oregon and Lima and PBF Energy also in Oregon. These northwest Ohio facilities are fortunate to have the House energy subcommittee chairman well positioned to make their issues the basis to begin national policy debate. There is no interest served by the refineries of northwest Ohio and the rest of the nation running well below their capabilities. The U.S. economy needs every drop of energy it can produce. The REFINER Act can help make it happen if revised to produce an objective and trustworthy study.

Ohio house budget proposal includes funding for possible pipeline - Star Beacon The state house’s budget proposal includes funding for the study and possible construction of natural gas and oil pipelines running from Ashtabula to Columbiana counties. Four organizations would receive $210,000 each fiscal year, as part of the amendment:

Williams Leans into Power Supply Growth with Ohio Gas-Fired Project - Williams Cos. (WMB), which capitalized on booming power demand in the first quarter, signaled on May 6 that it intends to continue its strategy as the energy from its pilot Socrates project in Ohio has been fully contracted. Socrates is a two-site, gas-fired power generating project near Columbus, Ohio, near several WMB natural gas pipeline networks. The complex will produce electricity for behind-the-meter power for customers, most likely tech companies. “We have fully contracted this project that will deliver speed to market solutions for the growing data center demand in Ohio,” Williams Cos. CEO Alan Armstrong said during the company’s earnings call on May 6. The project’s customers have not been named. The north site of Socrates is less than a mile away from a campus where Intel is developing a $28 billion chip-manufacturing facility. East Daley Analytics noted in March that the area is set to add about 2.2 gigawatts in new demand. Data center developers AWS, Google and Vantage have planned projects in the region. “If WMB sources the gas from its own G&P footprint, it can optimize the full value chain by gathering, transporting and converting gas to electricity, earning a rate at each stage,” EDA Analyst Zach Krause said in the report. “This strategy would increase in-basin consumption and would allow Northeast gas production to grow relative to our current expectations.” Williams will invest about $1.6 billion in Socrates. The contracts are backed by a 10-year fixed-price supply agreement with an option for a five-year extension. The project will produce a total of 400 megawatts of power. Construction is set to begin at both sites over the next four months, with electricity available by third-quarter 2026. Armstrong said the project should produce income at 5X EBITDA. During the call, executives said the risk involved in building Socrates is low, thanks to the credit rating of the tech customers. “This is some of the best credit out there from a customer opportunity perspective,” said John Porter, Williams’ CFO. “The customer has been with us in lockstep, making sure that we can go out and invest in these projects in a bit of a new arena, albeit playing to our core strengths and capabilities, and things we’ve done before.” Armstrong said Williams will continue to use the same model setup as with Socrates and has two similar projects that have progressed far enough to start ordering equipment.

TC Energy Pipeline Project Aims at Growing Midwest Data Center Demand - TC Energy has sanctioned an expansion of the massive ANR natural gas pipeline system, driving supplies into a Midwest region experiencing rapid development of AI data centers. “We have been working towards a meaningful announcement relating to data centers for some time, and today, we have sanctioned our Northwoods project,” said François Poirier, TC Energy CEO, during the company’s earnings call on May 1. The $900 million project will add about 400 MMcf/d of natural gas capacity to the ANR system. The new capacity is 100% contracted for 20 years and is expected to go into service in 2029. The ANR system is one of the largest interstate natural gas pipeline systems in the U.S. and already has a peak capacity of more than 10 Bcf/d. The network has access to several production basins in North America and transports natural gas from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana to Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. The system also provides access to TC Energy’s storage operations in Michigan. Ohio has become a hot spot for data center development. On May 6, Williams Cos. announced it had fully contracted all power capacity of its Socrates project, a behind-the-meter, gas-fired generating system located near Columbus, Ohio. Poirier said that TC Energy will use the Northwoods expansion as a model for future projects. “When we think about our strategy, particularly in the U.S., we are focused on serving the data center load through our existing utility systems and leveraging our footprints to do that,” he said. “So, brownfield in corridor, permittable, constructible projects are where we’re focused.” The expansion will consist primarily of looping the existing network and increasing compression, the company said.

Shale Coalition leader knows the drill, advocates for it - Concerns about having enough energy to sustain efficiency of this region’s electric grid seem to be as abundant as the natural gas resources available in the Marcellus Shale Basin, below the Earth’s surface throughout most of Pennsylvania. Increasing energy demands, however, along with forced retirements of fossil-fuel-fired energy plants, the swift rise of data centers and shortages of infrastructure have conspired to stoke fears that parts of the U.S. northeast may become energy deficient and experience power outages. Jim Welty assures that natural gas will do its utmost to allay those fears. “We are situated atop one of the top gas deposits in the world,” he said in a recent interview, referring to Pennsylvania in general and its southwestern corner in particular. “Natural gas is the No. 1 priority of the coalition. It’s about the efficient and viable ways to use gas, whether it’s power generation for the grid, power generation for data centers or advanced manufacturing. All are in the wheelhouse of natural gas.” Welty is president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a leading trade association for the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania. Based in Robinson Township, MSC has about 150 members across the commonwealth. Welty, who has been with the organization for 12 years, succeeded Dave Callahan as coalition leader in January. The coalition, according to its website, “works with exploration and production, midstream and supply-chain partners across the country … from the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays.” “We represent members responsible for 95% of gas produced in Pennsylvania.” Welty said. “All of our members have a footprint in Pennsylvania.” Among states, Pennsylvania is the No. 2 producer of natural gas – behind Texas. Washington and Greene counties are largely responsible for that bounty, collectively producing 30% of the total. Our nation, likewise, is a natural gas force. In a recent weekly newsletter, Washington & Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy and Management cited a U.S. Energy Information Administration report saying the U.S. remained the largest liquefied natural gas exporter in the world last year, shipping a record 11.9 billion cubic feet per day. Welty touted his industry before a large audience in February, when he spoke at the annual Washington County: State of the Economy event. “Natural gas,” he said, “is the most efficient, clean, safe energy source across the board.” Yet energy officials and consumers are wary of what may occur with the PJM grid, which serves much of the northeastern U.S. It faces the aforementioned challenges, which could disrupt power availability. PJM Interconnection is a transmission organization that manages the wholesale electricity market and transmission grid for 13 states east of the Mississippi River. They include all of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, plus the District of Columbia. Stephen Bennett, a PJM official, spoke during a recent W&J webinar and stressed during his presentation that “safe and reliable operation of our power grid is our focus every day.” Stressed is an operative word here. PJM serves a large consumer base: 60 million people, many of whom are stressed about their grid. “The key is power,” Welty said. “There is a 100 megawatt gap between what is demand and what is needed. That gap has to be filled with some generation, and we feel natural gas is best.” The growing prominence of artificial intelligence is now accompanied by plans to develop large data centers, a number of them in Pennsylvania. Operation of the centers may require large amounts of electrical power, which could lead to higher bills and large use of water. Welty said in a statement: “We’ve been saying for a very long time that opportunities for natural gas extend far beyond production. Significant benefits are also tied to the use of gas locally, which is what we’re seeing with data center growth. “The advent of AI has created a prime opportunity for Pennsylvania to lead the AI revolution by using the natural gas under our feet to provide the significant baseload power that AI demands.” The oil and gas industry encounters challenges as well. “We have a need for more infrastructure,” Welty said. “We need more ways to get our product to market. “We need pipelines” – the construction of which, on occasion, encounters equipment, installation or permitting issues. “Another challenge is the policy side,” he said. “Policies discussed in Pennsylvania can have a chilling effect on investment.” They include setback requirements. Welty did credit the Trump administration “for helping to streamline challenges. Their focus on American energy is very helpful to what we want to accomplish in the basin – to meet the energy needs of our country.” And despite being a staunch advocate of natural gas, Welty said the coalition supports an “all-of-the-above” portfolio of energy resources. He is bullish on the basin, though. “There are significant opportunities to use our resources for our region.”

Coterra Confirms Constitution Pipe Reactivation Talks Underway - Marcellus Shale gas producer Coterra Energy confirmed they are part of talks currently underway to resume plans to build the Constitution pipeline that would alleviate takeaway constraints north of Pennsylvania. The 124-mile line was to originate from Coterra property in Susquehanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania, terminating in Schoharie County, New York, where it was to connect with existing gas infrastructure, sending gas deeper into New England.“We're watching and participating in that conversation seriously,” Tom Jorden, Coterra chairman, CEO and president, told investors in a May 6 call. The 650 MMcf/d would have supplied gas-short New England, which imports LNG, including from Russia at times.The project’s lead developer, midstream operator Williams Cos., was joined in the project by Coterra (then Cabot Oil & Gas) and utilities Duke Energy and AltaGas.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved it in 2014 but New York authorities blocked it, using water and other laws, resulting in Williams canceling it Feb. 24, 2020, after lengthy court battles.Jorden said in the call, “We think that issue will resolve itself here in the next few months.”The Appalachian Basin is constrained to roughly 36 Bcf/d of output as new pipe out of the Marcellus and Utica shale gas fields have met other regulatory and court impasses. An act of Congress was needed to get the Mountain Valley Pipeline through a few-mile finish line to get Appalachian gas to the southeastern U.S.Estimates are the basin could produce 60 Bcf/d if the midstream bottleneck was resolved.Jorden said, “We're looking at [Constitution] as a potential future opportunity for growth in the Marcellus.” President Trump put the pipeline back into national news in February, calling for its completion.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told energy conference attendees in Houston, “If we just had another 124 miles of pipeline in New York, then we would have all of New England with lower electrical prices and they could be burning clean U.S. natural gas from ourselves.”He added, “We will step in to make sure we can deliver that.” Williams President and CEO Alan Armstrong said at the conference, “We absolutely intend to try to get Constitution built, but obviously we’re going to be working to try to gain the states’ support and the local support in those areas as well.”In announcing the project’s cancelation in 2020, Williams reported, “While Constitution did receive positive outcomes in recent court proceedings and permit applications, the underlying risk-adjusted return for this greenfield pipeline project has diminished in such a way that further development is no longer supported.”It added that, “as communities and leaders recognize the important role natural gas has played in U.S. emissions reductions—and recognize the ability to further lower emissions through use of natural gas in the future—we stand ready to deliver.”

Energy Transfer Teases 3 Additional Supply Agreements for Lake Charles LNG as it Targets FID This Year -Energy Transfer LP (ET) management said international demand for U.S. natural gas is continuing to push its Lake Charles LNG project closer to the finish line as the midstreamer works to finalize three more offtake agreements in the coming days. After years of development, Dallas-based ET kickstarted a new wave of momentum late last year for the long-proposed terminal with additional supply contracts and negotiations for its existing agreements. Energy Transfer LNG President Tom Mason said that momentum has continued to build since the beginning of the year, driving more customers to sign on to the 16.45 million ton/year (Mt/y) capacity project.

Cheniere Close to Sanctioning Another LNG Expansion Project in South Texas, CEO Says - Cheniere Energy Inc. management said Thursday it expects to have four liquefaction trains online at its Corpus Christi Stage 3 LNG project in South Texas by the end of this year, while management is increasingly confident the company may soon sanction another expansion at the facility. NGI's forward natural gas price curve at Tennessee Line 500. CEO Jack Fusco said during a call to discuss first quarter earnings that three trains at the Stage 3 project should be completed and in service by the end of the year. With the project schedule on track, Fusco also said the fourth train is likely to start commissioning by then too. The Stage 3 project would add seven trains at Corpus Christi. Cheniere is progressing toward a final investment decision on an eighth and ninth train that Fusco said he expects to “occur in the coming months.”

U.S. LNG Buyers For Now Looking Past Trade War as Project Momentum Continues - U.S. LNG projects have continued to gain momentum this year despite a trade war that has cast uncertainty over the global economy. (natural gas supply and demand projections by Shell plc) Binding sales and purchase agreements (SPA) have been signed by multiple U.S. export projects to sell nearly 10 million tons/year (Mt/y) of the super-chilled fuel. Other deals have been inked or are advancing for equity stakes in export plants planned for the Gulf Coast. Overseas buyers have also been signing preliminary agreements to purchase even more U.S. LNG, continuing strong momentum that began in 2022 when Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe and upended global energy flows.

Commonwealth Increases Asian LNG Offtake as FID Nears - Commonwealth LNG LLC has signed an offtake agreement with an Asian LNG buyer as it works to commercialize the project by the summer. The Houston-based company disclosed Monday a 20-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) with an unnamed Asian energy firm for 1 million tons/year of export capacity (Mt/y). “This offtake agreement marks another important milestone for Commonwealth as we work toward a final investment later this year and first offtake planned for 2029,” Commonwealth Chairman Ben Dell, managing partner of Kimmeridge Energy Management Co. LLC, said.

Golden Pass LNG Likely Ramping Before Year’s End, Says ExxonMobil’s Woods - ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy’s Golden Pass LNG project on the Texas coast, beset by issues mostly out of its control, could begin commercial operations before the end of the year, slightly earlier than envisioned a few months ago. The 15.6 million ton/year facility has faced numerous delays since being repurposed in 2012 as an export terminal. Along with market downturns, Covid-19 and the withdrawal of the lead contractor following a bankruptcy, CEO Darren Woods last summer said shipments likely would begin by the end of this year. Woods reiterated his belief during a conference call Friday to discuss first quarter performance.

Gulf Coast Feed Gas Demand Dips On Freeport LNG Power Outage, Planned Maintenance — The Offtake A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers

• 14.33 million Dth: U.S. feed gas demand ticked back up Wednesday after an outage at Freeport LNG combined with flow reductions from planned maintenance at other Gulf Coast facilities. Freeport LNG told Texas environmental regulators the facility's three trains were offline for several hours Tuesday after a power feed interruption in the mid-morning. Gulf Coast nominations rose to 14.33 million dekatherms (Dth) Wednesday from 12.75 million Dth the day before.
• 2 Mt: Global LNG markets will grow tighter through the beginning of June as volumes taken off the market by facility maintenance rises to a seven-month high. LNG terminal maintenance is set to impact almost 2 million tons (Mt) of export capacity in May, including 0.18 Mt in the United States. Some facilities like Hammerfest LNG in Norway have extended maintenance schedules, placing 2.5 Mt offline through the first week of June.
• 200 Bcm: The European Union (EU) could fully displace Russian natural gas and LNG by 2027 under a plan outlined by the European Commission (EC) Monday. The EC’s plan calls for replacing 100 Bcm of natural gas supply by 2030 with other sources, but doesn’t mandate Russian volumes be replaced with other sources. EU gas demand would decrease by 40-50 Bcm by 2027 under the energy strategy, which also includes investment in renewable energy and alternative liquid fuels.
• 7%: Cracks are already appearing in the EU’s plans to ban Russian energy, however. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Rober Fico told the media Wednesday that his country planned to oppose plans that would call for an outright ban of Russian fossil fuels. Aurora Energy Research estimated that if the EU imported Russian natural gas at pre-war levels, Title Transfer Facility prices could drop 7% over the next three decades. Russian gas could also reduce demand for U.S. LNG, researchers noted.
• 10,300 workers: Golden Pass LNG has asked FERC to increase its daily workforce from 9,200 people on site to 10,300. Representatives for Golden Pass told Commission staff that the increase would be “necessary to timely and safely complete construction, commissioning, and start-up activities in Trains 1, 2, and 3” until the project is fully operational. The workforce request follows a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order allowing Golden Pass to commission key liquefaction and gas treatment equipment at the Texas facility.

US natgas prices slide 2% on lower demand forecasts, LNG flows — U.S. natural gas futures slid about 2% on Monday on forecasts for lower demand next week than previously expected and a decline in the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas export plants. The price decline came despite a drop in output in recent weeks and forecasts for more demand this week. Gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 8.0 cents, or 2.2%, to settle at $3.550 per million British thermal units. On Friday, the contract closed at its highest since April 9. Looking forward, the premium of futures for July over June rose to a record 32 cents per mmBtu. Gas stockpiles had been below normal from mid-January through late April after utilities pulled a monthly record 1.013 billion cubic feet of gas from storage in January to keep homes and businesses warm during extreme cold weather this winter. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to 103.7 billion cubic feet per day so far in May, down from a monthly record of 105.8 bcfd in April. Since gas output hit a daily record high of 17.4 bcfd on April 18, production was on track to drop by around 3.9 bcfd to a preliminary 10-week low of 103.5 bcfd on Monday. That, however, was a smaller daily decline than LSEG forecast on Friday. Analysts have noted that preliminary data is often revised later in the day. Meteorologists projected temperatures in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly warmer than normal through May 20. LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will slide from 96.9 bcfd this week to 95.0 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG's outlook on Friday, while its forecast for next week was lower. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big LNG export plants operating in the U.S. fell to 15.4 bcfd so far in May, down from a monthly record of 16.0 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to drop to a preliminary six-week low of 14.8 bcfd on Monday due mostly to a drop in flows to Cameron LNG's 2.0-bcfd plant in Louisiana to 1.0 bcfd on Monday, down from 1.4 bcfd on Sunday and an average of 1.8 bcfd over the prior seven days. Officials at Cameron LNG were not immediately available for comment on the feedgas reduction. The company, however, has told customers it will conduct maintenance on a pipeline that supplies gas to the plant, which will reduce flows on the pipe this week. Gas was trading around $11 per mmBtu at both the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TRNLTTFMc1) benchmark in Europe and the Japan Korea Marker (JKMc1) benchmark in Asia.

US natgas prices slide 3% on lower flows to LNG export plans and forecasts for less demand — U.S. natural gas futures fell about 3% on Tuesday on forecasts for lower demand over the next two weeks than previously expected and less gas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants. A couple of energy traders said gas prices also fell due to unconfirmed rumors that Freeport LNG's 2.1-bcfd export plant in Texas might have shut. Officials at Freeport said they had no comment. Gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 8.7 cents, or 2.5%, to settle at $3.463 per million British thermal units. The premium of futures for July over June (NGM25-N25) rose to a record 35 cents per mmBtu. Analysts said mild weather expected to last through at least late May should keep heating and cooling demand low, allowing utilities to keep injecting more gas into storage than normal for this time of year. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to 103.6 billion cubic feet per day so far in May, down from a monthly record of 105.8 bcfd in April. Since gas output hit a daily record high of 17.4 bcfd on April 18, production was on track to drop by around 4.8 bcfd to a preliminary 10-week low of 102.6 bcfd on Tuesday. Analysts have noted that preliminary data is often revised later in the day. Meteorologists projected temperatures in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly warmer than normal through May 21. LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will slide from 96.3 bcfd this week to 94.7 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on Monday. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big LNG export plants operating in the U.S. fell to 15.2 bcfd so far in May, down from a monthly record of 16.0 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to drop to a preliminary seven-week low of 14.2 bcfd on Tuesday due mostly to a decline in flows to Cameron LNG's 2.0-bcfd plant in operation in Louisiana and Cheniere Energy's LNG 3.9-bcfd Corpus Christi plant, with some units in service and others under construction, in Texas.

US natural gas prices climb 5% on return of Freeport LNG, lower output — U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 5% on Wednesday on a drop in output and forecasts for demand to rise more than previously expected this week, especially with the return to service of Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas from an outage a day earlier. Gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 15.8 cents, or 4.6%, to settle at $3.621 per million British thermal units. Analysts said mild weather expected to last through late May should keep heating and cooling demand low, allowing utilities to continue injecting more gas into storage than normal for this time of year. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has fallen to 103.4 billion cubic feet per day so far in May, down from a monthly record of 105.8 bcfd in April. LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will slide from 96.7 bcfd this week to 94.2 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday, while its forecast for next week was lower. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big LNG export plants operating in the U.S. has fallen to 14.8 bcfd so far in May, down from a monthly record of 16.0 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, the shutdown of Freeport, which was due to a power interruption, and reductions at other plants caused LNG feedgas to drop to a 14-week low of 12.4 bcfd on Tuesday. LSEG said the amount of gas flowing to Freeport's 2.1-bcfd plant was on track to reach 1.8 bcfd on Wednesday, up from 0.3 bcfd on Tuesday and an average of 1.9 bcfd over the prior seven days. The other LNG feedgas reductions were at Cameron LNG's 2.0-bcfd plant in Louisiana and Cheniere Energy's LNG 3.9-bcfd Corpus Christi plant under construction and in operation in Texas. Gas flows to Cameron have held around 1.2 bcfd since Monday, down from an average of 1.8 bcfd over the prior seven days, while flows to Corpus have held around 1.5 bcfd since Tuesday, down from an average of 2.2 bcfd over the prior seven days. Officials at Cameron LNG have not commented on the feedgas reduction, while officials at Cheniere said they had no comment. Both companies, however, have told customers in separate postings that they were conducting maintenance on pipelines and other equipment that supplies gas to their plants. Energy traders noted that other than the Freeport shutdown, most of the feedgas reductions and pipeline work were part of normal spring and autumn maintenance when demand for gas for heating and cooling is low.

US natgas prices ease on mild weather, big storage build — U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Thursday after mild weather kept heating and cooling demand low last week, allowing utilities to inject more gas into storage than usual for this time of year. That small price decline came despite a drop in output in recent weeks and forecasts for more demand over the next two weeks than previously expected due in part to a rise in gas flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants. Gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 2.9 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $3.592 per million British thermal units. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms added 104 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas into storage during the week ended May 2. That was in line with the 101-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of 81 bcf during the same week last year and a five-year average build of 79 bcf for this time of year. Gas stockpiles are currently around 1% above the five-year normal. Inventories had been below normal from mid-January through late April after utilities pulled a monthly record of 1.013 billion cubic feet of gas from storage in January to keep homes and businesses warm during extreme cold weather this winter. Some analysts said mild weather and record output this spring could allow energy firms to add record amounts of gas into storage in May. The current all-time monthly injection high of 494 bcf was set in May 2015. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to 103.4 billion cubic feet per day so far in May, down from a monthly record of 105.8 bcfd in April. Since gas output hit a daily record high of 107.4 bcfd on April 18, production was on track to drop about 4.8 bcfd to a near 10-week preliminary low of 102.6 bcfd on Thursday. Looking ahead, analysts said the roughly 16% drop in U.S. crude futures so far in 2025 would likely prompt drillers to cut back on oil production. Any decline in oil production would ultimately reduce the amount of gas pulled out of the ground that is associated with that oil production. About 37% of U.S. gas production comes from associated gas, according to federal energy data. Over time, analysts said that reduction in gas output should increase gas prices.

House Committee advances sweeping energy expansion to unleash U.S. oil and gas production -In a decisive move to bolster domestic energy production, the House Natural Resources Committee is advancing legislation to dramatically expand oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters. The proposed changes, set to be included in a budget reconciliation bill, would mandate dozens of new lease sales in the Gulf of America, Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the National Petroleum Reserve, while also streamlining permitting for oil shale development in Western states. With Republicans controlling the Senate, the bill is poised to bypass Democratic opposition, marking a significant victory for the Trump administration’s energy agenda.The legislation, unveiled ahead of a key committee hearing on May 6, aims to reverse years of restrictive policies under the Biden administration, which industry groups argue stifled investment and contributed to higher energy prices. Proponents say the bill will enhance U.S. energy security, lower fuel costs and generate billions in federal revenue — while critics warn it prioritizes corporate interests over environmental concerns.At the heart of the proposal is a requirement for 30 offshore lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next 15 years, along with six in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and four in ANWR — a region long contested for its vast untapped oil reserves. The bill also mandates biennial lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve and reduces royalty rates for drillers to 12.5%, a move intended to incentivize development. “These provisions will increase domestic energy production, allowing for affordable and reliable energy for all Americans,” said the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) in a letter to House leadership. The group praised the reinstatement of quarterly onshore lease sales, calling it a “long-overdue step” after years of bureaucratic delays. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in particular, has been a flashpoint in energy debates for decades. Estimates suggest ANWR holds up to 10.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil, making it one of the most accessible untapped reserves in the U.S. Past efforts to open the region to drilling have faced fierce opposition from environmentalists, but proponents argue technological advancements minimize ecological risks. The committee estimates the bill will generate $15 billion in federal revenue, primarily from expanded leasing. Additionally, it includes provisions to share offshore royalties with coastal states — a model already used in Alaska, where residents receive annual dividends from oil revenues. “The House Committee on Natural Resources is answering President Trump’s call to unleash American energy dominance through commonsense, science-based and economically sound provisions,” read a committee memo obtained by Reuters.However, environmental advocates warn the bill prioritizes short-term gains over long-term sustainability. “This would upend the use of our public lands as we know it, putting President Trump’s oil and mining industry donors in the driver’s seat,” said Jenny Rowland-Shea of the Center for American Progress. Legal challenges are expected, particularly over ANWR drilling, where past lawsuits have delayed development. If passed, the legislation could mark a turning point in U.S. energy strategy, shifting from regulatory constraints to aggressive expansion. The reconciliation process ensures it will avoid a Democratic filibuster, increasing its chances of becoming law.

Shallow M5.4 earthquake, series of aftershocks hit Texas–New Mexico border region - A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.4 struck Culberson County, Texas, near the New Mexico border, at 01:47 UTC on May 4, 2025 (20:47 LT on May 3). The agency reports a depth of 7.5 km (4.6 miles). The earthquake occurred in an area of intense oil and gas activity within the Permian Basin. Location of M5.4 earthquake near Texas - New Mexico border at 01:47 UTC on May 4, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google The quake was initially measured at M5.3 before being upgraded to M5.4, making it one of the strongest earthquakes recorded in this region in recent decades. The epicenter was located 59 km (37 miles) south of Whites City (population 7) and 89 km (55 miles) south-southwest of Carlsbad (population 28 957), New Mexico. 915 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking, and 1 982 000 weak. As of now, there are no reports of significant damage or injuries resulting from the earthquake. The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction. The USGS identified this quake as the potential mainshock of an earthquake sequence, with 66 events with magnitudes up to 3.2 detected over the next 4 hours. According to their forecast, there is a 3% chance of one or more aftershocks larger than magnitude 5, which could be damaging, within the next week. Smaller aftershocks are likely during this period, with up to 19 expected at magnitude 3 or greater. These may be felt in nearby areas. While the overall number of aftershocks is expected to decrease over time, a significant aftershock could temporarily increase seismic activity.

3 questions answered about Interior’s High Arctic plans - The Trump administration has jump-started plans for offshore oil and gas lease sales, but it’s also touting a new area to explore: the High Arctic. The United States has been laying the groundwork for expanding its territory off the coast of Alaska for years, and under President Donald Trump the largely unknown area may be opened to offshore drilling. The Interior Department didn’t provide many details about plans for the High Arctic in a news release last month. The area is believed to be rich in critical minerals and a potential supply of oil and gas. The offshore energy industry has already backed recent steps taken by the administration, urging officials to open the door to development in the Arctic. “Our long-term energy, national, and economic security will depend upon the U.S. taking action today through enabling policies so that we can attract investment and compete globally,” Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, said in an emailed statement. Still, the Trump administration’s plan to wade into international maritime law is causing consternation in China. Concerns also are coming from some U.S. environmentalists, who argue that sensitive Arctic ecosystems could suffer from expanded drilling or untested deep-sea mining. “While opening any more waters to offshore oil and gas drilling is reckless, opening the High Arctic is particularly so,” Kristen Monsell, oceans program legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an arm of the Interior Department that manages offshore energy in federal waters, released a map of the agency’s existing and new planning areas last month.The High Arctic region sits above two other areas — the Chukchi and Beaufort seas — that border Alaska’s North Slope. The new area encompasses a region of the Arctic Ocean that the U.S. recently laid claim to. Under international law, countries are generally understood to have sovereignty over waters that extend up to 200 nautical miles from their coastline, according to the State Department. Beyond that is a more distant region of the seas known as the “extended continental shelf,” which countries can also exert control over. International maritime law lays out processes by which nations can claim offshore waters. As a newly defined region of U.S. territory, the High Arctic area has borders that are partially contested. For example, according to a State Department website, the United States’ extended continental shelf “partially overlaps” with Canada’s. The area of overlap is more than 94,000 square miles, Charlotte MacLeod, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said in a statement. Prior research from USGS has shown potential oil and gas reserves around the Arctic Ocean. The agency has also found “high concentrations of critical and strategic seafloor minerals.” In the short term, the oil industry might be unlikely to spend money on exploration in the region. “It’s quite a ways from shore,” said Larry Persily, a former U.S. coordinator for an Alaska natural gas pipeline project. “I’d be surprised if anybody bid on it. … It just doesn’t seem there’s an appetite for that kind of huge risk when there’s less risky prospects in the Gulf of Mexico and the Permian Basin.” But Mark Myers, a member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, told E&E News that the reserves of critical minerals are “highly significant and certainly of interest.” Amy Gartman, a research oceanographer at USGS, said in an interview that the High Arctic area appears to have unusually high concentrations of scandium, a rare earth element used in alloys. But she stressed that there is “no indication” to date that the minerals will be extractable, or commercially viable for industry, in this area of the Arctic. Exerting control over the region could therefore have national security implications, as ocean mining is generally regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). “An established [extended continental shelf] would prohibit foreign countries from pursuing exploration or exploitation contracts through the ISA for areas located within another country’s ECS,” according to a 2024 report from the Congressional Research Service. “In addition, an extension of the outer limits of the U.S. ECS to include mineral-rich areas would be a potential strategy to access mineral resources under sole U.S. authority, rather than under the authority of the ISA.”

Arc Resources Boosts Natural Gas Production as LNG Canada Nears Start Up -Prominent Canadian producer Arc Resources Ltd. said it grew natural gas output during the first quarter and capitalized on deliveries of the fuel to the United States to realize improved pricing and stronger profitability.NGI's NOVA/AECO C natural gas spot price. Calgary-based Arc said its first quarter oil and natural gas output averaged 372,265 boe/d, with the output 63% gas weighted. The total was up 6% from a year earlier. The company maintained its guidance for ongoing growth this year. Arc plans to invest between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion to generate annual average production of between 380,000 boe/d and 395,000 boe/d, with natural gas accounting for more than 60% of that supply.

LNG Canada (Nearly) Good to Go, With Tighter Natural Gas Market Continuing, Says Shell CEO- LNG Canada, the first natural gas export project in the country, remains on track to begin commercial operations by mid-year, Shell plc executives said Friday. Graph showing Shell's major global projects. CEO Wael Sawan and CFO Sinead Gorman discussed first quarter performance and laid out the near- and medium-term plans for the London-based supermajor. There was a lot of discussion around the cause célèbre, the tariff war instigated by President Trump. While the macro outlook remains hazy, there is “limited impact” on operations today, as Shell’s diversified portfolio will help to mitigate the effects, Sawan said.

Argentina LNG Ambitions Becoming Reality with FID on Offshore Export Vessel - Argentina has talked about sending out LNG for years, but stars have finally aligned with exports expected in 2027. Bar chart showing global LNG demand by country. Late last week, the Southern Energy SA consortium in Argentina said it had reached a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with a floating LNG (FLNG) facility off the coast of Rio Negro province in the Gulf of San Matias. Golar LNG Ltd. will charter the FLNG Hilli Episeyo vessel to Southern Energy for a 20-year period. In addition, the entities have signed an agreement for a 20-year charter for the MKII FLNG.

European Industrial Giants Weigh U.S. Natural Gas Access Against Trade War Uncertainty - Some of Europe’s largest industrial end-users are accelerating their search for more competitive natural gas in markets such as North America, but growing uncertainty about the U.S.-China trade war is complicating economic outlooks. (a breakdown of the European Union's LNG imports by origin country) After another quarter of high energy prices cutting into its margins, Dow Inc. disclosed it was expanding its plans to shut down or idle production units in Europe. Dow’s expanded review could lead to idling or closing two units in Germany and the shutdown of a facility in the UK. COO Karen Carter said during a 1Q2025 call with analysts that Dow had previously guided that natural gas and power prices would remain a risk through the beginning of the year, but “expected these prices to moderate” during 1Q2025. Instead, markets remained volatile and continued to compress the company’s margins, especially in its packaging and speciality plastics segment.

EU to propose blanket ban on Russian gas - The European Union’s executive will soon unveil legislation to end all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. The goal is at the core of a plan that the European Commission presented Tuesday. The Commission said it will release legislation next month to ban new gas contracts with Russia — a prohibition that would kick in at the end of 2025 for short-term market purchases, and at the end of 2027 for long-term contracts.The plan will similarly target Russian oil, but with less-binding measures. And it will go after Russian nuclear supplies, proposing upcoming measures and laws to shun Russian nuclear fuel and uranium imports.“Today the European Union sends a very clear message to Russia — no more,” EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen said as he unveiled the plan. “No more will we allow our member states to be blackmailed, no more will we indirectly help fill up the war chest in the Kremlin.”

Asian Buyers Step Back Into Spot Market as Global Natural Gas Prices Continue Falling — Global natural gas prices continued to slide on Monday, following oil lower as energy demand remains weak amid the trade war. Graph and two charts showing LNG parity prices for Asia markets. Over the weekend, OPEC-plus announced another increase in oil production for the second consecutive month. The move pushed Brent crude below $60/bbl during Monday trading, making natural gas alternatives increasingly attractive. “The oil market has been dealing with significant demand uncertainty amid tariff risks,” ING Groep NV strategist Warren Patterson wrote in a note to clients. “This change in OPEC-plus policy adds to uncertainty on the supply side.”

TotalEnergies Expecting Weak Oil Demand Amid Trade War to Weigh on LNG Prices - TotalEnergies SE is aiming to restart construction at its long-delayed Mozambique LNG project in Africa now that financing for the project has been revived. Graph and three charts showing global LNG futures settles with historical market volatility. Management said during a recent call to discuss first quarter earnings that it plans to resume work on the 12.9 million tons/year (Mt/y) project by the middle of the year. The company declared a force majeure and stopped work on the project in 2021 amid rising violence and security threats posed by insurgents in Cabo Delgado province. TotalEnergies and its partners had previously aimed to resume work last year, but it’s been waiting for export credit agencies to reauthorize funding that lapsed after the $20 billion project ground to a halt. Mozambique LNG received a boost in April after the U.S. Export Import Bank reauthorized a $4.7 billion loan for the facility.

Oil Prices Crash as OPEC+ Boosts Supply – Brent Falls Below $60 on Oversupply Fears – Global oil prices took a steep hit in early Asian trading on Monday, falling to their lowest levels in nearly a month, as OPEC+ signaled a more aggressive approach to ramping up oil production. The move has stirred anxiety across global energy markets, with investors increasingly wary of a supply glut when demand growth remains shaky due to macroeconomic uncertainty and trade tensions. The international oil benchmark of Brent crude dropped by $2.21 or 3.61%, bringing the price down to $59.08 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude followed suit, falling by $2.29 or 3.93% to settle at $56.00 per barrel. Both benchmarks reached their lowest points since April 9, reacting swiftly to the latest decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) to accelerate production increases. For the second month in a row, OPEC+ has opted to boost output, announcing an additional hike of 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) for June. This means the bloc will have added 960,000 bpd over three months—April, May, and June—undoing 44% of the 2.2 million bpd of voluntary cuts implemented since 2022. Market watchers see this rapid reversal of production restraints as a clear sign that OPEC+—and Saudi Arabia in particular—is pressuring member countries like Iraq and Kazakhstan to adhere more strictly to their output quotas. Saudi Arabia, known for its role as the de facto leader of the group, has reportedly been pushing for a faster rollback of cuts in response to weak compliance by some members. Analysts say this move could flood the market with excess crude, especially if compliance issues persist and output increases continue at this pace. According to sources within OPEC+, if member nations fail to tighten compliance, the group may completely unwind its voluntary cuts by October this year. Further compounding market pessimism, the Brent crude futures spread has flipped into contango—a market structure where oil for immediate delivery is cheaper than for future delivery. For the first time since December 2023, the six-month Brent spread showed a contango of 11 cents per barrel, signaling traders expect oil supplies to outpace demand in the near term. This growing concern over surplus has already impacted price forecasts from major financial institutions. Barclays slashed its Brent price outlook by $4 to $66 per barrel for 2025 and lowered its 2026 forecast by $2 to $60 per barrel. ING similarly adjusted its expectations, now predicting Brent will average $65 in 2025, down from a prior estimate of $70. Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh noted that while OPEC+ is phasing out voluntary cuts, a slowdown in U.S. shale output may slightly offset the global supply surge. Nonetheless, Barclays has revised its supply projections upward by 290,000 bpd for 2025 and by 110,000 bpd for 2026. ING’s analysts, led by Warren Patterson, echoed similar concerns. They expect the oil market to shift deeper into surplus territory throughout 2025, especially as uncertainties tied to global trade policies and tariffs continue to impact consumption trends. With the supply side now also becoming increasingly volatile, the oil market appears to be heading into a period of heightened instability. The sharp fall in oil prices reflects deepening concerns about oversupply in the face of fragile global demand. As OPEC+ pushes forward with accelerated production hikes and compliance tensions simmer within the group, investors will be closely monitoring both supply-side behavior and macroeconomic indicators for cues on where oil markets are headed next.

OPEC+ Accelerated its Output Hikes on Saturday - The oil market gapped lower from $57.74 to $56.76 on the opening after OPEC+ decided to accelerate its output hikes on Saturday. OPEC+ agreed to further speed up its production hikes for a second consecutive month, increasing output in June by 411,000 bpd. The June increase by eight OPEC+ participants will take the total combined increase for April, May and June to 960,000 bpd, representing a 44% unwinding of the 2.2 million bpd of various cuts agreed on since 2022. The market quickly posted a low of $55.30 and traded mostly sideways before it retraced its losses and began to backfill its opening gap. The market traded to a high of $57.70 early in the morning. The market later settled in a sideways trading pattern during the remainder of the session as the market remained pressured by concerns of more supply coming into a market amid an uncertain demand outlook. The June WTI contract settled down $1.16 at $57.13 and the July Brent contract settled down $1.06 at $60.23. Both contracts settled at the lowest level since February 2021. The product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling down 1.87 cents at $1.9745 and the RB market settling up 29 points at $2.0228. President Donald Trump said the declining oil price is intensifying pressure on Russia and increasing the odds for a deal to end its war in Ukraine. His comments come a week ahead of his planned trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.On Saturday, OPEC+ agreed to accelerate oil production hikes for a second consecutive month, raising output in June by 411,000 bpd, despite falling prices and expectations of weaker demand. Following an online meeting lasting just over an hour, the producer group announced the supply increase, saying the fundamentals of the oil market were healthy and inventories were low. The June increase from the eight will take the total combined hike for April, May and June to 960,000 bpd, representing a 44% unwinding of the 2.2 million bpd cut.UBS sees Brent crude oil price recovering to $68/barrel in the coming months despite near term pressure. It anticipates a further seasonal increase in global oil demand in the coming months amid the driving season in the U.S. and the increasing temperatures in the Middle East.Barclays cut its Brent crude oil price forecast for 2025 and 2026, citing the decision by OPEC+ to expedite the phasing out of their voluntary production adjustments and accelerate output. The bank now expects Brent to average $66/barrel in 2025, down $4 from its previous forecast, and $60/barrel in 2026, a $2 reduction. The bank now anticipates OPEC+ to fully phase out the additional voluntary adjustments by October 2025, but also projects slightly slower U.S. oil output growth. Goldman Sachs reduced its oil price forecast following decisions by OPEC+ to accelerate oil output increases. The bank now expects Brent crude to average $60/barrel for the rest of 2025 and $56/barrel in 2026 down by $2 from its previous estimate. It has also cut its forecast for WTI crude by $3/barrel, now projecting it to average $56/barrel for the remainder of 2025 and $52/barrel in 2026.

Oil ends at four-year lows as OPEC+ accelerates output hikes (Reuters) - Oil fell by more than $1 a barrel on Monday to settle at over four-year lows as an OPEC+ decision to expedite its output hikes stoked fears about rising global supply at a time when the demand outlook is uncertain. Brent crude futures settled at $60.23 a barrel, down $1.06, or 1.7%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell$1.16, or 2%, to end at $57.13 a barrel. Both benchmarks settled at their lowest since February 2021. Last week, Brent shed 8.3% and WTI lost 7.5% after Saudi Arabia signaled it could cope with a prolonged lower price environment. That offset optimism on the demand side that U.S.-China tariff talks could occur, On Saturday, OPEC+ agreed to further speed up oil production hikes for a second consecutive month, raising output in June by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd). The June increase by eight participants in the OPEC+ group, which includes allies like Russia, will take the total combined hikes for April, May and June to 960,000 bpd. That represents a 44% unwinding of the 2.2 million bpd of various cuts agreed on since 2022, according to Reuters calculations. "For the producers outside of the OPEC+ group, which is now nearly 60% of global oil supply, the market share gains may have reached a peak if these new barrels are fed into the market and prices move lower," The group could fully unwind its voluntary cuts by the end of October if members do not improve compliance with their production quotas, OPEC+ sources told Reuters. OPEC+ sources have said Saudi Arabia is pushing OPEC+ to speed up the unwinding of earlier output cuts to punish fellow members Iraq and Kazakhstan for poor compliance with their production quotas. "The production increase, instigated by Saudi Arabia, is as much about challenging U.S. shale supply as it is to penalize members that have benefited from higher prices while flouting their production limits," ING and Barclays have also lowered their Brent crude forecasts following the OPEC+ decision. Barclays reduced its Brent forecast by $4 to $66 a barrel for 2025 and by $2 to $60 for 2026, while ING expects Brent to average $65 this year, down from $70 previously. "Expectations of mounting global oil inventories in the coming months given the demand deterioration expected off of the Trump tariffs is tending to accentuate bearish supply-side news," Widespread recession fears and weak refined fuel import demand are also weighing on oil prices, said David Wech, chief economist at Vortexa, adding that since mid-February the data analytics firm had noted an approximate 150 million-barrel build in global crude stocks in onshore tanks and on tankers at sea. Oil below $50 a barrel could hurt final investment decisions for offshore projects, Girish Saligram, CEO of oilfield services company Weatherford International, said at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. "If we see prices sustain below $50 a barrel, I think it could create a little bit of a lull for some of the new final investment decisions," Saligram said.

Crude Futures Rebound on Bargain Buying, But Bearish Outlook Lingers Oil prices rebounded sharply on Tuesday, driven by technical buying and bargain hunting after hitting multi-year lows in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude surged nearly 3%, recovering from a low of $55.30—its weakest since April 9—after a gap lower open. Despite bearish fundamentals, price action appears to have established a short-term value zone between $55.30 and $54.48.At 10:03 GMT, Light Crude Oil Futures are trading $58.75, up $1.62 or +2.84%. Tuesday’s gains were largely technical, with market participants reacting to perceived oversold levels. Analysts noted that the drop below $60 a barrel triggered fresh buying interest, with $60 acting as a key psychological pivot. Brent crude also snapped a six-day losing streak, supported by similar sentiment. However, the market still faces resistance at $59.68 and $60.09. A sustained move above these levels could reinvigorate bullish momentum.Overhang from OPEC+ remains a major concern. The group’s decision to increase output for a second straight month has undermined bullish sentiment. While Saudi Arabia did modestly cut its official selling prices, analysts argue it’s not an aggressive bid for market share but rather a cautious recalibration. Still, expectations that supply will exceed demand have pushed oil over 20% lower since April.The return of Chinese buyers following a five-day holiday added marginal support, as the world’s top importer likely took advantage of discounted prices. Additionally, U.S. economic data surprised to the upside, with the ISM services PMI rising to 51.6, indicating modest expansion in the largest oil-consuming economy. But ongoing trade risks and broader demand uncertainties remain key. Major institutions have revised their oil prices projections downward. Barclays cut its Brent forecast by $4 to $70 per barrel for 2025 and lowered its 2026 estimate to $62, citing weakened fundamentals and trade tensions. Goldman Sachs also trimmed its outlook, factoring in an expected 400,000 bpd supply boost from OPEC+ in July. These revisions underscore growing concerns that any short-term rally may be unsustainable.While Tuesday’s rebound provided technical relief, broader fundamentals remain skewed to the downside. Oversupply fears, uncertain demand, and downgraded price forecasts all suggest continued bearish pressure. WTI must decisively clear resistance near $60 to alter sentiment. Until then, rallies are likely to face selling into strength.

Oil Jumps as Traders Buy the Dip -Oil prices staged a robust comeback on Tuesday, clawing back ground lost after OPEC’s surprise weekend announcement to boost production quotas by more than expected.WTI surged more than 4% on the day, trading above $59, while Brent gained 3.7%, reaching well above $62. The bounce comes after a bruising April that saw prices crater under the weight of U.S. tariffs and OPEC+ confusion. OPEC’s weekend move to raise quotas—reportedly by triple what most expected—initially sent prices tumbling. But the fine print matters. Chronic overproducers like Iraq and Nigeria are already pumping over quota, so the new targets mostly legalize the status quo. Actual production isn’t expected to rise much—if at all. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will stop bombing Yemen’s Houthi rebels, saying the group indicated it would end attacks on ships in the Red Sea. “They just don’t want to fight,” Trump said, claiming the Iran-backed rebels had “capitulated” — though the Houthis have made no public statement to that effect. Trump declined to specify how the message was received, only citing “a very good source.” Despite uncertainty around the rebels’ actual intentions, Trump called the development “very positive” and said he would take the Houthis at their word. Oil prices briefly rose on his remarks. The U.S. had resumed airstrikes in mid-March in response to Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels, which have disrupted global trade since 2023. Tensions flared further this week after a Houthi missile landed near Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli retaliation in Yemen. The pause in hostilities comes just ahead of nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. in Oman on May 11. Trump is pushing for a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions and has warned of military action if negotiations fail. As always with volatile markets, it's important not to read too much into a single-day reversal. Tuesday's rebound came after hitting four-year lows on Monday. The rally, driven by technical buying and bargain hunting, followed a selloff triggered by OPEC+’s decision to triple its production increase to 411,000 bpd in June. Traders capitalized on oversold conditions, with Brent’s $60 level acting as a psychological floor, prompting speculative long positions. Additionally, China’s robust post-Labour Day travel spending, up 8% year-on-year to $24.92 billion, fueled optimism for fuel demand, particularly in jet fuel and gasoline. However, this bounce reflects short-term market dynamics rather than a fundamental shift, as oversupply fears and trade war concerns linger.Analysts suggest the actual output increase may be tempered by overproduction from members like Kazakhstan, already 390,000 bpd above its quota, and compensatory cuts. Meanwhile, a stronger U.S. dollar and potential U.S.-China trade tariffs threaten demand, with the IEA forecasting only 1.2 million bpd growth in 2025. The contango structure in futures markets and high volatility driven by short-covering underscore that this is a trader’s market, not a signal of sustained recovery. Without clearer demand signals or tighter supply, any significant rally is more likely to be bargain hunting than a reversal of the bearish trend.

Oil rises 3% on signs of more Europe and China demand, less US output (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed about 3% on Tuesday on signs of higher demand in Europe and China, lower production in the U.S., tensions in the Middle East and as buyers emerged the day after prices fell to a four-year low. Brent futures rose $1.92, or 3.2%, to settle at $62.15 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.96, or 3.4%, to close at $59.09. Both benchmarks rose out of technically oversold territory, the day after posting their lowest settlements since February 2021 on a decision by OPEC+ to boost output. "The market may be seeing some bottom fishing with a significant amount of profit taking out of short holdings, a major contributor to today’s price rebound," OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies like Russia, decided over the weekend to speed up oil production hikes for a second consecutive month. "After evaluating the latest OPEC+ move to accelerate the easing of supply cuts, market players are focusing on developments in trade and the possibility ... that trade deals will be reached," Varga also pointed to the rise in geopolitical risk premium in the Middle East as Israel struck Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen as a retaliation for an assault on Ben Gurion airport. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, said the U.S. will stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East. Prices also drew support after consumers in China increased spending during the May Day celebration and as market participants returned after the five-day holiday. The U.S. dollar fell to a one-week low against a basket of currencies as investors grew impatient about trade deals. A weaker U.S. currency makes dollar-priced oil less expensive for buyers using other currencies. In addition, lower oil prices in recent weeks have prompted some U.S. energy firms like Diamondback Energy and Coterra Energy to announce that they would cut some rigs, which analysts said should over time increase prices by reducing output. The European Commission, meanwhile, proposed adding more individuals and over 100 vessels linked to Russia's shadow fleet to its 17th package of sanctions against Moscow in response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump said late on Monday he would announce pharma tariffs over the next two weeks, his latest action on levies that have roiled global financial markets over the past months. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration could announce trade agreements with some of the United States' largest trade partners as early as this week, but gave no details on which countries were involved. The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record high in March as businesses boosted imports of goods ahead of tariffs, which dragged gross domestic product (GDP) into negative terrain in the first quarter for the first time in three years. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as tariffs roil the economic outlook. An interest rate cut could spur economic growth and thus, oil demand. But tariffs raise prices, and the Fed uses higher interest rates to combat inflation.

Crude Oil Prices Rise as US-China Trade Talks Signal De-Escalation Hopes Commodity markets are trading firmer amid news that US-China trade talks will kick off later this week.News that the US and China will start trade talks this weekend has Brent crude trading higher, extending a relief rally in oil yesterday. Talks would be a sign of potential de-escalation in trade tensions. Yet while negotiations would help improve sentiment in the oil market, we’ll need to see significant progress on lowering tariffs to improve the demand outlook.In addition, the supply side looks increasingly more comfortable due to the aggressive supply hikes from OPEC+. This is particularly so toward the latter part of the year, when the oil surplus is expected to grow. Clearly, the risk to this view is that OPEC+ will reverse the policy once again. We’d have to see members who’ve consistently produced at above target levels start adhering to their targets. Kazakhstan is reportedly considering its options to meet targets. Our oil balance assumes OPEC+ continues with aggressive supply hikes through the third quarter, which is in line with increases announced for May and June. American Petroleum Institute numbers, released overnight, were fairly constructive. US crude inventories fell by 4.49m barrels over the last week, while stocks at the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) delivery hub, Cushing, fell by 854k barrels. For refined products, gasoline inventories fell by 1.97 million barrels. Distillate stocks grew by 2.24 million barrels.European natural gas prices displayed plenty of strength yesterday. The Title Transfer Facility (TTF) rallied 5.5%, its largest daily increase since mid-March. The move was driven by the EU’s plan to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. This includes phasing out long-term gas contracts by the end of 2027.More importantly, the plan includes banning all new contracts and ending existing spot contracts by the end of 2025. The EU believes these measures will cut Russian gas flows to the EU by one-third by the end of the year. Further details are expected next month.Meanwhile, reports that power flows to the Freeport LNG export terminal in the US have stopped, suggesting a production disruption at the 20bcm export plant. This could provide some further support to European gas prices in the immediate term, depending on the duration of the outage.

WTI Prices Extend Losses Despite Slide In US Crude Production - Oil pries pumped and dumped back tro unchanged ahead of this morning's official inventory and supply data after hopeful (demand) signs of US-China trade talks battled with fearful (supply) signals from OPEC*+. “There is a fear that the trade negotiations in Switzerland with China could backfire and turn into a demand destruction event,” Building market sentiment that a rate-cut is not in the cards anytime soon is also weighing on prices, he added. Oil has trended lower since late January due to escalating trade frictions and plans by OPEC+ to keep boosting idled supply, but prices have moved away from their lows in the last couple of days. DOE

• Crude -2.03mm
• Cushing -740k
• Gasoline +188k - first build since mid-Feb
• Distillates -1.10mm

While gasoline stocks built for the first time in 10 weeks, Crude and Distillates inventories drewdown last week...As Bloomberg's Alex Longley reports, total inventories of crude and petroleum products, excluding the SPR, climbed for a second week this week, but the buildup was fairly small. The drop in crude and distillates was countered by another increase in natural gas liquids. That said, the pace of NGL builds slowed after bumper increases in previous weeks. Despite the 'drill, baby, drill' narrative, US crude production slipped significantly over the past couple of weeks...

Oversupply Fears Rise Amid Growing Demand Concerns from Tariffs - The oil market erased some of its gains on Wednesday following Tuesday’s technical rebound as the market remained concerned about a possible oversupply at a time when U.S. tariffs have increased concerns about demand. In overnight trading, the oil market breached its previous high of $59.84 and retraced more than 50% of its move from a high of $64.87 to a low of $55.30 as it rallied to a high of $60.26. The market was supported by the news that the U.S. and China are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Saturday, which could be the first step towards resolving a trade war that is disrupting the global economy. However, the crude market pared its gains and traded to a low of $57.81 after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, as expected, and said uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased. The June WTI contract settled down $1.02 at $58.07 and the July Brent contract settled down $1.03 at $61.12. The product markets also settled in negative territory, with the heating oil market settling down 3.22 cents at $1.9766 and the RB market settling down 3.67 cents at $2.0278. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer will meet China’s economic tsar He Lifeng in Switzerland on Saturday for talks that could be the first step toward resolving a trade war disrupting the global economy. The talks come after weeks of escalating tensions that have seen duties on goods imports between the world’s two largest economies increase well beyond 100%, amounting to what Treasury Secretary Bessent on Tuesday described as the equivalent of a trade embargo. The negotiating teams convening in Switzerland are expected to discuss reductions to the broader tariffs. The talks should also cover duties on specific products, export controls and President Trump’s decision to end de minimis exemptions on low-value imports.India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies. India hit targets in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab for the first time since their last full-scale war more than half a century ago, triggering fears of a further escalation of military hostilities. Islamabad called the attacks a “blatant act of war” and said it had informed the U.N. Security Council that Pakistan reserved the right to respond appropriately to Indian aggression.Yemen’s Houthis said a ceasefire deal between the group and the United States does not include sparing Israel from operations, suggesting shipping attacks that disrupted global trade will not come to a complete halt.Shipments of most energy products are slowing in sync with the global economy. Exports of crude oil, gasoline, diesel and thermal coal all contracted during the January to April period when compared with the same months in 2024, as the economies of importer nations cut their demand in response to heightened trade uncertainty. According to data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler, global export volumes of crude oil from January through April totaled 4.93 billion barrels. That total was 1.3% lower than during the same period in 2024 and was driven mainly by a 9% decline in imports by China.

Oil production hike by OPEC+ nations triggers global market unrest, threatens U.S. energy dominance – OPEC+ nations including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Kazakhstan announced plans to boost global oil output by a combined 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June, tripling prior targets. The decision announced Friday, May 2, has sent crude prices plummeting to four-year lows.The abrupt policy reversal, organized by Saudi Arabia and Russia, aims to punish overproducing OPEC+ members like Iraq and Kazakhstan while aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's push for lower oil prices. The move has plunged the energy market into turmoil, threatening U.S. shale firms and sharpening geopolitical tensions as Washington detects Riyadh's refusal to shield American energy ambitions. Saudi Arabia's shift from price defender to market disruptor marks a dramatic pivot. The 411,000 bpd increase – the second such surge this year – will add over 800,000 bpd by July's reassessment, analysts project. The kingdom's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman framed it as a response to "healthy market fundamentals. However, insiders acknowledge the true motives behind the move: Disciplining OPEC+ cheaters, primarily Kazakhstan, and ingratiating the monarchy with Trump’s inflation-control agenda."It's a calculated move to punish non-compliance and wag the dog of American oil politics simultaneously," said Jorge Leon, an OPEC alumnus at Rystad Energy, calling the decision a "bombshell." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had warned OPEC+ a month earlier not to "jeopardize U.S. energy security." Riyadh appears undeterred, however, leveraging softening relations with the second Trump administration and its polarizing trade war with China.The timing underscores OPEC+'s shift. As oil prices sank to $61 per barrel for Brent amid tariff-fueled recession fears, Trump's upcoming Middle East visit offers a strategic opportunity. With both sides instrumental in slashing prices, the alliance could stabilize oil flows ahead of potential Iranian sanctions relief, spiking regional tensions further.Kpler, an energy analytics firm, warns the output surge dooms American shale producers already battling unprofitable prices. WTI crude, now trading near $57 – a level surpassing the breakeven thresholds for many secondary formations – has ignited a drilling slowdown. U.S. crude production, projected to peak this year before declining, could drop up to 120,000 bpd annually as shale firms slash budgets."For most independents outside the Permian Basin drill core, this is beyond a speed bump – it's a parking lot," said a manager at an oilfield services firm, asking for anonymity given industry sensitivity. Kpler’s analysts added, "At current prices, there's no incentive to drill," with many operators reconsidering investments in speculative plays ahead of next year's expected Permian pipeline crunch.The ripple effect extends beyond the field. Goldman Sachs now predicts WTI could fall to $62 late this year despite U.S. demand staying strong, with recession risks from Trump's trade wars exacerbating downward pressure. JPMorgan's 18-month credit review of 150 shale firms revealed debt-to-income ratios surpassing 2016 crash levels.While Saudi Arabia's actions won favor in Washington circles, the White House remains wary. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan accused OPEC+ of "campaigning against external tariffs through its taps," signaling potential regulatory retaliation. The stakes are high: The bloc's pivot could undermine U.S. energy independence goals just as dire midterms loom.The move also fractures OPEC+ unity. Iraq and the United Arab Emirates – both reliant on oil revenues – have voiced concerns. Kazakhstan, singled out for its 422,000 bpd March overproduction, faces a loss of $50 billion by 2026 if prices stay below $60.Kremlin intrigue compounds the chaos. Though Russia's output was exempted, its oil revenues – a lifeline to Ukraine war chests – are projected to drop $8 billion monthly.The cascading effects leave little room for optimism. S&P Global warns U.S. oil demand could shrink by half a million bpd, with recession risks now priced into all sectors. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund estimates Saudi Arabia needs $90 per barrel to balance its budget, yet their strategy could depress prices for years.For global markets, uncertainty reigns. OPEC+'s June 1 meeting – a possible ceiling-check – may see output hikes versions, but compliance disputes loom. "Every new buy button is a minefield," warns a London-based trader, noting positioning swings as large as 10% daily. As OPEC+ rewires oil geopolitics, the U.S. shale sector's decline and Saudi's recalibration of alliances carve a future defined by unstable prices and fractured partnerships. With every policy twist – whether Washington's tariffs or Riyadh's output taps – one question remains: Can any nation's energy stability survive the crossfires of this new old game? The answer, for now, is in the crude.

The Market Is Well Supplied - So Why Is Saudi Arabia Raising Oil Prices? - OPEC+ served two surprises to the oil trading world in a matter of weeks. First, it said it would bring back three times the amount of oil supply it planned to originally in May. Then, it said it would repeat the exercise in June. And then it emerged that Saudi Arabia is raising selling prices for Asia when it would have made more sense to cut them, on the face of it. OPEC+ is in the spotlight and it’s probably enjoying it as prices slide further down and U.S. shale drillers curb activity. OPEC+ said in April it would add 411,000 bpd to its collective output in May, throwing the oil market in disarray after curbing supply for months in a bid to prop up oil prices. The move was such a reversal of tactics that it was quite understandable that it took everyone by surprise. Prices fell. Speculation abounded, with analysts suggesting anything from Saudi Arabia doing Trump’s bidding to being so desperate they’d opted for flooding the market in the tried and tested method of dealing with competition in a rather final way. Officially, OPEC+ members that have been cutting their output said that the market fundamentals were healthy enough to absorb not one but two monthly boosts of 411,000 bpd each. Unofficially, the story is that the Saudis got fed up with the Iraqis and the Kazakhs who have been overproducing pretty much since the production cuts began. Kazakhstan really annoyed Riyadh, per that story, by not just overproducing but reaching record-high output levels earlier this year. Some cited data about Asian crude oil imports as evidence that OPEC+ is trying to pump up a narrative that does not reflect reality. The argument is that imports into the biggest demand region are weakening and global inventories are only slightly below the five-year average. So, we have a pretty well-supplied market, and OPEC+ is shooting itself in the leg with the output additions. Of course, there is also the oil demand outlook. The oil demand outlook is grim if one follows the International Energy Agency. But Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s leader, does not follow the International Energy Agency. In fact, Saudi Arabia has a serious issue with the IEA and its forecasts, which the Saudis have slammed as blatantly biased in favor of the energy transition. Right now, the demand outlook is widely believed to be grim because of Trump’s tariff offensive against the world of trade. This outlook was a big reason why traders started the selloff in oil that brought prices down and then extended it as OPEC+ surprised said market with its two consecutive decisions to add more to that well-supplied market than initially planned. And then the news came that Saudi Arabia is raising its official selling price for crude for Asian buyers. In other news, OPEC’s total for April was down by 200,000 bpd, and not just because of the sudden slump in Venezuelan production after Chevron was kicked out by Trump. The UAE and Saudi Arabia also cut —and the UAE was given the green light to actually raise production. While traders and analysts try to wrap their heads around the logic guiding OPEC+, oil prices have rebounded because lower prices always and invariably stimulate greater demand for an essential commodity such as crude oil. Brent is back above $60 per barrel, and WTI has recovered to $58. This, of course, does not mean prices can’t fall again and stay fallen for an extended period of time. Perhaps at some point, it would even become officially clear whether the Saudis are doing Trump’s bidding or simply looking after their own interests as they have done repeatedly over the years. In the meantime, OPEC’s competitors will be suffering. This might even be one big reason why the cartel is adding supply if history is any indication.

Crude oil prices surge to $61.41 on trade deal hint, demand concerns - Oil prices saw a surge on Thursday following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an impending trade agreement with a major economic power. This news ignited hopes for a reduction in his tariff policies.However, concerns about weakening demand and increased OPEC+ production continued to exert downward pressure on crude prices. Wednesday had seen sharp declines, with prices hovering near four-year lows after mixed U.S. inventory data revealed a cooling in fuel demand. Brent oil futures for July saw a rise of 0.5 percent to $61.41 a barrel (currently trading at $61.61), while West Texas Intermediate crude futures increased by 0.6 percent to $58.02 a barrel by 21:57 ET (01:57 GMT). WTI crude futures is currently trading at $58.62. Investors are closely monitoring these movements for insights into the oil price forecast. Thursday’s oil gains were largely driven by President Trump’s statement regarding a “major” trade deal with a significant country. Media reports yesterday indicated that the country in question was Britain.Any trade agreement finalized this week would mark the first since Trump introduced broad “reciprocal” tariffs against numerous major U.S. trading partners, although a 90-day exemption was subsequently announced for all countries except China.Uncertainty surrounding Trump’s tariffs has been a major drag on oil prices in recent weeks, as markets worried about their potential consequences. The oil price forecast has also been affected by recent economic data indicating weakness in both the U.S. and China, following their involvement in a trade dispute that began in April. “The word ‘uncertainty’ was bandied about several times by Powell, especially pertaining to the scope and magnitude of tariffs. Although negotiations are underway, the complexities in reaching trade deals are many. While the Fed hopes any tariff-driven spike in prices will be transitory, persistent price pressures of a considerable magnitude could cause inflation to become entrenched, particularly if trade deals fail to materialise or if tariffs are increased. As such, the central bank sees increased risk of higher unemployment and higher inflation down the line. This has elevated the possibility of stagflation, making the Fed’s path forward even more uncertain,” “As a result, the Fed is well positioned to wait and monitor forthcoming economic data points before deciding its next move. Powell stated the Fed is comfortable with its current stance and can afford to be patient, while also being prepared to act quickly if the economy weakens,” While the Trump administration has indicated its willingness to engage in trade discussions with China this week, Trump stated that he is unwilling to reduce his 145 percent tariffs on Beijing. China has also suggested that the talks taking place this week were primarily at the request of the U.S. Despite Thursday’s gains, oil prices have suffered significant losses so far in 2025. These losses have intensified in recent weeks due to growing concerns about slowing demand and rising production.Increased economic uncertainty has fueled concerns about demand. The Federal Reserve contributed to this uncertainty on Wednesday by maintaining interest rates and highlighting increased economic risks stemming from trade disruptions and a potential increase in inflation.Expectations of higher supplies have also put pressure on oil prices. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies announced plans to increase production by a considerably larger margin in June.However, this was partially offset by several major U.S. producers signaling a slowdown in domestic production, as a recent decline in oil prices prompted a reduction in capital spending.

Optimism About a U.S. Trade Deal With the U.K. and Trade Talks with China --The oil market ended Thursday’s session higher on optimism about a U.S. trade deal with the U.K. and planned trade talks with China. The market posted a low of $57.74 on the opening before it retraced most of Wednesday’s sharp losses. The crude market gradually traded higher throughout the session following the announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and Britain and on the hopes of a breakthrough in upcoming trade talks between the U.S. and China. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with China’s top economic official on Saturday in Switzerland for negotiations over a trade war that is disrupting the global economy. The market, which continued to hold resistance at its downward trendline at $60.29 as it rallied to high of $60.05 ahead of the close. The market was also supported as the U.S. once again announced sanctions a third Chinese independent oil refinery and port terminal operators in China for purchases of Iranian oil. The June WTI contract settled up $1.82 at $59.52 and the July Brent contract settled up $1.72 at $62.84. Meanwhile, the product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 6.34 cents at $2.04 and the RB market settling up 5.76 cents at $2.0854. U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a “breakthrough deal” on trade that leaves in place a 10% tariff on goods imported from the UK while Britain agreed to lower its tariffs to 1.8% from 5.1% and provide greater access to U.S. goods. Britain’s car industry will see U.S. tariffs immediately cut to 10% from 27.5%, while levies on steel and aluminum will fall to zero. President Trump said the U.S.-UK trade deal will create an aluminum and steel trading zone and secure the pharmaceutical supply chain, although he said some of the details “are being written up.”U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on a third Chinese independent or “teapot” oil refinery and port terminal operators in China for purchases of Iranian oil. The U.S. Treasury designated the Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group refinery and three companies for operating a terminal at Dongying Port in Shandong Province.Sources said recent U.S. sanctions on two small Chinese refiners for buying Iranian oil have created difficulties receiving crude and led them to sell product under other names, evidence of the disruption that Washington’s increased pressure is inflicting on Tehran’s largest oil buyer.According to a Reuters survey, OPEC oil output fell in April despite a scheduled output increase taking effect, led by a cut in Venezuelan supply on renewed U.S. attempts to cut the flows and smaller drops in Iraq and Libya. The survey showed that OPEC produced 26.60 million bpd in April, down 30,000 bpd from March’s total, with cuts by some producers offsetting higher Iranian supply. The reduction comes despite OPEC+ beginning in April to unwind its most recent layer of output cuts. U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his criticism on Thursday of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, complaining that the Fed is refusing to lower interest rates. He said cutting interest rates would be “like jet fuel” for the economy “but he doesn’t want to do it.”

Oil prices rise 3% on support from US-China trade hopes (Reuters) - Oil prices rose around 3% on Thursday, buoyed by hopes of a breakthrough in looming trade talks between the U.S. and China, the world's two largest oil consumers. Brent crude futures settled up $1.72, or 2.8%, at $62.84 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.84, or 3.2%, to $59.91. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with China's top economic official on May 10 in Switzerland for negotiations over a trade war that is disrupting the global economy. Optimism around those talks was providing support to the market, The countries are the world's two largest economies and fallout from their trade dispute was likely to lower crude consumption growth. Analysts cautioned that the recent tariff-driven volatility in the oil market was not over. "The global risk premium that was pushing oil prices up and down during the past couple of years has been replaced by a tariff premium that will also be fluctuating in response to the latest headlines out of the Trump administration," In another trade development, U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a "breakthrough deal" on trade that leaves in place a 10% tariff on goods imported from the UK while Britain agreed to lower its tariffs to 1.8% from 5.1% and provide greater access to U.S. goods. On the supply front, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies in OPEC+ will increase its oil output, pressuring prices. OPEC oil output edged lower in April despite a scheduled output hike taking effect, a Reuters survey found, led by a cut in Venezuelan supply on renewed U.S. attempts to curb the flows and smaller drops in Iraq and Libya. Analysts at Citi Research lowered their three-month price forecast for Brent to $55 per barrel from $60, but maintained their long-term forecast of $60 a barrel this year. A U.S.-Iran nuclear deal could drive Brent prices down toward $50 per barrel on increased global supply, but without a deal prices could rise to over $70, they added. U.S. sanctions on two small Chinese refiners for buying Iranian oil have created difficulties receiving crude and led them to sell product under other names, sources familiar with the matter said, evidence of the disruption that Washington's stepped-up pressure is inflicting on Tehran's biggest oil buyer.

Markets: Oil gains on trade optimism, up 3% on week Oil prices rose modestly during Asian trade on Friday, building on the previous session’s gains, as easing trade tensions between the world’s top oil consumers - the United States and China - supported market sentiment, while a freshly announced trade deal between the U.S. and the United Kingdom also contributed to the uptick. As of 3 pm AEST (5 am GMT), Brent crude futures were up $0.28, or 0.4%, at $63.10 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also rose $0.28, or 0.5%, to $60.19 per barrel. Markets were buoyed by the news that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Switzerland on 10 May. The talks are aimed at resolving longstanding trade disputes that have dampened global economic growth and, in turn, demand for crude oil. According to ANZ analysts, "The discussion could cover the treatment of fentanyl, include ways to reduce the trade imbalance in the near term, and include other strategic items such as Panama’s ports and TikTok. “Reportedly, China is willing to engage with the U.S. to strengthen drug control, offering a critical step to suspend the 20% fentanyl tariff.” Meanwhile, China’s latest customs data showed that exports rose by 8.1% year-on-year in April, outpacing forecasts, while imports declined by just 0.2%. Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer jointly announced a breakthrough trade agreement. Under the deal, the U.K. will cut tariffs on U.S. imports to 1.8% from 5.1%, while the U.S. will reduce duties on British vehicles. However, a 10% tariff remains in place for most other British exports. Oil markets also weighed the potential impact of supply-side developments. ANZ analysts noted: "We see downside risks for oil prices amid a higher probability that OPEC+ will fully unwind the headline 2.2mb/d voluntary cuts by the end of 2025. This would be partly offset by the waning growth in U.S. shale oil output." Adding to geopolitical risks, the Indian army reported that Pakistan’s armed forces launched “multiple attacks” across India’s western border late Thursday and into Friday, raising concerns about heightened conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Despite mounting tensions, the oil market found support in improving macroeconomic signals and easing trade friction, helping prices remain resilient ahead of further diplomatic and OPEC+ developments.

WTI Tops $61 on Trade Hopes Oil rose as algorithmic traders fled short positions amid renewed optimism about trade talks between the US and China this weekend. West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.9% to settle near $61 a barrel, the highest in over a week, as the Trump administration weighs reducing levies on China to de-escalate tensions and temper the economic pain in both countries. The rally was limited by President Donald Trump’s comments that an 80% tariff on China “seems right.” Meanwhile, commodity trading advisers, which tend to exacerbate price swings, liquidated short positions to sit at 91% short in both WTI and Brent on Friday, compared with 100% short on May 8, according to data from Bridgeton Research Group. Crude has tumbled from a mid-January peak on concerns the trade war will dent economic growth, while OPEC+ is reviving idled production. Measured optimism on trade negotiations has helped prices recover some ground after starting the week near the lowest since 2021. Fuel markets have also provided positive signs, with one gauge of strength in gasoline reaching the strongest in about six months. “WTI breaking back above $60 has likely triggered short-covering from newly established positions,” said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Group. “Optimism around potential progress with China is also providing support.” Still, while Trump hailed the pact with the UK as historic, specifics of the deal indicated it fell short of the “full and comprehensive” agreement he had promised. And even though Trump said negotiations with China would result in tangible progress, Beijing reiterated on Thursday its call for the US to cancel tariffs ahead of talks. The US, meanwhile, sanctioned a third so-called teapot refinery in China — along with port terminal operators, vessels and individuals — for allegedly facilitating the trade of Iranian crude. Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group was the main target of the action. The UK also sanctioned senior executives in an oil trading network that it says has been helping key Russian oil exports flowing. The country also plans to target more than 100 oil tankers. WTI for June delivery rose 1.9% to settle at $61.02 a barrel in New York. Brent for July settlement advanced 1.7% to settle at $63.91 a barrel.

Oil prices post weekly gains on US-China trade talk optimism (Reuters) - Oil prices settled nearly 2% higher on Friday and notched their first weekly gains since mid-April as a U.S. trade deal with the United Kingdom turned investors optimistic ahead of talks between top officials from Washington and Beijing. Brent crude futures rose $1.07, or 1.7%, to settle at $63.91 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures advanced $1.11, or about 1.9%, to settle at $61.02. Week-over-week, both benchmarks gained over 4%. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said China should open its market to the U.S., and that an 80% tariff on Chinese goods "seems right," a day after he announced a deal lowering tariffs on British car and steel exports, among other agreements with the United Kingdom. The UK agreement and Trump's comments on China have raised hopes for similar deals between Washington and Beijing. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was to meet with China's top economic official Vice Premier He Lifeng in Switzerland on May 10. Current U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports stand at 145%. "While prohibitively high, you can't knock the math ... 80% is substantially less than 145%," Chinese exports rose faster than expected in April while imports narrowed their decline, customs data showed on Friday, giving Beijing some relief ahead of the talks. Rising hostilities in the Middle East also boosted oil prices this week, Israel's military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards its territory, days after Oman mediated a ceasefire between the U.S. and Yemen's Houthis, who claimed responsibility for Friday's attack. Still, the outlook for oil prices remains uncertain and will largely depend on the trajectory of the U.S. economy, its trading policies and the enforcement of sanctions on Iran and Russia, said Marcus McGregor, head of commodities research for asset management firm Conning. On Thursday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on a third Chinese independent oil refinery for purchases of Iranian crude, ahead of a fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman this weekend. Keeping a ceiling to oil price gains this week was the planned increase to oil output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known collectively as OPEC+. However, a Reuters survey found that OPEC oil output edged lower in April as production declines in Libya, Venezuela and Iraq outweighed a scheduled increase in output. The survey was just enough to add an extra glimmer to markets already hopeful ahead of the U.S.-China trade talks, PVM analyst John Evans wrote to clients on Friday.

Israel Launches Airstrikes Near Syria’s Presidential Palace - -A week after the leader of Syria’s Islamist government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was talking about his openness to normalizing relations with Israel, the Israeli military has carried out yet more strikes against Syria, attacking the area around the presidential palace in the capital city of Damascus Friday. There were no reports of casualties in the Damascus strike, but a second drone strike against the Suwayda Governorate killed at least four. Sharaa warned this was a “reprehensible” Israelis attack on Syria, and a “dangerous escalation.” At least 20 Israeli strikes were carried out Friday.Dangerous escalation has been the order of the day since the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took over Syria in December. Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially took credit for the regime change, Israel also immediately turned hostile to the HTS, invading southern Syria and occupying an ever-growing part of the southwest. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said today’s attack against the palace was a “clear warning” to Sharaa not to defy Israeli demands that they have no military assets south of Damascus. They also tried to link this to recent sectarian violence involving Syria’s Druze minority, saying they feel an obligation to protect the Druze. Israel already carried out a strike on Wednesday nominally to protect the Druze, These strikes only seem to be growing, and the Druze are only sometimes used as the pretext. HTS’s Islamist nature is also often the excuse, as well as just general claims of Israel national defense needs. Large scale anti-Israel protests were reported in Homs and Daraa after the news of the attack on Damascus. While Israel’s invasion and occupation of the southwest had mostly not been getting a lot of pushback outside of the specific region targeted, it seems this strike is waking more of Syria up to the situation.

Turkish Jets Interfere With Israeli Warplanes Attacking Syria - As Israel continues to escalate its attacks across Syria, they are running into some resistance from Turkey. Turkey is reportedly frustrated with the growing Israeli strikes on Syria, and there was an incident over the weekend where two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled into Syrian airspace and “interfered” with Israeli warplanes actively attacking targets inside Syria.Officials are saying there was no direct conflict between the planes, though it is also being called the first direct contact between the two sides inside Syria. The Turkish planes reportedly tried to use electronic counter measures to try to warn the Israeli warplanes off.Details are still relatively scant on the matter, and the IDF denied that anything happened at all, maintaining that they have “full freedom of operation” to carry out attacks inside Syria as they see fit.. Both Turkey and Israel were seen as supporting the regime change in Syria in December, but they took opposite paths after it happened. Turkey has been closely supporting the new government, while Israel invaded the south and has launched hundreds of airstrikes against the rest of the country. Though their respective spheres of influence inside Syria don’t direct overlap, they are seen as conflicting, as seen in early April when Israel attacked an air base inside Syria that Turkey was intending to take over. Israel openly said the attack was a “message” to Turkey.Turkey reinforced the base, and there has been concern the two sides are on a collision course ever since. At the US behest, Turkey and Israel were reported to have held deconfliction talks at the time.Turkey sees Israel’s constant attacks on Syria as threatening what they envision as a potential ally, while Israel sees Turkey’s general interest in influence over Syria as a threat to their regional dominance.

Houthi missile strikes near main Israel airport -- A missile launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen struck near the main terminal of Israel’s airport close to Tel Aviv, reports detailed Sunday morning. The strike, which was not intercepted by the Israeli military, temporarily paused flights, but there were no immediate reports of fatalities, The New York Times reported. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) shared online that sirens sounded across the region “due to a projectile launch from Yemen.” The IDF is investigating the failure to intercept the strike. The military said several attempts were made to intercept the Houthis’ missile, but the missile struck near the Ben-Gurion International Airport, the Times reported. Israeli media reported that there were eight injured in the missile strike. Footage online showed the moment the missile hit in a grassy area within the airport’s perimeter. While the airport halted flights for about an hour, the departures and arrivals are moving forward as planned, the airport said in a statement on its website.

Yemeni Missile Strikes Israel's Ben Gurion Airport - A missile fired from Yemen struck an access road on the grounds of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, as a heavy US bombing campaign has failed to deter Yemen’s Houthis, who are officially known as Ansar Allah.According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli military tried multiple times to intercept the missile but failed. A US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that’s deployed to Israel also failed to intercept the Yemeni missile. The missile left a crater, and six people were injured by the attack, though none of them were seriously hurt. The Houthis have fired a series of missiles and drones at Israel since the Israeli military resumed its genocidal war on Gaza on March 18, but the Sunday attack marked the first time a Yemeni missile made it past Israel’s air defenses. Later on Sunday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the Yemeni force would impose a “comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by “repeatedly” targeting airports in the country. He said the move was a response to Israel “expanding aggressive operations against Gaza.” His announcement came after the Israeli military announced it was calling up tens of thousands of reservists to escalate in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would respond to the Houthi attack. “We’ve acted against them in the past, and we’ll act again in the future,” he said. “This isn’t a one-and-done, but there will be some big hits.” Israel launched a few rounds of airstrikes on Yemen last year but hasn’t done so under the Trump administration. In March, the Israeli news site Ynet reported that the US has asked Israel not to respond to the Houthis’ attacks and said that US forces will handle the retaliation.Netanyahu also suggested that Israel might attack Iran in response to the Yemeni missile strike. On X, Netanyahu shared a Truth Social post from President Trump dated March 17. In the post, Trump said he would blame each Houthi attack on Iran.“President Trump is absolutely right!” Netanyahu wrote. “Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”

Israel strikes Houthi targets in response to airport attack -Israel has attacked Houthi targets in the wake of a strike from the rebels on an airport near Tel Aviv, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “A short while ago, [Israeli Air Force (IAF)] fighter jets struck terror targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime, along Yemen’s coastline,” a Monday IDF statement obtained by The Hill’s sister network NewsNation reads. “The strike was conducted in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, during which surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs were launched toward Israeli territory and its civilians,” the IDF added in its statement. Over the weekend, Yemen-based Houthi rebels launched a missile that hit close to the main terminal of Israel’s airport near Tel Aviv. Eight people were injured via the strike, according to Israeli media. Following the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on the social platform X that “Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.” According to Monday’s IDF statement, parts of a Yemeni port that are used by the Houthis “as a central supply source” were hit as part of the strike, as well as a concrete plant that the rebels have “as a significant economic resource.” “This strike further degrades the Houthi regime’s economic and military buildup capabilities,” the Israeli military added.

Israel Launches Major Airstrikes on Yemen After Missile Hit Ben Gurion Airport - Israel launched major airstrikes in Yemen on Monday that targeted the Red Sea port of Hodeidah and a concrete factory near a city in the same province, strikes that came a day after a Houthi missile struck Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.The Israeli military said that about 20 of its warplanes took part in the attack and dropped about 50 munitions on the port and the concrete factory. The strikes were launched in coordination with the US.It’s unclear if US warplanes directly took part in the Israeli attack, but the US did launch other airstrikes in Yemen on Monday. According to Yemen’sSABA news agency, a total of 18 US airstrikes targeted the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and the Al Jawf province. SABA also reported that at least 21 people were injured by the attack on the Bajil cement factory, which it described as a preliminary toll. The Israeli military took credit for bombing the factory, claiming it “serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terror regime and is used for building tunnels and military infrastructure.”Israel launched several rounds of airstrikes against Yemen last year, but this attack marks the first time the Israeli military bombed the country under the new Trump administration. Before the missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport, the Trump administration had asked Israel not to respond to the Houthis’ attacks and said that US forces would handle the retaliation. The Trump administration launched its bombing campaign in Yemen on March 15 after the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, announced they would re-impose a blockade on Israeli shipping in response to Israel violating the Gaza ceasefire deal by imposing a total blockade on the Palestinian territory. After Israel completely broke the ceasefire deal and resumed its genocidal war on Gaza on March 18, Yemeni forces began launching missiles and drones at Israel again despite the US bombing campaign. The US has launched over 1,000 airstrikes on Yemen since March 15, killing over 200 civilians, but the Houthis remain undeterred.After the missile strike hit the Ben Gurion airport, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced Yemen would impose an air blockade on Israel by “repeatedly” attacking its airports. The Houthis, who are known for their resilience, have vowed they will not stop their attacks on Israel or end the blockade on Israeli shipping unless there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli siege. They have offered to stop attacking US warships if the US stops bombing Yemen, but the Trump administration has shown no interest in the offer.

Israeli Airstrikes Pound Yemen for Second Day, Target Sanaa Airport - The Israeli military launched heavy airstrikes on Yemen for the second day on Tuesday, targeting the Sanaa International Airport and other infrastructure in the capital. According to Yemeni media, at least three people were killed and 38 were wounded in the attacks, which targeted the airport, a cement factory, and power plants. The IDF said the strikes on the airport targeted runways, aircraft, and infrastructure, and claimed the airport was “totally disabled.” The IDF claimed the attack on the cement factory “constitutes a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup.”The Israeli strikes that hit Yemen on Monday targeted the port of Hodeidah and the Bajil cement factory, which is also in the Hodeidah province. According to the Yemeni news agency SABA, the attacks on the port and the Bajil cement factory killed at least four people and wounded 39.The Israeli attacks on Yemen came after the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, successfully struck the Ben Gurion Airport in a missile attack. Before the missile strike, the Trump administration had asked Israel not to respond to the Houthis’ attacks and said that US forces would handle the retaliation.Israel’s strikes on key infrastructure in Yemen have dire implications for millions of Yemeni civilians who are struggling with food shortages, but the attacks are not expected to deter the Houthis. The Ansar Allah-led government, which controls an area of Yemen where about 70% to 80% of Yemenis live, is vowing it will respond.

Israeli Strikes Kill 110 in Gaza Over Three Days as Children Starve Under Blockade - Israeli attacks on Gaza killed 110 Palestinians and wounded 400 over the past three days, according to death toll updates released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, as children are starving to death under the US-backed Israeli blockade.In the same three-day period, seven bodies of Palestinians killed by previous Israeli attacks were recovered from the rubble. The Health Ministry’s numbers account for dead and wounded Palestinians brought to hospitals and morgues.“There are still a number of victims under the rubble and on the streets, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them,” the Health Ministry said on Telegram.Israeli attacks over the weekend included the bombing of a house in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. According to rescue workers, the strike killed eight people, including a month-old baby, a one-year-old girl, and a one-year-old boy. Israeli strikes on Sunday included attacks on tent camps in al-Mawasi, killing at least ten people, according to Al Jazeera. Clashes were reported in southern Gaza on Sunday as Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed its fighters killed IDF soldiers in an ambush near Rafah. Later in the day, the IDF confirmed two of its soldiers were killed in a booby-trapped tunnel near Rafah.On Saturday, Al Jazeera reported that a baby girl named Janan Saleh al-Sakafi died of malnutrition and dehydration at the Rantisi Hospital near Gaza City, as the Israeli military has blocked all goods from entering Gaza for more than two months.According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, 57 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza, the majority being children. The UN’s World Food Program and the UN’s Palestinian relief agency have both said repeatedly that they have thousands of trucks ready to enter Gaza and bring much-needed relief, but the blockade remains.

One Child Killed Every 40 Minutes in Gaza: Over 16,000 Dead since Oct. 2023 - Palestine Chronicle --Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has killed 16,278 Palestinian children in its genocidal assault on Gaza, at a rate of one child killed every 40 minutes, the Ministry of Health reportedly said on Monday. In a statement, the ministry said that “among these martyrs are 908 infants who did not complete their first year, and 311 children who were born and martyred during the genocidal war.” The ministry warned of the escalating health and humanitarian catastrophe that the Gaza Strip is suffering as a result of more than 18 months of Israel’s genocide, which has left widespread destruction and tragic conditions, especially among children, women and the elderly. Director of Field Hospitals at the Ministry, Marwan Al-Hams, reportedly said that the Israeli blockade and the closure of crossings for more than two months have exacerbated the health situation. Primary healthcare centres have been closed due to bombings or because they are located within evacuation zones, depriving thousands of children and pregnant women of basic medical care, the MEMO report noted. Al-Hams also pointed out that polio vaccines are still prohibited from entering, threatening efforts to prevent the disease. The ministry recorded the death of 57 children due to malnutrition and health complications, amid a severe shortage of medicinal milk, especially for children with special needs. Al-Hams said that relying on one incomplete meal a day has caused many children to suffer from emaciation and malnutrition, “as they have been deprived of safe drinking water and healthy food due to the occupation’s targeting of infrastructure and the denial of aid entry.” The ministry also documented the killing of Palestinian children as they attempted to obtain food rations from charitable institutions that were directly bombed. It warned that thousands of children are now homeless and living in displacement camps that lack the minimum necessities of life, while pregnant women face extreme difficulty reaching hospitals, especially at night when the bombing intensifies.

Humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza hit by drones off Maltese coast, evidence points to Israel - Israel used drones to attack a humanitarian aid ship en route to Gaza in the early hours of Friday, while it was in international waters just off the coast of the Mediterranean island Malta. Amid a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, in which virtually all aid has run dry, the ship, Conscience, was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international NGO. It set sail from the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Tuesday and was more than 1,600 nautical miles from Gaza when it was hit by drone fire. The attack began just after midnight Thursday, at 00:23 local time. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement: “Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull. That there were no deaths or injuries was only down to chance. The FFC said that 30 people representing 21 nationalities were onboard the ship. The Turkish foreign ministry confirmed that Turkish nationals were among them. Speaking to CNN by phone from Malta, Yasemin Acar, the FCC’s press officer, said, “There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking.” This was confirmed by photographic evidence. He added, “Attacking international human rights activists in international waters is a war crime.” CNN reported, “Footage shared on social media and verified by FCC activists shows passengers on the boat walking through smoke that appeared to have filled the inside of the vessel. Photos onboard the ship also show large holes in the structure, much of which is charred and covered in soot. “Trevor Ball, a former US Army senior explosive ordnance disposal team member, told CNN that the photos are consistent with two smaller blast munitions being used.” Photo showing damage to the vessel, including two large holes in the deck, caused by the drone attack [Photo: freedomflotilla.org] The FFC said the drones appeared to have targeted the generator, leaving the ship without power. Conscience put out an SOS signal, answered by a ship from Cyprus which the humanitarian crew explained was unable to “provide the critical electrical support needed”. The fire was only brought under control by a Maltese tugboat more than an hour after the ship was first fired upon. Forty people were waiting in Malta to be picked up by Conscience on Friday for the onward journey to Gaza. Among them were climate change and human rights activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright. Speaking to Reuters Friday, Thunberg said, “I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza” She denounced the “systematic starvation of two million people.” Speaking to the AFP news agency the FFC said they “suspect” Israel was behind the attack, but “cannot confirm” it as fact. However, the FFC’s official statement was unequivocal, demanding, “Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.” There is little doubt that the attack was authorised by the war criminals in Tel Aviv, who are in the process of starving the roughly 2 million Palestinians who have survived the 15-month genocide.

Dozens of Community Kitchens in Gaza Shut Down Due To Israeli Blockade - Dozens of community kitchens in Gaza shut down on Thursday after running out of supplies due to the total Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory, which is starving millions of civilians.Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) in Gaza, told Reuters that the majority of the 170 community kitchens in Gaza have already shut down, and the few remaining will soon run out of supplies.Just a day earlier, the World Central Kitchen, a US-based charity,announced it was forced to halt operations in Gaza.“Everyone in Gaza today is hungry. The world must act now to save the people here,” Shawa said. “The remaining kitchens will be closing soon. The hunger catastrophe is beyond words. People are losing their lone source of food.”Shawa said that people had relied on the community kitchens for one and a half meals per day, but in recent weeks, it was cut down to one single meal. Palestinians who are able to cook for themselves are forced to use expired and contaminated flour. Babies have been suffering, and some have died of malnutrition, since their mothers are struggling to produce breast milk, and Israel is blocking the entry of baby formula.Israel first imposed its total blockade on March 2, and the collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population has been strongly backed by the US. Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), who was recently elected in the House in a special election for Mike Waltz’s seat, said in a post on X that Palestinians in Gaza should “starve away.”

Smotrich: Gaza Will Be 'Totally Destroyed,' Population Will Be 'Concentrated' - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that within a few months, the Gaza Strip will be “totally destroyed” and the entire Palestinian population will be “concentrated” into a tiny area in the southern part of the Palestinian territory before being forced to leave as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign.“Within a few months, we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed,” Smotrich said at a conference on illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to The Times of Israel.“In another six months, Hamas won’t exist as a functioning entity… The population of Gaza will be concentrated from the Morag Corridor southwards. The rest of the Strip will be empty,” Smotrich said.The Morag Corridor refers to a strip of land between the southern Gaza cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.“The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places,” Smotrich added.The Israeli minister said that the Palestinian population will “leave in great numbers to third countries.” Throughout Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Smotrich has been an outspoken proponent of the ethnic cleansing of the territory.Smotrich’s comments come after the Israeli government approved military plans to completely occupy Gaza. According to Axios, the plan will involve flattening every single building, forcing the civilian population into one small area, and pressuring Palestinians to leave, though it’s unclear where they could go.In his speech on Tuesday, Smotrich also vowed that the current Israeli government would annex the West Bank. “It will happen this term. It is one of our most important challenges. We are at a historic opportunity,” he said.Smotrich is a West Bank settler himself and holds another ministerial position in the Defense Ministry that gives him the power to expand settlements in the occupied territory.

Russia Says It Will Implement Three-Day Ceasefire Despite Ukraine's Rejection - Russian officials said Tuesday that Moscow intends to implement a three-day truce with Ukraine that starts at midnight on May 8 but vowed any Ukrainian attacks during that time will be met with a response.The ceasefire will coincide with Russia’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory against Nazi Germany in World War II.“There will be no hostilities. However, if there is no reciprocity from the Kiev regime and they continue to attack our positions or facilities, we will retaliate,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russia’sTASS news agency.Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of a three-day truce, saying it would not help negotiations for a lasting peace, and backed a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. “Let me remind you that on May 3, Zelensky publicly refused to support this initiative, trying to claim that the proposal was not serious,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.Zelensky has also advised world leaders to avoid Russia’s Victory Day parade, saying he couldn’t guarantee their safety, which Moscow has taken as a threat since Ukrainian intelligence has carried out multiple bombing attacks inside Russian territory.Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is planning to attend the parade,also took Zelensky’s comments as a threat. “I reject such threats for security reasons. I fully respect that the safety of participants is an internal matter of the Russian Federation. But if Mr. Zelensky believes that his statements will force foreign delegations not to come, then he is deeply mistaken,” he said.

Ukrainian drones keep targeting Moscow as foreign leaders arrive for Red Square parade - Attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones caused flight disruption at Moscow’s main airports for a third straight day on Wednesday, authorities said, as Russia prepared to receive the Chinese president and other foreign leaders for the annual Victory Day military parade in Red Square. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot canceled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow. More than 140 flights were delayed as Russian planes were repeatedly grounded, flight data showed, because of what officials described as the Ukrainian drone threat and amid heightened security measures around the Victory Day events. Russian air defenses repelled an attack by nine drones close to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Though Ukrainian drones have targeted Moscow in the past, the sustained attacks appeared designed to disrupt preparations for the 80th anniversary celebrations marking victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — Russia’s biggest secular holiday of the year. The repeated assaults could unnerve Russians, who have been told by President Vladimir Putin that the more than three-year war with Ukraine is going well, as well as potentially embarrass him in front of his illustrious guests. Security is expected to be tight at Friday’s centerpiece parade. Foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, were due to arrive on Wednesday. Russia plans a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the celebrations in Moscow. In March, the United States proposed a 30-day truce in the war, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for ceasefire terms more to its liking. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last weekend that his country cannot provide security assurances to foreign officials planning to visit the Moscow events. Russia could stage provocations and later attempt to blame Ukraine, he said.

Russia Thwarts Largest Drone Attack In History, Sparking Airport Chaos, Hours Before Victory Day Ceasefire - Hours before Putin's unilaterally declared three-day Victory Day ceasefire is expected to go into effect (starting May 8), Ukraine has launched a huge cross-border drone attack on Russia which has reportedly unleashed air traffic and flight chaos in an around Moscow, as well as other regions. Russian state media has said several Russian airlines were forced to cancel and reroute dozens of flights late Tuesday into Wednesday, amid off-and-on airport closures and flight stoppages. Russia's anti-air defense systems have been engaged in non-stop intercepts of inbound UAVs from Ukraine. This marks three consecutive days of drone attacks targeting the capital, at a sensitive moment the Kremlin is preparing to host dozens of world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, are also expected. Venezuela's Maduro is also in Moscow, where he's already met with President Putin. "Aviation authorities grounded flights at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports, as well as in the cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Yaroslavl, Kazan," RT confirms. The same outlet is now saying the last hours have seen the largest drone attack against Russian soil in history... Apparently hundreds of drones were sent. Moscow has been directly targeted once again, with Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announcing the military intercepted nearly 20 inbound drones on the capital over the last half-day. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has described of the flight chaos, "The restrictions were imposed to ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights." The Kremlin has said that Putin's ceasefire offer remains in force, but that the Russian military will undertake the appropriate response if Ukraine doesn't abide by it. Russian officials have condemned Zelensky for appearing to directly threaten Victory Day parades, such as the main televised events in the Red Square. A fresh statement from Putin's spokesman has described the following: The Russian military is doing everything necessary to ensure that the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory is held in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "The Kiev regime continues to demonstrate its true nature, its propensity for terrorist actions. Special services and our military are taking all necessary measures to ensure that the celebration of the Great Victory takes place in a calm, stable, and peaceful atmosphere," he said. But it looks like major disruptions are already happening, including drones fired at hit military facilities and airbases, also resulting in forced school closures and internet outages in various provinces.

India Fires Missiles Into Pakistan and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir - India has fired missiles into Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, marking a major escalation between the two nuclear-armed powers.The attack came amid tensions over the April 22 terrorist attack near the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people. All but one of the victims were Indian tourists.India blamed the massacre on a group called The Resistance Front (TRF) and accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, which Islamabad has strongly denied.Early Wednesday morning, New Delhi time, India announced that its forces had struck nine locations in Pakistan and the Pakistan side of the disputed Kashmir region. Islamabad confirmed attacks on five locations: two in Pakistan’s Punjab province and three in Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.Pakistan officials have said at least eight people were killed by the Indian strikes. According to AP, one official said a missile struck a Mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab and killed a child. India claimed that it only struck “known terror camps” and that the attack had been “measured, responsible, and designed to be nonescalatory in nature.” But the missile strikes are the most significant Indian attacks on Pakistani territory in decades. In 2019, India launched airstrikes on an alleged training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, but that attack only targeted one location. Islamabad is vowing it will respond and has claimed that its forces shot down five Indian fighter jets. “We were fully prepared, which is why India received an immediate and firm response,” said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.Pakistani officials also said India has not provided any evidence for its allegations that Islamabad was involved in the Pahalgam terrorist attack.In response to the news of the Indian attack, President Trump said the violence was a “shame” and that he hoped it would end quickly. “I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past. They’ve been fighting for a long time,” he said. “I hope it ends very quickly.” Indian officials have said they “briefed” Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the attack. Pakistani sources also reported that Rubio spoke with Pakistan’s national security advisor. Any conflict between India and Pakistan always risks nuclear escalation since both sides have a nuclear arsenal. According to the Arms Control Association, Pakistan is believed to have about 170 nuclear warheads, and India has an estimated arsenal of 164 warheads.

Live updates: India fires missiles into Pakistan territory, kills at least 26 people -India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least 26 people including a child, in what Pakistan’s leader called an act of war. India said it struck infrastructure used by militants linked to last month’s massacre of tourists in theIndian-controlled portion of Kashmir. Pakistan claimed it shot down several Indian fighter jets in retaliation as two planes fell onto villages in India-controlled Kashmir. At least seven civilians were also killed in the region by Pakistani shelling, Indian police and medics said. Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors since the attack, which India has blamed Pakistan for backing. Islamabad has denied the accusation. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a news briefing in New Delhi said his country felt it had to take preemptive action with its strikes after accusing Pakistan of failing to take “demonstrable steps” against “terrorist infrastructure on its territory or on territory under its control” following the April 22 attack. He said the strikes came because there was information about news attacks. A third aircraft crashed in a farm field in India’s northern Punjab state, a police office told AP on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. The officer did not provide further details. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, the military’s spokesperson, said Indian missiles strikes and artillery killed at least 31 people. He said 26 were killed in the missiles strikes another five civilians were also killed along the Line of Control from artillery fire. He said Pakistan returned fire and destroyed some Indian posts. Indian police and medics said at least seven civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in the Pakistani shelling.

Pakistan blames India after seven soldiers killed in Balochistan blast -Seven Pakistani army soldiers have been killed when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan’s military says, blaming India for the attack amid rising tensions. Pakistan’s military said members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) armed group targeted the vehicle carrying the soldiers in the province bordering Iran and Afghanistan on Tuesday. It described the group as an “Indian proxy”, but it did not provide any evidence to support its claim. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi or the BLA. An unnamed senior local government official told the AFP news agency the vehicle that was hit was part of a convoy on its way to a security operation. He said five people were wounded and taken by helicopter to a military hospital in the provincial capital, Quetta. More than 200 people, mostly members of the security forces, have been killed in 2025 by armed groups in Balochistan and neighbouring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to an AFP tally.

China's exports top forecasts helped by global rush to beat tariffs (Reuters) - China's exports beat forecasts in April, buoyed by demand for materials from overseas manufacturers who rushed out goods to make the most of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90-day tariff pause. The world's two largest economies have been locked in a bruising tit-for-tat tariff war and businesses on both sides of the Pacific will be looking for some kind of resolution at closely watched trade talks in Switzerland this weekend. The line chart shows China's export and import yearly growth over time. Customs data on Friday showed outbound shipments from China rose 8.1% year-on-year in April, beating a forecast 1.9% increase in a Reuters poll of economists but slowing from the 12.4% jump in March. Trump announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" of 10% on April 2, before offering a pause for most countries while the White House worked on multiple trade deals. China, however, was excluded from the reprieve and singled out for levies of 145%, kicking off a protracted cat-and-mouse game that has rattled global markets and upended supply chains. Chinese manufacturers had also been front-loading outbound shipments in anticipation of the duties, but are now banking on ice-breaker tariff talks between American and Chinese officials in Geneva on Saturday. Imports fell 0.2%, compared with expectations for a 5.9% drop, suggesting domestic demand may be holding up better than expected as policymakers continue to take steps to prop up the $19 trillion economy. "The ASEAN countries are speeding up their production to meet the July deadline, the 90-day negotiation break. Their production is highly reliant on China's exports in raw materials and industrial inputs, so China's exports got support," said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group. "Over the next two months, China's exports could continue to be strong due to industrial capacity relocation, but the trade data could deteriorate quite quickly if the 145% tariffs on China are still in place and ASEAN countries' talks (with the Trump administration) don't make progress," she added. Exports to Southeast Asian countries rose 20.8% in April. China's exports to the U.S., meanwhile, fell 21%. That meant the trade surplus with the U.S. dropped to $20.5 billion from $27.6 billion in March, a win for Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to narrow the gap.

Australian election highlights mass opposition to Trump globally - The result was not so much a popular endorsement of Labor, as a repudiation of the Liberals and their association with Trump’s program of trade war, militarism and an onslaught on social spending.