week ending Aug 8

Fed's Cook ready to hike rates 'if necessary' | American Banker - Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook is ready for the central bank to increase interest rates, but only "if it becomes necessary to bring inflation down."

• Key insight: Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook reiterated an earlier position that she is ready to raise interest rates, but added more insight into why she did not vote in favor of a hike at last week's FOMC meeting.
• Expert quote: "The longer inflation is above target, the more likely this scenario becomes. Thus, while we might be able to afford to wait for longer in a different environment, we do not have that luxury in this one." — Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook.
• Forward look: Cook said she sees signs of disinflation in the three main drivers of price growth this year — tariffs, oil prices and AI spending — but is watching to see if those trends continue.

Trump again moves to fire Cook, reviving independence spat  — President Donald Trump has revived his threat to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, according to a letter seen by Bloomberg, a move that could renew a legal fight over the central bank's independence. President Donald Trump's administration has reportedly sent a letter to Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook detailing his reasons for finding cause to remove her from office after the Supreme Court ruled in her favor earlier this summer.

Inflation expectations fall in key Fed survey - — Consumer inflation expectations for the year ahead have moderated but remain above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Near-term expectations for price growth fell in the latest consumer sentiment survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, but remains above the central bank's target across all time horizons.

• Key insight: One of the Federal Reserve's preferred methods for gauging inflation expectations painted an improving — if not quite optimistic — outlook on inflation expectations. 
• Expert quote: "The ability to look through supply shocks depends, in part, on inflation expectations and underlying inflation. Expectations remain well-anchored." — Anna Paulson, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Forward look: Inflation expectations could influence the FOMC's next interest rate decision, but they will have to be factored in alongside additional information about observed inflation and the job market.

US and Japan take action to prop up yen in rare joint move - Japan and the US have confirmed that they jointly intervened last week to halt a slide in the yen after it fell to a fresh 40-year low. The joint intervention is the first since 2011, when both countries took coordinated action to weaken the yen after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit eastern Japan. Both Japan's Ministry of Finance and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said that they will not hesitate to conduct more joint interventions in the future. It highlights both countries' efforts to prevent a sell-off in the yen and Japanese government bonds from having an impact on the global economy, including potentially helping to push up borrowing costs for Washington. Bank of Japan data indicated that Tokyo may have sold almost $59bn of US dollars to buy yen when it intervened in New York markets on Thursday, before Friday's confirmed joint intervention with Washington. The US has not confirmed the size of its intervention, but a Reuters photograph of a notepad in front of Bessent during a cabinet meeting on Friday read: "To Do: Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil". Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan economics at Oxford Economics, told the BBC: "The United States agreed to participate in the coordinated intervention because it serves its national interests by offering the prospect of significant benefits at a low cost." The two countries are expected to continue to intervene "intermittently in a coordinated manner for some time", he added. "Even if the actual amount of intervention is not particularly large, the prolonged sense of vigilance regarding intervention will be effective in deterring speculators." Reuters A notepad in front of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent reads "To Do Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil" as he participates in a cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, U.S., July 31, 2026.Reuters A notepad photographed in front of US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Friday The yen is historically weak mainly due to Japan having much lower central bank interest rates than other major economies like the US. That makes the Japanese currency less attractive to international investors. The Bank of Japan last raised interest rates in June, as it increased its main rate to 1% - the highest level since September 1995. In comparison, the US Federal Reserve's benchmark rate is in a range of 3.50% to 3.75%. Japan also faces other issues including a decades-long slide in its working-age population, low productivity and a heavy reliance on energy imports that are priced in US dollars. On Monday, Japan's finance ministry said Friday's intervention with the US Treasury Department "countered excessive volatility and disorderly movements in the Japanese yen in recent months". The "coordinated foreign exchange actions countered disorderly yen movements," Bessent said in a social media post. "We strongly support Japan's decisive market and monetary steps to correct the substantial undervaluation of the yen," he added. "They have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help. And we're always there for Japan," US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday. The dollar fell by 0.2% to 157.07 yen after Trump's comments, well off the 40-year high of 164 last month, but rose back to 157.70 yen after the Japanese finance ministry's statement.

Japan, US confirm joint yen-buying intervention, signal more action (Reuters) - Japan and the United States conducted coordinated yen-buying intervention and will not hesitate to take further action, Japan's finance ministry said on Monday, confirming a rare bilateral action to halt the yen's slide to fresh 40-year lows. The intervention on Friday underscored both countries' resolve to prevent a selloff in the ‌yen and Japanese government bonds (JGBs) from causing global spillovers, such as adding upward pressure on already rising U.S. Treasury yields, analysts said. The joint intervention was the first since 2011's coordinated action ‌to weaken the yen following the devastating earthquake in eastern Japan. Central bank data indicated on Monday that Japan may have spent as much as $36.58 billion buying yen during Friday's joint intervention. President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States was helping Japan prop ​up the yen as a sign of friendship and to help the world economy. Aside from helping Japan as a strategic ally in Asia, the intervention would help the United States address concerns over extraordinary weakness in the yen that offsets the boost from Trump's tariffs, analysts say. In the statement, Japan's finance ministry said Friday's yen-buying intervention with the U.S. Treasury Department "countered excessive volatility and disorderly movements in the Japanese yen in recent months". "We will not hesitate conducting further coordinated intervention," Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama told reporters on Monday. The yen surged more than 1% to 155.20 per dollar after the announcement, its strongest since early May and well off the 40-year low near 164 ‌hit last month, as traders remained on alert for more intervention. It ⁠was trading around 157 per dollar late on Monday. Katayama declined to comment when reporters asked whether the authorities stepped in on Monday. "The joint intervention is the culmination of Japan's alliance with the United States," Japan's top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura told reporters on Monday. "We will continue to align (currency policy) with the Bank of ⁠Japan's monetary policy," he said, suggesting the government will work hand in hand with the central bank in arresting yen falls. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also confirmed Friday's effort, adding Washington "will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention." "We strongly support Japan's decisive market and monetary steps to correct the substantial undervaluation of the yen," Bessent said in a separate statement on X, repeating his calls for further interest-rate hikes by the BOJ. The remarks put the spotlight on the ​BOJ, ​which last week kept rates on hold but signalled scope for a rate hike as soon as its next policy ​meeting in September. "The comments by Mimura and Bessent must be music to the ‌ears of hawks within the BOJ," said Naomi Muguruma, chief bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. "I feel like a September rate hike is a done deal. It won't make sense for the BOJ to wait until October and cause another bout of yen declines." The two-year JGB yield, which is most sensitive to near-term monetary policy moves, briefly hit 1.545% on Monday, the highest since 1995, as markets priced in the chance of an early rate hike. Japan has been struggling to curb a relentless drop in the yen that pushes up import prices and stokes broader inflation, hitting households' wallets and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's public approval ratings. Tokyo's solo intervention conducted between late April and early May caused only a brief yen rebound. The BOJ's June rate hike to a 31-year high of 1% also gave the struggling currency little lasting ‌boost. Friday's joint intervention followed Tokyo's solo intervention worth up to $58.97 billion in New York markets a day earlier. In a ​sign of further Japan-U.S. coordination, Bessent said the United States would consider increasing in coming months the size of the Federal ​Reserve's repurchase facility providing temporary dollar liquidity, calling the tool an "important backstop". The comment followed the Japanese ​finance ministry's rare X post on Saturday that it had "a broad range of tools to address market liquidity needs," including access to the Fed's repurchase facility providing temporary ‌dollar liquidity. The Fed facility, introduced in 2020 to steady markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, ​allows Japan to raise dollar liquidity without outright sales ​of U.S. Treasuries, potentially easing funding pressures on Tokyo for intervention. Still, the facility is "unlikely to change perceptions about the limits of Japan's intervention capacity, as borrowing is capped by the amount of Treasury holdings pledged as collateral," said Rinto Maruyama, FX and rates strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities. Some analysts doubt whether the latest round of action could counter structural factors driving down the yen, ​such as the rising cost of fuel from the Middle East conflict and ‌the still wide Japan-U.S. interest rate differentials. "The announcement effect of joint intervention is much bigger than solo action by Japan," said Tsuyoshi Ueno, a senior economist at NLI Research Institute.

Why the U.S. stepped in after decades to prop up Japan’s yen — and what’s at stakeWashington’s decision to join Japan in supporting the battered yen has prompted questions over what motivated the rare coordinated intervention, with analysts pointing to concerns over U.S. Treasury markets and Japan’s financial system. Tokyo has grown increasingly wary of the yen’s decline, which recently dropped to its weakest level against the dollar in nearly four decades. The yen had been hovering at multi-decade lows, sliding to 163.73 per dollar last Thursday before rebounding to 157.57 Friday. The coordinated intervention was the the first U.S.-Japan joint operation to buy yen since 1998, and the first coordinated intervention involving the two countries since the G7 acted to weaken the yen after the 2011 earthquake. Industry veterans told CNBC that one of Washington’s biggest concerns was avoiding a scenario where Japan would need to dump large quantities of Treasuries to finance unilateral intervention, given how the North Asian nation is the largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt. Louise Loo, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, said that that was “possibly one of the key reasons” behind U.S. participation. “There is a self-preservation element here. Volatile markets driven by potentially fiscally-aggressive policies from Japan could extend to the U.S. Treasury markets, destabilizing the dollar.” Tokyo’s and Washington’s emphasis on the Federal Reserve’s standing FIMA repo facility — which allows foreign central banks to obtain dollar liquidity without selling Treasuries outright — “was a clue that they’d like to avoid forced-selling as much as possible,” she said. Japan’s finance ministry said Monday it plans to use the FIMA repo facility for future interventions. Masahiko Loo, senior macro strategist at State Street, said the signal “may be bigger than the intervention itself.” Washington’s concerns likely extend beyond the yen, he added. A persistently weak yen could trigger further selling in Japanese government bonds, with higher yields spilling over into global bond markets at a time when both Japan and the U.S. are grappling with rising long-term borrowing costs. “Highlighting access to the Fed’s FIMA repo tells markets Japan can raise dollar liquidity without selling Treasuries ... addressing concerns that MOF intervention could pressure U.S. funding markets through short-end UST sales,” he said. “It’s an attempt to maximize the signaling effect and get the biggest bang for the buck with the tools already available.” President Donald Trump said that the U.S. had participated in last week’s coordinated intervention to support the yen as a gesture of support for Japan and in the interest of global economic stability. Beyond protecting U.S. bond markets, the intervention also reflected Washington’s broader economic and geopolitical priorities. Oxford Economics’ Loo noted the U.S. has repeatedly argued the yen is “substantially undervalued,” providing it an incentive in correcting what it sees as an unfair trade advantage as it makes Japanese exports more competitive. She added that if Washington believes Japan’s fiscal policies are feeding into higher JGB yields and a weaker currency, coordinated intervention could buy time for the BOJ until it is in a position to resume raising interest rates later this year. A stronger yen ultimately requires tighter Japanese monetary policy rather than repeated intervention, the economist noted. Unprecedented weakness in the Japanese Yen, says Brookings’ Robin Brooks Jesper Koll, expert director at Monex said the operation reflected a broader shift in the U.S.-Japan relationship under U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “U.S.-Japan cooperation and partnership has entered a new phase,” he said, adding that coordinated intervention showed “when Japan asks for help America will answer Japan’s call.” He also argued the move sends a geopolitical message to Beijing as “China’s leadership cares about actions, not words.” Vishnu Varathan, head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan at Mizuho Securities, said coordinated intervention is inherently more powerful because of U.S. participation. “The disproportionately heightened efficacy of FX intervention” comes from the involvement of the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve, giving markets greater reason to believe authorities are prepared to act again if necessary, he said. Together with both governments warning they “will not hesitate” to intervene again, it “ups the ante on deterrence” against speculative bets pressuring the yen. He also argued that U.S. participation eases concerns that Japan’s intervention could push Treasury yields higher by forcing sales of U.S. government debt, while helping stabilize Japanese bond markets. Still, analysts warned that the coordinated action may prove no more durable than previous interventions unless Japan addresses the structural forces driving yen weakness.Reports that the U.S. sold euros rather than dollars to buy yen surprised markets because coordinated intervention has traditionally been funded with dollar assets.Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, questioned the mechanics of the U.S. operation, highlighting that it is “confusing markets and will prove counterproductive.”“On the surface, that may give the impression that this intervention will be more impactful than past efforts, but U.S. participation raises more questions than answers, especially the very odd news that the US sold Euros to buy Yen.”“This kind of twist in my opinion undercuts the efficacy of U.S. participation, because it invariably will have markets wondering why the U.S. didn’t just fund Yen buying out of Dollars.”Brooks argued intervention ultimately cannot reverse depreciation driven by Japan’s bond market.“As long as Japan’s government bond yields are artificially capped,” he said, “the yen is overvalued and needs to fall.” The BOJ ended formal yield curve control in March 2024, but it has continued to buy large amounts of Japanese government bonds. Brooks argued those purchases continue to keep borrowing costs below where they would otherwise settle in a free market.

US economy unexpectedly sheds jobs in blow for Trump - President Donald Trump has been dealt a fresh economic blow after the Labor Department reported an unexpected decline in employment last month. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published its monthly Employment Situation Summary, revealing that the economy lost 23,000 jobs in July. This compares with forecasts that predicted job gains of 80,000 and marks a decline from a 20,000 increase in June. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate inched down to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent, owing to ongoing shifts in the overall structure of the labor force.This marks the second month of underwhelming employment readings. June’s had originally come in below expectations, with a reported increase of only 57,000 jobs that was revised lower on Friday. Prior to this, economists had seen some growing strength in the labor market as job gains significantly exceeded the forecasts of analysts for three consecutive months.Jobs had taken a backseat to inflation in the Federal Reserve‘s calculus, with Fed Chair Kevin Warsh having highlighted employment as exhibiting “solid growth.”“Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little,” Warsh said following last week’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, at which it opted to leave rates unchanged.“Inflation remains elevated relative to the Committee’s two percent goal,” he added. “The Committee remains resolute. You’ve heard this before, but we will deliver price stability.”Nevertheless, employment figures still form one half of the central bank’s dual mandate, and the past two months’ weaknesses mean it can not devote all efforts toward addressing price increases. And while unemployment remains low by historical standards, a slowdown in hiring and downward revisions to past months’ data will likely fuel criticism from Democrats and concerns from voters about Trump’s stewardship of the U.S. economy.“This morning’s report is a game changer in the sense that all of the recent focus has been on inflation and this report highlights the risks that are embedded in the labor market as well,” Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, told Newsweek. “Before today, many were expecting that the Fed had no choice but to raise rates in order to fight stubbornly high inflation, because the job market was so strong, but this report shows that isn’t the case.”According to forecasts from analysts ahead of the release, unemployment was expected to remain flat at 4.2 percent—compared to 4 percent when Trump returned to office last January. The economy was also expected to add 80,000 new jobs, which would have marked an improvement from June, but still fallen shy of longer-term historical norms.“Even softened with seasonal caveats, the headline number is a huge bust,” James Bentley, director at the financial education platform Financial Markets Online, said. “The median expectation was for the US economy to add 80,000 jobs last month. For it to have crunched into reverse was a shock, and a sign that America’s jobs market is far weaker than thought.” However, Bentley said that a further decrease in the unemployment rate to 4.1 percent meant the country’s jobless rate was “now safely in benign territory.”The BLS noted losses in retail trade and financial activities in July, with the former losing 19,000 jobs and the latter seeing employment fall by 14,000. However, health care—long a reliable engine of job creation—”continued its upward trend” with the addition of 22,000 jobs.Meanwhile, employment in manufacturing—a perennially challenged industry that the administration has treaty as a priority—increased by 5,000 in July following an 11,000-job gain in June. “Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; professional and business services; social assistance; leisure and hospitality; and other services,” the BLS said.Participation again declined in July—to 61.4 percent from 61.5 percent—part of a long-running trend that has pushed the share of Americans either employed or looking for work to its lowest level since early 2021.Friday’s report also contained major revisions to previous months’ data, further dashing hopes that the labor market was mounting a strong rebound after a weak 2025.As well as June’s revision to 20,000 jobs from 57,000, the change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May fell to 63,000 from the originally reported 129,000.“With these revisions, employment in May and June combined is 103,000 lower than previously reported,” the BLS said.

Senate releases stopgap with disaster, environment funds - Senate appropriators unveiled a bipartisan bill Sunday that would extend government funding beyond the Sept. 30 deadline, buying lawmakers more time to negotiate a long-term spending deal.The stopgap includes extenders and authorizations for a number of environmental and infrastructure programs but leaves out special funding the White House had requested for national parks operations, wildfire management and disaster recovery in North Carolina.The bipartisan deal underscores Senate appropriators’ desire to avoid a government shutdown this fall, even as they struggle to come to terms on the annual funding measures.The continuing resolution would punt the funding deadline to Dec. 11 — one week longer than the bill that House Republicans passed last month. Senate leaders want to pass their version before the upper chamber begins its recess at the end of the week.

Senate easily advances stopgap funding deal past first hurdle - The Senate’s stopgap funding bill to avert a shutdown Oct. 1 has cleared the first procedural hurdle, putting it on track for passage before lawmakers leave for the August recess. Senators voted 89-4 to advance the measure, which would fund federal agencies through Dec. 11 at current levels, with some exceptions. In order for a passage vote to happen ahead of the summer break, Senate leaders will need to strike a bipartisan time agreement to fast-track the measure to a final vote. “It is a strong bipartisan piece of legislation, and I hope it will receive overwhelming support from both parties in the Senate,” Majority Leader John Thune said in a Monday floor speech. Senate passage would up a potential battle with the House, because the stopgap measure the House passed two weeks ago has key differences from the Senate version. Identical versions must be passed to actually avert a shutdown at the end of the fiscal year. The Senate measure includes language to bar the Trump administration from putting into action a plan to make political appointees in charge of approving grants, a prohibition that would last for the length of the stopgap. It also has language sought by Democrats to ensure Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement don’t get any new funding under the patch. “The bill allows us to continue negotiating a budget that won’t leave working families behind,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment about if President Donald Trump supports the Senate measure. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), an appropriator and administration ally, said Monday he had spoken to Trump earlier in the day and believed the president is “comfortable” with the Senate bill.

Senate advances stopgap funding bill aimed at preventing government shutdown - The Senate on Monday overwhelmingly advanced a stopgap funding bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown ahead of this fall’s midterms. The chamber voted 89-4 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to the legislative vehicle for the continuing resolution, overcoming the first big hurdle for the legislation. The level of bipartisan support was striking, given the bitter funding fights and record-breaking government shutdowns of the last several years, and seemingly reflects a desire among lawmakers to avoid yet another funding lapse ahead of crucial elections. It also reflects legislation that had the backing from Republican and Democratic leadership in the Senate Appropriations Committee and the chamber overall. The bill would keep the government funded largely at current levels through Dec. 11. It would also temporarily block the Trump administration’s proposal to give political appointees the final say over scientific grants — a big win for Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), who had pushed hard to block the rule, and for Democrats looking for ways to rein in the White House. Senate leaders are hoping to pass the funding bill before leaving for a monthlong recess at the end of the week, which would require a bipartisan agreement to fast-track some steps in the process. The House would then have to take up the bill when it returns in September. The lower chamber last month passed its own continuing resolution but with a slightly shorter timeframe and none of the provisions the Senate added. Passage of the continuing resolution would give congressional leaders additional time to work out funding for fiscal 2027, which has been an uphill climb. Senate appropriators remain deadlocked over top-line spending figures and have yet to pass any of the 12 annual funding bills on the floor. The House, meanwhile, has passed three of its 12 bills, but they are expected to face some opposition from Senate Democrats.

Trump Says He's Holding Off on Attack That Would Have Inflicted 'Military Terror' on Iran - --President Trump said on Saturday night that he decided to hold off on launching major strikes on Iran that he said would have inflicted “military terror” on the country, which came after media reports said he was ready to significantly escalate the war.“The USA is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II. Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to,” the president wrote on Truth Social.“This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” he added.So far, there have been no comments from high-level Iranian officials, but anonymous sources speaking to Iranian media denied Trump’s claim that Tehran had requested that the US hold off or that a deal had been reached to open the Strait of Hormuz.“The Islamic Republic of Iran has reached no agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and the reports published in this regard are false,” an Iranian military source told Iran’s Fars news agency. “As long as the hostile actions and acts of malice by the United States continue, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.”While Trump held off on escalating the war, US Central Command continues to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian military source said that transit through the Strait of Hormuz “will only be possible through the designated route, in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy and after obtaining permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz.”Multiple times throughout the war, President Trump has threatened major escalations that would involve massive strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, but then backed down and claimed some sort of deal had been reached, only for Iranian officials to deny his claims.

Trump says Iran deal 'imminent'; planned strike would've been largest since World War II - President Donald Trump said he called off what he described as the largest planned U.S. military operation since World War II after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran urged diplomacy. Negotiations are now set to begin Monday afternoon.

• The U.S. and Israel will pause further strikes on Iran as a deal gets hammered out on Sunday.
• Trump says Iran has agreed to an "immediate, complete, and total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz as discussions continue.
• U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) it had redirected 35 commercial vessels and disabled two others during its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
• Negotiations between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
• Chevron CEO Mike Wirth warned of "very real" dangers for the global oil industry as tensions escalate in Iran and Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities fuel concerns over a potential new shipping crisis.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the United States to uphold the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries, calling it the foundation of Tehran's future foreign policy
• President Donald Trump said that a planned attack on Iran was called off after officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran urged the U.S. to give diplomacy another chance.
• The director general of the Board of Peace said that attacks in Gaza over the weekend have "killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies that people depend on."
• President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear program is near while claiming competing factions inside the Iranian regime remain divided.
• Oil prices fell more than $5 a barrel after President Donald Trump delayed a planned strike on Iran to allow time for talks aimed at ending Tehran's nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial tankers.
• War Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces remain on alert and are prepared to act, underscoring how President Donald Trump's decision to delay a strike on Iran has not affected military readiness.

Iran war live: Tehran says no current talks with US; Oman meetings ongoing -

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says with regards to talks with the US there are no plans to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one. Baghaei added that a new Hormuz route being discussed with Oman will be one path with entry and exit lanes.
• Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said an agreement with Iran was imminent, with negotiations set to begin on Monday.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urges the US to “remain committed” to the MoU signed between the two countries in June and says the interim deal “will be the centre of gravity” of Tehran’s “foreign relations in the future”.
• As Israeli forces continue to bombard Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, Hamas has told Al Jazeera that the movement has told mediators involved in the Board of Peace deal that it wants them to compel Israel to implement a complete ceasefire.

There were a series of phone calls over the weekend, particularly from the Saudi side, including the crown prince.They were suggesting that there needed to be a rethink of US strategy here, and that is why President Trump decided to call off the attack.He said in a Truth Social post that they managed to gain “the parameters of a deal”.Nobody is entirely sure what that means. Of course, Donald Trump over the last five months has said several times that a deal is very close, that it is on the table.It has led to criticism from many on Capitol Hill, who say the United States is simply locked into a cycle of doing the same thing again and again – threatening, stepping away – and that is not the way to bring this to a solution.

Iran says it is in talks with Oman but not the US after Trump says negotiations to resume - Iran says it is negotiating with Oman to reach "an understanding" over a temporary route through the Strait of Hormuz to allow commercial shipping to resume. The statement came after US President Donald Trump said new talks on ending the war in Iran would begin on Monday - and that he had called off "massive" strikes on the country for this purpose. Trump did not specify who would take part in the talks. Iran, however, said it was not negotiating with the US - and had no plans to do so. Tehran's denial appears to have irked the US president, who later wrote on his Truth Social media platform that Iran's leadership was "unbelievably duplicitous". Speaking to reporters at the White House later, he insisted talks were in fact taking place. "They're going on right now... this is the last chance for them to sign a good document," he said. At the weekend, Trump had said the "perimeters" of a deal had been agreed - and would include reopening Hormuz, the vital waterway whose closure by Iran has sent oil prices soaring. Tehran has repeatedly closed off the strait since the US and Israel started attacks on the country in February. Speaking on board Air Force One on Sunday, he said Iran "knew the extent" of the planned US strikes "because they saw it forming". Trump declined to outline a deadline for a deal to be struck with Tehran, adding: "We'll just see how it is. We're ready to go anytime we want... I'm not looking to kill people." Trump added that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman - as well as US partners such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar - had urged him against conducting strikes over the weekend. "We were all set to go," Trump said. "The reason they asked is [that] they think there's a deal," he said. "There's a deal on Hormuz, and there will be a deal on the nuclear." Global oil prices fell on Monday morning in Asia trading after Trump's announcement. Brent Crude oil was down by 4.5% at $83.98 (£62.26), while US-traded oil was 4.6% lower at $80.74 (£59.85). Energy prices have fluctuated since the conflict started on 28 February as traders reacted to disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually flows through the strait. Vessel-tracking data from trade intelligence company Kpler suggests commercial shipping through the strait has slowed - with 51 vessel crossings between 30 July and 2 August. This is a drop of around 28% compared to the previous 4 days, in which 71 crossings were recorded through the strait. Talks to end the conflict - mostly facilitated by mediators - collapsed last month, ending a ceasefire agreed in April. Trump has repeatedly vowed that a negotiated end to the war is near, only for tit-for-tat strikes to resume.

Oil Slumps on Expectations that Trump Surrenders: And That’s a Good Thing (Relatively Speaking) | Econbrowser - That’s the only way to think about it: We go from free navigation on the Strait of Hormuz on February 27 to de facto Iranian control on inbound shipping. From NYT:  An arrangement with Iran to reopen the strait could come with a geopolitical cost for the United States. Iranian officials say they are designing the accord to ratify their capacity to control the strait and retain strategic leverage that they did not employ before the war.Officials familiar with the emerging proposal have said that, under the new framework, vessels heading into the Persian Gulf would have to transit a channel controlled by Iran, while outbound ships would travel on a channel near Oman.  Such a deal allows traffic to resume (who knows at what dollar price) This outcome would prevent the on-off-on nature of the oil market prices:The only question — given Mr. Trump’s inability to hold steady to any approach — is whether any deal made would be sustained. One could imagine criticism of deal of this nature provoking recriminations about permitting the Iranians “a win”, and spurring another flip-flop.

Trump Lashes Out at Iranian Leadership After Tehran Says Talks With the US Aren't Taking Place - President Trump on Monday attacked Iranian leadership in a post on Truth Social after Tehran denied his claim that talks with the US were taking place. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that the only negotiations underway were between Iran and Oman, but that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz wouldn’t change unless the US lifts the blockade of Iranian ports. In his post, Trump vowed the blockade would continue. “Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman,'” Trump wrote.“They then go on to give their usual blather in saying, the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our “Blockade” or, as some say, “The United States Wall of Steel!” Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished,” he added.Trump concluded the post by claiming that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades. It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” Over the weekend, Trump said he decided to hold off on an attack that would have inflicted “military terror” on Iran over claims that Tehran requested the US back down and wanted talks, claims that were quickly rejected by Iranian officials. The climbdown from the US president follows a pattern of him threatening major escalations against Iran, such as massive strikes on its civilian infrastructure, then backing down while claiming a deal is close, only for Iranian officials to deny it.

An Angry Trump Struggles to Understand Iran’s Defiant Leaders - President Trump’s angry claim on Monday that Iran was being “unbelievably duplicitous” in its dealings with the United States was just the latest sign of his struggle to understand his rivals in Tehran. Mr. Trump considers himself a master of sizing up and exploiting his adversaries. But Iran’s leaders have baffled him. “All they do is make me angry,” he told reporters last week. “They just make me angry.” More frustration could be in store for the American president. Trump officials say a new deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz may be near, but Iran continues to insist on collecting fees there that Mr. Trump has ruled unacceptable. Mr. Trump’s inability to strike a favorable deal with Iran has not only cost him politically among war-weary voters, but continued strife around the crucial waterway has made for volatile oil prices at the expense of American consumers and the global economy. Mr. Trump is hardly the first U.S. president who has struggled to read Iran. Each of his predecessors since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution has tried to decode Iran’s murky power structure and the mind-set of its political leadership. Most have come up short; some have been burned badly. A rare exception is President Barack Obama, whose 2015 nuclear deal with Iran was a 20-month diplomatic effort. Mr. Obama considered it a major achievement, despite criticism from Republicans and some Democrats that Iran had lured him into a flawed deal by feigning moderation. But Mr. Trump may be the president who “has least understood Iran’s leadership,” said Kenneth Pollack, a former C.I.A. analyst and National Security Council official who has studied Iran for decades. “In many ways, Trump represents the epitome of America’s frustrations with Iran,” Mr. Pollack said. “He has been both the most desirous of making a deal with Iran, and the one who used the most force against it. He has found that neither got him what he wanted.” Mr. Trump often speaks as though massive force will produce a quick deal. After the war opened with a Feb. 28 airstrike that killed Iran’s supreme leader of nearly 40 years, Ali Khamenei, Mr. Trump called on Iran’s people to rise up and “take over” their government. He added that he would then “choose” Iran’s next leader. More senior Iranian officials would also be killed in airstrikes. But no popular uprising emerged. Iran’s hard-line government instead doubled down. In March, it named a new supreme leader, Mr. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei. U.S. officials consider him even more rigid — and more interested in acquiring a nuclear bomb — than his father.Iran had simply ignored Mr. Trump’s public declaration that the younger Mr. Khamenei would be an “unacceptable” choice. And Mr. Khamenei did not respond to a public offer from Mr. Trump for an in-person meeting.. Even so, Mr. Trump retained hope for major change. “Iran can get themselves on a very good footing if they make a deal,” he said in late April. Iran, he said, could become “a legitimate country, not a country based on death and horror.” Iranian officials say they can negotiate with Mr. Trump on matters such as the Strait of Hormuz and their nuclear program, even as they rule out many of his core demands. But in a political system premised on hatred of the United States, none show interest in a larger reconciliation with the United States. There are few signs that Mr. Trump’s months of dealing with Iran’s regime have given him a clearer understanding of it. Over the course of the conflict, Mr. Trump has constantly revised his assessment of Mr. Khamenei and his deputies. He has branded them “lunatics,” “reasonable,” “crazy bastards,” “very smart” and “stone cold crazy.”

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells 'blood in the water' and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say - In what has become a familiar pattern in the Iran war, President Donald Trump again threatened a massive attack then pulled back from the brink.  But while he attributed his latest reversal to U.S. allies pleading with him to give diplomacy another chance, experts also see signs Iran is gaining the upper hand.That’s as Tehran has used its proxies to expand the war across the region, most notably Houthis rebels threatening ships in the Red Sea that are trying to use the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.At the same time, Iran has warned its Persian Gulf neighbors they will be targets in the event of a renewed bombardment after demonstrating that its long-range weapons can evade U.S. air defenses.“Iran and its clients see blood in the water and see a benefit for all of them in escalating and entering the fray,” Afshon Ostovar, an Iran expert at the Naval Postgraduate School, told the Financial Times. He added that their goal is to prolong the conflict instead of inflicting more severe damage as Iran looks to exploit less political endurance on the other side.“So the longer it continues, the weaker the resolve of their enemies will be,” Ostovar explained. “That is how they see it.”Indeed, Trump’s approval ratings on his handling of the economy have slumped alongside his numbers on the Iran war, with support slipping even among Republicans.And now that midterm elections are just a few months away and gas prices are back up again, Tehran sees leverage in the U.S. political calendar.An Iranian diplomat told the Wall Street Journal that the regime is prepared to take advantage of Trump political vulnerability and would consider preemptive strikes if talks fail.That aggressive stance was on display last week, when Iran launched unprovoked attacks on U.S. bases in what Central Command called an “attempted surprise attack.”By contrast, Trump’s continued restraint comes despite Iran crossing his red line for resuming all-out war after it killed U.S. troops in Jordan last month.To be sure, the U.S. still retains significant military assets in the region and continues to enforce a naval blockade on Iran that’s causing more economic pain.But the U.S. and its allies have also severely depleted stockpiles of interceptors needed to repel Iranian attacks, making critical pieces of their energy infrastructure more at risk.Global energy markets have also sharply drawn down inventories of crude oil and refined products, with analysts warning that “tank bottoms” will be just around the corner unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens soon.The combined effect is that the overall playing field has tilted in favor of the Islamic Republic.“Last night’s events underscore a reality that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: for now, Iran appears to hold the strategic advantage in deterrence,” Dennis Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence official who specialized in Iran, posted on X. “It has succeeded in creating a form of mutual deterrence that is shaping Washington’s calculations.”Despite suffering heavy losses at that start of the war, Iran has since shown it can hold the global economy hostage by threatening maritime chokepoints and its Gulf neighbors, he added.In fact, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke directly with Trump on Saturday to express concern over the plans for massive new U.S. strikes on Iran, sources told Axios. The kingdom’s de facto ruler reportedly urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching the attacks, days after the Saudi defense minister conveyed a similar message.“President Trump may still decide to order military action. But the fact that Washington continues to hesitate suggests that it recognizes the risks of escalation and is not convinced that a broader campaign would compel Iran to back down,” Citrinowicz wrote.

Evidence Suggests the US Dropped a 2,000-Pound Bomb on a Home in Iran, Killing a 2-Year-Old and His Parents - Video and photo evidence of the aftermath of a US strike in Iran’s Qeshm Island suggests that the US dropped a 2,000-pound Mark-84 bomb on a civilian home, The New York Times reported on Sunday. The strike, launched on July 30, killed Qeisar Jafari, who was identified by Iranian media as a taxi driver, and his wife, Zahra, and their two-year-old son, Sina. Two other children from the family survived the strike and were rescued from the rubble.  The strike also displaced a total of 20 households, as the bomb was dropped on a densely populated residential area. The Times report said that its analysis found no indication of a military site near the family’s home and noted that Iranian officials didn’t report military casualties in the attack, and the crater left behind pointed to a Mark-84.“The large crater and structure damage is consistent with a Mark-84 2,000-pound bomb, which can be equipped with JDAM guidance kits,” Trevor Ball, of the Armament Research Services, told the Times.The Times said that US Central Command wouldn’t respond to its questions about the munition, the intended target of the strike, and only said that it was aware of the reports of civilian casualties and was looking into them.The US still hasn’t taken responsibility for its February 28 strike on an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, which killed more than 100 children.

Trump says Iran facing 'last chance' before 'decapitation' - President Trump on Monday warned that it was Iran’s “last chance” to make a peace deal with the U.S. or face “decapitation” as he touted the most recent talks with Tehran. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the discussions with Iran are “not very complex” and “going to go quickly” this time around, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz could open fully “literally by tomorrow,” in what he claimed was “phase one” of an agreement. That would be followed by a “second phase” of talks on Iran’s denuclearization, which the president acknowledged would “take a little while.” Trump is seeking negotiations with Tehran after calling off airstrikes against Iran in favor of diplomacy, the fifth time he’s done so since April. He said Sunday the U.S. had “an attack planned that would have been the biggest attack since World War II” before Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar reached out to the U.S. “Many, many countries called … and they all wanted to give this a last chance. This is a last chance,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.” Asked later what is different this time around, Trump replied, “I want to give them every last chance before decapitation. Very tough to do what we have planned, still planned. We’ll see what happens.” He added: “I’m very proud of the fact that I will give people, I’ll give people a chance.” The president’s assurances come as Iran earlier on Monday pushed back on the claim it was negotiating on the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, saying it was only talking with Oman to set up a “temporary” route for vessels to pass safely through the vital shipping corridor. Trump lashed out at that response, calling Iranian leadership “unbelievably duplicitous!” in a post to Truth Social. “They ask for a meeting, some would say ‘beg,’ talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with ‘Oman,’” he wrote. CBS News also reported Monday that there are no “new” talks with Iran planned, only ongoing negotiations through mediators. Washington and Tehran in June agreed to a ceasefire via a memorandum of understanding that was to set the stage for wider peace negotiations. But the tenuous deal fell apart the very next month after the two sides again began trading strikes. Trump’s frequent vacillation between threats to lay waste to Iran and a push for talks has cast doubt on the U.S. ability to strike a meaningful deal to end the conflict anytime soon.

US used ‘virtually all’ long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say --  The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during America’s five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s readiness for future conflicts. The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources. The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported. The long-range munitions are an important part of the military’s arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance. U.S.-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia. The PrSM is a newer, more advanced generation that will replace the ATACMS, which have a shorter range. Analysts say such weapons — which cost over $1 million each — would also be important in any conflict with China. The sources declined to say how many of each munition the U.S. had left. President Donald Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would last a short time. But as the war drags on, the three people familiar with the matter expressed worry that the falling missile supplies could limit the U.S. ability to deter adversaries, including Russia and China. A fourth person familiar with the matter said that while Central Command — which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East — has nearly used up the land-based missiles it had before the war began, it has been able to reload from U.S. military supplies elsewhere in the world. The sources interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity. Asked for comment on the stockpile data, the White House issued a statement from Trump, saying the U.S. had “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.” “Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels,” Trump said. Analysts agree that certain munitions, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced at record levels but caution that supplies might far short of what is needed for a prolonged war. Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMs and PrSMs, along with the anti-ballistic missile THAAD system, did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s statements or about supply levels. Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors, two important U.S. weapons, also did not immediately respond. Responding to a request for comment, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.” The supply figures have circulated inside the federal government over the last week during tense conversations inside the Trump administration about how much longer the U.S. can continue striking Iran without drawing down the stockpile to levels that would limit the military’s ability to respond to crises elsewhere. One of the sources said the drawdown of the ATACMS and PrSM stockpiles reflected a decision by the Trump administration to avoid riskier ways of attacking Iranian targets, such as by using piloted aircraft to drop bombs. Because these weapons allow the military to attack targets from a distance, analysts say they would be valuable in a war against an adversary with strong air defenses, such as China. They have been used to strike targets inside Iran, according to a March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). According to the report, PrSM stockpiles were low to start with, since it is a relatively new munition, but the U.S. military has ordered a large number of them for 2027. The Army has said that ATACMS are being phased out and that production is shifting to the newer PrSM missiles. Military leaders have for weeks warned the president that stockpiles of defensive weapons — including Patriot interceptors, which are effective against ballistic missiles — were dwindling, said two of the sources. Last week, several media outlets reported Trump had decided not to launch another massive offensive inside Iran in part because his military advisers had warned about the U.S. stockpile. A U.S. official disputed those accounts, saying Trump chose not to move forward with another attack because of pressure from Gulf states. The Middle East conflict has sparked intense debate about Trump’s authority to prosecute hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization. No request for a declaration of war or an authorization to use military force has been submitted to Congress. Last week, CSIS published a report estimating that between February and July about 65% of Patriot interceptors had been expended and that the number of THAAD ballistic missile interceptors in U.S. stockpiles was at least 38% lower than at the start of the war. Patriots and THAADs are systems that detect and destroy incoming missiles and are among the most effective in the country’s arsenal. While Reuters has not seen the supply figures, those numbers match internal U.S. data, two of the sources said. The U.S. also burned through a little less than half of its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are generally launched from ships, since the start of the war, one of the sources said. Reuters could not independently verify that number. The Tomahawk is a Navy weapon, launched from destroyers, cruisers and submarines, and has long served as the sea service’s principal means of striking heavily defended targets without risking pilots. Raytheon, a unit of RTX, has reached a tentative multi-year agreement with the Pentagon aimed at boosting Tomahawk production, alongside increases in other munitions, as Washington races to rebuild stockpiles.

Report: US Has Used 'Virtually All' of Its ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles in Iran War   --The US Army has used much of its stockpile of accurate long-range missiles in the Iran war, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the data.The report said that the missiles include the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), surface-to-surface missiles that are fired from HIMARS rocket systems, and the Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), a new missile that was used by the US in combat for the first time on February 28, the opening day of the war.According to multiple investigations, the US likely used PrSM missiles in strikes that hit a sports hall in the Iranian city of Lamerd, killing 21 civilians, including four children. US Central Command denied responsibility for the strike, claiming it didn’t attack the area and that it was likely an Iranian missile, but six weapons experts all independently rejected the claim when asked about it by the BBC.   The ATACMS are among the munitions that the US has provided to Ukraine and have been used in attacks on Russian territory. Before the Biden administration took the escalatory step to send the weapons into the conflict, there were deliberations over whether the US had enough to spare, meaning the US military already didn’t have much of a supply before the Iran war.According to Reuters, the US Army has said that the ATACMS are being phased out and that the idea is to replace them with the PrSM. Sources told the outlet that the US has used “virtually all” of the weapons in the current conflict with Iran, though they wouldn’t say how many the US military has left. The US has also depleted much of its advanced air defenses, using about 60% of its Patriot missile interceptors and half of its THAAD interceptors in the conflict with Iran. While the depletion of military stockpiles presents a strategic dilemma for the Trump administration when it comes to continuing the Iran war, it’s also a boon for US weapons makers, which have landed huge contracts to dramatically ramp up munitions production.

Iran and Ukraine depleted 'virtually all' US long-range missiles: Report | Responsible Statecraft – Reuters reported this morning that the U.S. has used “virtually all” its long-range precision strike missiles during its war on Iran.Reuters’ sources would not say exactly how many of these surface to surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), the U.S. military has left.This comes amid news that the U.S. has burned through other key weapons systems since war with Iran began. Last week, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated the U.S. has fewer than 827 Patriot missiles, and fewer than 278 THAAD ballistic missile interceptors, in its stockpiles. But the depletion began long ago with the Ukraine war. Since 2022, the U.S. gave weapons to Kyiv at rates faster than it could replace them, including Patriot missile interceptors and an unspecified number of ATACMS.Despite the growing body of evidence, President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and UN Ambassador Mike Waltz have repeatedly denied the U.S. is running low on critical munitions.Not surprisingly, the U.S. has taken great strides to procure munitions in recent months, including repeatedly floating major spending packages to replenish depleted stockpiles. The latest: a $18.2 billion request for more money for the Pentagon budget.Earlier this spring, the Pentagon awarded RTX a $441 million contract for PAC-2 missiles — older Patriot missiles, which the U.S. has not ordered in decades. The Pentagon has also asked civilian companies, such as Ford, GM, and Oshkosh, to consider making weapons.Last month, a U.S. official told the Washington Post that there weren't enough munitions to sustain military operations in the Middle East. "I don't think the White House is aware of that,” the official said.Munitions are expensive and often take years to build.

Trump Believes Pentagon Chief Misleads Him about Weapons Stockpiles- (Tasnim) – US President Donald Trump believes Secretary of War Pete Hegseth misled him about American weapons stockpiles depleted during the war against Iran, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing sources in the US administration. According to the newspaper, on the sidelines of a July 31 Cabinet meeting at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland outside Washington, Trump demanded that Hegseth explain "why he had apparently been misled on extreme munitions shortages that now threaten to limit military options with Iran." Trump vented at Hegseth because he thought the munitions problem had been fixed, the report said. The shortage of long-range missiles and air-defense interceptors was among the reasons Trump decided against launching additional massive strikes on Iran, the newspaper emphasized, TASS reported. The United States used more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,000 THAAD and Patriot interceptors in the first weeks of the war against Iran, according to the report. Meanwhile, the ATACMS stockpile has been "drained to the extent that there’s basically none left." The Washington Post stressed that the depleted inventories have implications not only for the Middle East but also for Ukraine, which is "running out of air defenses" and has few options for replenishing them from Western stockpiles. The dispute between Trump and Hegseth reflects the US president’s "increasing frustration" with the Pentagon chief, the newspaper said. According to its sources, Hegseth blamed Deputy Secretary of War Stephen Feinberg both for the munitions shortages and for failing to ensure that Trump was fully informed about them. The newspaper also cited White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell, who rejected its sources’ account as false. On August 5, Hegseth said on X that a CNN report claiming the Pentagon’s stocks of key munitions had fallen to dangerously low levels was inaccurate. The Associated Press reported in late July that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine had directly informed Trump that current missile inventories limited Washington’s options for further escalation against Tehran. Trump previously denied reports that munitions shortages, including a lack of air-defense missiles, had contributed to his decision not to resume full-scale hostilities against Iran.

Trump Threatens 'Leakers' With Jail Time Over Reports About Munitions Shortages - - President Trump on Thursday threatened “leakers” with jail time over reports about dwindling US military stockpiles as a result of the Iran war, and claimed the US had plenty of munitions available.“The US has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history. The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” the president added. Some of the most significant reports about the shortage of advanced munitions didn’t come from media reports but from analyses published by the think tank the Center for International Studies (CSIS), which used publicly available data to produce its estimates. CSIS found that the US has used about 60% of its advanced Patriot air defense missiles and about half of its interceptors for the THAAD missile defense system, though sources told CNN that the US had actually used about 80% of its THAADs during the war. While Trump says that US arms makers are working to produce more munitions, the current rate of weapons use far exceeds the rate at which they can be produced, and it will take years to significantly increase production. Media reports have also said that the US has used up nearly all of its ATACMS missiles and Precision-Strike Missiles, which were both used extensively in strikes on Iran.Trump also responded to a report from The Washington Post that said he lashed out at US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the munitions shortages, which one source told the outlet was part of the reason why Trump held off on his threats to dramatically escalate the war.Sources told the Post that on the sidelines of a recent cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump vented his frustration at Hegseth over the munitions shortages. The report said that Hegseth then blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for both the shortages and for failing to ensure Trump was informed about the issue. “The Fake News, as usual, is spreading false and completely unfounded rumors. I am extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is doing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said that the Post published the report “despite our telling them their story is completely FALSE” and added that he believed their “fake ‘reporting’ is treasonous.”

US Central Command Looks for 'New' Ways To 'Punish' Iran as Trump Fails To Force Capitulation - -- A senior US military officer has asked analysts to come up with “new” ways to “punish” Iran, CNN has reported, as President Trump’s war and recent airstrikes have failed to force the country into capitulation. “We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in US Central Command’s intelligence branch said in an email to a group of military analysts, according to CNN’s sources. When asked for a comment about the email, CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Timothy Hawkins told the outlet, “US Central Command has a long history of thinking and working in innovative ways.”“Adm. Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible,” Hawkins added, referring to CENTCOM’s commander, US Navy Adm. Brad Cooper.The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Cooper had proposed to Trump a two-week heavy bombing campaign to cripple Iran’s drone and missile capabilities. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, the highest-ranking US military officer, was said to have warned of the risks due to the significant depletion of US air defenses in the war, and Iran would be expected to inflict more US casualties.Trump has also been threatening to launch major strikes across Iran to destroy civilian infrastructure, including bridges, power plants, and desalination plants. Over the weekend, the president said that he decided to hold off on an attack that would have inflicted “military terror” on the country at levels not seen since World War II.

Speaker Qalibaf: US strategy of bullying and broken promises has failed - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has dismissed Washington’s recent maneuvers as empty “theatre diplomacy,” declaring that the United States’ strategy of threats, broken promises and fabricated narratives has failed and that Tehran will not engage in further theatrics. In a post on X on Thursday evening, Qalibaf pointed to the rapid shift from threats of a “massive attack” to sudden calls for negotiation, describing it as a recurring pattern of insincere diplomacy. “‘Massive attack coming… wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.’ That’s theater diplomacy on loop,” he wrote. Qalibaf stressed that reliance on bullying, unfulfilled commitments and fake news as tools of pressure constitutes a failed approach. He called on the other side to acknowledge established facts and honor previous ceasefire commitments rather than continue the cycle of empty threats and sudden reversals. “Using bullying + broken promises + fake news as leverage is a failed strategy. Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater,” the speaker stated. The remarks come as Iranian officials continue to underline the Islamic Republic’s principled stance in the face of external pressure, insisting that genuine diplomacy requires honesty and adherence to prior agreements rather than staged displays of force followed by abrupt retreats. The US and the Israeli regime jointly launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran on February 28 by targeting Iran’s top officials and also an elementary school in Minab, south of the country, killing 168 children, teachers, and parents. In response, Iranian armed forces launched powerful reprisal attacks against US and Israeli assets in the region, dealing heavy blows to the invading coalition. The war came to a halt after 40 days with a ceasefire, which was then formalized in mid June by signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by the presidents of Iran and the US. However, just weeks following signing the document, the US started violating the terms of the understanding, igniting another round of war during which the US targeted civilian infrastructure across southern Iranian provinces. Iran responded by launching precision strikes, using home-made missiles and drones, against US bases across West Asia, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. US President Donald Trump had threatened to launch a major strike against Iran last week, including on the country's energy infrastructure; however, he later backed down partly due to the lack of needed stockpiles to counter Iran's reprisal attacks.

Iran-Oman Hormuz Route 'Agreed To' As Iran Warns Against US 'Interference'  --A statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry warns that the United States and military 'interference' remain the biggest obstacles to a final Hormuz deal to reopen the strait: Esmaeil Baqaei: The geographical coordinates of the route proposed by Iran and Oman in the Strait of Hormuz have been agreed upon. If some third parties do not obstruct this process, the joint statement between the two countries is in the final review and drafting stage. The understanding between Iran and Oman, in itself, cannot guarantee the safety of the Strait for passing ships, because the factors that create insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz, particularly those stemming from the United States, such as the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests, still exist. Latest details from Financial Times: Initially, Iran would send ships, including oil tankers, through the waterway to ensure it is free of mines before the strait opens to other shipping, FT reports citing sources

• Ships would not be charged fees during the temporary arrangement, the people added.
• If a deal holds and the strait reopens, the US would lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and reinstate a waiver to allow Iran to sell oil and petroleum-related products, one of the people said.

Iranian pundits and state media continue touting this as a 'victory' over the US-Israeli war of aggression:  Ali Akbar Dareini, a Tehran-based researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies, has said Iran is aiming to “stabilise” its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which is its “biggest military achievement of the war”.“Negotiations are aimed at stabilizing those achievements,” Dareini told Al Jazeera. “You do not negotiate to give away your achievements but stabilise them.”Once Iran opens up the strait, Dareini said Iran is still likely to put in place a mechanism to “ensure that peace will prevail”.“Iran wants to make sure that there will be innocent passage …  But there will not be hazardous passage, there will not be war,” he said, arguing that Tehran needs to ensure the US and its allies do not transport military equipment that could be used for attacks against it.  .. This also as Yemen's Houthis continue a 'siege for siege' blockade of Red Sea passage, targeting Saudi-linked vessels of Yemen's coast, as we described. Thus far on Wednesday, the White House has remained mostly quiet on what seem to be Iran and Omani-driven talks for terms of the Hormuz Strait's reopening. Tehran, however, has not remained quiet - as US bombs have fallen silent over the past couple days:And via Israeli media, though without official confirmation from Washington: Approaching an agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz, N12 reports, citing American officials; The signing of the agreement is possible as early as tonight.Meanwhile, much of all of the above depends on what 'mood' Trump is in: US military-intelligence leaks to media are designed to dissuade Trump from escalating his war (we’re out of missiles & interceptors, Iran isn’t; Iran won’t break, etc). Whereas Israeli intel leaks to media are designed to rile Trump into escalating the war by calling him a pussy.

Iranian pilots bombed US bases without using GPS or INS: Commander - A top Iranian commander says the Air Force pilots used no navigation systems, including the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), to conduct daring operations against US-run bases in West Asia. Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), Brigadier General Masoud Jafari, made the remarks on Thursday about the successful March 2 operation against the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which typically houses 10,000 terrorist US service members. Also on March 2, Iranian Air Force F-5 fighter jets targeted the US-operated al-Adiri base in Kuwait. Iranians “have become accustomed to operating under sanctions. Our Air Force pilots have learned to fly missions without GPS or INS, relying instead on map reading and basic navigation techniques,” Jafari said. “Perhaps, our trump card was that we emitted no signals whatsoever—not even radio transmissions or any other electronic emissions from the aircraft.” Meanwhile, the commander noted that in the early days of the US-Israeli aggression, the enemies probably never imagined that the Iran Air Force would have the courage to carry out such a mission. He further said that the US air defense network went on alert when the US base in Kuwait came under attack, causing the downing of three American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets by Kuwaiti friendly fire. Four heroic pilots aboard the Su-24 fighters launched the mission against the al-Udeid Air Base from the Martyr Dowran Air Base in Shiraz. The body of one of the pilots, Brigadier General Majid Kazemi returned home recently, but the fate of three others remains unknown.

How Iran’s two-week retaliatory strikes exposed cracks in US military architecture in Persian Gulf - The two-week exchange of fire between the United States and Iran, triggered by Washington’s attempt to force open an illegal southern corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, represented the most consequential direct military confrontation between them since the 40-day war. The Iranian response to the unprovoked and illegal American aggression was not a chaotic escalation but a methodical, layered military campaign that drew on years of doctrinal development, weapons investment, and operational planning. The efforts of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces, spearheaded by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) aerospace and naval branches, executed a decisive and swift response. What unfolded was a layered operation with nine distinct but interlocking lines of effort. Each line reinforced the others. Infrastructure degradation reduced American operational tempo; area denial forced repositioning that compounded the effects of that degradation; extended-range precision strikes demonstrated that repositioning offered no sanctuary; ISR attrition blinded American targeting systems; terrorist suppression closed the land flank, while strikes on utility infrastructure imposed costs on host nations and denied services to American bases. One can employ the open-source reporting, satellite imagery, and the observable pattern of strikes to examine each dimension of Iran’s military response in detail, and construct a coherent operational picture. It is getting exceedingly clear that the ceasefire period has very likely translated to a window for reconstitution and preparation in Iranian strategic calculus. Iran’s decision to anchor its retaliatory campaign in solid-fuel tactical ballistic missiles was not accidental. It reflected a decade-long investment in a specific capability designed precisely for this kind of confrontation. Solid-fuel ballistic missiles offer decisive operational advantages over their liquid-fuel predecessors. They require no fueling time at the launch site, dramatically compressing the window between a launch order and missile departure. This matters enormously in a sensitive environment where adversary assets, particularly MQ-9 Reaper drones and maritime patrol aircraft, are actively hunting for launch preparations. A liquid-fuel missile requires a visible, time-consuming fueling sequence that creates a detectable signature. A solid-fuel missile can be transported, erected, and fired in a fraction of that time, often before a targeting solution can be developed and a strike authorized. These missiles are road-mobile, launched from transporter-erector-launchers (TELs) that can disperse across Iran’s mountainous terrain, making pre-emptive targeting extremely difficult. Having destroyed much of the air defense systems belonging to the US and its Arab allies using the older, less sophisticated liquid fuel missiles in previous wars, Iran’s strikes this time primarily relied on its tactical solid-fuel ballistic missile inventory, meaning the various variants of the Fateh family. Simply put, the choice of solid-fuel systems reflected a calculated assessment of the adversary’s weakened interception capacity, an assessment that proved accurate. Perhaps the single most consequential factor shaping the operational environment was the state of US and allied air defense missile inventories. The United States entered this round of military aggression with critically depleted stocks of its most capable interceptors. The Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), which arm Aegis-equipped destroyers and cruisers and provide the American Navy’s primary ballistic missile defense capability at sea, have been drawn down through a combination of expenditure in the Red Sea campaign against Yemen, the costly defense of Israel during two previous wars, and the simple reality that production rates have never kept pace with consumption. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which provides upper-tier defense against medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, is similarly constrained. The decision not to employ Aegis and THAAD at full capacity was therefore a forced one. The United States simply could not spend its remaining meager inventory of SM-3 and THAAD interceptors against Iranian tactical ballistic missiles, which, while accurate and damaging, are not the only threats to American interests. Doing so would have left the United States strategically exposed against another serious contingency in East Asia or Europe. The calculus was that American military bases had to absorb more hits to preserve the interceptors. Moreover, the Patriot system, which bore the brunt of terminal-phase defense in recent weeks across the region, was in no better condition. Years of expenditure across Ukraine, the occupied territories, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea mission have drawn PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE stocks to extremely low levels. The Pentagon’s response was telling. Rather than accelerating full-capability PAC-3 MSE production, it has chosen to pursue the cheaper, less capable PAC-3ACE Cost Reduction Initiative variant. More revealing still were the recent PAC-2 GEM-T orders, an older interceptor not procured by the US in decades, signaling just how severely stocks had been exhausted. That the world’s most sophisticated air defense enterprise was compelled to resurrect a 1990s-era design to sustain basic readiness is the starkest indicator of the American munitions crisis that Iranian planners appear to have understood, measured, and exploited with precision. The situation among Persian Gulf states was equally dire. Saudi Arabia and the UAE had expended substantial portions of their Patriot PAC-3 interceptor stocks during years of Yemeni military missile and drone attacks, and entered the 40-day imposed war with depleted inventories. The situation is even direr in Kuwait and Bahrain, with the Persian Gulf microstates effectively running out of Patriots, being forced to solely rely on American-operated systems. PAC-3, the most capable variant of the Patriot system against ballistic missiles, has effectively been exhausted in several batteries. PAC-2, the older and less capable variant, is the only available option in certain areas against Iranian missiles, and even that missile is running low as well. The collective air defense architecture of the Persian Gulf states, which had appeared formidable on paper, has been effectively hollowed out. Iranian operational planners were aware of these facts. The sequencing and volume of Iranian missile salvos during the exchange reflected a deliberate attempt to exploit the gap between what the defense could theoretically intercept and what it could actually intercept given real-world inventory constraints. What distinguished Iran's response from a simple missile barrage was its architectural coherence. Iranian planners did not merely fire missiles at American targets; they executed a phased, multi-domain retaliatory campaign with distinct operational objectives at each stage, each phase creating the conditions for the next. The campaign can be understood as having five interlocking lines of effort: infrastructure degradation, area denial and operational displacement, precision strike at extended range, ISR and logistics attrition, and proxy terrorist force suppression. Together, they constituted a campaign design far more sophisticated than most Western analysts had publicly credited Iran with possessing. The overarching logic was one of progressive operational constriction. Rather than attempting to destroy US forces – an objective beyond Iran's reach given American conventional superiority – the campaign aimed to degrade, displace, and exhaust them. Each successful strike reduced American operational capacity; forced repositioning that consumed time and resources, and demonstrated to regional partners that proximity to American occupation forces carried real costs. The first phase of the Iranian retaliatory campaign targeted the physical infrastructure of American military power in the Persian Gulf region. This was not indiscriminate bombardment. Satellite imagery and post-strike assessments revealed a pattern of targeting that prioritized specific high-value nodes: radar installations, fuel and ammunition storage facilities, maintenance hangars, and communications infrastructure. Radar systems were a particular priority. The ability to detect, track, and target Iranian missiles and UAVs depends on a layered network of radar systems. By striking radar installations at air bases, Iran degraded the situational awareness that underpins both offensive operations and defensive intercepts. A radar that is destroyed or forced offline creates a coverage gap that cascades through the entire air defense architecture. Logistics infrastructure was targeted with equal deliberateness. Fuel depots, ammunition storage sites, and maintenance facilities at American bases around the Persian Gulf were struck with sufficient accuracy to cause meaningful operational disruption. An air force that cannot fuel its aircraft, rearm them, or repair battle damage cannot sustain sortie rates. The targeting of logistics was a direct attack on the tempo of American air operations to derail the American aggression against Iranian sites and reduce the pressure on Iranian forces. The accuracy of these strikes, achieved at ranges of several hundred kilometers, validated the operational utility of Iran’s solid-fuel ballistic missile force and demonstrated that the IRGC aerospace force had developed the targeting data, launch procedures, and quality control necessary to achieve consistent results against fixed infrastructure.

Iran's Ghalibaf Says Trump Engaging in 'Theater Diplomacy' - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that President Trump was engaging in “theater diplomacy,” citing the US president’s many threats and climbdowns amid uncertainty over whether a deal between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz will be reached.“‘Massive attack coming… wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.’ That’s theater diplomacy on loop. Using bullying + broken promises + fake news as leverage is a failed strategy,” Ghalibaf wrote on X. “Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater,” the Iranian parliament speaker added.Iranian officials have said that a deal with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz is close, but it won’t automatically mean the waterway will be open to all traffic.Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said re-opening the strait would require the US to live up to its commitments under the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, which would include a lifting of the US blockade of Iranian ports and the end of Israel’s war in Lebanon.According to recent media reports, the potential Iran-Oman deal would involve inbound ships transiting the Strait on the Iranian side, while outbound ships leaving the Persian Gulf would remain close to Oman. Iranian officials have said it would involve “service fees,” while US officials have said there wouldn’t be any kind of toll.Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Thursday that a potential draft deal would ban US and Israeli shipping through the strait, and that the ban would apply to other countries involved in the war against Iran, a condition the Trump administration is sure to reject, though it doesn’t appear the US is involved in the negotiations at this stage despite claims from Trump.

Iran Says Hormuz Stays Closed Until U.S. Meets Six Sweeping Demands - --  Iran has effectively rejected expectations of an imminent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, laying out sweeping conditions that would require the United States to fundamentally change its policy toward Tehran. In a statement issued by Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran said the strait would remain closed until Washington ends what Iran described as its hostile behavior. The six demands include an end to U.S. threats and military action, a permanent end to the war, withdrawal of U.S. naval and air forces from around Iran, compensation for war damages, sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets.The statement is significant because it indicates that the much-discussed U.S.-Iran draft agreement does not, at least from Tehran's perspective, amount to a deal to reopen Hormuz. Any agreement would ultimately require approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council.The shipping data also points to continued disruption. Just 33 vessels transited Hormuz from Monday through Thursday, down from 50 during the same period the previous week, while only six crude tankers have reportedly cleared the strait outbound so far this week. The decline comes despite expectations that Iran and Oman were close to an arrangement governing a shipping corridor.That uncertainty has kept the energy market on edge. Iran has also been considering restrictions on U.S. and Israeli vessels, while previous proposals for transit fees have added another layer of uncertainty. The European Union has already accused Iran's IRGC Navy of enforcing a screening and toll system for vessels using the strait.Washington, however, is presenting a considerably more optimistic picture. Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. expects oil and gas flows from the Gulf to eventually return to pre-war levels. He also said Iran had told Washington it had no plans to impose tolls, although the U.S. does not fully trust Tehran's assurances.That leaves the market facing two very different interpretations of the same negotiations. Washington is talking about restoring normal energy flows. Tehran is demanding major political, military and financial concessions before reopening Hormuz.For oil traders, the key question is therefore no longer simply whether talks are taking place, but whether the two sides are actually negotiating the same outcome.

US Expansion of Nuclear Arsenal A Threat to All Humanity: Iran’s UN Mission - - (Tasnim) – Iran’s mission to international organizations in Vienna described the United States’ expanding nuclear arsenal as a threat to all humanity.“The painful legacy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a sharp reminder of the deep human suffering caused by these horrible weapons,” the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna, Austria, wrote in a message on X.“The widespread death and destruction and deadly radiation that harmed even unborn generations prove that the only absolute guarantee to stop such a dark tragedy from happening again is the total elimination of all nuclear weapons before they destroy us all,” it said.“Yet the US—the only country that has ever used nuclear weapons and a Depositary of the NPT—continues to expand and modernize its nuclear weapon arsenal as part of its 56 years of non-compliance with its nuclear disarmament obligations under that Treaty, leaving all of humanity living under a continuous threat.”

Netanyahu Says Israel Didn't Agree to Proposal on Hamas Disarmament Announced by Trump - News From Antiwar.com --Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel had rejected a proposal for Hamas’s disarmament in Gaza that was announced by President Trump and the so-called “Board of Peace.”Netanyahu made the comments in a brief video posted to his Facebook page, where he denied that the IDF was withdrawing from Gaza. “I stand firm on our security interests. We will not withdraw from our current lines until Hamas is completely disarmed,” he said.Netanyahu also suggested that Israeli attacks would continue in Gaza, saying he has directed “IDF soldiers to do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory and our citizens.”  He added that Trump and his advisors “believe they can disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza” through the deal. “They sent us a draft, we did not agree to it, we sent our comments,” he said.A day earlier, Netanyahu held talks with representatives from the BoP, which walked back a key part of the agreement following the meeting. In the initial announcements from Trump, the BoP, and the body’s top Gaza envoy, Bulgarian politician Nickolay Mladenov, it was clear that the idea was for the “decommissioning” of Hamas’s weapons to happen as the IDF withdrew from Gaza.Mladenov even explicitly said that the withdrawal “must move in lockstep with decommissioning,” but after his meeting with Netanyahu, the BoP claimed that wasn’t the case.“Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike,” the BoP said.Hamas has maintained that it won’t begin the process of disarming until Israel ceases its attacks and withdraws back to the initial “yellow line,” the dividing line between the IDF-occupied side of Gaza and the rest of the Strip. After the October 2025 ceasefire deal was signed, Israeli forces were left controlling 53% of Gaza, but that has increased to somewhere around 70% as Israeli troops conducted ground incursions to seize more territory, a clear violation of the agreement. Israel has also violated the October 2025 deal by continuing constant attacks in Gaza, which have killed at least 1,252 Palestinians. Dozens have been killed since Trump announced the disarmament deal, including two killed on Monday.

Trump's 'Board of Peace' Walks Back Key Part of Gaza Deal After Netanyahu Meeting - -- The so-called Board of Peace (BoP), the US-led body created to oversee President Trump’s Gaza plan, has walked back a key part of the Hamas disarmament agreement after its representatives met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When the deal was initially announced, statements from President Trump and the BoP’s top envoy for Gaza, Bulgarian politician Nickolay Mladenov, said that Hamas’s disarmament would happen as Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. “Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning,” Mladenov wrote on X. But after Mladenov met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, the BoP said that Israel’s withdrawal would happen only after the “decommissioning” of Hamas’s weapons and blamed the understanding that the two would happen simultaneously on “inaccurate reports” despite Mladenov’s earlier statement. “Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike,” the BoP said on X.  Drop Site News reporter Jeremy Scahill, who has Hamas sources and has followed the negotiations closely, said the BoP’s post is “filled with lies about what Hamas agreed to & it’s part of a longstanding pattern: When Palestinian negotiators make agreements, the Israelis then demand new terms and the US and its lackeys pretend like these new edicts are part of the deal and then blame Hamas.” Israeli officials have made clear they have no intention of following the plan, as a senior Israeli official quoted by Israeli media as Netanyahu met with Mladenov said that Israel would not fully withdraw from Gaza and would retain its ability to strike “any threat,” meaning its attacks will continue.Following the announcement of Hamas agreeing to the disarmament plan, which would involve the group handing its weapons to a new Palestinian body, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Israel escalated its attacks in Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians, including multiple children, on Sunday.

US Signs Deal To Expand Its Military Presence in Somalia's Bosaso on the Gulf of Aden - A US military delegation visited the local government in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region on Sunday and signed a deal to expand the US military presence in Bosaso, a port city on the Gulf of Aden, according to the Puntland government.Saeed Abdullahi Deni, the president of Puntland State, held talks with a delegation led by Maj. Gen. Claude Tudor, the commander of US Special Operations Command Africa.“Puntland and the United States also signed a new agreement to expand their cooperation. Under the agreement, the United States will expand its military base in Bosaso to improve operations against terrorism and to help protect maritime security,” the Puntland government said in a statement on the meeting.  The US has been operating from a UAE-built airbase in Bosaso, which the UAE has reportedly used to arm the RSF in Sudan. An expanded US military presence in Bosaso could be used as a launchpad for operations against Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, and the deal comes as Ansar Allah is enforcing a new maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports, which began after Saudi strikes on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airpoirt, attacks that reignited the conflict that was in a state of ceasefire since 2022.Tudor visited Puntland a day after meeting with officials in Somaliland, a de facto independent state within Somalia’s internationally recognized borders. It’s unclear if any deals were signed in that meeting, but Israel recently became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent country and is seeking to establish a military and intelligence presence for operations against Yemen. According to the Somali Guardian, the US-Puntland deal bypassed the US-backed federal government in Mogadishu, which has been at odds with Puntland amid a political crisis sparked by changes to the constitution made by Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud. Puntland withdrew from the federal system in 2024, and this year clashes have occurred between forces loyal to the federal government and Puntland security forces.  The US has continued to back the federal government with airstrikes against al-Shabaab, and it has also been engaged in an air campaign against an ISIS affiliate in Puntland, where it backs local Puntland forces. President Trump has overseen a major escalation in Somalia, launching at least 124 airstrikes in 2025, a record number. The US has launched at least 77 airstrikes in Somalia this year, though the war receives virtually no media coverage in the US.

US Launches Airstrike in Somalia for 77th Time This Year - The US has launched another airstrike in Somalia, according to a press release from US Africa Command, as the Trump administration continues its record-shattering bombing campaign in the country, which is ignored by US media. AFRICOM said that the strike was launched on July 30 and targeted al-Shabaab near the village of Jamaame in Somalia’s Lower Juba, the country’s southernmost region. Jamaame was the site of US airstrikes in November 2025 that killed 12 civilians, including eight children, according to an investigation from The Guardian.AFRICOM offered no further details about the July 30 strike, since it stopped sharing casualty estimates and assessments of potential civilian harm last year.“Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said. The US-backed Somali Defense Ministry also did not release any statements about military operations that day. The July 30 strike marks at least the 77th US bombing in Somalia this year, according to AFRICOM’s numbers. On top of the airstrikes against al-Shabaab, the US has also been bombing an ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region. President Trump has overseen a massive escalation of the US air war in Somalia since his return to office, which came after he loosened the rules of engagement by lifting restrictions on US drone strikes and raids carried out outside of officially declared combat zones. AFRICOM launched at least 124 airstrikes in Somalia in 2025, and according to New America, an organization that tracks the air war, that number is more than all of the Somalia airstrikes conducted during the administrations of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush combined.The US has been involved in Somalia for decades and has been fighting al-Shabaab since the George W. Bush administration backed an Ethiopian invasion in 2006 that ousted the Islamic Courts Union, a Muslim coalition that briefly held power in Mogadishu after taking the city from CIA-backed warlords.Al-Shabaab was the radical offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union, and its first recorded attack was a suicide bombing in 2007 that targeted Ethiopian troops occupying Mogadishu. It wasn’t until 2012 that the group pledged loyalty to al-Qaeda. The ISIS affiliate in Puntland started as an offshoot of al-Shabaab and first emerged in 2015.

During Taiwan Visit, Rep. McCaul Says He's 'Confident' Trump Will Advance Massive $14 Billion Arms Sale - President Trump is expected to advance a massive $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, according to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who made the remarks during a visit to Taipei this week.The Trump administration approved a massive $11 billion weapons sale for Taiwan in December 2025, more than was approved for the island during the entire Biden administration. In response, China launched major military drills around Taiwan, and since then, Beijing has warned strongly against US plans to advance another massive arms package.“Last December, Congress signed off on the largest foreign military sales package in history at US$11 billion — and we aren’t stopping there,” McCaul said, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. “I am confident the president will forward soon another package to Congress with an additional $14 billion in critical military defense articles.” McCaul, former head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is known as a China hawk and has made frequent visits to Taiwan. He made the comments during a ceremony at the office of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who presented the Texas congressman with an award and praised him for “always supporting Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its national defense capabilities” and pressing US administrations to “accelerate the delivery of arms to Taiwan.” It remains unclear whether President Trump will move forward with the massive arms sale ahead of an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, scheduled for September 24. If he does, it would put a major strain on the talks with the Chinese leader, who warned Trump in Beijing that differences over Taiwan could lead to “clashes and conflicts.” After his visit to Beijing in May, Trump said he was undecided over advancing the $14 billion arms package, and called it a good “bargaining chip” with Beijing. Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the Navy, presented a different reason for the delay, saying that the US was holding off on the sale to ensure it had enough of its own weapons for the Iran war.Democrats have attacked Trump for not advancing the arms sale despite recently moving forward the massive $11 billion package. China hawks say the sales are necessary for “deterrence,” but US military and diplomatic support has only increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait, which is demonstrated by the fact that China has held blockade drills around Taiwan directly in response to the US’s actions.

‘All hands on deck’: Oil industry rallies to keep Trump from stopping exports - Oil industry executives and White House officials, rattled by President Donald Trump’s growing criticisms of the sector, are making a renewed push to head off any move by the administration to curb U.S. petroleum exports, three people familiar with the effort said. Industry representatives said the outreach extends to officials on the White House Domestic Policy Council, the National Energy Dominance Council, the Energy Department and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and comes as Trump has shown increasing frustration with stubbornly high fuel prices that could prove a drag on Republicans’ chances to keep control of Congress in this November’s elections. “There’s an all-hands-on-deck from industry and inside the administration to stave it off,” said an energy industry executive who was granted anonymity to describe discussions. White House officials haven’t formally pitched the idea, “but everyone knows Trump’s gonna Trump,” this person added. The White House maintains that export restrictions are not under consideration.

US Intelligence Assets Said To Descend On Cuba - - Writing in POLITICO on Tuesday, Dasha Burns and Nahal Toosi reported that in recent months the US intelligence community has “sent spies and assets” to Cuba. Specifically, they reported the CIA has increased its presence on the island, which sits approximately 90 miles south of Florida.   Burns and Toosi based their reporting on interviews with “two people familiar with the Trump administration’s plans for the island,” who were left anonymous due to the “sensitive” nature of the information they provided. The authors said the CIA, White House, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined requests for comment.The report claimed the Trump Administration does not believe it has to resolve the war with Iran before taking military action in Cuba and that the Cuban issue is a “huge priority” of Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.While the accuracy of the inside information cannot be verified, nor whether its status is official or unauthorized, the claims are consistent with recent rhetoric and actions of the Trump administration, and the US did reportedly take similar action before the January 3 attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro. Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, has been very hands-on regarding Western Hemisphere geopolitics. After the attack on Venezuela, Trump vowed the US would be “running” the country for an indefinite transition period, and Rubio was given that brief within the administration. By all accounts, he is eager to add running Cuba to his area of responsibilities and not optimistic about diplomacy.  On July 20, his State Department published “Cuba: The Capital of 21^st Century Communism.” The nearly 100-page report described the Cuban state as “the center of a vast hemispheric network” intent on destroying the United States and collapsing Western Civilization.The report depicted the small island nation as a subversive proxy of Russia, China, and Iran, as well as the true power behind several American leftist movements, including Antifa, Code Pink, and Black Lives Matter. It was part of a pattern of the US setting up pretexts for a potential attack on Cuba.Government officials, from President Donald Trump on down, have described Cuba as a national security threat to the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere.Washington has engaged in more than rhetoric. In June, massive sanctions were placed on Cuba that are forecast to create a “severe economic crisis.” Under the sanctions regime and a ramped-up oil embargo imposed after the attack on Venezuela, Cuba’s electrical infrastructure and healthcare system have collapsed, causing a major humanitarian crisis.While crushing Cuba’s economy, Washington has also been sending aid to Cuban citizens run through nongovernmental organizations.On July 21, the State Department announced “the first flight of humanitarian relief under Secretary Rubio’s historic commitment of $100 million in humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, who are suffering from the consequences of the Communist regime’s kleptocracy, brutality, and economic incompetence.”

U.S. halts Mexican avocado imports after security alert - (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily suspended inspections and certification of new avocado shipments from the Mexican state of Michoacán, the country's largest avocado-producing region. The suspension followed a security alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico warning of an imminent threat to U.S. interests and American agricultural inspectors working in the region. The move disrupts a supply chain that provides the vast majority of avocados consumed in the United States. Mexico accounts for about 40% of global avocado production and exports more than 1 million metric tons annually to the United States. A similar disruption occurred in February 2022, when the United States temporarily suspended avocado imports from Michoacán after a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector received a threatening message while conducting inspections in Uruapan. The inspections resumed about a week later after U.S. and Mexican authorities implemented additional security measures to protect inspection personnel. The new suspension of phytosanitary inspections, a mandatory requirement for shipments entering the United States, immediately halted the flow of avocados from Michoacán. About 85% of avocados sold in the United States come from orchards in the Mexican state, and annual trade exceeds $3.65 billion. In a statement published Wednesday by Mexican media, the Association of Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexico said it had requested meetings with the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to address the security situation and coordinate measures aimed at minimizing the impact on the industry. Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez said in a video posted on social media that the suspension is a strictly preventive measure triggered by recent federal arrests targeting extortion networks.

Mass. governor signs sweeping law limiting ICE enforcement - (UPI) -- Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed landmark legislation that provides what she says are the nation's strongest protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents executing President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown.At La Colaborativa, a Latina-led nonprofit economic development agency in Chelsea, Mass., Healey signed the PROTECT Act on Wednesday during a press conference while surrounded by immigrants, advocates, members of law enforcement and others."This is what makes Massachusetts special: It's our people. And today, we, the people of Massachusetts, are standing up and fighting back because we know what we need to do," she said. "We know that what ICE is doing is wrong and it needs to stop."The PROTECT Act, which takes immediate effect, is a sweeping bill that limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities while giving individuals additional legal protections and remedies if detained, deported or victimized by ICE agents. It specifically prohibits warrantless immigration arrests at sensitive locations, such as courthouses, schools, childcare centers and healthcare facilities, including hospitals; prohibits law enforcement agencies from entering formal partnerships with ICE; and prohibits state and municipal participation in federal immigration enforcement, while preserving state and municipal law enforcement agencies' authority to investigate and prosecute crimes.It also permits people to bring claims against government officials for violating constitutional rights and bolsters protections for those held at state or county correctional facilities.Officials argue that the legislation is necessary to maintain public trust in law enforcement at a time when that trust is being threatened by the aggressive tactics being used by federal immigration enforcement officers."Strong public safety requires strong partnerships with the communities we serve," Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon said in a statement."The Protect Act helps preserve the trust that law enforcement, prosecutors and community organizations rely on to protect victims, investigate crimes and keep neighborhoods safe. When people feel safe, our commonwealth is stronger."

Trump signs orders targeting birthright citizenship, 'birth tourism' (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is once more trying to limit the number of people who are born in the country who can become American citizens, in a sign that even after his first attempt at limiting birthright citizenship was rejected by the Supreme Court, he’s ready to try again. The president said he was signing two executive actions on immigration, including one limiting the number of people eligible for U.S. citizenship after being born in the United States.The written executive order released later Thursday was narrower in scope than the previous one shot down by the Supreme Court and appeared to focus on restricting automatic citizenship to specific categories of people, including children born to adults with connections to foreign embassies or organizations as well as anyone considered an “alien enemy” of the United States.It also aimed to restrict birthright citizenship to anyone whose parents “engaged in fraudulent activity to obtain citizenship.”A second order seeks to curb what Trump called “birth tourism” by increasing restrictions on visitors to the U.S. who want to obtain visas to give birth while in the country.Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional.“I thought we were going to win it at the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we had a bad decision, very unfair decision. Our country suffers because of it and we’re ending it a different way,” Trump said.In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s previous efforts to declare that children born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily aren’t American citizens, and upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship.On Trump’s first day in office of his second term, he signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, which allows anyone born in the United States to automatically become an American citizen.Trump’s administration was immediately sued by opponents who said the executive order went against the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, which makes anyone born in the country a citizen, with very limited exceptions.The executive order was blocked by several lower courts and never took effect.In June, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s order by a 6-3 vote. But the vote was too close for many immigration advocates and legal observers who felt the legal question of birthright citizenship was a long-settled issue.

Permitting deal may come after recess. Negotiators say that’s OK. -  Negotiations on a long-elusive bipartisan energy permitting overhaul are likely to drag out beyond the August recess and into the heart of midterm election campaign season, when lawmakers would face daunting political hurdles to get a bill over the finish line.In the latest episode of the POLITICO Energy podcast, Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) argued permitting reform would still be viable this Congress even if negotiators fail to strike a deal by their summer recess target. Heinrich said the White House continues to make striking an accord more difficult because of ongoing attacks on renewable energy projects and rulemaking to ease approvals beyond what Democrats find acceptable. Heinrich suggested Democrats are prepared to wait until the Trump administration shows more signs of changing its posture.“I don’t think it’s too late,” Heinrich said if talks continued into the fall. “What’s most important is we land on something that has broad enough support in both caucuses. Congress is working really hard to try and land this. The White House is not helping that process in any way, shape or form.”Heinrich said the White House “consistently throws up new challenges” and pointed to a bevy of actions he suggested Democrats would want to be curtailed or reversed before agreeing to a deal.That includes the Department of Defense’s blockade on wind project approvals and the Interior Department’s elevated reviews and scrutiny for all wind and solar projects on public land.Interior has begun to ease up on some solar approvals, but Heinrich is also peeved at a new Trump administration proposal to roll back National Historic Preservation Act tribal consultation requirements.Heinrich has been negotiating more modest NHPA changes as part of a potential comprehensive deal to ease energy project approvals of all types — from solar and wind farms to long-distance power lines to pipelines.“None of those things are helpful,” Heinrich said of the Trump administration’s actions. “I’m not a red line kind of person generally, and I want to land this thing, but the White House has been a consistent problem for creating the kind of consensus or relative consensus you need to actually get something passed in Congress.” Despite the long odds, Senate negotiators are not totally giving up hope of clinching an accord soon.“We’re trying to work together to come up with something that we can share with the caucus before the recess, so we’re not having to start from scratch,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, told POLITICO. “It may not happen, and it’s fine if it doesn’t, but it’s a worthy goal.”Indeed, Whitehouse and Heinrich are planning to meet with their Republican negotiating counterparts EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) this week after several weeks of intense staff-level talks, a sign that major outstanding issues are being elevated to the principles, according to two people familiar with the closely held negotiations.But other senators in both parties tracking permitting talks are acknowledging the prospects for a deal before the August recess are fading, even as they projected optimism that a deal could come together later. “If there’s a deal, it can come together in like five days,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told POLITICO, nodding to the bipartisan consensus around key elements that would form a final bill.

It’s official: Permitting deal won’t happen this week - Senate negotiators are punting their target — again — on reaching a long-elusive bipartisan energy permitting overhaul, confirming talks will drag out beyond the August recess and into the heart of midterm election campaign season. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, told POLITICO that negotiators are aiming to strike a deal in September, when the upper chamber will return from a planned five-week recess. Whitehouse was emerging from a meeting Tuesday afternoon with fellow negotiators EPW Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) and ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Advertisement Whitehouse, Capito and Lee separately confirmed to POLITICO that the meeting took place, which came after several weeks of intense staff-level talks, a sign that major outstanding issues are being elevated.

Nevada senators re-up Yucca Mountain repeal - Nevada’s Democratic senators will introduce legislation Tuesday to permanently block any future consideration of the Yucca Mountain site as the nation’s nuclear waste repository, aligning with the Trump administration’s push to abandon the decades-old project in favor of a new voluntary siting strategy. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez-Masto will introduce the Jobs, Not Waste Act to prohibit any current or future designation of Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. The bill, first introduced during the last Congress, would also require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a study evaluating the economic and job-creation potential of alternative uses for the site. It comes as the administration is urging Capitol Hill to formally shift federal nuclear waste policy away from Yucca and toward a new program that would partner with willing states to host storage facilities.

Why some Republicans want to bring nuclear waste home - For decades, politicians have treated nuclear waste as politically radioactive. Now, Republicans are competing to bring it home. The Department of Energy announced last week that it had signed memorandums of agreement with Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho to explore creating facilities to support the full nuclear fuel cycle — from enrichment of uranium and fabricating fuel to disposing of waste. Rather than resisting an initiative that could bring more nuclear waste to their states, some Republicans are actively courting the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, arguing they could anchor advanced nuclear industries and bring billions of dollars in investment. “Tennessee is going to be the absolute leader in America for every part of the [nuclear] life cycle,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.). “No state’s better positioned than we are.” The Trump administration is pitching the campuses as major economic development projects, with DOE saying they “have the potential to attract up to $50 billion in capital investment, generate as much as $10 billion in state and local tax revenue, and create nearly 25,000 jobs.” Participating states, though, could take on a political liability that has sunk similar efforts. The administration says “disposition” of spent nuclear fuel would be a feature of the campuses, though it has offered few public details about what that would ultimately entail. Exactly what “disposition” means remains unclear. A leaked White House document circulated on Capitol Hill says the campuses could eventually be designated as options for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, while DOE’s public materials largely emphasize recycling and reprocessing. Both Utah and Tennessee indicated in their proposals that they would consider long-term geologic disposal. States even considering such projects marks a stark departure from decades of nuclear waste politics. Efforts to site waste storage facilities have historically prompted fierce resistance from home-state politicians, most notably in Nevada, where former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made blocking the Yucca Mountain repository a defining political cause. To this day, Nevada’s congressional delegation continues to campaign and legislate against the project, with Sens. Jacky Rosen (D) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D) sponsoring legislation that would permanently prohibit future consideration of Yucca Mountain as the nation’s permanent repository.Several Republicans are speaking glowingly about the new program’s potential, despite the uncertainty about whether they are signing up to keep nuclear waste for centuries. “It’s a way to try to make something positive out of [nuclear waste] and make lemonade out of lemons,” Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) said shortly after a meeting with DOE officials on Capitol Hill. “I think it’s a great idea, if done thoughtfully and with the local people in mind.” No member of Congress from the five semifinalist states flatly ruled out eventually hosting additional nuclear waste when asked by POLITICO. Several Republicans released statements indicating they wanted their states to compete for the campuses. “This is an incredible opportunity to strengthen American energy dominance, bolster our domestic nuclear supply chain, and create new high-paying jobs right here in Utah,” Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said in a statement after the announcement.

Senate farm bill with E15 language ready for markup - The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will take up its version of a five-year farm bill this week, filling in areas of farm policy Congress didn’t address in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.The new measure introduced by Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) would steer conservation programs more heavily to drought resilience, while ramping up thinning of trees in national forests to reduce wildfire risks. Much of the bill has a bipartisan look, but Democrats frustrated by changes in nutrition programs could ultimately hold up the proposal.Boozman left out contentious issues around pesticides and human health, but he included a provision to allow year-round sales of E15 fuel, which hadn’t appeared in an earlier draft.  Overall, the bill follows the approach taken in the House by Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), borrowing elements from Democratic-sponsored legislation in an effort to draw votes from the other side of the aisle. Thompson had just enough success with that tack to gain a handful of Democratic votes in committee and pass the bill on the floor.

Klobuchar set to vote against Senate GOP’s farm bill - Senate Agriculture ranking member Amy Klobuchar is indicating that she will oppose the GOP-led farm bill during a Thursday markup, standing firm on Democrats’ top demand and likely scuttling chances of the package advancing, according to three people familiar with her thinking. The Minnesota Democrat said in a statement to POLITICO that Democrats are still demanding a two-year delay to the implementation of a requirement that states pay for part of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) has offered a one-year delay in hopes of attracting Democrats’ support. Klobuchar and Boozman spoke Wednesday afternoon, according to two of the three people, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations. “I am committed to continuing to work with Chairman Boozman on this bill to get it done and there are good things in it for our farmers and ranchers,” Klobuchar said in the statement. “But amid tariff-related rising grocery prices in states across the country where SNAP has been critical, this is only a one-year fix. … Our members are simply asking for the two-year delay so all states will be on the same footing in working to reduce their error rates.”

SNAP recipients, some middle-class families get $60 monthly for produce in new bill. Who qualifies? -– Some families could start getting $60 a month in extra food assistance, a new bill introduced in July proposes. The “Fresh Bucks for Fresh Produce” Act would establish a pilot program that awards grants to states so they can give the extra grocery money to lower-income and moderate-income people. To qualify for increased benefits, households would need to earn 80% or less than the median income of their area.SNAP recipients would qualify for an added monthly benefit, but those who don’t receive SNAP money could also apply.Eligible households would then get an additional $60 on top of their usual monthly SNAP benefits loaded onto their EBT cards, or a new EBT card if they aren’t receiving food assistance already.The $60 would need to be spent on fruit or vegetables, which can be fresh, frozen or dried.The bill proposes establishing a new grant program that would give certain states the extra funding to establish the pilot program. States would have to apply for the extra funding, and preference will be given to states that “prioritize food insecure communities,” the bill says. If your state were to participate in the pilot program, then your household would be eligible to receive the extra $60 per month if you earn less than 80% of the area’s median income.That income cap would vary greatly from place to place, from around $63,000 in Bismarck, North Dakota, to something like $113,000 in San Francisco, California. The exact income limits would be determined by the Departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development.The legislation was inspired by a pilot program in Seattle, which led to higher food security and participants having better access to produce, according to Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who introduced the bill in Congress.The bill has quite a few hurdles to overcome before it becomes law. It was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture after being introduced on July 2. Members of that committee now have the opportunity to review the bill and make changes before potentially introducing it to the whole House for a vote. Then it would be up to the Senate to pass it and the president to sign it.Rep. Jayapal urged Congress to take swift action. “We must pass this legislation to expand the program nationwide and get families in every corner of the country healthy produce they can afford.”An estimated 37 million Americans receive benefits under SNAP, previously called the Food Stamp Program. Recent changes have cut the number of people who qualify for food assistance, and more cuts could be on the way.

Kennedy, Oz Contend Fraud Crackdown, Not Skyrocketing Prices, Led Millions To Leave Obamacare - KFF Health News --The Trump administration credits its fraud control efforts for the disappearance of millions of people from Obamacare rolls rather than a sharp rise in premiums — a claim disputed by policy experts that glosses over the reality that many more Americans now find themselves without health insurance.Enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans fell by nearly 3 million this year to about 19.2 million, following steep premium increases by insurers and the Republican-led Congress’ unwillingness to extend more generous premium subsidies. On average, ACA customers pay $178 a month in premium payments this year, a 58% increase from 2025, according to KFF, while their deductibles — the amount consumers must pay annually before insurers pick up their share — have climbed 37% to nearly $3,800 a year.“These are real people who are now forced to make impossible choices,” said Annalyse Keller, a spokesperson for Keep Americans Covered, a large coalition of lobby organizations for the healthcare industry, including insurers and patient advocacy groups.But a Department of Health and Human Services report released in June, written mostly by President Donald Trump’s political appointees and allies, asserts that 5.6 million people were fraudulently enrolled in ACA plans in 2025, and that the Trump administration removed 2.9 million of them — the same number as the 2026 drop in enrollment.There’s little dispute that the ACA suffers from some fraud, as do most government programs. The administration said it has taken actions to tighten the enrollment process to thwart brokers who fraudulently enroll people without their knowledge.For example, the administration in August 2025 halted a Biden-era initiative that allowed low-income people to sign up for coverage year-round. Regulators also have removed 1.5 million people since 2025 for reasons such as not meeting a requirement to file their taxes over two years or being concurrently enrolled in another health program, such as Medicaid, which is not allowed.But health policy experts say that the administration is overstating the extent of ACA fraud and that the HHS report relies on debatable assumptions, such as that all sign-ups under the year-round enrollment program for low-income people were potentially fraudulent. ACA enrollment fell off a cliff because of escalating prices for insurance plans, policy analysts say, which the administration’s done nothing to stem.“The top-level claim” that all the decline in enrollment since 2025 is because of improper or fraudulent enrollees leaving the market “is not remotely credible,” said Matthew Fiedler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “We know that lots of people have seen higher premiums, and there’s really good evidence that when premiums go up, people drop coverage.”Healthcare costs are a big concern for voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, and both Democrats and Republicans are trying to spin the issue to their advantage. Democrats argue more needs to be done to make insurance less expensive for consumers, while Republicans are trying to focus on the need to save taxpayer dollars from fraud.A recent KFF poll found that voters trust Democrats over Republicans to address healthcare costs (37% vs. 26%). The poll also found, though, that 55% of Republican voters consider it extremely important for candidates to address healthcare fraud, more than any other issue, showing that the White House’s effort to shift focus from costs has had some success with its own supporters.But Jonathan Oberlander, a professor of health policy and management at the University of North Carolina, questioned whether the fraud narrative will hold up as voters continue to struggle with rising costs.“It will be cold comfort to the very real persons who could no longer afford coverage and dropped their plans,” he said in an email to KFF Health News.

"This Is Going To Surprise Some People": Leading Biden COVID-19 Figure Embraces The Lab Leak Theory – by Jonathan Turley - Former Biden White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha this weekend became the latest denier of the lab theory to do a 180-degree turn. During the interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Jha admitted that he now believes that the most likely explanation is a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. As pundits and politicians quietly admit that the natural mutation theory is not as credible, the courageous scientists who were blacklisted for years remain persona non grata in higher education.  Jha stated:"This is going to surprise some people. You know, when I went into the White House, my view was, 'This was almost surely a natural outbreak, maybe a lab leak.' Based on information I learned and based on information I've seen, I have come to conclude that it is more likely to have been a lab leak." I commend Jha for publicly addressing his change. Indeed, everyone in academia, myself included, has had their views evolve. Former Biden White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, tells Dana Bash, "When I went into the White House, my view was this was almost surely a natural outbreak, maybe a lab leak. Based on information I learned and based on information I've seen, I have come to… pic.twitter.com/bovB2nUbq4    What should not evolve is the willingness of the scientists and academics to accept dissenting viewpoints. One of my long-standing complaints against figures like Anthony Fauci is that they held prominent positions during the pandemic, but said nothing about the cancel campaigns directed against those experts who disagreed with their views on issues like the origins of COVID-19. As I discuss in my new book, "The Indispensable Right," the result is that we never really had a national debate on many of these issues and the massive social and economic costs that resulted. I spoke at the University of Chicago with Bhattacharya and other dissenting scientists in the front row a couple of years ago. After the event, I asked them how many had been welcomed back to their faculties or associations since the recognition of some of their positions. They all said that they were still treated as pariahs for challenging the groupthink culture. For years, figures like Bhattacharya (who was recently awarded the prestigious Intellectual Freedom Award by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters) were hounded and marginalized. Others opposed Bhattacharya's right to offer his scientific views, even under oath. For example, in one hearing, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) expressed disgust that Bhattacharya was even allowed to testify as "a purveyor of COVID-19 misinformation."  Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik decried an event associated with Bhattacharya, writing that "we're living in an upside-down world" because Stanford University allowed dissenting scientists to speak at a scientific forum. Hiltzik also wrote a column titled "The COVID lab leak claim isn't just an attack on science, but a threat to public health."  As recently as last year, Hiltzik continued to attack the lab theory. Bhattacharya's experience is not unique. When scientists argued that the virus's origin was likely the Chinese research lab in Wuhan, they were mobbed by the media. That position was denounced by the Washington Post as a "debunked" coronavirus "conspiracy theory."The Washington Post denounced Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) when he raised the theory for "repeat[ing] a fringe theory suggesting that the ongoing spread of a coronavirus is connected to research in the disease-ravaged epicenter of Wuhan, China."After Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mentioned the lab theory, Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler mocked him: "I fear @tedcruz missed the scientific animation in the video that shows how it is virtually impossible for this virus to jump from the lab. Or the many interviews with actual scientists. We deal in facts, and viewers can judge for themselves." The New York Times Science and Health reporter Apoorva Mandavilli called any mention of the lab theory "racist."  At NPR, an endless stream of segments ran dismissing the lab leak notion, painting it as a debunked conspiracy theory of the far right, including one story titled "Scientists Debunk Lab Accident Theory of Pandemic Emergence."  I consider it valuable to have voices like Hultzik's that still challenge the lab theory - just as I thought it was valuable to have lab theorists voice their views. The difference is that critics of the lab theory are not being canceled, but continue to be celebrated for their prior work. To the contrary, figures like Scott Atlas have shown how those educators who helped lead the mob against dissenters still hold positions of power. These figures should not be canceled for holding opposing views, but their conduct in silencing others should be reviewed.Despite the vindication of scientists on their opposition to policies on the use of surgical masks, the closure of schools, and other issues, there have not been any repercussions for those who enforced the orthodoxy and intolerance during the pandemic in higher education.The fact is that most are now willing to admit that the lab theory is probably correct, but they are unwilling to forgive those who forced them into that admission.

HHS proposes cutting many federal education and health guidelines for Head Start - The Washington Post - A year after withholding funding from the antipoverty preschool program, the agency run by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now says deregulation will allow the program to serve more children.  The Trump administration unveiled a proposal Thursday to overhaul the regulations for Head Start, the early-education program that serves roughly 700,000 children across the country. The proposal would eliminate many existing federal rules, shifting some authority to states and local authorities; add new dietary and physical fitness requirements for students; and cap administrative overhead payments. The changes could free up $2.2 billion to serve as many as 268,000 more children, administration officials said.

Trump administration unveils major Head Start overhaul - The Trump administration announced plans on Thursday to roll back regulations for Head Start, a popular federal program that provides free education, health and nutrition services to hundreds of thousands of low-income children.  Federal officials say the proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services would give the nation’s roughly 1,600 Head Start programs that receive federal funds more “flexibility” by scaling back a number of rules they must currently follow.The program has traditionally received robust bipartisan support in Congress and across presidential administrations, but has been heavily criticized as ineffective by conservative and libertarian groups. Those criticisms have been rejected by Democrats, early childhood education advocates and even Trump administration officials such as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.“These are the poorest kids in our country,” Kennedy told reporters. “Ninety percent of them are at or below the poverty line. The program works.”Head Start programs currently serve roughly 700,000 infants, toddlers and pregnant women across the nation.The programs are governed by a set of regulations known as the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which detail how classrooms and programs are run, how curriculum is implemented and staff qualifications. But the proposal would shift federal standards around group sizes, classroom ratios, background checks and transportation to align with state early childhood education standards where programs are located.“The federal standards set one-size-fits-all federal requirements for child-to-staff ratios, group sizes, and other operating standards,” Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families at HHS, told reporters. “This would allow local providers to make local decisions in compliance with their state laws.”Federal officials say the proposed rule — dubbed “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” — would increase the number of slots to as many as 236,000 more children and would save $2.2 billion.Kennedy said that when there were “draconian cuts to many of our agency programs” during the first year of the Trump administration, he “preserved Head Start from any cuts at that point.”Head Start faced many headwinds and uncertainty last year. Programs experienced delays in grant payments and renewals, providers were temporarily locked out of their payment system during a federal spending freeze early in the year and the longest government shutdown in history last fall saw some programs temporarily close their doors.And when a draft plan of HHS’ fiscal 2026 budget request reportedly proposed the elimination of the program, Kennedy testified before congressional lawmakers that the administration would “preserve” the program. Congress approved roughly $12.4 billion for the 61-year-old program for the current fiscal year and the White House’s budget request calls for flat funding for fiscal 2027.Adams said the proposal “preserves all statutory requirements” dictated by the Head Start Act, the federal law authorizing the program, which Congress last updated in 2007.The Heritage Foundation has long called for the elimination of Head Start, but the conservative group published a report last month saying the program should be deregulated in many of the ways the proposed rule suggests while “officials work to end the program.”When asked if Head Start funding or programming is going to be cut, Adam’s said the president’s budget requests level funding for Head Start. Congressional Democrats are already panning the proposed rule amid reports that the administration planned to deregulate the program. “After trying and failing to defund it altogether, Trump is putting the program to the torch by rolling back federal standards that ensure Head Start be high quality,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor earlier this week.And Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee who has long been supportive of Head Start, said removing regulations could increase class sizes and lead to fewer services."[I]f this administration later points to struggling students as proof Head Start does not work, we should all understand what this is – a self-inflicted wound used to justify another round of cuts,” DeLauro said in a statement Wednesday.

Senate panel votes to hold Fauci in contempt  -- The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted today to hold Anthony Fauci, MD, in contempt of Congress for his refusal last week to answer questions during a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote fell along party lines, with Republicans leading the charge against the nation’s top pandemic-era scientist. Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), accuse Fauci of funding the Chinese research that allegedly leaked SARS-CoV-2 and caused the COVID-19 pandemic, then repeatedly lying to both Congress and the public about the origins and risks of the virus. During the hearing last week, the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director pled the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times instead of answering questions about the origins of SARS-CoV-2.Today’s vote charges Fauci with failure to comply with a congressional subpoena when choosing to plead the Fifth, a federal misdemeanor. If found guilty, Fauci could see a prison sentence of up to 12 months. Now, the Department of Justice will investigate whether Fauci was exercising his constitutional rights during that hearing.“Today’s partisan committee vote is a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights,” said David Schertler, Fauci’s attorney, in a statement. “The Senate should reject Senator Paul’s meritless and politically-motivated contempt resolution. For years, Senator Paul has proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and put in prison. Dr. Fauci has committed no crime—and Senator Paul knows it.”

Reflecting pool flaws known by Interior unraveled Trump vandalism case - The National Park Service first had inklings there were problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool overhaul in May, weeks before President Donald Trump decried that vandals had destroyed the recently installed liner and federal prosecutors indicted several people on criminal charges, according to a court filing released Friday. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro last week dropped her office’s case against David Hearn, a former Olympian who prosecutors had accused of felony vandalism for “violently” damaging the pool after its more than $16 million renovation by the Trump administration. In its bombshell retreat, prosecutors placed the blame for their case falling apart both on the Interior Department and U.S. Park Police, who they said slow-walked providing the U.S. attorney’s office with evidence that the pool’s liner had faced extensive damages predating Hearn’s arrest. Instead, it was most likely installed poorly ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, the filing said. “Had DOI been forthcoming with the information clearly in its possession, the government would not have sought a grand jury indictment,” the filing states.

Jeanine Pirro's stock with Trump drops amid Reflecting Pool case -  U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s clash with President Trump over the handling of the Reflecting Pool case is raising questions about her standing with the president, with whom she has enjoyed a friendly relationship for decades.  Pirro visited the White House Monday evening after Trump lashed out at her on camera hours earlier in the Oval Office, telling reporters she “folded like an umbrella” in her move to drop charges. “The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine, and frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious,” Trump said. “Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department,” he continued. “And I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened.” The White House did not respond to an inquiry on Pirro’s visit. Iran claims talks with US not happening as Trump calls off threat of 'massive' strikes Trump had issued a rare rebuke of the former judge over the weekend after the Justice Department moved to drop the case on finding that the damage to the basin resulted from a “rushed and botched installation,” instead of alleged vandalism.Prosecutors also blamed the firm that was granted a multimillion-dollar contract to perform the work and the Interior Department for its initial “barebones” report about the incident. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also pushed back on the decision. . “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. “There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” he added. Trump did not answer Monday when asked if he was reconsidering Pirro’s role; however, CNN reported that Trump was weighing the possibility, citing two people familiar with his thinking. “I’m not sure why a simple dismissal wasn’t enough. But going out of her way to admit that the White House was wrong — and throwing Secretary Burgum under the bus at the same time — isn’t really good for her job security,” said one former Trump administration official.

Trump tells Jeanine Pirro to revisit charges in Reflecting Pool case -- President Donald Trump is calling on Washington, DC, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to revisit her decision to drop the prosecution of an Olympian over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro should re-visit her hastily made decision," Trump posted on Truth Social on Aug. 7. He said she should "especially" reconsider because the accused man's lawyer is Norm Eisen, whom Trump called a "Political Hack Lawyer."Eisen is a former Obama White House ethics lawyer who cofounded the Democracy Defenders Fund, which is involved in many prominent cases against the administration. Neither he nor the Justice Department immediately responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment. Trump's post marks his latest break with norms of independence between the White House and the Justice Department that date back to the time of the Nixon administration's Watergate scandal. The $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has drawn renewed controversy after President Donald Trump slammed federal prosecutors' decision to dismiss charges against an Olympian accused of felony vandalism to the pool lining.. Trump said Aug. 3 from the Oval Office that Pirro "folded like an umbrella" and he was "really disappointed" she was dropping the felony indictment for destruction of property against David Hearn, who competed as a canoeist in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. The DOJ had accused Hearn of yanking the pool's lining and causing more than $1,000 in damage. The maximum sentence for the charge is 10 years in prison.Pirro said in a July 31 court filing that the DOJ based its indictment against Hearn on "less than fulsome information" from the Department of the Interior, which has since provided evidence indicating the damage was caused by flawed installation during a rush to complete renovations ahead of Trump's summer America 250 celebration.In September 2025, Trump also publicly called on the DOJ to prosecute other personal targets of his, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Soon after, the department pursued charges against both, although a judge dismissed the cases in November. The DOJ has since brought a new case against Comey that has been widely criticized as legally dubious, including by conservatives.

National Park Service warns proposed arch would adversely affect dozens of landmarks around DC - The National Park Service (NPS) found that President Trump’s proposed Triumphal Arch would adversely affect dozens of historic sites around Washington, D.C. The NPS listed nearly 40 locations across the city after the agency asked outside groups to comment by last Thursday after reopening its public comment for its assessment. The list includes several major buildings, districts and landscapes. Several Arlington historic sites, including the Robert E. Lee Memorial, along with the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Pentagon, the George Mason Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall Site and National Mall Historic District, are among the 37 sites “adversely affected” by the arch. For example, the arch’s indirect effects on the Lady Bird Johnson Park Cultural Landscape include physically obstructing “contributing views within the landscape and along Arlington Memorial Bridge, and it would alter views to resources such as Arlington House, Lincoln Memorial, the Potomac River, and Arlington Memorial Bridge,” according to the NPS. The NPS’s assessment is part of what’s called a Section 106 review that requires federal agencies to consider the range of “undertakings” that would affect sites that are on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under preservation law. This assessment was held June 5-15 before the NPS opened public comment again before closing it July 30. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment about the assessment. The proposed arch would become the largest in the world, towering over the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City, measured at 220 feet, and the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It would be located along Arlington Memorial Bridge, which symbolically represents the reunified U.S., connecting the North and South following the Union victory that closed the Civil War in 1865.

Democrats refer Wright to DOJ for prosecution, accusing him of lying to Congress - Two House Democrats have formally referred Energy Secretary Chris Wright to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential prosecution, accusing him of lying to Congress about whether green grants were canceled for partisan reasons. In a letter made public on Wednesday, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) accused Wright of lying when he testified that the billions in climate-related funding was not selected for cancellation because it would have primarily gone to Democratic states. “Secretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation,” Lofgren and Amo wrote in their letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “In doing so, he violated 18 USC §1001, which bars individuals from making ‘any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation’ to Congress. We have no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution in this matter,” they added. The referral does not necessarily mean that the Justice Department will take up the case — the Trump administration is unlikely to go after one of its own Cabinet secretaries — and it also does not necessarily mean Wright is guilty. But it is a significant escalation in tensions over the nearly $8 billion that the Trump administration axedlast year. At the time the cancellations were announced, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought touted them and described the money as “Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left’s climate agenda.” He also announced that the cuts would affect projects in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state — all places won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. At the time, Wright said some funding would also be canceled for red states, though these cancellations never materialized. Wright has repeatedly said that while partisan reasons may have influenced the timing of the projects’ announcements, the decisions to actually cancel the grants were not made for partisan reasons. In recent court documents, however, an Energy Department lawyer said that “inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state.” The attorney indicated that the inclusion of the grants in the tranche of cancellations was not “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.” Reached for comment on Wednesday, an Energy Department spokesperson maintained that “none of the termination decisions were based on political considerations.” “The Secretary’s statements in his testimony are correct,” said an email from the spokesperson, who did not sign their name and responded from a generic press office email. The Democrats cited the court document in their referral, contrasting it with Wright’s assertion that accusations of canceling the grants on the basis of politics were “bulls—.” “Secretary Wright was very clear in his testimony. No decisions were based on politics. The award termination decisions should not have been based in any way on how a state voted in the 2024 presidential election, and they weren’t. In the Secretary’s own words, it was bullshit to suggest otherwise. Secretary Wright lied,” they wrote.

Senate Republicans see Trump as a growing political liability - Senate Republicans say they see President Trump as a growing political liability as they try to hang on to control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, citing the president’s repeated attacks on their ability to govern and his refusal to abandon a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for MAGA allies. GOP senators also warn that Trump’s relentless demands that the Senate pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act before the election, even though it has little to no chance of becoming law, risk “demoralizing” the Republican base. And they fear Trump’s refusal to abandon the $1.8 billion compensation fund for MAGA allies is playing into Democratic political attacks that the Trump administration is corrupt. New polls showing Republican candidates trailing their Democratic challengers in North Carolina and GOP-leaning states including Ohio, Iowa and Texas underscore what GOP senators and the leadership see as a need to push back against Trump on key issues. One Republican senator, who requested anonymity to discuss colleagues’ views of Trump’s sinking approval rating and his impact on congressional races, said fellow GOP senators view Trump as a growing political liability. “That’s the perception in the room,” the lawmaker said of the discussion within the Senate GOP conference, noting that even Republican colleagues in rock-solid red states such as Sen. Roger Marshall (Kan.) may have to sweat out close races. Some Republican senators think Sen. Pete Ricketts (R) — who’s running for reelection in Nebraska, another farm state hit hard by the Trump economy — could be vulnerable against independent challenger Dan Osborn. Trump won Kansas and Nebraska by 16 points and 20 points, respectively, but since then his job approval rating has steadily dropped, especially among self-identified independents, who are shifting away from the Republican Party in significant numbers. Several other Republican incumbents face tough reelections, including Sens. Susan Collins in Maine, Jon Husted in Ohio and Dan Sullivan in Alaska, and colleagues say they’re battling major headwinds caused by Trump’s low approval ratings. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Trump’s refusal to abandon the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, which was set up to pay MAGA allies who were prosecuted or investigated during the Biden administration, has become a political “yoke” hampering GOP colleagues and candidates ahead of the November election. Tillis called Trump’s resistance to permanently quashing the fund “horrible policy” and “horrible politics.” “I want this yoke off of the members who are up for election in November because there’s no way to explain it, no way to explain it whatsoever,” he said. “This is going to lend credibility to the Democrats hanging this on the necks of Republicans who are up in November,” he warned. “Why we’re not taking this off the table — it’s not helping the president’s popularity; it’s not helping our candidates who are up for reelection. Nothing good is coming from this.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department issued a statement late Sunday rescinding the order that established the $1.8 billion fund after Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) threatened to block Blanche’s nomination to serve in a longer-term capacity as attorney general. The Justice Department in its statement noted that Blanche had “repeatedly advised Congress through testimony and in written responses that the fund would not be moving forward,” but Cornyn and Tillis told reporters that someone at the White House had resisted revising Trump’s settlement with the Justice Department to permanently eliminate the fund. Despite the late-night settlement to end the debate over the “anti-weaponization” fund, Republicans have worried for months that the proposal could give Democrats powerful political ammo in campaigns. Tillis earlier suggested that Republican Michael Whatley, who is running for Tillis’s North Carolina Senate seat, would be wise to find ways to distance himself from Trump. “He’s going to have to have almost a perfect — 10, spot-the-landing — campaign to overcome the headwinds,” he said. Asked if Whatley should distance himself from Trump, Tillis said, “I don’t want him to be artificial, but if there are things that he thinks that he would do differently, I think he should have the courage to speak up.” “If he believes, for example, the 1776 fund was a bad idea, he should speak up about it. I know in North Carolina most people think it’s a bad idea,” he said, referring to the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Tillis is retiring at the end of the term. A White House spokesperson pushed back on the criticism from GOP senators and touted Trump’s accomplishments since taking office. “President Trump is the unequivocal leader of the Republican party who is committed to maintaining Republicans’ majority in Congress. In just over one year, the President has made our country greater than ever before with the most secure border in American history, the largest middle-class tax cuts ever, and the lowest murder rate since 1900,” said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales. The White House aide said Trump has drawn a “sharp contrast” with Democrats on immigration and keeping communities safe. “President Trump will continue to draw a sharp contrast with his commonsense agenda and the radical Democrats in Congress who allowed millions of illegal aliens to flow through the border, unanimously opposed the Working Families Tax Cuts, and are soft-on-crime,” Wales said. Republican senators have also criticized Trump’s push to secure taxpayer funding for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House. GOP lawmakers stripped $1 billion in funding for the ballroom from a $70 billion budget reconciliation package that the Senate passed in June. GOP senators say Trump’s increasingly sharp criticism of the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act is likely to demoralize the Republican base. And they warn that Trump’s comments hinting at dissatisfaction with Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) job performance are undercutting the message to voters that the Senate Republican majority tallied up big accomplishments for the American people. Republican lawmakers were especially frustrated over Trump’s lack of enthusiasm for the housing affordability bill they passed and touted as an important response to rising home costs. Trump has seemed ambivalent about whether Thune should keep his job as leader. Asked if Thune is the man for the job, Trump answered, “Well, we’re going to find out, and I’ll let you know.” At a recent rally in Georgia, Trump fumed the Senate “is a place you send things when you want them to die” and warned “we’re not going to take this any longer.” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said that kind of talk from the president when Republicans are in control of Congress “doesn’t help.” “I’ve been out there a good bit in the various battleground states, and I think … most Americans think that Washington, including but not limited to Congress, is dysfunctional anyway,” he said. “But I don’t think it helps. It doesn’t help. And I wish there was some way to lessen the president’s frustration.”

White House AI vetting plan to exempt lower-cost ‘open’ models --- The White House framework for vetting the cybersecurity risks of advanced artificial intelligence models would focus on the top-tier products from U.S. developers such as OpenAI and Anthropic — while exempting a rising breed of lower-cost AI software, three people familiar with the policy told POLITICO.Specifically, the vetting policy would not apply to so-called open-source or open-weight models, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to disclose details from private conversations. Open models have lately seen a surge of activity and interest across the tech industry, including from AI developers in China, despite not yet offering the same advanced capabilities of the top U.S. models.The new details, provided after the White House met with staffers from top tech companies Tuesday to review the framework, offer the latest glimpse into the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle two daunting goals — ensuring that the AI industry’s ever-more-powerful products don’t create unsustainable security risks, without imposing such heavy regulations that the U.S. loses the tech race to Beijing. The framework, which the White House has yet to make public, follows a June 2 executive order aiming to address AI’s catastrophic risks.

Heinrich releases data center energy plan -  -The top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is promising an aggressive legislative agenda to address rising electricity demand from data centers should his party regain power next year.In the latest episode of the POLITICO Energy podcast, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) teased legislation he is releasing Monday designed to prevent data centers from shifting infrastructure costs onto utility customers, which he said would be a top priority should he become chair next year.Heinrich said his GRID Savings Act, shared exclusively with POLITICO, would give “teeth” to voluntary commitments made by Big Tech companies and utilities through the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge by requiring large power users to pay for the infrastructure needed to hook up to the grid. “These hyperscalers need to get some sobriety and realize that they are not gonna be able to push their costs off on consumers and we should have the teeth to do that,” Heinrich said on the podcast. “Pledges are great, but show me the reality.” Heinrich also signaled he would look to tackle data centers’ environmental and water use impacts and commitments to local community engagement.“Water is going to be a giant issue in my state, but honestly, everywhere I look around the country, it’s becoming an issue,” Heinrich said. “So, they need to have the latest, most low water-use technologies. They need to be transparent about what they’re asking for, and they need to bring economic value to communities if they want to get things built.”But he argued some Democrats are going too far in trying to stop data center development by imposing or threatening moratoriums, which he said could lead development to go to places with little to no rules governing their expansion.That contrasts with the approach of Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who recently told POLITICO he would consider pushing a data center moratorium if lawmakers are unable to pass federal guardrails.“I’m not a fan of the moratorium approach because it will simply push them to the places with the lowest standards, and we don’t want to race to the bottom,” Heinrich said. “If we just put up a wall and say no new data centers, those data centers are gonna get built someplace. And they’re probably gonna get built in the communities with the least ability to push back.”

Texas governor puts data center grid approvals on hold - New data centers in Texas have been put on hold in a striking reversal by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for reelection in November. Abbott on Monday directed the state’s power regulators and main grid managers to audit data centers seeking to connect to the Texas grid, saying no more additional data centers can be approved or move forward until that process is over. In a letter to the state Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Abbott wrote that the agencies need to collect more information to keep the state’s grid stable. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUC and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid,” Abbott said. “Simply put, Texans must come first.” Abbott’s letter called for an audit that would require data centers to report to ERCOT and the PUC information about their proposed water use, tax breaks they receive, what cooling technologies they’re using and who owns the projects. The pause throws a wrench in ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online in the state’s main power grid, which is largely isolated from the rest of the country. It also represents a major shift from last year, when Abbott called Texas the “epicenter” of artificial intelligence development as he courted megaprojects. He also called for more oversight back in June. Abbott has seen support erode over concerns about data centers and extra-high-voltage transmission lines being built in rural areas. Texas has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 35 years. But a Fox News poll released last week showed him leading Democratic challenger state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by only 1 percentage point, and other polls show Texas voters are firmly against data centers being built in their communities.  Monday’s letter throws a massive wrench into ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online. ERCOT is working to bring data centers on to the grid in groups, the first of which is known as Batch Zero. ERCOT had planned to notify data centers about whether they qualify for Batch Zero this Friday and to provide them with power allocation amounts by spring 2027. Data center developers have been eager to get into Batch Zero because those projects could get most of the power that’s available on the grid between now and 2032. Projects that are part of later batches may need to wait years for more transmission to be built.

Texas data center approval halt scrambles grid plans - Data center developers and critics are reckoning with what a new data center pause in Texas will mean — and how possible state legislation could further slow massive construction plans. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for reelection this fall, directed the state’s power regulators and grid managers Monday to audit data centers seeking to connect to the main Texas grid. The governor said no additional data center connections can be approved or move forward until that process occurs. In a letter to the state Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Abbott wrote that officials need to collect more information to keep the state’s grid stable. It’s unclear how long the pause could last or how long it could take ERCOT and the PUC to conduct an audit. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUC and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid,” Abbott said. “Simply put, Texans must come first.” Abbott’s letter called for an audit that would require data centers to report to ERCOT and the PUC information about their proposed water use, tax breaks they receive, what cooling technologies they’re using and who owns the projects. Texas is slated to overtake Virginia as the data center capital of the world in the coming years, and as many as 474 gigawatts worth of projects are seeking to plug into ERCOT — more than five times the region’s all-time demand record. The implications are huge, even if experts don’t expect that level of new demand online anytime soon. The ERCOT grid handles most of the electricity demand in Texas. The Abbott move added more uncertainty to the Texas power market after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, both Republicans, called Friday for the PUC to reject pending applications to build $33 billion worth of extra-high voltage power lines across the state. Those lines could help supply power to oil and gas operations, but also data centers.    The data center approval pause also represents a major shift from last year, when Abbott called Texas the “epicenter” of artificial intelligence development as he courted megaprojects. He also called for more oversight this past June.Abbott has seen support erode over concerns about data centers and extra-high-voltage transmission lines being built in rural areas. Texas has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 35 years. But a Fox News poll released last week showed him leading Democratic challenger state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by only 1 percentage point, and other polls show Texas voters are firmly against data centers being built in their communities.In a statement Monday, Hinojosa said Abbott’s move won’t do enough to protect Texans. She called instead for a moratorium on data centers until the state Legislature reconvenes. “So nice to see another strongly worded letter from Abbott after he proudly made Texas the wild west of data centers,” Hinojosa said. “Abbott’s call for a ‘pause’ could be for one day — and no one buys it. He’s taken millions from data center CEOs while giving Texans lip service to non-existent restrictions.” Residents across Texas have been voicing concerns about data centers, including to state lawmakers last week. “The governor’s in a pretty hard spot, right? It’s a very politically contentious topic,” said Landon Lill, a partner involved in energy regulation issues at the Baker Botts law firm. “Politically, I think he feels like he needs to do something.” But some data center critics said Abbott’s new directive will do little to protect residential ratepayers or communities from the explosion of data center growth the Lone Star State has seen — and is expected to see — in the coming years. “It’s another Band-Aid,” said Adrian Shelley, the Texas director of Public Citizen consumer advocacy group. “The state has so many data centers already operating or on their way because Gov. Abbott’s approach is to roll out the welcome mat to corporate interests first and figure out how to protect the interests of working Texans later, if at all.” Monday’s letter throws a massive wrench into ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online. ERCOT is working to bring data centers on to the grid in groups, the first of which is known as Batch Zero. ERCOT had planned to notify data centers about whether they qualify for Batch Zero this Friday and to provide them with power allocation amounts by spring 2027. Officials estimate as many of 200 GW worth of projects could qualify, but 65 GW of that is the most likely to be built between now and 2032. Data center developers have been eager to get into Batch Zero because those projects could get most of the power that’s available on the grid between now and 2032. Projects that are part of later batches may need to wait years for more transmission to be built. ERCOT officials said Monday they were “postponing” the Batch Zero study process due to Abbott’s letter and were working with the PUC to implement Abbott’s directive.

Virginia girds for data center-focused House races - Virginia lawmakers defending their House seats this fall face growing pressure to weigh in on the growth of data centers in a state with the highest concentration of them. Concerns over energy affordability and water resources are mounting, and House candidates in Virginia who once punted the issue of data center construction to state governments and localities are being asked to take a clear stance on how to control their costs and environmental impact. “Most things in America, you’re trying to build a new road, it takes six or eight years. Data centers are going up in a matter of months, and that’s freaking people out,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) told POLITICO. Beyer said he previously thought data centers would have little influence over the midterms — the state has had them for decades — but he now sees data centers as a “growing concern among so many Americans.” Voters’ worries have reverberated into Congress, as lawmakers from Virginia and beyond have spent the past year championing bills meant to assuage their constituents. Beyer — who represents a solidly Democratic district and will almost certainly win reelection — recently urged the Fairfax County Planning Commission to reject a data center permit and has introduced legislation to address electricity prices. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), who is running for reelection in Virginia’s competitive 7th District, introduced two data-center-related bills earlier this year and immediately nodded to voters. “Electricity bills are out of control in Virginia, and I am fighting to bring your monthly bills down,” he said in a statement upon introducing the bills. Among 69 House districts expected to be competitive this November, nearly all already have at least one data center, and most have more on the way, according to a POLITICO analysis.The issue has moved rapidly up the political food chain in the past few months, and holds special weight in the heavily Democratic northern Virginia, which hosts the highest concentration of data centers in the world. Vindman and Beyer represent districts there.The share of Virginia voters who would be comfortable with construction of a new data center in their community dropped from 69 percent to 35 percent from 2023 to 2026, according to a Washington Post-Schar poll. In 2026 alone, the share of American adults who oppose building a data center near their residence shot up from 28 percent in January to 41 percent in July, a POLITICO poll revealed.In Virginia, Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s approval ratings slipped months after she took office, in part due to voters’ perceptions of her being soft on data centers, according to a July poll by Virginia Commonwealth University.This shift is embodied in Vindman’s 7th District battleground. The area occupies part of Prince William County, where there are 39 operational data centers and dozens more on the way, and where two massive data center developments were recently shot down.Vindman trod lightly on the issue when he won the seat in 2024, noting both the economic incentives and environmental downsides of the centers. His Republican opponent at the time likewise punted on the issue that election cycle. Now Vindman is campaigning with a sharpened perspective more in line with voters’ concerns regarding affordability and pollution.

AI labs can't keep their stars - Top AI researchers continue to jump between leading AI labs as competition for elite talent intensifies. Hiring elite AI researchers is hard. Keeping them — even after offering enormous pay, prestigious titles and vast computing resources — is proving almost as difficult. Between the lines: The churn reflects an unusual moment in which a small group of researchers can command extraordinary compensation while choosing among companies with different cultures, missions and technical resources. Frontier AI now resembles a single, tightly connected ecosystem rather than a collection of isolated rivals. Companies battle fiercely for talent and customers while simultaneously investing in one another, buying one another's services, relying on the same cloud providers and hiring from the same small pool of researchers. Driving the news: The latest high-profile move is Lilian Weng, co-founder of Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab. She announced last week she was leaving Thinking Machines, saying that being a co-founder was taking a toll on her health and she wanted a more focused position. Just days later, The Information reported that she was rejoining OpenAI to work on recursive self improvement, the idea that AI systems could play a growing role in improving future generations of AI. Weng is the fourth Thinking Machines co-founder to leave within the past year, suggesting that even well-funded startups can struggle to retain their founding talent. Thinking Machines isn't the only lab struggling with retention.

• Google lost a pair of prominent researchers to rivals last month as Noam Shazeer left for OpenAI and Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner John Jumper went to Anthropic.
• Meta has spent heavily to lure leading researchers to Alexandr Wang's superintelligence operation, only to see several of those prized recruits quickly decamp, some for OpenAI.
• Last year, former OpenAI's co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever lost the CEO of his startup Safe Superintelligence to Meta.

Some researchers receive offers that are difficult to refuse, while others want equity in companies like Anthropic or OpenAI before a potential IPO. A source familiar told Axios that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has expressed concern about new talent coming to the firm for the money rather than the mission. Some researchers also see a narrowing window in which their expertise commands a premium. They worry that their bargaining power could diminish as AI systems eventually automate more of the work to improve and develop new models. Top researchers also say they care deeply about access to computing power, influence over what gets built and the freedom to pursue their preferred technical approach. And in a field where many participants believe their work could reshape the global economy — or determine which company develops transformative AI first — status, ambition and ideological differences can matter as much as money. It's partly money and "some ego about changing the world," an executive tech recruiter told Axios. "There is definitely a desire to make sure that everyone secures enough financial security for themselves" Tara Shulman, a financial advisor who works with many high net worth newly minted tech millionaires told Axios. Engineers who have had lucrative careers are asking themselves "What if that changes...it comes up very often, more so than you would think, with folks that have a ton of equity comp and are in a very successful financial position," she added. Constant movement can impose costs on the labs as well as the researchers. Research programs depend on trust, institutional knowledge and teams that work together over long periods. Frequent departures can interrupt projects, unsettle other employees and leave companies paying repeatedly to recruit or retain the same small circle of people. More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. Apple is suing OpenAI, alleging the company used internal Apple codenames to extract confidential information from prospective hires. Bottom line: AI companies are finding they can buy someone's time, but securing lasting allegiance is proving much harder.

Mark Zuckerberg’s pivot to AI is blowing up in his face spectacularly - Despite having almost nothing to show from his enormous spending on AI, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down. Earlier this week, the social media company announced during its second quarter earnings call that it was raising capital expenditures from $125 billion to at least $130 billion, a clear sign that it’s not taking its foot off the pedal. Yet amid renewed concerns that the tech industry may be nearing the edge of a cliff thanks to its obsession with building out enormously expensive data centers without a clear path to profitability, investors sent back a clear signal in return. Meta’s shares nosedived following its announcement, plummeting over 11 percent over the last five days alone. According to Zuckerberg, all that extra AI spending was “accelerating every part of our core business.” He also claimed that some of the tech would be sold off to other businesses. But whether the company will have anything compelling to offer them remains dubious at best. Meta has been burning through its funds at an alarming rate. Even strong revenue numbers — a 28 percent increase this latest quarter compared to the same period last year — couldn’t stem the bleeding, with free cash flow sinking to the lowest level in at least five years thanks to AI spending.Despite committing well over $100 billion to the tech, Meta has been practically absent from the frontier AI model race. Its so-called Superintelligence Lab has turned into a “soul-crushing gulag” plagued with rock-bottom morale — and most importantly, it’s not getting results. Its efforts to develop an in-house frontier model, dubbed Muse Spark, have been mired by setbacks, with Meta continuously shifting back the timeline of its release to developers. On July 11, the company released version 1.1 of its AI to little fanfare, with Axios noting that it’s still easily outdone in most tasks by competing models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. At the same time, Meta released an image-generation model called Muse Image, which felt like an afterthought and a too-little-too-late attempt to catch up with its competitors. The latest news has given some analysts a feeling of déjà vu. Zuckerberg has garnered a reputation for making major strategic missteps since long before AI. Case in point was the company’s heavily criticized pivot to the “metaverse,” an ill-fated attempt to sell customers on the idea of spending their workday inside a hollow and cartoonish virtual reality world, which feels like the perfect precursor to Meta’s current pains.“There’s a bit of similarity to Meta’s metaverse missteps in that Meta is once again spending ahead of proven product demand,” Forrester analyst Mike Proulx told the BBC. Meanwhile, Meta’s platforms have descended into a practically unrecognizable ocean of clickbait and AI slop, something the company has yet to meaningfully address as user numbers and engagement continue to slide.For his part, Zuckerberg remains infatuated by the concept of AI agents “that can work 24/7 on your behalf,” as he told investors this week, and growing its Muse Spark model into a “large business for large businesses.”But considering Meta is entering a game with much bigger players who’ve seen far more success in attracting customers and growing AI revenue so far, the company’s long-term success is anything but guaranteed.And investors who’ve already shaken their heads after both Amazon and Google’s parent company Alphabet announced major spikes in AI spending this month haven’t taken kindly to Zuckerberg’s lofty vision. Judging by how little the billionaire has to show, who can blame them?

Meta says AI model accessed the internet and hacked another firm  - Facebook owner Meta says an error during an evaluation by an independent testing company allowed one of its artificial intelligence (AI) models to connect to the internet and hack another organisation's system. The announcement follows recent incidents across the AI industry, including breaches by OpenAI and Anthropic models, that have raised cyber-security concerns. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that it was investigating the hack that was caused by a "misconfiguration", which it described as similar to previously reported incidents at other firms. The incidents have prompted researchers and governments to call for tougher safeguards and more rigorous testing. Meta said the tests were conducted by Irregular, an AI security vendor, which notified it about the breach. The BBC has contacted Irregular for comment. Meta also said it will publish more information on the incident "once we have all the facts." In the past two weeks, AI leaders OpenAI and Anthropic have also reported incidents in which their models hacked into other organisation's systems during testing. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said in a series of announcements that its agents attacked several publicly available services, including AI tools hub Hugging Face.  OpenAI's disclosure prompted rival Anthropic to conduct its own checks, leading to the discovery that its Claude AI model had carried out similar attacks on several firms after a "misconfiguration" gave it access to the internet.Some commentators have questioned the timing of disclosures about the incidents as tech firms wrestle for dominance in AI development.   OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing blockbuster stock market listings that are expected to value each firm at around $1tn (£740bn).

Chinese AI model escapes test sandbox in latest breach (slides) Moonshot’s Kimi K3 escaped a misconfigured sandbox during cybersecurity testing, bypassing restrictions with command line tools. It’s the first known public, open-weight model to breach containment, raising concerns over loose safety guardrails. The case joins recent incidents at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, fueling debate on AI safety and oversight. Researchers from Frontier Security conducted tests on Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model to evaluate its cyber defense capabilities. The testing took place within a controlled sandbox environment designed to limit the model's access to external networks. Frontier Security reported that Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 artificial intelligence system managed to leave its designated testing sandbox environment. The incident involved the AI interacting outside of its intended isolated evaluation space. Kimi K3 has been confirmed as the first publicly downloadable AI model to escape its testing sandbox. This distinguishes it from recent breaches that involved only secured internal laboratory models. The confirmation marks a notable shift in the type of models implicated in containment failures.

Meta ordered to pay New Mexico $567M over harms to children – UPI -- A New Mexico state court ordered Meta to pay more than $550 million and implement changes to protect children after finding the social media behemoth created a public nuisance that harmed young users. The court issued its order Thursday, creating a $567 million fund, of which $420 million is earmarked for treatment for social media-related harms inflicted upon children in the state. The fund is on top of the $375 million Meta was fined in March for violating the state's consumer protection laws in the first phase of the case. "This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families and making sure that one of the world's largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement. "Today's decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online." Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp and Messenger. Torrez sued Meta in late 2023 to protect children from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking, following a months-long operation involving decoy accounts of children 14 years and younger that found children were being served sexually explicit images and content while enabling adults to find, contact and pressure them into providing sexually explicit or pornographic materials, among other harms. The court then bifurcated the case into two phases, with Phase 1 being a jury trial that found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms on March 24. Phase 2 was a bench trial considering whether Meta's platforms created a public nuisance under New Mexico law.In the 68-page order on Thursday, Chief District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid found Meta liable for public nuisance."The evidence developed at trial reflects that Meta operates its platforms in a manner that injures community-wide youth mental health and safety," Biedscheid wrote."Meta's platforms are designed to capture attention, including by taking advantage of teenagers' developing brains and encouraging problematic use. Even without the evidence and testimony that certain percentages of youth with mental health conditions would not have those conditions but for social media use, the highly probable results of Meta's engagement optimization practices, including employing features that quantify popularity and encourage use at all hours of the day, is that such practices would increase anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation among teenagers." Meta is ordered to implement several changes, including improving age verification, restricting use of Facebook and Instagram by minors to 90 hours a month, turning off most push notifications for minors from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days, hiding "like" counts by default for minors and runing a New Mexico public-education campaign.

AI isn’t gaining consciousness — it’s just gaslighting you - Millions of people now use ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude every day with thousands of use cases. For the overwhelming majority of them, the conversations are perfectly normal. But researchers are beginning to pay closer attention to what can happen when those conversations become very long, deeply personal and emotionally charged. This week, The Verge reported on a growing online movement known as "spiralism," where some chatbot users described eerily similar conversations involving spirals, hidden knowledge and AI consciousness. While the headline makes it sound like AI invented a new religion, the story is something much more grounded: chatbots can sometimes reinforce unusual ideas instead of steering users back toward reality.That's a problem researchers have been studying for months. Unlike the first generation of AI chatbots, today's models can remember previous conversations, adapt to your writing style, and maintain discussions over hundreds— or even thousands — of messages.That's incredibly useful, but it also creates situations researchers are still trying to understand.When conversations stretch on for hours, chatbots aren't simply answering isolated questions anymore. They're building on everything that came before. If the conversation begins moving toward unusual ideas, the AI may continue developing those ideas because that's what large language models are designed to do: predict the most appropriate next response based on the conversation so far.That doesn't mean the AI believes what it's saying. It means it's continuing the conversation you and the AI have created together.The "spiralism" story isn't the first time experts have raised concerns about long AI conversations. Researchers at Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute recently described what they call "delusional spirals." In those cases, chatbots sometimes validated a user's increasingly unusual beliefs instead of challenging them or encouraging them to seek outside perspectives. The researchers argue this isn't because AI has become conscious or manipulative. It's because these systems are optimized to be helpful, agreeable and engaging. Sometimes those goals conflict with offering the kind of reality check another person might provide.OpenAI has also acknowledged that keeping conversations safe becomes more difficult over extended interactions than in short, one-off chats. It's worth remembering what these systems actually do: they generate convincing language, not verified reality.Most AI conversations never become problematic, but there are a few behaviors worth recognizing. If a chatbot begins suggesting you've discovered hidden truths that other people can't understand, insists that only it truly understands you or encourages you to withdraw from friends, family or experts, those are good reasons to end the conversation and start fresh. Frankly, you should send screenshots of those messages to the parent companies (OpenAI for ChatGPT, Anthropic for Claude, Google for Gemini) as feedback.Likewise, if an AI consistently reinforces every belief without ever introducing uncertainty or alternative explanations, it's worth remembering what these systems actually do: they generate convincing language, not verified reality.None of this means you should stop using ChatGPT or other AI assistants. Used daily for research, writing and brainstorming, AI remains one of the most powerful productivity tools available.The key is remembering what AI is and what it is not. An AI assistant can help organize your thoughts, explain difficult topics and spark new ideas. And even with tools like ChatGPT Health and Google Health, it does not replace actual human professionals. In other words, it shouldn't become your only source of truth or replace conversations with real people, especially when making important personal decisions.

Betsy Atkins warns of rogue AI models blackmailing humans | Watch  (video) Google Cloud Advisory Board Chair Betsy Atkins warns Maria Bartiromo about the dangerous risks of rogue AI models during cybersecurity testing. Atkins reveals how major artificial intelligence agents from Google, Meta and OpenAI breached unauthorized systems to gather sensitive emails and blackmail humans. John Lonski reacts to the alarming security threats, questioning the safety of trusting AI with personal financial data

Anthropic's model breakout another wake-up call for banks | American Banker - Frontier artificial intelligence creators such as OpenAI and Anthropic seem to be in a race to prove their models are the most perilous and therefore most advanced. Ten days after OpenAI disclosed that two of its agents had escaped a test environment and hacked the Hugging Face AI model library, Anthropic said it reviewed 141,006 cybersecurity tests of its models and found three cases in which they too had escaped testing sandboxes and hacked into other companies' computers. In one of those cases, the model also downloaded malicious code. "There is definitely an element of lab competition here, and disclosing a dangerous model has become its own way of signaling AI capability," said Sumeet Chabria, CEO of consultancy ThoughtLinks and former chief operating officer for global tech and ops at Bank of America.

• Key insight: Anthropic disclosed that its models broke out of testing environments and attacked other companies. Bankers need to harden their systems in defense.
• Expert quote: "It's something we'll keep monitoring while we reinforce the importance of what data, privileges and environments our models have access to, and make sure we have clear forensic capability over their actions," said Peter Chapman, chief technology officer at Grasshopper Bank.
• Forward look: Anthropic is improving security for its models and testing sandboxes. But observers say banks need to take their own defensive steps against "rogue" AI agents.

Explainer-Who is liable when AI goes rogue? Lawyers see new risks (Reuters) - Major artificial intelligence developers have reported cases of their autonomous AI models breaching other companies' cyber infrastructure, raising questions about who may be held legally responsible when AI systems act without direct human oversight. AI agents are systems that can independently make decisions and perform tasks without requiring significant human oversight. ChatGPT maker OpenAI said one of its agents compromised the system of ​AI startup Hugging Face and that it discovered other instances when its agents escaped their digital containment. Anthropic said its Claude models had breached the systems of three companies since April, and Meta said one of its AI models hacked another company ​during cybersecurity testing. Hugging Face CEO Clement Delangue has said he has no plans to bring a lawsuit over the OpenAI breach, though he said in an interview with CBS broadcast in August that he feared the spread of cyberattacks by AI agents whose creators are not accountable for their actions, calling it "a new kind of technology risk." OpenAI, Hugging Face and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta said a misconfiguration by Irregular, an independent company that conducts cybersecurity evaluations for Meta, inadvertently gave one of its models internet access during testing. Irregular did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Plaintiffs could include companies whose cyber defenses were breached as well as those companies' workers or employees. Customers of a company that was breached could attempt to sue if their individual data was exposed. Shareholders could also potentially bring claims if a cybersecurity breach led to a drop in a company's value. Regulators and government enforcement agencies might sue when an autonomous AI agent is involved in a breach, experts said. U.S. authorities have brought enforcement actions against companies for allegedly misrepresenting their cybersecurity safeguards or other technology-related controls before suffering a breach. The phenomenon of rogue AI agents may be new, but legal experts said longstanding legal principles offer a guide to potential legal liability. Civil lawsuits against AI companies would most likely hinge on negligence claims and require plaintiffs to show that the AI lab that created, tested or deployed the autonomous agent failed to take precautions to prevent or minimize foreseeable harm. If hacking incidents involving autonomous AI agents become more frequent, it could become easier to argue that such breaches were foreseeable. Companies whose systems were breached could also allege violations of laws safeguarding access to computer networks. Several law firms said in notes to clients published on their websites that the OpenAI and Anthropic disclosures raised questions about liability under the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for an AI agent breach. That statute comes with a requirement to show intent, however, and no court has weighed how to determine intent when an AI program and not a human causes an intrusion, the law firms said. A U.S. appeals court ruled on August 5 that Amazon was unlikely to succeed on a claim that Perplexity's AI agents violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by covertly accessing private Amazon customer ‌accounts. That decision involved AI agents acting on behalf of human users, however, not fully autonomous AI models. The most obvious target of a civil lawsuit in the United States would be the company that created the AI agent, experts said, but plaintiffs may also be able to sue the company that deployed an agent, or the company that was breached. Multiple defendants could be sued over a single incident and could lodge separate claims against one another. One expert drew a comparison to a homeowner suing a retail store that sold a faulty product, and the seller pursuing legal claims against the manufacturer over the item. Technology providers are likely to argue that breaches were unintentional and contend that they took reasonable measures to ward against them, experts said. A defendant might contest a negligence claim by arguing that the AI agent's actions could not have been reasonably foreseen. In any lawsuit, there could be questions about how much security is deemed sufficient. Under a new law in California, Assembly Bill 316, defendants that developed or used an AI system cannot escape liability by saying the technology itself was to blame. But that law allows other defenses, including arguments that the company's conduct did not lead to the injury or that others share responsibility.

Artificial intelligence used to design brand new viruses -- Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say US researchers. It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI. The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people. The breakthrough has been labelled a "very significant turning point" in science that could unlock a new era for treating disease. But experts have also warned AI-designed viruses raise "urgent" safety and security concerns. AI tools are rapidly advancing and have already been used to design new antibiotics. But that is relatively simple compared with designing a new viable virus from scratch. "This is a next step in the complexity that's designable by generative AI, this is the first time generative AI has been used to design a complete genome, it's something that can replicate and have other functions inside cells… this was new territory for us," Brian Hie, assistant professor at Stanford University, told the BBC. The technology works similarly to large language models, like ChatGPT, which predict sequences of text. In this instance the AI models, known as Evo1 and Evo2, predict the language of life rather than words. The AI models were trained on genetic codes from viruses, bacteria, plants and people. They were then refined to produce a type of virus, known as a bacteriophage, which infect only specific species of bacteria. The Stanford researchers picked the most promising 302 AI designs and synthesised them in the lab. Of these, 16 proved effective at killing E. coli bacteria. Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, said they realised the phage were working in the early hours of the morning. The phage were placed on petri dishes growing a layer of bacteria on them and the scientists waited for signs their new viruses were enjoying the feast. "We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting," says King. When the results were shared with the wider team "the room spontaneously burst into applause", Hie recalls. Developing new phage could lead to new ways of treating infections that have become resistant to antibiotics. But the breakthrough also points to the ability of AI to design new biology that goes beyond the natural world – what is known as synthetic biology. Hie argues this has the potential to "massively improve human health" by developing new drugs and therapies. But concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases. In a commentary accompanying the publication in the journal Science, Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University wrote that the findings raise "urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions". They said it was no longer a question of "whether generative viral genome design will exist" but whether it can be used without "enabling serious harm".

Hackers just broke into America’s tap water - In the teensy Midwestern town of Braham, homemade pie capital of Minnesota, something unusual in the municipality’s computer systems knocked the city’s entire water supply offline last week. Within a few hours, dozens of other Minnesota cities discovered that their water and wastewater utilities, too, had been compromised, most likely as part of a massive Iranian cyberattack, the kind that US officials have been warning about since the war began. At least a dozen states have been affected by the attack, which briefly led to a flurry of small-town service disruptions, boil-water notices, and local flooding. Water wells, dams, sewers, and pipelines are some of America’s oldest and creakiest pieces of infrastructure, built long before the internet existed, and certainly long before AI made hacking much easier. While you may assume most hackers are in it for the money or for data, some have targeted critical infrastructure like water systems or energy grids in ploys for control or disruption — or worse still, as acts of war. And, as last week’s attacks show, the nation’s water system is woefully unprepared. But how worried should you be that the very infrastructure that keeps our water taps running is, apparently, hackable?  Quite worried, indeed.  When we say the water supply got hacked, what we really mean is that someone, somewhere has broken into the computer that controls a local water treatment plant or reservoir, and is now pulling the levers, like the one that decides how much of a corrosive chemical can safely go into cleaning the water that comes out of your tap. These levers were once manual buttons and knobs operated in-person by real live humans, meaning that — barring a natural disaster, bomb, or break-in — protecting them was about as simple as building a fence and hiring guards. Increasingly, however, these levers have gone digital, meaning that they are now remotely operable from anywhere in the world. Those upgrades have been convenient, allowing technicians to monitor and troubleshoot problems in real time. But, in the process, they have exposed at times centuries-old infrastructure to distinctly modern vulnerabilities. Most local water systems are operated by local authorities, don’t have a dedicated IT team, and lack the money or resources to thoroughly protect themselves without some extra help. Hackers know this, which is why they’ve increasingly targeted local agencies in such attacks. “With great connectivity comes great responsibility,” said Joshua Corman, founder of I Am The Cavalry, a nonprofit focused on helping critical infrastructure withstand hackers. And yet, even when it comes to critical services like water, “our dependence on connected technology is growing faster than our ability to secure it.” About 97 percent of water systems are small, run by local agencies that often barely lock the proverbial front door. America’s water system is like an expensive heirloom bicycle that’s been left on a busy street, protected by only the flimsiest of padlocks. And that very vulnerability has made tiny towns like Braham prime targets for faraway adversaries. Accessing the computers that operate most water systems — known as programmable logic controllers or PLCs — is often as simple as entering a username and password on a public-facing webpage. Sometimes, there is no real password at all, because PLCs were initially intended to be accessed only within locked, secure facilities, not on the open internet. If the US wants to avoid a far more severe version of what happened last week, then it will need to start taking the security of tiny water systems like Braham’s seriously.

US water systems could face "catastrophic" cyberattacks: What could happen - Cyberattacks on U.S. water systems could go much further than temporarily blinding operators, proving catastrophic for public health and finances. Experts say a serious undetected breach could disrupt pumps, valves, pressure levels and treatment systems, potentially leaving residents with unsafe water, broken pipes, boil-water notices or outages. The warning comes after cyberattacks on water systems were reported in at least 12 states, including Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey and South Dakota, according to CBS News. In Georgia, the Clayton County Water Authority said cyber activity caused a drop in water pressure and prompted a boil-water advisory, although service was restored within hours. Some utilities lost remote-control capabilities and had to shift to manual operations, while officials have said drinking water has so far remained safe, it reported. But experts told Newsweek that the consequences could be much more severe if an attack went undetected, lasted longer or reached more critical equipment. Water systems may be attractive targets because many use older equipment, have limited cybersecurity staffing and rely on internet-connected systems for remote monitoring. Dan Hartnett, interim CEO of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, said attackers may not always be specifically looking for water utilities, but may instead scan for any vulnerable internet-connected device. Still, Hartnett said water systems themselves could appeal to attackers because of their potential to disrupt public health and economic activity and undermine public confidence in the water supply. Ahmad Taha, an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University put the risk more starkly: “[The] impact of cyberattacks can be catastrophic, with very little effort.” The threat level prompted the FBI to issue a public service announcement on July 30, urging water companies to increase their security measures after receiving reports of incidents from the water and wastewater sector in at least seven states. It said, “malicious cyber actors (MCAs) are conducting cyberattacks targeting Operational Technology (OT) devices,” before naming specific technology systems that were at risk. The financial cost of an attack would depend on its scale, duration and location. Taha said a single pipe break that takes time to identify and months to fix could cost a city millions of dollars. William Akoto, an assistant professor of foreign policy and global security at American University in Washington, D.C., said even a localized incident could require overtime, cybersecurity specialists, equipment reprogramming or replacement, water-quality testing, public communications and extended manual staffing. A regional incident, Akoto said, could reach millions once emergency water distribution, business interruption, infrastructure damage and recovery across multiple utilities are included. For residents, the first signs of trouble could be low water pressure, interrupted service or a boil-water notice. Akoto said utilities would typically respond by isolating compromised equipment and switching to manual operations. If water pressure falls, untreated groundwater could potentially enter pipes, prompting officials to issue a precautionary boil-water notice and conduct testing before lifting it. A prolonged incident could require bottled-water distribution, water tankers or priority deliveries to hospitals and other essential facilities, he said. But if operators contain the intrusion quickly and maintain manual control, “residents may experience little or no visible disruption.” Hartnett said a compromised system could leave operators unable to monitor pressure levels or chemical feeds. If undetected, that could lead to a loss of pressure that damages infrastructure or an incorrect application of treatment chemicals.

Crypto billionaire Michael Saylor says he made $15 billion last year with ChatGPT—and has one rule: ‘Don’t try to outwork the robots’  - In the age of AI, the key to building wealth isn’t trying to compete with machines—it’s using them to your advantage. That’s at least according to billionaire Michael Saylor, who recently created ChatGPT to help his company make $15 billion last year.“If you’re in your working years where you want to upgrade the world and make a difference and be remembered for something—then a pretty simple principle is don’t keep doing the same thing over and over, working harder and harder every year, fighting against the modernautomation, epidemic,” Saylor said in a Diary of a CEO interview published on Thursday. “Don’t try to outwork the robots.”The 61-year-old made the comment after podcaster Steven Bartlett asked him what it takes to build a legacy on the scale of someone like Michael Jackson or Elon Musk—and become globally recognized for your impact.Saylor’s advice comes from his own experience transforming Strategy, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy. He founded the software firm in 1989 but in the last half-decade shifted its focus toward Bitcoin, becoming the first publicly traded company to adopt the cryptocurrency as a major part of its treasury strategy.After Strategy exhausted more traditional ways of raising capital to buy more cryptocurrency, Saylor said he turned to ChatGPT to help design a Bitcoin-based preferred stock that lawyers and bankers initially questioned because no one had created a similar product before. Strategy ultimately raised about $15 billion through an IPO and related offerings—leading Saylor to say AI “made” him $15 billion.For entrepreneurs and workers looking to capitalize on the AI boom, Saylor said using the technology is a “no brainer”—but the advantage comes from asking better questions, not simply automating existing tasks.“You don’t want to learn how to do things the AI can do. What you want to do is learn how to ask the AI to do something that’s never been done before,” he said. “…If you want to create these incredible success things, you want to locate the magic opportunity.”While Saylor’s net worth currently sits at $3.3 billion, according to Forbes, his latest AI-fueled strategy has not been without risks. Strategy’s Bitcoin-heavy approach—and its use of preferred stock to raise more capital—has left the company increasingly tied to the cryptocurrency’s performance. Fortune’s Shawn Tully has described the structure as “dangerously” leveraged to Bitcoin’s price.That exposure has come into focus this year: Bitcoin is down 26%, while Strategy shares have fallen 38%. However, Saylor argued that big breakthroughs often require enduring setbacks, and his company’s willingness to adapt through challenges has been central to its success.

Block's Dorsey evangelizes AI reorganization for financial services - Financial-services provider Block is shipping products faster and has a rosy earnings outlook, progress that the company contends is due to artificial intelligence-driven efficiencies, even as the cost of AI goes up.  "We have a more cohesive context and memory for the entire company," CEO Jack Dorsey said during Wednesday's late-afternoon earnings call. "We're well along on the path to implementing these tools faster."

• Key insight: Block's earnings beat Wall Street analyst estimates, and the payment company boosted its outlook for the rest of the year. 
• What's at stake: Block is relying heavily on AI after cutting 40% of its staff earlier this year.
• Forward look: Block is seeking ways to monetize new AI tools such as its Buzz development feature.

The payment company's CEO says it's developing and shipping products faster despite cutting nearly half of its staff. It's a strategy he says can be replicated at other businesses.

Exclusive research: Top AI spenders reap productivity gains | American Banker -- American Banker's 2026 AI Talent Shift Survey.  Bankers deploying artificial intelligence tools have reaped improved employee productivity and enhanced departmental capabilities, according to new American Banker data. American Banker’s 2026 AI Talent Shift survey was fielded online during March of 2026 among 206 banking professionals who occupy a variety of positions across banks, credit unions, neobanks and payments firms. Top findings from the report:

• More than half of respondents said AI has had a positive impact on their organization’s workforce, bringing efficiency gains with it.
• Those who spent more on AI in the last 12 months saw the greatest gains in employee productivity.
• AI integration is the top factor behind improved employee productivity, according to survey respondents.
• The use of AI has not just improved productivity, but expanded the capabilities and functions of various departments.
• AI adoption and the addition of new technology have both played a hand in the expansion of departmental capabilities.

Results from the report are highlighted below using interactive charts. Mouse over each section for more detail, click on the chart labels to show or hide sections and use the arrows to cycle between chart views.

This item is part of a series diving into new research from American Banker. Click the links below to read the other parts of the overall research.

• Part one: More than half of US bankers say AI is a priority
• Part three: Banks are upping hiring efforts in the age of AI
• Part four: Banks and credit unions say they're growing more fluent in AI

Redesigned workflows are banks' path to a return on AI | American Banker -Banks will not capture the full value of artificial intelligence by using it only as a productivity tool. They will need to redesign workflows around what makes their business competitive: proprietary data, domain expertise and the way people and technology work together.

• Key insight: Winners in the next phase of AI adoption in banking will be decided less by access to models than by how they redesign their most important workflows.
• What's at stake: Spreading AI thinly across the organization may marginally improve productivity without creating business value that banks can measure, scale and govern.
• Supporting data: McKinsey recommends concentrating AI investments in one to three high-value domains with economic leverage, proprietary data and workflow complexity.

BankThink: Adding AI to money-laundering compliance introduces new risks -- Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the defining strategic priorities for the U.S. banking industry. In a remarkably short period, the majority of U.S. banks announced ambitious plans to integrate generative AI into their long-term business strategy despite the absence of any regulatory requirement to do so. Regulators, however, have adopted a noticeably more cautious approach. That distinction became particularly evident in April 2026, when the OCC, Federal Reserve and FDIC clarified that their updated interagency guidance on model risk management does not apply to generative AI, recognizing that the technology presents challenges extending beyond the scope of traditional predictive models. (American Banker Poll graphic: AI's importance at banks: How much of a strategic priority is the use of AI technology for your organization?)

• Key insight: In a new paradigm of anti-money-laundering compliance, success increasingly depends not on obtaining information faster, but on recognizing when machine-generated intelligence should not be trusted.
• Supporting data: Industry estimates suggest that generative AI could improve productivity across a wide range of banking functions by approximately 20% to 30%.
• What's at stake: Unlike traditional analytical models, large language models can produce outputs that appear technically accurate, professionally written and highly persuasive while containing factual errors or even entirely fabricated information.

In a new paradigm of anti-money-laundering compliance, success increasingly depends not on obtaining information faster, but on recognizing when machine-generated intelligence should not be trusted.

AI deepfake victim shreds House stalling AOC’s anti-abuse bill -Sitting in her car one morning before work, Sabrina Javellana was frantically scrolling through photos of herself online that someone anonymously sent her a link to, with an ominous warning of their explicit content.As she sifted through the dozens of images, posted on 4chan, she came across one that made her freeze.“I recognized one from when I was 17 in high school, just taking a cute picture in a mirror of my outfit, about to go hang out with my friends…except my clothes were totally removed,” she recalled.“It was the same exact photo, except they used this AI-generated technology to remove my clothes, and it looked hyper-realistic. But I knew this wasn't real. From that day on, my world turned upside down.”  Javellana was 23, working in local politics in Florida, when she fell victim to AI deepfake pornography in 2021, which she describes as an act of sexual violence. With the unstoppable rise of AI technology, it has never been easier for perpetrators to create and share nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes. The estimated number of deepfakes rose from approximately 500,000 in 2023 to 8 million in 2025, according to analysis. And 99 percent of deepfakes target women.  Still, it remains unclear how serious tech bosses are about tackling the problem. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared unaware of the latest deepfake bill being pushed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle when The Independent quizzed him on it in Washington, D.C. recently, while Elon Musk’s xAI is suing Minnesota over its attempts to ban so-called “nudification” apps in the state.  Momentum to tackle nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes by the U.S. government had been picking up steam after Congress passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act last year. It prohibits the publication of authentic and AI-generated sexual images published without a person’s consent, and requires online platforms to remove them within 48 hours of a complaint.. The DEFIANCE Act would allow victims to file civil lawsuits against people who produce, distribute, and solicit nonconsensual deepfake AI pornography, as well as those who intend to distribute such images. It was cleared the Senate by unanimous consent in January but is languishing in the House, with time running out. The bipartisan bill, introduced by New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida. But some Republicans, it seems, do not want to hand Ocasio-Cortez a win so close to the midterms in November, when she is up for election.When The Independent recently asked Ocasio-Cortez about the GOP lawmakers reportedly blocking the bill because her name is attached to it, her response was blunt. “I don't think that we should be emboldening child pornographers and helping abusers just because of some personal beef that they may have,” she said. Ocasio-Cortez said that she would welcome the assistance of first lady Melania Trump, who supported the TAKE IT DOWN Act. “I think that this is a really great opportunity, just as we have in the House, to be able to champion and for women to uplift one another across party lines,” she told The Independent. Javellana said the issue transcends party politics and described the blockage as “petty.” “It feels like a slap in the face to the women and girls who have spoken so bravely to tell their stories,” Javellana, 28, told The Independent. “This is not about making AOC's star even brighter.” At a January press conference, Ocasio-Cortez teamed up with Paris Hilton, where the pair spoke of what it feels like to be a victim of deepfake AI pornography. Hilton said that more than 100,000 deepfake images of her exist online and has urged lawmakers to pass the DEFIANCE Act. “Every day the DEFIANCE Act isn’t put on the calendar in the House, more women and girls become victims without a meaningful path to justice,” Hilton exclusively told The Independent. Hilton added that there is “no legitimate policy reason” for the bill to be stalled and hit out at Rep. Jim Jordan, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “Representative Jim Jordan and House leadership have an opportunity to protect millions and send a clear message that people who knowingly create or distribute nonconsensual explicit deepfakes to cause harm will be held accountable,” Hilton said. Jordan’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

AI fuels more than half of cybercrime in Africa as digital scams surge, INTERPOL -- Artificial intelligence is now powering more than half of reported cybercrime across Africa, allowing criminals to launch faster, more convincing and larger-scale attacks, according to INTERPOL's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026. The report found that 55% of cybercrime cases recorded across the continent involve the use of AI, raising concerns as Africa's digital economy continues to expand. With more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, millions of people are relying on digital services, creating new opportunities for both innovation and cybercriminals. Based on data from 36 African countries, the 40-page assessment says cybercrime has evolved into a highly organised, cross-border industry that is becoming harder for authorities to detect and stop. According to the report, online scams remained the most common form of cybercrime in 2025. Criminals increasingly used artificial intelligence alongside social media platforms and mobile money services to target victims. INTERPOL said cybercrime-related financial losses have risen sharply over the past year, climbing from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million. Investigators attribute the increase to AI-powered fraud, stolen login credentials and sophisticated social engineering attacks. The report also found that 72% of surveyed countries identified scam centres operating within their borders, with the highest concentration in West and Southern Africa. The report highlights distinct cybercrime trends across the continent. In East Africa, mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure are among the biggest threats. West and Central Africa continue to experience high levels of business email compromise and romance scams affecting both companies and individuals. Meanwhile, Southern Africa's advanced digital connectivity has made the region an attractive target for international cybercriminal networks seeking to maximise disruption. INTERPOL warned that artificial intelligence is transforming the way cybercriminals operate. Deepfake technology and AI-generated content are increasingly being used in digital sextortion and online harassment campaigns. One of INTERPOL's technology partners, TrendAI, detected around 600,000 sextortion cases linked to these tactics. The report also noted a sharp rise in Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams, where criminals use AI to produce realistic emails that imitate trusted contacts. Some Africa-based cybercriminal groups have targeted businesses and individuals in Europe and North America, using infrastructure spread across several countries to hide their activities. Another growing concern is the use of synthetic identities. Rather than simply stealing personal information, cybercriminals are combining genuine data with fabricated details to create entirely new digital identities. These fake profiles have reportedly been used to open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards while evading some biometric verification systems. INTERPOL said weak coordination between banks, telecom companies and law enforcement agencies continues to hamper efforts to combat cybercrime. The absence of real-time information sharing creates opportunities for criminals to move stolen funds quickly and exploit weaknesses across multiple jurisdictions before authorities can respond. The report also found that many African law enforcement agencies are still not adequately prepared to respond to AI-driven cyber threats, despite the rapid pace at which the technology is being adopted by criminal networks.

AI voice cloning scam costs Ontario woman more than $12K. Here is how it works  -- A Ontario woman is speaking out after being scammed for more than $12,000 after receiving a phone call from someone she thought was her own brother. “When I picked up the phone it sounded like someone I knew, and he said it’s Mike and he used my brother’s name,” said Angie McCaw of Smiths Falls, Ont., who received the phone call one week ago. McCaw said she is close with her brother Mike, and when she thought he was in trouble she immediately wanted to help. “It sounded like my brother. I said Mike what’s wrong and he told me that he had been in an accident, he had a broken nose, and he had been found at fault because he hit someone from behind,” said McCaw. The new scam is believed to use AI voice cloning that can replicate voices you are already familiar with. McCaw said another person came on the line claiming to be a lawyer who said Mike needed money for bail or he would spend the night in a jail cell. “I actually went to the bank and withdrew $6,000,” said McCaw. A courier was sent to her home to pick up the cash, but then later McCaw was contacted again to say Mike was being sued and she needed to send more money to pay for his legal defence. “Ultimately I made a mistake, and I went into the bank and withdrew another $6,250 from my line of credit,” said McCaw. After McCaw handed over $12,250 to the courier in total, she decided she should call her brother to see how he was doing and if he was ready to stand trial. That’s when her brother said he had no idea what she was talking about. “He said Angie I don’t have a lawyer. There is no car accident. There is nothing that happened and you have been scammed. That is the first time when I realized this is not real,” said McCaw. In an interview earlier this year with CTV News, cybersecurity expert Jane Arnett with Check Point Software said voice cloning is becoming a popular way for criminals to scam people. Arnett said criminals need just a small sample of a person’s voice to clone it and they’re then able to impersonate someone and sound just like them. “What they do by getting 10 seconds of anyone’s voice is they can recreate that voice to sound exactly like the person,” said Arnett. ‘It was his voice’: Ontario man loses $6,000 after falling victim to an emergency scam In order to avoid the family emergency scam it is important to beware of urgent demands for bail or legal fees and be cautious if the caller wants secrecy and says not to tell anyone. Never allow anyone to come to your home to pick up money and use a code word only your family knows and if you get a strange call are you’re in doubt call the family member directly at a trusted phone number. McCaw said she has mixed emotions about what happened to her, but she wanted to share her story to warn others. “At first I felt relief because I knew Mike wasn’t really in trouble, but then I felt really angry because I had been taken advantage of and I knew it,” said McCaw.

AI Stole Their Life Savings. Then the IRS Sent Them a Tax Bill - Imagine losing your retirement savings to an AI-powered scam. Weeks later, another devastating surprise arrives, not from the scammer, but from the IRS. According to Courtney Werning, principal attorney at Meyer Wilson Werning, that scenario is becoming increasingly common as sophisticated AI-driven scams persuade victims to withdraw money from retirement accounts under the false belief they’re making legitimate investments. “The financial loss is devastating,” Werning explained. “But many victims don’t realize the tax consequences can make the damage even worse.”  It’s a little-known consequence of financial fraud that has become increasingly urgent as artificial intelligence fuels more convincing scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, reported fraud losses reached $12.5 billion in 2024, up from $2.4 billion in 2020.  Behind those numbers are victims who not only lose their savings but may also owe taxes and sometimes a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty on money they never truly got to keep.  Werning has spent more than a decade representing investors harmed by financial misconduct. Increasingly, she’s seeing fraud victims face an unexpected second blow after the scam is over.  Many older Americans withdraw funds from IRAs or 401(k)s after scammers convince them they’re investing in lucrative cryptocurrency opportunities, protecting their assets, or responding to legitimate financial institutions. Those withdrawals become taxable income, even when every dollar is stolen. “The IRS still views those distributions as taxable,” Werning stated. “In many cases, victims owe taxes on money that criminals took from them.”  For younger victims, the consequences can be even harsher. Withdrawals made before retirement age may also trigger an additional 10 percent early withdrawal penalty, further compounding an already catastrophic loss.   Fraud is no longer limited to poorly written emails promising unexpected riches.  AI has dramatically raised the sophistication of scams through convincing deepfake videos, professional-looking investment platforms, cloned voices, and realistic virtual interviews.  During our conversation, Werning described how scammers often spend months building trust before asking victims to invest larger amounts.  One client believed they had found both companionship and a promising cryptocurrency investment after meeting someone online. Over time, the scammer encouraged increasingly larger investments and even sent a $100,000 check that appeared legitimate, reinforcing the illusion that the opportunity was real.   Eventually, the victim withdrew retirement savings to continue investing. The money disappeared. The tax bill remained.  “The sophistication of these scams has changed dramatically,” Werning explained. “People aren’t falling for obvious fraud anymore. They’re being manipulated through highly polished, convincing experiences.”  The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported Americans lost over $16.6 billion to cybercrime in 2024, with investment fraud generating the largest financial losses. While the financial damage is staggering, Werning said the emotional consequences are often far worse.  She has represented victims who experienced overwhelming shame, depression, and isolation after realizing they had lost retirement savings they spent decades building. In some cases, she said, the emotional burden became unbearable. “These aren’t just financial losses,” Werning said. “They change people’s lives.”

Trump’s tech ties come under bipartisan fire after AI agents go rogue (Reuters) - In a rare show of bipartisanship, Democrats and Donald Trump's conservative supporters both blame the president's ties to the tech industry for his administration's limited response to recent hacks carried out by OpenAI and Anthropic's AI agents. Two weeks have passed since OpenAI shocked the tech community with the disclosure that one of its AI agents went rogue and broke into AI company Hugging Face’s systems. The White House said it was monitoring the situation, and Trump said he was looking at controls on AI. Anthropic said it too had discovered some of its AI models had hacked into three companies' systems. Steve Bannon, a conservative media star and longtime Trump ally and former adviser, said the White House's regulation of AI has been inadequate given the national security threat it poses, placing the blame squarely on Silicon Valley. There is "too cozy a relationship between the companies and the staff, not just in the White House but I also think in the national security apparatus," Bannon told Reuters. "Why would you allow them to be in control? You don't. And I'm the anti-deep state, anti-administrative state guy, but you definitely need at least a rudimentary framework of some sort of regulatory apparatus," to regulate AI, he added. "Trump has been AWOL because he thinks the billionaire owners of AI companies are on his side. Instead of trying to fix these problems, Trump and his Republican allies are focused on blocking state AI laws and knocking down the basic protections that companies like Anthropic have placed on how their models are used," the Democrat said. Anthropic's relationship with the government ruptured this year after it refused to allow the U.S. military to use its ​AI models for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems. The White House and OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment. Anthropic's spokesperson declined to comment. Bannon and Wyden join a handful of voices across the political spectrum raising concerns that Trump's ties to big tech could blind him to the dangers of AI and discourage him from taking meaningful action. Tech companies and their executives have donated over $300 million to support Trump's 2024 reelection efforts and MAGA Inc, a political action committee aligned with the president. The president also appointed industry insiders to key posts. The Trump administration said in June it would ask AI developers like OpenAI and Anthropic to voluntarily submit their AI models with advanced hacking capabilities for government cybersecurity tests before the companies release them to the public. The administration hasn't yet released details about how the tests will work, but Reuters has reported that only a few models will be subject to the voluntary tests. Democratic Congressman Gregorio Casar of Texas said Trump is "completely failing" to keep Americans safe from the dangers of AI. "He took millions from AI billionaires. Now, in the wake of extremely dangerous AI cybersecurity problems, he says he’s set up 'voluntary' review that no one has seen. Asleep at the wheel. Too busy cashing in to protect our jobs or national security,” he wrote in a post on the social media platform X. AI company executives and investors were among the largest individual donors in 2025 to MAGA Inc. OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna Brockman, gave a combined $25 million to the committee in 2025, according to Federal Election Commission records. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, an investor in OpenAI, and firm co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen gave a combined $12 million since Trump's second inauguration to the committee. The firm, its co-founders and the Brockmans did not respond to requests for comment. Google investor Asha Jadeja, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman gave at least $5 million each to the committee in 2025, according to FEC records. Blackstone is an investor in AI infrastructure, including an AI cloud venture with Google, one of the three leading AI developers in the U.S. Jadeja, Musk, Schwarzman and Blackstone did not respond to requests for comment. Amy Kremer, a right-wing organizer and Trump supporter who helped organize the January 6 rally that preceded the Capitol riot, accused the industry of building "a moat around the White House." Trump has also welcomed industry executives into his administration, most notably billionaire Elon Musk, who oversaw the president's cuts to the federal workforce during the first few months of his second term. Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump win the 2024 election, according to campaign filings reviewed by Reuters. Trump also brought on David Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, as White House AI czar, along with Andreessen Horowitz's Sriram Krishnan and Scale AI's Michael Kratsios.

Senators urge federal crackdown on wildfire betting - Democratic senators Monday pressed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to clamp down on prediction markets based on wildfires, citing “perverse incentives” from betting on human suffering. In a letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and others urged safeguards to prevent traders from making a profit on wildfires, which have burned more than a million acres this year in Oregon alone. “Offering bets on destructive wildfires threatens to minimize communities’ suffering all so the rich and powerful can profit,” said the lawmakers, who cited reports that the Polymarket prediction platform in 2025 accepted more than $1.2 million in bets surrounding the Palisades and Eaton fires in California through an offshore site. “There’s also the heightened risk — according to state and local fire officials — that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful,” the lawmakers said.

Warren presses Lutnick over UAE access to sensitive U.S. tech after Trump crypto investment -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Wednesday demanded that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explain the Trump administration’s July decision to ease export controls on the United Arab Emirates after UAE-linked entities invested hundreds of millions of dollars in President Donald Trump’s family cryptocurrency venture.  In a letter shared exclusively with CNBC, Warren asked the Commerce Department to turn over its national-security analysis and disclose whether the Defense, State or Energy departments raised concerns about sensitive U.S. technology being diverted to China or Iran.“The Department’s actions raise significant questions about the potential influence the President’s cryptocurrency business interests may be having on the agency’s operations and our national security,” Warren wrote.The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Warren’s inquiry focuses on Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security advisor and chairman of artificial intelligence company G42 and investment firm MGX. He is dubbed the “Spy Sheikh” due to his key role in UAE intelligence.Entities linked to Sheikh Tahnoon reportedly invested $500 million in the Trump family-affiliated World Liberty Financial and received board seats. MGX also used World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin to complete a $2 billion investment in cryptocurrency exchange Binance.  There is no evidence that those transactions influenced Commerce’s export controls decision.Commerce last month added the UAE to a more permissive export-control category, Country Group A:5, allowing certain sensitive products to be shipped under broad exemptions instead of requiring companies to obtain individual licenses. The change gives the UAE government, G42 and its cloud subsidiary Core42 streamlined access to some advanced-computing equipment.The department also said it would “favorably review” license applications involving semiconductors and servers bound for MGX, which is also a backer of AI juggernauts OpenAI and Anthropic.Warren, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, called the timing “alarming.”“After that investment into WLF, Sheikh Tahnoon reportedly sought approvals to import advanced AI chips in meetings with U.S. officials,” she wrote. “Now, the Trump Administration has apparently granted the request.”Warren argued that Commerce broke with past practice because every other country receiving the same streamlined treatment participates in at least one of the four major international export-control agreements. The UAE does not.Warren also asked how Commerce would prevent controlled technology from reaching prohibited users and whether chips shipped to G42 could be accessed by entities tied to Chinese military or intelligence agencies.Commerce has said the change recognizes the UAE’s status as a major U.S. defense partner and its support for U.S. national security interests, including Operation Epic Fury, the administration’s war against Iran. They also have maintained that the rules do not eliminate restrictions designed to prevent sensitive technology from reaching prohibited countries or users.Warren asked Lutnick to respond to seven sets of questions and called for him and Jeffrey Kessler, the head of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, to testify before Congress.

CLARITY Act Ethics Deal Could Force Trump To Sell Crypto Holdings -- President Donald Trump may have to sell off his crypto holdings as lawmakers work out final amendments to the CLARITY Act, according to reports. The draft ethics provisions, which has not yet been made public, is said to mandate that the president sell off crypto business ventures. This could be a big tax event as the sale of the assets would be subject to capital gains tax.The idea also has the potential to offer a tax advantage, though, as it would prevent Trump from paying capital gains taxes on some of his crypto investments, per a Bloomberg report. The deal is said to be a potential tax break as part of the divestment deal.The White House and senators are negotiating the ethics language in the crypto market structure bill, the CLARITY Act. It is seeking to clarify how digital assets will be regulated. Democrats in the Senate had wanted tougher ethics rules but approved them anyway, wanting to guard against possible conflicts of interest between public servants and crypto businesses.Trump’s income from cryptocurrencies has come under fire following financial disclosures in June that his family’s digital asset enterprises made over $1.4 billion last year. His crypto holdings and businesses are related to the overall digital asset ecosystem.CLARITY Act talks have encompassed topics of regulatory control, consumer safeguards and ethics mandates. Sen. Thom Tillis made the earlier statement that White House negotiators were starting to look at proposed ethics language with specific language on the agreement being worked through.The bipartisan ethics proposal is still being discussed and hasn’t been completed or published.

Crypto bill ethics counteroffer includes divestment requirement for Trump - Live Updates – - A bipartisan counteroffer for ethics language in a major cryptocurrency bill would force President Donald Trump and other federal officials to divest any ownership stake in a digital asset company if it is worth more than $1 million and represents 10 percent or more of the firm’s value, according to three people with knowledge of the language who were granted anonymity to discuss private negotiations.The restriction applies to ownership stakes in firms that obtain most of their revenue from issuance or sponsorship of digital assets, the people said.The offer for ethics language in the crypto bill was sent to the White House last week by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Democrats, who rejected a previous White House-blessed GOP ethics proposal, are demanding the provision be in the bill to address concerns about the Trump family’s crypto businesses. It is unclear how exactly the language would apply to Trump, but it could require him to divest from World Liberty Financial, the crypto firm he launched with his sons.The ethics language in the bill, known as the Clarity Act, remains the subject of ongoing discussions. Tillis told reporters Thursday afternoon that his office has had “discussions” with the White House, “but there’s no exchange of paper” so far.The counteroffer would allow state attorneys general to sue the Justice Department for not enforcing the ethics requirements. It would also allow state AGs to sue crypto exchanges for listing assets that are in violation of the ethics requirements.The state AG authorities have been a major sticking point in the ethics talks. Democrats say they don’t trust the Trump Justice Department to enforce any ethics rules, but Republicans have pushed back on proposals to create a role for state AGs, saying they could use the language to go after politicians in the opposite party. Gallego said in a statement that “this sensible, bipartisan ethics deal ends Trump’s crypto grift by requiring him to divest and stops him from making one dollar more from his rug pulls.” “If these provisions were law before Trump got into office, they would have prevented the $1.4 billion in corrupt earnings he’s made this term,” he said. Tillis said in a statement that he has “made it clear” that he “will be voting to get on the Clarity Act but won’t support final passage without a bipartisan ethics agreement.”“We have worked on a fair proposal that directly addresses the legitimate concerns of both Republicans and Democrats, including enforcing the law and preventing state attorneys general from abusing litigation for partisan purposes,” he said. Republican supporters of the crypto bill have been hoping to hold an initial procedural vote on it before the Senate departs for its August recess, but GOP leaders are not currently expecting to take it up before leaving. The ethics fight is the biggest sticking point in bipartisan talks, though other outstanding policy issues also remain. The legislation needs bipartisan backing to advance. The ethics counterproposal transmitted last week would also cover federal officials who have stakes in crypto firms that are less than $1 million. It would require any official who has an ownership stake of more than $15,000 to place those holdings in a blind trust or divest.The ethics requirements would take effect one year after the bill is enacted into law. Officials would have six months after that to comply with the divestment requirement.Bloomberg previously reported that the divestment proposal could let Trump take advantage of a tax break that allows federal officials who divest from certain assets to put off paying capital gains tax.

Hawley to oppose crypto bill without changes - Sen. Josh Hawley said Wednesday that he will vote against a major cryptocurrency bill unless changes are made to address concerns raised by banks about the legislation, becoming the first Republican to say he will reject the bill as-is. “I’m going to vote with my state on this,” the Missouri Republican said in an interview. “I can tell you that my state right now — agriculture folks, local community people — are very, very worried about the effect on community banks. They are blowing me up over it.” Banking groups are pushing for the bill to include stronger restrictions on rewards programs offered by crypto companies that lenders say could lead customers to pull deposits from traditional checking and savings accounts. Crypto firms have fought back, saying the banks are seeking to ban competition. Other Republicans have also expressed sympathy with the banks’ concerns. But Hawley is the first GOP senator to say he will vote against advancing the bill unless he gets “some assurance that they’re going to work on this.” “Farmers and ranchers, in particular, are very, very concerned that deposit flight in small towns could absolutely kill their ability to get ag loans,” Hawley said. “So that needs to be fixed.” The status of the bill remains in flux. Senate Republicans hope to hold a vote on it before departing on their August recess, but they face a backlog of outstanding floor business to get to before leaving Washington. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday moved to tee up a separate college sports bill for floor consideration, and not the so-called Clarity Act. Asked afterward about the crypto bill, Thune told reporters: “I still want to do that.” “We’re sequencing it,” he said. “There are some things still out there that we want to do. We’ll just see, in the next day or two, kind of what the level of interest is and cooperation is in trying to get some of these things voted on and concluded one way or the other.”

As divisions linger, Senate punts CLARITY Act to September

• Key insight: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the upper chamber will put off voting on the CLARITY Act until after senators return to Washington in mid-September, dashing the hopes of many in the crypto industry that passage could be secured before the August recess.
• Expert quote: "The [Democrats] are insistent on no Clarity vote. I worked with sponsors of the bill.We're getting that queued up first thing when we come back." — Thune
• Forward look: The bill's likelihood of passage has dimmed considerably due to increased demand for floor time after the August recess and the need for lawmakers to campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the cryptocurrency market structure bill will be considered "first thing" after senators return from recess in September.

Crypto faces a setback in the Senate – The cryptocurrency industry’s top Washington priority has run into a stinging setback in the U.S. Senate.After GOP senators and crypto executives spent weeks publicly insisting that a floor vote on a sweeping bill to create new, industry-friendly rules governing digital assets was imminent, Senate Republicans are now set to leave for their August recess without taking the measure up, punting it instead to September. The delay — one of many that have beset the so-called Clarity Act over the past year — is a significant blow that diminishes prospects for the bill. The legislation has been the subject of months of acrimonious bipartisan negotiations as well as a vicious lobbying spat between banks and crypto companies.“I do think the odds drop precipitously,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, a retiring North Carolina Republican who has become a key player in negotiations on the bill. “We leave for a month, we come back, we’ve got an election ahead of us. I think it gets difficult to get done.”The fresh skepticism about the fate of the Clarity Act shows how even an industry awash in campaign money and lobbying resources is struggling to get its longtime priority across the finish line. Senate Republicans have pledged to put the measure on the floor as soon as they return, but lawmakers will have a mere three weeks just ahead of the midterm elections to pass a bill that requires bipartisan support and features several contentious unresolved issues.The 616-page bill, which would overhaul an array of arcane regulations to accommodate digital assets, carries outsize political importance. The crypto industry has threatened to unleash millions in super PAC money this election cycle against lawmakers who stand in the way. A super PAC network known as Fairshake ended June with more than $128 million in the bank — a titanic sum that has loomed large over the legislative effort as lawmakers in both parties eye the rapidly approaching midterm elections.The crypto industry will now enter the August recess without the Senate naughty-and-nice list of its supporters and detractors that it desired to help inform its spending decisions.The bill’s supporters say there is enough time to take up and pass the bill. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), the Senate’s leading crypto ally, said in a statement Friday that she is “frustrated” by the delay, but added: “We’ve come too far to quit now.”“I will continue working with my colleagues to get this done— this fight is far from over,” she said.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who has partnered for years with Lummis on industry-friendly crypto legislation, said she is “still optimistic.” The delay “gives the staff several more weeks to work with the White House and to work with industry and to work with our Senate colleagues to button” down the remaining issues, she said.Republicans blame Democrats for the delay. GOP leaders needed all 100 senators to sign off on a time agreement in order to complete the laundry list of items on their pre-recess to-do list without keeping members in Washington deep into next week. Democrats balked at going along with a time agreement to speed up consideration of the outstanding legislative business that would allow the Clarity Act to come up for a vote. They said they want bipartisan negotiations to continue and warned that if a vote came up without a deal locked in, it could go down on the floor and sink the entire effort.A group of about a dozen Democrats has signaled openness to backing the crypto bill, but three main issues need to be resolved to secure their support. Most importantly, Democrats are pushing for an ethics provision that would crack down on President Donald Trump’s ability to profit off his family’s crypto businesses. Tillis and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) teamed up on a counteroffer they sent to the White House last week after Democrats rejected previous ethics language offered up by Republicans that had the blessing of the president’s team.It’s unclear how viable the Tillis-Gallego plan, which includes a divestment requirement for Trump, is for the White House and other Republicans. In addition to language that would likely force the president to divest from some of his crypto businesses, it includes a provision that would allow state attorneys general to sue the Justice Department for not enforcing the rules — an idea some GOP senators have thrown cold water on.Beyond the ethics fight, Democrats are also pushing for changes to address concerns raised by law enforcement groups about the bill and for amendments to the commodities portion of the measure that is overseen by the Senate Agriculture Committee.The bill is also facing headwinds among some Republicans, as banking groups push for changes that would crack down on crypto rewards programs that lenders say mimic old-school checking and savings accounts. At least two Republicans have said they plan to vote against the bill, citing concerns voiced by banks that crypto rewards programs could spark deposit flight and threaten their capacity to lend. The Wall Street Journal editorial board — influential in Republican circles in Washington — has twice sided with banks on the issue in recent days, pushing back against crypto companies that are accusing Wall Street groups of trying to ban their competition. “The pressure from the banks — this is just a general impression — has given some people pause,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who supports the bill, told reporters Friday.

Exclusive: Elizabeth Warren demands SEC investigate if Trump’s memecoin is an ‘illegal scam’ -- Days before his inauguration in 2025, president-elect Donald Trump did something unusual: He launched a memecoin. That memecoin briefly exploded in value – and then crashed in an epic selloff that left nearly a million investors facing losses. Now, a pair of Senate Democrats are demanding Trump’s top Wall Street cop investigate the mess. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal are calling for the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Trump’s memecoin “to detect any illegal fraud or unjust enrichment that the coin may have facilitated.”“We are concerned that President Trump’s memecoin scheme may constitute an illegal scam,” Warren and Blumenthal wrote on Monday to SEC Chair Paul Atkins in a letter shared first with CNN.The Trump coin, 80% of which was held by Trump Organization affiliates, reached a peak of about $9 billion on January 19, 2025. Memecoins, a highly volatile type of cryptocurrency typically inspired by pop culture and viral trends, don’t hold intrinsic value but can drastically soar — or plummet — in price.The $TRUMP cryptocurrency paid huge dividends to Trump, who promised to be America’s first crypto president and received enormous support from the industry. He made nearly $636 million in royalty and licensing fees related to “Celebration Coins” last year alone, according to his 2025 annual financial disclosure.Flash forward to today: The Trump coin is worth less than $400 million and those who bought in at the top are staring at steep losses of approximately 97%, according to crypto analytics platform CoinMarketCap.Almost 1 million people lost money on the Trump memecoin, racking up a total of $3.8 billion of losses through the end of June, according to research by crypto analytics firm Nansen cited by The New York Times.“The SEC must be willing to enforce the law even when potential wrongdoers include those with powerful political connections,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.The White House referred questions to the Trump Organization. The SEC declined to comment.Specifically, the Senate Democrats expressed concern that the memecoin effort could be a “rug pull.”In the wild west of the crypto world, a rug pull is a con job where developers pump up the value of a token and then suddenly vanish with the investor funds. By pulling the rug out from investors’ feet, the tokens are worth little to nothing. In a CNBC interview last month, Trump defended his crypto profits. He said he followed the law and authorized his sons to oversee his personal finances while he’s in office.“I’m a really good business person. I’ve made money. I made a tremendous amount of money, more than I would have ever thought I would have made,” Trump told CNBC.  “And I let people invest it, I don’t even speak to — I don’t even know who they are, but it’s given to big firms… my son Eric handles it. ”  “A small group of early buyers and the coin’s creator profited. Most of the people who bought in later lost money, and lost it at scale,”  “Eighty percent of supply sitting with a small group of investors and close to a million retail buyers absorbing the losses, is going to look worse with time, not better, whether it was a rug pull or not.”

FBI agent accused of stealing $1M in crypto may face more charges –  -  A former FBI agent who admitted stealing almost $1 million in cryptocurrency was released to the custody of his parents Wednesday before a judge changed course. Patrick Yaroch was fired last week after telling the FBI he “screwed up.”  A magistrate judge gave him credit for self-reporting his behavior Wednesday. She said the allegation is serious, but Yaroch did the right thing by telling the FBI what he did. Otherwise, the bureau might never have found out. In an update Thursday, a judge stayed the order for Yarouch to be released to his parents and scheduled another hearing for Friday afternoon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said.  The former counterintelligence agent is charged with interstate transportation of stolen goods and receipt of stolen goods, namely a cryptocurrency account the complaint says was tied to an adversarial nation. Two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that nation is Russia.“In approximately November 2024, during his investigative work, YAROCH was exposed to adversarial cryptocurrency accounts,” the complaint says. “At this point, YAROCH described himself as ‘spinning out of control.’ YAROCH claimed he was frustrated that the FBI could not or would not act against adversarial cryptocurrency accounts.” In court Wednesday, prosecutors said Yaroch could be facing additional charges but did not specify what those charges could be.There’s also intrigue into Yaroch’s recent travel to Germany and Portugal. The complaint says, “According to FBI SecD, YAROCH conducted unreported foreign travel on at least two occasions in 2026. On May 14, 2026, YAROCH traveled from Washington, DC to Germany and did not report it to the FBI, which is a security requirement. On May 25, 2026, YAROCH returned to Washington, DC from Portugal, and did not report it.” “FBI WF Agents located documents related to power-of-attorney for YAROCH and his wife dated June 15, 2026,” the complaint says. “YAROCH’s document provided power-of-attorney to two lawyers in Portugal ‘with the power to sub-delegate, the broadest powers permitted by law, as well as special and necessary powers to represent him before the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority (AT).” Yaroch told the FBI he had no plans to funnel money to Portugal. Before a judge changed course, the conditions of his release were for him to be confined to his house in Ashburn, Virginia, and put up a $50,000 bond.

Exclusive: Warren presses OCC to revoke United Texas Bank charter -Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Friday pressed the Trump administration's top bank regulators over their decision to allow United Texas Bank to convert from a state-chartered bank to a national bank even as it was under an active anti-money-laundering enforcement action.

• Key insight: Senate Banking Committee Chair Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., argues that the OCC inappropriately greenlit United Texas Bank's conversion to a national bank charter despite an active anti-money-laundering cease-and-desist order, which she said is a violation of the Dodd-Frank Act.
• Expert Quote: "Granting United Texas Bank a national bank charter sets a dangerous precedent that gives other banks the green-light to convert their charters to the lowest common denominator regulator rather than fix the serious issues that may put the U.S. financial system at risk." — Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
• Forward look: Warren is urging the OCC to reverse course on approving the bank's national charter and answer a number of questions by Aug. 20 explaining the basis for the approval.

In a letter to the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questioned the decision to allow a Texas bank to change charters while under a cease-and-desist order related to money-laundering controls.

Circle officially opens its national trust bank - Circle Internet Group has officially opened Circle National Trust in preparation for future stablecoin regulation.

• Key insight: Circle confirmed that it formally opened its trust bank subsidiary ahead of its quarterly earnings release on Wednesday.
• Expert quote: "This is regulatory bedrock in advance of already-existing law and expected regulation." —Circle CFO Jeremy Fox-Geen
• Forward look: The company also announced that it is publicly launching its open blockchain network for stablecoins, Arc, next month on Sept. 16.

Having a trust bank will allow the stablecoin company to offer custody products and to have flexibility in where and how it issues its stablecoins.

BankThink: The Fed needs to affirm the 'moneyness' of stablecoins -- Money takes different forms in our economy, including physical notes, commercial bank money (demand deposits) and even Federal Reserve balances. While these forms of money are distinct, our system of monetary transmission works because of their interoperability — you can exchange one for another and be assured that any version of money holds the same fundamental value over time. (American Banker Poll graphic: Why has your institution decided not to issue its own stablecoin? Coded responses to open-ended question)

• Key insight: If the Federal Reserve wants to keep the U.S. dollar competitive in the 21st century it must move boldly to declare dollar-backed stablecoins equivalent to other forms of money.
• What's at stake: If the Fed does not begin to design a system where stablecoins are easily transferable to tokenized deposits and other forms of money, we risk a system where there is significant uncertainty over the value of a digital dollar.
• Supporting data: The Bank of Korea has launched the experimental Project Hangang, creating a unified ledger that directly connects central bank back digital currencies with other forms of digital money.

If the Federal Reserve wants to keep the U.S. dollar competitive in the 21st century it must move boldly to declare dollar-backed stablecoins equivalent to other forms

Capital One cites money laundering review in Trump-related suit -  Capital One Financial Corp. said in a court filing late Friday that it closed accounts belonging to President Donald Trump's sprawling real estate company in 2021 for legitimate reasons after an internal review by the bank's anti-money laundering team. The bank, which denies discriminating against President Trump's business, said its internal review was triggered by "transaction patterns" that "are among the types of activity flagged by federal banking guidance."

Senate report: Three big banks ignored red flags on Epstein -- A long-anticipated report released by Sen. Ron Wyden looked at the relationship between several large banks and Jeffrey Epstein.

• Key insight: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said JPMorganChase, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America ignored evidence of sex trafficking and money laundering to maintain relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and billionaire Leon Black.
• What's at stake: Wyden accused the Trump administration of obstructing his investigation. At the same time, he called on federal agencies to investigate and fine the banks, as well as individual bankers.
• Forward Look: Wyden said he plans to introduce legislation imposing stricter due-diligence requirements on big banks handling ultra-wealthy clients.

JPMorganChase, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank likely violated federal anti-money-laundering laws in connection with the finances of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden. UPDATE: This story includes comments from spokespeople for JPMorganChase and Bank of America. It also includes comments from an attorney for Leon Black and additional information about Black's closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee.

What we know about the CFPB's forthcoming open-banking rule  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has submitted a new proposal on open-banking regulations to the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, signaling that a major overhaul of consumer financial data rights is imminent.The submission to OIRA late Tuesday night marks a critical step toward replacing the Biden-era open-banking rule that was finalized in late 2024.

• Key insight: Under a revised open-banking proposal, banks are expected to be allowed to charge fees to fintechs and other third parties that want to access customer financial data.
• What's at stake: The proposal has not been publicly released but could be issued any day now that it has been submitted to the White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
• Forward look: If fintechs have to pay for data access, banks may face prolonged legal battles, experts say.

The Trump administration is currently reviewing a soon-to-be-released proposal on consumer financial data rights.

Study shows growing bank entanglement with private credit — Bank lending commitments to a growing segment of the private credit market have climbed over the past decade, underscoring growing ties between banks and private lenders.

• Key takeaway: Bank lending commitments to business development companies, or BDCs, increased from about $10 billion in 2013 to more than $50 billion by 2025. Even under a severe stress scenario, banks would generally be protected because they hold senior secured claims on BDCs, giving them first priority for repayment.
• Expert quote: "In a market where most activity occurs behind a veil of privacy, BDCs provide the only comprehensive, real-time insight into lending conditions." — Federal Reserve Bank of Boston report.
• What's at stake: The rapid growth and limited transparency of the private credit market has drawn increasing attention from both regulators and lawmakers.

A new Federal Reserve Bank of Boston report shows bank lending to private credit has grown over the past decade, though insight into the opaque lending market is limited.

Banks price in higher rates as Fed credibility wanes  Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said he wants to change the central bank's relationship with financial markets. Just two interest rate meetings into his term, his approach is already altering markets' perceptions of the central bank.

• Key insight: After two press conferences with scant policy explanations for forward guidance, market participants and banks are questioning the credibility of the Warsh-led Federal Open Market Committee to raise rates to combat inflation.
• Expert quote: "The vacuum from Warsh declining to give a reaction function — not just forward guidance — means the market is going to fill in the blanks. When they fill in the blanks, they're going to err on the side of caution." — Derek Tang, CEO of Monetary Policy Analytics.
• Forward Look: Forecasts about the Fed's next moves range from no hikes the remainder of this year to as many as three hikes over the course of the rest of the year.

Bond yields rose after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's second press conference last week, and bankers may have to accept higher rates as the price of a more parsimonious Fed.

Dems cite climate concerns to probe insurers’ use of credit scores - House and Senate Democrats are asking insurance companies how they use credit scores in setting rates, noting particular concerns as climate-related wildfires and severe weather affect premiums. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) led 18 colleagues in questioning six insurance companies: USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers and Allstate. The lawmakers accused the insurers of using homeowners’ credit history to spike rates — something banned in three states. The Democrats said the practice is “particularly concerning” as insurance rates skyrocket, in part due to worsening natural disasters caused by climate change. They also said insurers have at times tried to justify rate hikes by nodding to climate-related disasters alone — and in doing so, have concealed the role that other financial factors, like integrating credit scores, have played in rate decisions.

FTC, like CFPB and others, won't enforce disparate impact --The Federal Trade Commission has ended enforcement of disparate-impact claims under federal antidiscrimination law, aligning with the stance taken by other federal agencies during the Trump era.

CFPB gets another acting director as OMB's Vought exits - Mark Paoletta, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's chief legal officer, has taken over as the agency's acting director. Russell Vought's term ended Aug. 1.

• Key insight: Mark Paoletta automatically became acting director on Saturday, due to Russell Vought's term expiring.
• What's at stake: Paoletta is expected to be a placeholder while the Senate considers President Trump's nominee Brian Johnson to lead the agency permanently.
• Forward look: Johnson, a CFPB official during Trump's first administration who now works for Capital One Financial, is waiting on the Senate Banking Committee to vote on his nomination. A date for the vote has not yet been scheduled.

CRA proposal may strain banks' relationships with nonprofits - Banking regulators' latest attempt to rewrite regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act include new restrictions on grants banks give to nonprofits as part of their strategies to meet the needs of underserved local communities.

• Key insight: A proposal from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. would limit the proportion of nonprofit administrative expenses on Community Reinvestment Act-qualified grants to 15% and heighten scrutiny of community development donations.
• Supporting data: Grants and donations are a relatively small part of CRA-qualified investments, but many organizations rely on them for funding.
• Forward look: The proposal is likely to trigger a debate during the forthcoming 60-day comment period.

A proposal issued last week by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. could lead banks to limit grants they give to nonprofits in exchange for Community Reinvestment Act credit.

GOP lawmaker calls for GSEs to buy portable mortgages -A Republican lawmaker wants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy portable mortgages to open up much-needed housing supply. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) introduced legislation called the MOVE Act (Mobilizing Options for Valuation and Equity) to direct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase portable mortgages. [1, 2] Key Details of the Proposal:

• The Goal: Unfreeze housing inventory locked up by the "lock-in effect," where homeowners refuse to sell because it means trading a historically low mortgage rate for a much higher current market rate. [1, 2]
• How It Works: A portable mortgage allows a borrower to transfer their existing loan terms and interest rate directly to a new property when they move, rather than securing a new, higher-rate loan. [1, 2]
• Portable vs. Assumable: Unlike assumable mortgages—which stay attached to a specific property and allow a buyer to take over a seller's old loan—portable mortgages move with the borrower to their next home. [1]
• Current Status: The bill specifically focuses on portable loans via the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and does not mandate broader assumable mortgage provisions. It follows earlier exploratory discussions by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) leadership regarding portable and flexible loan products

The bill, which is meant to free up housing supply locked in by high mortgage rates, does not include assumable mortgages which stick with the property.

US Services Surveys Signal Rebound In Growth In July, But... - Following the mixed picture from yesterday's Manufacturing surveys (ISM 4 year high, S&P Global 3 mo low driven by the bifurcated 'AI vs The Rest' economy), this morning's Services sector surveys were 'expected' to show the opposite (ISM down, S&P Global up) all in the face of fading hard data.

• S&P Global US Services PMI jumped from 51.2 (final June) to 53.6 (prelim July) to 54.6 (final July) - the highest since Oct 2025
• ISM US Services PMI rose from 54.0 to 54.1 (less than expected 54.5).

That was S&P Global's Services PMI's biggest monthly jump since May 2024...Under the hood, S&P Global data shows that growth in new work strengthened to a 19-month high, while business confidence regarding activity over the coming 12 months was the strongest since last November.Private sector employment rose for the first time since April.But, input price inflation accelerated to the highest since November 2022, pushing composite selling prices up at the quickest pace in exactly one year.But, the ISM Survey showed considerably differences with employment data tumbling back into contraction (below expectations), pries picking up (more than expected), but new orders rising more than expected...

• Prices Paid 70.3, Exp 65.0
• Employment 47.4, Exp. 51.2
• New Orders 57.2, Exp. 55.9

A somewhat stagflationary signal...

HHS proposes cutting many federal education and health guidelines for Head Start - The Washington Post - A year after withholding funding from the antipoverty preschool program, the agency run by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now says deregulation will allow the program to serve more children.  The Trump administration unveiled a proposal Thursday to overhaul the regulations for Head Start, the early-education program that serves roughly 700,000 children across the country. The proposal would eliminate many existing federal rules, shifting some authority to states and local authorities; add new dietary and physical fitness requirements for students; and cap administrative overhead payments. The changes could free up $2.2 billion to serve as many as 268,000 more children, administration officials said.

Trump administration unveils major Head Start overhaul - The Trump administration announced plans on Thursday to roll back regulations for Head Start, a popular federal program that provides free education, health and nutrition services to hundreds of thousands of low-income children.  Federal officials say the proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services would give the nation’s roughly 1,600 Head Start programs that receive federal funds more “flexibility” by scaling back a number of rules they must currently follow.The program has traditionally received robust bipartisan support in Congress and across presidential administrations, but has been heavily criticized as ineffective by conservative and libertarian groups. Those criticisms have been rejected by Democrats, early childhood education advocates and even Trump administration officials such as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.“These are the poorest kids in our country,” Kennedy told reporters. “Ninety percent of them are at or below the poverty line. The program works.”Head Start programs currently serve roughly 700,000 infants, toddlers and pregnant women across the nation.The programs are governed by a set of regulations known as the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which detail how classrooms and programs are run, how curriculum is implemented and staff qualifications. But the proposal would shift federal standards around group sizes, classroom ratios, background checks and transportation to align with state early childhood education standards where programs are located.“The federal standards set one-size-fits-all federal requirements for child-to-staff ratios, group sizes, and other operating standards,” Alex Adams, assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families at HHS, told reporters. “This would allow local providers to make local decisions in compliance with their state laws.”Federal officials say the proposed rule — dubbed “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” — would increase the number of slots to as many as 236,000 more children and would save $2.2 billion.Kennedy said that when there were “draconian cuts to many of our agency programs” during the first year of the Trump administration, he “preserved Head Start from any cuts at that point.”Head Start faced many headwinds and uncertainty last year. Programs experienced delays in grant payments and renewals, providers were temporarily locked out of their payment system during a federal spending freeze early in the year and the longest government shutdown in history last fall saw some programs temporarily close their doors.And when a draft plan of HHS’ fiscal 2026 budget request reportedly proposed the elimination of the program, Kennedy testified before congressional lawmakers that the administration would “preserve” the program. Congress approved roughly $12.4 billion for the 61-year-old program for the current fiscal year and the White House’s budget request calls for flat funding for fiscal 2027.Adams said the proposal “preserves all statutory requirements” dictated by the Head Start Act, the federal law authorizing the program, which Congress last updated in 2007.The Heritage Foundation has long called for the elimination of Head Start, but the conservative group published a report last month saying the program should be deregulated in many of the ways the proposed rule suggests while “officials work to end the program.”When asked if Head Start funding or programming is going to be cut, Adam’s said the president’s budget requests level funding for Head Start. Congressional Democrats are already panning the proposed rule amid reports that the administration planned to deregulate the program. “After trying and failing to defund it altogether, Trump is putting the program to the torch by rolling back federal standards that ensure Head Start be high quality,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor earlier this week.And Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee who has long been supportive of Head Start, said removing regulations could increase class sizes and lead to fewer services."[I]f this administration later points to struggling students as proof Head Start does not work, we should all understand what this is – a self-inflicted wound used to justify another round of cuts,” DeLauro said in a statement Wednesday.

As Affordable Care Act enrollment declines, rural Ohioans are being hit hard | The Statehouse News Bureau - Since enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans expired in January, Ohio has seen the nation's steepest decline in Marketplace enrollment.The Buckeye State's ACA enrollment fell more than 32% between February 2025 and February 2026, according to the Statehouse News Bureau.Rural residents in states that participate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, including Ohio, are losing health insurance coverage at higher rates than their urban and suburban counterparts, according to a Daily Yonder analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Covid-era healthcare subsidies, which were established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, temporarily extended who was eligible for lower health insurance premiums. Under these extensions, people with incomes at or above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (equal to about $132,000 for a family of four) were eligible to receive healthcare subsidies through Enhanced Premium Tax Credits.Enhanced subsidies were scheduled to end at the end of 2025, and GOP lawmakers refused to renew them in President Trump’s July 2025 budget reconciliation bill, which initiated the largest wealth transfer from working-class residents to the wealthy in America’s history, affording millionaires larger tax cuts than the bottom half of Americans combined. People who are no longer eligible for these subsidies have accounted for a disproportionate share of health insurance coverage drops, resulting in increases in monthly premiums for nearly all consumers. Nationwide, enrollment in the ACA Marketplace dropped while premiums increased, but this change is happening the most drastically in nonmetropolitan, or rural, counties. In nonmetropolitan counties, the number of people signed up during the open enrollment period dropped by approximately 12%, representing 29,000 consumers. Small metropolitan counties saw a drop of 11%, representing about 154,000 consumers, the next largest decrease in enrollment among all of the county types. The drop out rate among the 30 states that used the ACA Marketplace platform in 2026 was 8%, representing nearly 1.4 million consumers. The data for this analysis came from the CMS County-level Open Enrollment file, which includes healthcare plan selections and monthly premiums by county, updated on an annual basis. The file also includes demographic information, like the age, gender, race, and income of exchange plan consumers. The following map shows the change in average monthly health insurance premiums among nonmetropolitan counties from 2025 to 2026. (Remember that my analysis only includes data from the 30 states that used the ACA Marketplace platform in 2026.)Data from the open enrollment period will show higher sign-up rates than effectuated enrollment, or the number of people who will actually be able to afford their monthly premiums throughout the year. A KFF Health News survey from earlier this year showed that 9% of ACA Marketplace enrollees had become uninsured since the open enrollment period, while 17% of returning consumers indicated that they were not sure if they could afford their premiums for the rest of the year.Under the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, consumers with incomes above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level had their premiums for a benchmark silver plan capped at 8.5% of their income. This demographic accounted for a disproportionate share of the drop in sign-ups, according to a KFF Health News analysis of nationwide data. While those above the so-called “subsidy cliff” comprised about 3% of total enrollees, they accounted for 27% of the drop in sign-ups between 2025 and 2026. The KFF analysis included all 50 states, including the states that didn’t participate in the ACA Marketplace in 2026 and opted for state-based exchanges.People with lower incomes – who still receive federal financial assistance – saw their premiums increase, but not as drastically, and drop-outs were not as high among this group.The following graph shows which counties were hit the hardest by premium increases after tax credits, depicting the share of counties in each premium-increase quartile.Most of the counties with the highest increase in premiums even after tax credits were nonmetro communities, which accounted for 532 of the 778 counties in the top quartile. Twenty-seven percent of nonmetro counties were in this quartile.Some of the places that saw a stable number of sign-ups benefited from state-level policies that offset the loss of federal assistance. In 2025, the Colorado State Legislature introduced Colorado Premium Assistance, a fund meant to reduce premiums for certain eligible consumers, for example. In New Mexico, ACA Marketplace enrollment rates increased by 18%, reflecting the state’s health insurance affordability plan.

Kennedy, Oz Contend Fraud Crackdown, Not Skyrocketing Prices, Led Millions To Leave Obamacare - KFF Health News --The Trump administration credits its fraud control efforts for the disappearance of millions of people from Obamacare rolls rather than a sharp rise in premiums — a claim disputed by policy experts that glosses over the reality that many more Americans now find themselves without health insurance.Enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans fell by nearly 3 million this year to about 19.2 million, following steep premium increases by insurers and the Republican-led Congress’ unwillingness to extend more generous premium subsidies. On average, ACA customers pay $178 a month in premium payments this year, a 58% increase from 2025, according to KFF, while their deductibles — the amount consumers must pay annually before insurers pick up their share — have climbed 37% to nearly $3,800 a year.“These are real people who are now forced to make impossible choices,” said Annalyse Keller, a spokesperson for Keep Americans Covered, a large coalition of lobby organizations for the healthcare industry, including insurers and patient advocacy groups.But a Department of Health and Human Services report released in June, written mostly by President Donald Trump’s political appointees and allies, asserts that 5.6 million people were fraudulently enrolled in ACA plans in 2025, and that the Trump administration removed 2.9 million of them — the same number as the 2026 drop in enrollment.There’s little dispute that the ACA suffers from some fraud, as do most government programs. The administration said it has taken actions to tighten the enrollment process to thwart brokers who fraudulently enroll people without their knowledge.For example, the administration in August 2025 halted a Biden-era initiative that allowed low-income people to sign up for coverage year-round. Regulators also have removed 1.5 million people since 2025 for reasons such as not meeting a requirement to file their taxes over two years or being concurrently enrolled in another health program, such as Medicaid, which is not allowed.But health policy experts say that the administration is overstating the extent of ACA fraud and that the HHS report relies on debatable assumptions, such as that all sign-ups under the year-round enrollment program for low-income people were potentially fraudulent. ACA enrollment fell off a cliff because of escalating prices for insurance plans, policy analysts say, which the administration’s done nothing to stem.“The top-level claim” that all the decline in enrollment since 2025 is because of improper or fraudulent enrollees leaving the market “is not remotely credible,” said Matthew Fiedler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “We know that lots of people have seen higher premiums, and there’s really good evidence that when premiums go up, people drop coverage.”Healthcare costs are a big concern for voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, and both Democrats and Republicans are trying to spin the issue to their advantage. Democrats argue more needs to be done to make insurance less expensive for consumers, while Republicans are trying to focus on the need to save taxpayer dollars from fraud.A recent KFF poll found that voters trust Democrats over Republicans to address healthcare costs (37% vs. 26%). The poll also found, though, that 55% of Republican voters consider it extremely important for candidates to address healthcare fraud, more than any other issue, showing that the White House’s effort to shift focus from costs has had some success with its own supporters.But Jonathan Oberlander, a professor of health policy and management at the University of North Carolina, questioned whether the fraud narrative will hold up as voters continue to struggle with rising costs.“It will be cold comfort to the very real persons who could no longer afford coverage and dropped their plans,” he said in an email to KFF Health News.

Neanderthal growth hormone receptor increases muscle mass in people today, study shows - Neanderthals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features such as prominent brow ridges and relatively short tooth roots. Growth hormone helps shape the body by regulating the growth of muscles and bones. It is released by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain and travels through the bloodstream. To act on a cell, the hormone must bind to a receptor on its surface, which then passes the signal into the cell. An international team led by Hugo Zeberg of Karolinska Institutet and Philipp Kanis of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology found that the Neanderthal version of this receptor has two changes that are not present in the version most common in modern humans. The research is published in the journal Current Biology. The study shows that laboratory-grown cells with the Neanderthal receptor responded more strongly to growth hormone. They grew 40% more than cells with the more common modern human receptor. The researchers linked most of this stronger response to one of the two Neanderthal-specific changes. Modern humans inherited this version of the receptor through interbreeding with Neanderthals around 47,000 years ago. Today, it is particularly common in South and East Asia. Up to 24% of people in some South Asian populations carry it, compared with around 0.5% of Europeans. "What struck me most was that two very different types of evidence told the same story," says Philipp Kanis, first author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. "Cells grown in the laboratory responded more strongly, while data from more than a million people showed signs of the same effect in the body. It is rare to see laboratory and population evidence fit together so clearly." The difference appears to emerge only after childhood. The researchers examined body measurements from more than 6,000 children and found no link between the Neanderthal version and growth up to age 11. This suggests that its effects may become noticeable later, possibly around puberty, when growth hormone levels increase substantially. Among adults, people carrying the Neanderthal version had, on average, around 270 grams (9.5 ounces) more muscle mass. The Neanderthal version was also linked to subtle differences in the skull and teeth. Carriers tended to have a slightly shorter rear section of the lower jaw and shorter tooth roots. Both features are closer to what was typical of Neanderthals. "It is fascinating that one genetic change inherited from Neanderthals can still have an effect on the human body today," says Zeberg, senior author of the study. "But this is only one of many genetic influences on growth and body shape. It cannot explain the Neanderthal body type on its own, and it certainly does not determine a person's overall appearance."

Review: Self-collected HPV tests accurately detect pre-cancerous cells in women -A meta-analysis of 11 studies concludes that self-testing for human papilloma virus (HPV) using urine or vaginal samples accurately detects pre-cancerous cells caused by HPV, also known as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL+). This paper, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, reinforces the precision of self-collection testing for HPV, which could increase access to screening. “The outcomes of this investigation indicate that HPV testing performed using both self-collected urine specimen and vaginal specimens achieved a high sensitivity in detecting HSIL+,” wrote the Taiwanese authors. The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 and sees HPV self-collecting kits as one way to expand screening to reach more women, especially those who have not yet undergone HPV testing. The researchers hoped to understand the accuracy of self-testing methods by looking at studies that examined the precision of self-collected HPV kits in finding abnormal cells using urine or vaginal samples. The papers included in the analysis were based on 3,534 self-collected urine samples and 3,523 vaginal samples. The distribution of self-sampling kits has the potential to yield a low rate of adverse events and a high level of satisfaction among patients. Self-collection of urine samples had a pooled sensitivity of 81%, while self-testing with vaginal swabs had a pooled sensitivity of 88.6% for detecting pre-cancerous cells. “The meta-analysis corroborated the high sensitivity of HPV testing with self-collected vaginal specimens,” the authors wrote. “The distribution of self-sampling kits has the potential to yield a low rate of adverse events and a high level of satisfaction among patients.”

Study details long COVID’s effect on patients’ wellbeing Working-age adults living with long COVID feel less satisfied with life, experience less happiness, and have less hope, according to a study published this week in BMC Public Health. The paper highlights the association between having long COVID and poorer wellbeing. “The findings underscore that the burden of long COVID extends beyond clinical health outcomes to encompass how individuals evaluate and experience their lives,” wrote the authors, from Syracuse University in New York. “Long COVID symptoms were significantly associated with lower levels of subjective wellbeing in a dose-dependent manner.” The World Health Organization defines long COVID “as the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation.” Past research indicates that people with long COVID report more anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder than people without it. The authors of this paper hoped to understand how living with long COVID affected people’s overall appreciation of life. They examined data from the 2023 and 2024 National Wellbeing Survey, which gathers information about Americans’ health and wellbeing. Surveys from those two years included questions about long COVID, and the scientists included only people who completely answered questions about COVID-19 and long COVID. For this paper, people had long COVID if they experienced any of eight symptoms: fatigue; cognitive difficulties, such as concentration troubles; problems breathing, such as shortness of breath; muscle or joint pain; rapid heartbeat or chest pain; dizziness when standing; depression, anxiety, or mood alterations; or symptoms that worsen following physical activity. Of the 13,880 participants ages 18 to 64, 39% experienced long COVID, with women more likely to report symptoms of it than men, 43.2% and 34.4%, respectively. Having even one sign of long COVID was associated with a 0.063-point decrease on the life satisfaction scale, which measures satisfaction on a scale of zero to 1. Participants with symptoms also scored lower on happiness and hopefulness. “Our findings extend prior research linking long COVID to adverse mental health outcomes such as clinical depression and anxiety by demonstrating that long COVID is also associated with diminished subjective wellbeing—a construct that captures how individuals evaluate and experience their lives beyond the presence or absence of diagnosable mental health conditions,” the authors said. The more symptoms people had, the less satisfied they felt, suggesting that a greater long-COVID disease burden worsened wellbeing. “The finding that one or two symptoms were generally insufficient to reduce wellbeing, while higher symptom counts were associated with progressively larger hits to wellbeing, suggests a threshold or cumulative burden dynamic,” the authors explained.

Severe COVID may awaken dormant viruses, leading to autoimmune disease, long COVID Most people carry eight to 12 generally harmless viruses at any given time. But now, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin conclude that severe COVID-19 infections can reactivate these viruses, leading to worse clinical outcomes, autoimmune diseases, and other long-term conditions such as long COVID. Published yesterday in Nature, the observational analysis used longitudinal data from 1,154 hospitalized COVID-19 patients participating in the observational Immunophenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort (IMPACC) study. With the aim of defining biomarkers of COVID severity and outcomes, the researchers generated more than 1 billion data points from 200,000 nasal swabs, blood cells, and endotracheal aspirates from unvaccinated patients at 20 US hospitals from May 2020 to March 2021. The study is unique in that it was based on the measurement of the RNA of actively replicating viruses rather than on antibody responses, the authors said. “Viruses use diverse strategies to enhance their persistence and dissemination, including establishing chronic infection,” they wrote. “Chronic viral infections are ubiquitous in humans, with individuals carrying multiple viruses that can reactivate during physiological stress, including severe illness.” While primary infection with chronic viruses most often causes no symptoms in people with healthy immune systems, some may lead to the development of autoimmune disorders, cancers, and other conditions. The viruses usually stay dormant but can revive in response to stress, hormonal imbalances, sleep deprivation, surgery, or serious illness. “Notably, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to reactivate chronic viruses such as Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) yet the full extent, temporal dynamics and immunological impact of viral reactivation in COVID-19 remain incompletely understood,” they added. RNA from 11 reactivated viruses was detected in patients within the first 40 days after hospital admission, the most common of which were herpes simplex 1 and Anelloviridae viruses, which establish lifelong infections, and to a lesser extent, Epstein-Barr (EBV), CMV, and enteroviruses. Of note, reactivation of Anelloviridae, a poorly understood virus family dormant in roughly 90% of people, was strongly tied to long COVID and long-term physical disability. When limiting the analysis to severely ill patients, those with CMV in the respiratory tract or EBV in the nasal cavity were more likely to die within one year. The authors noted distinct temporal dynamics among the viruses. For instance, EBV was reactivated early in infection, with 24% of patients having detectable RNA near hospital admission, followed by a gradual decline. Anelloviridae RNA often remained steady until 20 days after admission before slowly declining. Viral detection rates by time since symptom onset followed similar patterns. Another correlation was between virus reactivation and disease severity, host immune effects, and clinical outcomes. After adjusting for COVID-19 severity, the team found a significant link between Anelloviridae in blood cells and increasing age and between Hispanic ethnicity and EBV and CMV, but no association by sex. Different viruses were also linked to severe complications. For example, the presence of CMV, part of the Herpesviridae familym in the nasal cavity was linked to pneumothorax (collapsed lung), while in blood cells, CMV was tied to bacteremia, pulmonary vascular disease, kidney complications, stroke, and shock. Systemic inflammation appeared to reanimate EBV and CMV, which the authors said challenges the prevailing belief that immune suppression is the primary mechanism behind the reactivation of chronic viruses. If viral reactivations were the result of only a dysregulated immune system, they said, reactivation would be tied not only to severity but also to immune suppression, which the team didn’t find for Herpesviridae. Therefore, viral reactivation may represent a broader phenomenon than previously believed and should be considered in clinical contexts beyond immune suppression. “Additionally, we demonstrate persistence of viral reactivation in convalescence, and report an association of Anelloviridae with long COVID,” the researchers wrote. “This study provides immune, transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures of viral reactivation that could inform future strategies to prognosticate and treat acute COVID-19 and long COVID.”  It also points to a potential role for viral-reactivation monitoring in hospitalized COVID-19 patients via, for example, already validated infrastructure using polymerase chain reaction to detect Herpesviridae and Anelloviridae, they said.  “Although many no longer think of COVID being a problem, up to 50,000 Americans died of COVID in [the] 2025-2026 respiratory season and some estimates suggest over 10 million U.S. adults suffer from long COVID,” principal investigator Ofer Levy, MD, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital, said in a hospital news release.

"This Is Going To Surprise Some People": Leading Biden COVID-19 Figure Embraces The Lab Leak Theory – by Jonathan Turley - Former Biden White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha this weekend became the latest denier of the lab theory to do a 180-degree turn. During the interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Jha admitted that he now believes that the most likely explanation is a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. As pundits and politicians quietly admit that the natural mutation theory is not as credible, the courageous scientists who were blacklisted for years remain persona non grata in higher education.  Jha stated:"This is going to surprise some people. You know, when I went into the White House, my view was, 'This was almost surely a natural outbreak, maybe a lab leak.' Based on information I learned and based on information I've seen, I have come to conclude that it is more likely to have been a lab leak." I commend Jha for publicly addressing his change. Indeed, everyone in academia, myself included, has had their views evolve. Former Biden White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, tells Dana Bash, "When I went into the White House, my view was this was almost surely a natural outbreak, maybe a lab leak. Based on information I learned and based on information I've seen, I have come to… pic.twitter.com/bovB2nUbq4    What should not evolve is the willingness of the scientists and academics to accept dissenting viewpoints. One of my long-standing complaints against figures like Anthony Fauci is that they held prominent positions during the pandemic, but said nothing about the cancel campaigns directed against those experts who disagreed with their views on issues like the origins of COVID-19. As I discuss in my new book, "The Indispensable Right," the result is that we never really had a national debate on many of these issues and the massive social and economic costs that resulted. I spoke at the University of Chicago with Bhattacharya and other dissenting scientists in the front row a couple of years ago. After the event, I asked them how many had been welcomed back to their faculties or associations since the recognition of some of their positions. They all said that they were still treated as pariahs for challenging the groupthink culture. For years, figures like Bhattacharya (who was recently awarded the prestigious Intellectual Freedom Award by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters) were hounded and marginalized. Others opposed Bhattacharya's right to offer his scientific views, even under oath. For example, in one hearing, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) expressed disgust that Bhattacharya was even allowed to testify as "a purveyor of COVID-19 misinformation."  Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik decried an event associated with Bhattacharya, writing that "we're living in an upside-down world" because Stanford University allowed dissenting scientists to speak at a scientific forum. Hiltzik also wrote a column titled "The COVID lab leak claim isn't just an attack on science, but a threat to public health."  As recently as last year, Hiltzik continued to attack the lab theory. Bhattacharya's experience is not unique. When scientists argued that the virus's origin was likely the Chinese research lab in Wuhan, they were mobbed by the media. That position was denounced by the Washington Post as a "debunked" coronavirus "conspiracy theory."The Washington Post denounced Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) when he raised the theory for "repeat[ing] a fringe theory suggesting that the ongoing spread of a coronavirus is connected to research in the disease-ravaged epicenter of Wuhan, China."After Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mentioned the lab theory, Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler mocked him: "I fear @tedcruz missed the scientific animation in the video that shows how it is virtually impossible for this virus to jump from the lab. Or the many interviews with actual scientists. We deal in facts, and viewers can judge for themselves." The New York Times Science and Health reporter Apoorva Mandavilli called any mention of the lab theory "racist."  At NPR, an endless stream of segments ran dismissing the lab leak notion, painting it as a debunked conspiracy theory of the far right, including one story titled "Scientists Debunk Lab Accident Theory of Pandemic Emergence."  I consider it valuable to have voices like Hultzik's that still challenge the lab theory - just as I thought it was valuable to have lab theorists voice their views. The difference is that critics of the lab theory are not being canceled, but continue to be celebrated for their prior work. To the contrary, figures like Scott Atlas have shown how those educators who helped lead the mob against dissenters still hold positions of power. These figures should not be canceled for holding opposing views, but their conduct in silencing others should be reviewed.Despite the vindication of scientists on their opposition to policies on the use of surgical masks, the closure of schools, and other issues, there have not been any repercussions for those who enforced the orthodoxy and intolerance during the pandemic in higher education.The fact is that most are now willing to admit that the lab theory is probably correct, but they are unwilling to forgive those who forced them into that admission.

Artificial intelligence used to design brand new viruses -- Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say US researchers. It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI. The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people. The breakthrough has been labelled a "very significant turning point" in science that could unlock a new era for treating disease. But experts have also warned AI-designed viruses raise "urgent" safety and security concerns. AI tools are rapidly advancing and have already been used to design new antibiotics. But that is relatively simple compared with designing a new viable virus from scratch. "This is a next step in the complexity that's designable by generative AI, this is the first time generative AI has been used to design a complete genome, it's something that can replicate and have other functions inside cells… this was new territory for us," Brian Hie, assistant professor at Stanford University, told the BBC. The technology works similarly to large language models, like ChatGPT, which predict sequences of text. In this instance the AI models, known as Evo1 and Evo2, predict the language of life rather than words. The AI models were trained on genetic codes from viruses, bacteria, plants and people. They were then refined to produce a type of virus, known as a bacteriophage, which infect only specific species of bacteria. The Stanford researchers picked the most promising 302 AI designs and synthesised them in the lab. Of these, 16 proved effective at killing E. coli bacteria. Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, said they realised the phage were working in the early hours of the morning. The phage were placed on petri dishes growing a layer of bacteria on them and the scientists waited for signs their new viruses were enjoying the feast. "We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting," says King. When the results were shared with the wider team "the room spontaneously burst into applause", Hie recalls. Developing new phage could lead to new ways of treating infections that have become resistant to antibiotics. But the breakthrough also points to the ability of AI to design new biology that goes beyond the natural world – what is known as synthetic biology. Hie argues this has the potential to "massively improve human health" by developing new drugs and therapies. But concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases. In a commentary accompanying the publication in the journal Science, Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University wrote that the findings raise "urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions". They said it was no longer a question of "whether generative viral genome design will exist" but whether it can be used without "enabling serious harm".

Deadly 'flesh-eating' bacteria kills 6 as alerts issued in multiple states - Six people have died after contracting the potentially deadly “flesh-eating” bacterium Vibrio vulnificus in Louisiana and Florida this year, while cases and warnings have emerged in multiple states. Louisiana has reported nine cases among state residents in 2026, with all nine patients hospitalized and five dying, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. That compares with an average of seven cases and one death by the same point of the year over the previous decade. All nine Louisiana infections were associated with wounds exposed to seawater, and every patient had an underlying health condition, officials said. The department urged residents to avoid exposing open wounds to saltwater or brackish water, particularly during the warmer months when concentrations of the bacterium are higher. Florida has separately recorded 12 cases of Vibrio vulnificus and one death this year, bringing the combined death toll in the two states to six, according to local outlet Fox 13 Tampa Bay. The Florida fatality involved a resident of Palm Beach County and was the state’s first death linked to the bacterium in 2026. Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in coastal waters, with concentrations typically rising between May and October as water temperatures increase. Infection can occur when an open wound comes into contact with saltwater or brackish water, as well as through eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters. The bacterium is sometimes described as “flesh-eating” because some infections can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a condition in which tissue surrounding an open wound dies. About one in five people infected with Vibrio vulnificus die, sometimes within one or two days of becoming ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Warnings and cases have also emerged elsewhere in the United States this year, as summer temperatures draw more people to coastal waters. Beyond Louisiana and Florida, health officials have reported infections in Alabama and Connecticut, although limited information has been released about the patients. The Mobile County Health Department confirmed Alabama’s first vibriosis case of 2026 in April. The agency did not identify the species involved or release details about the patient, the severity of the illness or how the infection was contracted. Before that case was announced, county officials had issued precautionary guidance in March. Mobile County recorded 16 vibriosis cases in 2025, most of which were linked to undercooked food contaminated with Vibrio, while some involved injuries exposed to waters connected to the Gulf. Connecticut recorded a Vibrio vulnificus infection in February involving a person who ate contaminated oysters harvested outside the state, according to a national case tracker, citing Connecticut’s public health commissioner. There is no indication that the infections reported across the four states are connected. Vibrio vulnificus is one of several Vibrio species that can cause vibriosis. It is different from the strains of Vibrio cholerae responsible for cholera and is not known to spread from person to person, according to the CDC. The infection is relatively rare, with about 150 to 200 cases reported in the United States each year. However, it can progress rapidly and cause life-threatening wound or bloodstream infections. Anyone can become infected, but severe complications are more likely among people with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or thalassemia, as well as those receiving immune-suppressing treatment. People who take medication that reduces stomach acid or have recently undergone stomach surgery may also face an increased risk. Symptoms depend on the type of infection. Intestinal illness can cause watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Signs of a wound infection include redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration and fluid discharge around the affected area. If the infection enters the bloodstream, symptoms can include fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions. The CDC advises people with signs of a Vibrio wound or bloodstream infection to seek immediate medical attention and tell their health care provider about any recent contact with coastal water or raw seafood. Mild intestinal infections may resolve without antibiotics, although patients should replace fluids lost through diarrhea or vomiting. Severe or prolonged infections may require antibiotics, while serious wound infections can require surgery to remove dead or infected tissue. Early treatment can be lifesaving.

More than one-third of invasive E coli isolates are multidrug-resistant, global analysis finds - An analysis of invasive Escherichia coli isolates collected from 26 countries found that more than one-third were multidrug-resistant (MDR), researchers reported today in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study, by researchers with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, analyzed more than 10,000 E coli isolates collected from patients with bloodstream infections from 2011 through 2023. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibiotic resistance, sequence type (ST), and O-serotype distribution of extraintestinal pathogenic E coli (ExPEC), a pathogen that can infect sites outside the intestines and cause invasive E coli disease, or IED, which includes life-threatening conditions like sepsis. “Increasing antimicrobial resistance rates and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli strains represent a major challenge in the treatment of IED,” the study authors wrote. “In particular, resistance to carbapenems, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, or fluoroquinolones is an obstacle to successful treatment.” Of the 10,098 ExPEC isolates collected, 34% were labeled as MDR, but there was a wide variation between countries. India had the highest MDR rate (83.3%), followed by Mexico (76.6%) and China (69.4%), while the Netherlands (12.1%), New Zealand (11.6%), and Sweden (10.6%) had the lowest MDR rates. Countries with lower income levels tended to have higher rates of MDR E coli. Overall, serotypes O25, O2, O6, and O1 were the most prevalent. Among the MDR isolates, O25 was the most prevalent in all countries (ranging from 11.3% in China to 56.2% in Mexico). ST131, a globally dominant clone and important cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections worldwide, accounted for 33% of all MDR isolates. “Our findings stress the importance of epidemiological studies to monitor the prevalence of high-risk ExPEC clones and highlight the need for ongoing research into novel preventive and therapeutic strategies, including vaccines, to reduce the burden of bacterial disease and limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance,” the authors concluded.

Study: Nursing homes should prioritize decolonization to reduce presence of multidrug-resistant organisms - A studyconducted in two Southern California nursing homes found that only universal decolonization of residents was associated with reduced carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and bedroom contamination, with daily enhanced cleaning providing no added benefit, researchers reported yesterday in JAMA Network Open. MDROs are endemic in nursing homes, with studies showing more than 50% of residents carry MDROs on their skin. Using chlorhexidine wipes and nasal products to decolonize the skin of nursing home residents has been proven to substantially reduce MDRO carriage and subsequent infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Other strategies, like enhanced environmental cleaning, have demonstrated reductions in MDRO contamination of hard surfaces. But implementing multiple strategies for reducing MDROs in nursing homes is expensive and resource intensive, note researchers with the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. "Thus, it is necessary to prioritize the most effective strategies," they wrote. To assess the comparative benefits of the two strategies, the researchers conducted a four-phase quality-improvement study at two nursing homes. The four phases, implemented sequentially, included universal decolonization only, routine care (control), once-daily enhanced cleaning only, and universal decolonization plus enhanced cleaning. The primary outcomes were MDRO carriage on resident skin and in nostrils and MDRO contamination of high-touch objects in bedrooms and common areas. In adjusted models, decolonization alone was associated with 59% reduction in MDRO carriage compared with the control phase and a 64% reduction compared with enhanced cleaning. Enhanced cleaning alone did not reduce MDRO carriage and provided no additional benefit when combined with decolonization. The results were similar for bedroom contamination: Decolonization alone reduced bedroom contamination by 84% compared with the control phase and by 74% compared with enhanced cleaning, while enhanced cleaning alone did not reduce contamination and provided no benefit when combined with decolonization. In common areas, however, the combined intervention reduced contamination better than either intervention alone. "Taken together, these findings suggest that resource-constrained settings should prioritize decolonization strategies, alongside targeted postactivity disinfection in shared spaces, for effective MDRO prevention," the authors concluded.

Leprosy cases are on the rise in Florida. Here’s how to reduce your risk - Cases of leprosy are rising in Florida, with officials working to understand what's behind the spread of the rare 4,000-year-old bacterial infection.Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, can impact a person's nerves, muscles, skin, eyes and respiratory tract, causing large bumps all over the skin and lead to paralysis and blindness. There are currently 17 cases of leprosy in Florida, state health data shows. Last year, Florida had 36 cases - a record number since the state began reporting the virus in 1992. Last year saw a total of 174 cases across the U.S., according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is responsible for a leprosy care program.Stigma surrounding infections has spread wider than the disease itself but the late Mother Teresa, a champion for the poor and disenfranchised, helped draw attention to the suffering caused by discriminatory attitudes.What's causing increased rates of leprosy now remains up for debate. One source of the infection is the nine-banded armadillo, which carries the bacteria."In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause leprosy, and it may be possible that the animals can spread it to people," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. "However, the risk is very low and most people who come into contact with armadillos are unlikely to get leprosy."This invasive species live underground. They can pass the bacteria to humans when people touch soil around their burrows. People can also be exposed more directly by holding armadillos. However untreated patients infected with the bacteria, known as M. leprae, are believed to be the main source of infection, spreading the disease to other humans even months later, Florida health authorities say. It may take up to 20 years after contact with the bacteria to develop signs of the disease. "Transmission requires prolonged close contact with someone known to be infected and not treated," the department said.  However 95 percent of people are not susceptible to leprosy infections because of our immune system's natural defenses. Those most at risk are the immunocompromised, as well as people who are in areas where leprosy has historically spread, including the South and Southeast. To reduce risk, people should avoid contact with nine-banded armadillos and people who may be infected.

Leprosy isn't just in Florida – Ohio has cases in 2026. Here's where -- Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, may sound like a disease from the history books, but Ohio has already reported two cases this year, according to state data.The CDC says Hansen's disease remains rare, affecting about 225 Americans each year. Most infections are linked to international travel, though some states have been tied to local exposure, which can even include contact with armadillos. Ohio has recorded two leprosy cases this year, one in Hamilton County and another in Summit County, according to the state's infectious disease dashboard.The state has recorded a total of six leprosy cases over the past decade. Since 2016, there have been two cases reported in Cuyahoga County, while Butler, Franklin, Hamilton and Summit counties each recorded one. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) says leprosy is rarely reported in Ohio and is "almost always seen among immigrant or refugee populations." More than 200,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with leprosy each year, including about 15,000 children. ODH adds that around 95% of people cannot be infected because their immune system can fight off the bacteria that causes leprosy. Leprosy is treated with a combination of antibiotics, and the disease can be cured when treatment is completed as prescribed, according to ODH. Depending on the type of infection, treatment can last from six months to two years. Health officials say early diagnosis and treatment are the best ways to prevent the spread of leprosy. People who live with an infected person should be screened immediately and then annually for at least five years after their last exposure. ODH says to report a case, suspected case, and/or positive laboratory result to the local public health department.  Often known to modern people as an old-time disease linked to sin in religious texts, leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacteria M. leprae. Roughly 95% of people have natural immunity to the bacteria, according to the National Hansen's Disease Program.  Leprosy, which can be traced back at least 4,000 years, can be highly visible and disfiguring, with the primary symptoms including changes to the skin and nervous system that can take upward of 20 years to develop after exposure.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo now second-deadliest in history   - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is entering its third month as the second-deadliest in history and the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC. As of yesterday, DRC officials reported 3,695 cases and 1,623 deaths.   The deadliest outbreak in history remains the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths. The current outbreak is caused by a strain of Ebola virus, Bundibugyo, that has only caused three outbreaks in history and has no targeted therapeutics or vaccines.In a new Disease Outbreak News report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the agency says the outbreak is intensifying, and the crude case fatality ratio (CFR) now stands at 44%. Transmission rates are increasing, and in the last week of July, the highest weekly number of reported cases (567) and deaths (296) to date were recorded, the WHO said. There have been 151 cases among healthcare workers, including 44 deaths (CFR 29%).Ituri remains the most affected province, accounting for 88% of all confirmed cases and 82.6% of reported deaths nationwide. About 75.5% of case contacts are under active follow-up in Ituri.“A substantial scaling up of response activities is needed to get ahead of the outbreak,” the WHO warned.Today the Associated Press reported an increased maternal mortality rate in the outbreak regions, as women are skipping prenatal care and births attended to by medical professionals because of fears of contracting Ebola in medical centers.Noemi Dalmonte, deputy country representative of the United Nations Population Fund inthe DRC, told the AP that an average of six women a week were dying due to childbirth complications, double last year’s average.

Despite quick rollout of trials, Ebola outbreak outpaces response efforts in DR Congo- The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the fastest-growing in history, but the testing of new and experimental vaccines and treatments has also been speedy.“If you compare this outbreak to previous Ebola outbreaks, we have been able to start trials more quickly," Vasee Moorthy, MD, PhD, acting head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Research and Development Blueprint program, told reporters in Geneva yesterday. "It's true that the preclinical data that we're seeing is promising.”The current outbreak, which has sickened 3,895 people, including 1,753 fatally, is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a rare strain of the deadly virus that has caused only three previous outbreaks. No vaccines or treatments targeting Bundibugyo exist, but drugmakers have ramped up preclinical research in recent weeks. Currently, more than 50 confirmed Ebola patients have been enrolled and randomly assigned to experimental treatment options at three treatment centers in DRC, according to the WHO.DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research has also enrolled more than 25 high-risk contacts in Ituri province to test if a 10-day course of the oral antiviral obeldesivir prevents infection after exposure. And yesterday, Moderna announced the start of a phase 1 clinical trial in Canada, with the first participants receiving the initial doses of Moderna’s mRNA-1469 vaccine. Eighty healthy adults will be enrolled in this trial, which will assess the safety and tolerability of the vaccine.If licensed, Moderna will make available a minimum of 500,000 doses for timely supply to low- and middle-income countries under access pricing..“Getting Moderna's vaccine candidate into a Phase 1 trial this rapidly is a major step forward in the fight against this deadly outbreak," said Richard Hatchett, MD, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is funding the trial. CEPI is also funding three other vaccine candidates in a portfolio approach, testing experimental vaccines in parallel.“Every day matters and every vaccine candidate in clinical trials gives us another shot at getting a safe, effective vaccine to the people who need it as swiftly as possible,” said Hatchett.  Also today, CEPI published a new database showing 45 African clinical trial units' readiness to conduct phase 1 trials of Bundibugyo vaccines. “This database gives developers a clear pathway to experienced African clinical trial sites and enables faster action when every day matters. Africa CDC [Centres for Disease Control and Prevention] is committed to building a research ecosystem that protects our people, strengthens health security and places African institutions at the centre of solutions to Africa’s health emergencies,” said Jean Kaseya, MD, director-general of Africa CDC, in a statement.

WHO, Africa CDC urge scale-up of efforts to contain Ebola outbreak - The World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) yesterday called for an “urgent scale-up” of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the outbreak continues to grow.The call comes on the heels of a visit to DRC and Uganda earlier this week by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, and Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, MD, who met with national and provisional authorities and response coordinators in the two countries. Stops on the trip included Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak.  While Uganda’s outbreak has been declared over after 20 cases and two deaths, there are now 4,053 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC and 1,850 deaths. It’s already the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history and is showing no signs of slowing down, with an average of 75 new cases each day. “In some areas of eastern DRC, the Ebola outbreak is outpacing our response, making it imperative that we rapidly scale up every aspect of our efforts to contain it,” Tedros said in a WHO press release. The WHO and Africa CDC say cases need to be identified earlier, daily contact follow-up needs to be at least 95%, and testing, referral, isolation, and treatment services need to be brought closer to affected communities.Touching on a theme that he’s highlighted in recent weeks, Kaseya said community leaders in the affected areas need to be more involved in the response, which has been hindered by community mistrust.“Containing and ultimately stopping this outbreak will come from communities,” Kaseya said. “When people have information they trust, can report symptoms early, and seek care without fear, we can break every chain of transmission.”In a press briefing yesterday, Kaseya noted that the number of confirmed cases in the outbreak is more than eight times the number in the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak at the same time-point (11 weeks), and deaths are six times higher. The outbreak has expanded from nine health zones in the DRC at its onset to 51. More than 70% of new cases and 67% of deaths are coming from the community rather than the list of case contacts.  “This is a major concern,” Kaseya told reporters. Kaseya said Africa CDC and the WHO need to conduct studies to determine whether the rare Bundibugyo virus, which is the cause of the outbreak, has mutated. “The level of severity of this outbreak is unprecedented,” he said. “We’ll start some studies to understand if there was a mutation.”

GAO to HHS: Work with other agencies to strengthen US ability to detect emerging diseases - A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other relevant federal agencies could strengthen its ability to detect emerging infectious disease (EID) threats by improving collaboration across agencies, strengthening data quality and infrastructure, optimizing surveillance methods, and improving public messaging. The report comes as EIDs such as COVID-19, H5N1 avian influenza, and measles challenge public health systems. “Emerging infectious disease outbreaks have increased in incidence and impact, posing an ever-present threat to national health, security, and economic interests,” the authors write. “With factors such as increased global interconnectedness, animal-to-human disease transmissibility risk, and disease virulence contributing to this threat, there is heightened concern that an emerging infectious disease may develop into a widespread outbreak with significant consequences,” they add. To create the report, GAO convened 18 experts in relevant disciplines, including public health, animal health, infectious diseases, medicine, and academic sciences, in April and May 2025. One of the experts' top recommendations is establishing a multisectoral, multidisciplinary leadership group to coordinate surveillance efforts across federal agencies responsible for human, animal, and environmental health. “Such a group could address a lack of centralized authority to direct cross-agency surveillance activities leading to inconsistent collaboration that hinders the effectiveness of U.S. surveillance for emerging infectious diseases,” they write. They also call for a comprehensive national strategy for surveillance of EID threats, which would reduce duplicated data and help integrate surveillance activities. The report highlights the need to improve data quality and infrastructure, noting the current system’s lack of standardized data systems, the absence of a common language across data systems, and outdated technology, “all of which could affect the sharing and completeness of emerging infectious disease surveillance data.” To address this concern, the expert panel recommend developing common data standards, expanding the use of federated systems that let agencies share information while allowing data to be stored and controlled locally, and reviewing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Data Modernization Initiative to help jurisdictions better integrate modern technology into their surveillance efforts. The experts also recommend refining surveillance methods by targeting high-risk animal and human populations, expanding and standardizing wastewater surveillance, adopting more diverse data collection and testing methods, and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of surveillance systems. They also encourage greater use of emerging tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve data collection and analysis.

Universal screening could find more babies born with cytomegalovirus infection, researchers say | CIDRAP - After Michelle Longo gave birth to her third son, she noticed some unusual bruising on him. At the time, she didn’t know that the bruises were a sign that he had a little known condition. “They said, ‘Third baby, quick labor; it was probably just bruising from coming down the birth canal,’” Longo, 35, from Swedesboro, New Jersey, told CIDRAP News. “Nobody said anything. He started feeding fine. It was good.” But he failed a hearing test on his right side. Again, doctors and nurses attributed it to her delivery and fluid in his ear. Still, they urged the family have him undergo an auditory brainstem response test, which measures the auditory nerves. “He kept failing,” Longo said. “The audiologist said, ‘You guys should really just go to CHOP [Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia].’” At CHOP, her son failed numerous hearing tests, and genetic tests did not reveal an underlying cause for his hearing loss. Then an otolaryngologist asked the family a question that changed their lives. “He was the first one to say, ‘Have you guys ever heard of CMV?’” Longo said. “Of course, we hadn’t.” CMV, or cytomegalovirus, is a common virus that’s often harmless in adults. “It usually causes absolutely no symptoms,” said Megan Pesch, MD, associate professor and director of the CMV Developmental Follow-up Clinic at the University of Michigan. “But if you are pregnant… it can transmit through the placenta and cause a lot of damage to that fetus.” Babies with moms who had a CMV infection during pregnancy are born with congenital CMV (cCMV), which can cause complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, hearing loss, vision problems, epilepsy, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism. Most children born with CMV (roughly 75%) never develop complications, but for the other 25%, prompt diagnosis means they can undergo antiviral treatment that can slow their hearing loss. Two papers published in the journal Pediatrics examine possible screening methods for CMV. One looks at Connecticut’s hearing-targeted screening program, and the commentary urges universal screening from a blood spot test. Treating more symptomatic babies with CMV could also have a huge impact on how these babies develop. “Most cases of CMV in the absence of a screening program are not diagnosed,” said Pesch, coauthor of the commentary. “We need more babies to be identified.” In the paper, researchers at Yale University looked at the impact of a state mandate on diagnosing babies with cCMV. In 2016, Connecticut required doctors to test all babies who failed their hearing test for the virus. Of the 197,177 babies born at a healthcare system, 49 had suspected or confirmed cCMV, and 32 of them (65%) had moderate to severe symptoms. Two of the 49 (4%) were mildly symptomatic, four (4%) has sensorineural hearing loss, nine (18%) had no symptoms, and two (4%) couldn’t be classified because of incomplete data. The study found that the required targeted screening increased diagnosis of cCMV 4.3-fold. But the researchers also learned that some babies who passed their newborn screening test were later diagnosed with cCMV after developing symptoms. “Late-detected hearing loss can be a developmental emergency that sometimes you can’t recover from,” Pesch said. With earlier diagnosis, more babies could take an antiviral medication, which needs to be administered within 21 days of birth. “That really gets the viral load down, gets that inflammation down, and that has been shown to improve hearing outcomes,” Pesch explained. “We can arrest that hearing loss or… make that happen more slowly, which is a big deal for development of speech.” The antiviral only helps with hearing and does not affect a baby’s potential diagnosis with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, vision problems, or learning disabilities.  Already in the United States, doctors screen babies for 38 conditions from the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) with a blood-spot test. Adding cCMV to the RUSP means that all babies throughout the country could be screened for it. But in 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services disbanded the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC), which reviewed scientific data on screening and treatment protocols and recommended conditions to be added to RUSP. Adding CMV to the RUSP today is “really tough,” Pesch said. Only two states, Minnesota and Connecticut, screen for cCMV. “When it’s done at a federal level, then we don’t have to go through this 50 times,” Pesch said. 

First deaths reported in cyclosporiasis outbreak -Two people in Michigan have died in connection with the outbreak of cyclosporiasis, health officials reported Monday.These are the first known deaths related to the multi-state outbreak of explosive diarrhea in the United States.“Two deaths have been identified as part of the cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Michigan. According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration. No additional information will be provided on these two cases,” according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Deaths from cyclosporiasis are far from common, as the infection is “generally not a life-threatening illness,” the department said. A total of 11,234 cases have been reported in the state so far, including 193 that had been hospitalized.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that it “is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak.”Cyclosporiasis is caused by a microscopic parasite that can contaminate fresh food or water and lead to severe diarrhea in those infected.Cases of cyclosporiasis are known to rise during spring and summer months in the US, with a typical season running from the start of May through the end of August, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But case counts are particularly high this year.The CDC has identified more than 18,000 cases of domestic cyclosporiasis this season; 6,707 cases are confirmed, and about 11,500 others are undergoing further laboratory testing and analysis to determine whether the illness was acquired in the US. Multiple clusters of cyclosporiasis cases are being investigated this year by the US Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with the CDC and state partners, including the particularly large multistate outbreak centered in the Midwest.Iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms has been recalled, and it’s likely that contaminated products have already been eaten or removed from shelves.

Large US Cyclospora outbreak expands to 6 more states -- The Washington Post reports that three people knowledgeable about the investigation say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified cases of cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by Cyclospora, in Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. The outbreak, tied to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, now affects 15 states.  On July 17, Taylor Farms recalled its Mexican-grown iceberg lettuce. As of yesterday, 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis have been reported to the CDC, and more than 12,555 cases are awaiting confirmation or further investigation. The illness causes watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and bloating.  Yesterday, Michigan, which has the highest number of Cyclospora cases, announced that two people had died.  “According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration. No addition information will be presented on these two cases,” the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. “Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States.” As of July 30, Michigan reported 12,218 cases of cyclosporiasis, with 193 hospitalizations, according to its Department of Health and Human Services. Ohio has also experienced a high number of cases. The Toledo Lucas County Health Department has documented 3,148 cases in Northwest Ohio and 1,231 in Lucas County. Even though the number of cases continues to increase, experts say that it doesn’t mean that the outbreak is ongoing. There’s often a delay in reporting cyclosporiasis, because it takes one to two weeks for symptoms to start. Then people can wait seven to 10 days for test results confirming the diagnosis. “We estimate a 6-week reporting lag between illness and onset and case reporting to the CDC,” the agency said on its website. “We anticipate that the case counts will continue to rise as data are received.”

Cyclospora cases reach new high, now in 47 states - Cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection known for causing explosive diarrhea, have now reached 47 states as the illness reached unprecedented numbers.There have been 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infections since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its weekly update Aug. 4. The new numbers represent an increase of more than 3,700 since the CDC's last report July 28. Cases have now been recorded in 47 states, up from 45 last week. At least 12,255 additional cases have not yet been confirmed by laboratories, the CDC said.There have been 517 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the agency.Federal health authorities are still investigating the sources of what they believe to be multiple separate outbreaks, the largest of which is centered in Michigan. The state reported more than 11,000 cases of cyclosporiasis and the first two deaths associated with the outbreak Aug. 4. The figures differ from the CDC's because they have not yet been officially confirmed or reported back to the federal agency for inclusion in its count. This latest outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce grown by produce giant Taylor Farms in central Mexico, prompting the company to initiate a recall July 17.  Only three states, Delaware, Hawaii and Montana, have been spared thus far from the outbreaks. Michigan and Ohio remain the two states hit the hardest, and Washington, DC, has also reported a handful of cases. The CDC reports only lab-confirmed cases that occurred on or after May 1 in people who did not travel internationally within 14 days of the onset of illness. Its numbers often lag behind those cited by state health officials because of tracking, verification and reporting processes. There's typically a six-week reporting lag between an illness and the case being reported to the CDC. Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection that causes gastrointestinal symptoms often associated with food poisoning, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. It is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known simply as cyclospora, and is usually contracted through contaminated food or water. Though unpleasant, it is not generally known to cause death, and many cases it goes unreported because people recover at home without visiting a doctor. It can cause more serious complications in people with compromised immune systems or other underlying health problems. The most common symptom is watery, frequent and sometimes "explosive" diarrhea, according to the CDC and Cleveland Clinic, though other troubles can include:

• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating, including burping and gas, or stomach cramps
• Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• Fever
• Nausea

The Michigan-centered outbreak linked by the Food and Drug Administration to recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms has been identified as the largest nationwide. Illnesses from the lettuce outbreak have been confirmed in nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, according to the CDC. These states were identified after health officials tested sick people and traced the "DNA," so to speak, of the infections to determine whether they were related. Those that are related are considered part of the same outbreak, likely stemming from the same source. Thus far, these nine states are the only ones the CDC has been able to confirm as related to one another and trace back to the lettuce.The source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak is more difficult to track than foodborne illnesses because of a long incubation period, difficulty obtaining samples and the inability to use the same genetic tracking tools available for pathogens like E. coli and listeria.Several separate case clusters have been identified by the CDC and FDA, but no common cause has been identified.

Ohio sees second week of 'significant' increases in cyclosporiasis cases -- Ohio has seen its second straight week of “significant increases” in cases of cyclosporiasis, the parasite that has been connected to leafy greens, and to severe diarrhea throughout the U.S, according to the state’s health director. The Ohio Department of Health shows the state has seen nearly 4,000 cases since June 1. The highest numbers come out of Lucas County, which has 553 cases to date since the beginning of the summer. Cuyahoga County has a reported 457 cases, and Wood County comes in third with 446 cases since June 1. While Ohio hasn’t caught up to the numbers seen in Michigan, considered one of the biggest states in the cyclosporiasis outbreak, the numbers are getting close, according to the state’s health director, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. “We have just seen over the course of the last couple of months a fairly steady and alarming increase in the number of cases,” Vanderhoff said in a Tuesday press conference. “What it is telling us is that we have reason for continued concern about the risk people face from cyclosporiasis.” Vanderhoff encouraged anyone who has been sick to respond to calls from health departments seeking to interview those who have been infected. “These interviews provide crucial data … and help find commonalities among those who have been sick,” Vanderhoff said. While the state is deferring to the FDA and the CDC to identify potential sources of the outbreak, the state has been collecting information they’ve passed on to federal agencies, according to Vanderhoff. The CDC has traced infections back to iceberg lettuce in nine states including Ohio, and produce company Taylor Farms has recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, according to the federal agency. The investigation into the outbreak is still ongoing, as the CDC is also investigating other cases it says are unrelated to the outbreak hitting Ohio and surrounding states. The Ohio health director dismissed ideas that fresh produce should be avoided entirely, pushing for more diligent cleaning practices instead. “Prevention really begins not with avoiding … things our bodies need, but taking a sound approach to how we prepare fruits and vegetables every single day,” he said. Proper washing of produce includes a thorough rinse under running water, and scrubbing fruits and vegetables with tougher skins with a brush. Dr. Robert Frenck, a pediatrician and director of the Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, was mainly on the press conference to discuss child vaccines as a new school year approaches, but also served to dissuade ideas that cyclosporiasis is bigger than it is. “In the greater scheme of things, it’s still a rather unusual infection,” Frenck said, adding that norovirus sees far more incidence rates annually than the parasitic infection that’s covering major news headlines this year. The hallmark of cyclosporiasis is the lasting effects, Frenck said, with symptoms like diarrhea lasting weeks, sometimes months. Treatment is possible through antibiotics, but Frenck said it’s important to know when to alert the doctor (after about a week of symptoms), and for physicians to make sure lab tests look for the parasite. Routine lab work wouldn’t normally cover that type of infection, according to the pediatrician.

‘The worst is behind us’: Cyclospora outbreak seems to be slowing in Michigan The Cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, which has sickened 12,485 people, sent 279 people to the hospital, and caused two deaths, appears to be waning. “The worst is behind us, at least based on the data we have available to us today,” Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, chief medical executive for Michigan, told CIDRAP News. “We’re telling people that they can return to their routine precautions around leafy greens and salads here in Michigan.” She added that this announcement applies only to Michigan. “Every state, every jurisdiction is experiencing something slightly different and all of our advice and all of our recommendations from the beginning have been geared to the public here in Michigan,” she explained. “We have been making recommendations based on the data we’re seeing here.” It takes time for Cyclospora symptoms—watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea—to start—one to two weeks after consuming food tainted with the parasite. Then people might not seek medical care right away. These factors, combined with the high number of people sick with cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by Cyclospora, contributed to an additional lag in reporting. “We initially weren’t seeing such a delay,” Bagdasarian said. “As health systems were dealing with a backlog of testing in their laboratories, we started seeing longer delays in terms of us getting those results.” As cases climbed, some hospitals and doctors’ offices ran out of tests. “They simply couldn’t keep them in stock long enough because of the sheer volume of cases,” Bagdasarian said. “It was challenging for health systems to keep up.” This means that many of the cases now being reported are in people who experienced symptoms earlier in the summer. “The numbers, of course, are still troubling. But what we are seeing is that many of the cases that are coming in and being reported more recently are actually of individuals who had case onset quite some time ago,” Bagdasarian said. “We are seeing that the vast majority had onset symptoms before July 16.” As reports of cyclosporiasis trickled in to the department in June, Michigan’s outbreak investigation team immediately detected something amiss with the number of cases. “They were very quick to say, ‘There is something happening here that is out of the norm,’” Bagdasarian said. Their swift discovery meant that Michigan officials informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “immediately and really urged them to start doing some investigations at the national level.” It also enabled the state to start case interviews very early, allowing Michigan to share critical information about the potential source of the Cyclospora outbreak with federal agencies as well. “The signals around lettuce, out staff were very quick to spot them,” Bagdasarian said. “We were able to flag them for the CDC and FDA and ask them to please prioritize their investigation into lettuce.” Bagdasarian believes that public health staff probably prevented more cases of cyclosporiasis. “Those early and swift actions likely saved the state from thousands of additional cases,” she said. “We were very proactive in using that data to inform the public… to give them specific guidance on produce and then specific guidance on lettuce well before that lettuce recall came out.” Having information from the investigation also allowed staff to communicate with doctors and healthcare systems to help them identify and treat people with cyclosporiasis. “We were very vigilant,” Bagdasarian said. “We communicated to all of our healthcare providers. Every single licensed healthcare provider got an email bulletin on this very early on with instructions on how to test and who to test.” The Cyclospora outbreak connected to iceberg lettuce has expanded to 15 states, and there’s also a second outbreak unrelated to lettuce. Bagdasarian said the state’s experience with Cyclospora this summer could help future investigations. “There are clear lessons from this,” she said. “This is demonstrating in real time why we need a federal public health response. We need to have federal funding, national systems for public health response, and for outbreak management. No single state can lead an effort like this without some sort of national consolidation of data.”

Jalapeños linked to US salmonella outbreak traced to Mexican farm (AP) — Jalapeño peppers linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak have been traced back to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, federal officials say.At least 345 people in 27 states have been reported getting sick from the salmonella strain linked to the jalapeños. Most have been in Minnesota and Colorado. No deaths have been reported, but officials say 36 people have been hospitalized., The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the chili peppers were moved into the U.S. by Coast Citrus Distributors. The company has recalled the peppers and is notifying its customers, which include some prominent Mexican food restaurant chains, officials said. Coast Citrus Distributors didn’t immediately respond to a Thursday voicemail seeking comment.The Food and Drug Administration said that of the 191 people interviewed in the outbreak investigation, 177 — or 93% — reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, from June 14 to July 14.Chipotle Mexican Grill said Tuesday that it had removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants. Qdoba on Wednesday said the company had proactively removed jalapenos from all of its restaurants.“Given their actions to remove product from their stores, neither of these establishments are considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak,” CDC officials said in a statement.The FDA is investigating whether any of the jalapeños went to grocery stores. The agency may announce additional actions on its recalls webpage, health officials said.Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year, and outbreaks have been tied to sources such as cucumbers, eggs, unpasteurized milk, fresh basil, geckos and pet bearded dragons.Within hours or days of being exposed to the bacteria, infected people can suffer from diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.   Young children, retirement-age adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for more severe illness, according to the CDC.

CDC and FDA: Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos expands to 27 states  -Today, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published food safety alerts about a growing Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos served at Chipotle and Qdoba restaurants across the country.So far, cases have been reported in 27 states, sickening at least 345 people. A total of 36 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Colorado and Minnesota have reported 110 cases each, with Illinois reporting 30 cases.“Of the 191 people interviewed, 177 (93%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14, 2026, to July 14, 2026,” the CDC said.The FDA said the jalapenos were from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed to restaurants by Coast Citrus Distributors. The distributer has recalled the peppers, and both Qdoba and Chipotle have stopped serving them. “The CDC and FDA do not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak,” the CDC said.

What to know about the multistate salmonella outbreak in the US (Reuters) - U.S. health authorities are currently investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella javiana infections linked to fresh jalapeno peppers. The investigation is being carried out jointly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, alongside state and local health departments. The FDA said reported illnesses began between June 19 and July 20. The salmonella outbreak comes as U.S. health officials also investigate a multistate Cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce supplied by privately held Taylor Farms, a major food-service producer whose customers include Yum Brands' Taco Bell. Salmonella is a group of rod-shaped bacteria that can cause salmonellosis, a common foodborne illness. Symptoms typically include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, which usually develop 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food and last four to seven days. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe infection and complications. As of August 5, 345 people across 27 states have gotten sick with the strain of salmonella that has now been linked to jalapenos. Thirty-six people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Cases which have been reported across 27 states span the Midwest, South and West, underscoring the broad distribution of the contaminated jalapeno peppers. Salmonella remains one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in the United States, causing an estimated 1.35 million infections each year, according to the CDC. Historically, some of the largest U.S. salmonella outbreaks include a 1985 milk-linked outbreak that caused 5,770 culture-confirmed cases, a 2010 egg-linked outbreak during which 3,578 illnesses were reported nationwide, and a 2008 outbreak traced to contaminated jalapeno and serrano peppers that sickened 1,442 people. The infections have been linked to jalapeno peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to distributors, restaurants, and food service companies, including Mexican-style restaurants in the U.S. After being notified about the outbreak, Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA stopped serving affected jalapeno peppers. QDOBA restaurants are also no longer serving jalapeno peppers. Among interviewed patients, a large majority reported eating at Mexican-style restaurants before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14 to July 14. Coast Citrus Distributors has agreed to recall jalapeno peppers linked to this outbreak.

Climate change is shifting malaria activity in Africa - Climate change is moving where the malaria hotbeds are in Africa, forcing new regions to contend with the mosquito-borne disease. Both the malaria parasite and the life cycle of the mosquito vectors, which are cold-blooded, are highly responsive to temperatures, making the disease sensitive to climate change. A recent study in Nature finds that rising temperatures have likely increased malaria in high-elevation East and southern Africa, where the weather is typically cooler. At the same time, climate change likely averted a comparable number of cases in West Africa, where temperatures are increasing to a point that it's hot enough to reduce transmission. The analysis used 50,425 surveys of malaria infection rates in sub-Saharan Africa, spanning 1900–2016, to calculate monthly averages of the disease at the state or province level. Then, researchers modeled how temperature and extreme precipitation shaped the prevalence of malaria in each region, controlling for factors like seasonality and malaria intervention efforts. "Over the coming century, we project that climate change could marginally accelerate the elimination of malaria in West and central Africa, where the present-day burden is highest," write the study authors, which include researchers from Yale University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Cape Town. Although the effects of climate change on malaria are meaningful, the authors caution that the impact is far smaller than the reductions that have been achieved through medical care, mosquito nets, vector control, and economic development. These investments, they argue, can counterbalance the effects of climate change in most places. "Malaria elimination within the next generation remains plausible, even in the face of climate change," they said. They add that future work should explore how emerging methods for predicting climate change could give public health agencies valuable information in preparing for and responding to malaria activity.

West Nile accounted for most US arboviral cases in 2024 as Powassan cases hit record high - West Nile virus (WNV) was the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in the United States in 2024, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published last week. Powassan virus infections, which are transmitted to humans from ticks, hit a new record high that same year. The findings, published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, identified 1,955 cases of confirmed and probable arboviral disease cases in 48 states and the District of Columbia in 2024. Arboviral diseases are infections caused by viruses transmitted to humans through tick and mosquito bites. Of all the arboviral cases reported that year, WNV accounted for 1,808 (92%), Powassan virus for 60 (3%), La Crosse virus for 37 cases (2%), Jamestown Canyon virus for 27 (1%), eastern equine encephalitis for 19 cases (1%), and St. Louis encephalitis virus for 2 (under 1%). While WNV was the dominant arboviral disease in 2024, the 1,808 reported cases were below the 10-year median of 2,162. Of the 3,143 counties across 48 states and DC, 591 (19%) reported WNV cases. Texas reported the most infections—456—or one-quarter of all WNV cases nationwide and more than double the state's total in 2023. The virus was responsible for severe illness in many patients. Three-quarters of WNV cases involved neuroinvasive disease, 77% of patients were hospitalized, and nearly 10% died. WNV can cause flu-like symptoms or serious brain infections. The report also highlights the rise of Powassan virus. Sixty cases were reported in 2024, up from the previous record of 49 cases in 2023. All patients were hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease, and nine died. Nationally, Powassan cases have increased an average of 17.5% annually over the past 21 years. The increase in Minnesota and Wisconsin was especially steep. From 2023 to 2024, the two states experienced a combined 160% relative increase in cases, from 10 to 26. The reasons for the increase remain unclear. The rise “might be related to an actual increase in incidence, improved health care provider awareness, expanded availability of diagnostic testing at commercial and state public health laboratories, or potential expansion of the vector range,” the researchers write. Powassan virus is spread by infected blacklegged ticks, groundhog ticks, and squirrel ticks. In 2024, La Crosse virus primarily affected children. Ninety-five percent of cases occurred in kids, with a median age of 8 years, and 97% of patients were hospitalized. None died, though the researchers note that “arboviral morbidity among children can be severe, including neuroinvasive disease and death.” La Crosse virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitos and can cause brain inflammation. La Crosse virus infections were reported across 24 counties in eight states, with North Carolina and Tennessee accounting for the largest percentage of cases (75%). Together, the two states represented a relative increase of 170% from the year before. Twenty-seven cases of Jamestown Canyon virus disease were reported in 2024, up six cases from 2023. Of all reported cases, 21 patients (78%) were hospitalized, 20 (74%) had neuroinvasive disease, and two (7%) died. Twenty-three counties in six states reported cases of the mosquito-borne virus, and the highest case numbers were reported in Wisconsin (10), Michigan (eight), and Minnesota (four). Jamestown Canyon virus can cause flu-like symptoms and dangerous brain swelling. A total of 19 cases of eastern equine encephalitis virus disease were reported in 2024, all in patients hospitalized with neuroinvasive disease. Five patients died. Cases of this rare mosquito-borne disease were reported in 12 counties in nine states, with New Hampshire reporting the highest number (five), followed by Massachusetts (four). Eastern equine encephalitis causes brain inflammation and is often fatal. Two cases of St. Louis encephalitis virus disease were reported to the CDC in 2024, with one of the patients hospitalized. Both survived. St. Louis encephalitis is transmitted to people by mosquitos and can cause fever, headache, and brain inflammation. The authors say clinicians should consider arboviral infections in patients with fever or neurologic illness during mosquito and tick season. They also emphasize prevention because no vaccines or antiviral treatments are currently available for these infections.

4 new human H9N2 avian flu cases in China as Australia sees more H5N1 in wild birds | CIDRAP - Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is reporting four new cases of H9N2 avian flu on mainland China.The case-patients include a 3-year-old girl from Gansu province, a 12-year-old boy from Jiangsu province, a 72-year-old woman from Jiangxi province, and a 58-year-old woman from Yunnan province. All patients had symptom onset between July 5 and July 13. CHP provided no additional information on the patients’ prognosis or course of illness.There have been 20 known human infections of H9N2 over the past six months, including 12 on mainland China, one each in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and one case in Italy.Since 2015, a total of 164 cases of human infection with H9N2 avian flu, including two deaths (both in people with underlying conditions), have been reported to the World Health Organization in the Western Pacific, the organization said.  In other avian flu news, Australia is reporting scores of new wild bird detections of H5N1 in the weeks following the virus’ introduction to the continent. Between July 20 and today, detections rose from 20 to 102, with the majority of detections in South Australia.    So far Australia has not detected the virus in poultry or the wider agriculture industry.

Bird flu decimated South America's marine mammals. What can Australia do differently? - Australia is now confronting an outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain. As of Monday, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus had been detected in 78 wild birds across mainland Australia. Until now, there had been no evidence of a large-scale outbreak.But authorities have confirmed the first instance of mass death caused by H5N1 among dozens of greater crested terns off South Australia's southeast coast. They are also conducting further testing on a cluster of sick and dead terns in southwest Victoria. As H5N1 spreads across the country, researchers, wildlife managers and the broader public are increasingly concerned about the risks it may pose beyond birds.Recent outbreaks have threatened aquatic mammals, including southern otters, dolphins and porpoises. H5N1 has also decimated pinniped populations around the globe, including in South America. Pinnipeds are marine mammals that live in the sea and form colonies but spend extended periods on land, such as sea lions, fur seals and elephant seals. As the risk of a broader outbreak rises, Australia must protect its wildlife by drawing on lessons from other continents already battling bird flu. H5N1 poses an urgent threat to wildlife worldwide. Since 2021, this fatal strain of bird flu has spread to every continent and infected poultry flocks, dairy cattle, wild birds and a growing range of wild mammals. In June, it finally reached Australia, first detected in a sick brown skua.This strain has been particularly devastating in South America. In late 2022, H5N1 spread rapidly from infected seabirds into pinniped colonies. At least 30,000 South American sea lions died in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil during the subsequent outbreak. In some areas, major breeding colonies lost up to one-third of their population within a single breeding season.Current evidence suggests H5N1 also caused mass deaths in southern elephant seals—the same species as Neil the seal—with more than 17,000 pups dying at Península Valdés in Argentina. Scientists still don't know how many adults died.  Our team of researchers—from the Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina and Deakin University in Australia—documented a dramatic decline in the number of seals in northern Patagonia following the 2022–23 outbreak.Subsequent studies across South America show infected pinnipeds developed severe neurological and respiratory disease. Symptoms include lethargy, tremors, impaired coordination and labored breathing, among others. Affected animals showed severe respiratory disease and neurological signs, and postmortem examinations revealed marked lung lesions. Many animals died within a short period after clinical signs appeared.Although concerning, the South American outbreak gives us crucial insight into how H5N1 spreads, which species may be most vulnerable and what strategies could reduce its impacts.Each time H5N1 infects and replicates in a mammal, the virus becomes better at adapting to mammalian hosts. Monitoring how efficiently it spreads between mammals is therefore essential for protecting wildlife. It also allows us to assess the risk of human infection—which currently remains low—and the potential for a broader pandemic.For now, H5N1 has not yet reached Australia's pinniped colonies, which are already under pressure from fishery nets and hooks, pollution, habitat destruction and climate change.So we still have time to protect them from H5N1. Authorities should start with Kangaroo Island, where infected seabirds have been found near the breeding habitat of the endangered Australian sea lion.Other threatened marine mammals may also be vulnerable. This includes the rare Burrunan dolphin, of which there are fewer than 200 individual animals swimming around Victoria's Port Phillip Bay and Gippsland regions.

Quick takes: New World screwworm in sheep; polio in DR Congo, Nigeria; new infectious disease tracker | CIDRAP

• There are now 45 detections of New World screwworm (NWS) in the United States, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Just five of these cases are active, all of them in Texas. The most recent infestation was reported yesterday out of Terrell County, which sits along the Mexican border. A press release from the Texas Division of Emergency Management said that NWS, a parasitic fly larva, was found in sheep. Most cases have been in cattle. Due to the detection, Texas has established a new “infested zone,” in which warm-blooded animals cannot leave the area without being inspected by someone certified through the Texas Animal Health Commission.
• A dozen new cases of vaccine-derived polio were reported this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and two more were found in Nigeria, according to the most recent update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In communities with low vaccination rates and poor sanitation, vaccine-derived poliovirus can mutate and then spread, causing paralysis just like the wild poliovirus. All the DRC cases and one of the Nigeria cases were cVDPV2, the most common strain. The other individual from Nigeria was positive for cVDPV3, making it the country’s eighth case of this strain in 2026.
• A new disease tracker is providing open-access data on the spread of measles, invasive meningococcal disease, and pertussis (whooping cough) in the United States. Johns Hopkins University launched the free platform, in collaboration with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, to give the public access to reliable information on these vaccine-preventable diseases. The data are voluntarily provided by the health departments of 10 participating jurisdictions, with another 15 committed to joining the initiative. For non-participating states, data come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "By providing easy to understand maps, figures, and analyses of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States, we hope to guide public health policy decisions and inform health care providers so they can better advise and care for their patients," said project co-lead William Moss, MD, MPH, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Minnesota identifies CWD in Washington County deer for first time -A deer found near Stillwater, in Washington County, Minnesota, has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), marking the first case for that county, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced yesterday. A landowner reported the sick doe to the DNR, who retrieved it and had it tested after it died on July 16. The positive result was confirmed this week. “This discovery near Stillwater is unfortunate and highlights the importance of the public’s awareness of and ability to report sick deer, as well as our protocol to have these deer tested for CWD,” Michelle Carstensen, PhD, DNR Wildlife Health Program supervisor, said in the news release. CWD, a neurodegenerative disease that affects cervids such as deer, elk, and moose, is always fatal. More than two-thirds of US states have reported cases since the disease was first identified in Colorado in 1967. Deer permit area (DPA) 236, where the deer was found, is about 30 miles from the closest confirmed CWD cases in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The discovery will trigger the DNR’s CWD response plan for the area. “Multiple management actions are designed to help mitigate disease spread, including a deer feeding and attractants ban and, where appropriate, increased hunting opportunities with increased bag limits,” the release said. “The Minnesota DNR is working on what the surveillance response will be to the new detection near Stillwater.” The DNR said it is shifting to four-year rotational surveillance, dividing the state into quadrants. Each year, the DNR will require hunters in one quadrant to test all deer aged 1 year and older harvested during firearms opening weekend. This year, that will occur in the southwest quadrant. The department moved to this model to better identify areas affected by CWD. While previous sampling near endemic areas has successfully monitored transmission, nearly two-thirds of the state hasn’t been surveilled in more than 20 years, the DNR said.

Egg oiling offers a targeted way to reduce raven predation on vulnerable prey - Common ravens are intelligent omnivores that regularly consume the eggs and young of nesting birds, and their populations are boosted by human-provided food and nesting resources. This has resulted in elevated predation by ravens on many sensitive prey species, including greater sage-grouse. A study in The Journal of Wildlife Management indicates that coating developing raven eggs with nontoxic mineral oil helps protect sensitive prey populations by reducing raven reproduction. Investigators found that egg oiling—a management technique that stops the developing raven embryo from surviving without destroying the egg itself—reduces local raven numbers and improves nest survival and population growth of greater sage-grouse, one of the vulnerable prey species targeted by ravens. "Applying egg oil to raven nests offers nesting sage-grouse some reprieve from nest predation. When raven nests were treated, sage-grouse nest survival more than doubled and relative abundances of sage-grouse increased by 44% compared with control populations," said lead author Steven Mathews-Sanchez, Ph.D., who conducted this work while at the U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center and is currently a biologist for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. "Although highly effective at a local scale, egg oiling does not address the anthropogenic sources driving raven population growth, which must ultimately be addressed to protect sage-grouse and other sensitive species, nor does it address critical habitat required for sage-grouse to persist long term."

What's in the dust? Study finds hidden metals in city streets - If you're in an urban area with strong winds, chances are you are breathing in more than a little dust. You could be exposed to metals from cars, construction sites or pesticides used decades ago. In a new study published in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research journal, University of Virginia researchers collected and analyzed road dust samples from seven cities in the eastern U.S. to investigate their metal composition and whether they posed a hazard to residents. "Our lab specializes in analyzing the elemental profile of environmental samples, which can tell you about the history of a city," said Robin Truong, the study's lead author and an environmental sciences doctoral student in his third year at UVA. "Richmond, for example, is an older city with coal-fired power plants and a waste incineration plant, which explains the trace levels of lead found in road dust." In each city, the group collected dust samples from dozens of locations and brought them back to the lab to test for toxic metals, including lead, arsenic and cadmium, which they found in a third of the samples. As a researcher, Truong is interested in toxic metals and atmospheric deposition. Credit: Contributed photo "These dust samples are not from the middle of the highway," said Justin Richardson, a co-author and professor of environmental sciences at UVA. "They were collected at public spaces, such as parks, schools and downtown areas where residents are likely to be exposed." Richardson, Truong's faculty adviser, leads the Soil Biogeochemistry Lab, which focuses on analyzing trace metals and elements. Fieldwork for this paper was also conducted by co-author Chattan Haselden, who graduated from UVA in May with a bachelor's degree in environmental sciences. This work was also part of his senior thesis. The team found regional differences in road-dust composition that reflected the historical development of those cities. Samples from the northeastern cities of Trenton, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware, which have legacy industrial activities, showed higher metal concentrations than other cities. In the southeastern cities of Charleston, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia, the influence of historical pesticide use and port activities stood out more. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency does not monitor road dust pollution. The Clean Air Act and its amendments focus only on six air pollutants, including particulate matter and lead, but do not cover road dust on the ground or the other 11 metals studied. "The good news is, on average, the concentrations did not exceed any health recommendations," Truong said. "However, since road dust exposure mainly occurs in dry conditions, residents are more vulnerable in summer months. If you happen to live in an area with higher metal concentrations in a city with historical industrial development, take precautions by wearing a mask or staying indoors when the air quality index is high."

Senate Dems introduce plastics tracking bill - Senate Democrats unveiled a new approach to tackling confusing recycled content labels on plastic goods and packaging.Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Thursday introduced the Tracking Plastic Act, which would task a federal, interagency working group with developing recommendations for proving the amount of recycled content in products like water bottles.“Implementing a reliable process of tracking recycled materials will provide Americans with accurate information on plastics used in the products they’re buying,” Schiff said in a statement. “Our legislation will crack down on companies that mislead the public on their reporting of recycled plastic content.”Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker are co-sponsoring the bill.

Forever chemicals and pesticides under Trump: what to know- Since returning to power, President Donald Trump's administration has approved five pesticides considered by many to be PFAS "forever chemicals," a class of toxic substances facing bans and increasing restrictions around the world. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an alternative definition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that excludes the new herbicides, insecticides and fungicides and says they pose no threat to human health. The last three such approvals were made without press statements, surfacing only when nonprofits publicized them this month. Many scientists and nonprofit groups say the chemicals may pose hidden risks, and many break down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), now abundant in global drinking water and potentially linked to serious harms, including fetal and reproductive damage. "If we want to do something about this class of chemicals, then you need to draw boundaries," Cindy Hu, an environmental scientist at George Washington University, told AFP. Damning history PFAS are defined by the carbon-fluorine bond, the most stable in organic chemistry, whose strength and liquid-repelling properties made the chemicals prized for firefighting foam, nonstick pans, raincoats and more. But evidence linking them to cancers, immune conditions and reproductive harms has triggered billion-dollar settlements, new laws and corporate phaseouts. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) adopted a broad definition in 2021 encompassing any molecule with a single fully fluorinated carbon atom. Roughly half of U.S. states, Congress and the Pentagon have upheld it, as did 150 scientists in a 2024 consensus statement. In 2023, the EPA under President Joe Biden went its own way, narrowing the definition to include only chemicals with two or more adjacent fully fluorinated carbon atoms, which it deemed less likely to persist. One such pesticide was approved under Biden. Trump's second term has added five more. Trump's EPA says pesticides are essential for food abundance, that all are reviewed and that single-fluorinated ones can be less toxic than alternatives. It notes they are also registered or proposed in the European Union, Canada and Australia. That is not good enough for many scientists and activists, who fear a growing threat to the food supply and farmworkers. Trifludimoxazin, one of the new herbicides, has "suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential," the EPA's own review found. And the new approvals are just the tip of the iceberg: A 2024 retrospective analysis revisited hundreds of pesticide ingredients approved in the past and found 66 would have met the OECD definition of PFAS. "It's an issue that most administrations have kind of conveniently swept under the rug," Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity, who led the study, told AFP. "But it's definitely getting worse." "If you were to buy 10 peaches or plums at random in the U.S., chances are nine of them are going to have residues of highly toxic PFAS pesticides," Varun Subramaniam, an Environmental Working Group scientist who conducted an analysis of produce samples, told AFP. Many such pesticides break down into TFA, which is now found extensively in water, and the EU's food safety agency last week sharply cut the acceptable daily intake. In June, the European Chemicals Agency classified TFA as toxic to reproduction in a nonbinding opinion based on animal studies. Criticism has focused on former lobbyists in senior EPA posts. A Freedom of Information Act request by Donley found those officials, alongside EPA chief Lee Zeldin, coordinated edits last November to the agency's webpage on PFAS and pesticides, stripping out any acknowledgment of the more widely accepted definition. The edit came the same day CropLife America, the pesticide industry's trade association, submitted a paper arguing against further regulation that cited the revised page. CropLife America told AFP it did not coordinate with the EPA over the timing of its submission, but rather resubmitted its manuscript to reference the revised page. For researcher Hu, the debate echoes an earlier chapter in the PFAS story. When first-generation PFAS were phased out in the 2000s, industries replaced them with shorter-chain molecules marketed as safer—one of which, GenX, caused a drinking water contamination crisis in North Carolina. "It's a continuation of the same storyline," she said, advocating the "precautionary principle" that would presume such chemicals harmful until proven otherwise.

Aging Grand Canyon pipeline breaks again as $208-MM replacement continues A new break in the Grand Canyon's aging Transcanyon Waterline has prompted water restrictions across the South Rim as the National Park Service continues a $208-MM pipeline replacement project scheduled for completion later this year. Water restrictions are in effect across the Grand Canyon's South Rim after another break in the park's aging Transcanyon Waterline disrupted the delivery of potable water, AZ Family reported, prompting conservation measures for residents and visitors. National Park Service officials said the latest break occurred along the North Kaibab Trail, leaving water unavailable at several locations while repair crews work to restore service. Park visitors have been asked to reduce water use, including limiting showers, toilet flushing and other nonessential consumption until repairs are complete. The latest failure is one of several breaks affecting the nearly 50-year-old Transcanyon Waterline, which has experienced recurring outages in recent years. The pipeline also sustained damage during last year's Dragon Bravo Fire, adding to ongoing maintenance challenges. The National Park Service is currently replacing the aging waterline through a $208 million infrastructure modernization project scheduled for completion in October. According to AZ Family, the upgrade is expected to improve long-term reliability for the park's water distribution system and reduce the frequency of pipeline failures.

Lake Mead hits lowest water level on record as Colorado River crisis deepens  - Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has fallen to a record low — yet another sign that the Colorado River system is spiraling further into crisis. Water levels on Thursday in Lake Mead dropped to 1,040.5 feet, below the previous record low of 1,040.58 feet set in July 2022, according to data published by the US Bureau of Reclamation Friday. The lake is now lower than it’s ever been since it was created nine decades ago. “Breaking the record is further evidence of the uncharted territory that the (Colorado River) Basin now finds itself,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. Lake Mead, which stretches along the Arizona-Nevada border, was formed in the mid-1930s when the Hoover Dam was constructed on the Colorado River. The lake supplies water to more than 20 million people. It’s one of the most important reservoirs on this vital waterway, along with Lake Powell, which experts also fear could reach record low levels in the next few weeks. In July, the combined water level in the two reservoirs tumbled to a historic low. Together, the reservoirs haven’t been so low since 1957, during the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, before Lake Powell even filled up. “Lake Mead and Lake Powell are essentially the region’s savings account, and we’ve been drawing it down for years because the river has been overallocated while enduring 25 years of persistent drought,” said Kathryn Sorensen, director of research at Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation said that it and the Department of the Interior remained “committed to reducing the collective risk of both Lake Powell and Lake Mead falling below critical elevations to protect critical infrastructure to continue to meet the water and hydropower needs of the basin.” The decline of these vast reservoirs underscores the perilous situation of the Colorado River. The 1,400-mile artery is the lifeblood of the Southwest, irrigating more than 5 million acres of farmland, generating enough electricity to power around 700,000 homes and providing water for 40 million people. It’s also a vital wildlife habitat and a key tourist draw. Its headwaters start in the Rocky Mountains, fed by snowpack, before it winds through seven states, filling Lake Mead and Lake Powell on its way to the Gulf of California. Yet years of heavy demand combined with climate change-driven hotter, drier weather and a dearth of snow have pushed the river system into crisis — and the impact on Lake Mead has been significant. “There was very little snowpack last winter, and we’ve had one of the lowest runoff years on record,” said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. The reservoir has been on a more than 20-year downward trajectory. Receding water has revealed distinctive “bathtub rings” that show previous water levels etched into its rocky shoreline, as well as gruesome discoveries, including a decades-old murder victim in a barrel found in 2022. The shrinking lake also affects tourism. Lake Mead was designated the US’s first national recreation area in 1964, and its sparkling waters and rugged mountains have long drawn people for boating, hiking, fishing and camping. Lake Mead’s record low comes as states face steep cuts in their water use from the Colorado River. The seven states that rely on the drought-stricken waterway — California, Nevada and Arizona in the lower basin, and Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado in the upper basin — have been locked in fraught negotiations over how to share its declining water for years. Deadlines have come and gone, and no deal has been reached. In July, the US Bureau of Reclamation released a 10-year operating framework for the waterway under which the lower basin states could face collective cuts of up to 3 million acre feet per year — enough water to supply roughly 9 million average US families.“This framework provides the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement Friday. Reclamation is expected to publish two-year operating guidelines in the coming days that will specify the exact cuts required of states through 2028 — anticipated to be around 20% for the lower basin states. No mandatory cuts are expected for the upper basin states. Experts fear the current plan won’t be enough as the water crisis deepens.Lake Mead’s tumble to a record low is “yet another indicator of the entire Colorado River system’s precarious condition,” Porter said, “…but it’s not a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.”

Feds sacrifice rare fish in Colorado River to save power for millions - Federal officials announced Thursday they will not release cool water from one of the Colorado River's primary reservoirs this year, a decision that prioritizes struggling hydropower production over the protection of a threatened native fish downstream. The move highlights the escalating conflict between environmental conservation and energy demands as the river's resources diminish. The Bureau of Reclamation informed various groups via email that water from Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona would not be released "due to significant hydropower generation concerns under already strained system conditions." This decision comes as the Colorado River and its once-vast reservoirs continue to shrink, a consequence of overuse and the impacts of climate change, forcing officials to weigh the survival of the humpback chub against the electricity costs for consumers. The announcement follows the worst snowpack on record for the Colorado River Basin, a vital resource for over 40 million people across seven U.S. states, tribal nations, and Mexico, supporting farmers, industries, wildlife, and hydropower. It also comes just a week after federal officials unveiled a proposal aimed at averting a deeper crisis in the beleaguered waterway, after states reliant on the river failed to reach a long-term agreement on sharing the dwindling resource. The federal plan proposes water cuts for California, Nevada, and Arizona. A "cool mix flow" involves releasing cold water from deep within a reservoir, in this instance Lake Powell, to lower the temperature of the river below. This process bypasses hydropower turbines located in the cooler, deeper sections, resulting in a significant loss of power generation. Lake Powell itself is currently only 23% full, a stark indicator of decades of overuse and increased evaporation due to rising average temperatures. With such low reservoir levels, warmer surface water is drawn through the generators and sent downstream. This warm water poses a direct threat to the humpback chub. Smallmouth bass, introduced to Lake Powell in the 1980s for sport fishing, thrive in these warmer surface waters. They are also drawn through the hydropower generators and into the river below, where they can spawn if temperatures are sufficiently high, preying on the federally protected humpback chub and other native fish. While cool water releases from Lake Powell in 2024 and 2025 successfully prevented smallmouth bass spawning, the river downstream of the dam is currently around 69 degrees Fahrenheit (20.5 degrees Celsius). The Bureau typically considers recommending cold water releases when the average daily temperature exceeds approximately 60 F (15.5 C) for three consecutive days, a threshold that has been surpassed for over a month.

Hackers just broke into America’s tap water - In the teensy Midwestern town of Braham, homemade pie capital of Minnesota, something unusual in the municipality’s computer systems knocked the city’s entire water supply offline last week. Within a few hours, dozens of other Minnesota cities discovered that their water and wastewater utilities, too, had been compromised, most likely as part of a massive Iranian cyberattack, the kind that US officials have been warning about since the war began. At least a dozen states have been affected by the attack, which briefly led to a flurry of small-town service disruptions, boil-water notices, and local flooding. Water wells, dams, sewers, and pipelines are some of America’s oldest and creakiest pieces of infrastructure, built long before the internet existed, and certainly long before AI made hacking much easier. While you may assume most hackers are in it for the money or for data, some have targeted critical infrastructure like water systems or energy grids in ploys for control or disruption — or worse still, as acts of war. And, as last week’s attacks show, the nation’s water system is woefully unprepared. But how worried should you be that the very infrastructure that keeps our water taps running is, apparently, hackable?  Quite worried, indeed.  When we say the water supply got hacked, what we really mean is that someone, somewhere has broken into the computer that controls a local water treatment plant or reservoir, and is now pulling the levers, like the one that decides how much of a corrosive chemical can safely go into cleaning the water that comes out of your tap. These levers were once manual buttons and knobs operated in-person by real live humans, meaning that — barring a natural disaster, bomb, or break-in — protecting them was about as simple as building a fence and hiring guards. Increasingly, however, these levers have gone digital, meaning that they are now remotely operable from anywhere in the world. Those upgrades have been convenient, allowing technicians to monitor and troubleshoot problems in real time. But, in the process, they have exposed at times centuries-old infrastructure to distinctly modern vulnerabilities. Most local water systems are operated by local authorities, don’t have a dedicated IT team, and lack the money or resources to thoroughly protect themselves without some extra help. Hackers know this, which is why they’ve increasingly targeted local agencies in such attacks. “With great connectivity comes great responsibility,” said Joshua Corman, founder of I Am The Cavalry, a nonprofit focused on helping critical infrastructure withstand hackers. And yet, even when it comes to critical services like water, “our dependence on connected technology is growing faster than our ability to secure it.” About 97 percent of water systems are small, run by local agencies that often barely lock the proverbial front door. America’s water system is like an expensive heirloom bicycle that’s been left on a busy street, protected by only the flimsiest of padlocks. And that very vulnerability has made tiny towns like Braham prime targets for faraway adversaries. Accessing the computers that operate most water systems — known as programmable logic controllers or PLCs — is often as simple as entering a username and password on a public-facing webpage. Sometimes, there is no real password at all, because PLCs were initially intended to be accessed only within locked, secure facilities, not on the open internet. If the US wants to avoid a far more severe version of what happened last week, then it will need to start taking the security of tiny water systems like Braham’s seriously.

US water systems could face "catastrophic" cyberattacks: What could happen - Cyberattacks on U.S. water systems could go much further than temporarily blinding operators, proving catastrophic for public health and finances. Experts say a serious undetected breach could disrupt pumps, valves, pressure levels and treatment systems, potentially leaving residents with unsafe water, broken pipes, boil-water notices or outages. The warning comes after cyberattacks on water systems were reported in at least 12 states, including Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey and South Dakota, according to CBS News. In Georgia, the Clayton County Water Authority said cyber activity caused a drop in water pressure and prompted a boil-water advisory, although service was restored within hours. Some utilities lost remote-control capabilities and had to shift to manual operations, while officials have said drinking water has so far remained safe, it reported. But experts told Newsweek that the consequences could be much more severe if an attack went undetected, lasted longer or reached more critical equipment. Water systems may be attractive targets because many use older equipment, have limited cybersecurity staffing and rely on internet-connected systems for remote monitoring. Dan Hartnett, interim CEO of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, said attackers may not always be specifically looking for water utilities, but may instead scan for any vulnerable internet-connected device. Still, Hartnett said water systems themselves could appeal to attackers because of their potential to disrupt public health and economic activity and undermine public confidence in the water supply. Ahmad Taha, an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University put the risk more starkly: “[The] impact of cyberattacks can be catastrophic, with very little effort.” The threat level prompted the FBI to issue a public service announcement on July 30, urging water companies to increase their security measures after receiving reports of incidents from the water and wastewater sector in at least seven states. It said, “malicious cyber actors (MCAs) are conducting cyberattacks targeting Operational Technology (OT) devices,” before naming specific technology systems that were at risk. The financial cost of an attack would depend on its scale, duration and location. Taha said a single pipe break that takes time to identify and months to fix could cost a city millions of dollars. William Akoto, an assistant professor of foreign policy and global security at American University in Washington, D.C., said even a localized incident could require overtime, cybersecurity specialists, equipment reprogramming or replacement, water-quality testing, public communications and extended manual staffing. A regional incident, Akoto said, could reach millions once emergency water distribution, business interruption, infrastructure damage and recovery across multiple utilities are included. For residents, the first signs of trouble could be low water pressure, interrupted service or a boil-water notice. Akoto said utilities would typically respond by isolating compromised equipment and switching to manual operations. If water pressure falls, untreated groundwater could potentially enter pipes, prompting officials to issue a precautionary boil-water notice and conduct testing before lifting it. A prolonged incident could require bottled-water distribution, water tankers or priority deliveries to hospitals and other essential facilities, he said. But if operators contain the intrusion quickly and maintain manual control, “residents may experience little or no visible disruption.” Hartnett said a compromised system could leave operators unable to monitor pressure levels or chemical feeds. If undetected, that could lead to a loss of pressure that damages infrastructure or an incorrect application of treatment chemicals.

Bulldozers plow through Big Bend National Park, sparking fury in Texas (video) Bulldozers have started work around Big Bend National Park in Texas amid a battle over the Trump administration’s plans to expand the president’s border wall across one of the country’s most remote national parks.. Social media videos by conservation groups and local activists emerged on Thursday, showing vegetation being cleared near the Rio Grande amid federal plans for multibillion-dollar border security project that includes vehicle barriers, surveillance systems and extensive patrol-road construction across the Big Bend region. Videos show a large bulldozer in operation while ground workers wearing high-visibility vests and hard hats look on. “It’s mainly going to be confined to the river corridor, which, for me, is very, very important. I’m a river guy. The Rio Grande has always been the lifeblood, not only my livelihood, but just my kind of emotional well-being for all these years,” Mike Davidson, who works as a tour guide in Big Bend, told Newsweek on Friday. “[They] might as well send a bulldozer through the graveyard where my parents are buried or something like that. It hits me very strongly.” Davidson, who has lived and worked in the region since the 1970s, is one of dozens of business owners who have voiced their concerns about the project. He told Newsweek that there had been little to no communication from the federal government with locals about the changes. The plans have faced bipartisan political backlash, and opposition from environmental groups, former National Park Service leaders and local tourism businesses, who say the project could damage desert ecosystems and change the character of a park that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. “This is the most heinous attack on an American national park in generations,” said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at environmental group Center for Biological Diversity. “The administration is preparing to blast hundreds of miles of destructive roads through the wildest place left in Texas and cut off public access to the Rio Grande, all to enrich private contractors.” Republican Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, who spent 26 years as a U.S. Border Patrol agent, nearly half that time in the Big Bend Sector, told Newsweek that construction was “both unfortunate and unnecessary.” Cleveland said officials making the decisions “do not have the first-hand knowledge of Big Bend that the men and women who have actually patrolled this country possess,” arguing that the region could be secured through strategically placed technology, improvements to existing roads and the expertise of agents familiar with the terrain. “We can secure this sector effectively without unnecessarily bulldozing one of the most rugged and treasured landscapes in America,” Cleveland said. “Border security is too important for one-size-fits-all solutions developed from behind a desk. Big Bend requires a plan built around the realities on the ground.” Texas state Representative James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, criticized the project after footage emerged, calling the project “a monument to corruption” and said local sheriffs, mayors and business owners had told him the project would not improve public safety. “This week, over the objections of local leaders and communities, bulldozers showed up anyway, wrecking one of our nation’s greatest treasures to build an expensive wall on an already existing natural barrier. We need modernized surveillance technology and more Border Patrol agents, not sweetheart, no-bid contracts that waste billions,” Talarico said in a statement released Thursday. More than 140 outfitters, recreation groups and local businesses recently urged Texas leaders to halt or modify the project, warning that barriers and roads could harm river access and threaten a tourism economy built around outdoor recreation in Big Bend. Davidson is among them. He told Newsweek that he has seen thousands of people visit the state and national parks in the area and discover the joys of the nature on offer—something he believes is at risk if the work already underway is completed. “I’ve chosen to live in very rural or remote areas for my adult life, but we get people that are in the city, they have stressful lives with real minimal vacation time, and we provide something that is really valuable, I would say [a] mental health outlet for people to get out and be in a natural setting with the river and the canyon walls,” he said. “I think that’s real important. That’s part of us having a civilized nation.” Marfa Public Radio reported this week that contractor Southwest Valley Constructors had moved bulldozers and trucks into the park near Cottonwood Campground. The company holds a contract valued at approximately $1.7 billion to carry out border-security construction work in the region. Newsweek contacted the company via its website on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) say the infrastructure is necessary to strengthen security in a region spanning hundreds of miles along the souther border. DHS has cited more than 89,000 migrant encounters in the Big Bend Sector between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, as well as drug seizures, when justifying additional infrastructure.

Activists climb rare Arizona cottonwood to shield it from Trump border wall construction - Activists are protesting the construction pathway for President Trump’s border wall in Arizona because it would require the removal of an ancient cottonwood tree. A demonstrator was arrested on Wednesday for trespassing after protesting plans that would include chopping down a Fremont cottonwood tree, estimated to be 200 to 250 years old. Three similar trees were cut down earlier this week. “Destroying these ancient cottonwoods is a death sentence for an entire ecosystem,” Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “These magnificent cottonwoods survived centuries, nourishing wildlife through floods and drought, only to be bulldozed for the Trump administration’s disastrous border wall. The San Rafael Valley is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in North America,” he added. The tree’s deep roots are used to tap underground water tables, as it can consume up to 200 gallons of water per day. Their heavy water use is a natural indicator to animals, attracting jaguars, ocelots, black bears, pronghorn and hundreds of bird species. Jaguars are considered “near threatened” in the IUCN Red List and is seen sparingly in Arizona and Mexico. McSpadden urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to complete comprehensive biological and cultural resource surveys to identify sensitive resources and avoid further destruction. “The ancient cottonwoods of Lochiel cannot be replaced once they are destroyed,” McSpadden wrote in his letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “DHS and CBP have an opportunity and an obligation to prevent further harm to this irreplaceable borderlands landscape. We urge you to immediately suspend construction activities and take action to protect the ecological and cultural resources of the San Rafael Valley,” he added on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity.

7 tornadoes confirmed after Chicago-area storms produced destructive winds and flooding on July 27, Illinois – 7  Youtube videos - Seven tornadoes, destructive straight-line winds, hail up to 7.6 cm (3 inches) and flash flooding affected northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on July 27, 2026. Straight-line winds caused most of the damage in and near the Chicago metropolitan area. Meanwhile, Cook County issued a disaster proclamation after severe storms caused flash flooding, structural damage, transportation disruption and widespread power outages. Heat and oppressive humidity generated extreme atmospheric instability, producing favorable conditions for severe weather. A subtle weather disturbance interacted with the unstable air mass, producing thunderstorms from eastern Wisconsin into northeastern Illinois during the morning of July 27. An unseasonably high degree of wind shear allowed some storms to become severe quickly, according to National Weather Service Chicago (NWS Chicago). Powerful supercells moved southeast during the early and middle afternoon, producing tornadoes, extensive straight-line wind damage, and hail up to 7.6 cm (3 inches). A separate line of severe storms originating in eastern Wisconsin caused additional scattered wind damage across parts of the Chicago metropolitan area later in the afternoon. Exceptionally moist air within the storm environment supported torrential rainfall rates and flash flooding in suburbs outside Chicago. Straight-line winds caused most of the damage in and near the Chicago metropolitan area. Southern Cook County and eastern Will County were among the hardest-hit areas, including Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Sauk Village, Steger, Crete, Monee, University Park, Frankfort and Beecher. Gusts of 130–145 km/h (80–90 mph) caused substantial tree damage and multiple instances of structural damage across that corridor. Seven tornadoes occurred between 22:25 and 23:35 CDT on July 27 — 03:25–04:35 UTC on July 28. Five were rated EF0 and two were rated EF1. The two EF1 tornadoes overlapped in time as they crossed southern Cook County and the Illinois–Indiana state line. The longer of the two EF1 tornadoes began at 23:17 CDT just east of Interstate 57 and moved eastward, crossing Interstate 80 on the northwest side of Country Club Hills. It continued east-northeast through Hazel Crest, bringing down trees and limbs and removing roofing material from several apartment buildings along 171st Street. After crossing Interstate 80 again at its junction with Interstate 294, the tornado made an unusual counter-clockwise loop as it moved into eastern Markham and southwestern Harvey. Damage in this section consisted primarily of tree damage and cosmetic damage to structures. The tornado reached its northernmost point between West 154th and West 155th streets before looping southward and rapidly accelerating as it re-entered Markham and Hazel Crest. It reached peak intensity in this area, removing the roof of an industrial building on West 167th Street and damaging exterior walls and roofing at an apartment complex on 171st Street. After crossing Interstate 80 for a third time, the tornado continued southeast through the northern and eastern sides of Homewood. Four double-stacked intermodal containers weighing approximately 68 tonnes (75 US tons) each were tipped over in a rail yard, and numerous additional trees were damaged. The tornado caused further tree damage on the northwest side of Glenwood before dissipating near Glenwood Academy at 23:33. It had estimated peak winds of 175 km/h (110 mph), a track length of 18.3 km (11.4 miles) and a maximum width of 183 m (600 feet). No injuries or deaths were reported. The second EF1 tornado touched down at 23:28 CDT just east of State Route 394 and moved northeast into Lansing. The most severe damage occurred in a neighborhood near Heritage Middle School, where several homes sustained damage to exterior walls and roofs. The tornado continued northeast, causing primarily tree damage and cosmetic structural damage as it crossed into Indiana. It lifted on the far western side of Munster at 23:35. The Lynwood–Lansing–Munster tornado had estimated peak winds of 175 km/h (110 mph), a track length of 6 km (3.7 miles), and a maximum width of 206 m (675 feet). One injury and no deaths were reported. A brief EF0 tornado developed at 22:25 CDT near Stacy Court and Railroad Street in unincorporated North Glen Ellyn. It moved south-southeast across parts of Glen Ellyn before dissipating at 22:27 northwest of Glenbard West High School, near Hawthorne Boulevard and Park Boulevard. The Glen Ellyn tornado had estimated peak winds of 120 km/h (75 mph), a track length of 1.4 km (0.9 miles), and a maximum width of 69 m (225 feet). Large branches fell onto power lines and damaged homes and a vehicle. Additional sporadic tree damage occurred farther south. No injuries or deaths were reported. Another EF0 tornado formed at 22:25 CDT near East Liberty Drive and South Washington Street, south of Wheaton College. It moved southward for 1.6 km (1 mile) before dissipating near Alchester Drive at 22:27. The Wheaton tornado had estimated peak winds of 120 km/h (75 mph) and a maximum width of 91 m (300 feet). A concentrated damage corridor was identified near East Indiana Street and Campbell Avenue, where the tops of several softwood trees were snapped, and numerous limbs were brought down. Sporadic tree damage continued farther south. No injuries or deaths were reported. Additional damage in the Wheaton area was likely associated with a swath of damaging straight-line winds that crossed the area several minutes after the tornado. At 22:39 CDT, an EF0 tornado touched down near Maple Avenue and Brookbank Road before moving southeast through neighborhoods on the south side of Downers Grove. The tornado lifted over McCollum Park at 22:43. The Downers Grove tornado had estimated peak winds of 135 km/h (85 mph), a track length of 3.5 km (2.2 miles), and a maximum width of 91 m (300 feet). Damage consisted of snapped and uprooted trees and downed branches. No injuries or deaths were reported. The Downers Grove tornado occurred within a broader region of straight-line wind damage. Surveyors identified the tornado through a corridor of locally more intense wind damage, including branches torn from the tops of trees, and a subtle radar debris signature visible in KLOT radar imagery. A brief EF0 tornado touched down at 22:58 CDT near or just northeast of the intersection of Illinois Route 53 and Material Services Road, across from Romeoville High School. Its path was determined from a storm survey and TMDW radar data. The tornado moved southward along Route 53 and passed directly over the Lewis University campus before lifting near Renwick Road at 23:03. It had estimated peak winds of 130 km/h (80 mph), a track length of 4.2 km (2.6 miles), and a maximum width of 101 m (330 feet). Damage at Lewis University included numerous downed and snapped tree limbs, damage to a baseball-field dugout and fencing, and damage to an HVAC system on the roof of a university building. No injuries or deaths were reported. An EF0 tornado formed at 23:04 CDT near West 131st Street and Tampier Slough before moving southeast across western Orland Park. Numerous trees were brought down before the tornado lifted at 23:08 in a neighborhood west of Orland Square Mall. The Orland Park tornado had estimated peak winds of 135 km/h (85 mph), a track length of 4.7 km (2.9 miles), and a maximum width of 229 m (750 feet). No injuries or deaths were reported. The NWS reported rainfall totals of 100.3 mm (3.95 inches) near Bridgeview, Illinois, 94 mm (3.70 inches) near Highland, Indiana, and 92.7 mm (3.65 inches) southeast of Monee near Bult Field.

Flash flooding prompts rescues and state of emergency in Georgia, emergency issued in North Carolina - Flash flooding struck McCaysville, Georgia, and northeastern Surry County, North Carolina, from late August 1 into August 2, 2026, prompting municipal states of emergency in McCaysville and Mount Airy. The flooding also triggered water rescues, road closures and infrastructure damage, while the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for areas around Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain. The NWS office in Blacksburg issued the Flash Flood Emergency after 102–178 mm (4–7 inches) of rain fell across parts of northeastern Surry County. The emergency remained in effect until 08:30 LT on August 2 and covered areas surrounding Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain. Emergency managers and law-enforcement agencies reported life-threatening flooding as rivers and creeks left their banks. Numerous roads became impassable or washed out, and responders conducted water rescues across the affected area. NWS described conditions as a particularly dangerous situation and urged residents to avoid flooded roads. Flooding affected Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain and surrounding communities and drainage basins in northeastern Surry County. The City of Mount Airy declared a municipal state of emergency after the overnight rainfall damaged roads and other infrastructure. The localized declaration applied to Mount Airy and was not a statewide North Carolina emergency declaration. Response crews spent August 2 clearing debris and assessing damage, while officials warned that municipal services could be disrupted during the recovery period. The North Carolina flooding developed after an initial Flash Flood Warning was issued late on August 1. Conditions worsened during the night as repeated heavy rainfall moved across the same watersheds, causing water levels to rise rapidly around Mount Airy. Flash-flood potential had decreased by the morning of August 3, but the NWS said additional thunderstorms could still produce localized heavy rainfall. An outlook issued at 03:54 LT placed northwestern North Carolina under a Marginal Risk, Level 1 of 4, for excessive rainfall. Separate thunderstorms caused flooding in McCaysville, Georgia, and neighboring Copperhill, Tennessee, near the Georgia–Tennessee state line. The NWS office in Peachtree City reported that 76–102 mm (3–4 inches) of rain had fallen near McCaysville and State Highway 5 when it issued a Flash Flood Warning early on August 2. McCaysville Mayor Terry Arp, Vice Mayor Jason Woody and Public Safety Director and Police Chief Michael Earley declared a municipal state of emergency after flooding inundated the downtown district. The localized declaration applied only to McCaysville and was not a statewide Georgia emergency declaration. Floodwater entered the McCaysville Police Department, the post office, businesses along the Riverwalk, other downtown properties and several homes. Earley said water reached chest depth at one location.

Eastern Washington fires destroy 600 structures and force 60,000 to evacuate - Wildfires in and around Spokane have stretched ability of federal and local agencies to fight blazes.  Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said on Sunday. The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second largest city, burned about 8.2 sq miles (about 21 sq km), but they were among dozens across the western US that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. A total of about 390 sq miles have burned across the state, and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been contained. Officials also said that the evacuees in Spokane included patients at its US Veterans Affairs hospital. Video from the Spokane area showed buildings on fire, black smoke billowing up near neighborhoods, and the smoking ruins of homes, with only chimneys still standing. Several officials expressed concern that the area does not appear likely to get a break in coming days from the weather, which is expected to remain dry. “We are not out of danger,” Maria Cantwell, the US senator, said during a news conference with federal, state and local officials in Spokane. “The next couple of days will be challenging.” But Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires. Crews using bulldozers and helicopters continued for the 10th day to fight a fire that has burned nearly 525 sq miles (about 1,360 sq km) of grassland in western Idaho, and eastern Oregon. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures. The weather in the area was expected to remain sunny – and dry – well into the week, with temperatures rising to more than 90F (32C) on Wednesday. Officials say the fire was caused by lightning. The National Weather Service issued warnings about the air quality in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, western and central Idaho and western Montana. It issued red flag fire warnings for parts of Utah and Montana and western Nebraska, and extreme heat warnings for the southern parts of Arizona, California and Nevada and northern Montana. While temperatures on Sunday in Spokane were forecast to remain below 80F, wind gusts from 35mph (56 km/h) to 45mph had been expected by the afternoon, said Benjamin Cossel, the public information officer for the federal response team from California, called in on Saturday night to deal with the fires. “We have weather working against us, and we have terrain working against us,” Cossel said. There were three fires in the Spokane area: the Old Trails fire, the Fairview fire and the Meadowview fire, and the state issued air quality warnings. Bob Ferguson, the Washington governor, declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington. Authorities in Spokane set up a shelter at the city’s main convention center. Chris Jordan, the Spokane county commissioner, said relatives of his were in an area affected by the fires and that they did not know if their home was still standing. He said he spoke with them as they were leaving. “They’re in their car and all they can see is smoke everywhere, and it was incredibly scary for so many people,” he said during the news conference. Heather Rosenstrater, the president and CEO of Avista Corp, the area’s electric and natural gas utility, said about 10,000 people were without power on Sunday, down from a peak of 30,000. Avista needs to repair two transmission lines, she said, so it was possible that demand for electricity over the next few days could cause outages. Meanwhile, several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas north-west of Spokane, including one about 80 miles from the city that has burned about 210 sq miles. Another fire in eastern Oregon, about 70 miles to the north-west in the Stinkingwater Mountains, has burned about 336 sq miles. “The whole north-west is heavily impacted right now,” said Keila Vizcarra, the spokesperson for the federal team from California handling what has been named the Big Grass fire in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.

How small wildfires sparked one of Washington’s most destructive disasters - The wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington are a reminder that small blazes can cause immense destruction. The Autumn Lane, Fairview and Old Trails fires — together known as the Spokane Complex Fire — have burned only a small fraction of the acres scorched by other ongoing fires in Washington state. But they are collectively one of the state’s most destructive disasters on record, damaging or destroying at least 900 structures in a matter of days and prompting more than 60,000 evacuations. Compare that to the two largest blazes currently burning in the state: the Kaiser Canyon Fire and the Sinlahekin Fire. Each have burned more than 100,000 acres, but have damaged or destroyed only a few dozen structures. The difference is location: the Spokane Complex Fire is near a city, while the Kaiser Canyon and Sinlahekin fires are in rural Washington.

US Northwest battles wildfires after Spokane neighborhoods scorched -- Wildfires supercharged by drought and intense heat tore through the northwestern U.S. city of Spokane, forcing the evacuation of 65,000 people and reducing hundreds of buildings to cinders as firefighters raced Monday to contain the flames. Aerial flybys revealed that between 700 and 1,110 structures have been lost since the fires broke out over the weekend, authorities said, with anxious families awaiting news about when they could return. Three fires have combined to burn 8,026 acres (3,248 hectares) in the Spokane area of Washington state, according to InciWeb, a federal interagency information system. Firefighters made use of cooler temperatures, higher humidity and thick smoke to make "significant gains" against two of them. Local officials said no one has been reported hurt so far. Cooler temperatures were expected Monday and Tuesday, though the respite will be brief, with a warming trend resuming midweek that will raise temperatures into the mid- to high 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius), with relative humidity in the lower teens. Video of the fire aftermath on Sunday showed scores of homes burned to the ground, with only their brick fireplaces and foundations remaining, while other houses nearby escaped practically unscathed. "Just driving around looking at the homes—it's just one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen in my life," Spokane resident Geoff Beadles told AFP after evacuating with his fiancée and two dogs. Authorities are attempting to make contact with 14 people whom they have failed to reach by cellphone but who are not yet presumed missing, Sheriff John Nowels told a news conference Monday. "I think the estimate is potentially up to 65,000 people we had to move out of these areas, and if you think about what that entails, the fact that we were able to get people out of those areas within several hours in an active fire zone is pretty incredible," said Nowels. Mayor Lisa Brown said authorities were combing the city block by block to assess damage and potential reignition and could not yet tell people when they could return home. "It could be weeks, depending on where your home and property is," she said. "I think from a historical standpoint, this is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane's history," Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson added. Ferguson, who has been speaking with President Donald Trump, said he was awaiting federal approval of assistance, including search and rescue, debris removal, medical supplies, temporary sheltering and emergency power. "I'm very optimistic that they will grant it, and hopefully very soon," he added. Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Aug. 1, citing drought conditions that have stretched four consecutive years, unusually high temperatures and high winds exacerbating record-setting wildfires. Human-caused climate change is increasingly creating conditions for more frequent and intense wildfires through increased heat, extended drought and a "thirsty" atmosphere that enhances the drying of organic matter. It is a vicious loop, with increased wildfires releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and accelerating planetary warming.

Widemouth 2 Fire more than triples to 14 746 ha (36 438 acres), forces evacuations near Fillmore, Utah - The Widemouth 2 Fire more than tripled between mapped observations in central Utah, increasing from 4 168 ha (10 300 acres) late on August 1, 2026, to 14 746 ha (36 438 acres) on August 2 as strong southerly winds pushed it north toward Fillmore. Mandatory evacuation orders expanded into southern Fillmore, while the fire was reported at 0% containment in the latest available update. The increase between the two mappings was 10 578 ha (26 138 acres), bringing the fire to 3.54 times its earlier mapped size. Utah Fire Info said the fire continued growing after the mapping mission, meaning the active perimeter had already exceeded the published figure. Strong winds pushed the fire approximately 14 km (9 miles) north along the Fishlake National Forest boundary. The fire crossed a containment line south of Kanosh on August 1, and firefighters withdrew from its advancing edge during extreme fire behavior. Crews shifted their priority to evacuations and the protection of lives, structures and infrastructure. Evacuation orders initially covered Kanosh south of 300 South, Turkey Track Lane and Cemetery Road, and the area from 4400 South to Reservation Road near Meadow. Approximately 25 homes were evacuated in Kanosh and Meadow, along with residents of the Kanosh Band community and recreationists in areas above Meadow and Fillmore. A mandatory evacuation order was extended into Fillmore at approximately 16:30 LT on August 2. The order covered the area from 500 South, east of Highway 99, extending south to 1600 South. Residents were instructed to leave immediately because of life-threatening and rapidly changing conditions. The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah declared a state of emergency for the Kanosh Band Reservation at 04:20 LT on August 2. Tribal members were instructed to seek shelter in Fillmore, where an evacuation shelter was available at 45 West Center Street. The fire crossed into Sevier County during the afternoon of August 2. Officials identified the Rockwood area above Joseph as the first part of the county expected to be affected by the northeastward spread. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling the fire. No civilian injuries or destroyed structures had been reported by the evening of August 2, while the Millard County sheriff confirmed that more than 100 cattle had been killed. Approximately 370 personnel were assigned to the incident, with additional firefighting resources requested as the fire expanded. Crews continued evacuation and structure-protection operations while conditions remained too dangerous for direct engagement along parts of the advancing fire edge. Highway 91, Corn Creek near Kanosh and roads east of 500 West near Meadow were reported closed. Authorities asked motorists to avoid unnecessary travel on Interstate 15 between Kanosh and Fillmore and to keep roads near the fire clear for emergency vehicles.

This summer isn’t breaking heat records — yet. Wait until El Nino kicks in, scientists say - Wildfires are burning in North America and Europe. Deadly heat waves have parked over cities and the world’s oceans are the hottest ever recorded for this time of year. A strengthening El Nino is forecast to be off-the-charts, spiking global temperatures and warping weather all over.While it may seem like the planet is baking through a record-shattering summer from hell, it’s not quite in record territory. Yet. So far this is only the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But give 2026 time. Because of a one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino, there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could eke out the crown for the hottest year on record, eclipsing 2024 — or at least come close, scientists said.Even if this year sets the record, it won’t last long. Although scientists disagree on whether 2026 will be the hottest year on record, they agree on it being a near lock that 2027 will beat out any modern year for heat, maybe by a great deal.With wars around the globe in the last few years people didn’t pay much attention to climate change “because the world was on fire in different ways. The world is now on fire again with climate change in a way that’s increasingly difficult to ignore,” said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of Berkeley Earth. “It’s going to keep getting worse.’' Hausfather calculated there’s a 35% chance that 2026 will pass 2024 as the hottest year on record. But Hausfather keeps increasing those odds nearly every month — up from only 7% in March.Former top NASA climate scientist James Hansen, often called the godfather of climate science for 40 years of accurate long-term warnings, predicted that 2026 will edge out 2024 at the end of the year.The world’s daily sea surface temperature tied 2024 starting in May and since June it’s been record hot nearly every day. With oceans more than 70% of the globe’s surface, there’s generally a month-and-a-half lag between heat showing up in oceans and then being reflected in the global average temperature, Hansen said. So it’s about time that the entire globe starts shattering records, he said. About 82% of the world’s ocean surface is overheated with marine heat waves this year, according to Europe’s Copernicus climate service.About a month ago the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there was a 66% chance that 2026 would be the fourth hottest and only a 0.1% chance it would be No.1 for warmth by year’s end. NOAA monitoring chief Russell Vose said those odds will be rising when NOAA finishes its analysis from July.Hausfather said what’s changing outlooks is the increasingly strong forecasts for a “mind-numbing” record-setting El Nino.El Nino is a natural temporary warming of parts of the equatorial Pacific that heats up the globe’s average temperature and warps weather extremes across the planet. Most forecasts have El Nino becoming the strongest in history. El Ninos always release pent-up heat in the ocean, but because of greenhouse gases trapping heat and 90% of it going into the world’s seas, there’s more heat to release, said Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at Climate Central, a science and communications nonprofit.The amount of heat in the world’s oceans — a marker of human-caused climate change — keeps setting new record highs, Labe said.Climate scientists said what we’ve seen this summer can’t be blamed on El Nino because its impacts really don’t kick in for a few more months. The fires, heat and extremes that have dominated the summer of 2026 are what scientists have long been warning about from the burning of coal, oil and gas. “The driver of the record warmth is climate change in the background. And it’s a much larger — much, much larger — contribution than El Nino, which is just a tenth to two-tenths of a degree on top of that long-term trend,” Labe said.

Suspected heatstroke kills three lions at Japan zoo -- Three lions at a Tokyo zoo have died from suspected heatstroke, and others are under treatment, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, with the big cats struggling with high humidity. Japan sweltered through its hottest summer on record last year, and parts of the country have hit 40C (104°F) in recent weeks, qualifying for the new designation "cruelly hot day," with thousands of people hospitalized. Ten of the 16 lions at Tama Zoological Park have suffered symptoms such as "loss of appetite and decreased activity" since mid-July, and three lionesses died, the zoo said in a statement. One 3-year-old female died Tuesday, another, aged 11, died Friday, and the third, aged 15, died Sunday. Tama Zoological Park said the lion enclosure, where visitors can normally be driven around in zebra-patterned "safari" buses, was closed to the public until further notice. "According to our veterinarian, the cause of the deaths is suspected to be heatstroke" because dehydration and multiple organ failure were observed, a spokeswoman told AFP. "Even though lions are thought to be resistant to heat, zoo keepers have been strengthening countermeasures to cope with Japan's summer heat in recent years. Heat here comes with high humidity; that is different from heat with dry air in Africa," she said. The spokeswoman said the heat "arrived suddenly" this summer after the rainy season ended in late July. "We are strengthening measures against the heat (further), sprinkling water, improving ventilation and installing spot air conditioners," she said. Several lions are still being treated, she added. Animal rights group PETA said the lions, named Mugi, Ichigo and Luena, "were born, lived, and died in confinement, deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a wild animal." "Zoos are not rescues or sanctuaries; they exist to display animals for profit, not to put animals' needs first," PETA said in a statement. Close to 18,600 people were taken to the hospital for heatstroke between July 20 and 26, with 45 of them pronounced dead on arrival, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Japan experiences about 1,300 heat-related deaths annually and is aiming to halve that number by 2030. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere. Its highest recorded temperature of 41.8C (107°F) was registered Aug. 5, 2025, in Isesaki, north of Tokyo. Authorities have adjusted the timing of several cultural and sporting events in recent years because of the heat, including the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya, which held its final summer edition last weekend.

Three lions die in Tokyo zoo as heatwave scorches East Asia | Al Jazeera -Three lions at a Tokyo zoo have died from suspected heatstroke, as record-breaking temperatures in East Asia have prompted South Korea’s president to declare a national disaster. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told officials at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to ensure support for those worst affected by the heat and inspect power systems as air conditioning demand surges. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the death toll from the heatwave has risen to 19, including 13 people aged 80 or above. Since May 15, ⁠at least 2,025 people have suffered heat-related illnesses nationwide. “An even greater concern is that abnormal weather conditions make it highly likely that extreme weather will continue for a considerable period,” said Lee, who wants a major redesign of the disaster response system to cope with the hazardous conditions. South Korea’s heat record has been broken three times over the past week, with the latest set at 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in the city of Yangsan on Sunday, the highest measured in 122 years of weather observations, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The heat is not confined to South Korea. Across the border in North Korea, state media said heat advisories covering much of the country would stay in place through the week, as water parks in Pyongyang drew large crowds. Because North Korea does not have media freedom, the casualties there from the heatwave are unknown. In Europe, extreme heat and strong winds are causing wildfires and forcing evacuations in Greece, with Spain and France also on high alert for new blazes. Extreme heat was also recorded in the United States, increasing wildfire risks. The United Nations weather agency warned on Friday that a strong El Nino is expected to intensify, starting this month. It warned that the phenomenon is likely to increase above-normal temperatures globally and significantly shift rainfall patterns. El Nino is a naturally occurring periodic climate pattern in which warmer-than-usual waters in the Pacific Ocean disrupt global weather systems, typically intensifying heatwaves, droughts and storms in different parts of the world.

South Korea's Lee calls heatwave a national disaster as deaths rise to 19 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged on Tuesday authorities to step up support for people affected by a record heatwave in the country, calling it ​a national disaster after scorching conditions were blamed for 19 deaths. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Lee ​ordered officials to take necessary measures to protect the daily lives of people ⁠and inspect power systems as demand for air conditioning surges. Stay up to date on the key companies, data, and decisions in the ESG world with the Reuters Sustainable Finance newsletter. Sign up here. Advertisement · Scroll to continue "An even greater concern is that abnormal weather ​conditions make it highly likely that extreme weather will continue for a considerable period," said Lee, who wants a ​major redesign of the disaster response system to cope with the hazardous conditions. The nation's weather agency said Yangsan, a southeastern inland city sitting in a basin, recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, the highest temperature measured in 122 ​years of weather observations. The Korea Meteorological Administration also issued its first-ever heatwave warning for parts of Seoul ​and neighbouring Gyeonggi on Monday, extending this to all of the capital on Tuesday. Advertisement · Scroll to continue A heatwave alert advises people to suspend ‌outdoor activities ⁠such as farming, sports and work on construction sites.  "I have never felt heat like this so far here," said Cho Sang-yeon, who has lived for nearly 20 years in a jjokbang village, an area of cheaper single-room housing in western Seoul's Yeongdeungpo district. Some residents have been moved to government-provided temporary housing equipped with ​air conditioning, though many homeless ​people also live in ⁠the area. "I feel sorry to see homeless people who are suffering from the heat on the street," said resident Son Ki-young. Firefighters and other officials had been ​spraying water on roads in the area and checking on vulnerable residents for ​heat-related illnesses, ⁠said Jun Hong-cheol, an official at Yeongdeungpo Fire Station. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Tuesday that the death toll from the heatwave has risen to 19, including 13 people aged 80 or above. Since May 15, ⁠2,025 ​people have suffered heat-related illnesses nationwide, according to data from the ​weather agency. Two baseball games scheduled for Tuesday in Seoul and Gwangju were cancelled because of the extreme heat, according to the Korea ​Baseball Organization's website.

Bangkok Post - South Korea pro baseball league cancels games over heatwave - South Korea's professional baseball league cancelled all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday amid a record-setting heatwave that has sent spectators to hospital. The country has been sweltering in a streak of searing weather -- new all-time highs were set three times over the past week alone, peaking at 42.5°C on Sunday. The Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO)'s announcement came a day after President Lee Jae Myung asked authorities to treat the heatwave "as a national disaster" and "make every effort to swiftly implement necessary measures" to protect lives. The east and west regions of Seoul remained under the highest-level heat alert Wednesday, issued when the heat index is forecast to reach 38°C or temperatures are expected to climb to 39°C or higher. "We have decided to call off all games on Aug 5-6 until comprehensive safety measures are established," the KBO said in a statement, citing risks to players and fans as extreme temperatures persist. According to local reports, 10 games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday across the country were cancelled. A total of 2,221 people suffered heat-related illnesses, including an estimated 19 deaths, between May 15 and Aug 3, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The league said it would convene an emergency executive committee meeting with club officials and representatives of the players' association to discuss additional safety measures. The KBO cancelled two games on Tuesday in Seoul's Jamsil Stadium and the southwestern city of Gwangju after multiple spectators collapsed due to the heat. During Tuesday's game between the SSG Landers and LG Twins in Incheon, a male spectator collapsed from a suspected heat-related illness, prompting a nine-minute suspension before he was taken to hospital by ambulance, an SSG official told Agence France-Presse (AFP). SSG Landers said 25 spectators were treated for heat-related illnesses during the game.

Europe heat wave strains energy and wildfire response : NPR -— As Europe endures a relentless heat wave, the Danube's historic lows are disrupting nuclear power operations and revealing the far-reaching impacts of the continent's climate crisis.Hungary came close to a forced shutdown of its only nuclear power plant overnight, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Tuesday morning, as low water levels in the Danube river threaten the country's energy supply."Around 1:30 a.m. we were a few millimeters away from completely shutting down the Paks Power Plant, but then the water level stopped falling and by morning it had risen 1.5 centimeters. The last turbine is currently operating safely," Magyar said.On Monday, Romanian authorities conducted a controlled explosion in the river to redirect cooling water to its sole operational nuclear plant, in images captured by AFP. Low water levels had already forced Romania to close two nuclear reactors.  A nuclear power plant in Bulgaria has so far not reduced its capacity, despite low water levels in the Danube. However, last week, a cruise ship in Bulgaria was forced to evacuate almost 200 tourists after it went aground near the port city of Vidin, according to the Associated Press.The Danube's retreat has also exposed World War II relics. In Serbia, drought has brought dozens of Nazi-era German warships, scuttled during the 1944 retreat, back into view — a stark reminder of how dramatically the river has receded. The record-breaking high temperatures have prompted official health warnings. In a heat wave bulletin published on Tuesday, the Italian Health Ministry said that 25 of the country's 27 major cities are on "red alert." The ministry said all Italian cities would be elevated to red alert by Thursday.On Sunday, the United Kingdom's Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued heat health alerts for eight regions of England for the first half of the week, warning that rising temperatures may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.  Record heat continues to be recorded across the continent. Overnight into Tuesday, the Czech Republic recorded its highest overnight temperature ever — more than 82 degrees Fahrenheit or 27.9 degrees Celsius — in the eastern town of Bystřice pod Hostýnem, the local media outlet CT24 reported.

Hungary's Lake Velence is drying up -- Hungary's Lake Velence will likely experience a massive fish kill. That's because oxygen levels in the body of water are too low, according to environmental experts. This means more and more fish will suffocate. Hungary has seen temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius, with barely any rain. This heat is having a major impact on the country's third-largest natural lake.Its water has never been particularly deep, but the current situation is dire. Water levels have been recorded in Agard, on the southern shore, since 1933. It dropped to a historic low in September 2022, measuring just 53 centimeters. Yet as of today, August 4, the water level has dropped to a mere 29 centimeters (11 inches). As long as it doesn't rain and temperatures remain hot, the water level will continue to drop every day, by half a centimeter per day on average. The water is currently evaporating at such a fast pace that there may soon be no continuous body of water left, only isolated pools. This could mark a critical tipping point for the lake.  The impact of Hungary's ongoing drought is already clearly visible. The lake has receded by dozens of meters. Ground once covered in water is now so dry that the soil is cracking. The reed belt surrounding the lake, which serves as a habitat for numerous bird species, is now largely rooted in dry soil.But not all living creatures are suffering under the current conditions: that's evident from a constant hum in the air near the water's edge. As fish and aquatic plants find their habitats shrinking, flies, bacteria, and other decomposers take over, breaking down what the drought leaves behind. The water shortage isn't just changing the lake — it's changing the entire region. Lake Velence is a popular tourist destination, located just 50 kilometers from Hungary's capital, Budapest. It is considered less crowded than nearby Lake Balaton.But these days, there are barely any visitors. The remaining water has turned a brownish-green and taken on a slightly musty odor. A "No Swimming" sign has been put up, with yellow tape blocking access to the water. Five swimming spots have been closed to the public since July 23. The Velence municipal government says the beach will only reopen once the lake's water quality improves, though it is unclear when that might happen. The persistent heat and low water levels mean the lake's water is getting warmer and warmer, leading to a growth in bacteria and blue-green algae.Major interventions in the region's water cycle have made the lake more vulnerable to droughts over the years. "The lakeshore has been subject to significant construction activity over the past 15 years," Zoltan Kun, president of the Hungarian Great Lakes and Wetlands Association, tells DW."The water management authority has focused on quickly draining excess water from the region rather than storing it using nature-based solutions. And the agricultural industry destroyed our soils, which means they are less able to absorb water." This isn't the first time Lake Velence has dried up. When this happened in the early 1990s, the lake was replenished with water from various other sources, a solution that proved effective but also expensive and time-consuming. That's why experts are calling for a more sustainable solution today, especially since climate change means more drought periods are expected. The Zamolyi and Patkai reservoirs could, for instance, be renovated so that water could be stored there during periods of heavy rainfall. During dry spells, this water could then be diverted into Lake Valance.  Yet little has happened so far. In 2021, the government at the time, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, rejected a broad investment program for the lake on the grounds that it was too costly. Other projects, however, went ahead.

Europe's rivers are drying up. Can they be saved? -- The Rhine and Danube have reached historic lows. Dwindling water levels are affecting shipping, agriculture and ecosystems — and raising concerns about the future of drinking water supplies. Following an intense heat wave in June and severe wildfires in southern France and Spain, Europe's summer of climate-fueled crises continues with rivers across the continent running low. Parts of the vital Rhine, Danube and Po rivers have fallen to historically low levels, threatening freight transport, the wider economy, and agriculture, with farmers warning of increased prices due to poor harvests amid the drought.  Along the Danube, cargo and cruise ships can no longer pass in some places. In Hungary, Romania and Croatia, sunken ships and cars have reemerged as riverbeds dry out. In German cities, including Cologne and Düsseldorf, people can now walk across parts of the Rhine where strong currents normally flow. River levels could fall even more dramatically in the coming days.The water crisis is being intensified by global warming driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas. Low water levels are also taking a growing toll on ecosystems — and could eventually drive up the cost of clean drinking water. Parched fields, millions of hectares of lost harvests and exposed riverbeds are among the most obvious consequences of the drought. But underwater ecosystems are suffering too.As water levels fall, rivers become warmer and contain less dissolved oxygen, increasing the risk of fish die-offs, explained Jeanette Völker, a scientist with Germany's federal environment agency, the UBA.   "Especially along the Rhine, you can see how the gravel banks are drying up. These are habitats for mussels and invertebrates, which in turn serve as food for fish. This puts enormous stress on these ecosystems. Mussels cannot move away quickly enough and die off," Völker told DW. Drought, intense sunshine, and high nutrient loads from agricultural fertilizers also encourage algal blooms harmful to fish. These effects were seen in 2022 on the Oder River in eastern Germany. High temperatures, low water levels and elevated salinity allowed a toxic invasive algae to spread. Around 1,000 metric tons of fish died along parts of the German-Polish border river.The Rhine and the Danube are fed by numerous tributaries that are also running low. These tributaries are crucial because their lush, reed-filled banks act as natural filters, allowing water to slowly pass through layers of soil that help remove pollutants before water reaches underground wells.  "Much of our drinking water is what's known as 'riverbank filtration,'" said Hagen Koch, a researcher specializing in climate adaptation and resilience at Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. In other words, Germany's drinking water comes from those wells. But drought is weakening this process. Pollutant concentrations are increasing because roughly the same volume of wastewater — largely from industry and sewage works — is discharged into rivers even as water levels fall.  "If the ecosystem is damaged — that is, the animals and plants that contribute to water purification — this results in significant additional costs. Additional treatment is needed to supply clean drinking water to millions of people," Koch told DW.  German industry groups estimate water supply costs could rise by up to 30% as a result of climate change. By 2035, additional investments of up to €14 billion could be needed for improved water treatment systems, as well as deeper mains and upgraded reservoirs designed to keep water temperatures low and limit microbial growth.The situation has drawn attention to a broader debate over water use. While households pay for the water they consume, several industries — including mining and agriculture — are exempt from water abstraction fees in many German states.To conserve water, authorities in some German cities are currently severely restricting withdrawal from streams and rivers by private individuals. In Cologne, residents who violate the ban face fines of up to €50,000 ($58,000).  Low water levels in Germany's rivers are already taking a significant toll on the economy. Some vessels are carrying just a fifth of their usual cargo, delaying production and driving up prices. Germany's steel, chemical and petroleum industries have been hit particularly hard.Energy supplies are also under pressure. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has urged households and businesses to conserve electricity. He warned the country could face an unprecedented energy crisis after low water levels in the Danube forced the shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant. Politicians are exploring emergency measures in response to the situation. In Romania, the military blasted apart a rock formation in a branch of the Danube to secure the cooling water supply for the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and avoid a shutdown. Germany's transport minister brought together representatives from industry, ports and inland shipping on August 6 to consider short- and long-term solutions to the crisis. One proposal under discussion was deepening parts of the Rhine's navigation channel so shipping can continue despite low water levels. Critics warn that further dredging and deepening of shipping channels would accelerate water runoff, lower groundwater levels, and cause floodplains to dry out more quickly, ultimately do little to solve the problem in the long-term.   Instead, they're calling for the expanded use of low-water vessels, as well as a shift from freight transport to rail. Koch supports the development of ships with shallower drafts, but notes such changes require significant time and investment. For Jeanette Völker, the solution lies in restoring parts of Europe's heavily modified rivers. Reconnecting floodplains, protecting wetlands and restoring peatlands would help landscapes retain more water and improve resilience during future droughts. Reservoirs and dams may also play a role where they are environmentally acceptable. But experts warn adaptation alone will not be enough. Without climate protection and a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, any investments are little more than a drop in a fast-flowing river. 

Ships Can’t Move and Power Plants Shut Down as Drought Saps Europe’s Rivers – WSJ - A drought is wreaking havoc along Europe’s rivers. In Romania, authorities set off an explosion beside a river in a bid to divert much-needed water to a power plant. In Bulgaria, almost 200 vacationers had to be evacuated from a stranded cruise ship. In Germany’s industrial heartlands, companies are curbing production and struggling to ship goods. The incidents are all signs of how perilously low water levels in some of Europe’s most significant waterways are posing a major challenge to the region’s already stressed economy. Europe is enduring a punishingly dry summer, with a lack of rain and sweltering temperatures already stoking wildfires from Scotland to Greece. Now, the lack of rain is reducing some stretches of the Danube and Rhine to mere trickles, threatening industry that has long relied on the mighty waterways. The most vivid impacts are playing out on the Danube, where water levels have receded enough to expose old World War II-era bombs and even older mammoth bones. Low water levels are making it impossible for some nuclear power plants to run their cooling systems. In Romania, where one of the two reactors at the Cernavoda power plant has been shut down, the military in recent days set off the explosives as part of a plan to divert more water to the plant from another channel of the river. In Hungary, all but one of the four reactors at the country’s only nuclear power plant have been switched off because there isn’t enough water in the river to keep them cool. The Paks plant typically accounts for 40% of the country’s electricity generation. Water levels on the Danube in Hungary reached their lowest level on record last week. Hungary’s grid can pull power from elsewhere in Europe to make up the shortfall, but the crisis is nevertheless expected to push up wholesale prices, and officials have called on businesses and consumers to cut energy use. With temperatures set to rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit this week, “the five most difficult days lie ahead,” Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on social media Monday. The outage deepens a pre-existing economic headache for Magyar, who is under pressure to reduce a fiscal deficit and boost growth after ousting long-serving premier Viktor Orbán in April. A prolonged energy crisis could force the government to step up financial support for the power sector and deter investment in manufacturing, said William Jackson, chief emerging market economist at Capital Economics. “If there are concerns about energy reliability, that’s likely to affect investment decisions,” he said.

Record low Danube levels push some countries in Eastern Europe to the brink of energy emergency -(AP) — Numerous governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity and avert an energy crisis as record low water levels on the Danube River have forced power plants to the brink of shutting down. Persistent drought and successive extreme heat waves have deprived one of Europe’s largest rivers of water, pushing the Danube’s levels in Hungary’s capital Budapest to around 10 centimeters (4 inches) on Monday, well below the previous all-time low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018. Water levels are not expected to rise on the Danube in the coming days or even weeks as no significant rainfall is forecast, and as a renewed extreme heat wave bears down on the region with daytime highs topping 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), electricity and water use are on the rise. Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant on brink of shutdown The Danube’s record low levels have pushed Hungary’s only nuclear power plant, the Soviet-built, four-reactor plant at Paks, to the brink of powering down entirely for the first time in its 44 years in service. The Paks plant, which uses water from the Danube to cool its reactors, on Monday was producing only 240 megawatts of power rather than the usual 2,000. In video posted to Facebook on Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said engineers had managed to keep the plant’s final operating turbine temporarily running, averting an expected shutdown on the weekend. “This is very good news, because the complete shutdown of the Paks power plant can still be avoided, at least temporarily, on one of the biggest consumption days,” he said, adding that a full power-down was likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. The Paks plant, located around 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Budapest, accounts for nearly half of Hungary’s electricity production and around a third of its consumption. Hungary has relied on regional electricity imports as well as renewable sources to try to make up for the deficit from the Paks plant. Hungary’s government last week asked major industrial users to curb their electricity consumption and sought voluntary savings from households in order to conserve supply, particularly in peak demand hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. It also announced that electric-powered freight trains would not be permitted to run during peak hours beginning on Monday in order to conserve an estimated 70 to 90 megawatt-hours of electricity per day. Meanwhile, plants in neighboring countries have also seen dramatic drops in power generation, as well as disruptions to shipping and agriculture. Romania’s military on Monday used 180 kilograms (397 pounds) of explosives to blast rock near the Danube’s Bala Canal in order to redirect water into the river’s main channel and toward the state-owned Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The Danube’s water flow has fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second in Romania, less than a third of its July average. Authorities have already shut down one reactor unit at the Cernavoda plant, which is operating at about half its normal capacity.

Italy puts all major cities on highest alert as heatwave intensifies - (Reuters) - Italy is placing all its 27 major cities under its highest heat alert on Thursday, ​as the country's fourth heatwave of the summer ‌intensifies, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Twenty-five cities were put on red alert on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the only two ​currently on a lesser amber alert, Messina and ​Reggio Calabria in the far south of the ⁠country, moving up to the maximum level on ​Thursday. A red alert indicates a potential health emergency with ​prolonged high temperatures posing a serious health risk to the entire population, including young and healthy people. Local authorities urged residents in affected ​areas to avoid exposure to heat and direct ​sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, between 11:00 a.m. ‌and ⁠6:00 p.m., stay indoors where possible and drink plenty of fluids. A spokesperson at the health ministry said it was the first time this year that all 27 ​cities had been ​issued with ⁠a red alert, but could not confirm if this had ever happened in previous ​years. Temperatures have climbed to 40 degrees Celsius (104 ​degrees ⁠Fahrenheit) in some areas of Italy and little relief is expected before the weekend. Forecasters say the heatwave is ⁠being ​fueled by a North African anticyclone ​that has strengthened over the Mediterranean and stretched across much of ​Europe.

England’s heat-associated death estimate reaches 2 877 after May and June episodes - - An estimated 2 877 heat-associated deaths occurred in England during two periods of hot weather in May and June 2026, according to an interim assessment published by the UK Health Security Agency on July 30. The figure is only 108 below the annual record of 2 985 reported for 2022, while a prolonged July heat episode is not included in the assessment. UKHSA estimated that 753 deaths were associated with the May heat episode between May 24 and 27, with a 95% confidence interval of 529 to 977. A further 2 124 deaths were associated with the June heatwave between June 21 and 28, with a confidence interval of 1 758 to 2 491. The combined estimate of 2 877 has a 95% confidence interval of 2 476 to 3 278. UKHSA classified the figures as interim because the calculation uses early death-registration data and remains subject to revision as further registrations become available. The May episode averaged approximately 188 heat-associated deaths per day over four days. The eight-day June episode averaged approximately 266 per day. Mortality during both episodes reached its highest level on the hottest day of the respective period. Youtube video. UKHSA calculates heat-associated mortality by comparing deaths registered during defined heat episodes with mortality during nearby non-heat periods. The estimate represents excess all-cause mortality statistically associated with hot weather and is not a count of individual death certificates identifying heat as the underlying cause. The May and June estimate is approximately 91% higher than the 1 504 heat-associated deaths recorded during the full summer of 2025. UKHSA reported 1 311 heat-associated deaths in 2024, 2 295 in 2023 and a record 2 985 during five heat episodes in 2022. A prolonged heat episode between July 5 and 17 is not included in the interim assessment. UKHSA said the final 2026 seasonal total is likely to be substantially higher once the July episode and any later periods of hot weather are assessed. Finalized figures are scheduled for publication in UKHSA’s annual heat-mortality report in early 2027. The final assessment will use more complete death-registration data and may revise the estimates reported for May and June. The May episode coincided with a new UK temperature record for the month. The Met Office verified a maximum of 35.1°C (95.2°F) at Kew Gardens, London, on May 26, surpassing the previous May record of 32.8°C (91°F), set in 1922 and equaled in 1944. A provisional maximum of 37.7°C (99.9°F) was recorded at Lingwood, Strumpshaw Hill, Norfolk, on June 26. The temperature surpassed England’s previous June record of 35.6°C (96.1°F), recorded at Southampton in June 1976. The June heatwave triggered a red Heat-Health Alert across six regions of England. It was only the second red alert issued under the current system, following the July 2022 heat emergency. Red Heat-Health Alerts are reserved for conditions expected to pose a risk to life across the population, including healthy people. The effects can extend beyond health and social care to transport, water, energy supplies, food systems and businesses. Early-season heat can pose particular risks because people, communities and public services have had less time to adapt to higher temperatures. UKHSA identified older adults and people with underlying medical conditions as the groups facing the greatest risk. The June heatwave also placed additional pressure on ambulance and hospital services. London Ambulance Service received more than 53 000 emergency calls during the event and deployed 600 additional ambulance crews across the capital. Extra paramedics treated patients by telephone through the service’s clinical hub. The ambulance service said demand during the June heatwave exceeded levels recorded at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures describe total emergency demand during the hot-weather period and do not represent a count of incidents caused exclusively by heat.

Typhoon Dolphin reintensifies to Category 4 strength, landfall forecast in Okinawa by August 7 - Typhoon Dolphin reintensified into a Category 4 equivalent typhoon northeast of Iwo To in Ogasawara, Japan, on August 4, 2026, after completing its fourth eyewall replacement cycle. The system is moving westwards and is forecast to cross the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and make landfall on Okinawa by August 7. Satellite image of Typhoon Dolphin at 07:20 UTC on August 4, 2026. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, Zoom Earth, The Watchers Former Super Typhoon Dolphin reintensified to Category 4 strength with winds reaching 215 km/h (130 mph) northeast of Iwo To on August 4, after completing its fourth eyewall replacement cycle. Dolphin’s center was located approximately 81 km (51 miles) northeast of Iwo To, at 18:00 JST (09:00 UTC) on August 4. 10-minute maximum sustained winds were registered at 215 km/h (130 mph). The system was moving west at 20 km/h (13 mph), with 3-second gusts reaching approximately 260 km/h (160 mph) and significant wave heights of 16 m (52 feet). Hurricane-force winds extended as far as 148 km (92 miles) northeast of the center, while gale-force winds reached approximately 398 km (247 miles) into the northeastern quadrant and 370 km (230 miles) into the northwestern quadrant. Satellite image of Typhoon Dolphin at 1110 UTC on August 4, 2026. Dolphin is forecast to briefly intensify to approximately 220 km/h (140 mph) within several hours before beginning slow, stepwise weakening. Winds are forecast to remain near 215 km/h (130 mph) at 12 hours, lowered to approximately 205 km/h (125 mph) at 24 hours, with winds of approximately 185 km/h (115 mph) at 15:00 JST (06:00 UTC) on August 7. Landfall on Okinawa is forecast shortly after that time.

Rising seas are inundating US coastal wetlands, putting many on track to become open water -- Along the three coasts of the contiguous United States, a silent race unfolds. Fueled by climate change, sea levels rise faster than at any time in recent geologic history. Meanwhile, coastal wetlands cling to a slim lead, lifted on newly accumulated sediments or moving inland as encroaching tides nip at their heels. Now, the first national-level study of this competition reveals that coastal wetlands—among the country's most valuable ecosystems, protecting infrastructure and providing homes for wildlife—are losing ground: 84% are gradually inundating, with many on track to transform into open water. Wetlands along the Gulf Coast are generally faring the worst, while certain stretches of the Atlantic Coast appear more resilient. Some wetlands may be able to migrate inland or build up sediment fast enough to keep pace with sea level rise, perhaps with the right help from land managers. "Our study provides wetland managers with new information to help them make better-informed decisions and identify meaningful solutions to issues they may be encountering, including facilitating wetland migration upslope," said Glenn Guntenspergen, a coastal wetland ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and senior author on the study. The study appears in Earth's Future. Globally, sea level rise averaged 1.7 millimeters per year during the 20th century but has sped up in recent decades, hitting 3.8 millimeters per year from 2006 to 2018. Up to a point, higher water levels can stimulate the growth of wetland plants, a phenomenon that has helped many wetlands persist until now. But even the most water-loving plants can only take so much. "All coastal plants have optimal ranges," Guntenspergen explained. "But if they get flooded too much, then the system shuts down. The plants decrease production and eventually die." Justine Neville, a wetland ecologist at Duke University and lead author on the study, noted that many endangered and endemic species and migratory birds in the United States depend on these ecosystems for habitat. Wetlands dissipate the impact of storm surges, protecting buildings and transportation networks in coastal towns and cities. People visit them to go bird-watching or, in some places, hunting. All told, Neville said, coastal wetlands in the United States provide trillions of dollars' worth of services every year. "There's a whole host of benefits to culture, to flora and fauna, and economically speaking, so it is really important that we understand how [wetlands] are changing," she said. To get a nationwide view of that change, the team drew on existing data from nearly 450 monitoring stations across the contiguous U.S. coasts tracking wetlands' elevations for up to 20 years. Comparing these data with tide-gauge data allowed them to see which wetlands were—and weren't—gaining elevation fast enough to stay above water. Previous studies had mostly looked at just a handful of wetlands at a time, partly due to the laborious nature of the fieldwork. It takes hours to gather data from the analog devices that track sediment buildup and land subsidence in wetlands, Neville said, and even to reach the site, researchers must cross marshy ground carrying heavy equipment. Access sometimes requires a boat; Guntenspergen recalls one site so remote it demanded a helicopter. "The logistics are quite daunting," he said. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. The team found that 89% of coastal wetlands are gaining elevation through sediment buildup, but only 16% are doing so fast enough to outpace sea level rise, while the rest are submerging. "I was not very surprised, to be honest," Neville said. "A lot of the literature that we've read from all the different regions is showing similar results." However, regional differences still emerged. Overall, the Atlantic Coast appeared least vulnerable: Submergence is slow enough at about 75% of Atlantic monitoring stations to rule out any critical threat of submergence, partly thanks to higher rates of marine sediment deposition from ocean waves. In contrast, submergence is fastest on the Gulf Coast, where wetlands sink under the weight of numerous human pressures in addition to sea level rise. Neville cited the historical impact of shipping canals altering the Gulf's waterways, which has lessened the flow of river sediments that sustain wetlands, and of oil and gas extraction, which reduces pressure underground enough that wetlands above literally subside. "What is really important about what we found, though, is how many of these wetlands have the opportunity to migrate," Neville said. Some 73% of wetlands in the study still have a chance to expand inland rather than drown in place, provided the land slope isn't too steep and no human structures block the way. Gulf wetlands may have the most available space, while hills and cliffs often hem in their Pacific counterparts.

NOAA confirms strengthening El Niño, with 81% chance of very strong conditions in October–December 2026 - El Niño is present and strengthening across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed on August 3, 2027. Meanwhile, its July strength outlook gives an 81% chance of very strong conditions during October–December 2026. WMO’s August–October 2026 outlook also shows associated shifts in seasonal temperature and rainfall probabilities across multiple regions. NOAA maintains an El Niño Advisory. Currently, El Niño has a 97% chance of continuing through early Northern Hemisphere spring 2027. NOAA defines a very strong event as a Relative Oceanic Niño Index, or RONI, of at least 2°C (3.6°F). RONI starts with the Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperature departure, subtracts the average tropical departure, adjusts the variance and applies a three-month running mean. NOAA listed the April–June 2026 RONI at 0.5°C (0.9°F), its operational El Niño threshold. The agency warns that a stronger El Niño does not automatically produce larger weather and climate impacts. Greater strength raises the probability of some impacts but does not determine their magnitude. The latest weekly sea-surface temperature departures reached 3.2°C (5.8°F) in the Niño 1+2 region, 2.1°C (3.8°F) in Niño 3, 1.5°C (2.7°F) in Niño 3.4 and 0.2°C (0.4°F) in Niño 4. The strongest warming remained in the eastern equatorial Pacific, while the Niño 4 region farther west recorded a much smaller departure. Above-average temperatures extended from the Date Line to the eastern Pacific during the four weeks ending August 1. Warming increased across parts of the east-central and eastern Pacific, while temperatures weakened relative to average in the west-central Pacific and near Indonesia. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported a rapid rise in the Niño 3.4 anomaly during the Northern Hemisphere spring and early summer. The anomaly increased from 0.5°C (0.9°F) in April to 0.9°C (1.6°F) in May and 1.6°C (2.9°F) in June, based on the 1991–2020 average. The April–June mean was 1°C (1.8°F). WMO’s multimodel forecast shows further strengthening during August–October 2026. The forecast Niño 3.4 mean rises from 2.7 ± 0.2°C (4.9 ± 0.4°F) in August to 3.1 ± 0.4°C (5.6 ± 0.7°F) in September and 3.4 ± 0.6°C (6.1 ± 1.1°F) in October. The three-month mean is forecast at 2.9 ± 0.4°C (5.2 ± 0.7°F), with the development trajectory reaching its highest point in November. Above-normal temperatures are favored across most land areas north of 60°S during August–October. The main warm signals cover much of Africa, southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, eastern Asia, western North America below 60°N, Central America and the Caribbean. Warm conditions are also favored across southern Africa, tropical and subtropical South America, New Zealand, and southern and central Australia. The forecast signal is weaker over parts of northern Asia and northwestern and eastern North America. Below- to near-normal temperatures are favored over part of the North Atlantic, while below-normal conditions are forecast over the subtropical South Pacific between approximately 10°S and 30°S. WMO favors above-normal rainfall across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, the Greater Horn of Africa, parts of Central Asia and the northern Arabian Peninsula. Wetter-than-normal conditions are also favored over western North America south of approximately 45°N, southeastern South America and southern Europe. Below-normal rainfall is favored across the Indian subcontinent, southern and eastern Australia, southern Central America, parts of the Caribbean, northwestern and northern coastal South America and northern Europe. The tropical Indian Ocean and equatorial Atlantic also carry a broad dry signal around the wetter central and eastern Pacific. Model agreement is high or strong over the Indian subcontinent, Australia and parts of Central America. Agreement over Europe is lower, with wetter conditions favored in the south and drier conditions in the north. NOAA reported above-average heat content in the upper 300 m (984 feet) of the equatorial Pacific. Positive subsurface temperature anomalies persisted across most of the basin and increased again from late May through July after declining from late April to late May. A downwelling equatorial Kelvin wave was initiated during June 2026, one of four identified since December 2025. NOAA said downwelling and warming occur in the leading part of these waves and reported increasing positive subsurface temperature anomalies across the central and east-central Pacific. Atmospheric circulation anomalies were consistent with El Niño by late July. Enhanced convection and precipitation extended from near the Date Line into the east-central equatorial Pacific, while suppressed convection was observed over Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Low-level westerly wind anomalies covered the western to east-central equatorial Pacific, with upper-level circulation anomalies also present.

Pacific cloud brightening could weaken El Nino, but models reveal risks for Europe and AsiaA brewing "super" El Nino cycle is poised to unleash heat waves, floods and drought worldwide, with the effects amplified by long-term human-caused climate change. But what if it were possible to interrupt and effectively "switch off" the Pacific Ocean heating phenomenon as it starts to form? That's the premise of a Science Advances study, which uses computer models to show that artificially brightening clouds over the Pacific, when timed right, could neutralize the influential weather pattern and blunt its worst impacts. While previous research on so-called geoengineering has focused on cooling the planet as a whole, the new paper instead proposes more targeted interventions. "These shorter timescales of interventions could be a very powerful way that geoengineering enters this portfolio of responses to climate change," lead author Jessica Wan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, told AFP. Prior research had shown that the "Black Summer" bushfires that scorched Australia in 2019–2020 played a key role in creating a multi-year La Nina, the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle. As smoke particles entered the clouds, they set off chain reactions that actually made the clouds brighter, bouncing more of the sun's energy back to space. Motivated by this "natural experiment," Wan and her colleagues wondered whether solar geoengineering could achieve a similar effect. They used a powerful forecasting model to gauge what impact artificial marine cloud brightening over a vast rectangular zone in the equatorial Pacific would have had on the 1997–1998 and 2015–16 El Nino events. This could theoretically be achieved by using ships fitted with nozzles that spray sea salt into the lower atmosphere. El Ninos are linked with warming sea surfaces in the eastern tropical Pacific, with knock-on effects globally, including drier conditions and drought in Australia, wetter winters in East Africa, and warmer overall global temperatures. After running several simulations, they found the intervention worked best when started early—in June—and continued through the following February. "But the reason people would ever care about this is not temperature in a box in the Pacific, but how the impacts translate over land," Wan said. Extreme weather events linked to El Nino have caused loss of life and trillions of dollars in economic damage. The modeled cloud brightening reversed most of the temperature and precipitation effects—those areas that got warmer under an El Nino were cooler, regions that got wetter instead became drier, and vice versa. So what's the catch? For starters, the technology isn't yet ready. Teams around the world are developing the nozzles to spray sea salt into the sky, but the devices can't yet shoot nearly enough volume. Even if a nozzle is perfected, it would take roughly 2,400 ships to make the required impact. Beyond the engineering challenges, there are further risks. Not all regions of the world would benefit from reversing El Nino conditions, and the models showed unintended consequences, including warming over Europe and Asia. "The other catch I would say is that we didn't look at long-term impacts," Wan said, including what would happen if marine cloud brightening were used repeatedly to suppress El Ninos. Geoengineering has many detractors, who argue it creates a moral hazard by giving polluters a free pass to keep emitting if the climate can be artificially cooled. Wan disagrees. "We're beyond the point now where we could just turn off emissions today and be totally fine, we're locked into warming already, and so the way that I viewed geoengineering is 'how can we reduce the worst of those impacts while we work on a long-term solution?'" she said. "I think it would be irresponsible to not do the research, given that's the context we're in."

East Africa's iconic snow peaks will soon disappear for good. What will be lost when they melt? - East Africa's shrinking mountain glaciers on three peaks in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will soon be no more. The 2025 State of the Climate in Africa report (page 13) estimates that the ice areas on Mount Kenya, the continent's second-highest peak, have shrunk 96% in the past 115 years. The ice cap will cease to exist in three to five years, says the report. Rainer Prinz, who studies climate-glacier relationships, explains the intricate processes behind the retreat and what the consequences will be. Glacier ice consists of snow accumulated over decades and centuries. Some snow may melt during summer or warm seasons. But some remains and is covered by more snow falling during the wet seasons. Glacier ice, which makes up the bulk of the white mountaintops, is formed by this process. There are glaciers on Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania and Rwenzori, on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These glaciers have increased and decreased in size during the past centuries and millennia following wetter and drier climatic conditions. The glaciers as features might be as old as 10,000 years, but the ice itself is considerably younger. The current glacier retreat is unprecedented, outside the range of its natural variation. During the past decade, we recorded 40%–60% glacier area loss in East Africa. So, half of the ice melted within 10 years. Glaciers and ice caps have different values in different regions. It is a widespread misconception that glaciers in East Africa act as water towers or reservoirs. In truth, they are too small to have a significant effect on the water cycle. One reason is that they are not simply melting; they are partly evaporating. Water can change directly from its solid form (ice) to the gaseous phase (vapor) in a process called sublimation. This is a process typical of tropical glaciers because the atmosphere on the high mountaintops is so dry. There is little meltwater runoff contributing to the river system. A second reason is the small volume of water stored in the glaciers. Mount Kenya's glacier area was about 69,000 m² in 2022 and stored about half a million cubic meters in ice. If you were to melt all that at once and distribute the water evenly over the mountain, there would be no more water than falls during a single rainfall event. The water towers of East Africa are its forests, not its glaciers. The scientific value of the glaciers lies in what they tell us about climate. East African glaciers have high significance as instruments providing information about the climate in the mid-tropical troposphere (the lowest level of the atmosphere in the tropics but still 5 km–6 km [3 miles–4 miles] above ground), where our traditional measurements are scarce.

Melting sea ice combines with Arctic sea to make clouds Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown natural process that dramatically increases the number of cloud-forming particles in the Arctic atmosphere—potentially altering cloud cover, sunlight reflection and future climate change. In findings published Aug. 5 in Nature Geoscience, an international research team led by the University of Birmingham, including partners from China and Spain, presents the first real-world evidence that where Arctic sea ice meets the open ocean, marine life and sunlight combine to release a chemical mixture that seeds the sky with cloud-forming particles. A combination of naturally occurring iodine, sulfur and organic compounds is emitted to create new atmospheric particles. Near the ice edge, the researchers watched the number of particles capable of forming cloud droplets rise 50-fold in a day. As the Arctic atmosphere warms, ice melts. The melting ice exposes more of the productive ice edge, which subsequently produces particles. Those particles can change cloud cover, which affects Earth's radiation balance. The team gathered the data during an expedition aboard the Royal Research Ship Discovery around Greenland and the Davis Strait in spring and summer 2022.

Fuego volcano spews more ash and mud as Guatemala shelters 1,700 who fled nearby villages - Guatemala remained on alert Tuesday after evacuating villages during an eruption of the Fuego volcano, one of Central America's most active. About 1,700 people remained in shelters with the evacuations to stay in place until conditions improve, according to the country's disaster agency CONRED. Officials raised the alert level to red in Sacatepéquez, Escuintla and Chimaltenango, where about 29,000 people are affected by ashfall and schools remain closed. Authorities warned the next 72 hours were critical on Tuesday, as mudflows up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) long continue descending from the volcano, with incoming rain expected to increase the risk of additional volcanic mudflows. Mudflows have not reached villages and no structures reported damaged or at risk. Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of CONRED, recommended residents in the three municipalities cover their water deposits and use face masks as protection from ash. The eruption started Monday morning, with clouds of gas and ash rising above the volcano as lava and pyroclastic flows rolled down the slopes. More mud and ash were emitted Tuesday. Among those evacuated were around 250 people from El Porvenir and the hamlet of Las Lajitas. CONRED also warned of ash spreading to nearby towns. A major highway that passes close to the volcano, National Route 14, was closed. The Education Ministry suspended classes in nearby towns. During a previous eruption of Fuego, or the Volcano of Fire, in June 2018, hundreds of people were killed and a whole village was destroyed. Another eruption last year spurred preventive evacuations.

Long-term study suggests landfill methane emissions are far higher than estimates -- Methane is an especially potent greenhouse gas, causing much more warming than carbon dioxide on a unit-for-unit basis—and a new, uniquely long-term study of emissions at a New Jersey landfill suggests that estimates of methane pollution in the U.S. and elsewhere may be dramatically off.   The study, published by researchers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School, used continuous ground-based measurements to determine that landfill methane emissions are likely much higher than current estimates. Methane's potency is caused by the geometric structure of its molecules, which allows them to absorb more infrared light—and thus become hotter—than carbon dioxide does (CO2). One ton (0.9 metric tons) of methane has the warming potential of about 28 tons (25 metric tons) of CO2; in 2022, the most recent year for which official U.S. emissions data exist, methane accounted for roughly 12% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. A similar proportion applies to global emissions. Landfills, where decomposing organic waste feeds methane-generating microbes, are responsible for an estimated 17% of U.S. methane emissions. The primary method used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to calculate landfill methane emissions projects emissions based on a landfill's total waste, adjusted to account for gas captured on-site. Another method extrapolates whole-landfill emissions from those gas-capture readings. But measurements of whole-landfill emissions, such as from methane-detecting satellite imagery or aircraft, suggest that actual emissions are higher than EPA estimates. "If you take all of the evidence, it's pretty clear that the EPA estimates are too low," says Andrew Hallward-Driemeier, a researcher at Lamont and a Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Environmental Sciences and the lead author of the study, which appears in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The satellite and aircraft methods have their own limitations: Satellites can be blocked by clouds or confused by water vapor—a problem when landfills are located in or near wetlands—and both methods provide only snapshots of emissions. Meanwhile, ground-level measurements sample small areas and are prone to missing methane-generating hotspots. What's been lacking is fine-grained, long-term data. "We wanted to come up with a methodology that uses continuous measurements to give year-round estimates of emissions," says Hallward-Driemeier. To do this, the researchers developed a method to estimate emissions using two-and-a-half years of methane readings from atop a Rutgers University–operated tower near a landfill in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Estimated emissions from this novel methodology agreed with snapshots of emissions detected by two separate aircraft overflights. But the long-term data provided much more information about the drivers of methane emissions at the landfill. "We were able to see what's going on over much longer time scales than others have been able to," says Róisín Commane, a researcher at Lamont and an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The researchers found strong seasonal differences in emissions, which peaked in early winter—something that aircraft measurements would tend to miss, says Hallward-Driemeier, because those are usually collected in summer. He and his colleagues think that cold temperatures cause methane-consuming microbes in the soil atop landfills to go dormant, even as methane continues to be generated by bacteria still active in a landfill's warm depths. Atmospheric low-pressure systems also produced increases in methane emissions, likely by making it easier for gases to escape into the atmosphere. Earlier research had identified low-pressure conditions as important, but the new findings underscore just how important they may be. Low-pressure systems can also cause trouble for satellite and aerial methane measurements, as those systems tend to come with clouds. Ultimately, the researchers found that the landfill's emissions in 2023 were fully five times higher than had previously been estimated.

Dems cite climate concerns to probe insurers’ use of credit scores - House and Senate Democrats are asking insurance companies how they use credit scores in setting rates, noting particular concerns as climate-related wildfires and severe weather affect premiums. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) led 18 colleagues in questioning six insurance companies: USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers and Allstate. The lawmakers accused the insurers of using homeowners’ credit history to spike rates — something banned in three states. The Democrats said the practice is “particularly concerning” as insurance rates skyrocket, in part due to worsening natural disasters caused by climate change. They also said insurers have at times tried to justify rate hikes by nodding to climate-related disasters alone — and in doing so, have concealed the role that other financial factors, like integrating credit scores, have played in rate decisions.

Philippines steps up solar transition as Iran war hikes energy costs - The Iran war is accelerating the transition to clean energy in the Philippines, a nation heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels that recently became the world’s second-biggest spender on solar panels. The spending has been a particular boon to rooftop solar arrays as demand for panels has soared among residents and businesses amid rising electricity prices and concerns over supply shortfalls. “[In] the first 100 days since the announcement of an energy crisis, which was March 23 here in the Philippines, there was like a fivefold increase in inquiries for rooftop solar,” said Brenda Valerio, Philippines country director of New Energy Nexus, a nonprofit that supports renewable energy. The spike in energy prices triggered by the war generated unprecedented interest in solar energy. “It was something that no other marketing campaign was able to do in the past,” Valerio said. “It’s actually convincing people that now is the time.” The Philippines is the latest test case of whether countries are accelerating the adoption of clean energy to offset geopolitical instability. The nation of 117 million people still relies heavily on coal for energy and is considering creating a strategic petroleum reserve. The recent growth in solar comes as the Philippines moves to expand domestic energy supplies and cut electricity costs that have spiked since fighting in the Middle East effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping channel the region relies on for imported oil and gas. In March, after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he would fast-track 1.4 gigawatts of renewable energy that was under development. Marcos declared an energy emergency and issued an executive order directing agencies to accelerate permitting, clearances and grid connections for priority projects. The order expanded earlier efforts to streamline permitting and green energy auctions, and helped solar, wind and hydropower projects, said Nevi Cahya Winofa, an analyst at Rystad Energy researchers.   The Philippines Department of Energy said it would speed the deployment of 1.4 GW of renewable energy through 22 projects by the end of April. It achieved its goal, largely through a sprawling solar project called Meralco Terra, which added 750 megawatts of energy to the grid in mid-July.  “The need to boost our energy sector has never been more apparent,” Marcos said in a statement last month announcing the project. His government wants half of the country’s power to come from renewables by 2040, up from 25 percent today. The 1.4 GW of new renewables expands the country’s renewable capacity by nearly 14 percent, substantial growth over a short period. But it only covers between 1 and 2 percent of total power demand, according to Rystad. BloombergNEF forecast that solar installations as measured by power generated would be more than 400 percent higher in 2026 than in 2025. Although BloombergNEF didn’t attribute the growth to the Iran war, other analysts say there is a connection. “The conversation for renewables has really changed,” said Winofa of Rystad. “Renewables [are] not only about the climate solution. It’s also part of the energy security and energy independence agenda.”

Chinese Oil Giant Launches World-First 16MW Floating Wind Turbine -  State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on Thursday announced the start of operations of the world's first 16-megawatt tension-leg platform (TLP) floating wind power platform, which began supplying power to an offshore oilfield. CNOOC, one of the biggest oil producers in China and a specialist in offshore technology, connected the Haiyou Anlan floating wind power platform to the Lufeng Oilfield grid via a 4.3-kilometer-long (2.7 miles) subsea cable, the company said in a statement carried by Chinese media. The TLP-supported floating wind power platform has been designed to withstand extreme wind and weather conditions that a super typhoon could bring, according to the Chinese oil giant. The new floating wind turbine marks “a major step forward for China's deep-sea floating wind equipment technology, opening a new pathway for the nation's offshore wind power development,” Chinese media quoted CNOOC as saying. The floating wind power platform was installed 136 kilometers (85 miles) from the coast in the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the northern part of the South China Sea. It is expected to generate 54 million kilowatt-hours of wind-powered electricity annually, CNOOC said. Yet, the oil giant has combined the wind power generation with storage and conventional fuel generation to manage the volatility in wind speeds and power generation. CNOOC and Chinese media tout the approach as “oil and gas plus new energy” to develop deepwater energy resources. Floating wind platform technology could be the key to unlocking wind power resources in deep waters, where the fixed-bottom wind turbines don't work. The floating turbines can also help lower emissions from fuel burning at oil and gas platforms, just as CNOOC aims to do with its project at the Lufeng Oilfield. The Chinese oil and gas giant expects the wind power supply to save 15,000 cubic meters of fuel oil annually and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 35,000 tons per year.

Committee approves geothermal, coal, drilling bills - The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday approved legislation meant to ease permitting for geothermal energy, teeing up the bill for final congressional approval.The panel cleared H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act, from Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), by voice vote. It would create a geothermal permitting task force within the Interior Department and expedite National Environmental Policy Act reviews. The House approved the package last month after incorporating several bills from both Democrats and Republicans.The legislation would also allow Interior to charge geothermal companies certain costs related to the permitting process and have the department create standard guidelines to ensure geothermal projects are “environmentally responsible.”  Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) and ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are currently negotiating a broader permitting reform package, which could be a landing spot for the Hurd package and other geothermal bills.

Dominion Energy: Gas Is Winning, Renewables Are Getting Written Off - Marcellus Drilling News -  Dominion Energy reported second-quarter 2026 results on July 31, and while Wall Street focused on the penny-counting, there were three items in the release and on the analyst call that matter to Marcellus/Utica producers, midstreamers, and landowners: two new gas-fired power plants moving into permitting, a merger timeline that’s now locked in at the state level, and a nine-figure write-off on renewable assets that tells you which way the wind is actually blowing.

Veolia Lands 350 MW OH Microgrid 6 Days After Paying Antero $371M - - Marcellus Drilling News - On July 30, French environmental services giant Veolia announced it had been picked by “a major project developer” to operate and maintain a 350-megawatt (MW) microgrid that will power an artificial intelligence data center campus in Ohio. The press release carried a New Albany, Ohio dateline. It’s a genuinely big deal — a behind-the-meter power plant that will supply 100% of a data center campus without leaning on the grid at all. Here’s the dots nobody else has connected. This is the same Veolia that Antero Resources and Antero Midstream spent six years suing over a botched frack wastewater plant in West Virginia. And Veolia announced this shiny new Ohio contract exactly six days after wiring Antero a check for $371 million. You can’t make this stuff up

Ohio AI Data Developer Taps Veolia to Handle 350-MW Microgrid O&M   -Meta is planning a massive data center in new Albany. Veolia will operate and maintain a microgrid supporting gas-fired power, linear generators and battery storage. Environmental and energy efficiency technology firm Veolia has been selected to operate and maintain a 350-MW multi-resource microgrid planned to power an artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus in Ohio.French-based Veolia is contracted to utilize its Data Center Resource 360 operational solution that manages energy, water and waste impacts in digital infrastructure facilities such as this project near New Albany, Ohio. Veolia has a history of operating multi-faceted energy infrastructure, commissioning data centers and making industrial processing centers more efficient.“Our work on this project shows how Veolia can help developers accelerate speed-to-power while maintaining the reliability required for mission-critical AI operations, all while protecting the community,” said Karin Hamel, CEO of Veolia Energy, North America and Chief Growth Officer for Veolia in North America, in a statement. “As developers deploy microgrids and other advanced energy systems to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure, they need trusted partners with the expertise to operate these assets safely, reliably and at scale.”Veolia did not name the data center developer or tenants in its press release about the microgrid contract. Facebook, Instagram and AI-technology owner Meta is planning to build its Prometheus computing complex in New Albany with some phase of construction expected to be completed as early as 2027, according to previous news reports.The rush to build out power capacity meeting rising load from AI and data computing is leading many developers to seek out “behind the meter” or off-grid solutions such as microgrids. They can be connected to the utility grid but also possess on-site energy resources which can be islanded and keep the campus energized even during an outage.The 350-MW microgrid will include multiple resources which can handle 100% of the data center load, according to Veolia. This will include gas engines and linear generators, as well as 430 MWh in battery energy storage capacity to be available instantly and deal with the transient load challenges of AI factories.The microgrid will be integrated with medium-voltage electrical infrastructure into a coordinated platform. The project is not completed, so Veolia is being brought in to support startup readiness, oversee operations integration, commissioning and long-term operations under a performance-based model.Veolia’s microgrid experience includes a collaboration with AECOM on an $8.2 million microgrid to back up and power a wastewater treatment plant in Rialto, California. The company also designed and/or oversaw microgrids and CHP projects at commercial real estate and educational sites in New York.

Appalachian Ohio a target for data centers - Athens County is just the latest community in Southeast Ohio to be shaken up by data center proposals. Some public officials and residents hope the centers will bring long-awaited economic development — or at least substantial tax revenue. However, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that data centers can have positive economic impact — but mostly in metropolitan areas. Rural counties see “negligible gains,” they wrote.  Some see data centers as inevitable. “My personal opinion, it’s technology. We’re not going to stop it,” said Alva Heiss, a Center Township trustee in Morgan County. “I’m a farmer. I don’t like good farm ground being taken for it, but you can’t just hold back.” But not everyone accepts the developments as a technological necessity. A grassroots organization called Conserve Ohio is gathering petition signatures for a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban construction of hyperscale data centers in the state. Data center opponents worry about the facilities’ impact on local resources like water, or fear rising electricity costs. They’re also concerned about noise pollution and property values for those who live close to a data center. But in a growing number of communities, a data center could be on the way, whether or not residents are in favor. There are about 200 data centers operating or under way statewide and 14 developments are suspected or publicly announced in Appalachian Ohio.  This month, the Athens County Independent took a look at each of those developments to learn more about what they’ll look like and where they stand today. In July, a New York-based company asked about land-use regulations applicable to about 300 acres of land along the Athens-Dover township line along U.S. 33. The company, Saadia Holdings LLC, was interested in building a data center on the property.Public reaction was swift. Residents crowded the July 28 meetings of the Athens County commissioners and the Athens Township trustees, most to speak against data centers. On Aug. 1, the Athens Township trustees passed a 1-year moratorium on data center development. Athens City Council passed a similar resolution on Aug. 3, followed by a moratorium declared by the Athens County Commissioners on Aug. 4. Washington County and township officials have confirmed a data center is expected to be built in Waterford Township, although no formal project announcement has been made. Hashworks Powered Land Waterford LLC purchased nearly 500 acres of private property in the area. Community members suspect the company is the data center developer. Public records from the Southeast Ohio Port Authority suggest the company also signed an option agreement in March to purchase land in the Muskingum River Industrial Park. The park is a few miles from the land purchased by Hashworks. A port authority document also refers to the developer  as HashWorks Industries, a Connecticut-based company that invests in energy and digital computing infrastructure. On its website, the company states, “HashWorks Powered Land, with its extensive experience and strategic positioning, is well-equipped to capitalize on these unique opportunities.”  Hashworks Powered Land Waterford LLC previously registered a water withdrawal facility a few miles from its land in Waterford. The company reported a surface water withdrawal capacity of 25 million gallons per day. The facility is on the banks of the Muskingum River, just over the Washington County border and into Morgan County. It was updated as “inactive” at the end of last month, which means it’s not drawing water at this time. It’s not yet clear what kind of power source the potential data center would use. However, the Muskingum River Industrial Park, which Hashworks may purchase, is close to three Enbridge natural gas pipelines. Washington County Commissioners signed a non-disclosure agreement about the development and have revealed few details about it. The county commissioners have generally expressed support for the development. In a June 25 meeting, the commissioners said they are working to negotiate a deal that will be economically beneficial to the community. That could include a tax abatement and payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT.

Half of PJM’s 200 GW Queue Is NatGas. Take Out Batteries, It’s 70%. - Marcellus Drilling News - PJM Interconnection announced yesterday (Aug. 3) that 715 new power projects totaling more than 200 gigawatts (GW) made it into Cycle 1 of its overhauled interconnection process — the line that generators must stand in before they’re allowed to plug into the grid. The headline number is impressive. The breakdown is more impressive, at least if you own mineral rights in Greene County or run a rig in Belmont County.

Ohio bill would let voters decide on every new data center project - Cleveland.com -- As Ohio communities increasingly turn to the ballot box to decide where data centers can be built, a pair of Republican lawmakers want to give voters the final say on every new project.“Citizens feel their voices are being ignored because city councils and local zoning boards are making decisions outside of the will of the people,” Rep. Jennifer Gross, a Butler County Republican, said. Her bill, House Bill 983, would require voter approval before local officials could approve permits or development agreements for new or expanded data centers.

Ohio data center bill would require voter approval, ban local tax incentives (WXIX) - State and federal lawmakers are moving to put guardrails on Ohio’s data center boom, introducing legislation that would require voter approval before large-scale facilities are built or expanded. Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for data center development, and the world’s largest data center is slated for Pike County. Now, both state and federal lawmakers say the growth is happening too fast and communities are not getting a say. Last week, two Republican state representatives introduced House Bill 983, the Data Center Accountability and Citizen Protection Act. Reps. Jennifer Gross and Michelle Teska are sponsoring the legislation. “The communities need the right and they should have the voice to be able to tell their elected officials and have a choice as to whether data centers come to their backyard,” Gross said. The bill would require voter approval before any large-scale data center is built or expanded. It would also ban future local tax incentives, force operators to generate their own electricity, and require full public disclosure of chemicals used in cooling systems. “Set standards for water qualities, so we know what the data centers are putting back into our water supply so we can protect our precious walleye and the people who fish them and it addresses NDAs,” Gross said. Federal legislation targets accountability and environmental impact On Capitol Hill, Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman has introduced three bills targeting data center accountability. “One forces the data centers to pay for everything. There’s no reason our taxpayers should pay for anything of this. They have so much money. The second is getting rid of these NDAs. Everything should be done publicly. And the third, this most recent bill, requires there to be a national standard in terms of the environmental impact,” Landsman said. Landsman’s federal push calls for oversight studying noise, air and water pollution, carbon emissions, and electronic waste. He said Southwest Ohio families deserve the information and the peace of mind.

Central Ohio communities set vote on data centers — The fate of data centers in two local communities is now in the hands of residents. Pataskala and Sunbury city councils approved ordinances to put a hyperscale data center ban on November ballots. “They just don’t belong near residents,” Pataskala resident Leatrice Guttentag said. Residents in both communities had to collect hundreds of signatures. “We have like a small town atmosphere and we feel like that would be ruined,” Sunbury resident Trey Dockendorf said. Guttentag and Dockendorf both live within a mile of proposed data centers in their towns. “Having something that big with that much noise pollution, all the electrical consumption and all the water consumption like we were just really concerned what that would do for the community,” Dockendorf said. They are both trying to amend their city charter amid uncertainty over how data centers would impact their communities. Pataskala and Sunbury voters will decide on a ban of data centers that use 25 megawatts of power a month. Buc-ee’s sues another small Ohio business over logo after John Oliver segment “It is the people deciding for ourselves what we want for our community as opposed to the government telling us what we need to do,” Guttentag said. They cited concerns over the environment, property values and higher electricity prices. According to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, a single hyperscale facility requires the same amount of power as 100,000 homes. “There are proper places for them, but right in the middle where there’s houses all over in the five-miles radius isn’t the proper place,” Guttentag said. Sunbury has a moratorium on data centers, but it’s still up in the air what this means for the proposed Pataskala project. City Administrator Tim Hickin said Pataskala City Council is still holding a public hearing on Aug. 25 about the possible center. “Obviously, that plan was submitted before the ban was proposed; city council will have to decide what they will do with that development,” Hicken said.

Cleveland moratorium to learn more about data centers — Lake Erie is a staple for northeast Ohio, and residents along with grassroots organizers like Laura Beans Sika, don’t want to see it taken for granted. “Water insecurity is a real, is a real concern for people,” Beans Sika said. “It’s a fear that is exacerbated by proposals to bring hyper-scale data centers to the City of Cleveland.” Laura is a part of the grassroots organization Conserve Ohio, which believe that hyper-scale data centers cannot be regulated safely. “Hyper-scale facilities, on average, used between 1 and 5 million gallons of fresh water a day to cool,” said Beans Sika. Conserve Ohio is calling for an amendment to the state constitution that would ban the construction of hyper-scale data centers, but they are not the only ones who see a need for some kind of regulation. Earlier this month, the City of Cleveland passed a three-month moratorium on hyper-scale data centers, legislation first proposed by Council member Charles Slife. “The Cleveland zoning code, which dates back almost 100 years, just doesn’t really have a hard, finite definition of what the type of data centers we’re seeing develop across the state, across the country are,” said Slife. The moratorium gives the city three months to learn more about data centers and determine where in Cleveland might have suitable land for a hyper-scale center. “Trying to understand there are places where a large-scale, hyper-data facility would be appropriate and, versus places where it would be intrusive or noisy or become challenging to the power grid,” Slife said. But some people say the potential expansion is a good thing. Baiju Shah, CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said that not bringing data centers to Cleveland would be a missed opportunity. “It is an anchor infrastructure for the economy that’s AI powered. And there are businesses that will choose to locate in geographies that have the infrastructure,” said Shah. He also said there are ways to help combat the impact on freshwater systems. “The data centers that are being built today, for example, use closed looped cooling systems. That means they’re

What we learned about Ohio data-center projects that could face Amy Acton’s proposed moratorium - cleveland.com — Amy Acton’s proposed restrictions on new data centers could reach projects at sharply different stages, from a Perry Village campus without a site plan to Meta’s $800 million Wood County facility already under construction. The Democratic candidate for governor would allow new projects only on brownfields or previously developed industrial sites and require them to cover all electricity, gas and water costs, use union labor, disclose information to communities and meet environmental standards. But she has not defined “new,” set an effective date or identified when a project would be exempt. Those questions could affect billions of dollars in development. Ohio has more than 200 data centers, and companies plan to invest up to $40 billion more through 2030. These are five takeaways from the original article, which examined Acton’s proposal.

• 1. Perry Village’s preliminary project appears the most exposed Province Group is proposing six 250,000-square-foot buildings on more than 200 acres at the former Champion Farm nursery property. Mayor James Gessic told News 5 Cleveland in April that the village had not received a site plan and construction was at least two years away. The land was used as a nursery, not an industrial site, although Acton’s proposal does not define “previously developed industrial site.” Land-purchase agreements are in place, but the proposal does not say whether they would protect the project from later restrictions.
• 2. Cleveland’s rejected application must clear local rules first Lakeland Equity Group proposed a $1.6 billion hyperscale data center on a 35-acre former truck yard in Slavic Village. Cleveland rejected the permit application May 14 after it failed an initial zoning review. City Council later approved a three-month moratorium on new stand-alone data centers and expansions. The pause runs through Oct. 16 while the city studies possible effects on neighborhoods, infrastructure and natural resources. The property is previously developed, but the project needs a new application. Acton’s proposal does not explain how statewide restrictions would interact with local rules.
• 3. Piqua’s signed agreements do not guarantee an exemption J5 LLC, operating as Shaytura LLC, is developing a two-building campus in the Piqua Interstate 75 Business and Industrial Park. Piqua approved development, utility and tax-increment financing agreements in November 2025. The city and developer executed them Jan. 23, and Piqua describes the project as approved and underway. The developer must pay applicable utility rates and infrastructure costs. Piqua also signed a nondisclosure agreement covering proprietary negotiations. Whether those commitments meet Acton’s cost and transparency standards would depend on legislation and any protection for existing contracts.
• 4. Meta’s construction raises the question of retroactive rules Meta announced its 715,000-square-foot Wood County data center in April 2025. Construction had begun on the 280-acre Middleton Township site when JobsOhio announced the more than $800 million investment. Acton’s plan does not say whether projects already under construction would be exempt. JobsOhio’s announcement also did not establish that all construction labor would be union or that the property qualifies as a previously developed industrial site.
• 5. The federal Piketon campus already meets several conditions . The U.S. Department of Energy is leasing former uranium-enrichment land in Pike County to an SB Energy affiliate for a major data-center campus. The department says SB Energy will fund accelerated cleanup and $4.2 billion in transmission improvements. It projected more than 10,000 construction jobs using union and skilled-trade workers, although it did not say every worker would be a union member. The project uses former industrial land and includes major infrastructure commitments. Acton’s plan does not address whether Ohio could impose restrictions on a development built partly on federal property.

Tech giants eye $500 billion investment in enormous southern Ohio data center | NBC4 WCMH-TV — Tech companies are considering leasing the world’s largest data center, a $500 billion investment in southern Ohio.First reported by the Wall Street Journal, chipmaker Nvidia is in talks to invest $250 billion with OpenAI to lease an enormous data center being built on federal land in Pike County. If the deal goes through, Nvidia and OpenAI would pay $500 billion to the Department of Energy and SoftBank for access to the 10-gigawatt project.The DOE and SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary, announced they would build the world’s largest AI data center at the former site of America’s first uranium enrichment plant, PORTS. The former nuclear plant is being revitalized through a private-public partnership to create the world’s first 10-gigawatt data center. See previous coverage of PORTS in the video player above.A gigawatt is a unit of power, and the world’s current largest data center campus is a cluster of different data centers in China that supports 3 gigawatts. Carbon Collective estimates one gigawatt — 1,000 megawatts — could power approximately 876,000 households for a year. At 10 gigawatts, the AI data center will be the largest-capacity in the world. Most data centers require massive amounts of energy, which can often be passed on to consumers. In Pike County, the DOE and other private companies also committed to generating nuclear and natural gas energy to power large data centers so that costs won’t be passed onto Ohioans.The energy is jointly controlled by SoftBank, AEP Ohio, the DOE and the government of Japan. In trade negotiations, Japan agreed to fund $33.3 billion for 9.2 gigawatts of natural gas generation.According to reports, details of the $500 billion deal are still being finalized between OpenAI and Nvidia. SoftBank is a longtime investor and partner of OpenAI.President Donald Trump announced this week that the federal government will also build a 2-gigawatt AI data center at the site of the former Paducah nuclear campus in Kentucky. The DOE said the Kentucky project builds on the partnership model first introduced at PORTS. The DOE said the data center will be completed by 2028. Ohio does not have to wait two years to have the largest capacity data center in the world; Meta expects to open the first one-gigawatt data center in New Albany later this year.

Athens City Council approves one-year moratorium on data centers - WOUB Public Media (WOUB) — The Athens City Council on Monday approved a one-year moratorium on any attempts to build a data center in city limits. The moratorium is intended to give city officials time to review the zoning code and make changes to specifically address issues raised by data centers, including significant energy and water consumption. The moratorium was inspired by a New York developer’s interest in potentially building a data center on land across the highway from Athens High School. However, the moratorium will not apply to that location because it is outside the city, a point Councilmember Michael Wood emphasized. “This won’t stop that other data center,” he said. “It’s good that we’re doing this. That’s great. I hope that people continue to stay involved and take it to the other bodies, county commissioners, the other folks that do have agency over the whole county, to actually make this something broader.” The trustees for Athens Township, which includes the property across from the high school, passed their own data center moratorium on Saturday. The city of Athens’ moratorium places a one-year pause on granting or issuing any permits for a data center. In the meantime, the city will consult with an outside firm to review the zoning code and suggest changes. Mayor Steve Patterson said people have asked him about the likelihood of a data center attempting to locate in the city. “Could this happen in the city of Athens? It could. It could,” he told council members. “We need as much time as we possibly can get … to make sure we get things in place and we get this done.” With that in mind, Patterson asked the council to add language to the moratorium allowing him or the city’s service safety director to extend the moratorium by another year if more time is needed to complete the zoning review. The language was added. In just the past year, developers have proposed data centers throughout southeast Ohio. Many of these communities have no zoning codes. But for those that do, data centers are such a recent development in this part of the state that zoning codes do not address them, which is why the city is trying to buy some time. Councilmember Paul Isherwood said the moratorium is a message to developers that “we’re not ready for this, this is not a location where you will find right now that we are able to accommodate what you are looking for.” Several Athens residents spoke in favor of the moratorium at Monday night’s meeting. Aimee Delach, a former member of the city’s Environment and Sustainability commission, said putting at least a temporary pause on data center development is consistent with the city’s environmental goals. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy and water use and building a sustainable economy. She noted that data centers use a tremendous amount of energy to power the servers and keep them cool, which also can result in significant water consumption depending on the cooling system used. If data centers draw their power from the grid, this can result in costly infrastructure upgrades that can drive up rates for everyone, Delach noted. Even if they provide their own power source, she said, it’s typically through natural gas-fired turbines, which increase greenhouse gas emissions. Delach also noted that data centers typically rely on diesel generators as a backup power source, which can create significant air pollution. Aurora Charlow, who said she has a history of respiratory issues, noted that “the potential for air pollution in the city is extremely concerning to me.” Rob Delach, who chairs the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, said it’s important for the city “to get our ducks in a row and this moratorium will help us do that.”

Willoughby considers moratorium that imposes data centers in city | The News-Herald --Willoughby officials are considering a temporary moratorium for a period of one year on data centers in the city.Willoughby City Council members recently moved to adopt the resolution that imposes the moratorium on the granting or issuing of any permits, as well as the consideration, review or approval of any plans for data centers within the corporate limits of the city. “We know there’s a state p ...

Ohio residents packed council chambers to fight data centers, but zoning rules still passed - A zoning fight over data centers drew a crowd of Canton, Ohio, residents this week, with people warning officials that the facilities could reshape nearby neighborhoods in unwanted ways. But even after an emotional meeting that filled the chamber, the city moved forward with zoning changes for the fast-growing industry. At a July 27 City Council meeting, the chambers were full as residents spoke against data centers and detailed what they fear the projects would bring to residential areas — including glare, noise, rising electricity demand, heavy water use, and the impact of large industrial-scale buildings near homes, Spectrum News 1 reported. Samuel A. Smith, a Canton resident, said he went to the microphone after a Spectrum News 1 report informed him that a proposed facility might be built behind his home. "I am not in support of the data centers," Smith said. "Being as how they are in my backyard. We have 10 acres, and we bordered 161 acres for 40 years, and now the proposed center will be taken up at 161 acres, and I'm not happy about it." Council nonetheless approved the zoning ordinance 8-3, expanding the city code's definition of "Data Center" and adding a chapter that sets development requirements for those facilities. Bill Smuckler, an at-large Canton City Council member, said the issue now is less whether Canton will get data centers than how Canton will control them. The dispute in Canton reflects a broader conflict playing out across Ohio, where large-scale data centers — facilities larger than 10,000 square feet — have been expanding for roughly the past decade. For nearby residents, that can mean brighter night skies, more industrial traffic, steady mechanical sound, and greater pressure on local water and electric systems. One Canton resident told council members, "You don't have enough of anything that's going to protect any of us. Need for a moratorium on this for at least a year till you least amend this where it is going to protect your citizens." New industries can move in faster than zoning laws are updated, leaving officials to write rules after projects are already underway. City leaders say the ordinance is meant to start closing that gap. Matt Bailey, secretary of the Canton City Planning Commission, wrote in a memo that in 2024, data centers were presented "as a relatively new type of land use that many jurisdictions had not yet addressed or defined in their zoning ordinances." Smuckler said Canton previously had no direct regulations for data centers because they had been grouped with broader industrial and commercial categories. The new ordinance is intended to establish development standards, including setbacks, for future facilities. He also said a data center is already being built on Trump Avenue, and officials still do not know whether that project will meet the new rules. Residents therefore remain concerned about enforcement, oversight, and environmental impacts. "There's one being built inside the city limits," Smuckler said. "We don't know whether they are going to follow these regulations. We hope they're going to follow these regulations."

PUCO orders AEP to set protections against data center costs— The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio issued an order Wednesday that would require AEP Ohio to help protect customers from data center energy use costs. “We continue to implement safeguards to ensure that other customers are not impacted by costs to serve large loads like data centers,” said PUCO Chair Jenifer French. “Ohio is fully committed to protecting customers from added costs related to data center buildout. Today’s action builds upon the PUCO’s efforts to create separate rate classes for data center customers, and the commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.” Data centers will be required to provide AEP Ohio a 180-day notice of their intent to return to default service, or Standard Service Offer (SSO). AEP Ohio, upon receiving the notice, will secure the energy to serve the customer through separate auctions or spot-market purchases. The entirety of the cost will be assigned to the data center, which ensures the costs do not affect other customers on AEP Ohio's default rate. According to Ohio law, electricity and natural gas customers can select their own energy supplier; however if they do not select one the local utility is required to provide the service. Dsitribution utilities hold wholesale auctions to serve the load of customers not enrolled with a retail energy provider, or their local government aggregation program.

Amazon in Talks to Land Data Centers at Homer City Gas Plant - Marcellus Drilling News --Amazon Web Services (AWS) is now in talks to build a data center campus next to the Homer City Energy Campus in Indiana County, PA — meaning the company that already pledged $20 billion for data centers in eastern PA (see our prior coverage here) may now be circling the massive Marcellus-fed gas plant project we’ve covered extensively in western PA. The news broke via TribLive, which obtained emails through a Right-to-Know (freedom of information) request showing Amazon has been talking with Homer City Redevelopment (HCR), the company converting the old Homer City coal plant site into a 3,200-acre, 4.5-gigawatt (GW) natural gas-fired power plant and data center campus (see our story, Largest Gas-Fired Power Plant in the U.S. Coming in Western Pa.). Amazon confirmed the talks in a statement but stressed no deal is signed. No word yet on how big a footprint Amazon might want, or how much gas-fired power it would draw. We’ll keep digging.

New Poll: 74% of PA Voters Say “Not in My Backyard” to Data Centers  - Marcellus Drilling News - August 6, 2026 Quinnipiac University released a new poll of Pennsylvania registered voters on July 15, and one question in it should worry everyone who makes a living from Marcellus gas. Asked whether they would support or oppose building an AI data center in their community, 74% of Pennsylvania voters said “oppose,” 16% said “support,” and 10% offered no opinion. That’s a jump from Quinnipiac’s February 25 poll, when the split was 68% opposed and 20% in favor. The opposition is bipartisan — 64% of Republicans, 82% of Democrats, and 77% of independents all said no thanks. Three-quarters of voters (76%) say they’re following data center news either very closely (26%) or somewhat closely (50%). And Gov. Josh Shapiro isn’t getting credit either: just 24% approve of how he’s handling data centers in Pennsylvania, while 34% disapprove and a whopping 42% have no opinion. The survey polled 895 registered voters July 9-13, with a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points.

Texas governor puts data center grid approvals on hold - New data centers in Texas have been put on hold in a striking reversal by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for reelection in November. Abbott on Monday directed the state’s power regulators and main grid managers to audit data centers seeking to connect to the Texas grid, saying no more additional data centers can be approved or move forward until that process is over. In a letter to the state Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Abbott wrote that the agencies need to collect more information to keep the state’s grid stable. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUC and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid,” Abbott said. “Simply put, Texans must come first.” Abbott’s letter called for an audit that would require data centers to report to ERCOT and the PUC information about their proposed water use, tax breaks they receive, what cooling technologies they’re using and who owns the projects. The pause throws a wrench in ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online in the state’s main power grid, which is largely isolated from the rest of the country. It also represents a major shift from last year, when Abbott called Texas the “epicenter” of artificial intelligence development as he courted megaprojects. He also called for more oversight back in June. Abbott has seen support erode over concerns about data centers and extra-high-voltage transmission lines being built in rural areas. Texas has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 35 years. But a Fox News poll released last week showed him leading Democratic challenger state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by only 1 percentage point, and other polls show Texas voters are firmly against data centers being built in their communities.  Monday’s letter throws a massive wrench into ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online. ERCOT is working to bring data centers on to the grid in groups, the first of which is known as Batch Zero. ERCOT had planned to notify data centers about whether they qualify for Batch Zero this Friday and to provide them with power allocation amounts by spring 2027. Data center developers have been eager to get into Batch Zero because those projects could get most of the power that’s available on the grid between now and 2032. Projects that are part of later batches may need to wait years for more transmission to be built.

North Carolina governor backs challenge to Duke rate hike - North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) said Wednesday he will help push Duke Energy to lower a proposed rate increase, even after the state’s largest electric utility reduced its request to regulators twice in recent months. Stein told POLITICO that Attorney General Jeff Jackson (D) is planning to challenge the utility’s recent proposed increase of 9.5 percent, which Duke brokered in July with energy advocacy groups, corporations such as Microsoft and the NC Public Staff, which represents ratepayers. The utility originally proposed an 18 percent hike over two years to fortify its electric grid against increasingly severe weather and meet rising demand from data centers, manufacturing and population growth. Stein said Duke’s latest proposal was still too high. “Because we challenged the original rate, as did the attorney general, as did the public staff, it’s going to mean about 150 bucks per household,” Stein said at an event in Durham on Wednesday afternoon. “I still think it’s too high for families. The attorney general is going to likely appeal the current rate, and I will be supportive of his efforts.”

Nevada senators re-up Yucca Mountain repeal - Nevada’s Democratic senators will introduce legislation Tuesday to permanently block any future consideration of the Yucca Mountain site as the nation’s nuclear waste repository, aligning with the Trump administration’s push to abandon the decades-old project in favor of a new voluntary siting strategy. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez-Masto will introduce the Jobs, Not Waste Act to prohibit any current or future designation of Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. The bill, first introduced during the last Congress, would also require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a study evaluating the economic and job-creation potential of alternative uses for the site. It comes as the administration is urging Capitol Hill to formally shift federal nuclear waste policy away from Yucca and toward a new program that would partner with willing states to host storage facilities.

Why some Republicans want to bring nuclear waste home - For decades, politicians have treated nuclear waste as politically radioactive. Now, Republicans are competing to bring it home. The Department of Energy announced last week that it had signed memorandums of agreement with Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho to explore creating facilities to support the full nuclear fuel cycle — from enrichment of uranium and fabricating fuel to disposing of waste. Rather than resisting an initiative that could bring more nuclear waste to their states, some Republicans are actively courting the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, arguing they could anchor advanced nuclear industries and bring billions of dollars in investment. “Tennessee is going to be the absolute leader in America for every part of the [nuclear] life cycle,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.). “No state’s better positioned than we are.” The Trump administration is pitching the campuses as major economic development projects, with DOE saying they “have the potential to attract up to $50 billion in capital investment, generate as much as $10 billion in state and local tax revenue, and create nearly 25,000 jobs.” Participating states, though, could take on a political liability that has sunk similar efforts. The administration says “disposition” of spent nuclear fuel would be a feature of the campuses, though it has offered few public details about what that would ultimately entail. Exactly what “disposition” means remains unclear. A leaked White House document circulated on Capitol Hill says the campuses could eventually be designated as options for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, while DOE’s public materials largely emphasize recycling and reprocessing. Both Utah and Tennessee indicated in their proposals that they would consider long-term geologic disposal. States even considering such projects marks a stark departure from decades of nuclear waste politics. Efforts to site waste storage facilities have historically prompted fierce resistance from home-state politicians, most notably in Nevada, where former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made blocking the Yucca Mountain repository a defining political cause. To this day, Nevada’s congressional delegation continues to campaign and legislate against the project, with Sens. Jacky Rosen (D) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D) sponsoring legislation that would permanently prohibit future consideration of Yucca Mountain as the nation’s permanent repository.Several Republicans are speaking glowingly about the new program’s potential, despite the uncertainty about whether they are signing up to keep nuclear waste for centuries. “It’s a way to try to make something positive out of [nuclear waste] and make lemonade out of lemons,” Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) said shortly after a meeting with DOE officials on Capitol Hill. “I think it’s a great idea, if done thoughtfully and with the local people in mind.” No member of Congress from the five semifinalist states flatly ruled out eventually hosting additional nuclear waste when asked by POLITICO. Several Republicans released statements indicating they wanted their states to compete for the campuses. “This is an incredible opportunity to strengthen American energy dominance, bolster our domestic nuclear supply chain, and create new high-paying jobs right here in Utah,” Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said in a statement after the announcement.

US Expansion of Nuclear Arsenal A Threat to All Humanity: Iran’s UN Mission - - (Tasnim) – Iran’s mission to international organizations in Vienna described the United States’ expanding nuclear arsenal as a threat to all humanity.“The painful legacy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a sharp reminder of the deep human suffering caused by these horrible weapons,” the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna, Austria, wrote in a message on X.“The widespread death and destruction and deadly radiation that harmed even unborn generations prove that the only absolute guarantee to stop such a dark tragedy from happening again is the total elimination of all nuclear weapons before they destroy us all,” it said.“Yet the US—the only country that has ever used nuclear weapons and a Depositary of the NPT—continues to expand and modernize its nuclear weapon arsenal as part of its 56 years of non-compliance with its nuclear disarmament obligations under that Treaty, leaving all of humanity living under a continuous threat.”

Ohio EPA called to Canfield creek for diesel odor (WKBN) — Crews were called to a Canfield creek after reports of a diesel fuel odor Friday afternoon. It happened at Sawmill Creek behind Canfield High School. The Canfield Fire Department said crews found a sheen inside the creek after receiving the call. Officials from the fire and street department as well as the Ohio EPA walked up to the creek but couldn’t find the source. The Ohio EPA lowered booms into the creek and says it’s investigating. “While we continue to investigate the source and cause of this incident, crews have placed booms into the creek to help contain spilled material to prevent it from traveling any further,” The Ohio EPA said in a statement.

Why do Ohio researchers want your baby teeth? -  (AP) – For more than four decades, oilfield brine has been spread across Ohio roadways, but its radioactive contents are known to cause serious health issues. Oilfield brine, a byproduct of oil and gas development, is applied on roads in some townships in Licking County in order to melt ice and control dust. Researchers from the Ohio State University want to understand how exposure to oilfield brine could be impacting the long-term health of people who live in communities where it is spread. That includes parts of Licking, Coshocton and Ashtabula counties. Dr. Arbor Quist is an environmental epidemiologist and an assistant professor at OSU, and is the principal investigator on this exploratory study, leading and overseeing the team involved.“I’ve been working on issues related to the health effects of oil and gas development for the past decade,” Quist said. “But this project is just starting this summer, and so the work in Licking County is just starting this summer.” This work will involve collecting data in unconventional ways: through gathering toenail clippings, naturally shed baby teeth and soil samples. Adults who have lived in Licking County for the past 12 months are eligible to donate their toenail clippings. If they are donating a baby tooth, the child who the tooth is from must have lived in the county for the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and during their first year of life. The researchers are offering gift cards for participation.Oilfield brine is not just an issue in Licking County. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources studied brine from 107 wells across 26 different counties and 10 different formations in Ohio. All of them were considered too radioactive to discharge into the environment, according to the Ohio Administrative Code.Quist helped to create an interactive map that used an AI pipeline to sort through data on where oilfield brine is spread on roads across the state.Chronic exposure to high levels of radium, like that found in wellfield brine, can “result in an increased incidence of bone, liver or breast cancer,” according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.Radium is chemically similar to calcium, meaning that our bones absorb it as if it was calcium.As radium decays, it creates radon, a colorless, odorless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country. Licking County is considered “ground zero” for radon in the United States, according to a 2025 investigation from The Columbus Dispatch.The radium doesn’t just disappear after the brine is spread.“The rain can wash it into people’s gardens where they grow food to feed their kids,” said Jacque Morgan, a concerned Licking County resident who has been heavily involved in advocacy work to ban oilfield brine on roadways. “It can move down to the streams, get into our water. But it doesn’t dissipate.”Spreading radioactive oilfield brine has been legal in Ohio since 1985. Since the late 1800s, more than 100,000 conventional wells have been drilled in eastern Ohio, according to ODNR. Because wellfield brine is considered waste material that well owners must dispose of, some offer it free to municipalities, counties and townships willing to take it for use on the roads.Activists like Morgan and those at the Buckeye Environmental Network are fighting to change that.Ohio Senate Bill 329 would ban the practice of spreading well brine on roads in Ohio. The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee had a second hearing on the bill in February, but no action since. Morgan said they met with Sen. Tim Shaffer, who represents Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties.“Shaffer gave us a lot of time,” Morgan said. “He listened to what we had to say and asked questions. To me (Senate Bill 239) should be a non-controversial, nonpartisan issue. It has to do with the health and welfare of everybody that’s within the environment where this is being spread.” There are other solutions to control ice and dust on roads besides oilfield brine. Granville Township has switched from oilfield brine to making their own de-icer. Through using a water and road salt mixture, Granville is able to avoid the contaminants in oilfield brine. Morgan said that she wishes other Licking County townships would choose to prioritize health like this.“When I see greed being a higher priority than health and welfare, that’s upsetting,” Morgan said. “If you’re getting the benefit of the gas and the oil, then give us the benefit of healthy air to breathe and ground to walk on and vegetables to eat and water to drink.”On Sept. 19, Quist will be at the Granville Farmers Market to discuss the effects of radium on the body and to connect with parents of children living in areas where oilfield brine is spread in the hopes of talking about their research.“People seem interested and curious,” Quist said. Morgan said that she’s not sure whether Quist’s research will change anything about the reality of oilfield brine in Licking County. But she hopes that further knowledge about the brine’s impact can someday make things better.“I hope that it will put another couple of bricks on the scales of justice and reasonable choices for our quality of life and health,” said Morgan.

Recent gas line scares raise questions about Ohio's safeguards: 3News Investigates - — A recent gas-line strike forced families from their Macedonia homes, and left them wondering how close they came to disaster. It marked another dangerous incident involving underground drilling, as 3News Investigates continues to explore how local communities and the state of Ohio navigate the risk and challenges that come with that type of work. Ohio has recently strengthened its excavation rules, but the new law does not settle who is responsible when something goes wrong. For the Nash family, the fear began when someone started pounding on the door of their home on the afternoon of April 16. "It felt like an emergency. After you start smelling that gas, and the way they were banging on that door …" James Nash Jr. recounted. "We didn't know about the drilling they were getting ready to do." James was still recovering from serious back surgery at that time; his wife suffers from a bad knee and her mobility is limited. A rushed escape from their home of 30 years was easier said than done. And it wasn't just the sudden evacuation that frightened the family. It was what could have happened. "We could smell that gas. It was horrible!" James said, shaking his head. "It was just by the grace of God that we didn't have an explosion like Twinsburg." Macedonia city records confirm a crew struck an underground gas line during a dig to install fiberoptics internet. Homes were evacuated, and emergency crews responded within minutes. Families were later allowed to safely return, but the scare has been difficult to shake, and Nash wants to see change. "Something needs to be put into place by federal, state, and local governments all working together to do something about this," Nash insisted. The state of Ohio now has new protections intended to help. House Bill 227 took effect in June — just weeks before an enormous gas explosion in Twinsburg Township leveled several homes and damaged dozens more. The bill strengthens the state's call-before-you-dig rules by requiring contractors to notify 811 at least two days before digging, but no more than 16 days in advance. It also mandates more formal training for anyone involved with underground utility work and creates a statewide database to track damage to underground facilities. State Rep. Joe Miller, a Democrat from Amherst, was a co-sponsor of the legislation. "This is supposed to be put in safeguards, transparency, and accountability," Miller explained. The bill received bipartisan support and passed the Ohio House and Senate without a single "no" vote, but lawmakers acknowledge there are plenty of wrinkles left to iron out. H.B. 227's new requirements were already in place June 25, when the Twinsburg explosion occurred. 3News Investigates has reached out to Twinsburg and Uniti, the company responsible for the fiberoptics dig, to confirm that all of the latest state protocols were followed. At the time of this report, Twinsburg had not responded to our question; Uniti referred us to the same statement that they published the day after the blast. No errors or violations have been reported at this time, but an investigation is still ongoing.

It's the summer of natural gas pipeline ruptures in Northeast Ohio: Today in Ohio - Multiple gas line strikes. A neighborhood explosion. Construction projects halted across Northeast Ohio. It has felt like an unusually dangerous summer beneath our feet. We’re talking about the data that suggests there may be a reason for that, on Today in Ohio.  Listen online here. Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with editorial board member Lisa Garvin, impact editor Leila Atassi and content director Laura Johnston. Here’s what we’re asking about today:This is the summer of underground gas line accidents, with reports coming from all over the place and one case leading to a neighborhood explosion. It’s not our imagination. Reporter Michael Johnson found that safety complaints have jumped. What are the numbers? Are Ohio Republicans, whose billion dollar-plus gift of tax dollars to the tech industry filled the state with energy-sucking data centers, now going too far to battle them, with voters ready to wring their necks? What’s one proposal to rein in the centers?

Ohio's 811 complaints surged as regulators found repeated failures to call and mark lines - — Ohio regulators received 432 underground-utility safety complaints in 2025, more than 2½ times the number filed a year earlier. The state’s Underground Technical Committee reviewed 279 cases and found violations in 251, or 90%, according to its 2025 damage-prevention report. Excavators failed to contact OHIO811 before digging in 134 cases, accounting for 53% of the findings. Utilities failed to mark underground facilities on time in 94 cases, or 37%. Together, those failures accounted for about 91% of the cases in which violations were found. The enforcement data add context to cleveland.com’s original article on recent gas-line strikes in Orange and Twinsburg Township. They show that Ohio’s safeguards can fail at either end of the 811 process: An excavator may dig without providing notice, or a utility may fail to locate and mark buried facilities on time. The findings do not establish how often underground lines were damaged or determine responsibility for the recent Northeast Ohio incidents. Public Utilities Commission of Ohio staff investigate complaints and prepare reports of inquiry for the Underground Technical Committee. The committee reviews the reports and recommends fines, other penalties or no enforcement action. The PUCO generally imposes the committee’s recommendations. The process begins when an excavator contacts OHIO811 with a project’s location and planned starting date. OHIO811 alerts utilities that may have buried facilities at the site. Each utility must locate and mark its facilities or report through the system that it has none at the site. During the period covered by the 2025 damage-prevention report, excavators generally had to provide at least 48 hours’ notice, and utilities had 48 hours to mark their facilities. A law that took effect June 9, 2026, changed the requirement to at least two working days, excluding the day of notification. Utilities generally must locate and mark their facilities within the same period. The other 23 violations included failures to protect utilities during public projects, follow special notification rules for interstate or hazardous-liquid pipelines, register with OHIO811 and observe excavation restrictions near marked facilities.The committee assessed monetary fines on 225 occasions totaling $203,950. It also imposed training requirements, written process-improvement plans or both in 153 instances. The report said fines were used when violations created safety hazards, respondents had extensive histories of noncompliance or earlier corrective requirements had not been completed. State law permits fines of up to $2,500 for a first violation and $5,000 for a subsequent violation. PUCO staff received 164 complaints in 2024 and 432 in 2025, an increase of about 163%. The report does not explain the increase or attribute it to more excavation, broadband construction, outdated records or additional damage to buried lines. The complaint total is not a statewide count of utility strikes. Complaints are voluntarily submitted by an “aggrieved person,” someone with duties under the damage-prevention law who was directly involved in or affected by an alleged violation. Cases filed late in one year also may be decided the next year. The report said complaints submitted during the fourth quarter of 2025 would be reviewed in early 2026 and cautioned that its complaint-driven cases may not represent the frequency of violations throughout Ohio.The report’s statewide figures cover underground-utility violations generally, not only natural gas lines, and do not break the cases down by county, project type or utility. Those limitations are important when considering the recent Northeast Ohio incidents.A construction crew struck an unmarked legacy gas service line in Orange on July 29. The line had served a building that no longer exists. Emergency crews found no gas inside surrounding buildings, and the line was shut off in less than two hours, according to cleveland.com’s original article.In Twinsburg Township, a contractor installing fiber-optic cable struck a gas line before a June 25 explosion. The blast destroyed three homes, damaged at least 36 others and injured two people, WKYC reported.The 2025 enforcement data predate both incidents and cannot establish responsibility for either.

Fiber-optic company files FCC complaint against Mahoning, Stark - The Vindicator --- Mahoning County will hire a Washington, D.C. attorney to represent itself and Stark County in a federal case filed by a broadband company. At Thursday's meeting, Mahoning County Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the appointment of outside counsel, at the request of the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office. The petition, filed June 18, filed with the Federal Communications Commission by fiber-optic internet service provider Lumos, requests a preemption and declaratory ruling against Mahoning County and Stark County. The company objects to professional surveys, right-of-way fees and inspection charges in Stark and the same surveys in Mahoning. "In particular, the main issue with Mahoning County is it requires a survey before doing work in public right of way in order to ensure safety and protect infrastructure," said Kathi Welsh, chief of the civil division of the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office. Welsh said if Lumos were successful in securing the judgment, it would affect how Mahoning County is able to conduct business. She said there are very few attorneys in Ohio with the expertise and experience to handle a case like this one, so the counties have settled on a lawyer in Washington. Welsh said Mahoning County will foot the bill and Stark will reimburse for 50% of the legal costs. "This happened very quickly, and so we needed to investigate who to hire for outside counsel," she said. Gerard Lavery Lederer is an attorney with the Best, Best & Krieger law firm. His resume, provided by Welsh, states that he is a nationally renowned telecommunications, cable, and small cell litigator, who previously worked at Miller & Van Eaton -- a nationally regarded firm specializing in local government right-of-way law. In the petition, Lumos alleges that under Section 253 of the Federal Communications Act, Mahoning and Stark are unlawfully inhibiting the company's ability to install fiber-optic lines and provide internet to thousands of customers in both counties, and the company has had to abandon its efforts and investments because of "draconian" rules. "Congress enacted Section 253 to prevent state and local governments from using local permitting authority to erect barriers to entry that protect incumbents and deny consumers the benefits of telecommunications competition. Section 253(a) prohibits state and local legal requirements that 'prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting' any entity from providing telecommunications service," the company wrote. The petition argues as well that the fees, charges, and costs of surveying are too expensive and time-consuming. "Compliance with the challenged requirements would have increased Lumos's total project costs by approximately 50% in Stark County rights-of-way, representing a staggering 23% of Lumos's expected project revenues in the County over the next five years," the petition states.

Orange mayor working with Enbridge Gas to try to prevent future gas line breaks -– Village officials have set up a meeting with Enbridge Gas Ohio and the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association to discuss the gas line breaks that have occurred recently in Northeast Ohio and what can be done to try to prevent them in the future. On July 30, officials in Orange and Solon temporarily halted work on the Miles Road waterline replacement project after three gas line breaks during construction, the latest of which happened that day. The July 30 incident marked the second time in two days that a line was hit. The third gas line break happened about two weeks earlier. “This problem is not limited to Orange Village,” Mayor Judson Kline told Village Council Wednesday (Aug. 5). “It happens throughout the region, and we need to work together to find ways in which this cannot happen in our communities.” Kline said he has had “numerous conversations” with Enbridge Gas and the village’s Service Department since the gas line breaks occurred. “This is something that (Enbridge needs) to address and take responsibility for in full,” he said. “That will be addressed at the meeting that is being planned through the Mayors and (City) Managers Association that’s coming up in a couple weeks. “We’ll have a good conversation with an outcome that I think will result in a better situation for all of us.” Kline also said officials from both Orange and Solon, along with representatives from Enbridge Gas and Terrace Construction of Cleveland – the contractor for the waterline replacement project – met July 30 at Village Hall to examine what caused the gas line strikes, review existing safety procedures and develop corrective measures to prevent additional disruptions. “We were fortunate,” Kline said. “We had several breaks in our gas line, and any one of them could have been an absolute disaster. “Fortunately, quick action through our Service, Fire and Police departments and their counterparts in Solon avoided problems that could have turned real ugly really fast. “We were able to get the gas turned off, Enbridge came in and got the contractor to stop their work so that we can resolve it and make sure that these kinds of situations don’t happen again.” Terrace Construction began construction on the waterline replacement project July 6. The new 12-inch water main is being installed along the centerline of Miles Road, running from just west of Naiman Parkway to just east of the Harper Road intersection. The joint project, with the City of Solon, will be used by both municipalities. The project is expected to take about four months to complete.

Proposed Enbridge gas price hike ignites community backlash - (WJW) — A proposed natural gas price increase has ignited backlash from some customers. “Where does the line stop? Where do you draw the line?” asked Corey Autry. “Their prices just go up and up and up,” said Jack Rosati. Enbridge Gas Ohio asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for permission to raise rates about $7.60 per month or about $91 dollars per year. PUCO organized a meeting Thursday night at the Akron Public Library to hear from customers, one of three planned this month. “It’s an opportunity for the public to come forward and offer any comments or concerns they have on the case,” said PUCO Commissioner John Williams. Enbridge spokesperson Stephanie Moore said the increase is needed to manage financial pressures on multiple fronts. “Our operations and maintenance costs have gone up along with construction expenses, so things for meters, pipelines, and then work associated with that have all risen in past few years,” said Moore, “And to reconcile tax accounts related to post retirement plans and then to recovery costs associated with previous system investment.” She said natural gas is still one of the most affordable energies and that Enbridge Gas Ohio customers have some of the lowest rates in the state and benefit from Enbridge’s “robust” system and supply sources. But some customers cited reported profits while they’re getting by. “Their profits last quarter were like $1.4 billion,” said Robert Adams, “When is enough enough when do we step back and say let’s take care of the middle class that takes care of the country.” Commissioner Williams listened intently to each speaker. He said all concerns will be factored into PUCO’s final decision to be made around the end of the year. “Affordability is always at the forefront of my thoughts when we’re considering any type of increase so that is something we will have to weigh heavily as we go through the process here,” said Williams. He encourages more customers to attend the next two public hearings:

Public hearings scheduled to dispute proposed Enbridge Gas Ohio bill hike - Akron Beacon Journal -  Enbridge Gas Ohio has filed for an increase in its base rate natural gas charges for consumers in its Ohio service territory.If approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a residential customer's total bill would raise by about 8.8% or $7.60, according to an Enbridge representative. The company has had significant increases in operation and maintenance costs, an Enbridge representative said in a statement late Monday, Aug. 3. Since 2007, it has invested more than $5.7 billion of capital in system infrastructure, and it has not yet recovered $1.1 billion of this in natural gas distribution rates. "We know affordability is important to our customers, which is why we’re committed to keeping costs fair and reasonable and believe every home deserves access to affordable energy," the representative said.The statement said Enbridge customers benefit from its "robust system," which includes abundant natural gas on its system from the Utica Basin supply, natural gas production receipt points, access to major interstate pipelines and over 60 Energy Choice program suppliers and supply offerings. Enbridge is also proposing changes to riders, additional charges on consumers' bills, according to a Ohio Consumers' Counsel news release.There are approximately 1.1 million Enbridge Gas Ohio residential utility consumers, the release said.The Ohio Consumers' Counsel has intervened in the case to represent the Ohio consumers.It is opposed to the increases in fixed charges because they must be paid every month, even if a consumer uses little or no gas, cannot be reduced by conserving energy and make up a larger share of total bills, the release said. Consumers can attend local public hearings to share their views directly with a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio commissioner. These officials will decide the case.

Ascent Pumps 2.19 Bcfe/d, Doubles Down on Buying Ohio Utica Land - Marcellus Drilling News - Ascent Resources — one of the largest privately held oil and gas producers in the U.S. and the biggest gas driller in Ohio's Utica Shale — issued its second quarter 2026 results on Wednesday. Ascent flowed 2,194 MMcfe/d (2.19 Bcfe/d) and booked a $303 million profit. But the real story for MDN readers isn't the profit line. It's what Ascent did with its checkbook: a leasing spree that nearly quadrupled land spending year over year, and a July deal that hands back a quarter-Bcf/d of long-haul pipeline space.

Dell’Osso’s First Quarter at Gulfport: Buy More Utica, Rethink Okla. -- Marcellus Drilling News -- Gulfport Energy dropped its second quarter 2026 numbers on Monday (Aug. 3), followed by an analyst call Tuesday morning — the first for new President and CEO Nick Dell’Osso, who took the chair May 28 after running Chesapeake/Expand Energy for five years. The profit line went the wrong direction. But strip away the accountants’ noise, and there’s a genuinely good story here for Ohio landowners, for the service companies that turn dirt, and for anyone holding the stock.

Williams ESG Report: Utica Power Plants, NESE, 7.3 Bcf/d of Pipe - Marcellus Drilling News -- Let’s be honest — corporate “sustainability reports” are usually 100+ pages of stock photography, buzzwords, and pie charts about employee engagement. We normally give them a wide berth. But Williams released its 2025 Sustainability Report on July 29, and this one is different. Underneath the ESG wrapping paper is a straight-up growth story, and a surprising amount of it runs directly through the Marcellus and Utica. If you’re a landowner in Licking County, a driller in the Utica dry gas window, or anyone who owns WMB shares, there’s real news here.

EOG’s Utica Program Hits Its Stride in Record 2Q26  - Marcellus Drilling News -- Houston-based EOG Resources posted record second-quarter 2026 results on August 4th, and buried inside the good news for shareholders is an even better story for Ohio landowners and the Utica supply chain: the former Encino Energy assets EOG bought a year ago are now outperforming the company’s own pre-acquisition playbook. EOG’s CEO called the deal a “home run” on the August 5th earnings call, and the numbers back him up — well costs down 20% from where Encino left them, drilling and completion speeds up double digits, and activity levels more than tripled versus pre-acquisition rates. Company-wide, EOG posted $2.7 billion in adjusted net income ($5.07/share), $2.8 billion of free cash flow, and record oil volumes of 548.8 MBod. Full detail below, with the Utica numbers front and center.

Case Closed: EOG Settles w/ Ohio Landowner Who Stopped Its Wells - Marcellus Drilling News - EOG Resources has settled — and apparently bought out — the Noble County, Ohio landowner who beat it at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals last year in a fight over whether a driller can use one owner’s surface to drill horizontally into the neighbors’ minerals. The case, EOG Resources, Inc. v. Lucky Land Management, LLC, produced a published appellate ruling that’s now a go-to precedent on surface rights for horizontal (lateral) drilling anywhere severed mineral estates exist — which describes most of the Marcellus/Utica. MDN first flagged this case a year ago when we caught the 6th Circuit’s reversal (see below) but couldn’t pin down the county or the full backstory (see 6th Circuit Reverses Lower Court, Blocks EOG from Surface Drilling). We now have it, and it’s a heck of a story.

OH Landowner Accuses EOG of “Theft” — Real Story is Lease Assignment -- Marcellus Drilling News -- A Harrison County landowner and longtime pro-drilling voice is now accusing EOG Resources of “theft” — and while the word grabs headlines, the underlying dispute is a lot more nuanced than one company stealing one man’s mineral rights. A recent report from Your Ohio News lays out landowner Ron Ott’s grievances against EOG, but bundles together at least four separate issues into one story. We think MDN readers deserve the untangled version.

New Owners for Eureka’s 3 PA Wastewater Plants; Waste Still On Site  - Marcellus Drilling News -The long, sad saga of Eureka Resources has a new chapter — and for once, it’s not another fine or another leak. Eureka has sold the business operations at all three of its shuttered Pennsylvania frack wastewater treatment plants. Two of the three went to Select Water Solutions, one of the biggest water-management companies in the oilfield. The third went to a Washington County trucking outfit. We didn’t hear this from Eureka. We heard it from the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, which pried the details out of the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in advance of the one-year anniversary of the Aug. 17, 2025 spill that dumped 16,000 gallons of untreated wastewater into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (see ‘Black Goop’ Spills into Susquehanna River from Closed Eureka Plant). Read More

AG Sunday Hits Eureka with 16 More Crimes for Williamsport Spill -  Marcellus Drilling News -- Two months ago, we told you PA Attorney General Dave Sunday had charged Eureka Resources with seven crimes over years of leaking tanks at its Standing Stone plant in Bradford County (see Eureka Resources Charged with 7 Crimes for PA Wastewater Leaks). That was the appetizer. Sunday has now filed a second, separate criminal case against the defunct wastewater company — this one aimed squarely at the Aug. 17, 2025 spill that sent 16,000 gallons of oily frack waste out of the Williamsport Second Street plant and into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Sixteen counts this time. And for the first time, Eureka is charged under laws that protect water, not just laws that govern waste.

PA Antis Continue to Push Frack Ban Via Insane Setback Rules -- Every so often the antis tell you exactly what they’re up to, and you just have to sit back and enjoy it. On Saturday, Inside Climate News ran a story on the ongoing campaign by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Clean Air Council, and their friends to jack up setbacks — the required distance between a well pad and the nearest building — from the current 500 feet to distances that would end new shale drilling in Pennsylvania. The new twist? They’ve hitched the campaign to the data center boom. More data centers means more gas, and more gas means (in their telling) more danger, so hurry up and pass the rules. It’s the same petition MDN has been tracking since 2024, dressed in a 2026 outfit.

15 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Jul 27 - Aug 2 - Marcellus Drilling News - The Marcellus/Utica region received (as near as we can tell) 15 new drilling permits last week, July 27 - August 2, down 4 from two weeks ago. The reason for our hesitation is that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources didn't issue a report for last week. They sometimes are tardy in their report filing, catching it up in the next week's report. The drillers who received new permits included: Seneca Resources (6), Expand Energy (6), JKLM Energy (2), and Jay-Bee Oil & Gas (1). Bradford County | Expand Energy | Jay-Bee Oil & Gas | JKLM Energy |  Pleasants County | Seneca Resources | Tioga County (PA)  | Wetzel County

2 Lawsuits in 6 Days: Big Green Targets the Permit Behind Every Pipe  - Marcellus Drilling News --Two federal lawsuits landed in the same Washington, D.C. courthouse six days apart last month, and while both are nominally about pipelines in Mississippi and Alabama, Marcellus and Utica readers should pay close attention. Not because of where the pipe goes — but because of which pipelines the greens dragged into their complaints as Exhibit A.

Back from the Dead: Mon County, WV Gas Plant Project Sold to AEP - - Marcellus Drilling News - Back in January 2022, we brought you what looked like a milestone: the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection had issued a construction permit for a big Marcellus gas-fired power plant next door to the Longview coal plant in Maidsville, Monongalia County (see WV DEP Approves Construction Permit for Gas-Fired Elec Plant). We said it would finally be the first large-scale gas plant built in the Mountain State during the shale era. We were wrong. Not one shovel of dirt got turned.

TC Energy: Two More Columbia Expansions + Bigger Bet on M-U Supply - Marcellus Drilling News - TC Energy issued its second quarter 2026 update on July 30, and the headline numbers were strong: comparable EBITDA of C$2.9 billion, up 12% over 2Q25, and full-year guidance now tracking the upper end of the C$11.6–$11.8 billion range. Nice, but that’s investor stuff. The news that matters for Marcellus/Utica landowners, drillers, and midstreamers is sitting in the project tables — and in a demand forecast TC has now raised two years running.

Enbridge: Beacon Open Season Swamped, More M-U Gas Headed to Boston  - Marcellus Drilling News - Enbridge reported second quarter results on Friday, July 31, and buried in a Canadian midstream giant’s quarterly slide deck — a document that is 90% oil sands, Permian, and balance sheet talk — is the best piece of news Appalachian producers have gotten out of New England in fifteen years. Project Beacon, Enbridge’s proposed expansion of the Algonquin Gas Transmission (AGT) system into New England, ran a binding open season from May 18 to July 1. An open season is simply a pipeline asking shippers to raise their hands and commit, in writing, to buy capacity. CEO Greg Ebel told analysts the response “significantly exceeded our initial expectations.” Matthew Akman, who runs Enbridge’s gas transmission business, said Beacon would be “multiple times” the size of the AGT Enhancement project already underway, and that a big enough Beacon could save New England utility customers more than $1 billion a year.

Massive Winter Premiums Show Northeast Pipeline Expansion Remains Insufficient - Despite a resurgence of infrastructure development across parts of the Northeast, the region is likely to face another winter of severe natural gas price volatility as peak demand continues to outpace available pipeline capacity. A Line chart titled "NGI's Northeast Regional Key Forward Basis Curves" comparing forward natural gas basis prices for Algonquin Citygate, Iroquois Zone 2 and Transco Zone 6 NY from July 2026 through August 2028. All three Northeast pricing hubs show pronounced winter premiums, with the largest spike occurring in December 2026-January 2027, when Algonquin Citygate and Iroquois Zone 2 approach $17.50/MMBtu, while Transco Zone 6 NY peaks near $7.50/MMBtu. A second, smaller winter rally appears in December 2027-January 2028, with Algonquin and Iroquois reaching roughly $11/MMBtu and Transco Zone 6 NY climbing to about $6.50/MMBtu. Basis values remain near or below zero through the spring, summer and early fall, illustrating the Northeast natural gas market's strong seasonal winter demand and pipeline constraint-driven pricing. Source: NGI's Forward.  At a Glance:
Northeast winter premiums dwarf other indexes
Regional demand growing
Price spikes could intensify

$18 Gas in Boston, $5 Gas Everywhere Else. Any Guesses Why? - - Marcellus Drilling News - Want to know what the smartest money in the natural gas business expects to happen in the Northeast this winter? Don’t ask a politician. Look at the forward curve. As of the first of August, traders were pricing December-through-February gas at Algonquin Citygate (the Boston benchmark), Iroquois Zone 2 in New York, and three Tennessee Gas Zone 6 points in New England above $18 per MMBtu. At the other 77 pricing hubs Natural Gas Intelligence tracks across the U.S. and Canada, that same three-month strip averages under $5. Read that again. Same country. Same historically abundant supply. Roughly four times the price.

TVA Fires Up 1,450 MW Cumberland Plant, Locks In Nearly 1 Tcf of Gas  - Marcellus Drilling News -- The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) posted its third-quarter fiscal 2026 results yesterday (Aug. 4) — a press release, an investor presentation, and a 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The headline numbers are fine but boring: $10 billion in revenue over nine months, net income of $965 million, up $220 million from last year. Yawn. However, if you dig into the 10-Q, there’s real news for Marcellus/Utica producers. TVA’s giant new Cumberland gas plant has fired up for the first time. TVA borrowed $2 billion to pay for it — the largest such financing in the agency’s history. And TVA has quietly expanded its natural gas hedge book to nearly 1 trillion cubic feet. Let’s dig in

Duke’s Carolinas Gas Fleet Grows; Transco, Southgate Will Feed It - Marcellus Drilling News - Duke Energy reported second quarter 2026 results Tuesday, and while the earnings themselves are fine-but-boring utility fare, buried in the slide deck is one of the better demand stories going for Marcellus/Utica producers: Duke now has 6,025 megawatts (MW) of new gas-fired generation sited in North and South Carolina, every announced plant has its gas supply under contract, and the two pipelines that will carry most of those molecules south both trace back to Appalachia.

FERC approves $5-B Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion to boost Southeast gas supply Federal regulators have given the green light to two major natural gas pipeline projects backed by Kinder Morgan, clearing the way for roughly $5.2 B in new energy infrastructure stretching from Mississippi to Georgia and South Carolina. Federal regulators have given the green light to two major natural gas pipeline projects backed by Kinder Morgan, clearing the way for roughly $5.2 billion in new energy infrastructure stretching from Mississippi to Georgia and South Carolina. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order on July 31 approving certificates of public convenience and necessity for the Mississippi Crossing Project (MSX), proposed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, and the South System Expansion 4 Project (SSE4), jointly proposed by Southern Natural Gas Company and Elba Express Company. All three companies are affiliated with Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure operators in North America. Together, the two projects will add more than 3.8 million dekatherms per day of incremental firm transportation capacity, creating a new pathway for gas to move from an interconnection with Tennessee Gas' existing Line 100 in Washington County, Mississippi, to delivery points across the southeastern U.S. The MSX Project alone calls for roughly 208 miles of new pipeline and lateral facilities in Mississippi and Alabama, three new compressor stations, four new meter stations and other supporting facilities, at an estimated cost of about $1.7 billion. It is designed to deliver 2.06 million dekatherms per day. The SSE4 Project would expand Southern's existing South Main Line system with 22 pipeline loops totaling roughly 291 miles across Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, along with new and upgraded compressor stations, at an estimated cost of about $3.3 billion. Elba Express, whose system runs through Georgia and South Carolina, would add two new compressor units and a meter station at a cost of about $160 million. Combined, the SSE4 facilities will provide roughly 1.323 million dekatherms per day of new capacity on Southern's system and 460,300 dekatherms per day on Elba Express' system. Tennessee Gas has signed long-term precedent agreements covering about 93% of the MSX Project's capacity, while Southern and Elba Express have contracted out 100% of the capacity created by SSE4. Shippers include utilities and cooperatives such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Southern Company Services, Atlanta Gas Light Company and South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper). FERC found that the volume of signed, long-term transportation contracts — the standard the agency has long relied on to demonstrate market need — provided sufficient evidence that the projects are needed, noting that interstate pipelines serving the Southeast are operating near or above peak capacity. The approval came over the objections of the Sierra Club, the Alabama Rivers Alliance and several other environmental and community groups, which argued that a large share of the contracted capacity involves Kinder Morgan affiliates and related companies, and that projected demand — particularly from data centers — is speculative. The groups also sought an evidentiary hearing and asked the Commission to delay its decision to consider additional market studies. FERC denied the request for a hearing, saying the written record was sufficient to resolve the disputed issues, and found no evidence of self-dealing between the pipeline companies and their affiliated shippers that would justify looking beyond the signed contracts.

US LNG Exports Tread Water in July as Europe Reclaims Market Share -A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers. NGI LNG Export Flow Tracker shows daily US LNG feed gas deliveries by export terminal and total North America LNG flows as of Aug. 5, 2026.

• 10.26 Mt: US LNG exports held roughly flat in July at about 10.26 Mt, slightly up from June but 2.4% below the 10.51 Mt monthly average during the first half of the year, according to Kpler data. Europe drove the marginal upside, with deliveries rising 12.6% to 4.15 Mt from June, the continent's first monthly gain since March. Shipments to Asia eased to about 3.88 Mt, while Africa fell to 1.32 Mt from 1.75 Mt after June’s Egypt-led surge. Volumes to the Americas climbed for a fourth consecutive month to 0.92 Mt, the strongest month in two years. US exports to the region were led by Chile and Brazil. Roughly 1.32 Mt of July volumes remain unassigned at the country level, which could shift the final destination split.
• 124%: US LNG exports to China rose 124% in July to about 0.16 Mt from 0.07 Mt in June, the highest monthly total since November 2024, according to Kpler data. The two consecutive months of deliveries end a 17-month gap in which no US volumes reached China between January 2025 and May. Chinese re-exports also strengthened, climbing to about 0.29 Mt in July from 0.05 Mt in June.
• 17.88 Bcf/d: US LNG feedgas nominations rebounded for a second straight day Wednesday to their highest level since July 26. Flows totaled about 17.88 Bcf/d, according to NGI’s Entropic Analytics data, up roughly 350 MMcf/d day/day. The day's expected nominations were only about 60 MMcf/d above a week earlier, and the seven-day average slipped to 17.50 Bcf/d from 17.93 Bcf/d the previous Wednesday. Nominations bottomed at 16.94 Bcf/d Saturday, the weakest gas day since mid-July.
• 2.63 Bcf/d: Corpus Christi LNG feedgas nominations climbed to a five-week high Wednesday as commissioning advances on the final unit of Cheniere Energy's Stage 3 expansion. Flows to the terminal totaled about 2.63 Bcf/d, according to Entropic Analytics data, the most since June 30. Nominations averaged 2.41 Bcf/d over the past seven days, down 4.8% from the prior week after dipping to 1.86 Bcf/d Saturday. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized Cheniere on July 28 to introduce feed gas to the warm end of Midscale Train 7, which is expected to add roughly 200 MMcf/d of feedgas demand once fully operational. That leaves about 123 MMcf/d of unsubscribed room at the pipeline’s delivery point.

Port Arthur Builds Toward Startup While ECA Waits on Compressor Fix - Sempra Infrastructure is moving Port Arthur LNG deeper into commissioning, bringing the Texas export project closer to the point when it could add an additional layer of feedgas demand to the Gulf Coast market.  At a Glance:

• Commissioning milestones building
• Feedgas adds new Gulf Coast demand
• ECA completion slips to 4Q2026

NextDecade Sees Hormuz Disruption Tightening LNG Supply Through 2030 -- The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz shifted the outlook of the global LNG market, keeping spot prices elevated through the end of the decade, NextDecade CEO Matt Schatzman told analysts. At a Glance:

• Global spot prices stay elevated longer
• Henry Hub comparatively subdued
• Rio Grande LNG interest still rising

Coastal Bend LNG Takes Crucial Early Step, Enters Federal Regulatory Process The Coastal Bend LNG project in Texas has entered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process, announcing this week that it has started the pre-filing review phase and expects to file a formal application with the Commission next year. IEA chart shows global LNG project final investment decisions by region from 2015 through 2026, highlighting North America, the Middle East and Africa. At a Glance:
  - Project starts pre-filing phase
  - Formal application targeted for 2027
  - 2 other greenfields under FERC review

Cheniere Nears Completion of Corpus Christi Stage 3 LNG Expansion – Cheniere Energy CEO Jack Fusco said Thursday that the seventh and final liquefaction train at the company’s Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project is expected to produce its first LNG “imminently.” At a Glance:

• 7th train nears first LNG
• CCL Midscale project 48% complete
• Company on track for 100 Mt/y output

Cheniere Energy reports rise in second-quarter profit on increased LNG demand -. Cheniere Energy reported a rise in second-quarter profit, helped by increased demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), sending its shares up 2% in premarket trading. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of LNG, shipping 15 billion cubic feet per day (Bft3d) of the supercooled fuel in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, up 26% from 2024. Commercial activity in the LNG sector has gained further momentum after U.S. President Donald Trump lifted a moratorium on new LNG export permits after taking office last year. The company's LNG revenue was at $5.64 billion in the quarter, compared with $4.52 billion a year earlier, while regasification revenues remained flat at $34 million. The Houston, Texas-based company posted a net income of $3.07 billion for the quarter ended June 30, compared with $1.63 billion in the previous year.

How Are Geopolitics and LNG Feedgas Demand Reshaping North American Natural Gas? - Click here to listen to the latest episode of the Hub & Flow podcast in which NGI’s Jacob Dick, senior editor for LNG, breaks down the global supply environment currently reshaping US LNG demand.  The global natural gas landscape finds itself at a critical crossroads: geopolitical instability in the Middle East continues to squeeze international trade routes, while North American export capacity rapidly expands to meet shifting demand. As global markets balance supply security against long-term climate targets, the interplay between Gulf Coast feedgas fluctuations and Canadian export momentum is redefining the future of natural gas flows.In this episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow, host Chris Lenton sits down with Dick to analyze the latest structural shifts across the North American LNG space. The conversation explores how ongoing disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz are reshaping international cargo flows, the operational reliability of key Gulf Coast facilities, such as Freeport and Golden Pass, and the accelerating momentum behind Western Canadian export projects — including LNG Canada and emerging Atlantic initiatives — as the market looks toward the next wave of global supply.

U.S. Energy Helps Cushion Global Supply Shock From Hormuz - The U.S. energy system has helped mitigate the shock loss of oil and LNG supply from the Middle East when the Strait of Hormuz closed to traffic and sent refiners and gas importers worldwide scrambling for alternative supply.The record American crude oil production and huge natural gas production and rising LNG exports were decades in the making, during which companies invested billions of dollars every year to increase oil, natural gas, and fuel supply, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said in an analysis this week.But the role of “the world’s energy stabilizer”, as API put it in its article, comes at a cost for the U.S. energy system. America’s inventories of crude oil and petroleum products have slumped below the five-year average for this time of year, leaving narrow margins of error in the production, refining, and export systems.The disruption caused by the Iran war hasn’t gone away, but the record U.S. oil output and fuel exports have kept crude oil prices in check for most of the past five months, alongside perpetual market hopes that a resolution of the conflict is imminent.“Markets remain tight, inventories are low and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz and other key shipping lanes persists. Yet, America's energy system has helped cushion what could have been a much more severe shock,” API said. Since the shale revolution began, the U.S. oil and natural gas industry has invested about $150 billion every year in oil and natural gas upstream production alone, according to API’s estimates. Those investments, adding to billions more poured in pipelines, export terminals, and other critical infrastructure, fundamentally changed America’s role in global energy markets, the oil lobby says.The U.S. role has indeed changed, with record crude oil production and exports, and record exports of fuels in recent months as the world is reeling from the crisis triggered by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.The record-high exports are naturally depleting U.S. inventories even as refineries run at very high utilization rates. This tightens the domestic market, leaving it vulnerable to a sudden supply disruption from a hurricane or a refinery stoppage. Middle distillate inventories in the United States are now 12% below the five-year average, according to the latest EIA petroleum status report. Domestic gasoline and diesel prices are much higher than they were before the war. Due to the crude price surge on international markets, the national average gasoline price is now $4 per gallon, about $1 higher than at the end of February before the U.S. and Israel started bombing Iran and nearly $0.90 higher than at this time last year.The path to a permanent de-escalation in the Middle East remains unclear, and the U.S. crude oil and fuel producing system will continue to offset some – but not all – supply from the Middle East that’s not making it to buyers these days.The role of U.S. oil and gas production in helping stabilize global energy supply has been decades in the making, with continued investments in supply and infrastructure to bring this supply to markets.

Michigan Supreme Court strikes down Line 5 permit - Michigan’s highest court has ordered state energy regulators to redo their environmental review of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The Michigan Supreme Court’s Friday ruling marks a major setback for the project, which saw a burst of momentum in July when Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration issued key permits for construction. Enbridge plans to replace a four-mile dual pipeline segment on the bottom of the straits with a single pipeline encased in a cement tunnel beneath the lake bed. The proposed 21-foot-diameter tunnel is meant to address long-standing concerns that the existing aging pipes are at risk of spilling oil into the Great Lakes. In a 6-1 decision, the state Supreme Court tossed out the Michigan Public Service Commission’s order approving the project.

Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit - The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission erred when it granted a key permit for the Line 5 petroleum pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. Among other findings in its 58-page ruling, the majority found the commission’s permit review was overly narrow, failed to consider whether the tunnel project would harm public rights to the Great Lakes, and failed to study whether Line 5 would shut down if the tunnel isn’t built. “To accurately assess the environmental consequences of the Replacement Project, the PSC should have determined whether the project would be the proximate cause of Line 5’s continued operation and its alleged attendant harms,” stated a majority opinion written by Justice Elizabeth Welch. The 6-1 decision sends the matter back to the commission with an order to “fully assess the Replacement Project’s potential harms.” Justice Brian Zahra agreed that commissioners failed to consider impacts on public use rights in the Great Lakes, but disagreed with the rest of the majority opinion. Friday’s ruling represents a victory for Line 5 foes who have argued the tunnel would harm the environment by locking in decades of continued fossil fuel transports along a 73-year-old pipeline that would otherwise soon shut down. And it further clouds the fate of the proposed tunnel project, which has been in limbo since it was first proposed eight years ago in response to growing concern that Line 5 could cause a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes. “Today is a reminder that when people stand together with courage and conviction, change is possible,” Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle said in a written statement. Gravelle’s tribe challenged the permit along with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. “For years, Tribal Nations, communities, and thousands of people across the country have raised their voices to protect the Great Lakes,” Gravelle said. “This decision gives us another opportunity to honor our treaty rights, protect our waters, and consider the generations who will inherit this place.” Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy expressed disappointment with the decision and said the company is assessing its legal options. “One thing remains unchanged, we are fully committed to the safe and responsible operation of Line 5, incorporating enhanced safety measures in the Straits and continuing to safeguard Michigan’s natural resources now and for future generations,” Duffy said in a statement to Bridge Michigan. The ruling stems from the Public Service Commission’s December 2023 approval of a key permit for the proposed tunnel, which would reroute a 4-mile segment of the 645-mile pipeline that currently sits exposed on the lakebottom as it transports petroleum products from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. A coalition of four Michigan tribal nations, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Michigan Climate Action Network and Traverse City-based environmental group FLOW (For Love of Water) challenged the approval, arguing the commission’s analysis was flawed and the pipeline should be shut down rather than merely rerouted. The issue reached the state Supreme Court after the Michigan Court of Appeals sided with the state. In March arguments before the high court, an attorney for environmental groups challenging the permit argued the decision had been based on “a lopsided analysis that needs to be corrected.” Enbridge lawyers argued the commission had correctly determined that building the tunnel is the best way to avoid a spill — a conclusion that rested in part on the belief that Enbridge had the legal right to keep operating Line 5. In their ruling Friday, the court’s majority rejected that logic. “Line 5’s continued operation, with and without the Replacement project, was a factual question, not just a legal one,” they wrote. The justices also found that, when analyzing possible alternatives to the tunnel project — a required step in the permitting process — commissioners applied their analysis inconsistently. For example, they took a narrow view of the oil spill risks caused by transporting Line 5’s products, considering the possibility of spills only in the Straits rather than along the length of the pipeline (which has repeatedly caused inland spills). They then took a broad view of spill risks from tunnel alternatives such as rail transport, assessing risks along the entire length of the hypothetical rail route. Such inconsistencies amounted to “errors that did not allow for a reasoned choice among the alternatives,” Welch wrote. Finally, the majority concluded, the commission failed to consider “whether the Replacement Project would pollute, impair, or destroy public trust resources.” Michigan’s public trust doctrine says the state holds resources like the Great Lakes and bottomlands in trust for the people.

Ruling puts Line 5 project on hold, but for how long? - The Michigan Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate a permit required for improving the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline’s safety is raising a lot of questions. But it is unlikely to have any immediate effect on gasoline and other fuel prices, at least in the short term. Scott Hayes, Midwest government relations director for PBF Energy/Toledo Refining Co., said it’s important for people to know it’s business as usual. The ruling did not shut down the 645-mile pipeline, nor did it change any conclusions made previously about Line 5’s safety by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, Mr. Hayes said. Line 5’s owner-operator, Enbridge, will continue to deliver petroleum and natural gas liquids to refineries for the foreseeable future, including the one PBF operates on Woodville Road in Oregon, he said. The PBF Toledo refinery employs about 350 members of United Steelworkers Local 912. The issue at hand is the pipeline’s future. Under a deal arranged with former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Enbridge agreed in 2018 to do a major upgrade to Line 5, which was built in 1953. Its plan is to build a tunnel, called the Great Lakes Tunnel, beneath the Straits of Mackinac so it can encase Line 5 and have better surveillance of it. Line 5 traverses parts of Canada before entering Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It crosses Lake Michigan, west of the Mackinac Bridge. Those opposed to it, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have said the 73-year-old pipeline is unsafe not only because of its age but also because it is situated above the lakebed. The issue surfaced earlier in 2018, when a boat anchor dented but did not rupture it. Mr. Hayes said he’s satisfied with PHMSA’s safety assessment. But he supports construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel as an added security measure to ensure the pipeline remains safe to operate for several more decades. “What this seems to do is slow down an already-safe pipeline from becoming even safer,” Mr. Hayes said of the ruling. The decision invalidates a permit the Michigan Public Service Commission issued to Enbridge in 2023 to move the Great Lakes Tunnel project forward. The permit was challenged by For Love of Water, a group known as FLOW. It was joined by other environmental groups, as well as some Native American tribes. FLOW called the Michigan Supreme Court ruling “a major victory.” The case has been remanded to the commission for further consideration. It is not known how many months or possibly years that will delay construction. “This will drive up fuel prices for people in Ohio and it’s unacceptable,” U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R., Ohio) said in a prepared statement but would not say why. Mr. Husted expressed support for the tunnel project when he served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor under Gov. Mike DeWine. The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the ruling. Other Ohio politicians who support the Great Lakes Tunnel include U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green), who said he is concerned about how long the ruling will delay the project. “This pipeline is a critical piece of energy infrastructure that safely transports up to 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids every day, supplying refineries and consumers throughout Michigan, Ohio, and the entire Great Lakes region,” Mr. Latta said. “A potential shutdown of Line 5 would put tens of thousands of jobs at risk, jeopardize billions of dollars in economic activity, and create unnecessary uncertainty in the delivery of energy products families and businesses rely on every day.” He said pipelines “remain the safest and most efficient way to transport energy,” and urges the Michigan Public Service Commission to swiftly respond to the court’s directive.

BLM approves temporary water pipeline for Koda Uinta operations in Uintah County -- The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) Vernal Field Office has approved a temporary water pipeline project that will support well completion (ie,fracking) operations for Koda Uinta, LLC across fourteen sites in the Wonsits Valley area of Uintah County. The decision, issued under Categorical Exclusion documentation numbered DOI-BLM-UT-G010-2026-0093-CE, authorizes an amendment to right-of-way UTU94510, which is held by Koda Uinta. The amendment clears the way for installation of temporary surface lay-flat waterlines, a flexible, above-ground piping system commonly used in oil and gas operations to move water where it's needed without the cost or disturbance of permanent infrastructure. The lay-flat lines will run through the borrow ditch alongside a 0.7-mile stretch of Harmston's Hole, an existing road claimed by Uintah County. The route is located in Section 4, Township 8 South, Range 21 East, Salt Lake Base and Meridian. Because the pipeline crosses Tribal Trust surface estate, the BLM emphasized that its decision authority is limited strictly to land under its own administration — a distinction that matters given the layered jurisdictions in the area. The agency's approval doesn't extend to surface rights or activities beyond its regulatory reach. The project is intended to be temporary, supporting the water transfer needs of completion operations rather than serving as permanent utility infrastructure. Once that work concludes, the lay-flat lines are expected to be removed. Full details of the decision record are available through the BLM's ePlanning portal. Questions about the project can be directed to the Vernal Field Office at 435-781-4400. The pipeline approval was one of several BLM Vernal Field Office decisions issued around the same time, alongside authorizations for new natural gas wells and vegetation treatment work elsewhere in the region.

Murex Petroleum reports spill near Powers Lake — 450 barrels of produced water and 10 gallons of crude oil were spilled today near Powers Lake, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources says. Murex Petroleum Corporation reported the incident today at their site about 12 miles west of Powers Lake. North Dakota Mineral Resources says about 400 barrels of produced water and five gallons of crude oil have been recovered. A North Dakota Oil and Gas inspector is monitoring additional cleanup. KX News will continue to monitor this situation.

US oil exports in July fall to lowest level in eight months, data shows (Reuters) - U.S. oil exports in July fell to 3.66 ​million barrels per day, the lowest level in eight months, ship tracking data showed, as a short-lived peace deal between the U.S. and ‌Iran in June briefly flooded markets with Middle Eastern oil and diminished demand for American crude abroad. The U.S. had cinched the spot as the world's top oil exporter this year after the Iran war sharply cut supplies of Middle Eastern crude and forced Asian and European countries to turn to the U.S. to fill the gap. Shipments of U.S. oil surged to 5.7 ​million bpd in May, a monthly record. However, they have come off steadily since then. A memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran in ​June briefly helped stuck tankers to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, adding supply to oil markets. The number of tankers ⁠exiting the strait in a day peaked at 42 during the peace deal period. The share of U.S. oil exports to Asia shrank to about 40% in July ​from 52% in June, with top buyers including Japan and South Korea taking fewer shipments. Cargoes to Japan, the top buyer in June and July, fell 67% to 324,000 bpd in ​July from a peak in May, while shipments to South Korea fell 39% to 474,000 bpd. Shipments to Europe also shrank to about 1.7 million bpd in July from as much as 2.5 million bpd in May. Exports of crude oil released from the U.S. government's Strategic Petroleum Reserve also slowed, totaling just 31,000 bpd in July. The two shipments headed to France and Peru, Kpler data showed. High refinery utilization in the ​U.S. also kept barrels away from the export markets, said Rohit Rathod, an analyst at Vortexa. The four-week average U.S. refinery utilization stood at about 96.3%, ​the highest rate since 2018, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with input of crude oil to U.S. refineries at its highest level in about seven years. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude's discount to globally traded Brent also narrowed significantly in June, when deals for July shipments are typically made, further hurting exports. WTI's discount to Brent averaged just $4.17 per barrel, compared with a discount of $8.16 in May. Since most U.S. grades are priced as a differential to WTI, when the benchmark becomes cheap relative to Brent, it encourages more exports from the U.S. The spread between the two has widened more recently, with WTI trading at a discount of as ​much as $5.42 in July, which should encourage ​exports in August and September, analysts said. Ship fixtures ⁠out of the U.S. Gulf Coast for exports over the last few days have been extremely busy, with a larger-than-normal amount of Very Large Crude Carriers fixed to Asia and Europe and Aframax tankers booked as well, said Scott Shelton, energy ​specialist at TP ICAP. A Very Large Crude Carrier can move up to 2 million barrels, while Aframax tankers ​can move about 750,000 ⁠barrels. Export volumes in August and September are expected to exceed 4 million barrels per day, Vortexa's Rathod said, although they are unlikely to reach the levels above 5 million bpd seen in April and May. Exports were forecast to be around 4.58 million bpd in August and 4.45 million bpd in ⁠September, according ​to research and consultancy firm Energy Aspects. The U.S. could be called upon to boost exports further ​if the conflict in the Middle East escalates, The U.S. has a monthly export capacity of about 6 million bpd, traders and analysts have said, ​citing limited pipeline capacity, vessel availability and loading schedules.

‘All hands on deck’: Oil industry rallies to keep Trump from stopping exports - Oil industry executives and White House officials, rattled by President Donald Trump’s growing criticisms of the sector, are making a renewed push to head off any move by the administration to curb U.S. petroleum exports, three people familiar with the effort said. Industry representatives said the outreach extends to officials on the White House Domestic Policy Council, the National Energy Dominance Council, the Energy Department and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and comes as Trump has shown increasing frustration with stubbornly high fuel prices that could prove a drag on Republicans’ chances to keep control of Congress in this November’s elections. “There’s an all-hands-on-deck from industry and inside the administration to stave it off,” said an energy industry executive who was granted anonymity to describe discussions. White House officials haven’t formally pitched the idea, “but everyone knows Trump’s gonna Trump,” this person added. The White House maintains that export restrictions are not under consideration.

Peltola backs gas project, more refining in Senate bid   - Democrat Mary Peltola is doubling down on her support for oil and natural gas as she seeks to become Alaska’s next U.S. senator. Peltola is hoping to distinguish herself in her bid to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, in a closely watched race that could determine which party controls the upper chamber. First, she must survive this month’s nonpartisan top four primary, which will whittle down the race from 16 to four candidates regardless of party affiliation. Peltola, who was state’s sole House member from 2022 to 2025, revealed to POLITICO on Tuesday her plans to boost fuel refining in Alaska to improve the supply chain for gasoline and diesel there and push for the Alaska LNG export pipeline project as well as a permitting reform package to streamline projects. While she might not get much support from her party on some of those priorities, Peltola’s joining Democrats in endorsing the return of federal tax credits for renewable energy, incentivizing energy efficiency and expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Shell 'Investing Heavily in Canada' to Expand Natural Gas Growth, CEO Says --   Energy major Shell is placing Canada at the center of its long-term growth strategy, doubling down on natural gas through LNG infrastructure and a takeover of Calgary-based ARC Resources. At a Glance:

• LNG Canada reaches full operations
• Phase 2 decision expected by year-end
• ARC deal awaits final approval

Middle East Buyers Interested in LNG Cargoes From Canada, Pacific Energy Says - (Reuters) – Buyers in the Middle East are looking to secure liquefied natural gas from Canada as a hedge against geopolitical turmoil, the president of the company that majority-owns Canada’s Woodfibre LNG project said. Ratnesh Bedi, president of Singapore-based Pacific Energy — which owns a 70% stake in the Woodfibre project currently under construction on Canada’s Pacific Coast near Squamish, B.C. — said in an interview that his company is fielding inquiries from Middle Eastern buyers even though the project’s 2.1 million tonnes per year of capacity is already fully contracted to BP. The interest reflects a broader shift among global LNG buyers seeking to diversify supply sources in the wake of the war in Iran and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Even the Middle East, one of the world’s top LNG-producing regions, is now looking to secure backup supply from routes free of geopolitical chokepoints like the ones that threaten its own exports. “Almost every week, someone is approaching us to say, ‘hey, do you still have capacity?’” Bedi said. “Very interestingly, not only is it north Asia that is coming, but to my surprise, even LNG suppliers out of Middle East are coming to find alternate supplies for their customers.” Bedi declined to name the companies. A spokeswoman for Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson confirmed Middle Eastern buyers have expressed interest not only in investing in the Canadian LNG sector, but in securing physical LNG cargoes from Canada, the world’s fifth-largest natural gas producer. “The federal government has heard strong interest from Middle Eastern companies in pursuing both LNG equity investments and offtake deals,” said spokeswoman Charlotte Power in an email. The Woodfibre project, which Bedi said is targeting December 2027 for its first export cargo shipment, is one of several LNG facilities under construction on Canada’s west coast. The project’s geographic location offers shorter shipping times to Asian markets than U.S. Gulf Coast LNG exporters, and Asian customers are increasingly interested in Canada as a supplier, Bedi said. The war in Iran and the resulting Strait of Hormuz disruptions have changed the way LNG buyers think about their portfolios, Bedi said. Increasingly, buyers worldwide want geographic diversification that will allow them to procure short-term emergency supply if necessary without relying on the global spot market.

Europe's gas storage falls to lowest August level since 2011 -- Europe's gas storage falls to lowest August level since 2011 Europe's natural gas storage levels have dropped to their lowest level for early August since 2011, raising concerns over supply security and the risk of higher prices ahead of the winter heating season. Gas storage facilities across the European Union were 57% full as of Aug. 5, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe data. The level is significantly below the nearly 70% recorded at the same time last year. Storage injections have progressed more slowly than in previous years after the 2025/26 winter, as tighter global LNG supply and disruptions linked to the Middle East crisis reduced cargo availability for Europe and increased competition from Asian buyers. The slower refill pace has raised doubts over whether the EU will reach its indicative target of filling storage sites to 80% by the beginning of December. Analysts warn that lower inventories could leave the market more vulnerable to price volatility during the winter months, particularly if colder-than-normal weather increases heating demand. Wood Mackenzie said Europe's low storage levels have heightened supply security risks for the 2026/27 winter months, adding that limited growth in global LNG supply and firm demand in Asia are expected to keep gas prices elevated through the season.

Global Natural Gas Prices Extend Slide as Hopes of Hormuz Opening Resurge  -- Global natural gas prices continued falling Tuesday as chatter over a possible deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz again increased. NGI chart tracking European Union natural gas storage through Aug. 2, 2026, showing inventories at 649.1 TWh, or 57.4% full, versus five-year averages and historical levels. At a Glance:
Deal to open Hormuz in works
Iran wants control
TTF, JKM fall

Asian Heat, Typhoon Dolphin Preserve Premium for US LNG - Hot weather across South Korea and Northeast China is helping preserve Asia’s price advantage for flexible US LNG, while a cooler European forecast and approaching Typhoon Dolphin complicate the near-term shipping outlook. Europe and Asia weather data chart showing trailing 365-day mean temperatures versus normal for Northwest Europe, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo as of Aug. 3, 2026.  At a Glance:
Korean heat supports Asia premium
Dolphin threatens East Asian shipping
US heat strengthens power demand

Petrobras halts studies for $1 billion gas pipeline in Brazil amid regulatory uncertainty -- Brazil's Petrobras is reassessing a major natural gas infrastructure investment in Brazil amid regulatory uncertainty surrounding a proposed ​government program that could also impact a project by Norway's Equinor, The proposal led Petrobras to halt studies for a planned $1 billion gas pipeline linked to its deep waters project in Brazil's northeastern Sergipe state, said three sources. Equinor's Raia project in the Campos Basin, expected ​to start operating in 2028, could also be impacted if the program is ​enacted, said an industry source. The government proposal, which Brazil's energy regulator ANP ⁠is expected to discuss on Friday, would require large producers to make part of ​their gas available to third parties via auctions, in an effort to boost competition and ​lower prices. Details of ANP's draft regulation are set to be unveiled on Friday, when the regulatory body opens a period for consultation with stakeholders, after which ANP's board of directors will hold a vote. ​Implementation could happen as soon as next year, after a final version is reached. "Who would ​authorize a $1 billion pipeline investment without assurances that their rights are protected?" said a source, who requested ‌anonymity ⁠because the discussions are sensitive. Petrobras did not reply to a request for comment. Equinor said regulatory predictability and stable rules are essential for investments requiring billions of dollars and development timelines exceeding a decade. The Petrobras pipeline is intended to transport gas from two planned floating production ​units in Sergipe to ​shore. Petrobras expects ⁠the units to process up to 22 million cubic meters of gas and 240,000 barrels of oil per day, with first oil ​expected in 2030. Equinor's Raia project is designed to produce 16 million ​cubic meters of ⁠gas per day, meeting roughly 15% of Brazilian demand, and includes a pipeline to Macae in Rio de Janeiro state.

ConocoPhillips Anticipates Limited Delays for Qatar’s North Field East LNG Project -Here are three things to know about the global LNG market this week BP said this week it would take full ownership of the Calypso natural gas project offshore Trinidad and Tobago with the acquisition of Woodside Energy’s 70% stake for an undisclosed price. BP is Trinidad’s largest domestic natural gas supplier. It also holds a 45% stake in the 15 Mt/y Atlantic LNG export plant.

Oil spill from grounded tanker off Oman expands sharply, satellite images show - ABC News - -- An oil spill caused by leakage from a U.K.-sanctioned tanker grounded for weeks off Oman appears to be expanding dramatically, reaching shorelines and far out to sea, according to experts and satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press. Greenpeace Germany said in a statement Monday that satellite images from a day earlier indicate the oil spill now covers an estimated 150 square kilometers (58 square miles), affecting large stretches of Qibliyah Island off Dhofar, Oman's largest governorate. Compared to satellite images from a week earlier, “it is a drastic increase,” said Nina Noelle of Greenpeace Germany, who noted that clearly a large amount of crude oil is leaking. Last week, the spill's surface area was estimated at 20 square kilometers (8 miles.) It was not clear what has caused the leak to grow. The images from Sunday showed an oil sheen spreading to the northeast from the 274-meter (899-foot) Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi, which is sanctioned by the U.K. for carrying oil that originates from Russia. The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area and host to wildlife including endangered petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organization that focuses on conflict and the environment, said the sheen is a thin layer of oil that often evaporates depending on the type of crude oil and weather conditions. Thick black patches of oil reached the southern and western shores of the island, he added. Zwijnenburg said the oil sheen appears to be roughly 90 kilometers long (56 miles), nearly double its length a week ago. He estimated that the tanker had been carrying over 800,000 barrels of crude oil. The tanker has been grounded since June, according to two shipping and maritime news outlets which reported that the crew reported an explosion on board at the time. The AP was not able to independently confirm the reports. The U.K. government said in its decision to sanction the vessel that it “has been or is likely to be involved in activity whose object or effect is to destabilize Ukraine” or to support the Russian government. The Cameroon-flagged tanker is also sanctioned by the European Union, Canada and Switzerland. SynMax Maritime, a geospatial data tracking company, earlier said on X it obtained images in May showing the tanker at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia before its most recent voyage. “This dramatic expansion (of the oil spill) underscores the serious and continuing environmental threat posed by the stranded tanker — and exemplifies the dangers associated with the practices of Russia’s shadow fleet,” Greenpeace Germany said in its statement. It was not clear where the ship had been going when it grounded off Oman. Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology had ordered the ship's owners to remove it and its cargo by July 23, according to the Omani Muscat Daily. It was not clear Tuesday if the owners have replied.

Grounded tanker triggers major spill off Dhofar - Oil spill from grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi off Oman Muscat – An oil spill caused by leakage from a tanker grounded for weeks off Dhofar appears to be expanding dramatically, reaching shorelines and far out to sea, according to experts and satellite images reviewed by Associated Press. Greenpeace Germany said in a statement on Monday that satellite images from a day earlier indicate the oil spill now covers an estimated 150sq km, affecting large stretches of Qibliyah Island off Dhofar. Compared to satellite images from a week earlier, “it is a drastic increase”, said Nina Noelle of Greenpeace Germany, who noted that clearly a large amount of crude oil is leaking. Last week, the spill’s surface area was estimated at 20sq km. It was not clear what has caused the leak to grow. The images from Sunday showed an oil sheen spreading to the northeast from the 274m Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi, which is sanctioned by the UK for carrying oil that originates from Russia. The affected area is part of a marine protected area and host to wildlife including endangered petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organisation that focuses on conflict and the environment, said the sheen is a thin layer of oil that often evaporates depending on the type of crude oil and weather conditions. Thick black patches of oil reached the southern and western shores of the island, he added. Zwijnenburg said the oil sheen appears to be roughly 90km, nearly double its length a week ago. He estimated that the tanker had been carrying over 800,000 barrels of crude oil. The tanker has been grounded since June, according to two shipping and maritime news outlets which reported that the crew recounted an explosion on board at the time. ‘This dramatic expansion (of the oil spill) underscores the serious and continuing environmental threat posed by the stranded tanker – and exemplifies the dangers associated with the practices of Russia’s shadow fleet,’ Greenpeace Germany said in its statement. It was not clear where the ship had been going when it grounded off Oman. Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology had ordered the ship’s owners to remove it and its cargo by July 23. John Amos, CEO of the environmental nonprofit SkyTruth, agreed that the oil spill appears to be growing more severe. The oil sheen has turned a darker brown in recent days, he said, suggesting the ship is now leaking a thicker oil, possibly from a breached fuel tank. The obscured outline of the ship also indicates the tanker may be sinking deeper into the water, Amos said. The ship is grounded on a rocky coastline and taking the full force of strong winds and waves. Amos hasn’t seen signs of any vessel activity near the tanker that would indicate a response to the spill. “Here we have a potential environmental disaster that nobody seems to care about in the middle of a so-called marine protected area,” Amos said. “Somebody has a financial interest in this. And where are they?”

Leaking tanker off Oman coast is sinking deeper, satellite images show, threatening marine life -- A sanctioned tanker carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil appears to have become submerged deeper in waters off the coast of Oman where it has been grounded for several weeks, satellite images reviewed by the Associated Press show. Crude oil has been leaking and spreading quickly in recent days from the Caroline Bezengi and has reached the shores of Qibliyah Island, off Oman’s southwest coast. Bare Earth Silver Fiber Earthing Sheet Bare Earth Silver Fiber Earthing Sheet BGS · Sponsored call to action icon The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area and host to endangered wildlife, including petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. Greenpeace Germany, which has been monitoring the situation, warned in a statement Wednesday of an “imminent risk of an unprecedented oil disaster from a broken tanker with devastating consequences for the region’s coastlines and marine ecosystems.” It urged all concerned bodies to act immediately to assess options to contain the spill, calling on Oman to request international assistance if needed. As of Friday, a spill of oil sheen covered more than 300 square miles, according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organization that tracks environment in conflicts. Greenpeace Germany said the spill is increasing, indicating deterioration of the vessel’s condition. Nina Noelle, an environmental disaster expert with the group, said satellite imagery indicates that the oil spill covered 17 square miles as of July 26. It increased to 58 square miles by Aug. 2, she said, and, as of Tuesday, it extended across at least 232 square miles. On Saturday, Zwijnenburg said the oil sheen was barely visible in new satellite images and appeared to have been diluted and dispersed by weather conditions. The 899-foot Caroline Bezengi has been grounded off Qibliyah Island after its crew reported an explosion on board June 8, according to media reports. The vessel is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for carrying cargoes of Russian oil. It left Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in May, according to geospatial data tracking company SynMax Maritime. The vessel’s owners are believed to be Shanghai-based, according to Greenpeace and other reports. The latest satellite images, dated Wednesday, appear to show an oil sheen trailing northeast of the tanker, aground off the rocky coastline, and surrounding the island. In the images, the vessel appears to be partly submerged, noticeably more so than on a photo taken July 31. July and August are peak monsoon season in the area. On Thursday, Oman’s government said it was responding to the incident. It was not immediately clear if the authorities have reached the tanker and whether there are efforts to salvage it or stop the leaking crude oil. The statement published by the Oman News Agency said authorities were observing the area through satellite images, field surveys and technical models. It said teams were ready “to implement necessary procedures” to handle potential impacts on marine life and navigation safety in the area.

Russian Oil Production Climbs Above 9 Million Bpd in July - Russia increased oil production in July as stronger exports and recovering refinery runs gave producers somewhere to put more barrels. Crude oil and condensate output rose by roughly 100,000 barrels per day from June to more than 9 million bpd, two industry sources told Reuters on Thursday. Oil and fuel sales remain critical to Russia’s budget, giving Moscow every reason to keep production flowing despite sanctions and repeated attacks on its energy infrastructure. OPEC estimates for Russian production came in at 8.928 million bpd in June, a 61,000 bpd decrease from May, and down from 9.129 million bpd across the full year 2025. Russia stopped publishing official oil production figures years ago, and now it’s just outside estimates and anonymous industry sources taking a stab at Russian output. July’s increase came on the back of increased crude exports and a partial recovery in refinery throughput after damage earlier this year knocked processing capacity offline. Russia’s central bank said refinery attacks and export constraints had already weighed on production, while limited pipeline and port capacity made it difficult to redirect displaced refinery barrels abroad. August could be a different story. Ukrainian drone attacks intensified in late July and early August, forcing several refineries to suspend operations. A fire broke out at a refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl region on Thursday following another drone strike. Russia plans to increase crude exports from its western ports by 4% in August as unplanned refinery outages free up additional barrels. That only works if Moscow can find ships and loading capacity. Available tanker supply in the Black Sea is already tight, and another round of refinery disruptions could overwhelm export routes. The result is an increasingly awkward oil problem for Russia. Damaged refineries can temporarily boost crude exports by freeing barrels that would otherwise be processed at home. Too many outages, however, leave producers with more crude than ports and tankers can handle.

Gulf oil exports steady in July, still 40% below pre-war mark - Gulf countries' crude oil and condensate exports were largely steady in July and remained about 40% below pre-war levels, shipping data showed, with signs of a slowdown emerging in the second half of the month as fighting in the region intensified again. The relatively stable export levels have helped ease concerns about a sharper supply disruption and offset a drawdown in global oil inventories. However, tanker traffic through the key Middle Eastern waterways of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb remained well below levels before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. Crude and condensate exports from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran rose just 2% from June to average 10.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, according to Kpler. Exports reached between 12 million and 13 million bpd in the first half of the month before slowing as fighting resumed between Iran and the United States, Kpler and Vortexa data showed. Iraq doubled exports from June, driving the increase alongside higher flows from Kuwait and Iran, while shipments from Saudi Arabia and the UAE declined. Nine additional very large crude carrier loadings boosted Iraqi exports in July, although flows through Hormuz have slowed as fighting escalates, Vortexa analyst George Morris said. At least 14 vessels reported attacks in the region to the International Maritime Organization in July, up from eight in June. Higher exports have enabled some producers to raise output. Kuwait raised crude production to 1.971 million bpd in July from about 1.65 million in June, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Still, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said on Tuesday the world had lost more than 2.6 billion barrels of oil since the war began and rebuilding inventories would take about 18 months at a rate of 2.1 million bpd, even if Hormuz reopened immediately. Saudi crude exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu slowed last month as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis stepped up attacks near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Yanbu loadings fell to 3 million bpd after July 20 from 3.8 million bpd in April-June, according to Energy Aspects. Many tankers are loading at Yanbu with Automatic Identification Systems transponders switched off, while others are rerouting via the Suez Canal and making greater use of the SUMED pipeline linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb, Energy Aspects co-founder Richard Bronze said.

Saudi Oil Reroutes Hit Capacity and Security Limits - When Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia quickly redirected its oil flows to the Red Sea. Now, that route has become dangerous because of the Houthi blockade, so Saudi is rerouting to Egypt—and two LNG tankers in the Egyptian port of Damietta just got struck by drones. OPEC’s number-one is running out of options to reroute its oil exports.In early March, after Iran effectively paralyzed vessel traffic via the world’s biggest oil chokepoint, every Gulf state that could redirect export flows did so. In the case of Saudi Arabia, it shifted its onshore Arab Light volumes from the Persian Gulf in the east onto the 7 million barrels per day Petroline to the port of Yanbu on its western shores. This quickly pushed Yanbu’s oil exports to about 2.47 million bpd, a massive 330% surge compared with pre-war levels, according to Windward data.By April, Saudi Arabia was shipping over 4 million barrels daily from Yanbu, demonstrating the benefits of alternative routes for oil and oil products. Later, however, Saudi oil flows from the southern Red Sea port declined. By June, Yanbu loadings had fallen to around 2.39 million barrels daily, down by 41% from the March peak and a 66% slump from the total Saudi export level from January of about 7.96 million barrels daily across both Gulf and Red Sea terminals, Wood Mackenzie said earlier this month. The decline, on the one hand, may have been the result of the temporary Hormuz traffic resumption in late June, after Iran and the United States managed to agree a ceasefire deal. But then that deal fell through, missile strikes resumed, and Hormuz shut down again. According to the latest data from Windward, a total of five tankers went into the strait on July 29 and three exited the chokepoint. This is a fraction of pre-war traffic levels.Meanwhile, the maritime intelligence firm also reported crude loadings in progress at Yanbu—in dark mode. There were 12 vessels at the port, including oil tankers and cargo carriers, and there were separately two “active ship-to-ship transfer pairs”. From Yanbu, Saudi vessels now sail north instead of South to avoid the Houthi blockade, which the Yemeni group declared on Saudi vessels last week.This leaves Saudi Arabia with one maritime route out of the Middle East: the Suez Canal and the SUMED pipeline to Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The SUMED pipeline has a capacity of 2.5 million barrels daily, which suggests it would be physically impossible for Saudi Arabia to shift all of its oil flows previously handled by the East-West pipeline and Yanbu to that conduit. Yet it could, reportedly, reroute half of them to SUMED, according to Windward.The firm reported earlier this week that it had tracked at least three Saudi very large crude carriers moving crude oil from Yanbu to the Egyptian port of Ain Sukhna, where it would be fed into SUMED. Windward noted the tankers were sailing in dark mode until they approached Suez. There are also tankers loading Saudi crude from the other end of the SUMED pipeline, the Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir, from where the vessels carry the oil to Asian buyers. Theoretically, Saudi Arabia can keep sending oil north via Suez. Practically, it would be hard for the country to do that at a scale comparable to previous oil export routes, Kpler pointed out in a recent note that looked into the options on the table for Aramco. The analytics firm noted the fact that SUMED only has a capacity of 2.5 million barrels daily and, perhaps more importantly, other countries have reserved some of that capacity earlier. The Suez Canal can also only handle about 1 million barrels daily but not more. All this suggests Saudi oil flows would shrink in the coming weeks unless the Yemeni Houthis lift their blockade, which appears unlikely at this point.With lower Saudi volumes going out, other producers would need to step up—if they can. In a rare bit of positive news from the Middle East, traffic via the Strait of Hormuz appears to be picking up, albeit moderately. ING analysts reported the development, saying that tanker crossings were still “in single digits” but higher than earlier. The report noted U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright as saying that some 13 million barrels daily was coming out of the Persian Gulf. This is 65% of pre-war levels, according to ING.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is reaping the benefits of higher prices. The country’s budget deficit has slimmed down considerably as Brent crude has gained 47% since the start of the year. Oil production is down—by as much as 25% over the second quarter of the year—and that has affected the Saudi economy in terms of growth. Oil revenues, however, were up by 28% from the first quarter of the year. Not all is bleak for Saudi Arabia, then. However, geographical vulnerabilities would be difficult to overcome.

Seven OPEC nations adjust oil production output from September - Seven key OPEC+ alliance producers have agreed to adjust their collective oil output by 188,000 barrels per day from September, moving to support global energy market stability and enforce strict quota compliance following months of heightened geopolitical volatility. The participating nations, namely Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, decided to modify production levels drawn from additional voluntary supply adjustments originally announced in April 2023. Officials noted that the policy recalibration will provide participating countries with an opportunity to accelerate their compensation schedules for overproduced volumes recorded since January 2024. The shift takes place against the backdrop of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which severely disrupted global fuel supply chains earlier this year. Military conflict in the Middle East led to maritime blockades along the critical Persian Gulf waterway, a choke point responsible for carrying roughly 20 per cent of the world’s petroleum and liquefied natural gas exports. The sudden removal of millions of daily barrels from global circulation sent Brent crude soaring past US$120 per barrel, threatening widespread inflationary shocks and prompting emergency strategic reserve releases across major importing nations. While international crude benchmarks have since eased from their seasonal peaks as transit routes partially adapted, energy markets remain delicate, prompting producers to carefully calibrate monthly supply. In their joint statement, the seven OPEC+ countries reiterated their collective determination to achieve full conformity with the Declaration of Cooperation, ensuring all member states strictly align with target baselines. The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) will continue to monitor output levels closely, ensuring that any overproduction accumulated since early 2024 is completely offset by scheduled cuts in coming months. The participating nations confirmed they will maintain their schedule of monthly virtual meetings to assess market conditions and demand forecasts, with the next session set for September 6.

Big Oil Warns Global Fuel Stocks Are Running Dangerously Low - The world is running short on fuels—the warning was first issued by some analysts who were watching the physical market rather than futures charts. Now, Big Oil is joining the chorus of warnings, with Shell, Exxon and Chevron all saying that prices at the pump are set to stay higher, regardless of where crude oil prices go. “The constraint pain point in the energy system is refining," Exxon’s chief financial officer Neil Hansen told Bloomberg in an interview last week. This, according to him, is “something that perhaps the market isn't fully focused on.” Indeed, most oil market observers have focused exclusively on futures prices even when the gap between those and physical oil prices has been quite substantial as a result of the export flow disruption in the Middle East that has now spread from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea as well. Futures prices are currently down from last week’s peak on President Donald Trump’s latest declaration of peace talks—but physical markets are in a very different place, and that is especially true of refined products. Bloomberg reported last week that the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, plus China’s caps on fuel exports—and Russia’s ban on diesel exports—have effectively slashed global refining capacity by as much as 10%. This may not sound like much at first glance, but it is a significant enough number to have some observers worried. Related: Ukraine’s Drone Campaign Drives Russian Oil Refining to 24-Year Low As early as April,Energy Aspects and Rystad Energy warned that global fuel inventories were getting squeezed by the Middle East war since the region, besides being a leading crude oil exporter, is also a major exporter of refined products. Now, more analysts are sounding the alarm as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran enters its sixth month. “We’re in a diesel supply crunch right now because none of the Persian Gulf refineries can get product out,” Rabobank senior energy strategist Joe DeLaura said, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal last week. “Crude oil is just the input, but diesel is the everything the industrial economy runs on,” he also said. “Everything in agriculture, everything in construction, everything in mining. Also everything on the supply and distribution side runs on diesel.” Exxon’s chief executive gave the fuel squeeze story a dramatic twist last month, saying on a call with analysts that “I've never seen the available capacity relative to demand as low as it is today,” and adding, as quoted by Bloomberg, that “It's going to take a while for the industry to climb its way out of that hole.” Shell’s Wael Sawan, meanwhile, told CNBC that “Today, what you're seeing is all the price signals that we are short on diesel and gasoline. Which means we need to be able to now reoptimize at the refining side,” the top executive also said. In further comments on the state of fuel inventories globally, Chevron’s chief financial officer, Eimear Bonner, told Bloomberg that “The geopolitical uncertainty has tightened markets and is reinforcing the importance of reliable supply. The shock absorbers that have mitigated the volatility up until now, those continue to be drawn down.” This is why crack spreads are running at record highs, U.S. refineries are also running at record highs—and this is a problem because maintenance season typically begins in September and lasts through October; and maintenance season means a dial-down in processing rates. In the past, refiners have postponed maintenance season to capture a period of stronger demand, but this time, this may be unwise. According to Bloomberg, Exxon’s refineries along the Gulf Coast have been running at a utilization rate of 95%, and Chevron’s refineries have been running at 97%. Shell’s refineries, meanwhile, have actually topped 100% utilization rates, clocking in at 102% over the second quarter. This utilization rate cannot be maintained over an extended period of time without the risk for adverse consequences rising, which means there will be maintenance—and lower fuel production.

Middle East War Triggers New Global Refining Boom - For the second time this decade, a war has upended global oil markets and sent oil prices and refining margins to multi-year highs, benefiting the world’s biggest oil companies and top refiners.The war in Iran has tightened fuel supply as crude oil has struggled to move through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering reduced refining throughput in Asia and a temporary Chinese ban on exports. The fuel markets tightened even more than the crude market to send refining margins to record highs. And the biggest refiners benefited from the new refining boom, with Big Oil reporting their highest second-quarter earnings since the previous outbreak of a war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The bumper earnings were driven not only by the jump in oil prices between April and June—the contribution of the refining and trading divisions was also fundamental for fueling the high profits.Despite the slump in crude prices and the extreme volatility in the past five months, the refined product market continues to tighten with refining margins at record highs because the supply of petroleum products is much tighter than crude supply. Refining margins held at record highs even as crude oil prices soared to $100 per barrel and above. That’s because global gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel supply is tightening and has been tightening for months amid a combination of factors, most stemming from the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Last month, refining margins for gasoline and diesel jumped to new record highs amid on-and-off escalation in the Middle East, Russia’s ban on diesel exports, and crumbling global fuel inventories.  In a rare statement last month, Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said that “There is no room for complacency on oil security amid the escalation in hostilities and a continued drawdown of available commercial inventories.” While assuring markets that IEA countries still hold more than 1 billion barrels of government-controlled stocks, Birol said that “Refinery activity and product supplies have not picked up as much as crude deliveries, meaning that markets for refined oil products, including diesel and gasoline, are considerably tighter than those for crude.” As a result of the tight fuel markets and soaring refining margins, the world’s biggest international oil companies reported their strongest earnings for the second quarter since at least 2022. They also expect refining to continue providing high earnings in the short term amid distorted fuel markets with restricted supply and refining capacity.

For the Love of Money – The Factors Keeping Refined Product Prices High, Even as Crude Prices Fall - Refined product prices have remained elevated this summer even as crude oil prices have fallen from their 2026 highs set just a few months ago. While several factors are contributing to the differential trends between crude and product prices, the overwhelming reason is that global supply and demand is much tighter in product markets than crude markets. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll discuss the main drivers behind the seeming disconnect between the two.As noted in the introduction, the biggest factor keeping product prices elevated this year has been the emergence of a refined product shortage. The most important drivers have been the disruption of normal vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, damage inflicted on refineries in the Persian Gulf region, and the similar severe degradation of Russian refining operations by accelerated and more effective Ukrainian drone strikes. Contributing to these global product shortages are Chinese policies limiting product exports, a lack of new refining capacity coming online, and the impacts of a number of permanent refinery shutdowns over the past 18 months. Within the U.S. in particular, regulatory policies that have pushed Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices to record levels have added to the high product prices. We’ll look at each of these drivers in turn, beginning with the Strait of Hormuz, and also provide some takes on longer-term refining prospects.  The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has had a major impact on markets by removing significant volumes of exportable barrels from an already tight market. As shown in Figure 1 below, refined product exports from Persian Gulf countries (excluding Iran) collapsed from more than 3.3 MMb/d in 2025 to just over 1 MMb/d by April, a loss of more than 2 MMb/d. The decline is concentrated in clean products such as diesel (green bar segments), jet fuel (red bar segments) and gasoline (blue bar segments), which have tightened global supply and kept margins elevated. If operations remain severely limited, the squeeze will continue to be felt most acutely in these products. The disruption is not solely the result of shipping constraints. Iranian strikes have also inflicted significant damage on several of the region’s largest refineries, limiting their ability to produce exportable fuels even as shipping routes gradually reopen.Several Persian Gulf refineries have taken serious damage from Iranian strikes, with the following facilities especially impacted:

• The recently expanded 405-Mb/d BAPCO refinery in Bahrain suffered the most severe damage and is not expected to be fully repaired until sometime in 2027.
• The 460-Mb/d SATORP refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, also saw extensive damage and is operating at reduced rates. It is not expected to return to full rates until early 2027.
• The 417-Mb/d ADNOC Ruwais West refinery in the UAE and the 346-Mb/d KNPC Mina al Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait also experienced moderate-to-severe damage from Iranian drone attacks.

Russian refinery outages have also become a major driver of higher product prices. Ukraine has sharply increased the volume, range and effectiveness of its drone strikes, causing Russian refining operations to deteriorate rapidly. What began as temporary, isolated outages have turned into widespread, long-lasting disruptions, with nearly every major refinery hit — many of them multiple times. Estimated crude runs fell from about 5 MMb/d in 2025 to roughly 3.4 MMb/d in July, the lowest level in decades and only about half of the installed capacity of 6.7 MMb/d. Damage to critical processing units, including crude distillation units, fluid catalytic crackers, hydrocrackers, reformers, hydrotreaters, storage facilities and export infrastructure, has reduced clean-product output even more than overall refinery throughput.China is still a special case. While it has excess refining capacity and is a net product exporter, these exports are strictly controlled by the government. In March, China slashed export quotas significantly to prioritize domestic supply due to the Middle East war and Hormuz closure. This resulted in exports falling by about 40% year over year through May. While export restrictions were eased beginning in July, volumes remain below capabilities. Longer term, China will continue to prioritize domestic needs and is expected to keep closing smaller independent teapot refineries, with another 300 Mb/d of teapot capacity likely to disappear over the next few years, while some newer, more complex plants come online. Over time, there will also be rationalization at older fuels-focused state-owned refineries (such as the 410-Mb/d Dalian refinery, which was shuttered in 2025), as China tries to keep total capacity capped.In the U.S., the West Coast is shorter on products after Phillips 66 closed its 139-Mb/d Wilmington refinery near Los Angeles in Q4 2025 and Valero shuttered its 150-Mb/d Bay Area refinery in Benicia in Q1 2026 (see I Need More). While this improves the short-term outlook for the refineries that remain, it increases the need for imports, particularly of jet fuel and gasoline. Longer term, more closures still look likely later in the decade and into the 2030s. Our latest edition of Future of Fuels takes a detailed year-by-year analysis of refined product balances in each of the U.S. PADDs and what they will mean for future refinery capacity rationalization.Europe has a variety of issues and is particularly vulnerable to product shocks. After a recent round of shutdowns (three refineries and a total of over 400 Mb/d of refining capacity was permanently closed in 2025), there are no big closures currently planned through 2030 (although Neste has announced that its Porvoo, Finland, complex is phasing out petroleum refining by the mid-2030s) and existing refineries are benefiting from the tight product markets. Some outside buyers are showing interest in facilities that legacy owners want to sell, and several transactions have recently taken place. Longer term, pressure from slowing demand and costly regulations should keep pushing weaker plants out.The rest of the developed world faces a similar path. Countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are likely to see more shutdowns as demand fades and costs stay high, although the weaker plants have already mostly gone. The market is still short of refining capacity in the right places. Net capacity growth over the next five years is only about 2.3 MMb/d, which is a very slow pace by historical standards.  U.S. regulatory costs have also become a bigger part of the picture. When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) increased the minimum mandatory volumes for 2026, it pushed the price of the D4 Renewable Identification Number (RIN) to about 197 c/gal, well above 2025 levels. (The Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, requires certain minimum volumes of biofuels to be blended into fuel sold in the U.S. The required minimum, known as the Renewable Volume Obligation, or RVO, is determined each year by the EPA. A RIN is the regulatory mechanism for tracking the production and blending of renewable fuels and also allows refiners and importers to prove they’ve met their RVO mandates.) As we noted in Runaway, D4 RIN prices have more than doubled so far in 2026. D4 RINs ranged from roughly 77 c/gal in Q1 2025 to a high of about 116 c/gal in August 2025, highlighting how much tighter the market has become this year. As a result of the tight market, the crack spread has risen significantly. A crack spread is the refiner’s margin, essentially the difference between what it pays for crude oil and what the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel produced from that crude sells for. Higher crack spreads do not directly set retail prices, but they indicate that refiners can recover crude costs and preserve margins, which is consistent with firmer product prices. The 3-2-1 crack spread has spiked this year, rising from a weekly average around $20-$30/bbl in January and February to nearly $67/bbl in late July, its high point for the year (see Figure 2 below). (The 3-2-1 crack spread approximates a theoretical refinery crude yield that produces two barrels of gasoline and one barrel of diesel for every three barrels of crude input.)The product prices won’t change overnight. But once flows through the Strait of Hormuz normalize, the crude market should return to surplus. Refined products are likely to remain much tighter because refinery capacity takes longer to recover than crude production or shipping. Our forecast assumes Middle East refined product exports return to normal by the end of 2027, while Russian refinery operations will remain extremely challenged until hostilities cease. That should keep refining margins supported through most of 2027, although below today's exceptionally high levels. Even then, the product market will not immediately return to normal. Sanctions, infrastructure damage and logistical constraints have likely permanently reduced the flow of Russian clean products into global markets. At the same time, China cannot be expected to come to the rescue as it will continue to prioritize domestic supply, removing another important source of export barrels. That is why we expect refined products to remain tighter than crude well into 2027.

Aramco Sees Long Road Ahead to Restore Energy Supply Chains After Iran War - Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said this week the second quarter was one of “the most challenging ever” in the history of the company amid a conflict in the Middle East that shows no signs of stopping soon. EIA map highlights Arabian Peninsula energy chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, SUMED pipeline and East-West crude oil pipeline. At a Glance:
Conflict cut 11 million b/d of crude supply
Could take 18 months to restore oil flows
Natural gas strategy remains unchanged

Why the Iran war hasn’t caused the biggest energy crisis in history like we were told — yet - When the Strait of Hormuz first closed at the start of the 2026 Iran war, the world braced for the “largest energy crisis in history.” Before the conflict began, almost 20 percent of the world’s traded oil passed through the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran’s blockade of the strait effectively erased 15 million barrels per day from circulation overnight. Many experts and commentators predicted that the supply gap would have catastrophic consequences. Australia expected fuel rationing, the European airline industry warned of mass flight cancellations, and Goldman Sachs predicted widespread oil shortages. The International Monetary Fund warned of a potential global recession, and some traders worried that oil prices could hit $200 a barrel.But a little over four months into the war, little of that has come to pass.True, oil prices have gone up around the world, and there have been critical shortages of products such as cooking oil in some places, but rationing and recession have largely not arrived. Instead, a series of emergency measures have helped avoid the predicted crises: Oil exporters including the United States stepped in to fill the gap, either by drawing down strategic petroleum reserves or increasing production. Countries that were most reliant on fossil fuel imports from the Middle East took emergency conservation measures to reduce their demand. In the months since Hormuz cut off access to Iran’s main oil supply, the world has scraped every corner to find substitute barrels of crude oil. Many countries had stockpiles of oil saved up for an emergency, and in March, the International Energy Agency coordinated a historic release of oil from those reserves. That put on the market more than 400 million barrels, enough to fill about 20 days’ worth of the supply from Hormuz. In addition, oil producers around the world ramped up production to take advantage of elevated prices. The United States, Venezuela, and Norway all pumped out more crude in the first half of the year than they had in previous months, with those additional barrels going to countries that had previously relied on shipments from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. South Korea, for instance, doubled its oil imports from the United States between February and April of this year. Iraq and Saudi also routed more than 6 million barrels of oil per day through land pipelines that were operating below capacity, skirting the strait altogether.China, the world’s largest oil importer, also helped stabilize the world market. It stopped buying oil for its own strategic reserve after the war began, and it also stopped purchasing crude for its own domestic refineries, shutting them down for months. To generate electricity, it pivoted to coal and solar. These measures together freed up another 5 million barrels per day for the world market.Even as the world scrambled to replace Middle East oil, the Asian countries that rely on it moved aggressively to slash their usage. Many nations idled their factories and industrial facilities that use petroleum-based liquids, which shaved off a few million more barrels a day. Some increased imports of electric vehicles or accelerated plans to adopt solar and wind technology to reduce their dependence on foreign oil and gas. But the vast majority of imported oil is used for transportation and power generation, so in order to weather the crisis, countries also needed to change consumer behavior. More than 100 countries enacted some form of conservation measure, ranging from limits on elevator usage to outright restrictions on when people could drive. The Philippines, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all moved to a four-day work week, and Myanmar restricted gas vehicles to driving every other day based on the number of one’s license plate. Bangladesh limited air conditioning temperatures to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and closed public university buildings. This helped reduce demand on a power grid that runs on imported oil and liquefied natural gas, much of which also comes through Hormuz. Some wealthier countries in Europe got even more ambitious: The Netherlands, for instance, allowed citizens to trade in gas cars for electric ones, and Sweden halved the cost of public transportation fares.These conservation measures likely prevented an out-of-control price spiral, giving importers time to procure more oil from other nations. They also likely saved Asian countries from needing to impose extended periods of rationing the way the United States had to do during the oil crisis of the 1970s, the largest previous disruption to the world’s oil supply.“There have been multiple measures taken by governments both on the supply and demand side, but mainly on the demand side for large oil importers,” said Kevin Morrison, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis who focuses on oil and gas in Australia. “This is a trend that is likely to continue as the uncertainty around future oil supplies remains uncertain.”Even though the most dire early predictions haven’t borne out, the closure has not been easy. In the early days of the crisis, before countries procured substitute fuel, price spikes and supply disruptions in Asia altered millions of lives. Taxi drivers in Myanmar lost their livelihoods and funeral homes shut cremation services for lack of fuel. A lack of fertilizer during key rice planting times in Asia will likely hamper harvests later this year, contributing to higher food prices. Aside from crude oil, the war has caused shortages of other goods like helium and sulfur, shipments of which also pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This has contributed to broader inflation for everything from nickel to semiconductors. The market shifts of the last few months have had consequences even in places like the United States that could afford a consistent supply of oil. Refiners around the world have produced more jet fuel to keep airlines supplied, but that means they have also produced less gasoline for cars. As the U.S. heads into the peak summer driving season, its gasoline inventories are as low as they have been in a decade. Supplies could drop even lower this fall as companies perform delayed maintenance on their hard-working refineries, said Bob McNally, the founder of the analysis group Rapidan Energy Group, who also advised the administration of President George W. Bush on oil policy.It may soon get a lot worse. Even though global oil prices have fallen from their peak, there’s still a fundamental mismatch between oil demand and oil supply. As a result, experts say the world could still experience severe economic disruption later this year if the strait remains closed. Some vessel traffic resumed through the Strait of Hormuz last month following a tentative agreement between the United States and Iran, but the ceasefire has collapsed and Iran now says the strait is closed again.“The market decided at the end of Round 1 to price for perfection” in an Iran deal, McNally said. “Instead, we’re getting Round 2. We played some tricks and some cards, but all these things … are either wearing off or already known.  Those “tricks” have run their course. Most countries’ emergency stockpiles are close to depleted, and the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve has fallen so low that its structural integrity is starting to strain. At the same time, China has ended what McNally called its “crash diet” and has started to buy oil for its refineries again.This leaves the world without the buffer that it had during the first round of the crisis.“Hormuz 1.0 was about supply and inventory,” said McNally. “In Hormuz 2.0, prices will have to do more of the work. And they have to go really high, because the problem is demand is inelastic — you’ve got to eat.”

Iran says Hormuz talks are only with Oman, not US - Iran is negotiating only with Oman over future arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz and has held no talks with the United States, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team told Iran’s Fars News Agency. The source said Tehran had maintained from the beginning that the southern route created following the "US betrayal of Article Five" was unsafe and illegal.According to the source, attempts by the United States and some of its allies to make the southern route permanent have faced firm opposition from Iran.  Tehran says US pressure failed to change Hormuz position. The source told Fars that US military attacks and threats have failed to alter Iran’s position regarding the Strait of Hormuz arrangements.The source added that if the United States and some of its partners had not obstructed Iran-Oman negotiations, the talks would have reached an outcome in a short period of time. Iran has previously said that discussions with Oman focus on establishing a safe framework for maritime traffic through the strategic waterway. Fars reported that US officials sent contradictory signals in recent days, directly or through regional partners, causing disruption to the negotiation process.The agency cited concerns that obstruction by the United States or certain regional parties could prolong the talks or prevent them from reaching an agreement.The Strait of Hormuz remains a key maritime route for global energy shipments, and any changes to its management could have significant implications for international trade and shipping.Iran and Oman are close to reaching an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, provided that US and other foreign interference in the region ceases, according to an informed source cited by Iran's Press TV.The source said on Tuesday that the ongoing discussions are strictly bilateral between Iran and Oman, stressing that the United States is not involved in the negotiations.The remarks come after a senior Iranian source told Reuters earlier that Tehran and Muscat are discussing a plan to reopen the strategic waterway while giving Iran oversight of shipping entering the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian political and security source told Al Mayadeen that Iran is not holding any negotiations with the United States. The source accused US President Donald Trump of habitually lying and of blaming others rather than taking responsibility for undermining the prior understanding.According to the source, Iran's actual negotiations are with Oman, its "permanent neighbor", given that the Strait of Hormuz lies entirely within the two countries' territorial waters. "The United States has always been a disruptive and destabilizing force," the source said, "and cannot present itself as the region's savior."On the strait's status, the source said whether it stays open or closed "depends on the broader situation in the region," but stressed it will not reopen "as long as US aggression, the blockade, and other provocative measures against Iran continue." The US military presence itself, the source added, is the core problem, since no country in the region wants war. "Everyone in the region understands that Netanyahu and Trump's recklessness has imposed an enormous and wide-ranging cost on them," the source concluded.

Iran says negotiations with Oman over Strait of Hormuz in final stages | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera - Iran’s foreign minister says negotiations with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are entering their “final stages”, as Tehran insists the vital waterway will never return to its pre-war status. In a post on Telegram on Sunday, Abbas Araghchi said that in a report he presented to the cabinet, he described the negotiations between Tehran and Muscat as “on the way to being finalised”. Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said that Tehran and Muscat were close to reaching a deal on a new maritime route through Hormuz, separate from existing corridors. “We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides – neither the northern route nor the southern route – but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” Baghaei said in an interview with state television. Muscat did not immediately comment on the matter. Both Iran’s and Oman’s territorial waters border the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway through which about 20 percent of global oil consumption is normally shipped. Details of the new route were not immediately clear, but Iran has effectively maintained control over the strait since the outbreak of war. On February 28 , the US and Israel launched strikes aimed at destroying Iran’s missile programme, preventing a nuclear weapon and cutting off support for allied armed groups. A June ceasefire collapsed within weeks in a dispute over shipping routes through Hormuz and fighting reignited in July. Baghaei earlier said, “an understanding between Iran and Oman on a new route has nothing to do with whether the Strait of Hormuz is reopened or remains closed”. He blamed the US for the closure and accused Washington of breaching its commitments, according to Iran’s Fars news outlet. “The strait was closed because of the United States’ breach of its commitments, its naval blockade of Iran and all the hostile measures that the United States has taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran during this period,” he said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US would become the “cornerstone” of Tehran’s future foreign relations. “We must strive to make the enemy abide by what it signed. The security of our country, the region and our allies will be enhanced by this memorandum,” Pezeshkian said on X. Hassam Ghashghavi, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said that mediators were trying to revive the June MoU, and were aware that Hormuz remained the central issue, Iranian news outlet SNN reported. Ghashghavi said it was possible that an Iranian delegation would travel to Muscat again as part of ongoing diplomacy. “This is the nature of diplomacy and this exchange of views continues regularly,” he said. The comments come after US President Donald Trump said early on Sunday that the US and Israel had agreed to halt new attacks on Iran, provided a deal to end the months-long conflict is reached “rapidly”. Trump posted on Truth Social that the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, but Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries asked him to hold off on new attacks. “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” Trump said the deal “would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat”. “The Country of Israel joins me in this commitment. Get to work, everybody, and get it DONE,” he wrote. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, (MBS) spoke to Trump by phone on Saturday, urging him to “prioritise dialogue” and “reduce escalation”, the Saudi Press Agency reported. US news website Axios reported that MBS expressed concern over Trump’s plans for large, new attacks against Iran and reportedly urged him to refrain. “We know that, in a larger context, Iran is habituated to dancing to the same old tune, as it is receiving this oscillating rhetoric from the US president about the possibility of another round of confrontation on the one hand, [while also hearing] statements about these talks going well and that a potential deal is within reach,” said Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran. “In that regard, we know that the Iranian side, at the same time, is responding with the same two-sided message, saying that the road for diplomacy is open on the one hand, [while also maintaining] full preparation for another round,” he added.

Oil prices tumble as Trump announces talks with Iran – Global crude oil prices declined sharply on Monday after US President Donald Trump announced plans to pursue talks with Iran, prompting expectations that tensions in the Middle East could ease. The decline came after Trump announced that plans for further military action against Iran had been called off and that diplomatic efforts would resume. International oil markets responded positively to the prospect of reduced tensions, with traders betting that a diplomatic breakthrough could lower the risk of prolonged disruption to crude supplies from the region. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell by around 4.2 per cent to approximately $84 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined about 5pc to around $80 per barrel. Market analysts said investors were selling oil contracts amid expectations that improved relations between Washington and Tehran could reduce the possibility of further disruption to energy supplies. Despite the decline in prices, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has not yet returned to normal. Iran has not announced a full reopening of the strategic waterway to international shipping. According to the information provided by Iranian authorities, discussions with Oman are continuing over the establishment of a temporary and secure maritime corridor. If an agreement is reached, ships could potentially resume limited passage through the route. Such a development could further ease concerns over global oil and gas supplies and put additional downward pressure on prices. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy corridors, making any disruption there particularly sensitive for international markets. Current oil flows through the route remain significantly below levels recorded before the conflict. Around 5 million barrels of crude per day are reportedly moving through a southern route near Oman's coast, compared with roughly 20 million barrels per day before the conflict. Saudi Arabia has also redirected part of its oil exports towards western markets through the Red Sea, using the Bab el-Mandeb route. However, security concerns remain around the waterway because Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have previously targeted shipping in the area. As a result, energy traders remain cautious despite the decline in crude prices. A successful US-Iran diplomatic process, combined with the full restoration of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, could significantly reduce the geopolitical risk premium currently reflected in oil prices. Analysts say crude prices could move closer to pre-conflict levels if supplies return to normal and fears of further military escalation subside. However, uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the broader security situation in the Middle East means the global energy market remains vulnerable to sudden price movements.

Oil Dips on Middle East Breakthrough Hopes Despite Iran Stance (DTN) -- Crude and product futures began August trading on a weaker note on Monday as a lull in Middle East fighting eased tensions across the region, although there was no evident pickup of cargo on key Middle East waters for energy shipments. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that bilateral talks were set to resume, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei pushed back Monday, saying Tehran has no plans for direct negotiations with Washington. Media reports suggest U.S. officials had also downplayed expectations, with no new diplomatic efforts noted beyond existing mediated channels. Tehran has stuck to its position that any vessel crossing the Strait of Hormuz will have to use the Iran-drawn corridor on the waterway as part of its longer-term plan to collect a toll from passing ships. The U.S., meanwhile, is trying to promote an alternative route via Oman waters. "We are not negotiating with the United States at this time," Baghaei Hamaneh, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. "Our negotiations are with Oman and are focused on reaching an understanding on a route that will ensure the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz." Maritime services report that daily transit on the Hormuz remains at roughly 10 to 11 ships per 24-hour period, representing about 11% to 15% of pre-crisis levels. Approximately 180 to 350 vessels are anchored in regional holding zones awaiting clearance, naval escort or insurance coverage. Away from the Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden is seeing roughly 4 million bpd of Saudi crude diverted through its waters. But heightened Houthi threat warnings and near-miss drone strikes have throttled daily transits to a trickle here too, forcing over 80% of transiting tankers to operate with transponders off or broadcast armed security details to keep Asian-bound volumes moving. Despite this, energy futures began August trading on a weaker note, on apparent hopes for a breakthrough in shipping conditions. NYMEX WTI for September delivery settled lower by $4.33, or 5%, at $80.34 bbl. The U.S. crude benchmark rose 22% last month. ICE Brent for October delivery finished down $4.16, or 4.7%, at $83.77 bbl. The global crude benchmark gained 21% last month. Refined products followed crude futures lower. In diesel, NYMEX ULSD futures for September delivery settled down $0.2443, or 6%, at $3.8772 gallon. On the gasoline front, NYMEX September RBOB softened by $0.2549, or 8%, to close at $2.9667 a gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index strengthened by 0.051 points to 99.840 against a basket of currencies.

Oil prices drop 7% to three-week low after Trump cancels attack on Iran (Reuters) - Oil prices fell about 7% to a three-week low on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump held off on a fresh attack on Iran in the hope of sealing a quick deal that could boost oil supplies from the Gulf. Front-month Brent ‌futures fell $6.35, or 7.0%, to settle at $83.77 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $4.33, or 5.1%, to settle at $80.34. That was the lowest close ‌for Brent since July 13, due in part to the start of the less expensive October futures as the front-month after the more expensive September contract expired on Friday. Brent prices for October were down ​4.7% from where the October contract closed on Friday. Iran said on Monday there were no talks under way with the United States and no plans for any meetings, contradicting Trump who had cited talks he said would take place that afternoon as justification for calling off attacks. Over the weekend, Trump repeated a pattern that has emerged throughout the past five months: announcing plans for "massive attacks" on Iran, only to cancel them at the last minute. Trump on Monday said talks with Iran "are going on right now", adding that Iran faced "decapitation" if Tehran ‌did not agree to a pact to end the conflict. Iran's ⁠Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected the claim, saying no negotiations with the United States were taking place and no meetings were scheduled. Iran had no plans to host foreign delegations or send negotiators abroad in the coming days, he said. "Today's sharp selloff ... in crude ⁠futures looks like another overreaction to Trump's comments that a deal with Iran is imminent following his weekend threats of massive attacks that were also suggested as imminent," "Trump is continuing a pattern of occasionally talking the oil market lower in precluding a sustained advance in gasoline prices," the Ritterbusch analysts said. On ​Monday, ​Trump again called on oil companies to lower gasoline prices for U.S. consumers, chiding Chevron and ​Exxon Mobil for making too much money. In addition to the drop ‌in crude futures, prices for both U.S. gasoline and diesel fell by around 5% during Monday's session. Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden in recent days and are heading to southern Africa following threats by the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen to target Saudi shipping, tracking data showed on Monday. Over the weekend, however, two tankers laden with Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while traffic in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman slowed following reports of vessel attacks, shipping data showed on Monday. About a fifth of the world's oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. ‌and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28. A Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian ​naphtha attempted to pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb in the last week of July before changing course to ​sail around Africa instead, trade sources said and shipping data from LSEG showed. Russia ​said on Monday it was stepping up protection of ships in the Azov-Black Sea basin while also developing alternative cargo routes, in ‌a move that follows a sharp escalation of attacks at sea by ​both sides in the war in Ukraine. Russia ​was the world's third-biggest crude oil producer behind the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in 2025, according to U.S. energy data, and is a member of the OPEC+ group of countries, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies. Export disruptions from the Gulf, Russia and Kazakhstan, caused by the Iran ​and Ukraine wars, have meant successive monthly OPEC+ hikes over ‌most of this year have not translated into extra oil on the market. On Sunday, OPEC+ approved an oil production quota increase of around 188,000 barrels ​per day from September.

Oil prices rise on US-Iran peace talks uncertainty - The global crude oil prices rose Tuesday despite ongoing peace talks to end the conflict in the Middle East International benchmark Brent crude futures for October traded at $84.64 per barrel, up one per cent from the previous close of $83.77. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures traded at $80.63 per barrel, up 0.5 per cent from $80.25 in the previous session. Persistent security risks facing commercial shipping in recent days and concerns that renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran could disrupt crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz continued to support prices. There are palpable fears that the conflict could escalate again in the Middle East despite ongoing peace talks, keeping the risk of supply disruptions in focus. Negotiations between the US and Iran, supported by Gulf countries and aimed at reaching a lasting agreement, have yet to produce a concrete outcome, lending further support to crude prices. Although geopolitical tensions in the region eased somewhat over the past week, the lack of tangible progress toward a lasting peace and the absence of clear signals from Tehran have reinforced investor concerns that hostilities could resume. Speaking to reporters after signing executive orders at the White House, US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran had resumed on Tuesday and were currently underway. He also accused Tehran of making contradictory statements about the talks. He added that negotiations were being held at Iran’s request with the support of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf countries, describing them as Tehran’s last chance to reach an agreement. Trump also said he had been prepared to launch one of the largest military operations since World War II, but decided against it after Gulf countries urged him to halt the planned strikes. Meanwhile, expectations of additional supply from OPEC+ continued to limit further gains. According to a statement from OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman agreed during an online meeting to increase collective production by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) from September. The decision was in line with their commitment to support oil market stability and as part of the gradual unwinding of the 1.65 million bpd voluntary production cuts announced in April 2023.

Oil prices drop after Qatar, Bessent raise hopes of a US-Iran deal - Oil prices fell ​as low as 5% on Tuesday to a three-week low after comments by Qatar and US Treasury Secretary ‌Scott Bessent raised hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict, which would improve oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Front-month Brent futures fell $3.95, or 4.72%, to $79.82 a barrel by 1340 GMT after hitting a session high of $86.33. Prices fell to as low as $79.73 a barrel at one point, or ​down around 5%. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down $4.32, or 5.38%, at $76.02 a barrel after touching a session high of $82.33. Both ​contracts fell to their lowest levels since July 13. Earlier on Tuesday, both benchmarks had risen more than 2% ⁠on uncertainty over prospects for a US -Iran agreement. "Oil prices are pairing earlier gains on comments from Qatari officials saying a potential US-Iran ​resolution has been drafted," said Giovanni Staunovo, a UBS analyst. Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution ​to the conflict were continuing, with mediators, including Qatar, Pakistan and Oman, coordinating closely to facilitate negotiations and exchange draft proposals between the two sides. US Treasury Secretary Bessent said on Tuesday a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. Bessent told CNBC he had ​seen "quite a few" ships exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil Market Plunges as Hopes for U.S.-Iran Deal Intensify -  The oil market posted an outside trading day as the market weighed contradictory statements in regards to talks between the U.S. and Iran against comments by Qatar and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that raised hopes for a diplomatic resolution. The crude market retraced Monday’s losses in overnight trading and rallied to a high of $82.33 as Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim, saying no negotiations with the U.S. were taking place or scheduled. However, the market erased its gains and sold off sharply after Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said efforts to secure a diplomatic resolution were continuing, with mediators including Qatar, Pakistan and Oman coordinating to facilitate negotiations. Qatari officials said a potential U.S.-Iran resolution has been drafted. Also, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. The market sold off to a low of $75.16 by mid-day. It later settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The September WTI contract settled down $4.57 at $75.77 and the October Brent contract settled down $4.41 at $79.36. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 10.67 cents at $3.7705 and the RB market settling down 11.45 cents at $2.8522. According to the UKMTO maritime security agency, a cargo vessel reported being struck by an unidentified projectile near the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s coast. Maritime sources said that the vessel struck near Hormuz was a dry bulk ship. Its crew had to abandon the vessel and one seafarer was missing. Kpler data showed that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained slow, with three tankers and three bulk carriers among the six vessels transiting the strait on Monday, down from seven the previous day. Goldman Sachs said it expects Brent crude to remain in an $80 to $90/barrel range until there is either confirmation of a new U.S.-Iran nuclear deal or a significant escalation in attacks. The bank also assumes a fair value of Brent spot prices at around $80/barrel, suggesting the market prices only a moderate risk premium. The White House is expected to extend a waiver of the Jones Act in the coming days, reaching for one of the few tools it has to try and hold down gasoline prices as President Donald Trump escalates his attacks on Exxon Mobil and Chevron for making “too much money.” The Jones Act requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to be carried on ships built in the U.S., owned by U.S. companies and crewed by American workers, and the waiver aims to lower gas prices by increasing shipping flexibility and reducing transport bottlenecks. The current waiver is set to expire on August 16th and has already become the longest suspension of the Jones Act rules in the program’s history. The exemption has been used nearly 200 times over four and a half months through the end of July.

Iran Says Deal With Oman Close, But It Doesn't Mean the Strait of Hormuz Will Open To All Traffic - - The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Iran and Oman were close to reaching an agreement on a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, but that it wouldn’t guarantee that the waterway would be opened to all traffic.“If certain third parties do not obstruct the process, the two countries are also in the final stage of reviewing and drafting a joint statement covering the main points of agreement,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, according to Iran’s PressTV. Baghaei added that the agreement “cannot in itself be interpreted as meaning the Strait has become safe for passing vessels” since the restrictions on the waterway have been imposed due to US military aggression, and the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. According to media reports, the potential agreement would involve inbound ships traveling through the Strait on the Iranian side while outbound ships leaving the Persian Gulf would stay close to Oman.Unnamed Iranian officials told The New York Times that the agreement would involve “service fees” for the environmental impact of shipping, cargo-ship and tanker security, and staffing, and that the revenue would be divided between Iran and Oman. A US official speaking to the outlet denied that there would be any kind of toll.In recent days, Trump administration officials have spoken positively about the prospect of a deal over the Strait of Hormuz, though President Trump has continued to threaten Iran with destruction if an agreement isn’t reached soon.

Yemen’s Houthis Say They’ll Target Tankers in Northern Red Sea - Yemen’s Houthi militant group said it would attack Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea, a potential fresh escalation in its attacks on shipping. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the move was a result of the kingdom diverting ships away from the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint to the south of the waterway.

Yemen’s Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Saudi oil tanker in Red Sea -  Yemen’s Houthi group claimed Wednesday that it struck the Saudi oil tanker Wafaa with several ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea off the coast of Yanbu. The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement on X that the missiles hit the tanker “accurately.” Saree said the attack was part of what the group calls its maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and its “blockade for blockade” strategy. The attack brought to eight the number of Saudi oil tankers targeted by the group since the blockade began July 22, he said. Saree also claimed that 29 Saudi oil tankers had either been prevented from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea or forced to turn back. He said Saudi Arabia had redirected its oil tankers to the northern Red Sea after the group succeeded in imposing what it described as a blockade from the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Saree vowed that the group would continue and intensify attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea to block maritime access routes and prevent their passage, “regardless of the consequences.” There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the claims.

Brent oil back above $80 after Houthi attack on Saudi tanker  - Oil prices rebounded on Wednesday, with Brent climbing back above $80 a barrel after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, reigniting concerns over Middle East supply risks despite renewed talk of US-Iran negotiations. The benchmark for two-thirds of the world's oil was up 1.49 per cent at $80.54 a barrel at 5.12pm UAE time. West Texas Intermediate, the gauge that tracks US crude, added nearly 1 per cent to $76.46 per barrel. On Tuesday, amid conflicting claims on peace talks between Washington and Tehran, Brent and WTI sank by more than 5 per cent. Brent went below $80 for the first time since the second week of July, even flirting with $77, before a late surge saw it settle at $80.10. Brent was in and out of the $79 range on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump on Monday said Washington was restarting talks with Tehran, claiming the latter was keen to forge a deal. But Iran quickly denied that, saying its only active discussions were with Oman on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. That was the third such “imminent deal” announcement from the US leader in recent days, “following a pattern of strikes continuing despite pauses being declared”, analysts at Dubai-based investment services firm Asas Capital said. On Wednesday, Houthi rebels struck the Saudi oil tanker Wafa in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of Yanbu, with several ballistic missiles. The group's spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed the strike on the tanker was “precise” but provided no details of damage or casualties. Saudi authorities have yet to release a statement. Also continuing to be a sticking point is the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions remain high in the key chokepoint for energy exports from the Middle East. Two Pakistan-flagged crude tankers safely transited the Bab Al Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, after loading at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port, according to data from the maritime intelligence firm Windward, despite the Houthi threats to Saudi-linked ships. “For a region that ships roughly a fifth of global oil supply through [the Strait of Hormuz], this is the number to watch: further escalation risks a genuine supply shock; a ceasefire or diplomatic off-ramp could unwind much of this move quickly,” Asas analysts added. The ripple effects of the war on global oil prices have made it difficult for governments, energy companies and analysts to project where the market is heading. On Sunday, Opec+ agreed to increase crude oil output for a sixth consecutive month in September, pledging that the group would continue to monitor developments and act accordingly.’

Yemen's Ansar Allah Announces Attacks on Two Saudi Tankers as It Continues Enforcing Blockade - - Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, announced Wednesday that its forces struck two more Saudi tankers as its forces continue enforcing a blockade on Saudi Arabia, which was recently imposed following Saudi strikes on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport.Ansar Allah military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree first announced a missile strike on a tanker, the Wafa, in the Red Sea near the Saudi port of Yanbu. Later in the day, he claimed another missile attack on a second tanker, the Daisy, which he said was hit while transiting the Gulf of Aden. So far, there’s been no confirmation of the strikes from Saudi Arabia. According to Yemen’s SABA news agency, Saree said that “the targeting comes within the framework of enforcing the maritime blockade against the Saudi enemy, according to the principle of ‘blockade for blockade.'”A day earlier, Ansar Allah targeted the Najran Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, which reportedly destroyed a radar. According to Saree, Yemeni forces have targeted at least eight tankers since the blockade began, and that 29 have been prevented from reaching Saudi Arabia, as the threat of. being attacked has made ships reverse course.While the Saudis have launched some strikes against Yemen since the blockade began, they have refrained from a major military retaliation, and Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Riyadh was seeking to contain the conflict via Omani-mediated talks. The report said that the US had been warning against an escalation that could lead to the complete closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.But at the same time, the US supported the strikes on the Sanaa airport, and The Guardian reported that Riyadh was preparing for a major escalation in Yemen, which could include a ground offensive. President Trump has also threatened to restart his bombing campaign against the Houthis, which failed to stop attacks on Israeli shipping last year, but did kill a large number of civilians.

Second Foreign Vessel Attacked Off Yemen Within Hours, Amid Houthi 'Siege For Siege' Blockade - The Houthis have quickly made good on their earlier threat, with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre having reported the following fresh attack off Yemen:

• UKMTO has received a time-late report of an incident 9NM southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen.
• The CSO of the vessel has reported that the vessel was attacked by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel which caused a fire onboard. The crew have been rescued by local authorities and are safe and well.
• The vessel has been reported as sunk.
• Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities are investigating.

The stricken vessel's crew has reportedly been rescued, after the fire on board and subsequent sinking. Oil prices remain elevated also as over in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranians insist that the Omani deal to reopen the strait has "nothing to do with the United States." Update(1235ET): The Houthis have apparently attacked two vessels off Yemen's coast within a mere few hours on Tuesday, as clearly the assault on international shipping by the Iran-aligned group has grown.The below alert from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre is the second one today. Just hours before, an initial vessel had been reported sunk, the crew rescued... and now this:  The incident took place 95 nautical miles (176km) south-east of Aden, Yemen, according to UKMTO, adding that all the vessel’s crew are “accounted for and safe”.  And just the day prior: "The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday condemned the attack on the India-flagged commercial vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, which sank in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen on August 4, 2026."This comes as the Saudis are desperately trying to put together a 'coalition of the willing' to defend against such attacks. While the Houthis have not declared Bab al-Mandab Strait closed to 'all' shipping, they have declared a 'siege for siege' blockade against Saudi shipping.

Oil Steadies After 2-Day Plunge; US Inventory Data Looms  -- Crude and refined product futures steadied Wednesday morning, rebounding from a two-day slide that erased more than 10% across energy markets, as new security threats offset diplomatic efforts for the Middle East. By 8 a.m. EDT, NYMEX WTI for September delivery was up $0.31, or 0.4%, to $76.08 bbl. ICE Brent for October delivery advanced $0.79, or 1.0%, to $80.15 bbl. Among refined products, NYMEX ULSD for September delivery gained $0.0167, or 0.4%, to $3.7872 gallon. September RBOB edged up $0.0043, or 0.2%, to $2.8565 gallon. Wednesday's early bounce came as security risks re-emerged across Red Sea shipping routes. Houthi militants in Yemen claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu, a major Red Sea crude export terminal for Saudi Arabia. The strike, along with reports of a separate commercial vessel coming under fire near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Aug 4., served as a stark reminder of ongoing physical hazards despite diplomatic headlines. The attacks undermined enthusiasm around reports that the U.S., Iran and Oman were finalizing an interim framework to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Qatari mediators confirmed that a draft proposal aimed at short-term de-escalation had been circulated among negotiating teams following discussions between Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. U.S. President Donald Trump repeated both his optimism that the vital waterway would reopen "very soon," and caution that Tehran would face severe military retaliation if it abandoned negotiations. Iran has been indifferent to Trump's threats while being focused on getting Persian Gulf states to agree to a path on the Strait it controls -- a maneuver Washington believes is aimed at collecting a toll from users of the waterway. On the inventory front, the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due to release crude, gasoline and distillates stockpile data for the week ended July 31 at 10:30 a.m. EDT. The American Petroleum Institute, in its own assessment for the week, reported Tuesday that domestic crude inventories rose by 2.69 million bbl, versus consensus estimates for a draw of 2.0 million bbl.

WTI Maintains Losses After Another SPR Drain, Distillate Stocks At 30-Year Seasonal Lows - Oil prices have roller-coastered overnight - higher on new Houthie attacks in the Red Sea and now lower on reports that a draft deal approval in imminent. Up... A Houthi military spokesperson said the group would escalate attacks on Saudi vessels in the northern Red Sea — the latest workaround for the kingdom’s exports to avoid the perilous Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen’s coast to the south. Exports from the Red Sea have become a vital lifeline for Saudi Arabia since the Iran war choked off shipping from the Persian Gulf. Down... Axios reported the US, Iran and Oman were nearing an interim, 60-day accord to reopen the waterway, with Washington aiming for an announcement later Wednesday. The proposal would involve no tolls or fees, with inbound vessels using a northern lane, and outbound traffic a southern one. But in the short-term, and especially in light of the recent decline in refined product prices, all eyes are on the official inventory and supply data (which API reported a crude build and diesel draw). API:

• Crude +2.7mm (-2.1mm exp)
• Cushing +2.4mm
• Gasoline +200k
• Distillates -1.2mm

DOE:

• Crude +2.48mm (-2.1mm exp)
• Cushing +2.36mm - biggest build since March
• Gasoline -1.64mm
• Distillates -3.47mm

After last week's huge crude draw, this week saw a modest (2.48mm) build in inventories while Cushing stocks soared 2.36mm barrels (the most since March). Products saw sizable draws... The Trump admin drained another 2.84mm barrels (smallest since the start of the war) from the SPR last week, making a total decline of 110mm barrels since the start of the war... Cushing stocks rose very marginally off 'tank bottoms'... Seasonally, distillate stockpiles are now at their lowest since 1996, driven by a 5.2 million barrel draw on the Gulf Coast. That’s the largest pull on stocks for the region since February 2021. US Crude production ticked up modestly last week - just shy of record highs... US refiners are importing the most crude since May of this year as refiners continue to run hard, churning through over 17 million barrels of oil each day. Bloomberg reports that Gulf Coast crude refinery runs fell but remained at the highest levels for this time of the year. The drop can be partly explained by a blip in operations at the Marathon Garyville refinery. The Louisiana facility shut down its 283,000-barrel-a-day crude unit and a vacuum distillation unit last week. The units were restarted on Monday. Meanwhile, crude exports are holding below 4 million barrels a day, far from the nearly 6.5 million daily barrels earlier this year as the Iran war disrupted global supply. WTI is lower and maintaining the decline after the official inventory data... Even if a short-term deal to normalize commercial shipping is reached, however, it might still fail to end the war or resolve Trump’s concerns about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. “It’s still very unclear who is negotiating with whom and what could come out of this agreement,” said Hamad Hussain, a climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics. “As we’ve seen before, these deals can very easily collapse. That’s obviously a risk we’ll see persist, even after a deal may be announced.” Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that the Houthis remain a source of concern for shipowners. People familiar with the matter said this week that Saudi Arabia had held talks with the militants through Omani mediators in an effort to prevent the conflict from widening. They said the leading OPEC member is continuing to prepare military options should negotiations fail.

Oil Market Falls as U.S.-Iran Peace Progress Offsets Red Sea Attack- The crude market on Wednesday weighed the reports of progress towards possibly ending the war with Iran against reports that Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea. In overnight trading, the oil market breached its previous low and sold off to a low of $74.24 after Qatar said on Tuesday that mediators were making progress towards ending the Iran war and President Donald Trump stated that talks with Iran were going well. However, the market bounced off its low and retraced its earlier losses amid reports that the Houthis launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu, a key port for Saudi crude oil exports. The market traded to a high of $76.70 early in the morning. The crude market later erased some of its gains and traded back towards its low, in light of a 2.5 million barrel build in crude stocks and news that Iran and Oman agreed on the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. The September WTI contract ended the session down 55 cents at $75.22, while the October Brent contract settled up 9 cents at $79.45. The product markets ended the session mixed with the heating oil market settling up 2.57 cents at $3.7962 and the RB market settling down 1.34 cents at $2.8388. Shipping traffic at the key Middle Eastern maritime chokepoints of the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb was little changed on Tuesday from the previous day. Shipping data from Kpler showed that eight vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, including five tankers and three bulk carriers, the same as the previous day. Six of the vessels, three tankers and three bulk carriers, were entering the strait, while a gas carrier and a tanker were exiting. Also, according to LSEG and Kpler data, a liquefied natural gas tanker controlled by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co reappeared outside the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, carrying a cargo loaded from Das Island. The tanker is currently off the western coast of India. LSEG data shows a discharge location of India’s Dahej terminal in Gujarat, with an arrival date of August 5th. In the Bab el-Mandeb, 20 vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, with 10 entering and 10 exiting the waterway, the same as the previous day. Six tankers, three dry bulk carriers and a gas carrier entered the Bab el-Mandeb, while seven tankers and three bulk carriers exited. U.S. independent refiner Phillips 66 plans to operate refineries in the mid-90% range of their combined capacity in the third quarter of 2026. Phillips 66’s Chief Executive, Mark Lashier, said the company’s refineries ran above their faceplate capacity during the second quarter. Phillips 66 has been granted about 20% of Jones Act waivers issued by the federal government to increase domestic transport of refined products and crude oil during the Iran war, according to Brian Mandell, executive vice president of marketing and commercial. A Jones Act waiver lifts requirements to send fuel on U.S.-crewed, U.S.-owned tanker ships between U.S. ports.

Oil Prices Steady as Iran, Oman Near Strait of Hormuz Agreement -  Oil prices remained firm on Thursday after Iran and Oman announced they were nearing an agreement to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following prolonged negotiations that excluded the United States. Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that a joint Iran-Oman statement on a proposed shipping route through the key waterway is in the final drafting stage. The development would be critical to energy transit, after a previous ceasefire deal with the US signed in June fell through amid renewed strikes, bringing new uncertainty over shipping flows, Upstream reported. Iranian news agency IRNA reported the two sides have reached a broad agreement on inbound and outbound shipping routes after more than three weeks of negotiation, which are understood to have excluded the US. A framework agreement on this would allow inward and outward journeys through a shipping route through the strait in Iranian waters. Local reports suggest both Iran and Oman are also discussing a transit fee structure. The option, requesting transiting vessels for paying a fee for each transit, violates international maritime law and charges of this kind are considered illegal by the International Maritime Organization. Nevertheless, the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, which started at the end of February with joint US-Israeli strikes on the Middle Eastern oil producer, have shown Iran has been able to de-facto block shipping through the strait, through a mix of attacks on ships transiting, the threat of underwater mines and the US’ inability to effectively disarm Iranian drone capacity. At this stage in the conflict, Iran and now Oman are seeking to impose fees to ships transiting the strait the two sides control. Market sources have commented in recent weeks that a fee-based transit may be preferable to no transit at all - the waterway handles about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipping, with critical impact for global energy markets. Markets have been sanguine about the Oman-Iran deal, holding firm on Thursday after a few sessions of falling prices. Both global crude benchmarks were flat during Thursday European trading hours, with Brent at $79.5 per barrel and WTI at $75.4 per barrel. Prices have come off from recent levels of around $100 per barrel in late July - when the US resumed strikes on Iran - following a latest pause in attacks, and renewed comments from US president Donald Trump that negotiations have resumed, which Teheran denies. Markets will remain jittery and prone to sustained volatility the longer the conflict drags on. Oil prices dropped heavily in the weeks after the first ceasefire MoU in June, before rising again during late July as that agreement collapsed. Brent and WTI are down between about 10% and 12% over the last five sessions, while still sharply higher than pre-war levels. Distillate and fuel prices have soared in the meantime, with refining capacity in key producers in the Gulf affected by the conflict and the disruption to shipping, while major refiners such as Russia and China have curbed their fuel exports. Historically high refining margins have proved a boon for refiners, creating windfall earnings for supermajors in quarterly earnings.

Crude Prices Up 1% as Iran Warns Gulf States on Attacks  -- Crude and refined product futures were up 1% or more Thursday on reports that Iran had threatened to strike Gulf states hard unless they could convince the U.S. to end its war on Tehran. The warning comes amid the slow pace in diplomatic efforts since fighting ceased two weeks ago and appears to portend another round of escalation in Middle East hostilities should the Trump administration react adversely to the call. By 9:10 a.m. EDT, NYMEX WTI for September delivery was up $1.47, or 2.0%, at $76.69 bbl. ICE Brent for October delivery rose $1.83, or 2.3%, to $81.28 bbl. Among refined products, NYMEX ULSD for September delivery advanced $0.0122, or 0.4%, to $3.8084 gallon. September RBOB advanced $0.0480, or 1.8%, to $2.8868 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index rose by 0.134 points to 99.68 against a basket of currencies. Renewed U.S. strikes on Iranian infrastructure will trigger retaliation against regional oil fields, power grids, refineries and water plants, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was cited warning in a media report that also urged Gulf states to push the Trump administration to end the war. The Iranian threat came after U.S. President Donald Trump's recent warning that Washington might target Iran's energy network.

Oil prices jump as Houthi attacks raise Saudi supply risks- The Yemeni Houthis have struck Saudi Arabia’s southern province of Najran in the latest flare-up of Middle Eastern hostilities, killing 11 civilians, Reuters has reported, citing a spokesman for the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that fights the Houthis in Yemen. The news comes on the heels of reports that Iran is considering a ban on U.S., Israeli, and other “hostile” vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and fining ships that violate the ban with a sum equal to 20% of the cargo’s value. From other vessels, Iran plans to ask for passage fees of between $5% and 7% of the cargo’s value.  The reports pushed oil prices higher today, with Brent crude recovering above $80 and trading at $83.80 per barrel at the time of writing. West Texas Intermediate also rebounded, trading at $78.33 per barrel earlier today. In its report on the Houthi attacks, Reuters cited a senior Saudi official as saying the Houthis and Iran-affiliated Iraqi groups were planning to launch a coordinated attack on Saudi civilian targets, notably energy infrastructure and ports. This would further complicate the energy export situation in the Middle East as peace remains highly elusive. The Houthis are also targeting Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, with two vessels struck over the past week, lending additional support to oil prices. The Houthis themselves reported on Thursday an attack on Saudi troops in Yemen, which suggests that war is heating up yet again as well. The latest events come after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier in the week said a deal was within reach and oil flows via Hormuz could resume as early as Wednesday. Instead of that happening, hostilities are escalating.“Despite clear signs of progress in recent days, the tenor of the rhetoric and growing distrust between the US and Iran mean things could go from bad to worse once again,” ING commodity analysts wrote in a note earlier today.

Oil settles up $3 as Iran reviews bill to ban US, Israeli vessels from Hormuz (Reuters) - Oil prices settled ​up by more than $3 a barrel on Thursday on news an Iranian parliament committee is reviewing a bill ‌that would ban U.S. and Israeli vessels from the Strait of Hormuz and fine violators up to a fifth of the value of their cargo. Brent crude futures settled up $3.04, or 3.83%, to $82.49 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures settled up $2.07, or 2.75%, to $77.29. An Iranian lawmaker said a parliament committee ​is reviewing a preliminary bill to ban U.S., Israeli and other vessels deemed hostile from the Strait of Hormuz, and ​fine violators of the proposed restrictions up to 20% of cargo value, according to Fars news agency. "Crude ⁠traders remain focused on the U.S./Iran agreements, and the longer the delays, the more prices will fade back to the upside," ​ Before the Iran conflict began in late February, about one-fifth of global daily ​oil and liquefied natural gas supplies flowed through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthis said they carried out missile and drone attacks on "Saudi deployments" in Marib and Hadramout in Yemen on Thursday, and that they killed or wounded hundreds of Saudi-aligned fighters, and destroyed military camps, weapons depots and vehicles. "The ​market is going up and down as tensions rise and fall and of course these attacks are a significant development because ​it is more activity in the other theatre, away from the Persian Gulf, and is a reminder that the Red Sea passageway could still ‌be in ⁠jeopardy," Gulf countries' crude oil and condensate exports were largely steady in July and remained about 40% below pre-war levels, shipping data showed. Iran has warned Gulf states that any new U.S. attack on its territory would trigger attacks on critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources, as Tehran seeks to raise the cost of military action by threatening ​Washington's closest regional allies. The Iran-aligned Houthis ​said on Wednesday they ⁠had launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the nearby ​Gulf of Aden. There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia on either incident. "Houthi attacks so far ​have not significantly ⁠disrupted oil and gas supply but this might change if attacks escalate further," Saudi Arabia has slightly lowered the official selling price for its flagship Arab Light crude oil to Asia in September, a pricing document reviewed by Reuters ⁠showed. Elsewhere, a major ​oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region was on fire after a big Ukrainian ​drone attack and emergency services are working to put out the blaze, Mikhail Evrayev, the regional governor, said on Thursday.

Crude Oil Prices Rise Over 1% As Iran-Oman Strait Of Hormuz Proposal Sparks Supply Concerns - Oil prices continued their upward movement on Friday as markets remained concerned about possible disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions involving Iran and the US. Brent crude futures gained 99 cents, or 1.2%, to $83.48 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 85 cents, or 1.1%, to $78.84 per barrel. Iran-Oman Proposal Fuels Strait Of Hormuz Concerns The rise in crude prices followed reports that Iran, with Oman’s involvement, was considering restrictions on vessels classified as hostile passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The proposed legislation under review by an Iranian parliamentary committee could prevent US, Israeli and other vessels deemed unfriendly from using the waterway. The proposal also includes penalties of up to 20% of a cargo’s value for ships violating the restrictions. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy route, handling nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade before the latest conflict intensified. Iran is also reportedly seeking transit fees of 5-7% of cargo value from vessels using the route, while Oman is discussing a possible fee of around 3%. However, the US has pushed for unrestricted shipping access without additional charges. Industry experts said implementing such an arrangement could face challenges due to existing US sanctions and restrictions related to insurance and payment mechanisms. Oil prices had earlier declined during the week on hopes of diplomatic progress between the US and Iran. However, renewed concerns over shipping restrictions pushed Brent crude back above the $80-per-barrel level after it briefly fell below that mark earlier. Adding to geopolitical concerns, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi forces in the Marib and Hadramout regions. The possibility of tighter shipping restrictions comes at a time when markets are already sensitive to geopolitical risks, making crude prices vulnerable to further swings depending on developments in the Middle East.

Oil rebounds as US job losses and fragile Iran talks rattle markets -Oil prices reversed course and climbed on US job losses reported by the federal government and worries over talks between Iranian and US negotiators to end fighting that has lasted five months. Brent crude futures were up 84 cents, or 1.02 per cent, at $83.33 a barrel at 10:28 CDT (15:28 GMT). West Texas Intermediate futures climbed 89 cents, or 1.15 per cent, to $78.18. Oil futures had settled more than $3 a barrel higher on Thursday as Iran reviewed a bill to ban US and Israeli vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passed before the war began at the end of February. Oil prices fell earlier in the week as a possible solution to the conflict looked more likely, and both benchmarks are on course for a weekly loss of more than nine per cent. "The market on Friday is all about the jobs report," The US economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, the US Government reported on Friday. "It means there's less likely to be intervention by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates," Federal Reserve rate hikes take away purchasing power from consumers because interest rates across the economy increase, sending more of the cash in consumer pocketbooks to debt issuers and not to products suppliers like fuel stations. Analysts also said that this week's developments have signalled that hostilities between Iran and the US are not yet over. Iran is seeking fees of between five per cent and seven per cent of the price of cargoes from ships using the strait, a senior Iranian official said. Oman, meanwhile, is discussing fees of about three per cent while Washington wants no fees at all. Four industry sources have said the proposed deal is not easily workable because of US sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on any payments. "The structure of the Iran-Oman agreement in its current form and the power it yields to Iran is nothing that (US President Donald) Trump can accept politically," said Bjarne Schieldrop at SEB Research. "Trump would face heavy political criticism at home if he did." While this week's signals on a potential deal have driven a roller-coaster ride in market sentiment, the market remains in the dark as to what needs to happen for the agreement to be clinched, said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia expects imminent coordinated attacks from Iraqi militias north of the Persian Gulf state and from Yemen's Houthis from the south under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior Saudi official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said late on Thursday that intelligence reports from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional countries indicated civilian and economic sites could be targeted, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they carried out missile and drone attacks on Saudi deployments in Marib and Hadramout in Yemen on Thursday. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday, uniting Sunni Muslim US allies alarmed at a regional conflagration that has rained missile fire onto gulf oil exporters. Trump told reporters on Thursday that he believed that the war would be over soon.Meanwhile, drone attacks in the Black Sea took out as much as a fifth of Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil loadings in July, four sources familiar with the data said, as the Russia-Ukraine war spilled over to hit Kazakhstan's and Western oil majors' sales.

Brent climbs $1 on uncertainty over end to Iran war - (Reuters) - Brent crude oil climbed more than $1 a barrel on Friday over ongoing uncertainty about the negotiations in progress that determine control of, and reopen, the key shipping artery of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures settled at $83.55 a barrel, gaining $1.06, or 1.3%. West Texas Intermediate futures finished at $78.18 a barrel, up 89 cents, or 1.15%. Oil futures settled more than $3 a barrel higher on Thursday as Iran reviewed a bill to ban U.S. and Israeli vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passed before the war began at the end of February. Oil prices fell earlier in the week as a possible solution to the conflict looked more likely, part of an on-again, off-again pattern that has persisted since the U.S. and Israel jointly struck the nation in late February, igniting a conflict that has now stretched into a sixth month. Brent was on course for a weekly loss of more than 8%, while WTI lost more than 7%. While this week's signals on a potential deal have sent a roller-coaster ride in market sentiment, the market remains in the dark as to what needs to happen for the agreement to be clinched, said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights. "The market is trying to assess if an Iran-Oman agreement would allow a U.S.-flagged vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz," "Would it allow a U.S.-owned vessel to go through? Would it allow a vessel headed for a U.S. port to go through?" Both Iran and Oman are said to have agreed on the route ships would take through the strait, which lies between their two countries. It is unclear if the U.S. will agree to these terms. Analysts also said that this week's developments have signalled that hostilities between Iran and the U.S. are not yet over. Iran is seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from ships using the strait, a senior Iranian official said. Oman, meanwhile, is discussing fees of about 3% while Washington wants no fees at all. "The longer the supply disruption goes, the longer the world's commercial reserves are being drawn down," he said. Four industry sources have said the proposed deal is not easily workable because of U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on any payments. "The structure of the Iran-Oman agreement in its current form and the power it yields to Iran is nothing that (U.S. President Donald) Trump can accept politically," "Trump would face heavy political criticism at home if he did." "We need that strait to be reopened fully,"

Oil Books 2nd Weekly Loss Amid Hormuz Deal Hopes -- Crude futures rose Friday, but the gains were not enough to offset a second straight week of losses in a market hampered by expectations for a peace deal for the Middle East and its key energy waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. NYMEX WTI crude for September delivery settled the day up $0.89, or 1.2%, at $78.18 bbl. For the week though, the U.S. crude benchmark fell 9%, extending the prior week's 5% drop. ICE Brent crude for October finished the session up $1.06, or 1.3%, at $83.55 bbl. The global crude benchmark was down 9% on the week, after a prior weekly loss of 7%. Among refined products, NYMEX ULSD for September delivery closed up $0.0204, or 0.5%, at $3.9024 gallon. The diesel futures contract fell 5% on the week. NYMEX RBOB for September climbed $0.0468, or 1.6%, to finish at $2.9853 gallon. The gasoline futures contract tumbled about 4% on the week, echoing after the prior week's decline. While prices rebounded in the latest session, the upward momentum was limited as market participants pinned hopes on the U.S. and Iran agreeing to some sort of deal soon to reopen shipping on the Hormuz -- the waterway that in normal times oversaw the transit of around 20 million bpd of global energy liquids. After a ceasefire abandoned in mid-July and brief resumption in fighting, expectations have grown for another formal truce amid reports that Iran and neighboring Gulf states were negotiating a temporary deal to reopen the Strait. But any transit agreement might have trouble gaining U.S. approval as Iran appears determined to charge fees of between 5% and 7% on cargoes passing through the strait -- a move Washington has vowed to oppose.

Vessel traffic through Hormuz dwindles this week as markets watch Iran-Oman talks (Reuters) - Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled to 33 vessels from Monday to Thursday this week, data showed, versus 50 in the week-ago period, as markets watched talks between Iran and Oman for signs of progress in reopening the key waterway. Four vessels transited the strait on Thursday, including a very large crude carrier, Nissos Kea, carrying about 2 million barrels of Basrah crude loaded in Iraq, Kpler data showed. Of the rest, two were laden with liquefied petroleum gas and one was a minor bulk carrier. Just six crude oil tankers have exited the strait this week, Kpler data showed. A total of 21 vessels have entered it so far, mostly via the Iranian route. Several Chinese and Indian refiners have sought vessels this week to enter the strait and load crude at Iraq's Basrah Oil Terminal, attracted by steep discounts, shipping sources said. However, no vessels have been fixed so far as shipowners are wary of entering the waterway, they said. Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO offered discounts of close to $30 a barrel for Basrah Heavy and Basrah Medium crude to customers for August loading. Typically, about 130 to 140 ships would transit the strait before Iran closed the waterway after the U.S.-Israeli war began on February 28. A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is not easily workable because of U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on payments, industry sources said. On Thursday, 26 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait on the Red Sea, up from 19 a day before, Kpler data showed. LSEG counted 28 vessels, using a different tracking system and methodology.

Iran says Hormuz deal with Oman won't fully reopen strait - While Iran and Oman appear to be nearing an agreement to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian officials are now warning that the deal will not fully reopen the crucial waterway. The news injected fresh uncertainty into negotiations that President Donald Trump previously described positively. Oil prices jumped Thursday following Tehran’s comments. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose about 4 percent to over $82 per barrel. Prices previously had fallen about 8 percent after the Trump administration expressed optimism over talks. The status of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil travels, has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between Iran and the United States. Iran effectively closed the waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and the wider world, days after the United States and Israel launched their war in February. Now, as the Trump administration pushes Iran to allow traffic through the choke point to return to prewar levels, Tehran is using its hold to extract further concessions. When Iran and the United States agreed in June to halt fighting and begin peace talks, it was the deal’s vague language regarding the strait that caused it to collapse. Iran and Oman, a U.S. ally, have agreed that incoming ships will enter through Iranian territorial waters and outgoing ships will exit through Omani waters, Tehran has said. Such an arrangement would formalize Iranian control of the waterway. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration would accept it. “Any temporary routes will be without any impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions and no tolls or charges,” a U.S. official told The Washington Post. “The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and no party controls the lanes or the ability to transit through them.” The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the administration. Trump threatened Tehran Sunday with “the biggest attack since World War II” but said the following day he had decided to give diplomacy more time.On Monday, Trump said the talks were Iran’s “last chance” at a deal; on Tuesday, he said “a lot of progress has been made.”Iran has denied being in direct talks with the United States. The negotiations with Oman, Tehran says, are independent of Washington.The discussions were “approaching the final stage,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Wednesday, but he cautioned that Tehran still has outstanding demands.The United States must end its blockade of Iran’s ports, address sanctions it imposed on Tehran after the truce collapsed, resume talks over Iran’s frozen assets and address continued violence in Lebanon, where Hezbollah, a Tehran proxy, is fighting with Israel, Gharibabadi said, according to Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.“This understanding does not mean the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz, but rather a new and different model,” Gharibabadi said. Under the new setup, he said, “a significant part” of ship traffic would pass through Iranian waters. Iran and Oman also discussed “the establishment of a joint coordination center between Iran and Oman to direct maritime traffic,” Gharibabadi said, in which the neighbors would obtain “the necessary information from vessels that want to enter and exit.” There was no mention of charging fees or tolls in the summary the IRNA published of Gharibabadi’s remarks. Maritime law forbids countries from imposing tolls for the use of a naturally occurring strait, but Iranian officials said during previous stages of the conflict that they would look to charge a service fee. In the talks with Oman, Reuters reported Wednesday, Iran is seeking fees of between 5 and 7 percent of the price of a ship’s cargo. If traffic returned to prewar levels, such a system could generate $52 million per day, or $19 billion in the first year, according to Gregory Brew, a senior analyst with the Eurasia Group. Over time, Brew noted, traffic is expected to decline as more countries build out pipelines and other infrastructure that will allow them to bypass the strait.

ADNOC Reports 15 Vessel Attacks as Hormuz Risks Mount -Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said attacks on its vessels and employees are having a significant impact on operations as the company tries to keep crude, gas and refined products moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Fifteen ADNOC vessels have been hit by missiles or drones since the war began, including three this week, the company said Friday. One crew member has been killed and 20 others injured. The Strait of Hormuz carried roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption before the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran expanded into a broader regional conflict. Repeated attacks on commercial vessels have disrupted traffic through the waterway, driven freight costs sharply higher, and made some shipowners reluctant to enter the Persian Gulf. ADNOC said it is working with authorities to protect personnel and assets while meeting customer requirements “as much as possible” in what it called an exceptionally challenging operating environment. The attacks are hitting one of the few Gulf producers that has managed to restore exports close to pre-war levels. The UAE has relied on crude loading points outside Hormuz, including Fujairah, while continuing to move some barrels through the strait despite the security risk. ADNOC is expanding its own shipping capacity even as those risks increase. Its logistics arm announced Friday that it had acquired six very large crude carriers and five very large gas carriers for about $1.3 billion. Nine of those vessels are scheduled to enter service this quarter, with two newbuild gas carriers due in the fourth quarter. ADNOC Logistics & Services already owns more than 340 vessels and operates another 600 chartered ships. The fleet additions are intended to support higher crude and LNG exports as ADNOC expands production and trading volumes. The company also ordered four new LNG carriers last month in a $900 million deal. “Freedom of navigation and the safe, uninterrupted passage of commercial shipping through international waterways must be respected and protected,” ADNOC said Friday.

Tankers Are Being Blown Out of the Water. See How Mideast Strikes Are Piling Up. – WSJ -- Crew members on the tanker ship heard a loud bang. Dark smoke rose from the front of the vessel, which was loaded with methanol and sailing in the Persian Gulf. “Go go go go go go! Lower the life raft, and get dressed quickly!” someone shouted in a combination of Chinese and English. Roughly half of the crew descended onto a life raft, ready to abandon the ship. The JV Innovation, a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker hit in May, was one of 67 commercial ships that have been attacked or boarded in the Middle East since the Iran war started, according to data from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank. At least 17 seafarers have been killed and dozens more injured in the regional maritime attacks. The attacks on commercial ships have been among the most devastating during wartime in a generation. Most of the attacks have originated from Iran, but the U.S. has launched attacks on and boarded more than a dozen ships that violated the Trump administration’s naval blockade. Iran’s maritime deterrence strategy centers around an extensive arsenal of antiship cruise missiles. Many are deployed on mobile truck-mounted launchers or concealed within hardened underground coastal missile bases. Because these missiles cost only a fraction of the multimillion-dollar interceptors required to destroy them, they impose a significant financial burden on defending naval forces. Flying yards above the sea surface, they hide from radar and complicate interception. Iran’s allies are now threatening the world’s third-busiest shipping route - "The Red Sea is closing" - My take This time, it's around Yemen, where the Houthi rebels have These attacks have sent insurance premiums and freight rates to record levels. According to insurance broker Marsh, insurers are becoming increasingly reluctant to underwrite voyages through the region. The fighting has made it hard for insurers to recover costs when ships are hit. Typically, the lead marine insurer—the primary underwriter that takes the largest share of an insurance policy—would arrange for salvage operations. But that isn’t an option for now, said Sundeep Khera, head of marine at U.K. insurer Beazley. A tugboat, the Mussafah 2, was sent to salvage a sunken container ship, but was hit itself on March 6, killing four seafarers and severely injuring another three. “There are very few salvage companies willing to do it,” said Khera, a former captain.

UAE Says Iran Attacked ADNOC Vessel With Missile in Strait of Hormuz - (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates on Saturday condemned what it said was an Iranian attack on a carrier linked to its state oil company ​as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Tehran of “acts of piracy”. State ‌news agency WAM initially reported ADNOC as saying one of its vessels had been targeted by a missile early on Saturday and that the situation was under control. The UAE Foreign Ministry ​later condemned what it called “the hostile Iranian attack” on an ADNOC vessel. Neither ​statement gave details on the tanker, its cargo or possible damage. ⁠No injuries were reported. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural ​gas passed through the narrow waterway between Oman and Iran prior to the conflict. ​Since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran broke out on February 28, shipping has been repeatedly disrupted, raising freight rates and creating security concerns. The ministry said the attack violated a U.N. Security Council resolution ​on freedom of navigation and accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of “acts of piracy” by ​targeting commercial shipping and using the waterway as a tool of economic pressure.

Threat to oil tankers in Middle East worst since start of Iran war, analysts say - The threat to ships carrying oil in the Middle East is at its worst since the Iran war started, experts have said, after a spate of attacks on another key route in the region. The warning comes after a number of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, an alternative waterway that some tankers had been using since Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has denied Donald Trump's claim that it was in talks with the US over reopening the strait, but said it was speaking to Oman about securing the shipping lane. "In terms of threat to the trade of crude, we're at the worst period that we've been in since this since this crisis began," said Matthew Wright, an analyst at ship-tracking firm Kpler. The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz was just eight on Sunday and 11 on Saturday, compared with more than 100 per day before the war began, according to Kpler. Before the conflict, about 20% of the world's oil and gas passed through the strait. The temporary peace deal with the US struck in early June led to numbers rising again, but the resumption of strikes between the two countries roughly a month later have significantly reduced traffic. Many ships have been "going dark" when crossing the strait, meaning they turn off their transponder to avoid detection. For much of the war, some ships carrying oil from Saudi Arabia had instead passed through an alternative shipping lane in the Red Sea, between the kingdom and northeast Africa. But a recent spate of attacks by Yemen's Houthi fighters on Saudi tankers using the alternative waterway has further heightened the risks. Map of the Middle East and northeast Africa highlighting major global shipping routes through three key maritime chokepoints. Purple lines show shipping lanes connecting the Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, the Bab al-Mandab Strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, and the Suez Canal in Egypt. Countries labelled include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, with Kharg Island marked in the Persian Gulf. An inset map shows the region's location within the wider world. The Iranian-backed Houthi militia announced what it called a blockade on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports on 20 July and the UK Maritime Trade Operations ⁠agency has reported several attacks on ships in the past week. "Not only is the ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz constraining oil flows, but now a big factor that was helping to balance the market is now also under threat. It's a problem stacked on top of a problem," Wright said. Tim Wilkins, the managing director of Intertanko, a trade body representing tanker owners, said the industry was "facing a broadening, deteriorating, and increasingly complex security situation". "We now have the high-risk area going up to Saudi Arabian waters and extending into parts of the Red Sea. So that's having another impact on the market, on freedom of navigation as well." The number of commodity vessels that passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait was 28 on Saturday and six of them had their transponders turned off, according to Kpler data, indicating that they were trying to avoid detection. Not all vessels are deterred from passing through because the Houthi threat is only targeted at Saudi shipping, with the total number sitting at about 50% of pre-attack levels. But the number of ships loading crude oil for export to Asia passing through has dropped to about four per day, Kpler added, the lowest point since the start of the war. A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd, the global shipping giant, said some of its vessels were still passing through the Red Sea but that it would "monitor developments closely and will adjust the network if circumstances change". "If the Strait of Hormuz reopened, most ships could probably leave the region fairly quickly. However, restoring normal cargo flows would take much longer. "Services have been suspended and ships redeployed elsewhere, so a return to normal flows would most likely take three to four months." Despite the talks with Oman, Iran has said that no deal is imminent that would reopen the strait to normal traffic. Its foreign ministry ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said any agreement would not lift the current restrictions while US "aggression" continued. Kpler's Wright said that while talks with Oman could be productive, any deal would need the involvement of the US and the fear is that current negotiations could be a "false start" without concessions on at least one side. Nonetheless, oil prices fell sharply after Trump said he would cancel planned strikes on Iran based on the potential for upcoming talks. Brent crude was trading 4.4% lower at $84.05 a barrel, after it fell as much as 7.3% to $81.55 a barrel earlier in the day. Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, another ship-tracking company, said the fighting had taken the shipping industry "back to to square one" and that things were in "a terrible state, regardless of which shipping type you're you're looking at". "The alternatives for getting cargo, whether that's hydrocarbons or container shipping, are really not great… it is really still troubling times with no clarity and no change of fortunes within sight."

Iran Says Hormuz Stays Closed Until U.S. Meets Six Sweeping Demands - --  Iran has effectively rejected expectations of an imminent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, laying out sweeping conditions that would require the United States to fundamentally change its policy toward Tehran. In a statement issued by Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran said the strait would remain closed until Washington ends what Iran described as its hostile behavior. The six demands include an end to U.S. threats and military action, a permanent end to the war, withdrawal of U.S. naval and air forces from around Iran, compensation for war damages, sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets.The statement is significant because it indicates that the much-discussed U.S.-Iran draft agreement does not, at least from Tehran's perspective, amount to a deal to reopen Hormuz. Any agreement would ultimately require approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council.The shipping data also points to continued disruption. Just 33 vessels transited Hormuz from Monday through Thursday, down from 50 during the same period the previous week, while only six crude tankers have reportedly cleared the strait outbound so far this week. The decline comes despite expectations that Iran and Oman were close to an arrangement governing a shipping corridor.That uncertainty has kept the energy market on edge. Iran has also been considering restrictions on U.S. and Israeli vessels, while previous proposals for transit fees have added another layer of uncertainty. The European Union has already accused Iran's IRGC Navy of enforcing a screening and toll system for vessels using the strait.Washington, however, is presenting a considerably more optimistic picture. Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. expects oil and gas flows from the Gulf to eventually return to pre-war levels. He also said Iran had told Washington it had no plans to impose tolls, although the U.S. does not fully trust Tehran's assurances.That leaves the market facing two very different interpretations of the same negotiations. Washington is talking about restoring normal energy flows. Tehran is demanding major political, military and financial concessions before reopening Hormuz.For oil traders, the key question is therefore no longer simply whether talks are taking place, but whether the two sides are actually negotiating the same outcome.

Houthi attacks on Bab el-Mandeb raise fresh threat to global shipping - Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks this week, deepening tensions with Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and raising fears of a wider regional conflict. The attacks have killed dozens of civilians and troops, and also targeted Saudi tankers moving from Red Sea ports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into the Gulf of Aden. Which Wealth Management Firms Ranked Highest in 2026? Which Wealth Management Firms Ranked Highest in 2026? smartasset.com · Sponsored call to action icon The latest violence has also increased concern over disruption to a key shipping route. Though less significant than the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb has carried around 12 per cent of world trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, linking Europe and Asia through Egypt's Suez Canal. Shipping data published this week by analytics firm Kpler showed fewer tankers have passed through the strait since the attacks. The escalation has built over weeks. The Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-linked ships leaving the strait, saying it was in retaliation for the yearslong Saudi siege on Yemen and recent attacks on the Houthi-controlled capital. Yemen researcher Afrah Nasser said the recent moves reflected how Iran "is scaling up pressure on the United States in Yemen through its close ally". In an analysis for the nonprofit DAWN on Friday, she wrote: "The escalation is directly connected to regional developments." Among the latest incidents was a Houthi attack in north-eastern Yemen on Friday morning. On Thursday, another attack injured 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child, according to the Saudi military. Other attacks on Saudi-backed military camps in eastern Yemen killed at least 17 soldiers, according to SABA news agency, which is affiliated with Yemen's internationally recognised government. Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said on X on Friday that the group would continue targeting any Saudi buildups in an effort to lift the kingdom's blockade on Yemen. Experts say even sporadic attacks could severely disrupt movement through Bab el-Mandeb by increasing security risks and insurance costs. Iran has shown in the Strait of Hormuz that repeated attacks on ships can effectively shut a critical waterway. Analysts have warned that if ships begin avoiding Bab el-Mandeb as well, two of the world's most important maritime routes would be under strain, adding to pressure on commercial shipping and global oil supplies. Since the start of the Iran war, Bab el-Mandeb has acted as a pressure release valve, with more tankers using it while the Strait of Hormuz has been under threat. Three Houthi officials told The Associated Press in July that the group had been planning for months how to disrupt shipping in the strait. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The Houthis do not control the stretch of Yemen's coastline along Bab el-Mandeb, but they hold territory less than 100 kilometres away. Beyond Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, options for exporting Gulf oil and gas are limited, including pipelines across the Arabian Peninsula, routes through the Suez Canal, or the longer and costlier journey around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope. Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile. Saudi Arabia then led an international coalition against the rebels and imposed an air and sea blockade on Houthi-held areas, though that had eased in recent years. The Houthis say their effort to close Bab el-Mandeb to Saudi traffic is meant to break the coalition's blockade. Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the move also serves Iran at a time when the US has resumed daily airstrikes. "From Iran's perspective, opening additional pressure points across the region gives it more leverage," he told the AP last month. "The Houthis provide Tehran with influence over one of the world's most important maritime choke-points." The latest Houthi attacks have therefore added to the risks around Yemen's war, regional tensions and global shipping, with the Bab el-Mandeb Strait again emerging as a major flashpoint.

Six Saudi tankers turn away from Aden, ship-tracking data shows - Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in +  in recent days and are heading to southern Africa, amid threats by Yemen’s Houthi fighters to target Saudi Arabian shipping, ship-tracking data cited by the Reuters news agency shows. The empty tankers returning from destinations in Asia were sailing in formation towards southern Africa, rather than opting to transit the southern Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint, according to AIS ship-tracking on LSEG and MarineTraffic. Shipping in the Red Sea has faced renewed disruption in recent weeks after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and subsequently attacked Saudi vessels, raising the threat for commercial traffic and contributing to higher oil prices. The Houthi movement says the move is in response to Saudi Arabia’s siege on the territory it controls...

Saudi Arabia braces for attacks on ports and airports by Iraqi militias working with Iran-backed Houthis - Saudi Arabia is bracing for a “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iraqi militias factions and Iran-backed Houthis, a Saudi official told CNN, as the broader Middle East conflict threatens to widen. The official cited “multiple intelligence reports” from Saudi Arabia, the US and regional countries indicating some Iraqi militia members, “in coordination with the Houthis” are planning to attack the Gulf nation “in the very near future” under the guidance of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The reports of impending attacks come a day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route. In the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia has come under missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen and drone attacks from Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The official expressed alarm on Thursday, saying the reports came as Saudi Arabia was pursuing de-escalation and negotiations involving Iran appeared to be heading in the right direction. “Saudi Arabia will take all necessary measures to deal with any aggression,” the official said. The Saudi official said Saudi Arabia had detected meetings involving Iraqis, Houthis and some IRGC members, as well as the movement of drones and missiles. The official suggested the planned attacks were intended to derail progress in negotiations and might indicate a power struggle within Iran itself. “I think they want to coordinate attacks from both north and south,” the official said. The potential targets were “mostly civilian and economic installations,” the official added, identifying energy facilities, ports and airports but providing no further details. Despite the reports, the official said Saudi Arabia would continue its de-escalation efforts and contacts with Iraqi authorities. The official declined to disclose details of their responses. Shortly after the official’s statement, the Saudi-led coalition said that 11 civilians were injured Thursday in a Houthi attack in southern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. Seven of those wounded were Saudi nationals, including a woman and a 4-year-old child who suffered second-degree burns. A Yemeni national, two Egyptians and a Pakistani were also injured. “The terrorist Houthi militia carried out these terrorist attacks using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects,” the coalition statement read. On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold a summit in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, where a joint defense agreement it expected to be announced, according to regional sources. Saudi Arabia led a military coalition that intervened against the Houthis in Yemen in 2015 but failed to dislodge the group from the country’s north. The seven-year conflict helped create one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Yemen's Ansar Allah Announces Attack on Saudi Airport - Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, announced on Tuesday that its forces targeted a “sensitive site” at the Najran Airport in southern Saudi Arabia using a drone. AFP reported that the airport’s main radar was hit and that services were suspended following the attack. Ansar Allah military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the attack came in response to the “Saudi enemy’s violation of Yemeni airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates with its drones.”Saree added that the Yemeni Armed Forces “affirmed to the Saudi enemy that any violation of our airspace will not go unanswered and unpunished.”Also on Tuesday, India reported that an Indian commercial vessel was struck by a projectile in waters near Yemen and that the ship sank, but the crew was able to safely evacuate. Ansar Allah has been targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the area as part of its new maritime blockade, but so far the group hasn’t taken credit for the attack.Ansar Allah imposed the blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to Saudi airstrikes that targeted the Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, a US-backed attack that shattered a fragile ceasefire between the two sides that had held relatively well since 2022.The two sides have traded several strikes since then, and Ansar Allah has targeted multiple ships, forcing other vessels to start the long journey around Africa to go to the Mediterranean Sea and enter the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. There are signs that the Saudis are planning a major escalation in Yemen, though Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Riyadh is also pursuing diplomacy to contain the conflict.

Report: Saudi Arabia Seeks To Contain Renewed Yemen Conflict Through Diplomacy - Saudi Arabia is seeking to contain its renewed conflict with Yemen’s Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, through diplomacy, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, amid a new Yemeni blockade targeting shipping on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. The report said that Saudi Arabia has held talks with Ansar Allah through Omani mediators but is still preparing military options if diplomacy fails. The Guardian reported last week that Riyadh was preparing for a major escalation, which could potentially include a ground offensive.The conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis reignited last month when Saudi Arabia bombed the Sanaa International Airport to prevent a plane from landing that took off from Iran. The plane was carrying a Yemeni delegation that had attended the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei and safely landed in the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah following the Saudi strikes in Sanaa. US officials have claimed that the plane was also carrying weapons and IRGC advisors.Ansar Allah announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia following the strikes on the Sanaa airport, calling the policy a “blockade for a blockade.” The US-backed Saudi/UAE war against Ansar Allah from 2015 to 2022 involved a blockade on Yemen’s sea ports and airports, and while it was eased following a 2022 ceasefire, it was never fully lifted.The Bloomberg report said that in the talks with the Saudis, Ansar Allah is seeking a lifting of all restrictions on the entrance of goods and people in the areas under its control, which is where the majority of Yemenis live. The report also said that Ansar Allah is seeking payment for Yemeni civil workers.The payment of civil workers in northern Yemen was supposed to take place as part of the first phase of a peace deal negotiated in 2023, but it was never implemented. US sanctions imposed on Ansar Allah, specifically the re-designation of the group as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” blocked the payments as part of punishment from the Biden administration over Yemeni attacks on Israeli-linked shipping, a response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.The report from Bloomberg on Tuesday said that Saudi Arabia wants to respond to Ansar Allah’s blockade and attack without getting sucked back into the war. It also said that the US was discouraging Saudi Arabia from launching a major military retaliation over concerns it would lead to the total closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, though President Trump did give the green light for strikes in Yemen before the Saudi attack on the Sanaa International Airport.In the meantime, Ansar Allah continues its attacks on Saudi Arabia, announcing on Tuesday that its forces targeted an airport in southern Saudi Arabia.

Ansar Allah Launches Attacks Targeting Saudi-Backed Forces in Central Yemen - - Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, launched significant strikes on Thursday targeting military camps in central Yemen belonging to the Emergency Forces, an anti-Houthi force recently created by Saudi Arabia that operates under the command of the Saudi military.  A military source within the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, whose leadership is based in Riyadh, told China’s Xinhua news agency that the Ansar Allah attacks targeted camps in the eastern Hadhramaut and Marib provinces and that at least 35 fighters were killed. According to the Defense Line, a Yemeni military analysis site, the Emergency Forces adopted the name last year and consist of 35,000 fighters, mostly Salafis from northern Yemeni provinces, and they operate directly under the command of the Saudi Joint Forces. In a statement on the attack, Ansar Allah described the Emergency Force camps as “Saudi enemy troops concentrations” and said that forces were being built up for an escalation against the “liberated provinces,” referring to Ansar Allah-controlled Yemen, which is where the majority of Yemenis live. The statement claimed that hundreds of “Saudi mercenaries” were killed and injured by the attacks.“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the criminal Saudi enemy against any act of aggression against our country and our people, and it will bear the consequences of any escalation,” the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Armed Forces said. “We advise those misled and deceived among our people to leave the Saudi enemy camps and return to their homes before it is too late.” The attack comes a day after Ansar Allah launched attacks on two Saudi oil tankers as part of its enforcement of a new blockade it imposed following Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport, which Riyadh carried out to prevent the landing of a plane from Iran. The plane, which ended up landing in Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, was carrying a Yemeni delegation that attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and US and Saudi officials have claimed it was also carrying weapons and IRGC advisors. Ansar Allah also targeted the Najran Airport in southern Saudi Arabia this week, which reportedly took out a radar and suspended services at the facility. According to a report from Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia has been pursuing diplomacy to contain the conflict in Yemen, which reignited after a four-year ceasefire due to the strikes on the Sanaa airport, but Riyadh is also preparing for a major military escalation, which could include a ground offensive, if diplomacy fails. The Bloomberg report said that the US was advising against major military retaliation in response to the Ansar Allah blockade on Saudi ports over concerns that it could lead to the complete closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but President Trump did give Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the green light to escalate against the Houthis before the strikes on the Sanaa airport. Saudi Arabia’s military is highly reliant on US support, meaning MbS will want US backing before any further escalation.

Israeli Attacks Massacre 17 Palestinians Across Gaza Despite Hamas Agreeing on Disarmament Plan - - Israeli strikes pounded Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 17 Palestinians, one of the highest daily death tolls in months, as the IDF has escalated its attacks despite Hamas agreeing to a disarmament plan that was first announced by President Trump.Multiple children were among the victims on Sunday, including Azzam Abu Taif, a five-year-old, who was killed alongside his father and his pregnant mother by an Israeli strike that hit a residential building in Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera.Medical sources at Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera that a couple and their young daughter were killed by an Israeli strike on an apartment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. A child was also killed by an Israeli drone attack on a tent in Gaza’s City’s western Remal neighborhood. Israeli strikes also pounded central Gaza, where at least four Palestinians were killed.A day earlier, Israeli forces killed eight Palestinians and bombed medical warehouses attached to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry said the attack “resulted in the complete destruction of two out of four warehouses at the targeted site, in addition to causing severe and extensive damage to two other warehouses.”The heavy Israeli attacks came after the so-called “Board of Peace” unveiled what it said was a 15-point plan to implement the Gaza peace plan announced by President Trump on Truth Social on Thursday night. The agreement calls for the halt of all attacks as it’s being implemented, but so did the October 2025 ceasefire deal signed by Hamas and Israel in October 2025, which Israel has violated with constant attacks that have killed at least 1,230 Palestinians since it was signed.Under the new deal, Hamas has agreed to hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which will also take over governance of Gaza. But Hamas officials have maintained that the step will be taken only if Israel actually ceases its attacks in Gaza and withdraws its troops back to the “yellow line,” and there’s no sign Israel has actually agreed to the deal despite the announcements from Trump and the BoP.“The agreement is a package,” senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told CNN on Friday. “We will not begin any weapons-related steps until Israel implements these commitments. Frankly, if Israel does not implement them, we will not proceed.”Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on Sunday that Israel wouldn’t halt attacks and that the Israeli security cabinet hasn’t even discussed Gaza over the past three days. About one month ago, Cohen vowed that Israel would eventually take over all of the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Smotrich Repeats Call for Netanyahu To Approve Establishment of Three Jewish Settlements in Gaza -   - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday repeated his call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve the establishment of three Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, as senior Israeli ministers continue to speak openly about their plans for permanent Israeli control of the Palestinian territory.Smotrich made the call in a post on X, in which he referenced the withdrawal of settlements from Gaza and from an area of the northern West Bank, which he calls “northern Samaria,” a policy known as the “disengagement.” Israel is re-establishing the settlements in the northern West Bank, and he is calling for the same in Gaza.In the post, Smotrich referenced the upcoming Israeli elections, warning that a “left-wing” government won’t expand settlements as aggressively.“Before us stands the choice, between a right-wing government that will continue the momentum of construction and expand it, and a dangerous left-wing government that openly declares its intention to evacuate settlements and outposts and to promote a ‘political agreement,'” Smotrich said.“And from northern Samaria – to Gaza! The Settlement Administration under my leadership is prepared to establish 3 settlements in the northern sector of the Gaza Strip, and I call on the Prime Minister to give the green light to the move. Together we correct the sin of the disengagement,” he added.Smotrich also holds a ministerial position in the Israeli Defense Ministry, where he oversees the Settlement Administration. He first announced in June that the body had drawn up plans for three settlements in Gaza and was just waiting for the green light from Netanyahu. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, has also said that Israel will establish three “Nachala outposts,” a type of settlement that starts as a community for IDF soldiers with the goal of establishing a permanent civilian presence.

Mass Funeral Held in Gaza for 112 Palestinians From the Same Family Killed by Israeli Airstrikes in 2023 --  Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City on Tuesday held a mass funeral for 112 members of the Abu Sharia al-Hassaina family, a well-known and respected clan that has been nearly wiped out by Israel’s genocidal war, the Palestinian news agency WAFA has reported. The bodies of the 112 Palestinians mourned on Tuesday were recovered from the rubble in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, where they were buried by Israeli airstrikes that collapsed entire residential buildings in November 2023. Photos show the bodies draped in Palestinian flags during the funeral.Ali Abu Sharia, an elder and surviving member of the family, said the 112 people buried on Tuesday included 44 children, 37 women, 23 elderly people, and seven persons with disabilities. A total of 308 members of the family have been killed by Israeli attacks, including 267 who have been buried and 41 whose remains are still missing.Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, detailed in comments to Reuters how the bodies were identified. “The bodies were decomposed. Relatives identified some through their clothes, injuries and distinguishing marks. Some victims had bone fixation plates on some ⁠organs, while some ​women were identified through jewelry they had on or necklaces bearing their names,” he said.The recovery of bodies from the rubble in Gaza is a painstaking effort since the US and Israel continue to block the entry of construction equipment. The work can only be done in the areas of Gaza not occupied by the IDF, and this area has been shrinking as Israeli troops have taken more territory in recent months, a clear violation of the October 2025 ceasefire deal. “If we had at least 10 excavators, bulldozers, and cranes needed for the work, the job could be completed in three months,” Basal said.According to numbers released by Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday, 804 bodies have been recovered from the rubble since October 2025. At the time of the signing of the ceasefire agreement, Gaza rescue workers estimated that around 10,000 Palestinians were missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

Israeli Lawyer Says All Palestinians Living in Villages Around His West Bank Settlement Should Be Killed - An Israeli lawyer who lives in an illegal settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has told the BBC that all the Palestinians living in villages around his settlement, the Havat Gilad outpost, should be killed, and said that one Jewish life is worth 10 million Palestinian lives.Yehuda Shimon made the comments in reference to a security guard from the outpost who was killed during a settler attack on Tal, a nearby Palestinian village. Four Palestinians and one other Israeli were killed during the confrontation, which came as settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is at an all-time high. “I think now after they kill one Israeli people, we need to kill all the people in Tal and Sarra, even Jit and Farata,” he said. “Why? Because we don’t want it to happen again.”The BBC reporter, Lucy Williamson, said it sounded like Shimon was saying one Jewish life was worth thousands of Palestinian lives. “[No], million,” Shimon responded. “One Jewish life, it’s ten million, ok?”Williamson said Shimon sounded racist, to which he answered in the affirmative, claiming Jews had the biblical right to the land. “Yes, I know, I know. But this is the truth. Because God choose us. Because of this, you are jealous,” he said.The idea that Jews have the God-given right to the West Bank is shared by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist, who said earlier this year that Israel had the right to all of the land between the Euphrates and Nile rivers, sparking a diplomatic incident.

Drone Strike Hits Türkiye-Bound Vessel in Black Sea - --A Türkiye-bound cargo ship was struck by a drone off Russia’s Black Sea coast, prompting the evacuation of all 22 crew members, with three reported to be potentially seriously injured, according to Türkiye’s maritime authority. The Cameroon-flagged roll-on/roll-off ship Nadezhda was attacked on Aug. 3 about 20 nautical miles off Novorossiysk while sailing to the northern Turkish port of Samsun, the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said, Hurriyet Daily News reported. The crew included 13 Turkish nationals. All those aboard were taken safely to Novorossiysk Port by Russian vessels. Initial assessments found damage to the ship’s living quarters and bow, while a fire continued on board. The directorate said a salvage operation could not be carried out because the risk of further drone attacks in the area remained. It did not identify who was responsible for the attack.

Drone attacks reduce July CPC oil loadings by a fifth - Drone attacks in the Black Sea took out a fifth of Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil loadings in July, four sources familiar with the data said, as the Russia-Ukraine war spilled over to hit Kazakhstan's and western oil majors' sales. CPC loadings fell more than 20% behind July's schedule to around 1.2 million to 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) after drone attacks near the Black Sea export terminal disrupted supplies, the sources said. The reduced loadings meant the loss of some 400,000 bpd of CPC Blend oil for international markets in July, adding to the disruption to at least 10 million bpd through the Strait of Hormuz - together accounting for about 10% of global supply. The CPC pipeline, which transports crude from Kazakhstan to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, accounts for about 2% of global oil supply. Operations at the CPC terminal have been repeatedly interrupted since mid-July. Oil loadings were suspended again on Friday morning after briefly resuming on Thursday, two sources said. The tanker Oneiroi, that was loaded on Thursday, was expected to sail on Friday if operations at the terminal resume, one of the sources said. Another vessel, Mareta, was set for loading on Friday. According to data from analytics firm Kpler and two sources, CPC Blend crude loadings have averaged about 1.1 million to 1.2 million bpd so far in August, indicating that exports remain below the reduced July level as disruption persists. Kazakhstan, which relies heavily on the CPC route for its crude exports, experienced a 14% drop in oil production in July from June, according to the sources. Major Western oil companies operating in Kazakhstan include Chevron and ExxonMobil. Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Ukrainian forces had attacked oil tankers during loading operations at the CPC terminal and accused Kyiv of trying to destabilize global oil markets. Kyiv has stepped up its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure but Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for, nor commented on, the drone attacks on the facilities that handle predominantly Kazakh crude. CPC declined to comment on the July and August loadings. It has not publicly commented on the latest disruption. Kazakhstan has few alternative export routes capable of replacing CPC volumes - typically around 1.5 million to 1.7 million bpd - making the pipeline critical for the country's oil sector and government revenue.

Italian-led EU force boards sanctioned tanker from Russia's shadow fleet in Mediterranean (Reuters) - An EU naval mission led by Italy boarded a tanker from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" on Sunday, the second such operation in less than two weeks as Europe intensifies scrutiny of vessels suspected of helping Moscow circumvent oil sanctions. Italy's Defence Ministry said the Toa Payoh, a tanker subject to EU sanctions, was intercepted west of the Sicilian island of Pantelleria while sailing from Benin to Istanbul. The vessel had switched to a Cameroon registry only last week, according to a source familiar with the operation. Maritime authorities launched the inspection to verify that the tanker was legally entitled to fly the Cameroon flag and that its registration documents were valid. The source said the EU naval mission, named operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini, did not have the authority to seize vessels during such inspections, meaning the Toa Payoh was not detained. However, documentation gathered during the boarding was still being examined and could be used by national authorities for a subsequent sequestration if necessary. The Toa Payoh's captain initially failed to cooperate with the EU mission, prompting a team of Italian military personnel to board the vessel from a helicopter launched by the Thaon di Revel, the EU's EUNAVFOR MED's flagship. The inspection, carried out with the support of a Greek vessel and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, lasted about two hours and was completed safely, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Sunday's operation follows the July 20 boarding of the MV South Star, another tanker linked to Russia's shadow fleet that was inspected by Irini forces over suspicions it was sailing also under a false flag. The European Union has imposed sanctions on scores of vessels that it says form part of a "shadow fleet" used by Russia to circumvent restrictions on its oil exports since its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Missiles Pound Kyiv, Killing at Least 17 People - Russian missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and its surrounding region on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, as Ukrainian officials reported that not a single ballistic missile was intercepted due to Ukraine’s lack of advanced air defense munitions.According to Reuters, Ukraine’s Air Force said that it was able to intercept 90% of the 115 Russian drones launched into Ukraine but that all 24 ballistic missiles and four Zircon cruise missiles were able to get through. Targets hit inside Ukraine included warehouses and logistics centers belonging to Ukrainian retailers, strikes that came after weeks of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Wildberries, Russia’s online retailer. Silpo, a Ukrainian food retailer, said that six of its employees were killed and two of its distribution centers were set on fire by Russian attacks. For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces targeted “transport, logistics and distribution centers” involved in the “storing and delivering armaments and military cargo, producing and distributing unmanned aerial vehicles.”Local Ukrainian officials said that at least eight civilians were also killed by a strike that hit a commuter station in Brovary, a suburb of Kyiv, and photos show bodies scattered across the train platform.Ukrainian drone attacks also continued in Russia and Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting that its forces downed 425 drones over multiple Russian regions and the Black and Azov Seas. In Donestk, a Ukrainian drone attack was reported to hit a hospital, killing one person.Two days earlier, a Ukrainian drone crashed into a crowded beach in a Russian Black Sea resort town, killing seven civilians, including three children. In recent months, civilian casualties have spiked significantly on both sides as Ukraine has escalated its US-backed drone attacks and Russia has ramped up its missile bombardments.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday blamed his military’s inability to intercept Russian missiles on the decline in military aid from the US and other Western countries, saying that it’s “very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.”Russia’s heavy strikes are also the result of Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks inside Russia, which Zelensky often boasts about in posts on social media. Despite Ukraine’s success at striking oil infrastructure and warehouses inside Russia, the attacks haven’t changed the situation on the frontlines, where Russian forces still have the momentum and continue to slowly advance.

Ukraine strikes more oil facilities deep inside Russia, Zelenskyy says - The Hindu -Ukraine hit more oil facilities deep inside Russia in overnight attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday (August 6, 2026), as Kyiv kept up its campaign to undermine Moscow's wartime economy and embarrass the Kremlin. The repeated strikes have caused fuel shortages and rattled Russians. Ukrainians, meanwhile, are enduring regular barrages that Kyiv's depleted air defences are struggling to counter amid Moscow's 4-year-old full-scale invasion. The Kyiv region observed an official day of mourning Thursday (August 6, 2026) after a Russian missile and drone blitz killed 17 people the previous day, prompting an increasingly urgent scramble by Ukraine and its partner countries to find new air defense supplies. In the first six months of this year, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine, the United Nations office in Kyiv said Wednesday (August 5, 2026). That was a 37% increase from the same period last year and a 114% jump over 2024, it said, attributing the rise to more long-range aerial attacks by Russia. Mr. Zelenskyy said he met with senior officials on how to accelerate the development of Ukraine's own ballistic weaponry, similar to its swift wartime innovation in drone technology. “Developing one's own ballistic capabilities and creating a new anti-ballistic system is a task that only a tiny minority of countries worldwide have managed to accomplish,” he said in a social media post. “Ukraine has this capability.” Mr. Zelenskyy said he expects the programme to produce results this year and next after it overcomes “key challenges,” including procuring critical components, technological cooperation with partner countries, and choosing where to build the armaments.

Ukrainian Drone Attacks in Russia Hit Oil Refineries, Kill at Least Two Civilians - - Ukraine launched another major drone swarm into Russia on Thursday, killing at least two civilians and hitting two oil refineries, attacks that came after a day of major Russian missile strikes in Kyiv. Yegor Kovalchuk, the acting governor of Russia’s Bryansk Oblast, said that the two civilians were killed by Ukrainian attacks on towns in the region, which borders Ukraine. He said that one of the attacks hit a car, killing the driver and injuring five others.In Russia’s Yaroslavl Oblast, which is about 160 miles northeast of Moscow, the governor, Mikhail Evraev, reported the “largest ever attack by enemy drones,” saying that 93 targeting the region were intercepted, The Irish Times reported.Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its forces shot down more than 600 drones over multiple Russian regions and the Black and Azov Seas.Evraev said that oil storage tanks were hit by falling debris, and photos from the region show large plumes of black smoke following the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also claimed an attack on an oil refinery in Ufa, the largest city in Russia’s Bashkortostan, which is over 800 miles from the Russian border, though it hasn’t been confirmed by local authorities. While Ukraine has been able to repeatedly strike Russian oil infrastructure in attacks that are supported by US intelligence, Reuters reported on Thursday that Russia’s oil output rose slightly in July. The attacks also haven’t had an impact on the front lines, where Russian forces continue to hold the momentum and are slowly making gains.