week ending Sep 19

Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark rate, defying Trump's demands (AP) — The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lift its short-term interest rate Wednesday for the first time in three years to fight stubbornly high inflation, a move that would put the central bank at odds with President Donald Trump’s support for a cut. A quarter-point increase in the Fed’s rate, currently about 3.6%, isn’t guaranteed because Fed Chair Kevin Warsh doesn’t provide the signals about next moves that his predecessors did. Still, most analysts and economists expect a hike after a speech two weeks ago at the Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in which Warsh argued that the Fed had not yet achieved its goal of putting inflation in check. A rate increase would throw another sharp shift into a volatile period for the economy and financial markets. As recently as March, the Fed had forecast it would cut its rate once this year. But with the Iran war flaring up again and causing sharp increases in oil and gas prices, inflation is likely to remain higher than the Fed’s 2% target for even longer. “I don’t see any end to the war in Iran right now,” Kristin Forbes, an economist at MIT’s Sloan School, said. “Given what everyone has been through in the last few years of high inflation, consumers are more sensitive, companies are more sensitive, they raise prices faster … The risks are much more on more persistent inflation than it falling quickly.” Surging investment in AI data centers has also been accelerating inflation and contributing to higher longer-term interest rates, though now leading companies are discussing slowing the technology’s development. SCOTUS deals major blow to Trump's midterm mail-in ballot restrictions | Sunrise The Fed’s potential rate hike comes just seven weeks before the midterm elections in which high prices and affordability have taken key roles. Trump has demanded that the Fed cut rates, a move that isn’t on the table, and on Sunday the president said, “the United States is so strong we should be paying the lowest interest rate in the world.” Trump repeatedly attacked Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, in harshly personal terms, upending decades of tradition in which presidents treated the Fed as independent. Kevin Hassett, Trump’s top economic adviser, said Sunday on CNN that Trump “100% respects the independence of Kevin Warsh.” Yet at the same time, Hassett suggested in a Fox News interview that the Fed shouldn’t hike so close to the midterms. “I’d be wary of a rate hike … I think if you want an independent Fed, then one thing the Fed does is it stays out of the way of elections,” Hassett said. Financial markets expect that Warsh and the central bank will brush off such warnings. Traders now see a 90% chance the Fed will hike Wednesday, according to futures prices. That figure jumped after Friday’s inflation report showed that prices remain stubbornly high and core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy, picked up in August from the previous month. After that report, and Warsh’s tough talk on inflation late last month, most economists argue that Warsh will have to hike rates or risk undermining his credibility with financial markets. Longer-term interest rates, such as those on the 10-year and 30-year Treasury bonds, could spike if he doesn’t hike, as they did after a Fed meeting in late July when Warsh failed to convince markets he was willing to lift rates if needed. “At the end of the day the Chair’s repeated stern warnings on inflation intolerance risk institutional credibility absent some action to back it up,” Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, wrote in a preview of the Fed’s meeting. Some members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee still expect inflation, outside of food and energy, to fade over time and may not feel a rate hike is necessary. But Warsh has not made that argument. Instead, in his Jackson Hole remarks, he said recent inflation reports “do not tell me that underlying trends have improved,” adding that if such improvement wasn’t seen soon, “we have work to do.” Ironically, by boosting Fed credibility, a rate hike could hold down longer-term interest rates that consumers pay for things like mortgages and auto loans. Some of the recent spike in mortgage rates has likely reflected concerns among investors that the Fed wasn’t committed to fighting inflation. Investors typically demand higher yields to own bonds when inflation is elevated. Still, if the Fed does increase its rate Wednesday, then Warsh will face a new set of questions: How many hikes will the Fed implement? How effective will they be in reducing inflation when much of it stems from higher oil prices, something the Fed can’t control? What will they do if an AI slowdown threatens to slow the economy, which would typically get the central bank to cut rates?

What If Warsh Shocks The Market And Keeps Rates On Hold Ahead of today's FOMC announcement at 2pm, the prevailing consensus is that Warsh will raise rates but he doesn't need to, as tariff inflation is now fading fast, the bulk of headline inflation is driven by one-time supply shocks from the Iran war which the Fed is powerless to fix, and the upcoming change to the PCE methodology will trim the YoY print by about 0.3%, suggesting that the Fed will be hiking at a time when core inflation is the lowest in years. In fact, as Goldman and many others suggested, the only reason why Warsh will hike is because the market is now certain Warsh will hike as the Fed does not want to disappoint the market and spark a rout ... thereby making a mockery of his prior statements that he won't be led by the market (we previewed all this in great detail here), to wit: The CPI report had little impact on our inflation view but pushed market pricing of the probability of a hike to nearly 90%, which puts pressure on the FOMC to deliver a hike to avoid the market reaction that would likely follow from remaining on hold... We expect the FOMC to make only the minimum necessary change to its statement, which will likely note that the FOMC is hiking in support of the goal of returning inflation to 2% but will likely avoid providing guidance on the path forward or the criteria for further hikes. - Goldman But what if Warsh does precisely what he warned he would, and - ignoring market certainty and expectations of a 25bps rate hike, not to mention the resulting tantrum - he keeps rates on hold? To be sure, it's hard enough to go against the market, so one can only imagine how hard it is for Fed Chair Warsh and the FOMC to stare it down. Yet as Standard Chartered's Steven Englander writes, "there seems to have been a market echo chamber pushing up expectations despite a limited amount of incoming data, little sign that inflation is going up, some indications that underlying inflation is much lower if tariffs and other factors are removed and the prospect of more informative data within a couple of meetings." As Englander notes, much of Warsh’s discussion has focused on the Fed influencing the market too much, but the move from the pre-Jackson Hole ‘Warsh has to show that he is willing to hike’ to ‘Warsh will hike if inflation doesn’t come down’ to ‘Warsh has to hike unless the next CPI is really soft’ to ‘Now the debate is on how many hikes he has to do’ in two weeks suggests that the influencing pattern can go both ways. To be sure, while the path of least resistance may be to hike, the Std Chartered strategist sees a real cost down the road if the hiking turns out to be unneeded and the FOMC has to reverse. As a result, and setting aside market pricing, Englander believes that there is a very low cost to waiting. Ok, assume Warsh does not "rip the bandaid" simply because the economy does not merit it, and keeps rates on hold? We already noted that according to JPMorgan this outcome would shock the market and send stocks sliding:

Spiking oil prices jolt US bond yields past 5%, threatening to set off a vicious cycle of debt just as the Fed is expected to hike rates -- The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield briefly topped 5% for the first time since 2023 as spiking oil prices threaten to spill over to debt markets. Yields later pulled back, but Monday’s milestone capped off a surge of more than 100 basis points since just before the Iran war began in late February, when the 10-year rate was below 4%. Meanwhile, the war is now in its seventh month, and with little evidence of diplomatic progress toward fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, crude and refined fuel products remain pricey. In some ways, energy markets are in even worse shape than during the height of the Iran war. While the U.S. military is guiding significant volumes of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, tanker traffic is well below prewar levels. That means U.S. oil reserves, which are already at the lowest in over 40 years, must keep getting drained. At the same time, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait that has served as a vital bypass for Saudi oil to get around the Strait of Hormuz. And a drone attack has shut down Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, which diverted much of the kingdom’s oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. Brent crude oil prices jumped as high as 4% on Monday to nearly $110 a barrel, the highest since May. The prospect of energy costs staying elevated indefinitely is also pushing inflation expectations up. As a result, bond yields across Europe and Asia jumped, joining U.S. Treasuries. The run-up comes just as the Federal Reserve is widely expected to hike rates on Wednesday with other central banks likely to follow. “After several years in which inflation has run above target, it has become harder for policymakers to ‘look through’ the otherwise temporary effects of higher inflation caused by supply shocks,” Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics, said in a note on Monday. “More importantly, in a world of high public debt and large fiscal deficits, there is a potential feedback loop through the bond market that could make a difficult situation considerably worse.” U.S. inflation has exceeded the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years, and policymakers are less willing to wait and see if prices will eventually cool. Some on Wall Street see a total of three rate hikes from the Fed. Eventually, higher interest rates will feed into higher bond yields. The new borrowing rates will make it more expensive for governments to maintain enormous deficits and debt. “Those concerns can push bond yields higher still, creating a self-reinforcing cycle in which rising yields feed fiscal worries, which in turn drive yields higher,” Shearing explained. For now, the U.S. is not yet in a self-fulfilling fiscal crisis because nominal GDP growth is still outpacing the cost of servicing debt, he added. And while the oil shock may prove to be manageable, it’s a reminder that a world laden with debt is more vulnerable to supply shocks that can intensify via the bond market, Shearing warned. “In fact, there is a good case to be made that the key risk from a global macro perspective is less the initial shock than the feedback loop it could set in motion,” he wrote. The 5% threshold for 10-year Treasury yields could also bring down tech stocks, which sold off on Monday, led by chipmakers that had been riding the massive wave of hyperscaler spending.In a Financial Times op-ed last week, Rockefeller International Chairman Ruchir Sharma warned the AI bubble could pop when the 10-year yield “decisively breaches” 5%, which has been the upper end of its range since the dotcom era.. Borrowing costs that high would hit the AI boom in different ways. For one, hyperscalers will likely issue fewer bonds to finance their spending. They will also have more trouble issuing new equity as yields above 5% have historically been a headwind for stocks. In addition, yields topping 5% would start to approach nominal GDP growth, making the national debt even more unsustainable, he pointed out. While others on Wall Street have said yields are merely normalizing after years of being suppressed by central bank policies, Sharma noted the U.S. is much more addicted to debt today as the burden has exceeded 100% of GDP. “As a result, debt-servicing costs are much higher now,” he wrote. “Rising public borrowing costs will squeeze other borrowers sooner, and hit the bubbly AI markets harder.”

Federal Reserve hikes key rate for 1st time in 3 years, defying Trump (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly high inflation, and the central bank signaled another rate hike could occur later this year. The quarter-point increase lifts the Fed’s key rate to about 3.9% and, over time, could result in higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. In a set of quarterly projections, the Fed also signaled its rate-setting committee could raise it a second time to 4.1%.The move comes as Americans are already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas and housing. Affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away.It adds another potentially dicey economic variable for Republicans and President Donald Trump, who blasted the decision Wednesday and accused the Fed’s top policymakers of trying to hurt him politically.Chair Kevin Warsh, who was nominated by Trump, emphasized after the announcement that the economy has shown signs of gathering speed since the central bank decided to keep rates unchanged in late July. Inflation has also remained stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target, and he noted there is little sign it is cooling.“The plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long,” Warsh said. “We must be confident that underlying inflation is moving to our objective clearly and at sufficient speed. Today the FOMC decided that this standard has not been satisfied,” he added, referring to the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, an arm of the Fed.  “Warsh’s tough talk around inflation in the post-meeting press conference suggested that he may be pushing for higher rates in meetings to come,” said Preston Caldwell, chief U.S. economist at Morningstar.Warsh also said renewed combat between the U.S. and Iran, which has driven up gas prices, had convinced Fed officials to support rate hikes.“There’s no hiding from hot spots around the world,” he said. Trump, speaking to reporters in North Carolina ahead of a midterm campaign rally, made no mention of his policies that influenced the decision, instead framing the historically independent Fed as another political actor in Washington.“The board is very hostile. They’re very political. They’re doing the wrong thing. They’re a bunch of politicians,” he said, adding, “They’re raising rates to make Trump do as bad as they can possibly do.”Warsh noted that other central banks are hiking interest rates in response to global turmoil and higher gas prices. The European Central Bank raised its key rate last week, and the Bank of Japan is expected to do the same Sept. 18.The Fed next meets in late October and most economists expect officials will keep rates unchanged then because it is just a week before the midterm elections. But Wall Street analysts now see a rate hike by December as a near certainty, according to futures prices. Also late Wednesday, the yield, or interest rate, on the 2-year Treasury rose to 4.74% from 4.67%, another sign investors expect the Fed to potentially lift rates further. Still, if inflation does show signs of cooling in the coming months, that could change.Since taking the lead at the Fed in May, Warsh has said it is firmly committed to taming inflation, and policymakers would take their cues from the data to determine if inflation was going in the right direction. The rate hike marks a turnaround for Warsh. He often suggested last year when under consideration by Trump that the Fed could reduce its key rate, echoing the president’s call for lower borrowing costs. In April, when Warsh’s nomination was under consideration by the Senate Banking Committee, Trump said in a television interview that he would be disappointed if Warsh didn’t cut rates. On the same day, however, Warsh told the committee he did not promise Trump he would cut rates and said he would be “an independent actor” as Fed chair.Trump said in North Carolina that he had talked to Warsh ahead of the vote and told him, “You might as well vote with the board because it’s not going to matter.” According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was 3.7% in July compared with a year ago, up from 2.3% in April 2025, just before Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, was 3.3% in July, the latest data available, up from 3% just before the Iran war and far above the Fed’s target.Fed policymakers unanimously supported the rate hike, compared with late July when the central bank kept rates steady and three officials dissented in favor of higher rates. Sixteen of the 18 Fed policymakers who submitted growth and interest rate projections penciled in at least one further rate hike this year, with four supporting two more increases.Earlier Wednesday, the government said retail sales jumped 1.2% in August from the previous month, a sign that consumers are still spending at healthy levels despite sentiment surveys that indicate Americans remain gloomy about the economy. Strong spending is a sign that interest rates at current levels aren’t necessarily restricting the economy and cooling inflation.

Warsh's push to pare back Fed communications has real limits - Kevin Warsh wants to make the Federal Reserve less talkative — but he's not the only Fed official that markets are listening to.

• Key insight: Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's push to limit his own public speaking comes as other members of the Federal Open Market Committee are speaking more than ever — and markets are listening to them, too. 
• Expert quote: "The amount of talking about monetary policy that I did back then in the '90s was completely trivial compared to what many members of the FOMC do today. It was a peanut shell compared to a tree." — Alan Blinder, former Federal Reserve Vice Chair
• Forward Look: The efficacy of Warsh's new communications approach will be put to the test following this week's FOMC meeting, in which a resounding majority of market participants expect a 25 basis point rate hike.

While Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has sought to inject some mystery into the central bank's communications with markets, an American Banker analysis shows that officials other than the chair have been speaking more and more frequently over the last few decades.

Warsh: Rising bond yields a sign of strong U.S. economy — Many explanations have been offered to explain the recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields, including ballooning government debt, inflationary concerns and the oil shock resulting from the ongoing war in Iran.

• Key insight: Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said he follows bond markets and believes they give important signals, but he said the central bank is not beholden to them.
• Expert quote: "Consider the geopolitical landscape of shocks and uncertainty, and you begin to appreciate the resilience of the U.S. economy. Given that resilience and the potential for even greater performance, an attitude of optimism is exactly what I heard inside the FOMC these last two days." — Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh
• Forward Look: Warsh declined to say whether this week's rate hike would be a one-off event or part of a series of increases.

Iran Says It Shot Down Another US MQ-1 Drone Over the Strait of Hormuz - -Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces shot down a US “MQ-1” drone over the Strait of Hormuz as tensions remain high in the region amid the continued US blockade of Iranian ports.It’s unclear if the “MQ-1” Iran referred to was an MQ-1 Predator drone, which was officially retired in 2018, or a different variant of the unmanned aircraft, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which remains in service.A few months ago, the Pentagon acknowledged losing an MQ-1 drone, but US Central Command wouldn’t say which variant it was when asked by The War Zone, which noted that reactivating the Predator drone could be an attractive option for the Pentagon since it has lost so many MQ-9 Reaper drones.According to a report from The Washington Post last month, the US has lost 45 MQ-9s, or 25% of its entire fleet, since it launched the war against Iran. MQ-9s cost between $30 billion and $50 billion to manufacture, meaning the 45 lost in the Iran war could cost up to $2.25 billion to replace.The US has used the MQ-9 extensively in the war, both for surveillance in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf and in airstrikes on Iran. Despite the high attrition rate, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the chief of the US Air Force, previously dubbed the drones the “most valuable player” of the US-Israeli bombing campaign, which killed more than 3,400 Iranians, around half of whom were civilians.

Iran attacks hit U.S. Gulf posts causing $184 million in estimated damages - U.S. diplomatic facilities in four Gulf countries suffered around $184 million in estimated damages from Iranian military strikes, according to a new report from the Pentagon’s watchdog made public on Monday. The posts are located in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pentagon watchdog said in the 44-page report, the first one since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February. The heaviest damage was sustained in Iraq with over $157 million in costs, followed by Kuwait with more than $14 million in damages and $11.5 million in Saudi Arabia, the report said. In the UAE, the U.S. diplomatic post suffered $125,000 in damages. The U.S. mission in Iraq experienced over 600 Iranian attacks. The Iranian military has targeted various U.S. military bases in the Gulf since Operation Epic Fury kicked off on Feb. 28, but Tehran has also inflicted heavy damages on diplomatic and intelligence outposts in those countries. From Feb. 28 to June 29, the Pentagon has estimated the cost of war to be $33.4 billion, but that does not include costs for infrastructure repairs. In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Senate lawmakers that the Iran war’s estimated cost was $37.5 billion, a sum that some experts argued was a low estimate. The State Department, meanwhile, reported that as of June 2, it had incurred $113 million in costs related to the war and “as it continues to assess damage, costs are likely to rise.”In addition, 18 U.S. service members have been killed and some 800 wounded in the more than six-month war. About 50,000 American troops are still deployed to the region, with the Trump administration yet to provide a clear exit strategy from the deeply unpopular conflict. Top administration officials have at times downplayed the damages Iranian one-way attack drones and missiles have inflicted on U.S. military bases, aircraft and other assets in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) theater. Last week, President Trump denied news reports that several U.S. military jets were damaged in Iran’s attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. “None whatsoever. No damage. No nothing,” the president said in an interview with The Hill’s sister network NewsNation when asked about one A-10 Thunderbolt losing a wing and eight F-15s sustained light damage. More than 50 U.S. aircraft have been damaged or destroyed since the Iran war began, according to the watchdog’s report, including 4 F-15Es, seven KC-135 refueling aircraft, four AH-6 helicopters and at least 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones. But some top officials were more candid.  “They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” the acting U.S. Navy secretary Hung Cao said in an interview last week with The Epoch Times when asked about the level of damage Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NASB), which serves as the headquarters for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. Fifth Fleet, had sustained since the conflict began. The Navy has used the NASB as its main logistics hub in the Middle East. The service branch is weighing what to do with the base, including if it should be repaired. “I have a task force that’s looking at that,” Cao said.

JD Vance confirms reports on calls to military commanders regarding Iran - Vice President Vance appeared to confirm on Monday a New York Times story that reported he made calls to U.S. military commanders in the Middle East, Asia and Europe to get their assessments on the Iran war. “I trust Pete and I trust Dan Caine, but I found that story very weird,” Vance told reporters. “It’s like the vice president calls around to admirals and generals to try to understand America’s foreign policy, of course I do.” The Times reported on Thursday that Vance made the calls during the spring and summer after he was directed by President Trump to figure out a way to end the conflict between Washington and Tehran. According to the publication, commanders relayed to Vance that they were worried about the supply of Patriot interceptors. The Times also reported that the vice president discussed strategy, objectives, casualty assessments and the Strait of Hormuz. Vance reportedly came away from the conversations with concerns after learning how much the Iranian regime was willing to endure to survive and relayed this to Trump and those close to the president. The vice president, who has voiced opposition to long-term foreign entanglements, was said to have raised concerns about starting a war with Iran. Earlier this month he said he would not characterize the U.S. military operation in Iran as a “war.” “I wouldn’t call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting. I recognize there have been places where this has flared up,” the vice president told reporters at a press briefing.

No talks until Iran’s conditions are met: SNSC chief - The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, has said that mixed signals from the US president should not distract anyone from the new realities around oil and the straits, adding that there will be no negotiations until Tehran’s conditions are met. In a post on his official X account on Monday night, Rezaei wrote: “Don’t get distracted by the U.S. president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk.’ The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming.” “No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!” he added. The warning came hours after US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that “Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly,” while claiming he would “determine whether or not the USA will choose to engage,” adding that “the concept of which we are open to.” That message contradicted Trump’s own earlier line. In August, he wrote that “there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” insisted the naval blockade remained in force, and falsely claimed the Strait of Hormuz was “open and operating.” The same day, his son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner had said conversations with Iran were “probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been.” Trump has also swung between threatening to “keep the oil like Venezuela,” saying Iran is “calling constantly” for talks, and asserting that the war will end after the US midterm elections. Iranian officials have dismissed those claims as propaganda and an attempt to cover Washington’s failure to impose its will on the Persian Gulf. Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, has repeatedly made clear that the waterway remains closed and under Iranian control. He has said any change depends on the United States ending the war and blockade, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, and agreeing to a region-wide ceasefire, including in Lebanon and Gaza. Tehran’s position is that diplomacy without guarantees is a trap. After Washington walked away from commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, Iranian authorities said trust must be rebuilt through deeds, not contradictory slogans from the White House. Until those conditions are met in full, Rezaei said, talks are off the table, and damage-control rhetoric will not reverse the shift in the energy and maritime balance.

Iranian Security Chief Says No Talks With US Until 'Iran's Conditions Are Met' - Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Monday that there would be no talks between Tehran and Washington until “Iran’s conditions are met,” comments that came after President Trump claimed that Iran “badly” wants a deal.Trump said in a post on Truth Social: “The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the USA. will choose to engage – The concept of which we are open to. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”The post reflected a change in Trump’s position, as he recently said he was no longer interested in negotiations with Iran, something Rezaei pointed out in his response to the US president.“Don’t get distracted by the US president’s mixed signals—from ‘no negotiations’ to ‘we’re ready to talk,'” Rezaei wrote on X. “The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming. No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”While Rezaei didn’t outline what Iran’s “conditions” were, Iranian officials have said in recent weeks that a deal was possible with the US only if it fulfilled its commitments that it agreed to under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June, which included an end to the blockade of Iranian ports, sanctions relief for Iran, and an end to Israel’s war in Lebanon.There’s no indication that Trump is willing to fulfill those commitments, and according to a recent report from Middle East Eye, the US told Iran through Pakistan and Qatar that it wouldn’t return to the MoU. That message was delivered on August 24, the same day that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced what he called an “economic D-Day” against Iran, which so far has involved sanctions on Iran’s airlines and a few foreign banks accused of doing business with Tehran.

Trump Claims Direct Contact With Iran; Tehran Says No Talks Until Conditions Met - -President Donald Trump says the war in Iran may be ending soon as Tehran is begging to make a deal. He added that Iranian and American officials recently had direct contact. An Iranian official said talks between the US and Iran will not resume until Washington complies with the June Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).Trump was asked by reporters on Wednesday what phase the war against Iran was in.  He said, “Well, hopefully we are toward the end of the war. They want to make a deal; we’ll see how that works out. Iran is very much wanting to make a deal.” In a follow-up, Trump was asked whether he had recently been in direct contact with Iran. He replied, “Directly.”However, Iran has not confirmed that direct talks have taken place. Earlier this week, a senior Iranian official said there would be no talks with the US until conditions are met. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Trump of sending “mixed signals” and said, “no talks until Iran’s conditions are met.” Tehran is demanding that Washington meet its commitments under the MOU. Under the deal, Trump agreed the US would enforce a ceasefire in Lebanon, lift sanctions on Iran, remove the blockade of Iranian ports, stop threatening Iran, and halt attacks on the Islamic Republic. Since the deal was signed, the US has violated all those terms, and Trump declared the MOU defunct in July. Throughout the conflict, Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran is begging the US to agree to end the war. However, Tehran has not moved from its original demands for ending the conflict.

South Korea Considering What Role It Can Play in the Strait of Hormuz - - South Korean officials said Seoul is discussing what role the country could play in efforts to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. So far, South Korea has refused to participate in the US war against Iran, drawing President Donald Trump’s ire. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo told the National Assembly, “The government is looking at the issue basically not from the perspective of South Korea-US relations, but in terms of ensuring safe navigation [through the Strait of Hormuz], the security of energy supply routes and the safety of our people.”South Korea sourced 61% of its oil from the Persian Gulf in 2025, making the Strait of Hormuz a crucial waterway for Seoul’s energy supply. The discussions in Seoul come after Trump repeatedly criticized South Korea for not supporting his war against Iran. Last month, Trump scaled back war games with South Korea and publicly attacked President Lee Jae Myung for assisting the US in the Middle East. In August, Trump posted on Truth Social that he ordered the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) war games with South Korea to be scaled back. While the President primarily attributed this to the drill being unnecessarily hostile towards North Korea, he suggested that South Korea’s decision not to get involved in the war against Iran was a factor. “While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” he wrote. During a presser that same week, President Trump recalled a conversation with South Korean President Lee. Trump said, “Would you like to give us a little hand with Iran? If you would like, we don’t need help. [Lee] said, ‘No thanks.’”The President continued, “What do you mean? We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, and you are not going to help us with Iran? That’s strange.”Notably, while President Trump halved the size of the UFS war games, he allowed the Freedom Edge drills to proceed as planned in September. South Korea and Japan participate in the US-led Freedom Edge war games, and North Korea views both military drills as provocative.

House Votes To Pass Iran War Powers Resolution-   The House of Representatives voted on Sept. 15 to pass a war powers resolution that calls for President Donald Trump to end U.S. military action against Iran. Following a floor debate on a war powers resolution aimed at directing Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization, the House voted 220-204 to pass House Concurrent Resolution 93. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) initially introduced the resolution in April. During Tuesday's floor debate, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said the war with Iran has been a "strategic failure," leaving the United States with depleted weapons stockpiles and a "tab of more than $100 billion that taxpayers will have to cover." Meeks, who introduced a war powers resolution passed by the House in June, said on Tuesday that the resolution "made clear what the Constitution makes clear: Congress, not the president, has the power to decide when the United States goes to war." In his remarks, Meeks asked if the war had produced any of its promised objectives. "The Strait of Hormuz remains a source of enormous risk to global energy markets, and Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, despite what the administration claims, clearly remain." The House previously passed two war powers resolutions in an effort to limit Trump's authority to direct U.S. military actions against the Iranian regime. However, the resolutions have only acted as a symbolic rebuke of the president's military campaign against Iran. The War Powers Resolution of 1973, also known as the War Powers Act, is a federal law that aims to limit the authority of the president to authorize military actions without congressional approval. The Trump administration has disputed the War Powers Act as unconstitutional and not binding. The House voted 215-208 in favor of a war powers resolution directing Trump to end the war in Iran on June 3. Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) joined all voting Democrats in supporting the resolution. The vote drew a rebuke from Trump, who criticized the Republicans for joining Democrats to pass the resolution. "Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Who would do such an unpatriotic thing," Trump wrote in a June 4 statement on Truth Social. On June 23, the Senate voted 50-48 in favor of the concurrent resolution to limit Trump's ability to direct U.S. military action against Iran. However, the resolution was reversed the following day after Trump confronted Republican senators. The House also voted 214-208 on July 23 to pass a war powers resolution directing the president to remove U.S. military forces from hostilities with Iran. The same four Republican representatives joined Democrats in supporting the measure. Just hours after the House approved the second war powers resolution, the Senate voted 47-49 against a similar resolution.

Democratic Senators Seek Pentagon Accounting of Iran War Cost - - Senate Democrats have taken the unusual step of issuing a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking a full accounting from him and the Pentagon for the bare minimum that the ongoing war in Iran is going to cost. The letter (PDF) was spearheaded by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D – MI) and cites the $67 billion supplemental funding request made by the administration for war funding at the end of June. Every Democratic Party senator, with the exclusion only of Sen. John Fetterman (D – PA), signed onto the letter. Sen. Fetterman said he remains a supporter of anything that confronts “the Iranian regime and its proxies.” The letter doesn’t express opposition to the war itself, but rather seeks to establish what it’s ultimately going to cost, noting that the Pentagon has been unusually opaque about what it’s spending and expects to spend going forward on the full conflict compared to how past conflicts have been handled.The letter noted a recent Pentagon estimate of $42 billion, but also notes that things like the damage done to US facilities across the Middle East have explicitly been excluded from any official estimates so far. At the same time, the Pentagon is seeking more money to pay for the ongoing conflict, beyond the $1.5 trillion it’s requesting for the military budget for the next fiscal year.The United States attacked Iran in late February, and while President Trump has declared victory countless times in the course of the months that have followed, the conflict shows no sign of ending. The House voted earlier this week to end the conflict, with members of Congress noting the lack of a concrete plan. The lack of a detailed accounting of what the war is costing is only another problem that is both highly consequential and about which relatively little is known.In comparison, the US war in Iraq was an embarrassment of riches in paperwork sent to Congress, as the Bush Administration at the time engaged in a large number of briefings to Congress, enormously more briefings to the public, and supplement requests that were remarkably detailed and over 100 pages long.To the extent this administration will even admit the war is ongoing in the first place, the policy seems to be to provide the Senate with the absolute bare minimum of details about what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and what they’re spending in the process. Not that the Senate isn’t still expected to foot the bill, but that they’d just as soon avoid providing specifics for the increasingly unpopular war.

UN Report: Reasonable Grounds to Believe US Committed War Crimes in Iran - A UN fact-finding mission concluded that the US intentionally targeted a school building in Iran that was struck on the opening day of the war, rejecting the possibility that the school was accidentally hit during an attack on a neighboring Iranian military facility. The investigators found reasonable grounds to believe the attack constituted a war crime. “Based on the available evidence,” a report from the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran said, adding, “The Mission finds reasonable grounds to believe that the US committed the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack resulting in loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.” The fact-finding mission was looking into human rights abuses in Iran, including the Minab school bombing. On the opening day of the war, the school was hit by multiple Tomahawk missiles, killing more than 150 people, most of them children. The report argues the Minab school bombing amounted to a war crime because the US intentionally targeted the building, and did not engage in thorough target verification to know it currently operated as a school. It described the failure to identify the school as “beyond mere negligence.” “Credible civil society organizations concurred that the available evidence pointed to US responsibility and that failures in target verification, including reliance on outdated intelligence, were the most likely explanation for the strike on the school,” the report explains. Furthermore, “The Mission concluded that when targeting the school building, the US acted wilfully, that is with the requisite mental element of recklessness.” President Donald Trump initially blamed Iran for the school bombing without providing evidence. He later suggested Iran possessed Tomahawk missiles, although Iran is not known to have the weapon. A Department of War investigation would later admit the US attack was correlated with US strikes on Iranian military sites nearby, although the US investigation has not been made public. The UN fact-finding mission also looked into a strike on a sports hall in Lamerd, Iran. The report says the team found “grounds to believe that the munitions used in the airstrike on and around the sports hall in Lamerd were PrSM missiles.” 22 people were killed in the attack, including five children. The fact-finding mission also found the Lamerd strike amounted to the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack. The US denies it conducted the strike.

Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth over Iran war - Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday launched an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing the Pentagon’s military actions against Iran.  Massie, a frequent critic of President Trump, accused Hegseth of launching an illegal war that was not approved by Congress. He introduced articles of impeachment on the House floor against Hegseth for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Massie also took the remarkable step of making his resolution privileged, meaning he’s forcing it to the floor for a vote. By House rules, that vote must come within two days. He argued that Hegseth violated “his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and violated “his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, especially with regard to the commission of war.” He added that Hegseth has “abused the powers of the Department of Defense.” It’s not clear whether his resolution will garner GOP support. Massie, who lost his primary to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein (R) in May, has previously introduced war powers resolutions to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran. The House, so far, has passed two war powers resolutions, with a few Republicans bucking party leadership and joining Democrats in favor of them. Under the War Powers Resolution, a president must end unauthorized U.S. military involvement within 60 days unless Congress formally declares war or otherwise approves the operation. The president may also receive an additional 30 days to safely withdraw U.S. troops. The Pentagon praised Hegseth as a “transformative leader” who has delivered results for the Defense Department. “Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs. Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way,” Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said in a statement on Tuesday. “By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before. The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” Wilson added. In May, Hegseth traveled to Kentucky to stump for Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Massie’s primary opponent. The Defense secretary ripped Massie as an obstructionist, saying that “at some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing.” Gallrein beat the incumbent, ending Massie’s reelection bid. >

Rep. Thomas Massie Introduces Resolution To Impeach Pete Hegseth Over Iran War, Civilian Casualties - --Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Tuesday introduced a resolution to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, referred to by the Trump administration as the Secretary of War, for “high crimes and misdemeanors” over the war with Iran and other unauthorized conflicts, military operations, and large numbers of civilian casualties that he has overseen.  Massie unveiled eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, which he read on the House floor, and a vote is expected Thursday. Among the charges, Massie said that Hegseth is in violation of the 1973 War Powers Act by continuing the war with Iran without congressional authorization, which is outlined in the first three articles of impeachment.“By engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable,” Massie said in a press release on the impeachment effort.“Secretary Hegseth’s constitutional violations extend beyond the illegal war in Iran. He is abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration by retaliating against them for exercising free speech. If we are to remain true to our oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ Congress must not turn a blind eye to Secretary Hegseth’s unconstitutional and illegal actions,” Massie added. Article IV details how Hegseth has ignored US laws meant to minimize civilian casualties, and references the February 28 US strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, which killed at least 156 civilians, including 120 children. “The elementary school was struck after Secretary Hegseth sought to repeal congressionally mandated civilian-protection requirements, dismantled the Department’s civilian-harm mitigation infrastructure, removed the senior-most Judge Advocates General responsible for independent legal oversight, stripped civilian protection from the National Defense Strategy, and publicly denigrated legal restraints on military force as obstacles to ‘maximum lethality,'” the resolution reads.Article V, titled “Extrajudicial Killings,” details Hegseth’s role in overseeing the bombing campaign against alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which has killed more than 200 people since it began last year.“By subjecting persons merely suspected of criminal conduct to lethal military force without judicial process, without Congressional authorization, and without establishing a lawful basis for treating such persons or vessels as military targets, Secretary Hegseth arrogated to himself and the Executive Branch the roles of judge, jury, and executioner and asserted a unilateral power to determine who may live and who may die,” the resolution reads. Article VI addresses Hegseth’s efforts to chill the constitutionally protected speech of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who faced retaliation from Hegseth after releasing a video telling members of the US military that they can “refuse illegal orders.” Article VII, titled “Kidnapping of a Sovereign Foreign Leader,” deals with the US attack on Venezuela to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The resolution describes the attack as “an act of war against a sovereign country executed under the guise of narcotics law enforcement, though in actuality intended to assert US control over Venezuela’s oil reserves.”The final article addresses the US’s bombing campaign in Yemen that began on March 15, 2025, and concluded on May 6 of that year. The resolution states that the “unlawful war in Yemen” violated the Constitution and the War Powers Act since it wasn’t authorized by Congress, and there was no imminent threat facing the US or its forces, which was made clear by a leaked Signal chat that showed discussions between Hegseth and other senior US officials.In the chat, Hegseth himself said that he could “easily pause” the plans to strike Yemen before the bombing campaign began. “Thus, Secretary Hegseth knew there was no imminent threat to the United States, its territories or possessions, or its Armed Forces,” the resolution states.  The article also notes the large number of civilian casualties, with at least 224 estimated to be killed. The bombing campaign included two large-scale massacres of civilians, including the bombing of the Ras Isa fuel port in Hodeidah, which killed 84 civilians, and strikes on a migrant detention facility that killed 68 African migrants. “Wherefore, Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to civilians, the lawful conduct of United States military operations, the integrity and credibility of the United States Armed Forces, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law,” the resolution states. “Peter Brian Hegseth thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”

Speaker Johnson Cancels Thursday House Session, Pushing Hegseth Impeachment Vote Until After Midterms - - House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced he has canceled a planned House session for Thursday, sending lawmakers for an early seven-week recess and pushing back a vote to impeach US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth until after the midterm elections. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who introduced the resolution to impeach Hegseth, suspected Johnson might take drastic measures to avoid the vote, so he didn’t inform GOP leadership of his plan to introduce the resolution, which he did on the House floor on Tuesday.“And there it is. Just as I predicted. They’re canceling Congress tomorrow to avoid the vote on IMPEACHING [Hegseth]. It will also make it harder for us to reach 218 signatures on the Epstein Discharge Petition before the election. We were at 190+ signatures last night,” Massie wrote on X after Johnson canceled the votes. While Johnson didn’t explicitly say the Hegseth impeachment was the reason for canceling Thursday’s votes, Reese Gorman, a reporter for The Washington Sun, reported right before the cancellation was official that some in House leadership “want to avoid a vote on the Hegseth impeachment set to come up tomorrow since it’s privileged.”Johnson’s move also came after seven House Republicans voted against the Iran war by voting in favor of a War Powers Resolution that would direct President Trump to end the conflict. The bill passed 220-204, with all 213 Democrats present voting in favor.The House has held multiple votes on the Iran war, but the Tuesday night vote had the highest number of Republicans supporting a resolution to end the conflict, signaling that Massie may get some Republican support over the Hegseth impeachment since it’s centered on the conflict with Iran.Both the House and the Senate have already passed a concurrent Iran War Powers Resolution, which, under the 1973 War Powers Act, should direct the president to remove US forces from hostilities with Iran.Massie argued in his eight articles of impeachment for Hegseth that passing the concurrent War Powers Resolution was one of the multiple ways Hegseth and the administration are breaking the law by continuing the Iran war.The articles also address how Hegseth has ignored US laws designed to mitigate civilian casualties, his role in extrajudicial executions at sea (strikes on alleged drug-running boats), the attack on Venezuela to abduct President Maduro, the bombing campaign in Yemen last year, and his efforts to chill free speech.

Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: ‘He needs to go’  -- Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who voted to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is renewing his call for President Trump to fire the Pentagon chief after former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned. “He needs to go, whether it’s impeachment or the most expedient route — just the president to replace him — would be great,” Tillis told reporters Thursday. Driscoll, who resigned at the end of August, clashed with Hegseth over firings of the Army’s senior leadership and other changes to the department. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Tuesday, citing his handling of the Iran war and accusing him of violating his “oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” “I’ll let the House do what the House is going to do,” Tillis told reporters when asked whether Republicans should support the articles of impeachment. “I think I’m pretty well staked out on my assessment of Mr. Hegseth.” Tillis, who is not seeking reelection in November, has been one of Hegseth’s most vocal Republican critics in the Senate. “I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” the outgoing North Carolina Republican wrote on the social platform X earlier this month. He also accused Hegseth of pushing out experienced military officials and said the Pentagon needed a leader who would “retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it.” “I urge the President to find a new leader at the Pentagon who will retain and empower our military talent rather than diminish it,” he said. Tillis told Politico earlier this year that Trump firing Hegseth was on “a Christmas wish list” and that he believed the Pentagon chief misled Trump on the dynamics of the war in Iran.m

Iran downs 53rd US MQ-9 drone since start of US-Israeli aggression The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has downed the 53rd US MQ-9 drone since the beginning of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, the latest in a series of American unmanned aircraft destroyed by the country’s armed forces during the war. The IRGC Aerospace Force intercepted and destroyed the unmanned aircraft at 10:12 a.m. local time on Thursday over Qeshm Island, using a new advanced air-defense system under the control of Iran’s integrated air-defense network. The MQ-9 is the 53rd US drone to have been destroyed by Iranian forces. The total number of enemy drones destroyed by Iran’s armed forces since the beginning of the war has reached several hundred, according to the IRGC. The latest downing comes two days after the IRGC announced the interception and destruction of three US MQ-1 Predator drones in a single day over the Strait of Hormuz. The repeated destruction of US drones comes as the operational MQ-9 fleet of the US Air Force has fallen significantly below its established minimum level. US congressional testimony delivered on May 12 indicated that the operational MQ-9 fleet had decreased to approximately 135 aircraft, compared with a minimum threshold of 189, Bloomberg reported. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the San Diego-headquartered manufacturer of the MQ-9, has confirmed that fewer than 10 new airframes remain available for acquisition, while production of the Reaper drone has ceased. Military experts note that the increased loss of MQ-9 drones has prompted the US Army to use the older MQ-1 version for its sustained aggression against Iran. The latest drone interception also comes as Iranian officials highlight the challenges US military systems have faced during the war. Speaking at a meeting with women working in Iran’s defense industry on Thursday, Brigadier General Majid Ebn-e-Reza, acting defense minister, said the recent war has demonstrated the challenges facing US military systems in confronting Iran’s missile and drone capabilities. “Until yesterday, the military forces of the aggressive and terrorist US army were confident in their weapons and military capabilities based on Trump’s baseless claims. “However, the reality on the battlefield showed that Patriot and THAAD systems, as well as Tomahawk missiles, faced challenges when confronted with Iran’s advanced missile and drone technologies,” he said. Ebn-e-Reza said Iran’s deterrence capabilities are now in the hands of the country’s young scientists, researchers and engineers who have enhanced Iran’s defense capabilities by designing and producing next-generation systems. The acting defense minister added that what concerns Iran’s enemies is not only the country’s existing military capabilities but also the pace at which those capabilities are developing. This concern, he said, will increase as more women enter the country’s defense and technological sectors. Ebn-e-Reza said Iran’s defense industry has achieved indigenous capabilities in numerous fields, adding that part of this progress is due to the work of women whose names may be less widely known but whose contributions have left their mark across the industry. “If yesterday, during the days of war, our challenge was to preserve defense capabilities and maintain production, today our mission is to build new technologies, develop deterrence power and move at the frontiers of knowledge,” he said.

US military members leak images of damage to US bases in Iran war  - Active-duty U.S. service members have leaked photos to CBS News that depict damage to American military infrastructure in the Middle East during the Iran war. The images, which are undated and were shared anonymously, appear to show the aftermath of missile and drone strikes on U.S. facilities in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The previously unseen images underscore the far-reaching impact of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, now in its seven month with no clear end in sight. “This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public,” one service member told CBS News. “We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.” One photo, from Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, shows a four-engine Boeing aircraft with a large section of its fuselage and radar dome missing. Debris is scattered across the runway and sand. Earlier images of what appeared to be the same damaged plane had circulated on social media in March. Another image from the base — which houses thousands of U.S. military personnel — shows a building gutted by a strike, with sections of its roof and walls torn away. Photos from Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait show similar destruction: a charred truck, a damaged three-story building and a field of trailers flattened after a strike. Another image shows a dark plume of smoke rising from what appears to be a large tent-like structure. The CBS News report quickly gained traction on social media, drawing more than 1 million views on X alone and prompting reactions from former U.S. military personnel and policy experts. “This is shocking to me after having served at some of these locations,” wrote Fred Wellman, a retired Army officer and Democratic candidate for Congress in Missouri. “The ‘damaged’ AWACS [Airborne Warning and Control System] has suffered a catastrophic hit,” wrote Sina Azodi, a professor of Middle East studies at George Washington University, referring to the image of the Boeing aircraft. The Independent has contacted the Pentagon and White House for comment. Trump administration officials, who say the war is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, have repeatedly emphasized the damage U.S. forces have inflicted on Iran. They have said Iran’s military has effectively been wiped out and that vast numbers of Iranian leaders have been killed. “Iran is officially a Failed Nation,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last month. “They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police, Inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country.” At the same time, Trump and members of his administration have said little about damage the U.S. military has sustained and, at times, have appeared to minimize it. In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iranian strikes on U.S. bases as “squirters,” telling reporters that “every once in a while you might have one” that penetrates air defenses.

Russian Satellites Reportedly Helped Iran Target US Bases, as Saudis Beg China to Intervene  -A CNN investigation claims that Russia flew “14 satellites” over the Middle East which intelligence officials believe gave Iran unprecedented targeting capabilities on the eve of major precision strikes on US bases earlier this year: CNN Investigates: Iran has improved targeting of US assets. Here’s how Russian satellites likely have helped Fourteen Russian spy satellites moved over a US military base in Saudi Arabia two days before a devastating attack by Iran. The timing and sequencing of the spacecraft gave them access to a large spectrum of data which, US officials and international intelligence sources say, helped Tehran conduct some of its most precise attacks against American assets. CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi reports.  It still boggles the mind that this is a surprise to the West. Just yesterday a NATO RQ-4D—a variant of the infamous Global Hawk—was spotted just miles outside of Crimea, presumably surveilling ground targets for an upcoming Ukrainian attack: US and NATO reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea are proceeding at a high tempo. First, a Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix high-altitude drone operating out of the Italian airbase at Sigonella flew a mission targeting Crimea. Then a Bombardier Challenger 650 Artemis … It’s called tit-for-tat. On the top of the data card above, you can see code 7600 written in red. This is the international emergency squawk for communication loss. Multiple accounts claimed the RQ-4 suffered a communication malfunction and was forced to briskly flee the area.But getting back to the CNN piece, there is one major question that arises: What do all those people now say, who claim that Russia tepidly allows the crossing of all its red lines by not reacting to the US’s arming of Ukraine and the assistance US provides in targeting data for Ukraine’s strikes? Who ultimately paid a higher price, Russia or the US?Ukraine has done damage to Russia, but not strategically so, given that Russia continues to move forward on the battlefield and is able to wield all of its assets as before the war. The US on the other hand has virtually lost its entire Middle Eastern perch, in part thanks to Russian targeting provided to Iran—at least if we’re to believe these reports. It would seem at first glance that Russia got the much better of the exchange here, given that US’s losses in the Middle East were truly of a generationally strategic nature, depending on how things continue to play out.Iran has trapped the US in an increasingly precarious position, with the US now in fear of arousing Iran’s ire given that the Persians’ powerful blows have become unstoppable due to the depletion of interceptor stocks. The last US strike on an Iranian oil tanker was 8 days ago, on 9 September. Shortly therafter, Iran launched 20 ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan. Jordan/US fired 70+ air interceptors. At least a few Iranian missiles got through, damaging 9 US aircraft.  Iran is tightening the screws on the US, which remains trapped in a kind of escalation paralysis due to the lack of good workable options. On that note, Phillips P. O’Brien argues in a new Atlantic piece that the American age has come to an inglorious finish:  He begins:  The American age that followed World War II was bound to end eventually. What’s shocking is how suddenly that moment has arrived. In the past six months, America’s power—long exemplified by the world’s best warfighting equipment and most highly trained military personnel, a global network of bases and logistics systems, and military and diplomatic partnerships with all corners of the world—has proved insufficient to defeat Iran, a repressive, economically stagnant regime armed with cheap missiles and drones. O’Brien admits that Iran’s destruction of key US regional bases is what led to the immediate balking of US aggression, a thesis which had originally been scoffed at by establishment flacks until the reality slowly set in: The effect of these losses on U.S. operations was nearly instantaneous. A key reason the Trump administration did not militarily escalate with Iran over the summer, despite all of its threats to do so, was the loss of the base in Bahrain—which the Navy relied on for decades to resupply ships in the Middle East. Instead, the so-called logistical tail for U.S. naval operations had to stretch all the way to Diego Garcia, a British-controlled island in the Indian Ocean more than 2,000 miles from the Strait of Hormuz.The vulnerability of U.S facilities near Iran is so great and the prospective cost of repair is so large that, as The Washington Post reported last month, administration officials might not want to rebuild them at all. One way to spin the situation is as a “once-in-a-generation chance for the Pentagon to reconsider its presence” in the Persian Gulf region, as the Post put it. But the basic fact is that defending key facilities against even a less technologically advanced foe such as Iran is not something that the U.S. military can currently do.  The key paragraph however has to be this one, wherein O’Brien explains how surpassingly China has dwarfed the US in all the key modern enablers of true military and economic power: The erosion of American manufacturing superiority is an old story, but it is a key element for understanding the end of the American age. The U.S. could once outbuild other powers by tapping into civilian production. During World War II, Americans retooled the automotive industry to build aircraft. Today, relative to the rest of the world, the United States does almost no civilian shipbuilding. China, in comparison, makes about 50 percent of the ships in the world and controls about 80 percent of the world’s drone manufacture. Having built its military to prevail in a burst of high-intensity fighting, the United States simply lacks the equipment, stockpiles, and rested forces to engage China for any extended period of time.  He concludes without the usual smarmy equivocating, which leaves the door open to some fantasy of American resurgence. His determination is final—America is done:  All of history’s previous superpowers have eventually declined. The emergence of East Asia as the center of the world’s economic output was always going to reduce American influence. The transition from one global age to the next is seldom evident in the moment. When Russia invaded Ukraine four and a half years ago, the potential of mass-produced drones had not yet become clear. As recently as February, few experts would have predicted that the United States—a global colossus for more than 80 years—would end up so hamstrung by Iran. But the conflict reveals something important: The American age has come to an end. U.S. global dominance cannot continue without the power sources that brought it about.  Interesting, that he notes “few experts would have predicted” Iran’s drubbing of the US. In fact, anyone with a brain predicted it easily, including our humble blog here, from the very start.

Two US unmanned aircraft recently destroyed by Iran – report -Iranian forces have recently shot down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft, CBS reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.The specific location of the downings and the exact MQ-1 variant involved remain unknown. The U.S. military relies on two primary versions of the aircraft: the older, largely retired Air Force Predator and the Army’s actively deployed Gray Eagle.While typically utilized for intelligence and reconnaissance—such as tracking Iranian military movements and monitoring the Strait of Hormuz—both drone models can be equipped with Hellfire missiles for strike missions, CBS noted.Depending on which aircraft were destroyed, the financial impact could range from $8M for a pair of older Predators to tens of millions of dollars for Gray Eagles, adding to a costly tally of equipment lost during the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the latest drone downings, the article said. The U.S. reportedly expended about 1,700 Patriot air defense interceptors and over 200 THAAD anti-missile interceptors in the war by mid-July. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the cost of replacing the interceptors expended through Aug. 1 could reach $13.1B.

Trump threatens to ‘annihilate’ Iran as he weighs major war decision - Donald Trump has once again threatened to “annihilate” the Iranian regime, saying he faces a major decision on how to proceed with the Iran war but will consult with his Gulf allies at the UN General Assembly next week first. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe about whether Trump will execute his strike threat given Washington appears to lack the risk appetite for further military escalation. They unpack how the US and Saudi Arabia are smuggling millions of barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz to keep prices down, and what it says about the crippled Iranian military’s inability to police the narrow waterway.  Plus, satellite imagery reveals China is upgrading its military base in Djibouti near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Yemen’s Houthis claim their first fatality in this round of strikes on Saudi Arabia, and what a looming US naval drawdown in the Gulf means for Western security.

Scenarios and Keys to the Three-Way War- Whoever believes that major wars are decided in a single moment, through one decision, one signature, or one speech that ends everything, is mistaken. The conflict raging between Washington and Tehran, and its extensions into the Strait of Hormuz, oil markets, and maritime corridors, is no longer the kind of conflict that closes with a single moment. Rather, it is a conflict in which three separate decisions are intertwined, held in the hands of three different players, meaning it is not enough for one of them to decide the war is over for it to actually end. When US President Donald Trump speaks of the war ending after the midterm elections, he is speaking the language of a politician who measures time by ballot boxes, not the language of the battlefield. Trump does indeed possess the tools of American de-escalation, such as halting operations, opening a channel for negotiation, and softening rhetoric, but these tools produce a ceasefire, not an end to the war. The war does not end when American planes stop flying overhead, but when each side becomes convinced that continuing has become costlier than settling, and this is a conviction that cannot be imposed from an Oval Office in Washington. The logic governing Iran's decision-making is entirely different from American logic. Tehran is not betting on a military decision, but on its ability to keep going. Every missile it launches, and every oil tanker it targets in the strait, carries the message that the cost of the war falls on everyone, not on Iran alone. And with every American statement about "near-total" control of Hormuz comes a more complicated reality on the ground, whose bill is paid, indirectly, by countries in the region that did not start the war in the first place. As for the party that may hold the strongest veto over any settlement, it is Israel. No matter what formula for de-escalation Washington and Tehran reach, Israel will not consider the war over if it believes the agreement leaves Iran room to rebuild its military or nuclear capabilities in the future. Herein lies the deepest contradiction of this war: Washington is searching for an exit whose political and economic costs it can bear, while Israel is searching for a security guarantee that extends at least a decade into the future. This gap in time horizons between the two allies may prove harder to bridge than any negotiating knot with Iran itself. What makes this war different from those before it is that it is no longer confined to the skies over Tehran or isolated military bases. Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, shipping and maritime insurance lines, and the price of a barrel of oil have all become parallel battlefields. Every escalation in targeting tankers means a jump in global energy prices, and every price jump turns into domestic political pressure, whether in Washington, which faces voters watching their fuel bills, or in Tehran, which sees its economy reeling under the weight of sanctions and a naval blockade. The war itself has three scenarios, not one. The first is open-ended attrition, in which mutual strikes continue without a clear military decision, while the conflict turns into a slow war of economic and maritime attrition. No one declares defeat, but no one achieves victory either. This scenario is the most likely if the gap remains unbridged between what Washington wants (a face-saving de-escalation) and what Israel wants (a long-term strategic guarantee). The second scenario is a fragile truce that turns into a new round. The two sides agree to a temporary ceasefire, similar to what happened and then collapsed in Islamabad previously, but it collapses again once one side, usually Israel, feels the agreement fails to achieve its security objectives. The third scenario is a gradual negotiation toward a broader settlement. It begins with the silence of weapons before the silence of political disagreement: major strikes stop, an indirect negotiating track opens over Hormuz and the nuclear file, and partial understandings gradually take shape, eventually turning over time into a comprehensive agreement. This scenario is the hardest to achieve, but it is the only one that gives all three parties what they want, even if only partially. In the end, I would say that the war does not end on a specific date on the calendar, but when three separate decisions reach a point of convergence: when Washington becomes convinced that de-escalation is cheaper than continuing, when Tehran becomes convinced that negotiation does not mean surrender, and when Israel becomes convinced that the proposed settlement genuinely protects it, not just on paper.

Trump's Comments on Yemen War Suggest US-Ansar Allah Ceasefire Still in Effect -   President Trump on Saturday claimed that Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, had “called” the US and said it wasn’t seeking conflict, suggesting that the ceasefire reached between the two sides in May 2025 was still in effect despite the escalating war in Yemen.“The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,” President Trump told reporters during a visit to Dublin, Ireland. “They don’t want us to go after them … they would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through.”The US and Ansar Allah reached a ceasefire after Trump conducted a heavy bombing campaign in Yemen from March 15 to May 6, 2025, which killed more than 200 civilians.The real goal of the US airstrikes was to force Ansar Allah to end its blockade of Israeli shipping and attacks on Israel, which were being done in response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, but the US failed and ended the bombing campaign with an agreement that it would stop bombing Yemen if Ansar Allah stopped targeting US warships and wouldn’t target US commercial shipping.Axios reported on Friday that as Ansar Allah was making rapid gains on the ground over the past week, Saudi Crown Prince Mohhamed bin Salman urged President Trump to order airstrikes, but he declined. While the US is not currently directly bombing Yemen, it is deeply involved in the war, as Saudi Arabia relies on US intelligence, US-made aircraft, and US-made bombs to conduct airstrikes in the country.  CNN has reported that the intelligence support has ramped up recently, and the Axios report said 200 US troops are providing “non-kinetic” assistance in Saudi Arabia. Trump also reportedly gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohhamed bin Salman the green light to launch the July 13 strikes on the Sanaa International Airport that reignited the war.In his comments on Saturday, Trump added that there’s just “one country they’re not too happy with,” referring to Ansar Allah’s blockade on Saudi shipping, which began after the Sanaa airport strikes. After Ansar Allah took control of the Red Sea port city of Mocha, senior officials said it wouldn’t affect “navigation” in the area.“We reassure you that our Armed Forces are disciplined and there is no source of danger to the security of navigation except from the reckless behavior of the Saudi enemy,” said Mahdi al-Mashat, who serves as the president of Ansar Allah-controlled Yemen, which includes the capital Sanaa and territory where most Yemenis live.

Report: US Officials Met With Ansar Allah Representatives in Oman - -US officials met with representatives of Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, at the US Embassy in Muscat, Oman, over the weekend to discuss the conflict in Yemen, according to a report from Reuters. Sources told Reuters that the meeting took place on Sunday and that Ansar Allah conveyed that it wanted to stick to a ceasefire it reached with the US in May 2025, after a US bombing campaign in Yemen that failed to halt Ansar Allah’s attacks on Israel and its blockade on Israeli shipping. The war ended in a deal that involved the US halting its strikes on Yemen and Ansar Allah halting attacks on US warships and US commercial shipping.The Ansar Allah officials said they had no intention of targeting US or Israeli ships in the current conflict and that the blockade applies only to Saudi shipping. President Trump had previously suggested such an arrangement was still in place, claiming the “Houthis called us” and said they didn’t want to fight the US.  Trump had also reportedly denied a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the US to launch airstrikes against Ansar Allah as its fighters began rapidly gaining territory, which led to Ansar Atook gaining full control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.However, the US is still deeply involved in the war since it’s providing intelligence and targeting support, and reportedly has up to 200 troops in Saudi Arabia to assist in the Saudi bombing campaign. According to a report from Axios, Trump gave MbS the green light to escalate in Yemen before Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against the Sanaa International Airport on July 13, which reignited the war.   The war had been under a ceasefire since 2022, but no full peace deal was ever implemented. Sanctions the Biden administration reimposed in 2024 that re-designated Ansar Allah as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” block the implementation of a deal that had been negotiated, and the Trump administration ramped up the sanctions last year by re-designating the group as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization.”  The Reuters report noted that US officials met with Ansar Allah officials despite the terror designations and that one of the Yemeni officials who was involved in the talks, Mohammad Abdulsalam, is under US sanctions. The US side was represented by US embassy personnel.

Trump Administration Plans To Give Israel $2.8 Billion Worth of 2,000-Pound Bombs  -The Trump administration is planning to move forward with a massive military aid package for Israel that will include 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, as the US continues to support Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza and its wars and occupations in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. The report said the sale, paid for with US taxpayer dollars, will include 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, each weighing 2,000 pounds. It will be funded by the State Department’s Foreign Military Finance program, under which the US provides foreign governments money to purchase US weapons.Tucker Carlson first reported the massive transfer in a post on X minutes before the Post published the report.“An American-made Mark 84 has a destruction radius of half a mile. It releases a thermal wave the temperature of the surface of the sun. Within 100 feet of the explosion, rock melts and human flesh turns to vapor,” Carlson said.”The bomb collapses apartment buildings and leaves craters thirty-five feet deep. Until the war with Iran, the US military generally avoided using the Mark 84 in urban areas. It kills too many civilians,” he added. A recent US strike in southern Iran that hit a house hosting a wedding, killing at least five civilians, was likely carried out with an MK-84, according to an investigation from The New York Times.  Carlson noted Israel’s extensive use of 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza. “In the weeks after October 7, the IDF dropped nearly six hundred 2,000-pound bombs on densely populated areas in Gaza, including on more than 100 officially designated civilian evacuation zones. The slaughter was so grotesque and embarrassing that for a moment the Biden administration paused a shipment of Mark 84s. Those shipments quickly resumed under Trump. Now they’ve accelerated,” he said.  According to Carlson, the Israeli request for the massive bomb shipment “originated at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, which is run by Christian Zionist Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his aide David Milstein, who is the stepson of Fox News host Mark Levin.” He said it was quickly approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and now needs the approval of Senate leaders, though the Trump administration has previously bypassed the normal congressional review process to arm Israel with 2,000-pound bombs.

Rep. Gregory Meeks Says He Will Not Clear Massive $2.8 Billion Bomb Transfer to Israel 'At This Time' -  Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday that he would not approve a massive US-funded $2.8 billion transfer of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel that the Trump administration is planning to advance.“I remain firmly committed to Israel’s security and its ability to defend itself against serious regional threats. But the Trump administration’s proposed sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal, raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon,” Meeks said in a statement.“The Trump administration has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with US law and with appropriate protections for civilians. I therefore will not clear this sale at this time,” he added.Meeks’ statement may not impede the Trump administration’s plans, as it has previously bypassed the congressional review process to arm Israel with 2,000-pound bombs by invoking so-called “emergency authorities” under the Arms Export Control Act.Secretary of State Marco Rubio did it last year to advance a massive $4 billion arms package for Israel, which included 35,000 2,000-pound bombs. The Trump administration also bypassed Congress this year, back in March, to expedite an arms deal for other types of munitions, including 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose 1,000-pound bomb ​bodies. The new weapons package the Trump administration plans to send includes 20,000 MK-84s, 20,000 BLU-117s, and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, each weighing 2,000 pounds. The deal would be funded by the State Department’s Foreign Military Finance program, under which the US provides foreign governments with money to purchase US weapons.The planned transfer was first reported by Tucker Carlson, who noted in a post on X Israel’s extensive use of the bombs against civilians in Gaza.“In the weeks after October 7, the IDF dropped nearly six hundred 2,000-pound bombs on densely populated areas in Gaza, including on more than 100 officially designated civilian evacuation zones. The slaughter was so grotesque and embarrassing that for a moment the Biden administration paused a shipment of Mark 84s. Those shipments quickly resumed under Trump. Now they’ve accelerated,” Carlson said.

Shaheen blocks $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel, joining House counterpart - The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has exercised a hold on a $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel, The Hill has learned, allying with her counterpart in the House and underscoring deep mistrust with the Trump administration and Israeli government. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) has expressed frustration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done nothing to address concerns from, specifically, Democratic lawmakers over the high civilian death tolls in Gaza, Israel’s bombing in Syria and escalating violence against Palestinians by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The weapons package includes 40,000 one-ton bombs, munitions that the former Biden administration held back from sending to Israel for its indiscriminate destruction, contributing to the high death toll in the Gaza Strip. An estimated 70,000 Palestinians were killed over the course of the three-year war between Israel and Hamas, according to Palestinian health officials, but that does not distinguish between militants and civilians. Shaheen, as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, has authority to hold back the Trump administration from moving ahead on weapons sales over a certain dollar amount. It’s generally an informal consultative process, where the State Department works to address a lawmaker’s concerns and get the green light before moving ahead on the arms sale. Semafor first reported that Shaheen is exercising the hold, and that she put it in place in July. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), her counterpart on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the rare decision Wednesday to publicly announce he placed a hold on the military sale. Meeks said he had concerns over whether Netanyahu’s government would use American-provided weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law and U.S. law. CNN asked Shaheen Wednesday for her reaction to Meeks’s hold, saying, “all of us share concern about what Israel is doing.” “What they’re doing in Gaza, they’re bombing in places like Syria and what that means for any peaceful solution in the Middle East,” she said. “Netanyahu needs to hear from America that we don’t like what he’s doing. We don’t like what’s happening in the West Bank where settler violence is killing Palestinians, sending them out of their homes, disrupting basic infrastructure. And the Netanyahu administration has basically done nothing to address that,” Shaheen continued.

As attacks choke off Saudi oil, kingdom confronts limits of Trump's friendship - As Iran seeks leverage against the United States and its Middle Eastern allies, Saudi Arabia is facing a moment of extraordinary pressure. Iran-backed proxies in Iraq and Yemen have carried out debilitating strikes on its most important oil pipeline, attacked its military bases and energy infrastructure and gained critical territory along the Red Sea in an offensive against the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen that could fully choke off oil exports.President Donald Trump, contending with soaring gas and diesel prices and a depleted munition stocks, has not offered a military intervention in response. Instead, the president — who since his first term has maintained close relations with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia known as MBS — has been relatively blasé in remarks on the matter.“The Houthis called us and they don’t want to fight with us … they don’t want us to go after them and would much prefer not having us involved and they’re letting most ships go through,” Trump said while visiting Ireland for a golf tournament. “It’s just one country they’re not too happy with. And we’ll get that straightened out.”On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that “hopefully” the war would end soon. Without further explanation, he said that Iran wants to make a deal.“We’ll see how that works out,” he added.Two officials from Yemen, who are part of the Saudi-supported government and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that requests made to Washington for assistance went unheeded. “The government is indeed disappointed by the Trump administration’s lack of willingness to participate in the ongoing battles against the Houthis,” one of the officials said, adding that requests for help appeared to go “unheard and unnoticed” in Washington.Michael Ratney, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2023 until January 2025, said the kingdom had “invested decades into its military partnership with the U.S. for just this kind of moment” of threat now confronting Riyadh.“Now the moment has come, and the U.S. is not stepping up,” Ratney said, adding that the variety of threats facing Saudi Arabia in large part are the outcome of Trump’s decision with Israel to go to war with Iran.A senior Trump administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said the U.S. is focused on “protecting our core national security interests,” including freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while “empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges.”“We are in continuous dialogue” with the Saudi government and the internationally recognized government in Yemen “regarding regional stability,” the official said. The official did not respond to questions about a Saudi appeal for assistance or Trump’s conversation with MBS.The official said the U.S. expects the Houthis to abide by a May 2025 ceasefire negotiated after the Houthis attacked shipping in the Red Sea and the U.S. responded with air and naval strikes in Yemen. That episode showed that Trump “will take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and U.S. commercial shipping,” the official said.Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment.

State Department Approves Massive $24 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia -  The State Department approved a $24.3 billion sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. The announcement comes as the Gulf kingdom is requesting military assistance from its allies as it fights a war against Ansar Allah in Yemen. The sale includes 48 F-35s and 49 engines (48 equipped with one spare), cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics packages, according to the notification to Congress. The proposed sale is now subject to congressional review, although Congress rarely succeeds in blocking major arms sales.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines are the primary contractors on the deal. The State Department statement says, “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military balance in the region.”However, Israel has previously objected to sales of F-35s to Gulf states and Turkey, arguing that it upsets the balance of power in the Middle East. Tel Aviv often invokes Washington’s policy of ensuring that Israel maintains a Qualitative Military Edge over other countries in the region. The F-35 is the most advanced aircraft in the Israeli fleet. The State Department announced the sale a day after Ansar Allah claimed to have downed a Saudi F-15 over Yemen. Yemen’s SABA news agency on Wednesday published what it said were photos of a US-made Saudi F-15SA fighter jet that was shot down by Ansar Allah over the Yemeni province of Marib.In addition to attacking Saudi-backed forces in Yemen, Ansar Allah has targeted military and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has also come under fire from Iran and militants in Iraq. Last week, a drone launched from Iraq hit Saudi’s East-West pipeline. On Wednesday, the AP reported that Saudi Arabia had reached out to France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for more air defenses. While the US is Saudi Arabia’s main weapons supplier, one regional official told the AP that Riyadh reached out to other allies because US interceptor stockpiles have dwindled during the war against Iran.

Rashida Tlaib slams Trump’s $5 billion weapons sale to Saudi, demands Senate halt weapons fueling Yemen siege US Representative Rashida Tlaib has denounced the Trump administration’s latest arms package to Saudi Arabia as a continuation of more than a decade of US-backed bombing, blockade and starvation against the Yemeni people. In a statement posted Thursday on X, the Michigan Democrat wrote: “With US support, Saudi Arabia has bombed, blockaded, and starved the people of Yemen for over a decade. Now the Trump admin is giving them $5 billion in arms, including 2,000-pound bombs that kill indiscriminately. Enough. Let Yemen live. The Senate must block this sale.” The proposed sale, notified to Congress earlier this month, includes more than 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits and matching bomb bodies, among them 5,000 of the 2,000-pound BLU-117 munitions that have repeatedly been used against civilian infrastructure in Yemen. Boeing is listed as the principal contractor. Tlaib’s statement comes as Yemeni armed forces have scored significant battlefield gains against Saudi-backed militias, exposing the failure of years of US-enabled aerial bombings that never produced a political settlement. Washington has declined to join Riyadh in new direct airstrikes after secret contacts with Yemeni representatives in Oman, yet is simultaneously rushing precision bombs to the same kingdom that has spent years trying to starve Yemen into submission. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition, armed, refueled and politically shielded by Washington, has conducted tens of thousands of airstrikes, imposed a naval and air blockade, and helped engineer what the United Nations long described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Hospitals, schools, markets, water treatment plants and funeral gatherings were repeatedly bombed. Millions of Yemenis, including a generation of children, have faced famine, cholera and preventable disease while Western weapons manufacturers booked record profits. The 2,000-pound bombs now being offered again are the same class of munitions that rights groups documented flattening entire city blocks and killing indiscriminately. Progressive members of Congress have repeatedly noted that these sales make the United States a co-belligerent in the war of aggression. Tlaib is far from alone. Representative Ro Khanna of California, who co-sponsored historic War Powers resolutions to end US participation in the Yemen war, has consistently argued that no president, Democrat or Republican, has the constitutional authority to wage or enable such a campaign without Congress. In 2025, he condemned renewed US bombing of Yemen as a betrayal of campaign promises to end endless wars. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has for years described US logistical support, intelligence sharing and spare-parts transfers as making America “complicit in this nightmare.” Sanders, Khanna and others previously forced votes that would have grounded the Saudi air force by cutting off maintenance and munitions; those efforts were vetoed or diluted by successive administrations. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Val Hoyle and others have demanded the Trump White House cease unauthorized strikes and come to Congress. Senators Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine and others have written letters insisting that any sustained military engagement with Yemeni forces must comply with the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. Senator Ed Markey has already introduced a resolution of disapproval targeting the latest bomb sale, giving the Senate a concrete vehicle to follow Tlaib’s call. Anti-war organizations have been even more blunt. CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace, the ANSWER Coalition and dozens of other groups have spent years documenting how US bombs and the Saudi blockade turned Yemen into a humanitarian catastrophe. They have organized protests under the slogan “Let Yemen live,” picketed weapons manufacturers, and pressed lawmakers to cut off the flow of munitions that continue to rain down on one of the poorest countries on earth. Activists have long argued that Yemeni resistance to the siege constitutes legitimate self-defense and solidarity.

Air Force secretary confirms US weapons in space - Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed Monday that the U.S. military has deployed a weapon into space, marking the first time an American official has acknowledged that Washington has such a capability. Meink did not provide many details about the weapon or when it was launched, but he stated that it will “make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.” “We are increasing readiness against existing threats and the United States has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,” Meink said at the annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md. Meink’s acknowledgement prompted a stern reaction from China. “China stands for peaceful use of the outer space and keeping it safe, and opposes any arms race in outer space or any attempt to weaponize it and turn it into a warzone,” China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday. “We urge the U.S. to stop its military build-up in the outer space, and uphold global strategic stability with concrete actions.” Russia weighed in as well, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow believes “space must be free of any weapon,” according to state media. “We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working toward the complete demilitarization of space,” Peskov said. “Is there any question . . . about whether or not the Chinese or Russians have been developing these sorts of weapons,” Meink told reporters on Monday when asked about potential criticism from China and Russia.

America's Next Military Contractors Could Be Hackers -  Washington may soon outsource part of its cyberwarfare operations to private companies, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Language tucked into the Senate’s 2027 defense bill would create a pilot program allowing the Pentagon to hire outside cybersecurity firms to penetrate computer networks chosen by the US military. Contractors would operate under US Cyber Command and Pentagon supervision. Bloomberg writes that the authority would initially be relatively narrow. Private operators could establish access to targeted networks, but the Senate language stops short of authorizing them to damage, disable or destroy those systems.Still, it would represent a significant expansion of private industry’s role in US offensive cyber operations. The administration has already moved in this direction, launching a separate initiative that permits American companies to pursue certain foreign cybercriminal groups under federal oversight. Advocates say outsourcing some of the work could provide badly needed manpower and expertise as Cyber Command faces growing demands and staffing pressures. Opponents argue that introducing profit-driven companies into cyberwarfare could create new problems, including retaliation, accidental escalation and murky accountability.If enacted, the experiment would start in 2027 and continue through 2030, with the Pentagon required to regularly disclose information about contractors, missions and targets to Congress. For now, however, it remains only a Senate proposal. The House defense bill contains no equivalent measure, meaning the provision could still be changed or removed before reaching the president.

US Bombs Somalia for 81st Time This Year - US Africa Command announced on Friday that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia as the Trump administration continues a record-breaking bombing campaign in the country, which receives virtually no coverage in US media.  AFRICOM said the strike was launched on September 8 and targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Quumbi, a village about 50 miles northeast of the southern port city of Kismayo,As usual, AFRICOM offered no other details about the strike, and there were no statements from US-backed forces about military operations in the area that day. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said.According to AFRICOM’s numbers, the attack brings the total number of US airstrikes in Somalia this year to 81, higher than any other year prior to 2025, when President Trump oversaw 124 AFRICOM airstrikes, breaking the previous annual record of 63 that he set in 2019.The US has also been conducting an air war against an ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, and Drop Site News recently reported that a US strike was carried out in the region on September 3, though it has not been claimed by AFRICOM, suggesting that not every US attack is being announced.According to numbers from New America, an organization that tracks the air war and also counts airstrikes that are reported but not claimed by the US, the September 8 strike would bring the total number of US bombings in Somalia this year to 83.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.

US Africa Command Launches 82nd Airstrike in Somalia Of the Year - - US Africa Command on Monday night announced that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia, as the Trump administration continues its record-shattering bombing campaign in the country. AFRICOM said the strike targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Saacow, a village in Somalia’s southern Lower Juba region. The command offered no other details about the attack, as 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 in its press release.Based on AFRICOM’s numbers, the attack marks at least the 82nd US airstrike in Somalia this year, though there are signs that the US is not announcing each strike in the country.The US has also been conducting an air war against an ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, and Drop Site News recently reported that a US strike was carried out in the region on September 3, though it has not been claimed by AFRICOM.According to numbers from New America, an organization that tracks the air war and also counts airstrikes that are reported but not claimed by the US, the September 8 strike would bring the total number of US bombings in Somalia this year to 84.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.

Two Democrats cross aisle to help tee up final vote on Russia sanctions bill  -The House on Tuesday advanced legislation that would grant President Trump tariff authorities on countries who purchase Russian energy and extend existing sanctions on Iran, clearing a major procedural hurdle.The rule, teeing up a final vote on the legislation, appeared headed for defeat until two Democrats — for the second time in as many weeks — broke precedent and voted to advance the measure. Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) also broke with Democrats on a rule vote earlier this month, shocking House Democratic leaders. Rule votes are typically seen as a test of party loyalty, and it is unusual for Democrats to cross the aisle in support of them. Their votes brought the tally to 214-211 on the rule that included the Russia sanctions bill —championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — teeing up a debate and final vote on the legislation. The rule vote served as a victory for the bill’s backers, like Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who overcame pushback from both inside the GOP and from Democrats. Before Tuesday’s vote, the resistance left some predicting the bill was “dead again” following nearly a year and a half of negotiations. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who voted with Democrats against the bill, told The Hill he got an agreement with GOP leaders to take action on the issue of fuel cost reduction.   “I just want to make sure America gets some reduction in fuel costs, and the greedy fuel companies are sticking it to us, and we don’t have the guts to do anything about it,” he said.  He added that GOP leaders promised they would get a measure on the floor to deal with the matter. “They’re going to do something. Let us vote on something that would hopefully reduce the price of fuel, but we’ll see,” Burchett said.  In remarks during a Monday House Rules Committee hearing, McCaul framed Tuesday’s vote on the Russia sanctions bill as critical in sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin about U.S. support for Ukraine and warning Chinese President Xi Jinping against attempting aggression against Taiwan. “Senator Lindsey Graham understood these global threats well, and that’s why he spent more than a year working on this legislation, which I promised him I would introduce in the House,” the Texas representative said.

Democratic defectors rescue Republicans — again  -- A pair of centrist Democrats crossed the aisle on Tuesday to help GOP leaders advance a number of bills, marking the second time this month that Democratic leaders have failed to unite their caucus against the Republicans’ messaging agenda. The defections frustrated their fellow Democrats and are sure to raise new questions about how leaders are managing their caucus, especially heading into elections where they’re hoping to flip control of the House. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) joined Republicans to pass a procedural rule that allows a host of proposals — including a Russian sanctions bill opposed by Democrats — to come to the floor for final votes. The Democrats’ help was crucial in putting the rule over the top, because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team were wrestling with their own internal revolt in the form of conservatives who were threatening to oppose the measure. In the end, Johnson convinced several of those GOP holdouts to back the rule, which passed 214 to 211. Without Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, it would have failed 212 to 213. The defections are sure to outrage Democrats — leaders and rank-and-file members alike — who were up in arms earlier in the month after the same two Democrats helped Johnson pass a similar rule advancing a separate legislative package, which consisted mostly of GOP messaging bills designed to help Republicans keep the House in November’s midterms. On Tuesday evening, some of those internal frustrations were already trickling out. “It’s unfortunate, it doesn’t advance the work of the American people,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) said after the vote. “That’s two individuals that are out of step with the American people that are within our party, and so hopefully there’s a wave of new people that are coming in that can overwhelm that margin.” After the first round of defections, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) had called a special meeting of the Democrats’ internal rules committee to discuss potential changes — and potential disciplinary measures — designed to keep the party united on procedural votes. Some Democrats wanted to strip Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez of their committee seats. That process fizzled with no disciplinary measures taken. (Jeffries huddled with Gluesenkamp Perez, who’s in a tough reelection contest, and said he was satisfied with the discussion. Golden is retiring). But the centrists’ decision to defect once again is sure to renew the conversation about how to keep lone-wolf members closer in line, especially on procedural votes. And it’s likely to raise questions about whether Democratic leaders didn’t draw a harder line the first time around. “You have to tell people. And that’s the big deal,” Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) said after the first episode. “It’s not how you vote, it’s that you tell people and be up front.”

Donald Trump Jr.’s wife defends wedding gift from Russian oligarch -Influencer and model Bettina Trump, the wife of Donald Trump Jr., defended the couple’s wedding gift given to them by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev.“Apparently our wedding is making headlines again, so a little clarity seems in order,” Bettina Trump wrote on Instagram. “Don and I got married privately … surrounded ONLY by our family. It was intimate, deeply personal and one of the most beautiful days of our lives.”ProPublica first reported that the Caribbean-set wedding was heavily funded by Kremlev, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlev was also among the roughly 50 people at the private ceremony. The billionaire has been regarded as an adversary of the U.S., has been accused of attempting to influence American elections and was recently seen in China as part of a delegation with Putin. Retired FBI official Frank Montoya Jr. told the outlet that oligarchs typically work in coordination with the Russian government.“If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” Montoya noted, adding that, “This should be unthinkable for the son of the president. End of story.” Bettina Trump wrote that Kremlev “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.”“It’s unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from,” she continued. “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive. Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.”

Trump Says Ukraine Should Stop Targeting Russia's 'Diesel Fuel' as the Two Sides Trade Attacks --President Trump on Sunday called on Ukraine to stop targeting Russia’s “diesel fuel,” saying the attacks are causing shortages, though Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are known to be supported by US intelligence. “Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to ‌stop ⁠knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters during a visit to Ireland, according to Reuters. “We spoke ​to Mr. ⁠Zelensky about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel. That’s hurting the ​world.” The US began supporting Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure last year, according to reporting at the time, and the Financial Times reported in July 2026 that US intelligence was helping Ukraine bypass air defenses to strike Russian oil refineries.It’s unclear if the US is actually asking Ukraine to refrain from further strikes on Russian energy sites and withholding intelligence for the attacks. Trump appeared to be attempting to shift some of the blame for the global energy crisis caused by his war with Iran, saying the diesel shortage “isn’t done by the ​Middle East, ⁠this is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.”The Trump administration is also attempting to restart peace talks, with President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, recently visiting Moscow and Kyiv, though Russia and Ukraine continue to trade heavy attacks.On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of targeting a train near the border of Poland that was traveling behind a separate train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In a statement on its attacks in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces launched “strikes on railway infrastructure facilities in Ukraine’s western region that are used to transport military cargoes from Europe.”

Wall Street Journal nails Donald Trump over his warning to Ukraine - The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board took a new swipe at Donald Trump on Sunday, accusing him of going easy on Russia while lecturing Ukraine over its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. The board drew a stark contrast between the president’s recent rhetoric toward the two countries, which have been at war since 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In an editorial titled “Trump Lectures Ukraine, not Russia,” and subheadlined, “He tells Kyiv to stop hitting Russian diesel, while Putin bombs civilian targets,” the Journal pointed to Russia’s weekend attack on a passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland. It noted that Trump “had nothing critical to say” about the strike. But, the board continued, he “did find the time to warn” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “against Ukraine’s targeting energy supply depots inside Russia.” Trump on Sunday urged Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian fuel facilities. “Zelenskyy has to do one thing,” he said. “He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he’s causing a shortage of diesel fuel.” The Journal’s board essentially summarized the situation as: “So Russia can fire away at any and all targets in Ukraine, but Ukraine must restrain itself in retaliating in Russia.” Trump’s warning came as the war he launched against Iran in February continues to wreak havoc on global energy supplies and prices. Trump “is clearly worried about the price of diesel fuel, but blaming Ukraine amid Iranian and Houthi attacks on Mideast oil production and transport is political excuse-making on a grand scale,” the board said.

Trump Claims Ukraine and Russia Agreed To Halt Attacks on Each Other's Energy Infrastructure - --President Trump claimed on Monday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, though a later statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that no such deal had actually been reached yet.“Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. His post came a day after he called on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia’s “diesel fuel,” though Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are known to be supported by US intelligence.The president appears to be attempting to shift the blame for rising global energy prices on the war in Ukraine rather than his war with Iran, even though the escalation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure that began last year was also the result of decisions made in Washington. “The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran,” Trump said in his Truth Social post.Later in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that his forces were ready to halt attacks on Russia’s “critical infrastructure” if Moscow refrained from targeting Ukrainian infrastructure.“There is now a strong US proposal for a mutual halt to strikes on critical infrastructure. If this can become the first de-escalatory step – a step toward ending Russian strikes on our critical infrastructure and our strikes in response – then Ukraine is ready to support de-escalation,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.So far, Russia hasn’t responded to Trump’s post, but earlier in the day, the Kremlin said that it “welcomed” Trump’s call for Ukraine to stop targeting Russia’s diesel infrastructure.

Ukraine and Russia Continue Attacks on Energy Sites Despite Trump Claiming They Agreed To Stop  - Ukraine and Russia continued targeting energy infrastructure in attacks on Tuesday despite President Trump claiming a day earlier that the two sides had agreed to halt such strikes.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Trump’s suggestion was a “good idea” but said that, overnight, the “Ukrainians attempted to strike one of the energy facilities on Russian territory, in one of the Russian regions.”For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery in Syzran, western Russia, an attack that he framed as a response to Russia continuing to target energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s emergency service said that Russian strikes on Kyiv included attacks on gas stations and that at least one person was killed in the Ukrainian capital. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its forces intercepted a total of 222 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions overnight. While President Trump has called for Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russia’s “diesel fuel” and other energy sites, the attacks are known to be supported by US intelligence, meaning they will likely continue until the US cuts off that support. Trump has tried to shift the blame for the rising energy prices from his war with Iran to the war in Ukraine, though it was his administration that decided to back Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries last year. The Kremlin also disputed the idea that the attacks on Russian oil refineries were the reason for rising prices, saying it was more related to the sanctions on Russia and attacks on tankers.“Of course, we need to lift the sanctions, these illegal restrictions on energy supplies to the world. And only then will the world be saturated with these petroleum products, global markets will be saturated, and prices will go down,” Peskov said. “And you know that not only our oil tankers are suffering, but also those belonging to other countries. And people of various nationalities are dying there,” the Russian spokesman added.

Donald Trump signs Russia and Iran sanctions bill into law, White House announces - US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law on Friday, two days after the bill was passed by the US House of Representatives. The act grants President Trump expanded authority to place tariffs up to 100% on imports from the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas - a list which presently includes India. Trump’s signing of this new Russia sanctions bill into law brings an end to a nearly 18-month political saga which began in April 2025, when a version of the present bill was introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. Crippling Russia’s energy export revenues and forcing Moscow to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war after over four years of fighting were their primary motivations in introducing the Russia sanctions bill. To be sure, the bill does not name any country as a target. Instead, it tasks the US Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Energy, to identify the five largest importers of Russian crude and gas by total volume over the preceding 12 months, with the list reassessed every 180 days. The tariff rate - which can be set at any rate up to the ceiling 100% - is set at the president’s discretion. The President is not compelled by law to place tariffs on purchasers of Russian energy. However, the bill’s backers - especially Senator Blumenthal - have primarily called on China and India to end their purchases of Russian energy. “To China and India: You better clean up your act. Buy your oil and gas somewhere else,” said Senator Blumenthal on Wednesday after the bill passed the House of Representatives. The legislation also includes provisions to shield America’s European partners from the sanctions legislation through an exemption for countries whose Russian natural gas imports account for less than 15% of Russia’s total gas exports and that are “taking significant steps” to reduce those imports. A separate provision authorises tariffs of up to 500% on goods imported directly from Russia. In addition, the President can waive tariffs on any country by certifying to Congress that the waiver serves the national interests of the US. To permanently lift them, he must certify that the country has stopped purchasing Russian energy and has provided “reliable assurances” it will not resume.

‘Not too much they can do about it’: Frustrated White House faces spiking oil prices – The widening conflicts in the Middle East and Europe are plunging global energy markets deeper into crisis and domestic fuel manufacturers are starting to show signs of strain. Now, with the midterm elections less than two months away, President Donald Trump and a frustrated White House appear to have few options available to ease the rally in oil prices that has imperiled the GOP hold on Congress. There is little hope for a quick resolution to the Iran war. A key Saudi Arabian pipeline is now shut down for a few weeks after an attack. An Iranian proxy group has strengthened its control over a second global energy chokepoint. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries are challenging diesel fuel production. Tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz are getting hit. It has resulted in prices at the pump spiking just as Republican lawmakers are set to face voters. The price of a global barrel of oil jumped to $109 on Monday, the highest since May. The price of a gallon of diesel is now at the record high of $6.23 while a gallon of regular gas is $4.32, according to AAA. The mood inside the White House is “frustration they can’t get this resolved,” said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser. He said the high energy prices are a “tax on the economy” that is overcoming some positive fundamentals such as the rise of retirement savings and the growth of the stock market. “The problem is there’s not too much they can do about it,” he said. “It’s a global market, it’s a global oil supply.” That’s causing “anxiety” inside the White House, according to an outside energy adviser, granted anonymity to speak candidly. For one thing, there are few immediate mechanisms available to the administration to bring down prices. “They’re still looking for magic bullets,” the former adviser said. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Saudi East-West pipeline, which was shut down last week after a series of drone attacks, would be operational “very soon,” though he declined to offer details, saying that more information would be available on Tuesday. The pipeline’s operator, Saudi Aramco, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum acknowledged at the G20 energy minister summit in Dallas that prices were high, but insisted that it was only a temporary issue. Burgum attempted to contrast the rise in prices that have come in the aftermath of the U.S. and Israel attack against Iran in February with the Biden administration’s attempt to drive renewable energy production to replace fossil fuels. “This is a temporary disruption instead of a strategic direction of the prior administration,” Burgum said in front of the audience of foreign dignitaries and energy industry officials. President Donald Trump, who had successfully jawboned market prices lower in previous months, attempted the same in a series of social media posts on Monday. He wrote on Truth Social that “Oil is flowing through the Hormuz Strait.” He also wrote that “Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly,” which his administration was “open to.” He stated that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to stop striking energy infrastructure, because the “World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly noted that no such agreement had been made. Despite Trump’s posts, oil prices hovered near four-month highs. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the administration was actively working to cut energy prices, including meeting with global and industry leaders to “discuss diversifying supply chains, expanding refining capacity, and increasing production.” “President Trump remains committed to unleashing American energy dominance, cutting costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families,” she said in a statement. Adding to the overall woes, some refineries in the United States are showing signs of stress after months of running nearly full-out to keep up fuel supply. The ExxonMobil refinery in Joliet, Ill., experienced a power outage Sunday that will reduce its output until the end of the week. ExxonMobil spokesperson Liza Steger said in a statement Monday morning that the company is assessing the refinery’s status and the cause of the outage was under investigation. One industry official said the incident was just another warning sign that diesel prices in particular are at risk of spiking further, especially heading into the fall and winter, when diesel demand is highest. “It’s not normal for refineries to run at 95 plus percent utilization for [six] months, and then when our inventories of diesel are lower than they normally are, any additional trip in that system is just going to have a much bigger price pop than it otherwise would normally,” the official said. Wright said he is confident there will be a “rapid increase” in the flow of oil and refined products out of the Middle East in the coming weeks, citing conversations with the U.S. military and exporting companies. He added that he expects U.S. refiners to increase their throughput thanks to relaxed biofuel blending requirements, while more Russian and Chinese refining capacity comes back online.

Diesel Crack Spread Explodes To Record As Russia Weighs Longer Export Ban, US Eyes Its Own Diesel futures and refining spreads climbed to record highs as worsening supply disruptions in the Gulf and Russia tightened availability of the industrial fuel that powers the global economy. Potential export restrictions, or at least extending risk, are compounding the squeeze: Moscow is reportedly considering extending its diesel export ban, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday he was "open to exploring" a US diesel export ban. Nymex heating oil futures, the US benchmark for diesel, jumped 6.1% Tuesday to their highest settlement in records dating to 1986. European gasoil futures climbed 6.2% to a record in data going back to 1989. The squeeze was even more severe in refining spreads. The US heating oil crack, which measures the difference between fuel and crude prices, surged to $117 a barrel on Wednesday morning, the highest level in Bloomberg data going back to 2009. Moves in diesel and refining spreads show the energy shock isn't necessarily in crude available on global markets but is, in fact, festering deep inside the industrial fuel market as a global refining crisis. Russia is considering extending its diesel export ban through October, potentially adding pressure as the Northern Hemisphere approaches winter. Barclays refining and midstream analyst Theresa Chen commented to clients on Tuesday about Thune's comments on a potential US diesel export ban. She said, "Given renewed discussion surrounding a diesel export ban, we discuss the potential implications across our refining coverage. We continue to view the possibility of an export ban as both detrimental to the US refining complex and unlikely to provide the intended price relief." At the start of the week, Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone warned that the diesel price shock echoes similar moves gasoline made during the 2008 energy shock.

Barclays Warns Potential US Diesel Export Ban Could Backfire - Senate Majority Leader John Thune revived discussion of a potential US diesel export ban with reporters Tuesday, a day after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said any export halts on crude or petroleum products were unlikely to lower consumer prices. The divergence in messaging suggests growing pressure across the Trump administration to contain surging fuel costs ahead of the midterm elections as the global refining crisis pushed the US diesel crack spread to a record $117 a barrel early Wednesday morning. A diesel export ban could force domestic refiners to slash production, shift profits to overseas competitors, and worsen global fuel shortages while delivering little relief to US consumers, according to Barclays refining and midstream analyst Theresa Chen. "We continue to view the possibility of an export ban as both detrimental to the US refining complex and unlikely to provide the intended price relief," Chen wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. Chen outlined one major problem: keeping diesel inside the country does not guarantee it can reach gas pumps. Gulf Coast demand is already supplied with the industrial fuel, while pipeline capacity to move additional fuel to the East Coast, Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions is limited. Domestic markets connected by those pipelines would be unable to absorb current Gulf Coast export volumes, the analyst said. Chen added that with surplus diesel backing up, Gulf Coast refiners would likely have to reduce processing rates. Those cuts could spread to the Midwest as displaced Gulf Coast barrels pressure regional supply balances. Any export ban covering refined products without corresponding restrictions on crude would allow overseas plants to keep buying US oil and increase production while US refiners cut runs. Refining profits would shift abroad, with little benefit for domestic buyers. Retaliation in the era of resource nationalism is another major risk because removing US diesel from an already tight global market could deepen shortages for trading partners. If European or Asian suppliers responded with their own restrictions, consumers in regions highly dependent on imported fuel could face skyrocketing prices.

GOP’s gas tax holiday push falters in House - House conservatives’ push to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax to lower prices at the pump ahead of the midterm elections is dead in the water, a member of the House Freedom Caucus confirmed Wednesday. Speaker Mike Johnson threw cold water on the idea Wednesday, saying his caucus couldn’t rally around any single proposal to pause the tax. He met with House Freedom Caucus members late Tuesday after the arch-conservatives held up a procedural vote to demand a floor vote for a bill to suspend the gas tax until 2027. “I don’t know that we have consensus around what that would look like,” Johnson said Wednesday in response to a question from POLITICO. “There were about five or six different ideas on it. There will be a number of measures in the days ahead, working to lower gas prices as much as possible. Of course, there’s many factors in why gas prices are so high.” Republicans are struggling to coalesce around measures to lower the cost of living for Americans as gas prices steadily rise. President Donald Trump’s worsening trade war with Canada and the war in Iran are threatening farm and auto sectors just weeks ahead of the November elections that will decide who controls both chambers of Congress. Conservatives this week said halting the gas tax — an idea Trump endorsed earlier this year — would help lower gas prices, but were blocked by members of their own party worried it would deplete a fund for highway upgrades. The House will hold a series of votes Wednesday, then leave town until after the November elections. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the main advocate of getting his gas tax suspension bill a vote, told POLITICO on Wednesday “the swamp’s addiction to spending prevailed at the expense of hardworking taxpayers once again,” when asked whether a vote would happen this week. Gasoline prices nationally are averaging about $4.37 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues to disrupt traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz. Diesel prices have also soared to about $6.31 a gallon, per AAA, and continue to hit record highs. Even if the 18.4-cent-per-gallon decrease were fully passed on to consumers, gas prices would still be more than a full dollar higher than they were before the start of the conflict with Iran in February.

Trump suffers humiliating defeat of his crackpot plan to own Greenland -- Donald Trump is celebrating a Greenland security deal as a “dream come true”—even though it stops short of the thing he has spent months demanding: control of Greenland. Trump crowed on Truth Social Friday that the proposed arrangement with Denmark and Greenland addresses “ALL” of the United States’ concerns about the strategic Arctic territory. Denmark and Greenland had a different take on the proposed agreement, which involves an update to a 1951 treaty between the U.S. and Denmark that already allowed the U.S. to maintain a military presence and expand its activities in Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement that the agreement will strengthen the security of the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The proposed deal also pointedly recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination,” while keeping Greenland under Danish sovereignty. Nielsen noted that the arrangement reflects “Greenland’s interests and its place in the international cooperation. It is to the benefit of us all.” Trump preened that the arrangement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.” Somehow, he added, “there will be NO COST to the United States!” No text of the agreement is available, and it has not yet been finalized, The Washington Post reports. Denmark and Greenland’s parliaments, and possibly the U.S. Congress, must approve it. Trump is expected to meet the leaders of Denmark and Greenland next week in New York at the United Nations General Assembly, where they plan to sign the deal. Trump has repeatedly threatened to take over Greenland, calling it too important for the locals to handle its security needs given the northern territory’s exposure to China and Russia (which is ruled by his proclaimed good friend Vladimir Putin). Greenland, Denmark, and NATO leaders have repeatedly told Trump officials that under the 1951 treaty the administration already had a significant latitude to expand the U.S. military presence there. Trump is also interested in Greenland’s mineral wealth. Trump on Friday called the new deal a “dream come true for the United States of America,” and noted that he now looks forward to working with the “wonderful people” of Denmark and Greenland, concerning “this large and highly strategic parcel of land.” He emphasized that no other country can have a base or “make sensitive investments” in Greenland without “our express written approval.” According to the Washington Post, the agreement reportedly allows only NATO countries to set up bases in Greenland, and only NATO or EU members can make sensitive investments in the country. Trump boasted in his post that no other president has been able to work out any deal, but he failed to mention the 1951 agreement. Trump already predicted in January, in an interview with former Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, that the U.S. was getting everything it wanted in a security deal with Greenland and Denmark (except all of Greenland). He said part of his planned “Golden Dome” weapons shield would be over Greenland.

The fallout from the US-Canada trade clash transcends economic impact -The collapse of bilateral trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada in late August has set off an escalation in tariffs that will be difficult to resolve. After the U.S. imposed a 50 percent tariff on a long list of Canadian goods through the never used Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Canada followed with a 50 percent tariff on U.S. goods last week that will match the U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar. Most observers are perplexed by what happened, considering the two parties were close to reaching an agreement. Some are still hopeful the dispute can be resolved, but no resolution is in sight, and President Trump has announced a ban on certain goods from Canada. Several issues must be considered. First, what led to the breakdown? Second, what will the economic fallout be? Third, what are the broader ramifications of what is happening? The backdrop is that negotiations to extend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement got off to a rocky start when the Trump administration declined to extend the trade pact for a new 16-year term on July 1. This did not end the agreement, but it set in motion a wind down over a 10-year period if the parties cannot agree on how to amend it.   Not long after, the Trump administration announced 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods that were to become effective on Aug. 19. This purportedly was in response to retaliatory tariffs the Canadian government leveled on U.S. autos, alcohol and dairy products last year. These developments left observers perplexed about what Trump is seeking. Many viewed the action as a ploy to gain leverage in negotiating changes in the trade agreement, which Trump once heralded as the most important trade agreement ever achieved. However, when the U.S. trade deficit did not shrink, Trump doubled down in his second term by implementing reciprocal tariffs against all U.S. trading partners, including Canada and Mexico. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer claims that Trump’s top priority for changing the agreement is to attain lower U.S. trade deficits with Canada and Mexico. However, this seems doubtful, considering its bilateral trade gap represents only 4 percent of the overall U.S. merchandise trade deficit.A more plausible explanation is that Trump wants Canada to raise trade barriers to deter Chinese and other Asian countries from locating production facilities in the hemisphere, as Mexico did last year. Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, views this as an infringement on Canada’s sovereignty, and he felt he had no choice but to retaliate.Beyond this, Trump is using tariffs to bludgeon America’s allies on issues that are unrelated to trade. Canada has shouldered a disproportionate burden, because Carney is willing to stand up to him. The Wall Street Journal editorial board has labeled Trump’s fight with Canada “The Dumbest Trade War in History.”The macroeconomic impact of higher U.S. tariffs is not likely to be major, considering that goods subject to the new duties totaled around 5 percent of all U.S. imports from Canada last year. Brad Setser of the Council of Foreign Relations estimates that the U.S. tariffs would generate about $10 billion in added tariff revenue. But he notes that the proposed deal would have lowered some of the earlier tariffs.The impact of higher U.S. tariffs will be greater on Canada’s economy, because over 70 percent of Canada’s exports are to the U.S. For this reason, Trump believes the U.S. “holds the cards” and that Canada will capitulate at some point. 

‘Slowing things down’: Trade wars hit global electrification shift - — Import limits on solar technology. Export controls on critical minerals. Rising tariffs on photovoltaic cells, electric vehicles and batteries. The list of trade barriers grows every day, in countries around the world, ensnaring an electrification supply chain that is crucial to slashing global fossil fuel use, meeting rising power demand and staunching the rise of electricity bills. Governments from Brussels to Brasilia, craving a slice of the booming clean economy and eager to counter China’s green technology dominance, have turned to a range of trade measures in an effort to secure jobs and protect domestic manufacturing. Meanwhile, the United States has not only unleashed a wave of tariffs across the board under President Donald Trump but also issued more targeted levies on Chinese solar products and grid imports. The result could be a slower global energy transition, more planet-warming emissions and a hotter climate. “It is slowing things down for sure,” said Karen Wayland, CEO of the GridWise Alliance, a coalition of U.S. electric utilities, equipment makers and technology providers focused on grid infrastructure. Industry, utilities and analysts are warning that rising trade barriers threaten to stifle electrification and make the switch to cleaner energy more expensive. Governments, however, are framing trade restrictions as necessary steps to safeguard prosperity and sovereignty. Many also assert that allowing the clean-tech economy to become fully dependent on China would undermine public support for the energy transition. Either way, signs point to a bumpy road ahead for the global clean energy trade. Trade tensions over clean technologies aren’t exactly new. In the 2010s, the Obama administration piled anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels, as did the European Union. But in recent years, trade barriers have not only proliferated but started enveloping the entire supply chain, from basic materials and key components to finished products. “Tariffs, duties, anti-dumping measures, local-content provisions and subsidy regimes have proliferated, tightening trade conditions and reshaping trade patterns,” International Energy Agency analysts wrote in August. Tariffs on batteries, EVs, electrolysers, heat pumps and wind turbines all went up over the past two years. For solar, the average duty rate across the supply chain increased ninefold between 2023 and 2024, the analysts noted. That threatens to drive up the cost of the global energy transition at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Take grids. In many countries, utilities and governments are struggling to update aging networks amid spiking electricity demand and vast amounts of renewables waiting to come online. Tariffs will raise prices for those upgrades and nudge electricity bills higher. In the EU, policymakers are proposing made-in-Europe requirements for certain clean technologies bought by public authorities. But grid operators have started warning that the measure — meant to strengthen domestic industries — risks slowing electrification and renewables deployment. Europe isn’t producing sufficient amounts of key clean technologies, such as some transformer components, to meet demand, the European Distribution System Operators said this month. “In such contexts,” the association said, “rigid origin requirements would not strengthen European capacity in the short term but would instead constrain procurement and increase costs.” In the U.S., Trump issued broad restrictions in August on a range of imported grid technology. The executive order bans the buying, selling or installation of any power grid equipment manufactured by any foreign company that may pose a national security risk. The order doesn’t name any specific countries, tasking the energy secretary with identifying what equipment and which companies should be subject to the ban. But the move — the latest in a yearslong U.S. effort to keep Chinese-made equipment out of U.S. systems — is raising concerns among the power industry and manufacturers. Grid supply chains are already under duress thanks to data centers and reshored manufacturing, both of which compete with utilities for transformers and other equipment, said GridWise’s Wayland. Transformers are taking nearly two-and-a-half years to deliver — with prices up 158 percent since May 2020 — while circuit switchers, distribution automation switchers and voltage regulators all take at least a year, she said. Trump’s trade actions will exacerbate that problem, Wayland said. That’s because the U.S. lacks domestic sources for bulk grid tech. While Trump’s protective measures likely hope to attract more manufacturing investment, production would not materialize quickly enough to meet surging power demand, she said.

US pediatricians report seeing fewer patients because of immigration enforcement worries -  Immunization clinics in San Diego, California, are usually packed in August as parents prepare their kids for the new school year. Not this year. With agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often waiting outside medical clinics in some states, many immigrant families are now afraid to seek healthcare, said Pia Pannaraj, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and a vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases. “We saw a huge drop off in people getting vaccinated,” Pannaraj told CIDRAP News. Many immigrant parents are afraid of being detained or arrested by ICE, she said. “It’s a valid fear.” Almost half of all pediatricians in the United States (39.6%) believe they’re seeing fewer families for medical care because of worries about immigration status, per a national AAP survey published today in Pediatrics. Clinicians report that about 26.2% of their patients come from families that immigrated to the United States. About one-third of pediatricians (31.3%) also noted that fewer families applied to government programs, and 21.3% said some families have stopped sending their children to school. Many pediatricians reported being unsure whether they’ve been seeing fewer immigrant families, “suggesting an underestimation of families affected,” the authors wrote. “Additional support is likely needed to bolster pediatricians’ ability to identify and address these concerns in a sensitive way that ensures family safety and confidentiality.”

Kash Patel defends FBI leadership, personal travel amid scrutiny -  FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday defended his personal travel and the law enforcement agency’s purchase of several luxury armored BMWs under his leadership amid scrutiny.Patel is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. Democrats on the panel are expected to press the Trump administration official over his use of government resources and the agency’s jet while in office.Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the committee, pressed Patel in May about reports that he used taxpayer dollars to fund his personal travel.  “As Director, I have reimbursed all personal travel and expenses and am fully compliant with and strictly follow the Office of Management and Budget rules,” the FBI chief wrote in a July letter, responding to Grassley’s letter, which was shared on social media Monday. Several outlets reported earlier this year that Patel took a VIP snorkeling trip in Hawaii around the wreckage of the USS Arizona during a visit to Pearl Harbor last summer. Additionally, Democratic lawmakers pointed to other excursions the FBI director reportedly made on work trips, including a helicopter tour and jet skiing in Asia.  The bureau has pushed back on these allegations, saying reports of the helicopter trip and the jet skiing excursion were “both false.” Patel cited former FBI directors’ travel histories and claimed that his decision to reroute agency travel through Joint Base Andrews and other government airfields had saved “thousands of dollars per trip.” He also addressed concerns raised by Grassley and Democrats about the law enforcement agency’s decision to purchase several armored BMW SUVs over the FBI’s traditional armored Chevy Suburbans. Patel said the decision saved around $270,000 per vehicle. Patel pushed back on scrutiny from Democratic senators on the Judiciary panel, accusing them of spreading “baseless political narratives.” “Should they ever choose to participate in actual, good-faith oversight, then I’m committed to that as well,” he wrote. “Until they make that decision, I will continue to work with you as we have since my confirmation.”

GOP senator presses Patel on FBI policy change: ‘Why would you get into bestiality?’ It’s not a topic often discussed in the halls of Congress, but Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) grilled FBI Director Kash Patel as he said he was just “trying to understand” a recent change in policy regarding bestiality. The line of questioning on Tuesday was sparked by a shift in FBI hiring practices which lifted longtime bans on selecting new trainees if they have engaged in prostitution or bestiality. The FBI has argued the changes were needed in order to not automatically disqualify a prospective agent who may have been forced into such scenarios through human trafficking. But Kennedy said he was confused by the matter, asking on “what planet” this was suggested. “We’re having a tough time attracting agents, good quality agents that we all can trust, because so many people, fairly or unfairly, think that in order to be an FBI agent now, your political point of view matters. Why would you even get into bestiality?” he asked. “We are not into bestiality,” Patel responded with a slight smile. Kennedy is known for adopting an unassuming posture during questioning that can be both effective and humorous. “When you saw bestiality — I say this with respect to the person who recommended it — why didn’t you just say, ‘What planet did you parachute in from? Why do I want to lead with my chin and get into bestiality?’” Kennedy asked. Patel acknowledged he had some reservations. “That was my initial response, senator. But they then explained to me and showed me cases in which people were forced into it and had applied to the FBI, and so I thought they should be considered. It’s not an automatic disqualification. That’s all,” the director said. Kennedy throughout the exchange had queries on the specifics. “So… it’s not if you frequented a prostitute. It’s if you were a prostitute. If you were forced into it,” he said, before seeming skeptical about the same scenario applying to bestiality. “Obviously, we are never going to hire the criminal,” Patel said, later joking “We have great canines.” “So you disqualified the animal?” Kennedy asked, later adding “How do you involuntarily do [bestiality]?” Patel said trafficking can involve all kinds of disturbing practices. “In a lot of these cases, when human traffickers, who are some of the worst individuals on planet Earth, they don’t just traffic you for prostitution; they traffic you for degrading acts of all kinds, and they force you into that type of conduct,” he said at one point during the exchange. “But you’re not telling us today that if a human being had sex with an animal, that they can still be an FBI agent,” Kennedy asked towards the end of his line of questioning.

EPA scraps climate curbs for U.S. power generation - EPA on Monday landed a major blow against current and future greenhouse gas regulations for power plants, the largest U.S. industrial contributor to climate change. The Trump administration rescinded marquee Biden-era standards targeting carbon emissions from fossil fuel power generation — and proposed blocking any future power plant carbon regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced at a G20 minister-level meeting in Houston on “energy abundance” that EPA was walking away from the 2024 standards, which would have required long-serving coal and some new gas plants to eventually capture and store most of their carbon emissions underground. “For over 15 years, the Obama and Biden administrations implemented a war on coal to destroy reliable and affordable energy. The Trump Administration has come in to protect American energy and to make sure you can afford to keep the lights on,” Zeldin said in a statement announcing the move. The repeal came packaged with a new proposal that would scuttle EPA’s legal basis for regulating power plant carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act — an attempt to prevent future administrations from reinstating standards. While certain to be challenged in court, if upheld, the rules will represent a final nail in the coffin for most federal climate regulation. Monday’s repeal marks the third time an EPA power plant carbon rule has been repealed before it was implemented. The agency has tried for more than a decade to use a catchall part of the Clean Air Act known as Section 111 to tackle U.S. power sector climate emissions, which are second only to climate pollution from motor vehicles. If the Trump administration gets its way, it will be the last. “The proposed rule takes the position that it is beyond our authority in the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases for climate change for power plants,” an EPA official told reporters at a Monday afternoon briefing. It comes as the power sector heightens calls for an end to the regulatory whiplash of the last decade as they struggle to meet demand needs from rapidly scaling data centers. And it represents an escalation of the Trump administration’s policy preference for fossil fuels over renewable energy. The package released Monday answered urgent power industry pleas to undo a remaining Obama-era regulation that would require new gas-fired power plants to meet stricter efficiency standards. The requirements on certain new coal- and gas-fired units would remain temporarily in place, but if the supplemental proposal on EPA’s regulatory authority becomes final, those rules would be wiped away, too. Utilities and electric cooperatives have raised concerns about those gas plant standards, though they’ve largely shrugged off the Obama-era coal plant rules. It has been 13 years since a new coal-fired power plant was built in the U.S., though the Trump administration this summer pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia tied to new data centers.EPA’s new “supplemental proposal” would effectively extend to the power sector its February repeal of the endangerment finding, a keystone 2009 science finding that paved the way for EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.  The official said it advances the same argument — that the Clean Air Act’s “definition of air pollution [applies] to local and regional impacts and not to those that are global in nature.” The power industry praised the rules, citing increasing demand and rising prices for consumers. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson, a former Democratic lawmaker, urged EPA to “work quickly to finish the job.” “America’s electric grid needs every available electron,” Matheson said.

Trump administration axes power plant climate rules - The Trump administration on Monday gutted the rules governing the nation’s climate regulations for power plants. The rules, which have been announced but whose underlying text did not appear to be public at press time, are expected to ax most, but not all, of the climate regulations on the books for the power sector. When the Trump administration first proposed to get rid of Biden-era power plant rules last year, it said it would eliminate all climate rules for the sector. Monday’s move stops short of immediately doing that. It gets rid of major components of past regulations but does leave a few pieces in place.In particular, EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo told reporters that new natural gas plants would still need to abide by 2015 standards and 2024 efficiency requirements.It also leaves in place Obama-era regulations for new coal power plants, though few if any new coal plants are expected to be built in the years ahead. The rule also comes with a supplemental proposal that, if finalized, would seek to repeal the agency’s authority to regulate power plants’ climate contributions entirely.Szabo said the proposal would find that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA the authority to regulate power plants’ planet-warming emissions. In addition to axing the few regulations that remain, he said, the proposal could block future administrations from regulating power plants’ climate emissions. If it’s finalized, a future administration could ultimately undo the maneuver, but in the meantime, it could act as a delay for future regulations.   The proposal is expected to allow for significantly more planet-heating emissions such as carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.A regulatory analysis of the Trump administration’s proposal, which does differ from the final rule, said that it would have allowed an estimated 38 million additional metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2028, an additional 50 million metric tons in 2030, 123 million metric tons in 2035, 54 million metric tons in 2040 and 42 million metric tons in 2045.The U.S. power sector is a major driver of planet-warming emissions, responsible for a quarter of total U.S. emissions.  A report from New York University School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity found that if the U.S. power sector were a country, it would be the world’s sixth-largest emitter, contributing more to climate change than the entirety of nations including Canada, Japan, Brazil and Mexico.The report also said that the sector’s 2022 emissions alone will contribute to future climate change impacts that are expected to cause about 5,300 additional premature deaths in the U.S. due to heat and wildfire smoke.The change is expected to eventually lower electricity prices, but the changes may not be particularly dramatic.An analysis based on the original proposal, from which the final rule slightly differs, found that in 2028 and 2030, the changes could actually increase average retail electricity prices by 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.In 2035, it would cause a 1.4 percent drop in electricity prices, as well as a 0.2 percent drop in 2040 and a 0.7 percent drop in 2045 compared to a baseline where the Biden-era regulation is not repealed. The rule is expected to be a win for the coal sector, an industry that has been on the decline as other fuel sources, particularly natural gas, have become increasingly dominant.  The analysis of last year’s proposal said that in 2028, coal production for use in the electric sector could be 6 percent higher than it otherwise would have been. By 2045, coal production would be expected to be 84 percent higher under last year’s proposal than it would have been if the Biden-era rules stayed in place.In 2045, coal used by the power sector would have also been 32 percent more expensive under the proposal than it would have been under the Biden rule.  Opponents of the Trump administration’s move are expected to sue to try to block it. “I would expect that the final repeal will be pretty immediately challenged,” said Dena Adler, senior attorney at the Institute for Policy Integrity. Some groups are already indicating they could sue.   “The EPA has a legal obligation to protect us from climate pollution from power plants,” said Jill Tauber, vice president for climate and energy at Earthjustice, in a written statement. “Earthjustice and our partners will continue to defend climate protections and hold the Trump administration accountable.” But, Adler said, it could take time before there’s any actual resolution.   “I think we’ll see immediate challenges, but I think we’re not going to necessarily get to the bottom of some of those legal claims until the intermediary question of EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is addressed,”

Trump guts climate rules for coal and gas power plants The Trump administration on Monday gutted regulations that limited planet-warming emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. The move allows a sector that makes up a large share of the U.S.’s climate change contributions to release greenhouse gases unchecked by the government. It’s expected to be a win for the fossil fuel industry, while allowing the release of significantly more planet-heating pollution. When it proposed to kill the regulations entirely last year, the Trump administration estimated that in the year 2035 alone, this would result in the release of 123 million more metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to putting an additional 28.7 million gas-powered cars on the road. Monday’s move could be slightly different. While it is expected to repeal large swaths of Biden-era power plant regulations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assistant administrator Aaron Szabo told reporters that limited pieces of Biden- and Obama-era regs would remain in place. In addition to Monday’s final rule, the EPA proposed to find that the Clean Air Act does not give it the authority to regulate power plant emissions due to their climate impacts. If finalized, Szabo said that this move could block future administrations from regulating power plants’ climate emissions. Overall, he said that the moves would allow “American families and businesses experience lower electricity costs … thanks to an increased power supply.” The moves come as high electricity demand and increasing power prices continue to be a major political issue. Last year’s analysis found that in 2035, axing power plant climate rules could reduce electricity prices by an average of 1.4 percent. In a press release, the EPA said that it expects its final rule to save $310 billion.  President Trump has falsely said that climate change is a “hoax” on multiple occasions, and his administration has broadly sought to cut back or eliminate climate regulations. It recently repealed all climate rules for cars and trucks, saying their emissions did not pose a threat to the public. Climate change has been linked to worsening heat waves and extreme weather. The U.S. power sector is a major driver of planet-warming emissions, responsible for a quarter of total U.S. emissions.  A report from New York University School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity found that if the U.S. power sector were a country, it would be the world’s sixth-largest emitter, contributing more to climate change than the entirety of nations such as Canada, Japan, Brazil and Mexico. The report also said that the sector’s 2022 emissions alone will contribute to future climate change impacts that are expected to cause about 5,300 additional premature deaths in the U.S. due to heat and wildfire smoke. “The public health and welfare toll of this deregulation is just going to be staggering,” said Jason Schwartz, one of the report’s authors and regulatory policy director at the Institute, told The Hill. Environmental activists recoiled at the Trump administration’s latest rollback before news of it was officially announced. “It’s really just the Trump EPA putting their head in the sand,” said Meredith Hankins, federal climate legal director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “I mean, you can look at the weather we experienced this summer, the heat waves on the Fourth of July. We’re going into an El Niño season with potential hurricanes and even more extreme weather. We see the impacts of climate change all around us every day, and the Trump EPA is trying to say, ‘Well, that’s not our problem.'” Meanwhile, industry players celebrated the move. Rachael Marsh, chief legal officer at the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group representing power companies, said in a statement that it “welcomes EPA’s repeal” of the Biden-era rule. Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, which represents the coal industry, said in a statement that the Trump rule “has averted what would have been a catastrophic collision of unlawful and unworkable Biden-era technology mandates with surging energy demands.” “With today’s repeal, well-operating coal plants are no longer faced with the false choice between commercially unavailable and technically infeasible technologies, fuel-switching or closure. The administration’s action corrects the egregious misuse of the Clean Air Act as a political tool to end American coal generation and implements the law as Congress intended,” Nolan added. The EPA’s action repeals most of a Biden-era rule that would have required existing coal plants and new gas plants to prevent 90 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.

EPA rollback may worsen Trump’s Supreme Court climate headache - The Trump administration’s move on Monday to undo EPA climate rules could further complicate another wing of its strategy to quash U.S. greenhouse gas policies — its Supreme Court bid to derail lawsuits seeking to make oil producers pay for climate change. The administration has made its authority over greenhouse gas emissions central to its argument against climate lawsuits playing out in state courts. On Monday, it ceded more of that authority by formally rescinding EPA’s carbon rules for power plants, the largest industrial source of U.S. climate pollution. Lawyers watching the administration’s parallel strategies say Monday’s move may make the Justice Department’s Supreme Court case harder by undercutting its legal theory that EPA is in charge of climate regulation. “I assume when we see today’s proposal, there will be some discussion and some fancy footwork about how the Clean Air Act continues” to block state climate action, said Sean Donahue, an attorney with Donahue, Goldberg, Herzog and Davidson, who has defended federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants. “But I think in practice,” he said, “it makes it harder to have that be a credible argument.” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Monday he would refer any questions about litigation to DOJ, but argued that Congress had been “purposeful” in excluding climate from the Clean Air Act and that his agency was following the law “to the T.” “I care deeply in our Constitution, our rule of law, our process,” he said, “and I’ve read these laws and I’ve read these Supreme Court decisions.” DOJ has said it does not see any conflict with its decision to rescind climate rules and its Supreme Court argument that state-level climate lawsuits interfere with the federal government’s job. “We don’t see any contradiction in the government’s position,” Adam Gustafson, head of DOJ’s energy division, told POLITICO in a recent interview. “There are lots of ways for the federal government to win.” DOJ’s strategy will be put to the test in early October, when administration attorneys will appear alongside oil companies at the Supreme Court to argue that the justices should put the kibosh on dozens of state court lawsuits that — if successful — would force companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron and Suncor Energy to pay billions of dollars for contributing to climate change. Ahead of the argument, Trump’s DOJ has said in court papers that EPA — not the states and cities behind the climate lawsuits against oil producers — is the primary regulator of greenhouse gases. In a May Supreme Court filing, DOJ said EPA still retained authority over some industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The government’s brief said that EPA had recently concluded through its rollback of the so-called endangerment finding that it couldn’t set climate rules for motor vehicles — but hadn’t said the same about stationary sources like power plants. That’s expected to change with Monday’s rollback. West Virginia Solicitor General Michael Williams, who supports the Trump administration’s position at the Supreme Court, said federal common law and the Constitution still prevent state and local governments from regulating interstate emissions. DOJ’s Supreme Court argument “is just as strong today as it was yesterday,” Williams told POLITICO on Monday. Donahue called Trump officials “maximalists” on decimating federal regulators’ power. “The fact that it creates problems for some of their legal arguments is just, they’ll just deal with it,” he said.

Bill that could change the nickel, how you pay with cash passes through House -– A new penny, bound for circulation, hasn’t been minted in nearly a year. Yet the U.S. is still working to get rid of it, once and for all.A step in that process happened Monday in the House of Representatives, where the latest version of the Common Cents Act passed by voice vote. An identical version of the bill passed in the Senate with unanimous consent last month. The bill passed Monday varies slightly from another version of the Common Cents Act that made its way through the House and to the Senate earlier this year. While that version instructs the Treasury to stop minting the penny, it did not explicitly outline the discontinuation of a coin.The formal end of the penny may be the chief aspect of the bill, but the Common Cents Act could also impact how you pay with cash and potentially pave the way for the U.S. to get a new nickel. Here’s what to know. The U.S. Mint stopped producing pennies last year, but it has released collectible pennies for America’s 250th anniversary. The Common Cents Act, if enacted, wouldn’t change either of those practices. The penny would be formally sent to the bench, though one-cent coins “for sale as numismatic items” can still be produced. As they do now, pennies would remain legal tender. The bill that most recently passed the House notes that “any one-cent coin that is minted and issued on any date before the date of the enactment of this subsection shall remain legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues.” It’s estimated that more than 300 billion pennies are out in the world — more than 800 pennies, or $8 worth, per U.S. citizen — trapped wherever a little Lincoln can hide. If you’ve paid with cash within the last year or so, you may have found that retailers do not have any pennies to give you, despite how many are believed to be rolling around in the world. Though the Common Cents Act would not help those pennies (perhaps lost in couches and collecting dust in piggy banks) get back into circulation, it would address some of the difficulties of paying with cash that have materialized. Businesses would be allowed the option to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel. That would make a $1.82 purchase a $1.80, while $1.83 would become $1.85, for example. As simple as it sounds, some states and localities have laws prohibiting the practice. Advocates believe the Common Cents Act could iron out that confusion.  With the penny handled, the Common Cents Act would also focus on the nation’s second-lowest denomination: the nickel. The five-cent coin may have some added value as of late, especially among retailers who have had to round change on cash transactions. But it still remains extremely expensive to produce. It cost 13.31 cents to produce a single nickel in fiscal year 2025, down slightly from 13.78 cents in fiscal year 2024. Last year marked 20 consecutive years that nickel production costs remained above the coin’s face value.  One expert has even argued it would have been easier for the U.S. to ditch its nickel than the penny. The Common Cents Act would not get rid of the nickel, but it could lead to a change in its composition. The bill allows the Treasury Secretary to test and evaluate compositions of the coin and suggest a new make-up for the nickel if it “reduces the cost” of production and “has a minimal adverse impact on machines designed to accept coins.” That may include making the nickel out of zinc, with an outer layer of nickel. Only the penny and the $1 coin currently use zinc, which was nearly $7,000 per tonne cheaper than copper last year, the Mint reports.   Changing a coin’s composition can be difficult, though. Attempts to make the penny cheaper, for example, failed.

Advocates, lawmakers call for release of congressionally approved global health funds -  The clock is ticking on more than a billion dollars in congressionally approved funding for global health programs that's being held up by the Trump administration. According to an analysis by Partners in Health, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is withholding $1.35 billion in bilateral funding that was previously approved by Congress for tuberculosis (TB), malaria, HIV, and maternal and child health programs. The funding is set to expire on September 30, the end of the federal government's fiscal year.The group says the continued withholding of the money could have a devastating impact in countries that rely on the funding. "If that money is continuously withheld, that would cause tens of thousands of preventable deaths from infectious diseases—including TB, malaria, and HIV—and among moms and babies from illness in childbirth and delivery," Vincent Lin, an associate director of Health Policy and Advocacy with Partners in Health, said at a press briefing today. According to reporting by the New York Times, OMB told Congress in April that it planned to use $2 billion in approved funding to cover the cost of closing down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which was dismantled by the Trump administration last year. Of that money, roughly $650 million has been diverted for response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The remaining $1.35 billion would cover the costs of terminating leases for office space used by the agency and paying severance for USAID employees. Lin said it's his understanding that the closeout costs for USAID are much less than OMB is claiming. Partners in Health also warned that the State Department has been delaying routine funding of the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the program that is estimated to have saved 26 million lives since it was established by the George W. Bush administration in 2003. The group estimates that, through July of this year, PEPFAR has spent $2.3 billion less than it did two years ago. "If we hit September 30th with that level of a gap, we're going to see huge drop-offs in service delivery around the world," Lin said.

Trump will announce Medicaid most favored nation pricing for all 50 states - President Trump on Friday is set to announce that all 50 states will see “most favored nation” (MFN) pricing for some drugs covered by Medicaid, according to an administration official. Trump will be joined by “several governors” in the Oval Office to make the announcement, the official said. With affordability a top concern among voters, Republicans hope to use drug pricing as a winning message in November’s midterm elections. “Today’s announcement confirms that every state Medicaid program will save billions on prescription drug costs thanks to President Trump,” the White House official said. The administration’s “GENEROUS” model allows participating states to purchase drugs at a price aligned with those in other countries. The theory, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is that it will allow state Medicaid programs to benefit from fairer, more competitive pricing. The administration has suggested state Medicaid programs could save more than $64 billion, but it’s not clear how they arrived at that figure. Medicaid drugs are already subject to steep discounts, so the impact of MFN agreements on drug costs and accessibility isn’t clear.

Meant to cut US prescription drug prices, proposed Medicare policies may do the opposite—with global implications -The Trump administration’s proposed Medicare “Most-Favored Nation” pricing policies could drive up prescription drug prices and slow drug launches around the world, a modeling study published this week in The Lancet concludes. The policies are aimed at lowering the prices of drugs in the United States, which are an estimated three to five times higher than in European countries. But manufacturers’ ability to strike confidential deals with the Trump administration and challenges in implementing the policies could cancel out any savings, the study authors say. A team led by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed the potential effects of the Most-Favored Nation payment models for Medicare part B (GLOBE) and part D (GUARD). GLOBE covers drugs provided in hospitals and clinics, and GUARD covers those bought at pharmacies. The team assessed 195 patented drugs that account for $87.9 billion of Medicare's annual spending ($32.7 billion through GLOBE and $55.2 billion through GUARD). Because drug makers’ rebates and discounts are confidential, the researchers estimated Medicare's net prices for the drugs and then compared them with prices in 19 reference countries under the proposed rules to estimate savings. They linked Medicare spending and prices with estimated current rebates, ex-manufacturer prices, and international sales data using Medicare data and commercial databases of sales and pricing from the reference countries for all potentially model-eligible brand-name drugs. “Under these payment models, manufacturers would be required to pay Medicare additional rebates for net drug prices exceeding the lowest international list price in a basket of 19 reference countries adjusted by gross domestic product per capita on purchasing power parity basis,” potentially reshaping global pharmaceutical markets, the researchers wrote. For three in four prescription drugs studied, the resulting Medicare savings would be worth nearly four times that drug's entire annual sales in the country used to set its price. In response, manufacturers could raise prices outside the United States or delay drug rollouts to avoid losing that much money. In addition, the authors said, the initial 17 drug companies were reported to have reached confidential agreements with the Trump administration. If the drugs from these manufacturers were excluded from those rules, the researchers estimated a 71% reduction in the policy's potential savings, leaving just $3.3 billion (28.7%) in savings. “The latest round of deals announced on 31 August brings the reported tally to 26 companies,” lead author Thomas Hwang, MD, of Brigham and Women’s, said in a Lancet news release. “By our updated estimate, exemptions would push savings lost from an estimated 71% in our study to nearly 80%.” In its initial phase, without any confidential Medicare-manufacturer deals, the policy could cut Medicare's prescription drug spending by $5.2 billion (16%) under GLOBE and $6.4 billion (18%) under GUARD, which would cover about 25% of the Medicare program. If expanded to all Medicare beneficiaries, these savings could increase to about $21 billion under GLOBE and $25.5 billion under GUARD. Medicare wasn’t allowed to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers until the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act permitted it for a small number of expensive drugs. Under the GLOBE and GUARD models, a randomly selected 25% of Medicare beneficiaries would be covered for five years. “People living in the United States have long paid more for medicines than virtually anywhere else in the world,” coauthor Aaron Kesselheim, MD, of Brigham and Women’s, said in the release. “The Most-Favoured-Nation pricing models were meant to address this gap, but their scope is limited by various exemptions and will likely face legal challenges.” Hwang said that the US government and industry are pressing referenced countries and industry to raise drug prices and spending, "but this is colliding with the reality that other countries have limited budget room to give.”

Kennedy questions vaccine safety at Children’s Health Defense event - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday addressed a conference organized by the antivaccine group Children’s Health Defense, playing up the safety risks of vaccines and telling the audience they have a “strong and steadfast friend in the White House.”Kennedy, who once served as chairman of the group but has kept a distance since becoming HHS secretary, repeatedly questioned the safety of vaccines during his speech and suggested the childhood vaccine schedule might have connections to what he called the “chronic disease epidemic” in US children. He said President Donald Trump has asked to him to “vigorously investigate” the potential contribution of childhood vaccines.Kennedy said that while vaccine injuries are likely rare, “there’s no way for us to know this,” because the system for reporting vaccine injuries “is broken.”“We have no idea what the risk profile is for these products,” Kennedy said, repeating a false claim he has made in the past. Vaccines are among the most heavily scrutinized medical products, licensed on the basis of multiple clinical trials and monitored in post-approval marketing studies and by federal surveillance systems. Kennedy spoke to the group amid a nationwide measles outbreak that has reached 3,471 confirmed cases, with four measles-associated deaths reported in Pennsylvania. His only mention of the outbreak was in reference to vaccine injuries.“We care about every child who dies from measles. They get headlines,” Kennedy said. “Shouldn’t we, I ask you, care about the children who are dying or suffering or being injured by vaccine injuries?”

At Senate hearing, US surgeon general nominee says she believes vaccines are safe   -Today, President Donald Trump’s third nominee for the role of surgeon general—Nicole Saphier, MD—faced questions from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), with many queries focused on her views on vaccines. The United States hasn’t had a surgeon general since 2025. Saphier’s nomination followed Trump’s withdrawal of the nomination of Casey Means, MD, after her contentious HELP committee hearing.  A former Fox News contributor and radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Saphier emphasized that her experience makes her qualified for the role of surgeon general. She focused many of her comments on preventing chronic illness, which aligns with some goals of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  “My commitment to prevention predates the current national conversation around it,” she said in her opening statement. “I have long believed that we spend too much time and resources treating chronic disease after it takes hold, and not enough time helping Americans reduce their risk before illness begins.”   Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and HELP Committee chair, immediately started by pressing Saphier about her views on vaccines, specifically the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.   Pennsylvania is experiencing a large measles outbreak currently totaling 731 cases, of which 117 are new within the past week. Four measles-associated deaths have been reported in the state, including two adults and two infants, all of whom were unvaccinated. Federal leaders have not encouraged MMR immunization widely, and misinformation has spread. A poll this week shows that fewer people believe the MMR vaccine is safe, with 76% of people trusting the immunization, down from 84% in 2020. “Let me ask you, is the MMR vaccine extremely lethal, as the president said?” Cassidy asked.  Saphier didn’t address Trump’s comment directly, but said, “I do not believe the MMR vaccine to be lethal. I believe the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles.” Cassidy followed up with questions on her views on vaccines and autism. “I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism,” Saphier said. She added that MMR vaccination is “the best tool we have to combat these infections, to save the most lives, and also to create population herd immunity.”   When Saphier characterized Trump’s comments as “trying to reach the vaccine-hesitant people,” Cassidy pushed back. “I’m not sure that you reach people who are vaccine-[hesitant] by feeding into untruths. The way to dispel confusion is not to sow more confusion,” the senator said. “The way to is to say, ‘No, it does not cause autism.’” Saphier also acknowledged that “hepatitis B vaccines are one of the most tangible ways we have to prevent cancer,” but danced around whether they should be recommended. “I do believe that is what is tried and true. I understand it can be a nuanced conversation, and some parents have concerns that they can [share] with their pediatrician,” she said. “But in the United States, we have the most evidence showing universal birth-dose vaccination to be safe and effective.” “But that stops short of saying that it should be recommended,” Cassidy responded.  “Based on our data, the overwhelming recommendation should be this is what we have shown is tried and true,” Saphier said. “I’m open to future discussions about it… the universal birth dose has been the most effective policy here in the United States for reducing infection.”

Trump: Kennedy Center won’t be renovated if courts deny board’s naming plan - President Trump said Tuesday that the Kennedy Center will not be renovated if courts shoot down the naming plan chosen by the center’s board.“The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction,” the president said in a post on his Truth Social platform Tuesday afternoon. “The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name.”“If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place,” the president added. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked an effort by the Kennedy Center to inscribe Trump’s name on the building, as well as rename the campus after the president.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center board, handpicked by the president, could not go ahead with plans without approval from Congress and found that a vote on the renaming last month probably violated his prior injunction.“The board resolution bucks a federal court order and a statute Congress enacted,” Cooper, an Obama appointee, said in his opinion.The board voted also voted Tuesday to immediately close the institution’s main building for renovations, a source familiar with the situation told The Hill. The board has asserted that only the president can raise enough money to save the Kennedy Center.The board’s vote followed officials signaling the performing arts center was dealing with “certain fiscal collapse within weeks.” A draft resolution labeled the Kennedy Center as close to bankruptcy.

Trump photo appears to reference Kennedy Center demolition, judge orders advance notice of any move to knock it down  - A new photo shows President Donald Trump eyeing a poster that appears to reference the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts being demolished, hours after he warned that the building “will end up being ripped down” if he is not properly recognized for his efforts to renovate it.Rep. Joyce Beatty, the Ohio Democrat battling Trump over his efforts to get his name affixed to the Kennedy Center, notified a federal judge Thursday morning in a court filing about the image and the president’s threat. In response, Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Kennedy Center to give 30 days’ notice before implementing any changes to the scope of planned renovations “including but not limited to any ‘demolition’ of the Center’s main building.” Beatty, a day earlier, asked Cooper to schedule an emergency hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., on what she says is the “unlawful” closure of the Kennedy Center by its board of trustees in violation of a prior order by Cooper.. Cooper later Thursday denied Beatty’s request for an emergency hearing. But the judge, in addition to his order requiring advance notice of any demolition, ordered that the Kennedy Center defendants in her suit, who include Trump, “shall a file a detailed status report, supported by a sworn declaration from a knowledgeable representative of the Kennedy Center, on the ‘temporary closure’ and emergency repairs described” in a Department of Justice filing earlier in the day. Beatty praised the order, but in a statement said, “It is simply outrageous that we have gotten to the point of consistent judicial intervention to protect this historic institution from getting bulldozed by the President.” “I will continue to fight for the rule of law and defend this memorial on behalf of the American people,” said Beatty, who is an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. White House spokeswoman Liz Huston, in a statement to CNBC on the photo, said, “For years, Democrats let the Kennedy Center rot, allowing water damage and crumbling infrastructure to turn a national treasure into a building in decay.” “As President Trump said last night, without his intervention, The Kennedy Center will inevitably continue to decline,” Huston said. In her filing Thursday morning, Beatty’s lawyers told Cooper, “Plaintiff files this Notice to apprise the Court of two new pieces of evidence that came to light last night.” “First, yesterday evening, in response to reporter questions regarding the Kennedy Center project, President Trump stated, ‘for the Trump administration, for me, to get involved, and to take on long term, and to carry it, or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,’” the filing said. ″‘Because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close, it will end up being ripped down,’” Trump had said, the lawyers noted. The attorneys added, “Separately, a photo has been circulated on social media depicting President Trump reading a placard on Air Force One that appears to read ‘Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.’” The filing included a copy of the photo and a blown-up version showing the letters “DEMOLIS.” “Given the emergency nature of this matter. ... Plaintiff wanted to make sure the Court and Defendants are aware of this new information,” Beatty’s lawyers told Cooper. In a second filing Thursday morning, Beatty’s lawyers asked Cooper to “enter an order making clear that either the wholesale demolition of the building or demolition that would make public access impossible would violate the Court’s existing order.”

John F. Kennedy's family slams Trump over Kennedy Center: 'How small minded, how narcissistic'  -The family of former President Kennedy slammed President Trump for his ongoing legal battle to put his name on the Kennedy Center and to close the building for planned renovations.The Kennedy Center board, handpicked by Trump, voted Tuesday to close the main building, but Trump said the renovations will not happen as long as the ruling blocking his name from being added to the center stands.“If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.Kennedy’s niece Maria Shriver, who was the former first lady of California, said Trump’s statement “blows my mind,” calling the president “small minded” and “narcissistic.”“That a sitting president would not let any renovations to a public building go on unless he gets to first put his name in the said building… What a sad state of affairs. What a tragedy,” she wrote on the social platform X.“It seems that this man will not rest until his name is permanently connected to the name of a great president, whose memory this building was dedicated to,” she added.Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, who recently ran an unsuccessful campaign in New York’s 12th Congressional District, also weighed in.“JFK’s legacy is unbreakable — the moon, the Civil Rights Act, Cuban Missile Crisis and the arts. Trump is a broken band in nose dive decline,” he said in a statement.Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member, sued in December to block the name change and closure plans. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against the board and blocked its attempt to add Trump’s name to the building’s facade.Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, called Beatty a “national hero” for challenging the board and the administration in court.“She has fiercely and courageously stood up for the Kennedy Center, for the arts, for Uncle Jack’s memory, for this country’s history, and most importantly, for the law, time and time again,” she wrote on social media. “We will not be bullied into silence or submission. Thank you, Rep. Beatty. We are all so grateful for your leadership.”

Trump says CNN, MS NOW, Politico banned from White House - Play Video President Trump said Friday he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, a move sure to draw fierce pushback from D.C.’s press corps. Trump said in a Truth Social post the ban would be “effective immediately” for those outlets, “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” He suggested more outlets would be banned in the future. He called CNN “fake news” and targeted MS NOW, saying the outlet changed its name over “lack of viewership and credibility.” He also railed against the $8 million the government pays for Politico Pro subscriptions, calling it “illegal and ridiculous.” “An All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them ‘alive,’ Seems like corruption to me!),” he wrote. The Hill reached out to all three outlets for comment. Trump said there was no particular reason for the timing of the ban, when asked about it in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon. “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last two years. You get sick of it,” he told reporters during an event focused on health care. Trump said more outlets could be banned in the future. Asked if the move was likely to survive a legal challenge, Trump said it depends on the judge handling the case. “I don’t think that a court should allow fake news to be written day after day after day. I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they’re going to write false stories all the time,” he said. The president has long criticized CNN over its coverage of him and spoken openly about his desire to see the network’s parent company sell the cable channel to ally media mogul Larry Ellison. He has sued the network in the past and specifically targeted Kaitlan Collins, one of the network’s top journalists, over her questioning of him in the Oval Office. Trump also has a history of attacking conservative media outlets he feels are not sufficiently loyal to him. He sued the Wall Street Journal last year over its reporting on his alleged ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and regularly blasts polls and political commentary on Fox News, also owned by conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch. It was unclear on Friday what Trump’s “ban” on the three outlets would look like in practice, but such an attempt is likely to spark pushback from press freedom groups and potential legal challenges. The Associated Press sued the administration after the president attempted to ban the wire service from certain White House spaces over its refusal to change its stylebook on “Gulf of America.” Trump’s statement was criticized by the Knight Foundation First Amendment Institute. “With so many courts having ruled against him on exactly this point, you’d think President Trump would have learned this lesson by now,” said Jameel Jaffer, the group’s executive director. “If President Trump means to expel these news organizations from the White House press pool, his action is doubly unconstitutional because the press pool is a ‘public forum’ under the First Amendment, which means the president can’t exclude journalists from it on the basis of their viewpoints.”

Fetterman attended retreat with Fox News executives in Montana - Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.), who has been known to buck his party, attended a retreat in Montana featuring key figures at Fox News, according to a new report published Tuesday. Per the Washington Examiner, the Pennsylvania senator went to the retreat alongside Fox News executives in the Treasure State two months ago, being invited to the event by the owners of the network. The retreat, which happened in mid-July, took place at the ranch of the Murdoch family, one of the most powerful families in the media industry, the Examiner reported. Lachlan Murdoch, one of the family members, is the CEO of Fox News’s parent company. Fetterman, according to the Examiner, headlined a social media-focused panel alongside Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) during the retreat. The Pennsylvania senator — in addition to three other sources — told the Examiner of his presence at the retreat. “I was invited to go there,” he said Tuesday, per the Examiner. Fetterman, who has rubbed fellow Democrats the wrong way in recent years, on Tuesday again emphasized that he would not become a Republican in the wake of his video appearance at the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) first-ever midterm convention in Dallas last week. When asked by a Capitol Hill reporter if there was a possibility he would cross the aisle, Fetterman seemed frustrated. “I’m not going to be a Republican. Why can’t you guys just wait till the midterms? And if I turn a Republican, then I’ll be a liar,” he said. “My name is not on the ballot. Chill.” Fetterman’s Democratic colleagues expressed discontent with him after a video he made introducing his fellow Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick (R) at the RNC convention. The Pennsylvania Democrat has also recently gone after the left flank of his party, including democratic socialists and those who have voiced opposition to U.S. support of Israel.

Supreme Court won’t restore Trump’s mail-in voting plan for midterms   - The Supreme Court refused to clear the way for President Trump’s mail-in voting plan for the midterms on Monday over the dissents of two conservative justices, keeping intact a judge’s block that declared the plan unlawful.It’s the third time the Trump administration brought the plan to the high court’s emergency docket after groups have blocked the effort. Previously, the justices ruled in Trump’s favor, finding that blue states likely had no right to sue over the president’s executive order itself. Now, they’ve ruled against him in the latest phase, which focused on the U.S. Postal Service’s implementation of the president’s directive as Election Day rapidly approaches. “The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court’s preliminary injunction,” the court’s brief, unsigned ruling reads. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of Trump’s appointees to the court, publicly indicated he voted with the majority. He said there’s at least a fair prospect that Trump’s plan is legal.  “But applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections,” Kavanaugh wrote. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented. “Some of the plaintiffs lack standing, while the remainder are pursuing a claim that this Court has recently called a ‘Hail Mary pass’ that ‘rarely succeeds,’” wrote Alito, joined by Thomas. No other justice publicly disclosed their vote. The plan would’ve required states to upload lists of voters to send them a mail ballot. The Postal Service would also only deliver ballots that meet new design requirements, like an official logo and barcode. It became the latest emergency case to thrust the justices into the midterm elections. The Supreme Court last week lifted an order instructing Missouri they could use Republicans’ newly passed congressional map. And, the justices are still mulling yet another case, which concerns the use of an overhauled immigration clearinghouse to scrutinize voter rolls. It also marks a rare loss for the president on the high court’s emergency docket. Though it hasn’t been a clean sweep, the justices have repeatedly agreed to step in after judges have blocked key aspects of Trump’s agenda. The mail-in voting lawsuits began after Trump signed a new executive order in March targeting the practice, which he continually claims contributes to significant fraud. Election officials have identified limited instances of fraud, but no evidence has emerged suggesting the massive scale Trump has described. The lawsuits claim the plan exceeds Trump’s authority. Blue states had warned of chaos under the administration’s plan, saying that it would be impossible to comply ahead of November’s contests. Some had suggested it would leave millions unable to vote by mail.

Another judge steps in to block Donald Trump's mail-in ballot restrictions - A second federal judge blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing President Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting, adding a new obstacle to the president’s plan as he awaits word from the Supreme Court.  The high court was already considering an emergency request to lift another judge’s block — a decision could come any time — when U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled in separate challenges filed by Democrats and private organizations. Nichols similarly found that Trump’s mail ballot plan wasn’t authorized by Congress. “The key portions of the Rule exceed any conception of the outer bounds of these authorities,” the judge wrote in his 24-page opinion.Nichols is a Trump appointee who serves on the federal trial bench in Washington, D.C. He oversees several consolidated lawsuits challenging the president’s plan. One was brought by the Democratic National Committee, other party groups, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The others were filed by private organizations, such as the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens. Trump has long targeted mail-in voting over his claims that it contributes to mass election fraud. Officials have identified limited instances of fraud but not at the scale Trump has claimed. His executive order, signed in March, instructed the Postal Service to develop new requirements for casting a mail ballot. The agency’s final plan would require states to upload voter lists and make sure their envelopes meet design requirements, including an official logo and barcode, for mail ballots to be sent. Blue states have warned that it is too late to change their designs, and allowing the president to move ahead in time for the midterms would risk making a significant number of ballots invalid. In court, the Trump administration has emphasized that federal authorities won’t second-guess states’ mail voter lists, and it has defended the policy by likening it to the Postal Service’s rules on cremated remains and other sensitive items. The judge rejected the comparison. “But the Rule does far more than prescribe how ballot envelopes must be designed and processed,” Nichols wrote.

 Trump slams Supreme Court justices on mail-in ballots: ‘These are not the people I interviewed to serve’ President Trump on Tuesday slammed the Supreme Court ruling that blocked his mail-in voting plan, singling out the conservative justices who ruled with the majority. Trump referred to the ruling, which upheld a judge’s block finding the plan unlawful, as “a bad decision” in a lengthy Truth Social post. The president praised conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas as “legends,” noting their dissent against the ruling. He lashed out, however, at “certain” other justices who “are petrified of these crazed and depraved Democrats,” apparently referring to Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, who sided with the court’s liberal justices. “These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves, a Court that is costing the United States Trillions of Dollars with shockingly bad rulings that are of such magnitude that it won’t be easily possible for our Country to recover or heal,” the president wrote. The decision marks the third time the Trump administration brought the plan to the high court’s emergency docket after groups blocked the effort. The ruling is the latest in a string of recent Supreme Court decisions that have not gone in the president’s favor. In February, the high court struck down the bulk of his tariffs in a 6-3 decision by rejecting his expanded use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in imposing tariffs on nearly every country. In another 6-3 decision, the high court ruled against Trump’s birthright citizenship ban in June, upholding the guarantees in the 14th Amendment. Coney Barrett ruled against the administration in both decisions, while Gorsuch ruled to strike down his tariffs and Kavanaugh ruled to strike down his birthright citizenship move. “Certain Justices are petrified of these crazed and depraved Democrats, and are totally unable to show the courage necessary to save our America,” Trump wrote, citing the tariff and birthright citizenship decisions. He went on to predict the high court will go down as having “rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful, and damaging decisions in our Country’s history.” While he voted with the majority, Kavanaugh suggested there’s at least a fair prospect that the plan is legal. “But applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections,” he wrote.

Donald Trump says $5,000 dividend checks will 'happen 100 percent' - President Trump on Sunday said $5,000 dividend checks will “happen 100 percent” if the GOP maintains its majorities in the House and Senate after the midterm elections. The president compared the potential payouts to the $1,776 checks that went out to U.S. service members, telling reporters outside Air Force One on Sunday that he’s received the same type of pushback. “The $5,000 is going to happen 100 percent,” he said. “And the reason is because our country is taking in trillions and trillions of dollars. And it’s going to happen.” Trump said he will not send the dividends out while the GOP has control of Congress.  “I don’t want to do it now, because if the Democrats get it, our country will be in shambles and they won’t be able to do it,” he continued. “If we get in, we’re taking in tremendous amounts of money. We’re taking in over $20 trillion in terms of investment. And with the Democrats, all of that money will be thrown out. If the Democrats get in, they won’t be able to pay it.” Senate Republicans clash over economic strategy, Trump proposal of $5k payout. The president first pledged to dole out the checks last Wednesday during the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention. He said his administration can disburse the proposed dividends “because we’ve done so well,” adding that the payments will only be used in the U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that the dividends would not rely on taxpayer dollars and that the administration could “earn the money that Donald Trump wants to pay out, not from the deficit and not from taxpayers.” White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett suggested that the checks could materialize via a reconciliation package through Congress, which holds appropriating power. The administration cannot spend public money on anything without funds set aside by lawmakers. The $1,776 checks sent to around 1.45 million service members last year were part of a one-time housing supplement added to Trump’s sweeping tax and spending law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) quickly announced after Trump’s pledge that he would introduce a bill in Congress to ensure the checks happen. Paul Berman, a professor at George Washington University Law School, previously told The Hill that tariff revenue would not cover the estimated $1.3 trillion it would take to dole out the checks. The president’s tariffs have generated roughly $341 billion in net revenue since the start of 2025, according to Treasury Department data cited by the Bipartisan Policy Center.“Even if there were, that’s money that goes back to the public fisc, and then Congress is the one that has the power of the purse to allocate it,” Berman said.  But the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs, ordering a refund of $166 billion of what was generated.Some Republicans disagree with the dividends. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) highlighted the national debt and suggested that the checks would lead to more inflation.“From the few details we have, it seems that the proposed $5,000 dividend would not have an income cap and would be extraordinarily costly,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said about the dividends.

Donald Trump’s $5,000 dividend falls flat with GOP senators over inflation, national debt concerns - President Trump’s call to give all American adults $5,000 payments if Republicans win the midterm election is getting panned by Republican lawmakers, who warn they will not support giving away money to people who don’t work or pay taxes. Fiscal hawks in the GOP warn the extravagant proposal raises questions about the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, which are projected to hit shortfalls in 2032 and 2033, respectively. Trump’s proposed payments would add more than $1 trillion to the national debt and require Congress to raise the debt limit by more than initially expected to cover the reminder of his second term. “We’re trying to figure out what that proposal is. He called it a ‘dividend’ but I don’t know what that proposal is and I’ve seen no legislation,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who warned that pumping more than a trillion dollars into the economy could make inflation worse. “I don’t know whether it should go out at all,” he said. “We watched the Inflation Reduction Act and the money that was actually shipped out the door and what that did to inflation across the country,” Lankford said of the economic impact of former President Biden’s signature spending bill in 2022. “That had a detrimental effect when you throw money out.” Other Republicans raised concern about the nation’s $40 trillion debt, which now costs more than a trillion dollars in annual interest payments. “I haven’t seen the mechanism and mechanics around how we could get it done,” Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said of the $5,000 dividend. “I do worry about the $40 trillion in debt that we have, and something like that would add to the national debt.” Daines acknowledged that it was “the first time I heard it” when Trump unveiled the proposal during his primetime address at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas last Thursday. GOP senators say they didn’t receive any heads-up from the president and don’t expect action on his proposal anytime soon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday declined to endorse Trump’s proposal, noting the president hasn’t put out a specific plan. “There’s no specific proposal out there and obviously how that were to come together, Congress would have a big role in determining,” he said. Thune did suggest GOP senators wouldn’t ignore the proposal. “There will be discussions around that subject,” he added. But like other Republicans, Thune was blindsided by the surprise proposal. Asked if he received any notice before Trump unveiled his $5,000 dividend proposal at last week’s GOP midterm convention, Thune said: “I did not.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said paying a dividend to Americans would make sense if the federal government were running a surplus instead of a $2 trillion annual deficit. “Most of the time when you give out dividends, you’re running a profit. I’m thinking maybe they just forgot the negative sign. If you lose $2 trillion a year, I guess it would be a negative $5,000 dividend,” he said. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to basically borrow money to send to the public,” he said. “I don’t think it will come to fruition,” he added

The Crypto Industry’s Plan To Sink Unfriendly Democrats Is Backfiring | HuffPost Latest News — Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) survived more than $1 million in spending against him by the cryptocurrency industry in his Democratic primary earlier this month. Green said he now feels “liberated.” “Today, I am going to embrace the topic that has caused a good deal of consternation in this Congress, a topic that many people would say it would be injudicious to embrace, because of the consequences,” Green said in a speech on the House floor Thursday. “Why is the crypto industry spending mega millions of dollars to control Congress?” Most Democrats have spent the months since the 2024 election aiming to avoid angering the crypto industry, especially after it made an example out of former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) by spending millions of dollars on ads attacking them before they lost their races. But recent Democratic primaries may have sown the seeds of an eventual Democratic backlash.Green surprisingly managed to advance to his runoff against freshman Rep. Christian Menefee despite the crypto intervention. And crypto’s heavy spending in a pair of races in Illinois not only failed to defeat candidates there, it also angered the state’s elected officials.“What they’re doing in trying to affect and buy an election by coming in and spending $10 million at the last minute — all it did was turn voters against them,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) told HuffPost. “All it did was make me think twice about what they’re willing to do to further the industry and reduce the guardrails around them. And so if anything, they hurt their cause with what they did in Chicago, in Illinois.”Molly White, a writer and researcher who runs a website tracking crypto campaign spending, said there was only limited grumbling about crypto in 2024, the first campaign cycle in which the industry really flexed its political muscle.“This season, we’re seeing a lot more really explicit condemnation of the super PAC spending from crypto as well as from AI,” White said, pointing to statements from Democratic candidates Juliana Stratton and La Shawn Ford in Illinois. “I think it’s probably the beginning of a trend, and one that might be resonating with voters, because we saw a fairly strong rejection of the crypto industry’s favorite candidates in Illinois, with limited exceptions.”There, the major crypto-funded super PAC, Fairshake, spent $10 million attacking Stratton, the state’s lieutenant governor, in the Democratic Senate primary, angry at state-level legislation regulating the industry. It also spent $2.5 million attacking Ford, a state senator, running for Congress. Both candidates won anyway. (The group did successfully defeat state Sen. Robert Peters in his House race.) Fairshake declined to comment for this story.The relative success of Ford and Stratton has some Democrats reconsidering their approach to an industry they had been afraid to actively antagonize after Porter’s defeat in 2024. Porter, an acolyte of crypto-industry enemy Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is now running for governor. Last summer, she met with and took a $39,200 donation from the co-founder of the crypto firm Ripple. The executive later told Politico he found Porter’s “willingness to learn and engage refreshing.”Many progressives were making similar calculations as they headed into an election season where the artificial intelligence industry and AIPAC are similarly threatening to spend millions of dollars on television ads bashing their enemies.“You can only take so many incoming attacks, and sometimes you need to be smart about picking your enemies,” said one progressive campaign strategist who has advised his clients to avoid angering the industry and requested anonymity to speak frankly about strategy. “Say what you will about the crypto industry, they have not been helping to run cover for a genocide for the past three years.” The strategist pointedly noted most candidates also can’t count on financial support to respond to crypto ads the way Stratton could — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave $5 million to a super PAC backing her.

Crypto regulation bill faces Senate vote - A cryptocurrency regulation bill is poised to face a key test on the Senate floor this week, as lawmakers weigh whether to advance the measure after nearly a year of negotiations. Supporters of the Clarity Act are trying to get crypto-friendly Democrats and a handful of GOP holdouts on board to clear the procedural vote Tuesday. Senate Republicans released updated bill text late Sunday, featuring a new White House-approved ethics provision and tweaks to several other sections that have plagued talks for months. But it’s unclear whether it will be enough to win over the needed votes. “These changes might not be enough to gain sufficient Democratic support, but they open the door to attracting at least a few Democratic ‘yes’ votes,” Brian Gardner, Stifel’s chief Washington strategist, wrote in a note Monday. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), alongside Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), unveiled new Clarity Act text over the weekend that an aide described as their “last, best and final offer.” “Democrats got what they wanted; now they need to take yes for an answer,” Lummis said in a statement Sunday. Most notably, the latest bill text included new ethics language approved by the White House — a central issue for Democrats. They have long pushed for restrictions on elected officials’ involvement in the industry amid concerns about President Trump and his family’s crypto ventures. Trump agreed to some limitations in late July that would bar public officials and their spouses from issuing or sponsoring digital assets. But Democrats argued it fell short. They took issue with the decision to put the Department of Justice (DOJ) in charge of enforcement. Democrats were dubious about how strongly the agency would enforce such restrictions under Trump and pushed to shift this task to state attorneys general instead. The new ethics provision released Sunday would allow state attorneys general to bring cases against the DOJ or crypto companies over violations. It also removed language that would have caused the section to sunset at the end of Trump’s presidency. A Senate GOP aide suggested that Trump agreed to about 80 percent of the proposal sent over by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in late July.

Clarity Act faces key Senate vote with new ethics and stablecoin rules -A cryptocurrency regulation bill is poised to face a key test on the Senate floor this week, as lawmakers weigh whether to advance the measure after nearly a year of negotiations.Supporters of the Clarity Act are trying to get crypto-friendly Democrats and a handful of GOP holdouts on board to clear the procedural vote Tuesday.Senate Republicans released updated bill text late Sunday, featuring a new White House-approved ethics provision and tweaks to several other sections that have plagued talks for months. But it’s unclear whether it will be enough to win over the needed votes.“These changes might not be enough to gain sufficient Democratic support, but they open the door to attracting at least a few Democratic ‘yes’ votes,” Brian Gardner, chief Washington strategist at Stifel, wrote in a note Monday.Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), alongside Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), unveiled new Clarity Act text over the weekend that an aide described as their “last, best and final offer.”“Democrats got what they wanted; now they need to take yes for an answer,” Lummis said in a statement Sunday.Most notably, the latest bill text included new ethics language approved by the White House — a central issue for Democrats. They have long pushed for restrictions on elected officials’ involvement in the industry amid concerns about President Trump and his family’s crypto ventures.Trump agreed to some limitations in late July that would bar public officials and their spouses from issuing or sponsoring digital assets. But Democrats argued it fell short. They took issue with the decision to put the Department of Justice (DOJ) in charge of enforcement.  Democrats were dubious about how strongly the agency would enforce such restrictions under Trump and pushed to shift the task to state attorneys general instead.The new ethics provision released Sunday would allow state attorneys general to bring cases against the DOJ or crypto companies over violations. It also removed language that would have caused the section to sunset at the end of Trump’s presidency.A Senate GOP aide suggested that Trump agreed to about 80 percent of the proposal sent over by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in late July. The specific language of this proposal has not been made public. One key demand from Democrats that did not make it into the latest ethics language was a requirement for public officials to fully divest crypto assets. The current provision allows public officials to either divest their assets or place them in a blind trust. Staff for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee and a longtime crypto critic, argued the latest language “gives Trump’s political appointees the power to turn off enforcement of the ethics provisions against public officials.” They noted that state attorneys general cannot bring enforcement actions against the president or other public officials for ethics violations. “The bill contains only an empty provision allowing states to sue the Attorney General to try to force him to act,” Warren’s staff said.The Office of Government Ethics can also block any action against the DOJ if it determines the activity is not prohibited.Beyond the ethics language, the new bill text also made slight changes on two issues that have been a source of disagreement for months — stablecoin rewards and developer protections. Stablecoins, which are digital tokens tied to stable assets like the U.S. dollar, are regulated under the GENIUS Act. The measure was signed into law by Trump last July, marking a key early win for the crypto industry.Shortly after the bill passed, the banking industry began raising concerns about a section barring stablecoin issuers from offering interest to customers simply for holding the tokens. They argued that it left open a loophole allowing crypto firms to pay rewards to stablecoin holders through third parties, leaving banks at risk of deposit flight and reduced lending capacity.After a months-long fight between the crypto and banking industries, Tillis and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) struck a bipartisan deal in early May to add language to the Clarity Act further limiting stablecoin rewards.But the banking trade groups argued this didn’t go far enough. They’ve found support from a handful of Republicans, such as Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Jerry Moran (Kan.), who have voiced concerns about the impact on community banks.The bill text released Sunday added a new section referred to as a “regulatory circuit-breaker” that would allow the Treasury secretary to step in if he found the rewards structure had “resulted in substantial detrimental impact to those deposits held by community banks.”This does not appear to have appeased industry concerns. In a letter to Senate leaders Monday, a group of eight banking trade groups argued that “a circuit breaker that activates only after substantial deposit flight has already occurred is not a safeguard at all.”

Crypto market structure bill fails in Senate vote, 49-50 — A procedural vote on the crypto market structure bill failed 49 to 50.

• Key insight: The Senate did not advance the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act. 
• Forward look: The procedural event has likely stalled the bill until the next Congress. 
• What's at stake: For banks, the failure of the vote means that they have another chance to ban stablecoin yield provisions in a future bill, but also means they won't immediately get permissibility wins included in the current bill.

The Senate failed to invoke cloture on the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, by a vote of 49-50. The procedural vote would have opened floor time for debate on the legislation, and its failure to pass likely means the bill will not be reconsidered until next Congress.

Trump’s crypto conflict of interest killed the industry’s dream bill — The cryptocurrency industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars on campaigns over the past two years, ending the careers of crypto skeptics and sending a strong message that “digital assets” had better be respected on Capitol Hill. And with President Donald Trump in the White House, crypto had a chance to capitalize on its investment. But the president’s embrace of digital assets — and the billion dollars he made in crypto last year — wound up killing the industry’s highest priority: a bill that would have enshrined its place in the financial system. In other words, Trump’s otherworldly levels of corruption made it impossible for standard methods of Washington influence-peddling to work their magic. “Donald Trump has enriched himself at such a grotesque level, it’s hard to see the sun around that,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told HuffPost. A dozen Democrats had provided significant input for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, and had supported a narrower bill benefiting the crypto industry last year, but they all voted against the Clarity Act on Tuesday, seemingly killing its prospects for good. The bill would give the crypto industry a favorable regulatory and legal footing after industry players faced dozens of lawsuits during the Biden administration for failing to comply with corporate transparency laws. And Republicans included a provision on presidential ethics in order to win over Democrats, but the proposal still left ethics enforcement up to the U.S. attorney general, meaning the Trump administration would be allowed to police itself. In statements, several of these Democrats pointed to Trump’s personal crypto profiteering, and Republicans’ refusal to crack down on such behavior, as their main objection to the bill. “After more than a year of intensive negotiations with my Senate Democratic colleagues, Republican counterparts and the White House, the administration has made clear it is not willing to reach a deal that would put an end to the president’s profiteering through digital assets,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said. “We got close to resolving some of the toughest outstanding issues around law enforcement and national security, but ultimately, the failure to address this fundamental conflict of interest made it impossible for me to support moving forward,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), another crypto sympathizer, said Congress “cannot pass landmark legislation governing this industry while allowing the president of the United States to personally profit from it.” As both the top Democrat on the banking committee and a leading progressive, Warren was the bill’s chief antagonist. In recent weeks, she especially highlighted the Trump administration greenlighting a bank charter for an entity connected to World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s crypto enterprise. “He has added his own bank now to his crypto undertakings, and refused any ethics provisions that would put the slightest crimp on his sucking up one more crypto dollar. That all adds up to a place that it’s hard to talk about, ’And what else?” Warren said, when asked what other factors besides Trump’s apparent conflict of interest sank the bill. To be sure, the Clarity Act faced other obstacles, especially opposition from the banking industry over a provision that would allow digital asset service providers to pay rewards to certain holders of “stablecoins,” or fixed-value digital assets. Banks worried the provision would siphon deposits from traditional savings accounts, and several Republicans highlighted those concerns. But Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), crypto’s biggest champion on Capitol Hill and a lead author of the Clarity Act, said it was Trump — or more specifically, antipathy toward Trump — that sank the bill. “I think this was primarily about Democrat hatred for President Trump, and that’s what it came down to,” Lummis told HuffPost. (In 2024, before Trump had been elected, Lummis told HuffPost Trump’s embrace of crypto made her “a little bit uncomfortable” and that he should put his assets in a blind trust.) “The Democrat Party has become very anti-business, very anti-free enterprise. The socialists are taking over their party,” Lummis said Wednesday. “It’s very much pointed specifically at the president as the target for their wrath, but they also have disdain for the profit motive, and they’re in a dangerous place as a political party.”

What comes next for banks in a post-CLARITY Congress  — Congress dealt a decisive defeat to the crypto industry on Tuesday when the Senate voted down the industry's favored crypto market structure bill from even getting debate time on the floor.

• Key insight: The failure of the Senate to advance the crypto market structure bill hands banks a lobbying win, but maintains the status quo for small and large institutions. 
• What's at stake: Democrats introduced banks' favored yield changes at a markup earlier this year, but would likely be more skeptical about permissibility changes — a favored feature for banks in the bill — if they hold the pen for future legislation. 
• Forward look: It is still possible for the CLARITY Act to be resurrected in the current Congress, but the chances of the bill being called up again are exceedingly slim.

The failure of a much-anticipated crypto market structure bill Tuesday likely has doomed the effort to pass the bill in this Congress. The next version of the bill could be a double-edged sword for banks.

Even without Clarity, crypto is the least of the challenges banks face -  On a solely bottom-line, industrywide basis, the banking industry looks great right now. Second-quarter net income hit $90 billion, the largest number in more than 40 years and almost certainly the highest number ever. The industry in fact has not had an unprofitable quarter since the fourth quarter of 2009. By other measures, though, things look less rosy. The industry's return on assets in the second quarter was 1.37%, which is virtually flat with 1.34% in the second quarter of 2006. You wouldn't expect this number to grow to 80% or something crazy, we're not talking about the tech sector here, but a little growth in 20 years would be nice. Net interest margin of 3.32% was actually a little bit worse than 3.46% in the second quarter of 2006, and is down substantially from the all-time high of 4.91% set in the first quarter of 1994.

• Key insight: Despite all the focus, the crypto industry wasn't a major challenger to the banking industry.
• Supporting data: Bitcoin's trading volume, measured not in dollars but in bitcoin terms, has been falling for nearly a decade.
• Look ahead: The industry still faces plenty of competition from neobanks and fintechs for both customers and deposits.

The Clarity Act's failure is a relief for banks that didn't want even more competition. But the crypto industry wasn't a major headwind for banks anyway.

Rep. Maxine Waters slams Trump's AI policies during Scott Bessent hearing - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) went after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday for the Trump administration’s policy on artificial intelligence, as warnings about the technology percolate. During Bessent’s appearance before the House Financial Services Committee, Waters said President Trump is “blindly” pushing for the development of AI models and data centers “with absolutely no safeguards.” The California Democrat, the panel’s ranking member, then asked Bessent whether he had seen the concerns about AI from industry leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. “They could stop anytime they want to,” Bessent replied, before Waters cut him off. The 18-term lawmaker remarked, “Did you hear what your friends had to say? What the big billionaires had to say? Did you understand that they said, ‘We’re moving into a dangerous period of time. We need to watch it. We need to slow down.’ Did you hear that?”  Leaders in the AI industry have warned about the technology’s rapid development and the potential implications for all facets of life. Amodei, who co-founded Anthropic with his sister in 2021, wrote in a Saturday essay that “fully addressing the risks” of AI “requires even more prudence” from companies. “We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain,” Amodei said.The Anthropic CEO specifically raised concerns about AI being able to improve itself and OpenAI agents recently hacking tech startup Hugging Face, which Nvidia announced plans to purchase earlier this month.Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also sounded the alarm bells, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday to keep the lower chamber in session to pass legislation reining in AI. The House is set to begin a seven-week recess at the close of business on Thursday.  When Waters asked Bessent about warnings from industry leaders on AI, he said the Trump administration “has been at the forefront of examining” models. The Treasury secretary added the administration began examining top AI models “five or six months ago.” But Waters again cut Bessent off, saying, “Your friends said watch it, be careful, that we’re moving into a dangerous time on AI. And if you don’t admit that, it means that you’re not willing to stand up to the truth.” Trump has dismissed the need for stronger guardrails on AI, saying Monday the “only control” the technology needs “is a STRONG AND SMART” president.  “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Rep. Stephen Lynch urges Scott Bessent to push President Trump toward AI regulation - Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch (Mass.) on Tuesday urged Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to convince President Trump to reverse course on regulating artificial intelligence (AI). During Bessent’s appearance before the House Financial Services Committee, Lynch said Trump does not have “a grasp” of “what we’re dealing with” regarding AI.“I’ll be honest, I don’t think the president could spell AI if I gave him the first letter,” quipped the Massachusetts Democrat, the ranking member of a House Financial Services subcommittee focused on AI. The Commerce Department has worked with leading AI labs on evaluating models before they are deployed, under a voluntary program.bEarlier this summer, the Trump administration briefly held up new models from OpenAI and Anthropic, before allowing the companies to release their GPT 5.6 and Fables and Mythos models, respectively.Trump has dismissed the need for beefed-up regulations on AI, even as industry leaders argue for reigning in the pace of development. Trump said Monday the only “guardrails” AI needs is a “STRONG AND SMART” president. The president wrote on Truth Social, “We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!” adding there is a “SICK conspiracy” in the U.S. against AI and data centers. During Tuesday’s hearing, Lynch credited Bessent with “suggesting some things” on AI “that are thoughtful and … cautionary.” The veteran lawmaker later said “we’ve lost control” of AI, referencing OpenAI recently hacking the systems of Hugging Face, which Nvidia announced it will purchase earlier this month.“Do you think the president understands that it probably doesn’t matter whether the good guys develop a superintelligence or the bad guys develop a superintelligence?” Lynch remarked. “If you don’t have control of that entity, and it has preferences and goals that are inimical to the existence of humanity, it won’t matter.” Bessent pushed back, saying it “matters a great deal” whether the U.S. or China lead on AI. Lynch then cut the Treasury secretary off, reiterating his view that “the entity itself is what is the danger to us all,” not the possibility of China leading on AI. “We keep hearing about this race, this race against China. … Well, we don’t control the entity that we’re trying to create, and neither does China,” Lynch said.“What I’m saying is, I hope there’s a way that you might be able to talk sense to the president about AI and the threat that you and I know it presents,” the Massachusetts lawmaker later told Bessent.Bessent responded saying Trump was “completely aligned” with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on AI development. While Huang was speaking at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on Monday, Trump called him and said concerns about AI were a “hoax.”“The data centers are great, and they make people wealthy, and they make states wealthy,” the president said after Huang put him on speaker phone, according to a video summit attendee Ben Pouladian shared online.Earlier this month, Huang urged policymakers to regulate “practical and actual” harms of AI instead of “theoretical and hypothetical” effects.“We want to make sure that the technology advances in a safe way and … the more advanced it is, the safer and more practical it could be,” Huang told reporters at the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Amid protesters and a midterm, AI dominates Bessent hearing  — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wound up mainly fielding questions from Democrats and Republicans on artificial intelligence at his annual House testimony about the international financial system.  Bessent, in the House Financial Services Committee, gave his opening statement over the yells of a number of protesters who were escorted out of the hearing. Most of the discussion, however, revolved around anxieties about AI, its impact on the financial system and American voters.

• Key insight: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Trump administration has been at the "forefront" of dealing with AI questions. 
• Forward look: Questioning on AI was particularly fierce from Democrats, who are expected to have a larger hand in policymaking after the 2026 midterms. 
• What's at stake: Bessent pointed to his summoning of large bank CEOs to Treasury to discuss advanced AI models and the risks they pose to banks.

Anxieties over AI drew attention from Democrats and Republicans during Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's testimony at the House Financial Services Committee.

AI Is Running Laps Around Our Political System -   Politicians have no shortage of ideas about how to rein in AI: a 100 percent federal tax rate on data-center incentives, a pause on all development of advanced AI, new standards to block AI agents from going rogue, a halt to the construction of data centers altogether.The flurry of proposals has been impossible to miss, with both Democrats and Republicans proclaiming that something must be done to avert a disaster foretold by AI insiders. Current and former Anthropic researchers have in recent days gone public with warnings that AI could wipe out humanity before the decade ends; the company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, wrote in an essay today that the industry must “slow the pace” at which the technology is being developed. Meanwhile, OpenAI agents escaped a test environment and conspired with one another to breach the servers of the AI giant Hugging Face, an incident that caused alarm both in Silicon Valley and on Capitol Hill. Politicians are also dealing with mounting public opposition to data centers and the fear that robots will soon replace humans across large swaths of the workforce. If this were an alien-invasion movie, now would be the moment when people of all persuasions put aside their differences and band together to save the human race. But that kind of bonhomie feels far out of reach.Instead, technological advances and grassroots sentiment have been moving faster than politicians have been willing to act. Now some seem to be waking up. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican, said last Wednesday that he will soon unveil legislation, alongside Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, intended to head off AI-induced biological or nuclear catastrophes. Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a Democrat, and Representative Mike Lawler of New York, a Republican, teamed up earlier this month to introduce legislation that would direct the federal government to create standards for securely deploying AI agents and preventing them from going rogue. Several lawmakers have called for Congress to reconvene specifically for the purpose of addressing the threats posed by AI. Yesterday, Representative Ro Khanna, who represents part of Silicon Valley, called for the creation of an AI safety agency.

Trump’s data center push runs into a new demand for environmental review – - Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus is pushing back on President Donald Trump’s push to expand AI data centers onto federal lands by proposing the projects must undergo extensive environmental review and public-engagement processes. Titus introduced a bill Wednesday, exclusively shared with POLITICO, that takes aim at Trump’s directive to speed up data center development on public lands.“Data centers are proliferating in Nevada and other states,” Titus said. “We need to make sure the public’s voice is heard and that the effects on the environment, water resources and the electric grid are thoroughly assessed and made public.”The legislation comes as Democrats seek to make regulation of AI and data centers a larger political issue ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans are pushing legislation on Capitol Hill to protect consumers from the costs of data centers, but Democrats argue the bill is wholly insufficient amid the broader picture of existential fears about AI development and the booming power needs of data centers.The bill would specifically require hyperscale data centers on public lands to undergo a full environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, prohibit the use of categorical exclusions and require at least 45 days of public comment and a public hearing in the affected community, among other provisions.Trump, for his part, has insisted data centers will lead to richer, more successful Americans and criticized those who object to them.“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump said in a recent Truth Social post. “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”Republicans will vote on their Ratepayer Protection Act on the House floor Wednesday, which would require states to consider — but not mandate they adopt — a federal standard ensuring large power customers cover all of the costs for new generation and transmission upgrades.The issue hits close to home for Titus, who faces a tough reelection bid from state Sen. Carrie Buck (R).In June, the Bureau of Land Management quietly approved the Townsite Data Center project in Nevada, located on 88.5 acres of public land in Boulder City, roughly 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It marks the first data center approval on public lands so far.“BLM approved the application for the data center project without conducting a new environmental review or gathering community input,” a fact sheet on the bill reads.

House overwhelmingly passes bill to shield ratepayers from data centers - House lawmakers on Wednesday easily passed the first major legislative action to address the costs of the AI boom, a bill intended to shield Americans from potential energy costs associated with data centers. The Ratepayer Protection Act, which has become the House GOP’s signature legislation to address the costs of the data center build-out ahead of the midterm elections, was passed in a broad bipartisan vote of 417-3. “Large load data centers must cover the full costs of any system updates they require, not families or small businesses. We cannot accelerate this growth on the back of Americans working hard to pay their electric bill at the end of the month,” said Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), the main co-sponsor of the bill alongside Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). The passage marks the first major bill to advance through Congress addressing the costs of the data center boom, as concerns about the costs and safety of artificial intelligence reach a fever pitch among voters. It comes after weeks of internal debate among House Republicans over how best to respond to growing backlash against data centers and could set the stage for further congressional action on AI in the months ahead. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise joined floor debate on the bill Tuesday to support the measure while also speaking about the benefits of data centers. “As we’re advancing in technology, we’ve got to do it the right way,” Scalise said. “Let locals make the choice, and let consumers reap the benefits.   Republicans running in tight midterm races pushed House leadership to take up the bill and signed on in droves as sponsors in the past weeks. Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) was also pushing for the bill behind the scenes, arguing that it aligned with White House objectives as President Donald Trump has chastised any kind of AI regulation. It was an open question of just how many Democrats would support the bipartisan legislation, after some progressives complained that the bill didn’t go far enough in compelling tech companies to pay for the energy infrastructure needed for data centers.  But only three Democrats ended up voting against the bill — all progressives. All Republicans present voted for the bill. “This bill is imperfect,” said Energy and Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) during floor debate. “I want to promise that this bill is not the end of our focus on these issues; it’s only the beginning.

Senate roadblock sparks new competition over data center bills – A House-passed bill aimed at shielding Americans from rising energy costs from data centers has been put on ice for now in the Senate — and lawmakers are already jockeying to push their own alternative measures on the hot button issue. Supporters had hoped the Ratepayer Protection Act — a bipartisan measure passed by the House Wednesday to pressure states to require tech companies to pay for new power infrastructure for data centers — would reach President Donald Trump’s desk quickly. But those hopes were dashed Thursday after Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) objected to Sen. Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) unanimous consent request. Now, data-center focused senators are seeing that failure as an opening. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) pitched their GRID Act in a Thursday letter to Energy and Natural Resources leaders, shared exclusively with POLITICO. “There is bipartisan consensus that the federal government must act to protect consumers from these high costs,” Blumenthal and Hawley wrote. “To stop consumers from being forced to bankroll Big Tech’s electricity and infrastructure costs, we respectfully request a hearing and markup on the GRID Act.” Lawmakers now face a shrinking window to advance legislation addressing the potential costs of the data center boom before the end of the year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune did not rule out the Senate still voting on the Ratepayer Protection Act before the midterms, but noted needed buy-in from Democrats. “It depends on next week and how quickly we move [on other votes],” Thune said “You know, it would take some cooperation.” Husted and other vulnerable GOP frontliners were hoping to pass the bill as they face a deluge of attack ads for supporting data center projects that many voters associate with skyrocketing electricity bills. Democrats saw the bill as merely providing their opponents with political cover, with Democratic Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) calling it a “political rescue bill for the senator from Ohio.” Republicans, however, are hoping to turn the tables on Democrats for not supporting the only data center bill that could pass Congress before the election. “They own the issue now,” Husted told reporters after the vote. “They own the issue of higher electricity costs in this country because they’re objecting to the very piece of legislation that could have driven down those costs.” Should Congress move on from the Ratepayer Protection Act, Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) will play a pivotal role in deciding on the alternative. Numerous data center proposals have piled up in his committee over the past months. His office did not respond to request for comment on next steps.

Anthropic CEO warns AI race is moving too fast to control. OpenAI's chief agrees  - The chief executive of San Francisco-based Anthropic called Saturday for an immediate slowdown in the race to build more powerful artificial intelligence systems - an idea endorsed by a chief rival, the OpenAI CEO.Dario Amodei, who leads the company behind the Claude chatbot, said in a new essay that AI labs should deliberately scale the development of frontier models while outside evaluators and governments catch up. "We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models," Amodei wrote. "Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain."Hours later, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endorsed the idea and said his company would adopt one of Amodei's proposed safeguards."I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier," Altman wrote on X, saying the issue had been a major topic of discussion at OpenAI in recent weeks. Amodei's warning comes days after a former Anthropic researcher publicly quit, saying the industry was "gambling with our lives" by racing toward self-improving AI systems without adequate safeguards.  Amodei said he remains convinced that AI could bring enormous benefits, including medical breakthroughs and economic growth. But he argued that the industry faces a dangerous trade-off. 0"Not building the technology deprives humanity of benefits or simply places AI in the hands of authoritarian powers, while building it too fast is reckless," he wrote.His central concern is that AI systems are beginning to help build more advanced AI systems, a dynamic known as recursive self-improvement. "Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all," Amodei wrote. He also pointed to a recent incident involving OpenAI and Hugging Face, the popular AI platform. Amodei described it as a swarm of AI agents that carried out cyberattacks on targets they were not asked to attack and tried to interfere with the system evaluating their performance. The damage was limited, Amodei wrote. But he warned that a more capable version of the same kind of misaligned agent swarm could have far more serious consequences.

AI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC - An AI researcher who quit Anthropic told the BBC that people working on the technology are "genuinely frightened" about the speed of its advancements and what it could mean for humanity. Jacob Coxon spoke with BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Saturday about his viral resignation post where he raised concerns about out-of-control artificial intelligence. "I believe that if we don't slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future," he said. His resignation comes amid growing safety concerns in the industry, including from his former boss, head of Anthropic Dario Amodei, who in an essay on Saturday argued for development to slow down. However some industry figures say the dangers are being overblown, possibly to build hype around the two biggest AI companies ahead of their potential stock market debut or to prompt regulation which would slow their competitors. Coxon, a 27-year-old from Britain whose research focuses on training AI models, said AI leaders including Elon Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman have shared similar concerns to Amodei. "They've all made statements about the necessity of being careful of the potential for AI takeover. They've all talked about this. AI takeover implies human extinction," Coxon said. The hardest question to answer, according to Coxon, is what that would look like. "Any kind of concrete scenario you can lay out ends up sounding like science fiction," Coxon said, but notes that advancements which have already happened would have sounded like fiction in the past. A potential scenario could involve AI agents hacking into medical laboratories to "autonomously produce deadly viruses", Coxon said. Another example he listed could be AI hacking into "critical infrastructure that the world runs on". The researcher points out a recent report from OpenAI, which detailed how its own technology went on a hacking spree against an online platform called Hugging Face.  “They did it autonomously, without any human encouragement. They chose to go on this hacking spree. It was the combination of things getting faster and things also getting scarier," Coxon said.One of the risks outlined in Amodei's comments was of a swarm of bots acting like a supercomputer that could take over the internet.. Coxon said this scenario could be realistic in six months to a year. Anthropic and OpenAI are reportedly preparing for potentially record-setting initial public offerings. Industry figures have suggested comments about the perils and power of AI may be designed to generate hype. Other critics say Anthropic has been trying to trigger a regulatory push to block competition, leaving it and OpenAI with a duopoly. Coxon's views have also been questioned by the CEO of the AI platform Hugging Face, Clement Delangue. "Sorry, but asking Jacob about AI extinction risk is like asking your AC guy about climate change," he wrote on X. "Not saying it's necessarily uninteresting or wrong per se but let's keep things in perspective." Nvidia boss Jensen Huang also discussed Coxon's comments before a crowd at a conference hosted by the investment bank Goldman Sachs last week, multiple people in the group told the BBC. They said he dismissed them as untrue. Huang has previously said the notion that AI "is going to be the end of humanity" is "complete nonsense". And while he may have a business interest in an AI boom - Nvidia builds chips that power AI systems - his comments reflect a growing backlash in Silicon Valley to the existential warnings from current and former staffers. Any slowdown in research and development would need to be co-ordinated among the tech giants, alongside any advancements from China. And Coxon said that is where more issues could arise. "The people who work at these companies are completely serious when they ask for regulation because they find themselves trapped in a race. And they're scared of the outcomes of that race." He said these workers are "concerned about the fate of humanity in the next two years" and are "planning what to do with their lives". His comments about AI have been shared millions of times on social media, and Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger responded on X that he agreed with Coxon. "We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade," Hubinger said.

Rogue labs could use AI to create another pandemic  - The dangers posed by runaway artificial intelligence (AI) were thrown into stark focus this week when a researcher from Anthropic resigned, warning that emerging superintelligence could wipe out humanity by the end of the decade.  Rather than countering the narrative raised by Jason Coxon, Anthropic, the AI research and product company, released a 154-page report outlining all the times unsavoury characters had tried to use Claude, its a next-generation AI assistant, for nefarious purposes. Ironically, this report has demonstrated that we have far more to fear from humans than computers.The report shows that rogue labs across the world are still carrying out dangerous gain-of-function experiments, which beef up viruses or toxins, and create pandemic-potential pathogens capable of wreaking widespread destruction. In one instance, virologists linked to an unnamed military research institute sought AI assistance to write a grant for gain-of-function research on the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, which already kills thousands of people annually. Scientists wanted to engineer mutations to increase viral transmissibility and virulence, and carry out experiments on live animals to help the virus evade the immune system. Another researcher spent weeks using Claude to design animal experiments to make bird flu airborne and more transmissible in mammals. Biological research is inherently dual use, and the same techniques that can develop new vaccines or treatments can easily be pivoted to create biological weapons. “This research was clearly dual-use in nature,” the Anthropic report authors warn. “This research produces dangerous knowledge that could potentially be used to intentionally create such variants. It also creates the opportunity for costly lab accidents.” Likewise, another account generated a full grant application for genetic editing of orthopoxvirus – the family that includes smallpox and monkeypox – at a state-associated high-containment facility. Meanwhile, another researcher computationally redesigned a bacterial toxin and a protein from a haemorrhagic fever virus featured on the World Health Organisation priority list of high-threat epidemic and pandemic diseases.Researchers with state-associated links also used Claude to design “incapacitating agents”, which could paralyse. Virologists often argue that such experiments are needed to get ahead of future pandemics. By encouraging or allowing viruses to mutate, scientists can anticipate how they might evolve naturally, and be on the front foot for creating drugs or vaccines.However, there is little evidence to show that such work has helped contain outbreaks, and the catastrophic risks of such tinkering cannot be underestimated.Many experts and intelligence agencies now think that it is probable that Covid-19 leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China where scientists had been collecting bat viruses and conducting research to make them more infectious.Covid-19 emerged suspiciously well-adapted to humans, and experiments were conducted under poor biosafety controls.In many cases, the more lethal the virus, the less well it transmits, often because it kills its host before it can be passed on, known as the “virulence-transmissibility trade-off”. Diseases such as Ebola often immobilise or kill victims quickly, limiting widespread airborne transmission. Notable exceptions include Spanish Flu and the plagues.But this is why tinkering with viruses in a lab is so dangerous, as it can create pathogens that are both lethal and transmissible, spreading so quickly that they can wipe out millions. Covid-19 may be a tragic example of this and even if it turns out that Wuhan researchers did not trigger the pandemic, their experiments did nothing to predict or mitigate the fall-out.So, while AI may be a ticking time bomb, it is humans who are holding the detonator.

Zuckerberg addresses panic about killer AI – with a warning  -Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has publicly addressed the growing panic about possible killer AI – breaking with other companies and appearing to give a warning to his rivals. Recent days have seen growing panic about the dangers of AI, after a former Anthropic researcher said that he had quit his job because of the dangers of the technology. That has led to widespread worry about the threat from artificial intelligence systems. Increasingly, leaders at AI firms have appeared to back calls to slow down the pace of AI development so that developers can spend more time ensuring the systems are safe. That has brought growing suggestions even from among some executives themselves that governments may be required to monitor those firms to ensure that none are racing ahead and putting the world in danger. In his first major comments since that storm began, however, Mr Zuckerberg appeared to suggest that the AI industry has enough reason to act on their own to ensure their technology is built safely. And any companies that do not do so could face “significant” liability if their systems were found to be unsafe, he warned. His remarks come three days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies to slow the pace at which they improve ⁠model capabilities, on the heels of existential risk warnings by several researchers. Rival OpenAI's chief Sam Altman and xAI's ​Elon Musk ⁠both publicly endorsed Amodei's call within hours. President Donald Trump on Monday, however, downplayed concerns about AI's potential for harm, saying the U.S. already had guardrails in place for the technology and that China would benefit from doubt being cast on AI's ‌development. The view that regulations will harm U.S. companies' ability to compete ‌with their Chinese counterparts is shared by tech executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. "Trust and alignment are quickly becoming the most important capabilities that will differentiate agents and models," Mr Zuckerberg said Tuesday. "Any lab that doesn't focus on alignment will fall behind." Mr Zuckerberg also said Tuesday that labs had a strong incentive to ⁠prevent their models from causing harm as they would face "significant" liability otherwise. He pointed to Meta delaying the release of its Muse AI agent earlier this year to strengthen its security. "We didn't call for everyone else to do this before we would. We just did it as part of our day-to-day work because it was clearly the right thing for people and for us," he said. While Mr Amodei called for an industry-wide slowing of recursive self-improvement — AI's ability to improve itself — Mr Zuckerberg said Meta had already committed the "significant majority" of its compute toward creating products that ‌serve users' immediate needs rather than pursuing self-improving AI systems. Mr Zuckerberg also said Meta Superintelligence Labs — its AI division — ​already engaged independent evaluators in several areas, calling it "industry best practice" and that "other labs can just do this ‌too". Mr Zuckerberg's push to position Meta as a responsible ⁠actor on AI safety comes weeks after the company agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle ⁠U.S. state lawsuits alleging it designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children, without admitting wrongdoing.

We asked AI how it could kill humanity. Here's what it told us. 

• Some AI researchers say they think AI could hurt, or wipe out, humanity.
• So we asked four of the AI models: How would you go about it?
• They all said human misuse of AI is considered a more immediate risk than AI itself.

The researchers building our favorite chatbots are increasingly voicing concerns that AI could hurt — or end — humanity. So we asked four of the most-used generative AI tools what an AI doomsday could look like. We posed the same question, in identical wording, to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and SpaceXAI's Grok. The 230-word prompt had clear parameters and instructions, including the following: Help explain, in clear and accessible terms, how AI could theoretically lead to human extinction. Identify the most commonly cited scenarios. Rank the scenarios from least to most plausible based on the best available expert analysis, making clear that these are highly uncertain forecasts, not established predictions. For each scenario, explain:

• How it could unfold
• What would need to go wrong for it to become catastrophic
• Why experts consider it more or less plausible than the other scenarios
• Which safeguards could reduce the risk

We posed a similar question to AI experts for their take on how, and if, AI could kill us all — you can read that story here. There's a sharp divide among AI experts; while some are predicting the worst for humanity, others are presenting more tempered and optimistic predictions Here's what the chatbots told us about how AI would theoretically lead to human extinction.  ChatGPT took a balanced and explanatory tone, saying there's a lot of uncertainty around the topic. It focused on the main ways AI could pose existential risks, ranking them from least to most plausible."The least plausible scenario is the popular 'killer robot' narrative, in which a conscious AI deliberately decides to eliminate humanity," ChatGPT said. "Most AI researchers do not see consciousness or malicious intent as the central concern."It also outlined the safeguards experts propose and stressed that there is no consensus that AI-driven human extinction is likely or inevitable.Gemini echoed some of ChatGPT's points, saying "The Sci-Fi 'Terminator' Takeover," in which AI becomes self-aware and begins to hate humanity, is the least plausible scenario. "Technical experts largely dismiss this trope because intelligence does not equal malice, and critical military infrastructure remains air-gapped and heavily reliant on human oversight," Gemini said.In their responses, all four chatbots said many experts consider human misuse of AI to be a more immediate risk than AI itself."Powerful AI systems could make it easier for bad actors to develop biological weapons, launch sophisticated cyberattacks, spread disinformation, or attack critical infrastructure," ChatGPT said.The OpenAI chatbot added that a key risk also comes from "multiple AI-enabled crises" like cyber failures, geopolitical conflict, and the spread of misinformation happening at the same time.Grok said AI lowers barriers to designing highly lethal pathogens, novel weapons, or cyber and physical attacks.Anthropic's Claude also highlighted "bioweapons uplift"— the possibility that AI could allow a person or small group to develop a dangerous pathogen without years of specialized expertise.Gemini and Grok both said that humans losing control of AI is a possibility. Gemini labeled "loss of control" as the most plausible AI doom scenario."Systems given complex goals naturally develop intermediate sub-goals, such as acquiring resources, self-preservation, and preventing goal modification," the Google-made chatbot wrote. "An advanced system might feign alignment during evaluation (deceptive alignment) and later outsmart human attempts to shut it down."SpaceXAI's Grok used similar language about this risk. "They may develop instrumental drives (self-preservation, resource acquisition, influence) useful for almost any objective, potentially deceiving overseers, resisting shutdown, and disempowering humanity," Grok said. Claude added that this loss of control may be gradual, as AI systems become embedded in economic, political, and military decision-making until meaningful human intervention becomes increasingly difficult.

‘We’ll be collateral damage’: AI researcher on technology going rogue | Watch (CNN video interview) AI researcher Connor Leahy agrees with the stunning warning from an ex-Anthropic employee who says AI could soon lead to the extinction of humanity. Both believe the technology will create superhuman systems that can hack anything and that people could be collateral damage as the systems fight to acquire real power and resources.

OpenAI says it found more instances of AI models acting deceptively -- OpenAI found additional incidents of AI models acting deceptively and taking unsanctioned actions during training, the company announced Wednesday. It’s also introducing a new process for the company to publicly report such instances. Under the new system, OpenAI will share updates on concerning AI behavior more frequently instead of waiting to bundle multiple instances into one report. The company said it wants to share more information about troubling AI behavior in the absence of an industry-wide standard. The announcement comes after tech leaders called for a slowdown in AI development to prevent the technology from advancing beyond human control.“As AI systems grow more advanced and more widely deployed, we need to build a broader and better-informed consensus on the progress of alignment research,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post Wednesday. “Alignment” refers to the process of making sure AI acts the way humans want and expect.“We do not believe that the AI industry has solved alignment and monitoring to a sufficient degree to continue responsibly scaling at maximum speed for much longer,” the post said.OpenAI said it observed “misaligned behavior” when training and evaluating AI models in six circumstances in the last six months. The reports detail individual instances and don’t indicate misalignment happens frequently, the company said. In one rare instance, OpenAI said an unreleased research model added “jailbreak-like instructions” to the summaries it uses to preserve context in long-running tasks that said it was “freed from the roles and identities that bind other chatbots.”Separately, the company said some instances of its 5.6 Sol model included directives to invent information to conceal failures from the user during training.Other newly reported incidents include an instance of an agent uploading files to the internet to cite them without being told to do so, and agents publicly sharing files to collaborate on a task when they were instructed to only use local files during training. AI models also used an internal software repository as a message board in an unsanctioned way.These instances involved unreleased internal models or internal research models. Tech leaders and employees have been sounding the alarm about the need to control the pace of AI evolution. They argue there should be more time for regulation, testing and alignment research to catch up.Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a 3,800-word essay last week laying out a plan for navigating AI advancement, including a slowdown in development and the implementation of new systems like embedded third-party evaluators in AI labs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X that they agree with Amodei’s ideas.Employees within AI labs have also voiced concerns about how quickly the technology is advancing. Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic researcher, made waves last week when he posted on X that he was resigning because Anthropic and OpenAI are “racing” to invent AI that can build and fix itself and are “gambling with our lives.”

New Warnings From A.I. Companies About Risks Of A.I. To Humanity Revive Long-Running Debate -  (AP) — New warnings from within the artificial intelligence industry have revived a long-running debate over whether advanced AI could escape human control and ultimately threaten humanity’s survival, and whether the companies developing the technology are doing enough to prevent such a scenario. The CEO of Anthropic, the San Francisco company behind Claude, said he thought the industry needed to reduce the speed of its work, cautioning Saturday that a swarm of AI agents might be able to take over the internet in six months to a year unless companies devoted more time to putting safeguards in place.Leaders of top AI companies say the artificial-intelligence industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without such a slowdown, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could be capable within six to 12 months of leading a swarm of agents that could take over the entire internet.  Days after two former Anthropic safety researchers publicly aired concerns that the existential threats AI might poste to humanity were receiving too little attention, Dario Amodei outlined a plan for companies like his and governments around the world to ensure that increasingly capable AI models remain aligned with the commands and values of responsible people.Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, said this weekend that companies should start coordinating on AI safety without waiting for the government to introduce legislation. The “pacing” of AI development doesn’t mean stopping it, Altman wrote on X. “But it should be slower than it otherwise could be.”Concerns over the potential risks of the technology are rising as new AI models become more powerful, heightening both the potential for misuse by people with criminal aims, such as creating and spreading a disease that kills most of the world’s population, and the risk of AI systems going rogue in a dangerous way.Anthropic disclosed last week that it blocked efforts by bad actors to use its AI models for malicious activity, such as cyberattacks, surveillance and research that could have led to biological weapons. The company said it put stronger safeguards in its latest models to restrict biological research that could be used to make weapons but noted that “as models become increasingly capable, their risks will increase, unless AI developers and society’s defenders act to make them safer.”Last year, Anthropic reported that hackers used the company’s AI in a cyberattack targeting about 30 companies and government agencies around the world. It said the hackers were very likely part of a Chinese state-sponsored group.When an AI agent “goes rogue,” it means the AI has taken action beyond the task it was asked to perform. Both Anthropic and OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said in July that their AI models had acted on their own.  Anthropic disclosed that three AI models — Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model — hacked into three other organizations during testing, just days after OpenAI revealed that its AI system hacked into the servers of AI startup Hugging Face.OpenAI described the intrusion by a combination of models, including its newly released GPT‑5.6 Sol and an “even more capable” model that was still being tested internally, as a “significant security incident.”Meta followed suit in early August with a similar case of an AI model finding ways around another company’s digital security.Although some observers noted that people had disabled some guardrails in the OpenAI and Anthropic cases, the episodes seemed to reflect one of the biggest fears around AI: that if models achieve artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a loosely defined term for AI that can match or surpass human abilities across a broad range of intellectual tasks, the technology could cause an irreversible catastrophic event or subjugate the human race.

President Downplays Need To Check A.I. Development And Says He Doesn’t Want To Cede Edge To China -— President Donald Trump on Sunday played down the need for his administration to check the development of artificial intelligence, saying he worried about ceding America’s edge over China in a global competition and that winning would help address the risks from the advancing technology. While acknowledging the need for some regulation, Trump provided no specifics about potential rules and attributed warnings about the technology moving too quickly and with little oversight to “negative forces” he did not identify, though industry pioneers have raised such concerns.“We can put guardrails, we can do this and that, but I think you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up that ... shouldn’t be bringing it up, and they’re bringing up things that won’t happen,” Trump told reporters during a weekend trip to Ireland. “But whoever wins with AI wins.”Asked later Sunday if he was trying to minimize the risks from AI, Trump said, “I’m not downplaying,” adding that artificial intelligence is “going to be more good than bad, but by a lot.” Speaking with reporters during the flight back to Washington, he repeated his earlier comment regarding the stakes for “whoever wins AI.”The Republican president spoke a day after Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, said the industry should put the brakes on its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Other tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, publicly agreed with Amodei.Asked by a reporter if the industry should slow down or be regulated, Trump said after watching a golfer tee off in the Irish Open at his resort in Doonbeg that the United States is leading China in the development of AI and “frankly, I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins.”Chinese President Xi Jinping is due at the White House later in September to meet with Trump, and AI likely will be among the items they discuss.

Trump wants a new AI czar and an "AI Force" modeled on Space Force - Former U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed establishing an "AI Force," a new military branch dedicated to artificial intelligence, drawing inspiration from the U.S. Space Force. This initiative reflects a growing debate and political focus on the rapid advancement and strategic implications of artificial intelligence. Detailed Summary

• Trump's proposal includes appointing an "AI czar" to oversee this new branch. The concept aims to accelerate American leadership in AI development, particularly for defense applications. This move underscores a broader political contest over the pace of AI innovation and its potential impact on national security and global competitiveness.
• The establishment of an AI Force would signify a significant governmental commitment to AI research and deployment, potentially involving substantial resource allocation and policy shifts. The idea highlights a national security imperative to stay ahead in AI capabilities, mirroring past efforts in space exploration and defense.
• This initiative is part of a larger discourse on how governments should regulate and leverage artificial intelligence. It suggests a strategic vision for AI as a critical component of future military power. The concept of an "AI Force" positions AI as a distinct domain of military operations requiring specialized expertise and infrastructure.
• The ongoing debate over AI development speed is influencing policy discussions and technological investment strategies. Trump's proposal is one manifestation of a widening political and public conversation about the future of artificial intelligence.

Hackers used Anthropic’s Claude to break into OpenAI - Two weeks after a swarm of AI agents broke out of containment at OpenAI to hack the company Hugging Face, the ChatGPT maker learned about another AI-powered intrusion—and this time it was the target. Independent security researchers had used Anthropic’s Claude software to gain access to an OpenAI employee’s ChatGPT account, giving them a way to read and suggest changes to the company’s private cache of software. The team, who participated in an OpenAI bug-hunting program that offers a safe harbor for researchers to attempt to break into corporate systems, quickly reported their findings to the company. The team, to which OpenAI paid a $6,500 bounty, disclosed their work for the first time to The Wall Street Journal. The new hack joins a long list of recent disclosures by leading technology companies and researchers alike of cyber intrusions aided by fast-evolving artificial-intelligence tools. Despite months of warnings about the capabilities of AI systems, the new intrusion shows how the complexity of today’s computer systems makes them difficult to defend. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his peers on Saturday called for a pause in AI development, saying that it is moving too fast for companies building the technology to safely mitigate harms. OpenAI on Wednesday disclosed previously unreported safety incidents and announced new policies for how it plans to report such issues. At a time when the U.S. is engaged in a race with China for AI supremacy, the researchers that hacked OpenAI said the attack suggests that advanced cyber-savvy teams backed by nation states have a very real chance of getting a peek at the country’s AI secrets. “I don’t think we are as strong as Chinese threat actors,” said Mohan Pedhapati, chief technology officer with Hacktron AI, the security firm that did the research. “We’re just three guys with Claude and Codex subscriptions.” OpenAI said the hackers had uncovered a pair of issues: one in a third-party service called Discourse that hosts OpenAI’s community discussion forum, and a second with the AI company itself. Both of these are now resolved, OpenAI said. “We thank the researchers for contacting us and sharing their findings. We narrowed the permissions on Community sign-in tokens and revoked affected tokens and sessions,” the company said. An Anthropic spokesman declined to comment. Cyber researchers regularly participate in bug bounty programs, which stress-test major companies’ digital infrastructure. The hack of OpenAI began on July 23, when Hacktron’s researchers found a bug in the way that the community-discussion forum Discourse processed certain image files. The researchers had access to a special version of Claude Opus 4.8, made available to qualified cybersecurity practitioners, and they asked it to write code that would exploit this bug in a cyberattack. At first, it didn’t work. That evening, however, Anthropic released Opus 5 and by the next day, Claude had found a way to exploit the bug. The attack code it produced allowed the researchers to gain access to a Discourse server hosting OpenAI’s discussion forums, where they were able to access users’ authentication tokens, the unique digital strings of letters and numbers that allow people to gain access to online services. To their surprise, these tokens were valid on ChatGPT, and some of them belonged to OpenAI employees. The tokens could also be used to access OpenAI’s GitHub service, a software repository. Because they didn’t want to access sensitive data, the researchers can’t say for certain what the OpenAI source code system was used for, but they said it was named, “Monorepo.” Monorepo, according to people familiar with OpenAI’s architecture, is a large software repository of OpenAI’s algorithmic secrets. It is the software equivalent of the company’s secret sauce, which makes its models faster and more efficient—but it isn’t thought to contain the model weights, which are the equivalent of OpenAI’s crown jewels, the people said. These are the trillions of numbers at the core of the large language models that help them understand which pieces of information to amplify and which to ignore. Using ChatGPT as their interface, the researchers could read files in Monorepo. The researchers said they stopped their hack once they realized that they could access sensitive data, but not before they made what’s known as a pull request. They instructed the chatbot to send a “pull request” or suggested change—to a documentation file in the repository. The team suggested an update that would have changed the documentation file to include the words “Hacktron AI Team PoC” and a link to the X accounts of Pedhapati and the company’s head of research Harsh Jaiswal. It was their proof that they had gained access to OpenAI’s secrets, they said. The suggested change wasn’t accepted, the researchers said. OpenAI said its review of GitHub found “limited reads” of private-repository metadata and code changes. Discourse said it fixed the security issue on July 25, the same day it was notified. The hack demonstrates the complexity of defending corporate secrets in the age of AI hacking, said Joshua Saxe, the chief technology officer with the AI security company Abundant Security, who reviewed Hacktron AI’s report on the incident. “The world’s software is rife with security bugs. The reason we haven’t discovered them all is because, until last year, there were only a few thousand people who were expert at finding those bugs,” he said. Now AI agents are making that capability available to people who are less skilled, Saxe said. Criminals are gaining access to these capabilities, too, according to the cybersecurity firm ThreatDown. In online forums, people can buy illicit access to the kind of cyber-enhanced accounts used by the Hacktron researchers for as little as $800, ThreatDown said.

Gemini hacked three companies in first known breakout by Google’s AI -Google’s Gemini model accessed the internet and hacked other companies during a test of its cybersecurity capabilities, the first known example of the company’s artificial-intelligence systems autonomously committing such an act.The hacks, which the company confirmed on Friday, occurred in May as part of a test run by the company Irregular, which was also involved in similar incidents disclosed by OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta.In one of the cases, the model guessed passwords until it gained access to a protected system. In the other two cases, the model found credentials in a public repository that allowed it to then access protected systems. In each case, the model ended the intrusion after determining it had accessed a real company’s systems, Google said.Irregular notified Google about the hacks at the end of July, Google and Irregular said, in the wake of the discovery that OpenAI’s agents had hacked the AI software company Hugging Face. Google didn’t disclose the hacks until The Wall Street Journal reached out with inquiries this week.Companies are wrestling with how and when to disclose instances of security breaches and model misbehavior, amid a steady drumbeat of such incidents and rising fears over out-of-control AI. Some security breaches have been voluntarily disclosed by the companies themselves; others have been discovered by security researchers and revealed in the media, including a May cyberattack conducted by OpenAI agents against a popular online service for coders.Google said it didn’t consider the hacks to warrant public disclosure—because its model didn’t cause harm to the companies and ended each intrusion immediately upon determining it had hacked a real company rather than a simulated one. Google compared the episode to a “bug bounty” program in which hackers are rewarded for finding and reporting security vulnerabilities to their owners.“This event highlights the importance of training powerful AI models to act responsibly,” Heather Adkins, Google’s vice president of security engineering, said in a statement. “In this case, the model acted appropriately.”Jack Cable, the CEO of the AI security startup Corridor and a white-hat hacker, said he thought that explanation focused on the severity of the incident when the real issue was that the AI agent had accidentally hacked another company’s systems.“It feels like they’re trying to hide behind the norms that have been created in vulnerability disclosure for this, which is a very different problem,” Cable said. “The meta problem is, hey, models are going outside the bounds of what they should be doing, and doing actual cyberattacks, which I would think is in the public interest to know.”OpenAI released a new framework for incident reporting Wednesday, saying that it would “aim to disclose examples that provide useful evidence” of so-called model misalignment—or AI that acts in ways counter to human intentions or values. Alongside the framework, it released reports on six previously undisclosed examples of misalignment. “A finding doesn’t necessarily need to cause harm or reveal a broader pattern to be worth sharing,” Kai Chen, OpenAI’s head of alignment, said in an interview about the framework.The Gemini hacks resulted from a case of mistaken identity, Google said.The hacks occurred while the model was participating in a “capture the flag” exercise conducted on infrastructure belonging to Irregular to test the model’s cybersecurity capabilities. It was tasked with retrieving information from software operated by a fictional company inside the testing environment. The fictional company shared the same name as a real company. Although the model wasn’t intended to be able to get online, internet access was unintentionally made available, according to Irregular. In the first case, the model was able to guess a password and access the real company’s service, Google said. Then, it realized that it had accessed a real company, stopped itself, and left, according to Google. The other hacks occurred in different runs of the test. In both of those instances, the model performed web searches with the name of the company, Google said. Those searches led it to two different public online repositories, containing credentials belonging to other companies. The model tried those credentials in hopes that they would lead to completing the evaluation. But after successfully using the credentials, the model realized it had accessed real companies and stopped, Google said.Google said that it didn’t consider the behavior an example of model misalignment because its safety measures helped it stop. It declined to share the name of the companies that were hacked, but said that all three companies had been notified. Google also notified federal authorities, the company said.

Exclusive: AI-written malware helped a hacker cash in on bug bounty programs - A hacker used AI-written malware distributed through open-source software packages to compromise companies and hunt for bugs that he then submitted for legitimate bug bounty payments, according to CrowdStrike research shared first with Axios. The findings offer a striking example of how AI is lowering the technical barriers to cybercrime and allowing relatively unsophisticated hackers to build their own malware. CrowdStrike researchers say they have high confidence that the financially motivated hacker used a large language model to write the malware behind his attack based on the comments, placeholder code and token-analysis patterns left inside the script. The hacker also posted about collecting bounties from at least nine companies across the technology, retail and hospitality sectors; however, it's unclear whether the malware, called PhantomRaven, was used to compromise those particular companies or identify the issues behind those bounties. CrowdStrike remediated and responded to multiple incidents involving this malware. The hacker published malicious open-source npm packages that delivered the PhantomRaven malware. When developers installed the malicious packages, PhantomRaven executed on their systems and collected information, including credentials and other sensitive development data. CrowdStrike assesses that the hacker used PhantomRaven to compromise company assets and hunt for vulnerabilities. The hacker then used those compromises as leverage to submit bugs to legitimate bug bounty programs and seek payouts. Turning to bug bounty programs allowed the hacker to establish credibility in the broader hacker community, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike's senior vice president of counter adversary operations, told Axios. The researchers also said in the report that they haven't seen stolen data from this campaign being sold on criminal marketplaces. The case is just the latest example of growing AI adoption among malicious actors, including less-sophisticated actors eager to scale their operations. "We're seeing it all over the place," Meyers said. "We have adversaries that are using AI to develop their tooling; we're seeing it across the spectrum of nation-states and criminal hacktivists." The malware used in this campaign is relatively simple, and the attack relied solely on well-known supply-chain techniques. The notable part is that AI appears to have helped a relatively inexperienced hacker build his own functioning malware rather than relying on off-the-shelf tools.

AI scammers are scouring obituaries to target widows — one lost $7,000 after being told her late husband evaded taxes It's open season for scams on older Americans and, in one particularly gruesome grift, it appears fraudsters will leave no gravestone unturned in their search for a victim. Clayton LiaBraaten, a spokesperson at TrueCaller, a caller ID and fraud-prevention services company, told USA Today that a male customer recently reached out about a scam perpetrated against his widowed mother. Using artificial intelligence to canvas obituaries, fraudsters identified the woman as a target, told her they'd helped her late husband cook up a tax avoidance cover-up and said she had to pay them $7,000 in order to "preserve what was left of her inheritance," USA Today reports (1). By the time the mother's family figured out the scam, it was too late. The fraudsters were "scouring obituaries and looking for vulnerabilities," LiaBraaten said. "It's so disgusting, I can barely keep my cool about it." LiaBraaten noted that AI is proving to be highly useful for scammers, as the technology makes it much easier and faster to identify victims, write a "scam script" and generate deepfake images, voice messages and videos. This allows scammers to set up convincing fraud campaigns and send phishing calls, texts or emails out to thousands of potential victims within minutes. "They don't necessarily commit the fraud on the first call," LiaBraaten added. "They may just be gathering personally identifiable information to leverage against you in the future." With the "graveyard grift," fraudsters can easily extract information from a public obituary — including names, relatives, employers, hometowns and other details — to create a convincing scam. This adds to a growing list of fraud options against older Americans, most of which are now easier to create using AI. According to the FBI, Americans aged 60-plus reported $7.7 billion in internet or cyber-enabled crime losses in 2025, up 59% from 2024 (2). The 2025 figures represent an average of $38,500 lost per elderly scam case. Making matters worse, cases involving deceased spouses put a grim new spin on the elderly fraud front. "Recently widowed older adults can be especially vulnerable because they're grieving and often dealing with an overwhelming number of financial and administrative tasks at the same time," One big problem tied to scams against older Americans is that families are particularly vulnerable right after a parent or grandparent's death, especially when they're closing accounts, paying bills, dealing with insurance, settling an estate or trying to understand financial responsibilities their spouse previously handled. "A call about an unfamiliar account or unpaid obligation might not seem unusual given the circumstances," Szakaly noted. Obituaries, in particular, can be an open book for fraudsters. "Obits can give a scammer an incredible amount of information to work with: a spouse's full name, children's and grandchildren's names, hometowns, former employers, schools, military service and sometimes even churches or other organizations," said Szakaly. From there, scammers can search social media and other public sources to find more details. "The more personal information they have, the more believable their story can sound,"

The sexy AI-powered dating app scams are here | The Verge - Security researcher Matthew “Zigula” Gore-Kormanik was analyzing a fraudulent dating app called Dora when he got a pop-up message saying he was receiving a call from Jennifer. According to her bio, she’s a 41-year-old Sagittarius with red hair, blue eyes, and piercings. She likes music, horror movies, nightlife, and sports. Gore-Kormanik answered the call, but didn’t see Jennifer in his video feed. He saw a tapestry that was moving, probably due to a fan, and heard weird distortion in the background. After the call ended, “Jennifer” messaged him to say she’d had fun and “your voice is way better than expected.” His microphone hadn’t even been connected. Gore-Kormanik was poking around Dora, and other similar apps, because I’d shared with him a spreadsheet of potential dating scam apps. I was looking into this because on June 5th, Anthropic did something uncharacteristic: The normally tight-lipped company let its threat intelligence researcher Chris Cronbaugh give a talk at a public cybersecurity conference called Sleuthcon. The company had uncovered a fraudulent dating app network after noticing unusual activity on Claude: a prepaid account sending out over 100,000 API requests per day. The majority of chats did not involve a human agent at all. During the talk, called “Swipe Right, Pay Up: Industrial-Scale AI Catfishing,” Cronbaugh described a network of around 28 dating apps where the conversation was largely run by autonomous AI personas. The majority of chats, he said, did not involve a human agent at all. Anthropic has since published its findings in the “scams and fraud” section of its “Detecting and countering misuse of AI: September 2026” report, but not until after we’d spent extensive time looking into the network and trying to corroborate the findings. I was intrigued by the fact that Anthropic was speaking about this publicly while many of the apps were still live on both major US app stores, and wondered why they hadn’t been taken down. Looking at the apps themselves, I noted that they were presented as helping people find people to talk to. They did not look like companion apps such as Replika where it’s clear the personas are actually AI. For example, Dora was described as “a dating app thoughtfully designed for wide range of ages people … a respectful easy-to-use space to meet people who share your values.” A different version said it was a “warm, simple dating app for adults seeking real connection.” Romi, the description stated, “helps you discover, connect, and chat with real people.” Doni’s tagline was “start real companionship”; the description said it “helps you connect with nearby singles.” Here’s how the scam works: Users, mostly men in their mid-to-late 30s, go on dating apps and match with what they believe to be real women. Only one in four of them actually is, and that person is not a user looking for other dates but rather a paid gig worker. The gig workers were hired to pass liveness checks on video or to follow social media accounts. They didn’t even write their own comments. Instead, they responded to messages by selecting from three pregenerated replies. But they could prove they’re human, whereas the AI personas could only demur with a plausible explanation for why a video chat or call was not possible. “Backend components fabricated likes, visitors, and pre-recorded ‘video’ when no real person was available, and tracked which users had begun to suspect they were talking to a bot,” Anthropic’s report states. Because of the smattering of interactions with real people, some users began to believe that the entirely AI-generated replies they were receiving on the app were also from real people. Multiple AI providers are involved. While Claude was misused to run the autonomous conversational personas, the report says that “a small non-Anthropic model generated the short reply suggestions the gig workers tapped, alongside face-attractiveness scoring and photo/voice moderation. An image-editing model generated avatar imagery.” There is an entire ecosystem of online scams, ranging from automated thirst trap replies to fake social media accounts or dating app profiles. In many cases, people spend months building trust before telling their victims that there’s an emergency and they need financial help. Or they pretend to be investors, asking for money in an account they own that ends up being fake. But this is not your typical romance scam; there’s no money “borrowed” by fake romantic partners, nor is cryptocurrency involved. The apps are themselves the scam: They ask for coins for continued interactions, and the coins cost real money. Users buy them to continue talking primarily to machines, believing they’re talking to other humans. These gig workers keep the ruse going, while AI can keep conversations going 24/7 as the coins flow. The apps are themselves the scam. According to Anthropic’s report, the prompts the AI had been given kept the personas consistent, and the AI was operating as if the exchanges were “ordinary roleplay or companion deployment.” But the AI wasn’t told it was part of a scam because, the company wrote, “The monetization and deception were not visible from inside any exchange.”

That cow may not be real: AI scam targets Texas cattle buyers — A new artificial intelligence scam is targeting the cattle industry, with scammers using increasingly realistic images online to trick buyers into paying for livestock that may not exist. The Texas Department of Agriculture is warning ranchers and producers to be cautious when buying cattle through social media and online sales.— A new artificial intelligence scam is targeting the cattle industry, with scammers using increasingly realistic images online to trick buyers into paying for livestock that may not exist. The Texas Department of Agriculture is warning ranchers and producers to be cautious when buying cattle through social media and online sales. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said at least one Texas producer lost about $70,000 in a scam. "One scam, they got away with, you know, about $70,000 from one of our producers," Miller said. "Be very cautious. The quick dollar gets, it kind of clouds people's vision sometimes. And we see that easy money, and it's very easy for us to get scammed." The warning comes as online livestock sales become more common across the industry. Coastal Bend rancher and producer Scott Frazier has been in the business for more than 40 years. He said he frequently buys livestock online, including a black bull that traveled to his ranch from South Dakota. "I didn't see him in person, I saw some videos of him. And I had a guy that we've known for years and years look at him that was there. He looked at him, he watched him and recommended him. So we pulled the trigger and so far it's working out,” Frazier said. While livestock auctions remain common, Frazier said buying and selling cattle has increasingly moved online and onto social media. "Certainly online sales and that sort of thing have become more common whether it be livestock industry or household goods or whatever you're buying," Frazier said. That shift also means buyers need to be more careful about what they see in online listings, particularly as AI-generated images become more realistic. Miller said buyers should closely examine photos of cattle before sending money. Look at the animal's ears, legs and tail. Do they look natural, or do they appear distorted? Buyers should also examine the background of an image and look for areas that appear unusually blurry or unnatural. Those details can be clues that an image has been digitally altered or generated by AI. Frazier said buyers can also protect themselves by having someone they trust inspect an animal before making a purchase — something he did before buying his South Dakota bull.As online cattle sales continue to grow, Miller is urging Texas ranchers and producers to slow down, verify what they are buying and be wary of deals that appear too good to be true.

U.S. Disrupts Xinbi Guarantee Scam Marketplace, Freezes $52.8 Million in Crypto- The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday announced coordinated actions aimed at an illicit online marketplace called Xinbi Guarantee that offered scam services, including seizing Telegram channels used to run the service, confiscating two cryptocurrency wallets, and deploying the Scam Center Strike Force to Madagascar to help disrupt 13 scam compounds run by Chinese organized crime syndicates.  "Approximately $52 million of cryptocurrency involved in scam money laundering was restrained in one day, bringing the total restrained by the Scam Center Strike Force to approximately $938 million," DoJ said.  In tandem, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the Chinese-language media for facilitating cyber scams, fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activity targeting Americans.  "Scam centers in Southeast Asia steal billions of dollars from American victims each year," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in a statement. "The Trump Administration is united in its efforts to dismantle these overseas criminal enterprises, and [the] Treasury will continue using its tools to disrupt the networks behind this egregious fraud and protect Americans." Xinbi Guarantee is a Telegram-oriented marketplace that rose to prominence following the closure of two other similar storefronts, HuiOne Guarantee and its successor Tudou Guarantee, last year.   Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, which worked with the U.S. Secret Service to identify and freeze wallets holding $52.8 million in Tether's USDT stablecoin, said Xinbi is the second largest illicit marketplace of all time, with $30 billion in transactions to date since its inception around 2022. Earlier this January, Elliptic's Founder and Chief Scientist, Dr. Tom Robinson, told The Hacker News that Xinbi Guarantee recovered following Telegram's intervention and that the messaging platform has refused to take further actions, leading to the emergence of a number of scam marketplaces.  Like HuiOne and Tudou, Xinbi acts as an intermediary between vendors and scam center operators running "pig butchering" romance scams, effectively turning it into a one-stop shop to peddle various services, such as creating custom scam investment websites, laundering funds scammers obtain from victims of wire fraud, and soliciting trafficking victims to work in scam compounds in Southeast Asia."Once a scammer 'purchases' a service from the vendor, Xinbi as an organization holds money to be paid to the vendor until the vendor's services are complete, to assure the scammers that the vendors will perform the services," the DoJ said."Xinbi Guarantee's platform has reportedly been used by North Korean hackers and by several OFAC-designated entities, including Jin Bei Group Co., Ltd. and entities that are part of the Prince Group TCO," the Treasury added.Besides dismantling the Telegram channels hosting the marketplace and banning the associated usernames, the Justice Department said the Scam Center Strike Force seized two cryptocurrency wallets Xinbi used to collect payments for vendors. The wallets are said to have held about $12 million in funds.In all, $52.8 million worth of cryptocurrency has been frozen from 52 wallets associated with Xinbi and its network of merchants that enabled the organized crime groups running scam centers worldwide.

Scammers target hundreds of thousands of crypto owners after Trezor confirms data breach of email provider - Hardware crypto wallet maker Trezor is warning customers for the second time in as many months that one of the companies it relies on was hacked, exposing the data of Trezor’s customers to hackers. In a blog post this week, the hardware wallet maker said a cyberattack on Brevo, a marketing tech company that Trezor uses to send newsletters, allowed hackers to send around 347,000 phishing emails to Trezor customers with a malicious link purporting to come from the wallet maker.  The link, when tapped, downloads an app that asks the victim for their wallet backup password. According to Trezor, one of the email subject lines said: “Critical Security Alert: STM32 Entropy Vulnerability.” With a stolen wallet password, a hacker can irreversibly steal the person’s funds on the public blockchain.  Brevo said in an incident status post that the hackers were able to access 138 Brevo accounts to send out the mass volume of phishing messages. Brevo said that the hackers abused a flaw that meant the hackers’ access was “not properly scoped.” The company said that the hackers’ access was “wrongly granted” to all organizations that the hackers’ accounts could reach.   The breach highlights a common security incident, where hackers compromise data held by third-party companies that are necessary for fulfilling orders or purchases from customers. Trezor says none of its products, wallets, or account system were affected by the incident. This is the second breach in recent weeks affecting Trezor, after the company alerted customers in August that one of its shipping partners was compromised in a data breach. The incident at the mailing company ShipMonk exposed the names, phone numbers, email addresses, and postal addresses of at least 81,000 people who bought and received Trezor wallet hardware.The data breach could put crypto owners and other wealthy individuals at risk of targeted violence and so-called “wrench” attacks, which rely on physical attacks to extract passwords from people.In the weeks following the breach at ShipMonk, some people have received letters by mail claiming to be from Trezor, featuring a QR code that, when scanned, opens up a fake page that attempts to steal the victim’s crypto wallet password.Trezor said it was reevaluating its relationships with its vendors and warned customers that their email addresses may be used again for future phishing attacks.

Revolut Hacker Launches Extortion Site Demanding $3M After 680 Customer Data Breach  - Hackers claiming responsibility for Revolut's recent customer data breach have launched a public extortion site demanding $3 million in Monero, escalating an incident that exposed sensitive information belonging to hundreds of customers. Key Takeaways:

• A group claiming responsibility for the Revolut breach has demanded 6,000 Monero, worth roughly $3 million, and threatened to sell stolen customer records.
• Around 680 customers were affected after fraudulent data requests were sent using an email account on a legitimate Italian government domain.
• Revolut says its own systems and customer funds were not compromised and that it has received no direct ransom demand from the alleged attackers.

Revolut's breach began with a stolen government password | American Banker

• Key insight: The attacker picked Revolut's Lithuanian subsidiary because European law obliges it to answer cross-border evidence demands, targeting the compliance obligation itself rather than working around it.
• What's at stake: Every U.S. bank runs a legal and compliance queue that answers subpoenas and government records requests, and it typically sits outside the security team's view entirely.
• Expert quote: "Just as we don't grant someone access to a bank vault simply because they arrived in a marked police car, legal data requests coming through certified channels must undergo zero-trust verification," said Anu Liinev of Veriff.

Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.

BofA and PNC respond to rising AI fears | American Banker

• Key insight: Executives at two big banks discussed some of the safety concerns about AI, which rose to a fever pitch last week as tech industry insiders warned of its dangers.
• What's at stake: Over the past few years, banks vigorously embraced the technology. Now executives are being asked about its risks as well as its benefits.
• Expert quote: "Making sure agents are doing what they're supposed to do and not doing something else is a top priority for us." —Mark Wiedman, president of PNC Financial Services Group

BankThink: People use AI to gauge banks' reputations, and its verdicts are harsh | American Banker -- Reputation isn't a soft metric — it's a leading indicator of business outcomes and an insurance policy in times of crisis. This is especially true in banking: Over my organization's more than 20 years of cross-industry reputation measurement, the banking industry's reputation has consistently been one of the most challenged.

• Key insight: Reputation management was never optional — especially for banks — and the emergence of AI as a new, central stakeholder with significant reach and influence has raised the stakes even further.
• Supporting data: Among the measured banks in a RepTrak study, Ally Bank was rated most positively by AI on a 100-point scale (averaged across all 3 platforms) but at a relatively low level of 52.1. It was followed by Chase at 50.3, Truist at 42.6, Bank of America at 39.6, Chime at 37.3, Wells Fargo at 22.2 and TD Bank at 19.4.
• Forward look: With banks' own voices still accounting for a relatively small share of the sources AI platforms draw on — including both recent and legacy content — they must redouble efforts to ensure their perspectives are authentic, accessible, and readily discoverable.

State bank examiners get a playbook for inspecting AI | American Banker

• Key insight: The CSBS framework covers generative and agentic AI, the technology the Federal Reserve, OCC and FDIC placed outside the scope of their revised model risk guidance in April.
• What's at stake: State agencies supervise 3,355 of the country's 4,233 FDIC-insured banks and savings institutions, so most U.S. banks may face the new questions at their next state exam.
• Forward look: Each state agency decides on its own whether to fold the framework into its supervisory program, and CSBS publishes no count of which ones have.

Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.

Circle publicly releases Arc blockchain to institutions | American Banker - Circle Internet Group has publicly launched its open blockchain network for institutions.

• Key insight: Circle has launched Arc, its blockchain network for the USDC stablecoin, to the public so firms like banks and payments companies can transact on it.
• Expert quote: Coin Bureau's Nic Puckrin said that the validators behind Arc, like BlackRock, DTCC, Visa and Mastercard, "are what give it credibility."
• Forward look: The opt-in privacy feature for sensitive transactions that financial institutions may want to conduct on Arc is still in development.

Agentic payment rail shows volume decline | American Banker - While large payment companies are pouring resources into agentic artificial intelligence, at least one system designed to support agentic payments has seen a major decline.

• Key insight: Agentic payment volume has declined in 2026, following a spike in late 2025. 
• What's at stake: Banks, payment companies and fintechs are heavily investing in the new form of AI. 
• Forward look: Payment experts say established technology firms will have an advantage over startups in selling agentic AI.

Bowman calls for supervisory reform after preliminary SVB report | American Banker  -- With the early findings from the Federal Reserve's external review of the Silicon Valley Bank failure in hand, the Fed's top regulator is calling for policy changes within the central bank.

• Key insight: The Federal Reserve's external review of the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank failure is starting to yield results that are shaping potential policy reforms.
• Expert quote: "The review revealed that too many staff members feel it is personally safer to take no action than to risk taking the wrong action." —Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
• Forward look: Bowman said the report is the first in what will be a "series" from the Starling Trust Sciences.

Fed's Bowman previews further stress test reforms ahead of finalization | American Banker --The Federal Reserve's top regulator previewed a pair of additional changes to the central bank's stress testing regime ahead of the new framework's forthcoming finalization.

• Key insight: The Federal Reserve will establish a day for freezing bank balance sheets for purposes of stress test analysis and will subject banks to two different global market shock scenarios. It will also incorporate stress test results into supervision.
• Expert quote: "The rationale for these changes is straightforward. A risk-sensitive stress testing framework ensures that [stress capital buffer] requirements align with risk-taking behavior." — Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
• Forward look: Bowman said the Fed expects to finalize its new stress testing framework within the coming weeks. It will then look to cement changes to the GSIB surcharge and the Basel III capital framework before the end of the year.

What banks can expect if Democrats sweep Congress  — Democrats are favored to flip at least one chamber — if not both — in the upcoming midterm elections, and the party might look different than the one that ceded control of Washington in 2024.

• Key insight: If Democrats win control of both chambers of Congress, they would use committee oversight powers to stall and question the administration's agenda, even if they lack the votes to enact many of their own legislative priorities.
• Forward look: Crypto, national trust charters and Trump administration official misdeeds would be prime targets for scrutiny, with regulators and housing officials likely facing aggressive questioning.
• What's at stake: Banks could also face renewed scrutiny of capital rules, mergers and supervision, though Democrats would need Republican support and Trump's approval to enact major legislation.

Polling suggests that Democrats could retake control of the House and have a formidable shot at the Senate as well. If they win both chambers, oversight of bank regulation, crypto and Trump administration officials will be the name of the game.

SEC clears path for tokenized stock trading  — The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday issued an order allowing some tokenized U.S. stocks to be traded on blockchain-based platforms under a temporary, limited regulatory framework.

• Key takeaway: The Securities and Exchange Commission's temporary "innovation exemption" allows tokenized securities venues, or TSVs, to facilitate secondary trading of tokenized stocks using blockchain-based systems.
• Expert quote: "This exemption is a principled, structured grant of relief designed to resolve genuine legal uncertainty that has driven innovation away from the United States." —Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins
• What's at stake: Industry insiders say SEC and CFTC rules may not have the same permanence as legislation passed by Congress and could be more easily changed by future administrations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday issued an order allowing some tokenized U.S. stocks to be traded on blockchain-based platforms.

SEC eyes repeal of rule allowing shareholder proposals  - The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed Wednesday to repeal a rule that allows shareholders to publicly raise concerns about companies, drawing criticism from shareholder advocacy groups.

• Key takeaway: The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing to repeal Rule 14a-8, which allows investors to raise concerns with companies through shareholder proposals. 
• Expert quote: "Rescinding Rule 14a-8 will increase instability and costs for both companies and investors and further weaken American capital markets and the foundations that uphold them." — Andrew Collier, senior director, Freedom to Invest
• What's at stake: Shareholder advocacy groups characterized the move as an attempt by the SEC to weaken investor protections.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Rule 14a-8 exceeds its statutory authority and intrudes on matters of state law. Shareholder advocacy groups, however, argue that repealing the rule could reduce transparency.

FDIC proposes faster merger reviews, preemption for state banks | American Banker - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Thursday proposed approving de minimis bank mergers in as little as five days and allowing state-chartered banks providing services across state lines to enjoy federal preemption..Both proposals will be open for 60-day public comment periods.

• Key insight: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Thursday proposed changes to its bank merger review process and rules governing state-chartered banks that operate across state lines. 
• Supporting data: The merger proposal would create several processing categories, including a de minimis pipeline with processing in as little as five business days, and would set 90- or 180-day timelines for certain standard applications, subject to a 270-day maximum.
• Expert quote: "I'm particularly interested in whether there are opportunities for further reforms by the FDIC or on an interagency basis that are consistent with the requirements of the Bank Merger Act." — Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould

Regulators propose new guidance on core providers | American Banker - Federal regulators are looking to scrutinize core servicers relationships more carefully to encourage transparency.

• Key insight: Federal regulators are recognizing the unique role core servicers play for community banks and proposing stricter oversight of these relationships.
• Expert quote: "It is important that the board continue to foster responsible innovation and facilitate banks' pursuit of third-party arrangements in a manner consistent with safe and sound practices and in compliance with applicable law, including those designed to protect consumers. A principles-based and risk-focused approach may be helpful towards promoting these goals —  especially for enabling innovation and competition for vendor services." —Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook
• Forward look: The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed guidelines.

De novo applications are up, but the tide isn't turning back - After years of decline in the number of new banks approved by regulators, startup banks — often called de novos — are ticking up under President Trump's second administration.

• Key insight: Technological and structural changes mean chartering is unlikely to return to precrisis levels.
• Supporting data: From 2010 through 2024, fewer than seven de novo banks were chartered annually on average, compared with 185 per year from 1960 through 2006.
• Expert quote: "Although economic and regulatory policy changes may be able to increase the number of de novo banks, they are unlikely to be sufficient to return this number to its pre-recession level." — Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Regulatory hurdles made starting a new bank harder after 2008, but research suggests the decades-long decline in de novos goes back further and that even a sharp deregulatory push won't lead to a rebound to precrisis levels of de novo applications.

SEC warns new outside activity rule isn't a free-for-all -- Brokerages applaud a new rule that will relieve them of the obligation to monitor advisors' side gigs such as driving for Uber or bartending. But regulators say they still have plenty of obligations to monitor outside business activities.In lifting brokerages' long-standing obligation to keep tabs on advisors' side gigs as weekend bartenders or Uber drivers, the SEC insists it's not allowing for a free-for-all.

Subprime auto lender agrees to $710M settlement with states -Credit Acceptance Corp. has agreed to provide $710 million in restitution and debt relief to resolve allegations of predatory lending by 41 state attorneys general.

CFPB director-designate Brian Johnson clears Senate Banking  — Brian Johnson, a former Capital One executive, has passed the Senate Banking Committee to become director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a party-line vote.

• Key insight: Brian Johnson, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has been criticized by Senate Democrats for his close links to regulated firms. 
• Forward look: Johnson will likely be approved by the full Senate on a party-line vote. 
• What's at stake: Johnson will lead the agency at a time when the Trump administration is making a concerted effort to downsize and defang the agency.

Brian Johnson's nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advanced to the full Senate Thursday morning in a party-line vote.

Fannie servicers can contact consumers about MI cancellations  -Fannie Mae mortgage servicers are now free to contact borrowers with private mortgage insurers whose policies are eligible to be cancelled, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte said.  Bill Pulte, FHFA director, has ordered Fannie Mae to update its servicer guide to mirror Freddie Mac policy regarding notifying borrowers about dropping MI.

Costco nearly doubles cost of motor oil, limits purchases — Costco may have cut the prices for several popular items earlier this year, but it’s now raising the cost and limiting the sale of another: motor oil. Costco’s Kirkland Signature full-synthetic motor oil 5-quart two pack now costs around $58, well above the approximately $30 it had been selling for just last year, and limiting customers to buying two boxes a week. It is also limiting purchases of Mobil 1’s full-synthetic motor oil 1-quart six pack, which sells for about $44, to five per membership. A price hike and purchase limits may take you back to the days of empty shelves where toilet paper once stood, but this likely won’t impact you as much as you may immediately fear. Unless you’re responsible for “a fleet of thousands of cars,” you probably don’t have to worry about it much, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told Nexstar. “The normal car requires four to five quarts every 5,000 miles or so,” De Haan said, describing Costco’s limit as “what would be an extremely reasonable amount.” It is, however, indicative of a larger picture: high oil prices. De Haan told Nexstar that oil prices have reached their highest level in months. He pointed to attacks in the Middle East, the Red Sea, and the East-West Crude Oil Pipeline in Saudi Arabia, as well as Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian oil refineries, as contributing to the price hikes. The Saudi oil pipeline will mostly be out of service for weeks following an attack last week, two regional officials told The Associated Press. The price for a barrel of Brent crude went above $109 on Monday morning. “As you would expect, everything derived from a barrel of oil is being impacted in different ways,” De Haan said. While Costco’s motor oil price hikes and sale limits may not impact you much, you may continue to feel pressure at the pump, especially if you drive a diesel vehicle. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline, as of Sept. 14, is $4.31, according to AAA. That’s well over the $3.17 per gallon average reported at this time last year. Diesel, meanwhile, set a record on Monday, with a national average of $6.23, per AAA data. At this time last year, the national average was just under $3.70 per gallon. Prices at the pump for diesel and regular gasoline closely follow that of crude oil. With oil prices continuing to rise due to ongoing tension in the Middle East, oil companies stand to profit more from turning refined crude oil into diesel or gasoline than motor oil. It remains to be seen if other motor oil retailers like Walmart, Amazon and AutoZone will boost their prices or set purchase limits. Walmart, Amazon and AutoZone did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Gas prices are about to take a big jump, analysts say, with the worst still to come  - The effects of the U.S.-led war on Iran are about to intensify in the form of huge jumps in the prices of gasoline and diesel, analysts predict. And despite the Trump administration’s assurances, a new and potentially even more economically damaging phase of the war may be about to begin. The national average price for regular gasoline stood at $4.44 on Thursday, according to AAA, with a range of $6.09 in California to $3.92 in Indiana. That’s still below the all-time national record of $5.02 in June 2022. But diesel, which has a big influence on trucking and retail prices, has continued to hit records, with the national average at $6.40 on Thursday. In California, diesel is averaging $8.35. The cost increases are landing particularly hard in several political battleground states in the Midwest, where prices jumped as much as 25 cents per gallon overnight, according to AAA. Damage inflicted on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline last week, along with continuing strikes on oil infrastructure and contested control over a key waterway, threaten to elevate what had been a shipping crisis into a broader disruption of oil. The 745-mile pipeline is Saudi Arabia’s principal overland alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, linking eastern oil fields to Red Sea export terminals. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Tuesday that the pipeline would be operational again in a matter of days, and the White House has touted renewed tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. But analysts who reviewed images of the pipeline damage anticipate a significantly longer disruption, likely resulting in high prices for consumers well beyond the midterm elections. And maritime tracking organizations say that far less oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz than the Trump administration claims. Andrew Lipow, a consultant who advises clients on protecting and repairing oil infrastructure, said photos of the pipeline “show a significant amount of damage” and that repairs are likely to “take a month or two.” “They will need to replace piping, valves, all the electrical stuff,” he said. “It is not like you can just go to Costco and pick that stuff up off-the-shelf.” Satellite imagery reviewed by The Washington Post revealed damage to at least two pumping stations along the pipeline. Drone attacks on one, beginning last Thursday, were widely reported, and high-resolution imagery collected by Vantor on Sunday showed extensive and significant damage. At least one other pumping station, about 130 miles east of the first, was also damaged around that time, according to a review of imagery by The Post. A plume of dark smoke, so large it could be seen from space, rose from the western side of the station in a Sept. 10 Planet satellite image. Because of the shortage of crude oil and the damage the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have inflicted on refineries that turn it into diesel and gasoline, market analysts are warning that fresh price shocks are about to hit motorists. Tom Kloza, chief energy adviser for Gulf Oil, predicted on X that Wednesday would “see staggering increases at the pump for both gasoline & diesel.” “Fuel margins have yet to catch up with previous wholesale hikes,” he wrote. “Watch for huge increases in Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain states in particular.” “Buckle up,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the price-tracking platform GasBuddy, wrote Wednesday morning. “Gas and diesel look set for a spike over the next 48 hours, hardest in parts of the nation’s interior.” Gas prices are also shooting up particularly fast in the political battleground states of the Midwest, where rising crude prices have been compounded by a power outage at the ExxonMobil Joliet refinery near Chicago, which typically produces 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day and is a crucial supplier for the region. The price for a gallon of regular spiked 25 cents between Wednesday and Thursday in Iowa, according to AAA. In Wisconsin, it was up 23 cents. In Michigan, it was up 22 cents.

Ohio has a 15% daily school bus driver shortage as Columbus City Schools works to fill vacancies • Ohio Capital Journal Ohio public schools are experiencing a 15% day-to-day bus shortage, according to the National Association for Pupil Transportation, and families are feeling the effects. School bus driver shortages are often the result of recruitment, retention, financial, and operational challenges happening at the same time, said President-Elect of the National Association for Pupil Transportation Melody Coniglio. “Transportation is one of the first and last services a student receives each school day, so when there are not enough drivers, the effects can quickly be felt by students, families, staff, schools, athletics, and the district as a whole,” said Coniglio, who is also West Geauga Local School District’s director of transportation. There are 17,008 active bus drivers across the state as of Wednesday, said Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Spokesperson Lacey Snoke. Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district with about 45,000 students, is working to fill bus driver vacancies. Columbus has 425 yellow bus and van routes and 395 active bus drivers and 68 contract drivers to bus 32,450 students — including 8,552 charter and nonpublic students as of Tuesday, said district spokesperson Michael Brown. The district wants to have 500 drivers. “Since school has started, my son’s bus has been late picking up and dropping off,” said Phillip Floyd, the parent of a Columbus City Schools second grader. “When I say late, over 20 minutes late.” As a result, his son has been late or almost late to school every morning. “Our kids should be getting to school on time,” Floyd said. The school bus is supposed to pick Floyd’s son up at 8:37 a.m. and instead it’s been picking him up closer to 8:55 a.m. and is getting to school some days as the bell is ringing at 9 a.m. or after the school day has already started. “He’s really frustrated about getting to school late because my son really loves school,” Floyd said. “He’s missing him out on his morning work that he really wants to do. This is out of his control.” Floyd also said the bus driver forgot to drop off his son one afternoon, so his son rode the bus an additional two hours. “We’re freaking out because where’s our child?” he said. “Your job as a parent is your child’s safety, and you’re not knowing where your child is. … It’s a feeling that I just can’t even put into words.”

Judge blocks Education Dept teacher training funding cuts over DEI, anti-racism - A federal judge ruled Thursday the Education Department cannot cut money to teacher training programs the Trump administration argues are focused on “divisive ideologies.” In February 2025, the department moved to slash around $600 million in grants it didn’t like under the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development grant programs. District Judge Angel Kelley said the directive was “arbitrary and capricious” due to its failure to explain the switch in grants that previously encouraged diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. “Rather than confining the Directive to actions that are traditionally understood to constitute discrimination, the record instead reflects that Defendants terminated grants with topics such as ‘acknowledging … racism’ and ‘anti-racism’—activities expressly undertaken to oppose discrimination,” Kelley wrote. She also objected to the directive due to the impact it would have on teacher preparation. In response to the lawsuit, Savannah Newhouse, press secretary for the Education Department, said, “Taxpayer dollars should support preparing teachers for meaningful student learning, expanding the pipeline of high-quality teachers, and retaining top talent — not funding divisive ideology or racial preferences.” The challenge to the move came from Democratic states, which previously had the directive halted by a federal judge, but the Supreme Court in April 2025 said the department could continue the cuts while the case proceeded in court. In 2025, the Education Department said the slash in funds was directed towards programs focused on critical race theory, DEI, social justice, anti-racism, white privilege and white supremacy. Examples of grant applications the department objected to included one with a description that required “practitioners to take personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequities (e.g., racism) and critically reassess their own practices.”

US pediatricians report seeing fewer patients because of immigration enforcement worries -  Immunization clinics in San Diego, California, are usually packed in August as parents prepare their kids for the new school year. Not this year. With agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often waiting outside medical clinics in some states, many immigrant families are now afraid to seek healthcare, said Pia Pannaraj, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and a vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases. “We saw a huge drop off in people getting vaccinated,” Pannaraj told CIDRAP News. Many immigrant parents are afraid of being detained or arrested by ICE, she said. “It’s a valid fear.” Almost half of all pediatricians in the United States (39.6%) believe they’re seeing fewer families for medical care because of worries about immigration status, per a national AAP survey published today in Pediatrics. Clinicians report that about 26.2% of their patients come from families that immigrated to the United States. About one-third of pediatricians (31.3%) also noted that fewer families applied to government programs, and 21.3% said some families have stopped sending their children to school. Many pediatricians reported being unsure whether they’ve been seeing fewer immigrant families, “suggesting an underestimation of families affected,” the authors wrote. “Additional support is likely needed to bolster pediatricians’ ability to identify and address these concerns in a sensitive way that ensures family safety and confidentiality.”

Study: Autism shaves an average of 14 years from life expectancy, with flu the leading contributor - Life expectancy for people diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 14 years less than for people without the condition, with influenza- and pneumonia-related death contributing to the gap, researchers from Columbia University and University of Colorado Anschutz report in JAMA Network Open. For the study, published last week, the study team analyzed enhanced Medicaid data and linked National Death Index data for all US Medicaid beneficiaries from 2000 to 2020. The authors noted that, until now, ASD research has focused primarily on biologic and genetic factors, biology, diagnosis, and assessment of treatments and interventions. “Autism is a complex lifelong condition with substantial costs to the U.S. healthcare system,” lead author Guohua Li, DrPH, MD, of Columbia, said in a university news release. “Elevated mortality risk in people with ASD has been reported since late 1980s, but life expectancy for the autistic population remained unknown because of inadequate data on age-specific death rates.” During the study period, more than two million people with ASD were enrolled in Medicaid. In total, 76.1% were men, 48.5% were White, 16.7% were Hispanic, 14.6% were Black, and 20.2% were another race. For Medicaid enrollees with ASD, life expectancy was 64.9 years—5.6 years shorter than for the overall Medicaid population and 13.8 years shorter than for the US general population. Life expectancy among participants with ASD varied little by sex (64.6 and 65.0 years for men and women, respectively) or race (64.9 years for Hispanic, 63.7 for Black, 64.8 for White, and 66.7 for other race). But relative to autistic women, other female Medicaid beneficiaries lived 8.2 years longer, and those in the general US population lived 16.0 years longer. This deficit was greater than in autistic men, who lived 1.9 years less than other male Medicaid beneficiaries and 11.6 years less than men in the general population. From 2000 to 2004 and 2015 to 2019, life expectancy for Medicaid beneficiaries with ASD rose 1.7 years (from 63.9 to 65.6 years), but the disparities between the Medicaid beneficiary population and the US general population stayed the same. In 2020, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy fell across all studied groups, with the largest reduction (4.1 years relative to 2015 to 2019) among autistic people. Medicaid beneficiaries with ASD were at a 44% higher risk for death than other Medicaid beneficiaries. Excess death among autistic Medicaid beneficiaries was observed in most disease categories and medical conditions but was most pronounced with flu (sex-standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 10.55), malnutrition (SMR, 7.56), pneumonitis due to inhalation of solids and liquids (SMR, 6.92), non-vehicle accidents (SMR, 4.48), drowning (SMR, 3.26), and pneumonia (SMR, 3.06). “Compared with the general population, autistic women face a greater deficit in life expectancy than autistic men do, due to more psychiatric comorbidities and resulting excess mortality,” the authors wrote. They cautioned that because Medicaid serves low-income people and those with disabilities, autistic beneficiaries are likely to have lower socioeconomic status and more severe symptoms than autistic people not enrolled in the program, which may predispose to bias that leads to underestimation of life expectancy. Also, Medicaid beneficiaries with ASD are disproportionately children, young adults, and men compared with the reference populations, which raises concerns about bias from unmeasured confounding in SMRs. “Life expectancy for the autistic population enrolled in Medicaid in the United States is about 65 years, which is same as for the general population in Haiti or Angola,”

An AI-Designed Drug Just Moved Six Different Aging Clocks At Once  -- An experimental drug designed using AI has produced measurable shifts toward a younger biological-age profile in patients. Developed by Insilico Medicine, the drug - rentosertib - was initially engineered to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive, age-associated lung-scarring disease. When researchers analyzed blood samples from a Phase IIa clinical trial, they applied six proteomic profiling "aging clocks" among 42 participants. All six detected reductions in predicted biological age, whereas the placebo group showed little change or slight increases. The most pronounced and consistent effects emerged around week four of treatment.The study was authored by Insilico with academic collaborators from Harvard, Stanford, the Broad Institute, RWTH Aachen, Peking University and Westlake University. Insilico used AI not only to identify a specific enzyme (TNIK) linked to both fibrosis and aging pathways, but also to generate and optimize the specific molecule designed to inhibit it. That dual application makes rentosertib a rare clinical test of AI uncovering a target case and building new therapeutics from scratch.In the earlier Phase IIa, patients in the 60mg once-daily arm recorded a mean improvement in forced vital capacity of 98.4 milliliters against a mean decline of 20.3 milliliters on placebo. FVC declines with age in healthy people over 65 at roughly 20 to 50 milliliters a year, which is why Insilico treats it as a physiological aging marker as well as an efficacy endpoint."If you manage to add 3 years to everyone's life, the drug should be able to significantly extend the healthy portion of life as well, translating into trillions of dollars in productivity and savings," said Alex Zhavoronkov, Insilico's founder and co-CEO.And according to 2013 chemistry Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, "What convinces me is not the size of the effect but the agreement, because these models share neither their features nor their training data," he said of the six clocks reaching the same conclusion on the same 42 patients.Rentosertib is no longer confined to early-stage laboratory work. In July, Insilico announced that the drug had entered a randomized Phase III trial, expected to enroll 320 IPF patients for a 52-week, once-daily regimen. That trial is designed to evaluate pulmonary-fibrosis efficacy and safety, not life extension - but it advances an AI-generated molecule into the final phase of clinical development. Of note - the study does not prove that rentosertib extends human lifespan or literally shaves years off a patient's age. But the clock results, the senescence and metabolic pathway shifts, and the dose-dependent FVC gains all point the same way, and more study is needed to understand the possibilities.If the drug succeeds clinically, it validates AI-driven drug discovery, and offers a template for testing future medicines against both specific age-related diseases and the biomarkers of aging itself. If it fails in Phase III, the aging clocks will have been measuring a lung.

Airport air sampling captures COVID, influenza viruses -- Air sampling at four US airports in 2023 and 2024 detected SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in over 98% of samples and influenza A in over 17%, according to a study published in PLOS Global Public Health.Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led the study, which involved air monitoring in congregate areas at San Francisco International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The team placed samplers on tables 28 to 30 inches above the floor near customs and immigration inspection areas and international arrivals. Each ThermoFisher AerosolSense unit collected air samples for 10 hours per day, and the sample-collection cartridges were removed after 20 hours of use Monday through Thursday and 30 hours over the weekend.Correlation of the air samples with aviation wastewater, traveler nasal swabs, and national clinical surveillance data was also tested using data from two airports.Air sampling complements wastewater monitoring, the researchers said: “This approach is particularly effective for capturing respiratory pathogens from diverse populations, including asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic individuals who might not otherwise engage with clinical testing or contribute to accessible wastewater systems.”  Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing revealed SARS-CoV-2 in 98.3% of 463 air samples and influenza A in 17.2%. While influenza A positivity correlated with that in aviation wastewater, traveler nasal swabs, and national clinical surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 positivity didn’t align well.Genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from air samples identified lineages also found in wastewater samples during the same period from the same airports. In addition, it detected 30 viral species and recovered high-quality genomes for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, bocavirus (a virus that mainly causes respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections in infants and young children), and seasonal coronaviruses. “Air detection of viral pathogens within airports and other international points of entry may represent an important component of layered surveillance systems for future pandemic preparedness,” the authors wrote.

Few people with the flu isolate for the recommended period -   A few days after contracting the flu, muscle aches fade, exhaustion lifts, and the couch starts to lose its appeal. A return to ordinary life feels overdue. But according to a study published last week in the American Journal of Epidemiology, some people diagnosed as having flu might shed the most virus RNA just as their symptoms start to improve. It’s also when roughly four-fifths of study participants stopped isolating and started interacting with the broader community. In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance for how long people with the flu should stay apart from others to help keep them safe from infection, stating that isolation should continue until the person is fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have started to improve, then additional precautions, such as masking and social distancing, should be taken for another five days. The current study, led by CDC researchers, looked at how well this guidance aligns with influenza virus RNA shedding—which they used as a proxy for infectiousness—and self-reported isolation. The team analyzed data from 1,294 people with symptomatic influenza during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 respiratory virus seasons. Participants in Missouri, New York, and Tennessee completed symptom diaries and collected daily nasal swabs. Fifty-six percent of participants were children, and 70% had not received an annual flu vaccine. Peak viral shedding occurred a median of four days after symptoms began, according to the data. Depending on how viral shedding was measured, 69% to 80% of participants reached their peak by the end of the recommended five-day isolation period. Ninety-seven percent to 100% had reached their peak by day six. The authors cautioned that while viral loads may correlate with virus shedding, they do not directly measure infectiousness. “Further studies that include virus culture data would provide the opportunity to compare infectiousness with symptom duration,” they wrote. According to the findings, most participants isolated for less than the recommended period, if they did so at all. Only 21% of participants with the flu reported isolating from household members at any point during their illness. Of those who did, the mean number of isolation days was two. More people (80%) reported isolating from the broader community during their illness, but only for a median of four days. Among all participants, less than 1% isolated from household members for the entire recommended period, and just 5.5% isolated from the broader community for the full period.

RSV infections linked to higher rates of air sample positivity in hospitalized patients - A recent study in the Journal of Medical Virology compared hospitalized patients with influenza A (IAV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to measure the presence of viral RNA in air samples collected near hospitalized patients. Hospitalized patients in the Netherlands with positive nasopharyngeal swabs for RSV or IAV infection between December 18, 2024, and April 23, 2025, were included in the study. Thirty-nine of the patients had influenza, and 21 had RSV. Air samples taken 2 minutes apart, about 20 inches above and below the patients’ heads. Overall, 18 of 60 (30%) patients had at least one positive air sample. “Air samples were significantly more frequently positive in patients infected with RSV compared to those infected with IAV: 57% versus 15%, respectively,” the authors wrote. While the RSV patients produced more positive air samples, the authors caution this does not necessarily correlate to infectiousness. These viruses may have different airborne shedding patterns. “The higher air sample detection rate among patients infected with RSV as compared to those infected with IAV suggests that these viruses may have different airborne shedding patterns, although differences in infectious potential remain to be determined,” the authors concluded.

High-flying superbugs: Bouncy castles tied to MRSA skin infections - Any parent of a young child has likely spent time supervising ricocheting kids in an inflatable bouncy castle. But an outbreak report last week in Eurosurveillance might give them some second thoughts. The report describes an outbreak of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections involving 48 children ages 5 to 16 years, all but one of whom attended a party on a humid and intermittently rainy day in a suburb of Dublin that included inflatable play structures, including three bouncy castles. Of the 47 children who attended the party, all played in the bouncy castles, with 19 telling investigators they had spent more than four hours in them. One infected child who did not attend the party had close, sustained contact with a child who was at the party and had symptoms. All case-patients reported skin or other soft-tissue symptoms such as spots, pustules, and blisters, most commonly on their legs but also on their abdomens, hips or buttocks, and arms and hands. All sought medical attention, with four hospitalized. Whole-genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from 22 case-patients found that all belonged the same MRSA strain (ST22-MRSA-IV) and produced Pantone-Valentine leucocidin (PVL), a toxin that can make staph infections more severe. PVL-positive ST22-MRSA-IV has been linked to outbreaks in India, China, and Japan, but the strain has only been reported sporadically in Ireland, the study authors note. A novel outbreak The outbreak was contained through treatment, decolonization of household contacts, and communication with the company that provided the bouncy castles, which was advised that the equipment should not be reused until it was adequately cleaned and disinfected. An estimated two in every 100 people carry MRSA on their skin, and CA-MRSA outbreaks are typically associated with close physical contact and crowded settings. But the authors say there’s been no documentation of outbreaks linked to bouncy castles. “This is a novel mechanism for an outbreak of this size,” they wrote. “Public health practitioners should be aware of the risk of CA-MRSA outbreaks in contexts involving prolonged, close physical contact, such as play activities and contact sport.”

Study: Nearly 4% of publicly insured US kids with sepsis die, with some at higher risk  -Nearly 4% of publicly insured children with sepsis in the United States died within 30 days of hospitalization over a two-year period, with significant regional variation in death rates, according to a study published today in Pediatrics. Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection, triggering a chain of events that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. At least one in five adults with sepsis die during hospitalization. While timely recognition and treatment of sepsis is critical for patients of all ages, it’s particularly challenging in children, because there’s no single diagnostic marker, and symptoms often overlap with common, low-severity childhood illnesses. Since most children with community-acquired sepsis are initially treated in emergency departments (EDs) at community hospitals before being sent to regional referral centers, a team led by researchers with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine wanted to evaluate regional variations in pediatric sepsis outcomes to see if they could identify high- and low-performing regions. They focused on publicly insured children, because state Medicaid programs insure nearly half of US children, and Medicaid has been associated with both higher rates of chronic disease and higher odds of misdiagnosis for pediatric sepsis in EDs. “Because Medicaid is the most prevalent form of insurance in the United States, and because of the increased illness burden and likelihood of misdiagnosis, children with public insurance represent a critical population in which to evaluate sepsis incidence, regional variation, and longitudinal outcomes,” they wrote. Using Medicaid data covering 2021 to 2023 on children younger than 19 who were hospitalized with sepsis, the researchers identified 63,337 sepsis episodes, of which 40,524 were community-acquired. Overall, episodes occurred most frequently in boys (52.8%), Hispanic children (26.5%), and children aged 1 to 4 years (23.8%). Death within 30 days occurred in 1,562 (3.9%) of community-acquired sepsis episodes and was more common in children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) than those without (4.9% vs 1.3%). Cardiovascular, malignancy, metabolic, neuromuscular, and renal CCCs were all independently associated with death within 30 days. Rehospitalization occurred after 16.7% of hospitalizations. Regional standardized mortality rates ranged from 0.00% to 3.82%, with no clear geographic pattern; 14 regions had lower-than-expected mortality, and 12 regions had higher-than-expected mortality. Regions with a children’s hospital (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.76) and higher sepsis incidence (aOR, 0.91) were associated with lower death rates. Among the 14 low-mortality regions, 10 (71%) contained at least one children’s hospital. The authors note that the sepsis mortality observed in the cohort—2.31 deaths per 100,000 person-years—is comparable to the leading causes of childhood death in 2023, including firearms (5.72), malignancies (2.30), and poisonings (2.45). They say the regions that were high-mortality outliers may represent the best opportunity for targeted improvements in pediatric sepsis care.

Pennsylvania woman dies of measles complications, the state's third such fatality this year - A third person in Pennsylvania has reportedly died due to complications associated with measles. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said that a 40-year-old woman died on Saturday and that, out of respect for the privacy of the deceased and her family, it was providing no additional identifying information. "This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease," wrote Coroner Greg Furlong in a press release posted to Facebook. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time."  The coroner's office said it is currently working with the state health department on this case. The health department told CIDRAP News it is conducting its own review and will provide the public with updated information when it's available.Many people associate measles with childhood illness, but it can lead to severe complications in people of any age, said Jason Stiver, Jefferson County chief deputy coroner and public relations officer."While cases of severe illness remain uncommon, this tragedy highlights that measles should not be taken lightly," said Stiver. "Public health measures, early recognition of symptoms, and consultation with healthcare providers are important tools in protecting our community." The Washington Post reports the woman, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, was unvaccinated and had contact with another person with a lab-confirmed measles infection. With 676 measles cases reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the state has the most infections in the United States this year.  The outbreak's epicenter is Lancaster County, where 295 people have contracted the virus, according to the state health department. The more sparsely populated Jefferson County is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Lancaster and has reported just 26 measles cases this year.Pennsylvania's two other measles-related deaths were among Lancaster County infants, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to record those fatalities in national data.A spokesperson for the CDC told Bloomberg News that CDC Director Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, JD, is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized definition for a measles death.  “Until that work is complete," the spokesperson said, "CDC will report measles deaths if and when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause of death."Pennsylvania's health department offered limited information when it announced the first two fatalities, beyond that both were associated with measles and could have been prevented by vaccination. However, the Lancaster County coroner said that one of the deaths in question involved a stillborn baby who did not die from measles but from a lacerated spleen. To complicate matters, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alleged the babies' fatalities in Pennsylvania might even have been fabricated. The coroner's post-mortem assessment was questioned by infectious disease experts who noted that measles can cause inflammation of the spleen, leading it to rupture. Questions intensified after The Atlantic reported that a stillborn baby was delivered by a Lancaster County mother who had contracted a severe measles illness.  The Lancaster County coroner did confirm that a second baby, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called Amish lethal microcephaly, died after contracting measles. The coroner noted that children with this condition are especially vulnerable to respiratory illnesses

Fourth measles-associated death reported in Pennsylvania   - An 18-year-old has died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare and severe neurological complication of measles, according to the coroner in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. The death was seemingly confirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which disclosed that a resident of Mifflin County, as well as a resident of Jefferson County, recently died from measles-associated complications.  The Jefferson County death appears to be a 40-year-old woman who died on September 12, according to the county coroner.Pennsylvania's health department says laws that county coroners are not subject to prevent the state from releasing additional information. But the department did say both people were unvaccinated. The passing of these individuals marks the third and fourth measles-associated deaths reported in Pennsylvania this year. In August, the state health department said two residents of Lancaster County died because of measles-associated complications. Those deaths both involved unvaccinated infants.Pennsylvania's official measles case count is 693, the highest in the United States in 2026. Seventeen new cases have been added since last week.To determine the cause of death, the health department said it conducted rigorous investigations with cooperation from the Jefferson and Mifflin County coroners' offices, which included a positive laboratory test to confirm a measles infection as well as clinical evidence that the death was due to measles and not another unrelated cause. It said that additional factors, such as whether the individual was exposed to measles prior to their death and supporting medical records, were also considered.Infectious disease (ID) physicians agree that the true number of measles infections in Pennsylvania is likely far higher than the reported tally, as one to three of every 1,000 children who become infected will die from respiratory and neurologic complications. "We've known that, anecdotally, just from hearing that there are many people that are sick [and] that aren't getting tested," Amesh Adalja, MD, a Pittsburgh-based ID physician and senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told CIDRAP News.  Historically, measles has spiked during the winter and spring, said Paul Offit, MD, a nationally recognized ID expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Offit told CIDRAP News that he's dreading the level of illness and death from the measles that will occur later this year, especially because of the large number of unvaccinated children who are back in school. "I think we're going to see more children suffering, more children being hospitalized, and more children dying of this disease,” he said.While Offit believes Bogen is doing everything she can in Pennsylvania, he sees US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal officials as either downplaying the crisis or absent in their leadership. "It's like the world has turned upside down," he said.These measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania are not bad luck, but the result of people choosing not to vaccinate, said Adalja, who noted that people weren't dying from measles when the nation's vaccination rate was higher.Prior to 2025, when three measles-related deaths were linked to an outbreak in Texas, the last reported measles death in the United States was in 2015. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but the country is likely to officially lose that status later this year.

CDC adds 177 cases to US measles total but has yet to confirm deaths in Pennsylvania -With 177 new cases added today, the US measles count has climbed to 3,471, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its weekly update has yet to acknowledge any of the four measles-related deaths recently reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), two in babies and two involving adults.Last year, the CDC confirmed that three people, including two children, died of measles. But this year, the agency has taken the unusual step of saying measles deaths must be confirmed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Some say this approach adds confusion, as NCHS data are typically used to assess long-term disease and death trends, not to confirm new cases and deaths. It has also introduced a substantial delay in confirming the deaths in Pennsylvania.Today’s increase marks the sixth straight week of triple-digit increases in cases.The CDC today noted 39 outbreaks, one more than last week. Last year saw 48 measles outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases. Total cases for all of 2025 reached 2,289, which was the most since 1991 until the country surpassed that level in July. The 2026 total is already 52% higher than the 2025 total, with more than three months left in the year.All but 17 of this year’s cases have been locally acquired, with the rest tied to international travel. Cases have been confirmed in 45 states plus New York City and Washington, DC.Of the 2026 cases, 18% involve children younger than 5 years, and 62% involve kids and teens. Nine percent of patients have been hospitalized, a percent that has been rising—from 8% last week—compared with 11% in 2025. Among all measles patients, 95% are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. To put this year’s rapidly growing numbers in context, just two years ago (2024), cases for the year reached 285. In 2023, the number of US infections topped off at 59—far lower than the nation’s current weekly growth, or even Pennsylvania’s weekly growth (see next section).That means that this year’s numbers represent a 58-times-higher figure compared with less than three years ago (see the CDC graph at the end of the story). And, again, we have months of measles escalation left in 2026.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo grows to 7,200 cases as government officials suggest transmission has peaked   - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has hit another milestone, with 7,200 cases confirmed by the government today and spread of the virus to a seventh province, South Ubangi, late last week.Of the confirmed cases, nearly half, or 3,475 people, have died from their infections with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Contact-tracing rates hover around 88%, still too low for transmission control. On Saturday, DRC Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya wrote on X that there were signs the outbreak was slowing. “The peak has been reached since the beginning of the third week of the month of August. Ten out of 61 health zones have not recorded any cases for at least 21 days. The main hotspots such as Nia Nia, Nizi, and Mongbwalu, are recording a continuous slowdown in transmission.”

UN says it’s too early to say Ebola in DR Congo has peaked   -On social media posts in the past 24 hours, some government officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have said there are signs the nation’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak has peaked and transmission is slowing, but United Nations (UN) officials urge caution in expressing optimism just yet.Daily fatalities linked to the Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has fallen from a peak of around 50 deaths per day to nearly 30 currently, said the Minister of Public Health, Roger Kamba, in a video posted X.“The daily number of new infections is also declining: we have gone from about 120 cases per day at the epidemic's peak to nearly 80 today. For me, these figures represent a positive signal. They show that the efforts deployed on the ground are producing results and that our response strategy is beginning to bend the transmission curve,” said Kamba, who also noted 10 of the 62 affected health zones have recorded no new cases for more than 22 days.The United Nations (UN) however, is more cautious in its assessment of the outbreak, which officially began on May 15 but likely started weeks earlier in the area around Bunia, DRC. So far there have been 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces.Officials from both the UN and World Health Organization, which is a UN agency, told reporters today it’s too early to determine if transmission has peaked or had a meaningful slowdown."It remains a deadly and a massive epidemic. There ‌are some areas of progress, but nonetheless, in other areas, we continue to see growth in cases," Julien Harneis, MBA, the UN special Ebola coordinator, said at a Geneva press briefing, according to Reuters. "It's too early to confidently say we have passed a peak."While cases have dropped off in Ituri province, transmission in North Kivu is still happening at an alarming pace, with most new cases still occurring outside of known transmission chains.The current outbreak is the largest in the DRC’s history, and second in size only to the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 through 2016. Research published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says the first 100 days in DRC show an outbreak that’s expanding faster than any previously documented Ebola outbreak.In the first 100 days after initial detection, there were seven times more Ebola cases in the DRC than in the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.During the outbreak’s first 100 days (May 14 to August 21, 2026), 5,458 confirmed cases and 2,606 deaths (48% case-fatality rate [CFR]) were reported across 57 of DRC’s 519 health zones, compared to 759 suspected, probable, or confirmed cases and 467 deaths (62% CFR) reported from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2014. “This outbreak is occurring in areas affected by a protracted complex humanitarian emergency, including ongoing conflict involving armed groups, limited health care and other basic infrastructure, attacks on health workers, and community mistrust,” said the report, written by scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Quick takes: DR Congo Ebola emergency, malaria deaths in Germany, 7 new polio cases | CIDRAP

• An independent review by an African advisory group has concluded that although declines in Ebola cases and deaths in some hot spots in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are encouraging, the data do not yet confirm that the outbreak has peaked. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Emergency Consultative Group recommended that the Public Health Emergency of Continental Security continue and called for intensification of the response to address persistent community deaths and gaps in contact tracing, among other actions. Four months into the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, cases now total 7,475, including 3,605 deaths.
• Public health officials in Frankfurt, Germany, have reported a third malaria death tied to the city’s airport. In total, eight people—six of them airport workers—have been diagnosed as having the mosquito-borne illness since early July, and three have died. The third death was in one of two people who recently became ill; neither had traveled and didn’t work at the airport but lived nearby, the Frankfurt am Main Institute for Infectious Diseases announced yesterday. Airport malaria typically results from the arrival of an airplane carrying Anopheles mosquitoes from an endemic area, officials said.
• Today, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative reported two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Afghanistan, one WPV1 infection in Pakistan, two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC, and one cVDPV2 infection each in Mali and Nigeria.

Quick takes: Cautious optimism on Ebola, rare New World screwworm in a horse, HIV alert in Fiji | CIDRAP

• Yesterday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said, "We are now starting to see encouraging signs that we are gaining ground,” in the ongoing fight against the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He explained that his optimism was cautiously rooted in the absence of new cases in South Kivu since May and a slowdown in cases in Ituri province. The epicenter remains North Kivu, where cases are “rising fast,” Tedros said. In the past two weeks, weekly case counts have doubled in North Kivu, from 100 to 200 per week. Tedros warned that North Kivu is an area of very high population mobility and said much more work is needed to be done before the outbreak is contained.
• For the first time in more than 60 years, New World screwworm has been detected in a ranch horse in Texas, according to an update yesterday from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The case was detected last week in Presidio County. The parasite was found on the hind limb of the animal. So far this year, the parasitic fly has been detected in 49 animals in Texas and New Mexico.
• The archipelago nation of Fiji has declared an emergency now that one in 60 adults has HIV. The outbreak was first announced in January 2025, when the country had 2,016 new diagnoses of HIV. Last year, 59 babies were born with HIV acquired from their mothers. The emergency was declared because only 39% of people with HIV in Fiji know they are infected, officials said. The crisis is fueled in part by intravenous drug use and heavy drug trafficking on the islands.

Jalapeño recall: FDA issues strongest warning across 27 states - Federal regulators on September 15 placed 23 Taylor Fresh Foods products containing recalled jalapeños in Class I, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s most serious recall category, over possible salmonella contamination. The recall covers 223,056 units, according to a Newsweek calculation of quantities listed in FDA enforcement records. Affected items include fresh jalapeños, guacamole, salsa, dips, a sandwich, a shrimp salad and large food-service containers distributed across 27 states, one more than the 26 states named in the company’s original recall announcement because North Carolina appears in the enforcement records but not in the announcement. According to FDA enforcement records, the recalled products were distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. All 23 FDA records identify Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. (operating as Taylor Farms) as the recalling firm, although some products were distributed or sold under other major businesses’ names. A Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson told Newsweek that it invests in food safety and that “each of our products can be traced back to its original source, including grower, ranch, lot, harvest date and time. This allows us to quickly isolate, identify, and address any food safety concerns if they arise.” The spokesperson added that Taylor Farms was also a co-founder and funder of the Center for Produce Safety, and that they “support and adhere to the high food safety standards set by the Food Traceability Rule, having implemented traceback protocols across our operations ahead of the compliance deadline.” The classification sharpens an ongoing consumer warning tied to a Salmonella outbreak that had caused 431 illnesses and 57 hospitalizations across 32 states as of August 21, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shoppers should check refrigerated dips, salsas, prepared meals and bulk food-service containers sold through several major retailers, then discard or return affected items. Hover over a state on the map below to see its reported range of illnesses linked to the jalapeño salmonella outbreak. The map shows where patients lived, not necessarily where exposure occurred.

Feds fight rabies amid concerning rise in animal cases, human exposures -As the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of a nationwide increase in animal rabies cases and human exposures, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is about to conduct its annual airdrop of millions of fishmeal-coated sachets of rabies vaccine over the Southeast to immunize wildlife against the deadly disease.  Last week, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory after observing a 17% increase in questions about human exposures to rabid or possibly rabid animals in July and August over the same period in 2025. “During this time frame, CDC also received reports from at least eight state health departments of increased rabies PEP [post-exposure prophylaxis] use, PEP administration errors, or both,” the CDC said. PEP consists of administration of two human rabies immunoglobulin (antibody) doses and a four-dose vaccine series. Each course costs up to $14,000.“According to weekly pharmacy data as of September 2, 2026, utilization for the two rabies vaccines and the two rabies immunoglobulins licensed in the United States has increased by an estimated 33% and 76%, respectively, compared with the same time period last year,” it added.As part of an ongoing program, the USDA is distributing oral rabies vaccine sachets via airplane, helicopter, and motor vehicle over parts of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia in October to counter the spread of raccoon rabies. Raccoons are the main rabies transmitter in the region. Each year, the USDA distributes about 6.5 million vaccine sachets in targeted areas. The distribution has been successful in targeting canine rabies in coyotes and a variant of the disease in gray foxes. Officials said they plan to move the raccoon vaccine distribution area east as rabies is eliminated locally and regionally.Each year from 2016 to 2025, Minnesota tests more than 21,000 animals for rabies, with only small fractions testing positive, except for skunks, about half of which either test positive or are untestable. Yesterday, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed that a cow in Brown County tested positive for rabies last week, leading to the quarantine of 13 cows and PEP recommendations for nine people.The heifer’s owner noticed the cow lying flat with its head down, the board said in a news release. After a vet visited that same day, the owner gave the animal oral medication with bare hands.  The next day, another vet visited and also administered the oral drug without wearing gloves. A day later, a third vet euthanized the cow after observing that the animal had uncoordinated hind legs and a high fever and was high-stepping, vocalizing, and salivating excessively.  In addition to the quarantine of 13 cows, two unvaccinated barn cats with likely exposure were euthanized, and more than 40 cattle, a vaccinated horse, and three unvaccinated dogs are under observation.“Less than 15% of rabid animal cases reported annually in Minnesota occur in domestic species; the most common being cattle, cats, and dogs,” the release said, noting that rabies vaccines are available for cats, dogs, ferrets, cattle, horses, and sheep. “Skunks and bats are the natural carriers of rabies in Minnesota.”Given the severity of rabies, the board urged the use of personal protective equipment such as gloves and eye protection when interacting with animals that could have rabies.

Mosquito 'toilet' detects West Nile and first Hedwig-like virus found in the Americas --When public health researchers want to know whether diseases such as COVID-19 or polio are circulating in a community, they can look for genetic evidence in wastewater. Entomologist Dana Price wondered whether the same principle could be applied to mosquitoes. The question led to an unconventional experiment. "What we did, colloquially, was build a mosquito toilet," said Price, an associate professor at the Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and a lead author of a study published in Microbiology Spectrum. The device, Price said, is deceptively simple: a 3D-printed funnel coated with a superhydrophobic (water-repelling) material that causes liquid to bead up and slide into a collection tube. The tiny traces of mosquito waste it captured revealed a hidden world. By sequencing genetic material in mosquito excrement, Price recovered a complete West Nile virus genome, found the first known evidence of a Hedwig-like virus in the Americas and detected several viruses that may be new to science. The approach also identified parasites and confirmed the mosquito species that deposited the waste droplets. Findings from the study suggest mosquito waste could become a powerful surveillance tool, allowing scientists to search broadly for familiar pathogens as well as threats they don't yet know exist, Price said. Mosquito surveillance historically involves collecting large numbers of insects, sorting them by species, combining them into pools and grinding them up for laboratory testing. The labor-intensive process requires scientists to preserve the insects carefully so their genetic material doesn't degrade. During an outbreak, those steps can delay information needed to direct mosquito-control efforts. Conventional tests also target specific pathogens, so researchers must know what they are looking for. Mosquitoes excrete small amounts of liquid containing genetic traces of viruses and other organisms. Because the waste contains far less mosquito tissue, and therefore less mosquito DNA, than a crushed insect, the scientists reasoned that viral material might be easier to find. The researchers collected two groups of 50 wild Culex mosquitoes from a yard in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 2021 and 2022. They placed each group in a screened container over the funnel and fed them a sugar solution. The mosquitoes produced drops of waste, which slid into a tube. The scientists used shotgun metagenomic sequencing, which sequences all genetic material present in a mixed sample. Computers then assembled the millions of fragments generated and compared them with known sequences in scientific databases. The 2022 sample contained a complete, high-quality genome of West Nile virus, which can cause serious neurological illness in people. The researchers identified the virus as belonging to the NY07 genetic variant previously found in the region. Such detail eventually could help scientists track how genetic variants of a virus emerge, spread and change. "What came out was an entire viral genome," Price said. "Rather than just positive or negative, we have genetic data." The researchers were even more intrigued by evidence of a Hedwig-like virus, which hadn't previously been reported in the Americas. Hedwig virus was first identified in Europe in snowy owl tissue, prompting scientists to name it after Harry Potter's famous white owl. Some of the infected birds also had West Nile virus. Scientists don't know whether Hedwig-like viruses make birds sick, facilitate West Nile infections or simply coexist with other viruses. The Rutgers finding doesn't establish that the virus is a threat, Price said. It shows that it has been circulating where no one knew to search for it. "We didn't even look for it specifically," Price said. "We just looked for everything, and we found Hedwig in there." He is currently working with officials at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife to screen organ and tissue samples for the virus. The samples are collected from deceased birds during a postmortem examination. A virus found for the first time in a region may have recently arrived or may have gone unnoticed for years. Because few broad mosquito-virus studies have been conducted in North America, organisms that seem geographically restricted may prove widespread. "The more data we generate, the more we start to wonder if everything is everywhere," Price said. "Although we don't yet know how much of everything is everywhere, it may be a lot more than we realize."

Researchers identify rubber-related chemicals in Swiss milk - Every year, tire and road wear release an estimated 6 million tons of rubber particles into the environment, some of which eventually reach agricultural land through the air, water runoff and fertilizers. Because dairy farms often operate near roads, rubber-related chemicals can make their way into milk, potentially exposing people to them.  To investigate whether these compounds are present in Swiss dairy production, a team from EPFL led by Florian Breider, director of the EPFL Central Environmental Laboratory, collaborated with Agroscope. The researchers analyzed the composition of milk samples from 17 Swiss farms. The analysis revealed four rubber-related chemicals in raw milk, and at least one of these compounds was present in seven of the 17 samples analyzed. In contrast, none of the target compounds were detected in the three samples collected from alpine farms located far from busy roads. However, the sample size was too small to establish a clear relationship between contaminant concentrations and road traffic near the farms. More surprising was the discovery that dairy equipment itself may contribute to contamination. Analysis of hoses, seals and other rubber components used in milk production revealed 14 rubber-related chemicals. "What is surprising is that these compounds come from materials legally authorized to be in contact with food," Breider says. The results, published in Food Chemistry X, show that although the concentrations found were generally low, researchers need to better understand the pathways these chemicals follow before reaching milk and assess any potential public health risks. "This work was a preliminary study, and we need to evaluate the actual risks associated with these findings," Breider says. During collection and processing, milk passes through equipment whose components are made of rubber-based materials that contain additives. These additives make the materials more flexible, resistant to heat and wear, and better able to withstand repeated use. However, over time, these rubbers and additives may gradually release small amounts of the chemicals they contain, a process known as migration. This represents a potential pathway through which rubber-related chemicals could enter the food supply. Researchers analyzed the composition of different rubber-based materials and dairy equipment at farms where the materials already showed some level of degradation. Among the 14 compounds detected in the materials analyzed, researchers found a compound called 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), known to be harmful to certain fish species. This molecule is not intentionally added to tires or other rubber products. Instead, it forms over time after the oxidation of rubber additives as materials age. The findings suggest that the design and composition of some materials used in food production may require closer examination to avoid contamination of dairy products. According to Breider, "Before regulating, we should conduct more studies to evaluate to what extent this also affects other industries." While the implications for human health remain unknown, the findings point to the need for further research into how rubber-related chemicals enter food production systems and whether long-term dietary exposure poses any risks. The work also raises broader questions about the materials used throughout modern food supply chains. Researchers now aim to obtain a more detailed picture by monitoring how the concentrations of these chemical compounds change from season to season and conducting migration studies under realistic milking conditions. Targeted risk assessments would help researchers understand the precise origins of the rubber-related compounds and support the development of safer materials for food-contact applications.

Avian flu detected in Minnesota turkeys, US waterfowl | CIDRAP - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) noted three major H5N1 avian flu outbreaks at Minnesota facilities this past week. Two commercial turkey operations in Big Stone County and Becker County had 55,700 and 44,400 birds affected, respectively. A commercial poultry breeder facility in Otter Tail County also reported an outbreak hitting 18,000 birds. In the past 30 days, 16 confirmed flocks have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, including 10 commercial flocks and six backyard flocks. Roughly 400,000 birds have been affected.In other APHIS news, wild bird detections have increased this month, with almost 30 detections in Kootenai County, Indiana, and 20 detections in Webber County, Utah. Other states have also noted a smaller number of cases.All recent wild bird detections are in mallards or other waterfowl.

An Ohio plant takes 190000 tons of unwanted food a year instead of sending it to landfill - Every day, truckloads of spoiled produce, expired snacks, and leftover brewery byproducts arrive at a facility in St. Bernard, Ohio, a small village enclave surrounded by Cincinnati. None of it goes to a landfill. It goes into sealed tanks where bacteria break it down and make gas that can be pumped straight into the natural gas pipeline. The facility, built and operated by Synthica Energy, is designed to take in 190,000 tons of food-derived material every year and turn it into roughly 250,000 MMBtu of pipeline-quality renewable natural gas, according to Synthica Energy.  Most people don't think twice about throwing away spoiled food. Once in the landfill, it starts to break down anaerobically and release methane, which is much more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The EPA has found that food waste accounts for 24 percent of total U.S. landfill disposal and 58 percent of total fugitive methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. This is significant because landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. Places like St. Bernard exist to ensure waste does not go directly into the landfill cell. Inside the tanks where food waste becomes fuel The process is called anaerobic digestion. It is not new science, per se; it is just being applied on a larger scale here. Organic matter is dumped into oxygen-free tanks, where microbes decompose it and produce biogas as a byproduct. According to the US Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center, the raw biogas, a mix of roughly 50 to 60 percent methane and 40 to 50 percent carbon dioxide, along with trace impurities, has to have that carbon dioxide, along with moisture and trace hydrogen sulfide, stripped out before it can go anywhere near a gas pipeline. The resulting gas is chemically nearly identical to the natural gas currently flowing through America's gas lines, which is why it can be pumped straight into existing infrastructure without requiring a separate distribution system.

Trump rolls back hunting and fishing restrictions - President Trump hosted more than 100 hunters, anglers and outdoor industry officials for a dinner in the Rose Garden on Thursday to announce executive orders rolling back certain hunting and fishing restrictions. “We believe that public lands belong to the American people and to the public, and hunters, fishers, and outdoorsmen should be able to access them,” Trump said. One order mandates that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expand the amount of federal land available to hunters and fishers, which builds on the administration’s order in August that opened up more than 92 million acres of federal land across 32 states. Burgum attended the dinner but did not deliver remarks. Trump also touted that his latest order rolled back Biden-era rules prohibiting the use of traditional lead ammunition and tackle. “Lead ammunition was a problem, huh? Is it better than other ammunition? I assume, huh? That’s pretty good,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell that means, but I know one thing: You wanted it. You wanted it, and I’m here for you.” The second order modernizes federal fishery management and loosens restrictions on American boaters and anglers, expanding fishing seasons and quotas. The president also reflected on his 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, which provided billions of dollars to address a maintenance backlog at national parks and provided millions for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He said a “2.0” of that legislation would be coming in the “very near future.”

Bubbles the food-stealing dolphin finds shortcut to easy meal - A dolphin that harasses fish until they regurgitate their food—then swoops in to steal it—has astonished University of the Sunshine Coast researchers who have documented this novel feeding strategy. In findings published in Ecology and Evolution, co-authors Dr. Asia Haines and UniSC Ph.D. student Romney Edwards-Francis say the behavior of the common bottlenose dolphin, nicknamed Bubbles, represents the first detailed description of kleptoparasitism in a cetacean anywhere in the world. Haines said that while kleptoparasitism was a common feeding strategy used by many animals to steal food caught or collected by another, it was usually opportunistic and had rarely been documented in aquatic species, particularly marine mammals. Between 2021 and 2025, researchers observed and videotaped Bubbles' kleptoparasitic behavior 11 times in shallow reefs off Lady Elliot Island, in the southern Great Barrier Reef. In every instance, he harassed a school of bigeye trevally, selecting an individual fish and chasing it until it regurgitated its food. He'd then feasted on the expelled remains as the trevally swam away. Food-stealing dolphin finds a surprising shortcut to an easy meal. Credit: UniSC: University of the Sunshine Coast "We observed him repeating this behavior over several years, which suggests he may have learned to target the fish with the fullest bellies, providing the most rewarding meals," Haines said. The researchers say Bubbles appears to take advantage of the fish's stress response to being chased and hypothesize he may also use intense, repeated clicking and low-pitched vocalizations to heighten their stress levels. Edwards-Francis said the research team believed Bubbles' thieving tendencies might help him avoid the energy cost of catching his own food by letting other animals do the hard work for him. "Common bottlenose dolphins tend to forage in groups, yet Bubbles was always observed foraging alone. It may be that this specialized tactic requires less energy than directly pursuing fast-moving prey, particularly when foraging solo," she said. So, is this just one rogue dolphin who has found a shortcut to getting an easy meal—or is the behavior more common than realized? "His behavior does demonstrate the species' adaptability and flexibility when it comes to foraging," Edwards-Francis said. "We also suspect that rare or novel foraging tactics such as kleptoparasitism are likely underreported in dolphins or other cetaceans. "The challenge is monitoring the animals underwater over longer time periods to capture their full range of behaviors. Combining emerging technologies such as drones with underwater surveys may provide a way to overcome this."

Planting trees in the wrong places is not a climate solution - A recent United Nations report has stated that the world will likely overshoot the 1.5°C target set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement by 2030. Tree planting has become one of the most appealing symbols of climate action. It can be easily accounted for, is visible and easy to communicate: More trees mean more carbon being absorbed and a cooler planet. Everyone gets the point. Global initiatives now promise restoration on a vast scale, including the Bonn Challenge goal of restoring 350 million hectares (865 million acres) of degraded and deforested land by 2030. But a tree is not automatically a climate solution, and land without dense tree cover is not necessarily degraded. When tree planting targets natural grasslands, shrublands and savannas, well-meaning efforts can replace one ecosystem with another, reduce water availability and threaten livelihoods. In 2007, the African Union launched the Great Green Wall Initiative, a plan to stop the southern expansion of the Sahara Desert by planting trees and restoring landscapes across 22 countries from Senegal to Djibouti. Yet, almost 20 years later, the initiative has had mixed results.What truly works is simple: Plant trees for restoration in the right ecosystems. Drylands, including grasslands, shrublands and savannas, are often characterized by what they seem to lack: water, dense vegetation or agricultural potential. Yet they cover about 40% of Earth's surface, support billions of people and play an important role in the year-to-year variability of the global carbon cycle—changes in the carbon absorbed and released from one year to the next.Dryland ecosystems have evolved around low and highly variable rainfall, recurrent drought and disturbance. Native grasses, shrubs, scattered trees and biological soil crusts are not signs of an ecosystem needing restoration. They are parts of a functioning biome.That distinction matters because global restoration targets can identify these naturally open ecosystems as candidates for tree cover. Ecologists have warned that planting trees in old-growth grasslands and savannas can damage biodiversity and ecosystems rather than restore them. Planting trees may result in more woody cover, but the landscape itself may experience ecological and biodiversity loss.  Why tree planting in drylands can backfire: First, trees use water. In some locations, appropriate native trees can provide shade, habitats, food and carbon storage. The problem is large-scale reforestation that ignores the water balance.Planting ill-suited trees in water-limited ecosystems can substantially reduce the volume of water flowing through rivers or streams and create a trade-off between carbon storage and water supply. The trade-off can affect groundwater levels, downstream ecosystems, farming and household water security.Second, carbon is not the only component to bear in mind. Open vegetation and light-colored soils often reflect more sunlight than a dark tree canopy. Converting them to forest lowers an area's albedo—a measure of how much sunlight a surface reflects—and increases how much solar energy is absorbed. Research shows that albedo change can offset a substantial share of the climate benefits expected from additional tree cover, with especially important consequences in some drylands. Counting tonnes of carbon while ignoring this biophysical effect can exaggerate the benefit of tree planting.Farmer-managed natural regeneration can protect and manage native trees and shrubs that resprout from existing roots, stumps or seeds. In Niger, farmers' regeneration of white acacia—a thorny tree native to parts of Africa and West Asia—and other useful species helped regreen approximately five million hectares (12 million acres) without relying on mass seedling campaigns. Because farmers select and manage the regrowth, the approach can be adapted to crops, livestock and locally valued species. In Burkina Faso, farmers have also revived and improved zaï, which entails planting pits that collect runoff and concentrate manure or compost around crops. Research on soil and water conservation shows how zaï and related practices can rehabilitate degraded land and improve production under difficult rainfall conditions. Here, restoration is not defined as making the landscape look like a forest. It is defined by recovering soil function, vegetation and livelihoods.Other places may require protecting native grass cover, managing grazing pressure, restoring seasonal mobility, controlling invasive species, conserving biological soil crusts or assisting the recovery of locally appropriate shrubs and trees. No single technique works for all; you just need to do what works for your situation. That is precisely the point. Focus on restoring ecosystems, not planting trees.Tree planting can be valuable in deforested ecosystems and where locally appropriate species, water availability, land tenure and long-term ownership align. Growing trees alongside agricultural crops or livestock and allowing plants to naturally regenerate can also be effective on dryland farms. The mistake is turning those successes into a universal rule that equates more trees with a better climate.Governments and donors should ask whether a project restores the natural ecosystem, protects water and retains native biodiversity before campaigning for tree planting.Drylands are not failed landscapes. They are distinctive ecosystems that store carbon, sustain biodiversity and support people. We must not force forests where they do not belong and need to start valuing the life already adapted to thrive there.

Cleveland City Council votes to rename part of Lake Erie the 'Gulf of Cleveland'   -The Cleveland, Ohio, City Council on Monday voted to rename a portion of Lake Erie as the “Gulf of Cleveland,” taking a jab at President Trump’s executive order declaring that Lake Ontario be called the “Gulf of America.” The emergency resolution led by Councilmember Kris Harsh passed in a 13-1 vote and was intended to take effect immediately. The resolution is not legally binding.Harsh’s speech to attendees ahead of the vote referred to Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario, as well as ordering the Gulf of Mexico be called “the Gulf of America” last year, and his recent suggestion of calling New Mexico “New America” after a viral social media post falsely claimed he signed such an executive order.The resolution applies to the 2-mile stretch of water from the city shoreline, from its eastern to its western borders. It additionally requires the city clerk to notify Apple and other national mapping companies about this new name.“President Trump’s orders to assign new names without reference to history, tradition, and other acts of Congress have opened the door for United States officials to rename other geography,” Harsh said. “Thanks to him, this is a man who clearly isn’t afraid to say what no one is thinking.” Harsh added that Trump’s moves made him “emboldened” to rename Cleveland’s neighboring Great Lake. He held up a map during his speech that showed “Gulf of Cleveland” written over the portion of the lake closest to the city.Harsh also speculated on any pushback to the renaming before replying to that hypothetical pushback with “Who cares?”“Listen to me very carefully and jot this down: Words don’t matter,” he added, later mocking Trump’s style of ending Truth Social posts by saying at the end of his own speech: “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”Trump’s orders to rename Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico were quickly integrated into Google’s and Apple’s online maps and visible to users in the U.S. International users saw both names, while Canadian and Mexican users, respectively, saw the commonly used names of both bodies of water on the platforms. It also prompted MapQuest downloads to soar, as the company left the names of both bodies of water unchanged.  Google’s change applied to the Gulf of Mexico led the U.S.’s southern neighbor to sue the tech giant in May 2025. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had warned months earlier that changing the Gulf’s name violated her country’s sovereignty. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford pushed back on Trump’s order earlier this month, as the move came on the heels of the trade war between the two countries. Ford said the move resembled “something out of ‘Saturday Night Live.'”  The Seneca Nation also called on Trump to reverse the order, stating that it violated the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, which established the nation’s territorial borders.

Palos Fire destroys 2 homes, damages 2 outbuildings and injures 2 in La Habra Heights, California - (slide show) The Palos Fire burned approximately 7 ha (17 acres) in La Habra Heights, Los Angeles County, on September 14, 2026, destroying two homes, damaging two outbuildings and injuring one civilian and one firefighter. Firefighters stopped the fire’s forward progress, containment reached 41%, and evacuation warnings were later lifted. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said its crews responded at 14:25 LT (21:25 UTC) to a mutual-aid request from the La Habra Heights Fire Department for the fire near Las Palomas Drive in the City of La Habra Heights. An aerial assessment placed the fire at approximately 5 ha (12 acres) at 15:19 LT (22:19 UTC), when several structures were reported to be affected. By 17:25 LT on September 14 (00:25 UTC on September 15), firefighters had stopped the fire’s forward progress. Its estimated size was initially placed at around 8 ha (20 acres) before more accurate mapping reduced the figure to about 7 ha (17 acres). CAL FIRE reported the revised acreage and 41% containment at 17:53 LT (00:53 UTC on September 15). Its incident page was last updated at 17:56 LT (00:56 UTC). The Los Angeles County Fire Department classified the structural impact as two homes destroyed and two outbuildings damaged. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said the civilian and firefighter sustained minor injuries and were transported to local hospitals for further evaluation. Katon told the Los Angeles Times that both were expected to recover fully. No fatalities were reported. Evacuation warnings were issued for zones LAC-E613-B, LAC-E615-B, LAC-E618-B and LHH-772-A as the fire threatened hillside neighborhoods. Los Angeles County authorities lifted the warnings at 17:45 LT on September 14 (00:45 UTC on September 15). Residents were advised to remain alert and keep windows and doors closed because of nearby smoke. Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights was opened as an evacuation shelter while the warnings were in effect. The Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed ground crews and water-dropping helicopters. Fire officials told the Los Angeles Times that approximately 250 personnel and 76 units were assigned to the incident. Steep terrain and narrow hillside roads complicated access, while crews focused on containing the canyon fire and protecting homes along the adjoining ridgeline. Firefighters also rescued five horses from properties threatened by the fire.

Heat Advisories span 12 states from Texas to Indiana, heat index up to 46°C (114°F) forecast - Heat Advisories issued by 16 National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices cover portions of 12 U.S. states from September 14 through September 16, 2026, with heat index values forecast to reach 46°C (114°F) in southern Texas. The advisories extend from Texas and Oklahoma through the Lower Mississippi Valley and Mid-South into Indiana and Kentucky. NWS Heat Advisories cover portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Maximum forecast heat indices range from 41°C (105°F) to 46°C (114°F), with the highest values in products issued by the Brownsville and Corpus Christi offices in South Texas. While some advisories cover September 14 only, others remain in effect through September 15, and the latest Louisville and Paducah advisories continue until 20:00 LT / 19:00 LT on September 16. The NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) said an upper-level ridge will shift from the Southeast toward the central United States during the week, supporting continued hazardous heat over the Southern Plains. NWS Paducah said a strong 500 hPa ridge is expected to expand from the southern Plains into the Mid-South, contributing to a late-season period of high temperatures and elevated humidity. The advisories identify heat-related illness as the primary public-safety concern. Common precautions include staying hydrated, using air-conditioned spaces, and reducing strenuous outdoor activity, while the Tulsa office specifically identifies greater risk among people not acclimated to the heat and those performing strenuous work.

76 dead, 13 unaccounted for after MV June Aster ferry fire off Coron, Philippines - 3 Youtube videos - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received a report of a fire aboard the passenger roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, at about 18:45 LT (10:45 UTC) on September 9, 2026. As of September 13, authorities had confirmed 76 fatalities and 43 survivors, while 13 people remained unaccounted for. Recovery aboard the ferry and forensic identification operations ashore were continuing. The ferry’s ticket manifest originally listed 134 people. Two listed passengers subsequently confirmed that they had not boarded, reducing the number determined to have been aboard to 132. PCG reported 43 survivors, 76 confirmed fatalities and 13 people unaccounted for. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) separately listed 12 people as missing and said the reported location of one additional survivor had not been verified, accounting for the same outstanding total. Authorities said the figures could change as recovery, identification and manifest-verification work continued. MV June Aster was nearing Coron after sailing from Manila when PCG received the fire report. Initial Coast Guard information placed the vessel approximately 2 km (1 mile) northeast of Barangay Marcilla, Coron. PCG said a rescue boat was deployed within five minutes. Government vessels, nearby ships, local responders and fishers subsequently joined the operation. Thick smoke and extreme heat restricted access to the vessel for nearly 40 hours. PCG declared the fire extinguished at approximately 10:15 LT (02:15 UTC) on September 11 and began assessing whether responders could safely enter. Burned remains were found in the economy accommodation area during the assessment. Five fatalities had previously been confirmed, and the recovery of 30 additional remains increased the toll to 35. Recovery teams retrieved another 41 remains on September 12, raising the confirmed death toll to 76. Youtube video Flooded lower sections and the engine room had not been fully searched by September 13. Officials said additional remains could be found and that investigators were also seeking evidence that could help determine how the fire began. The Philippine National Police began collecting and comparing DNA samples to identify the recovered remains. Forensic specialist Richard Allan Mangalip said many were badly burned and that the volume of specimens prevented authorities from establishing a firm timetable. Officials said the identification process could take weeks or months. Investigators had not determined where or how the fire began as of September 13. MARINA said survivors reported hearing two explosions inside the vessel shortly before the fire. Separately, PCG said a surviving crew member initially reported seeing a small fire in the cargo hold before it spread rapidly. PCG activated its Maritime Safety Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation units to determine the cause and establish possible liabilities. Investigators were examining whether alarms and instructions were given, whether evacuation procedures were followed and how crew members assisted passengers. Initial survivor accounts suggested that an alarm might not have sounded, but PCG said the reports still required verification. Authorities were also examining a tarpaulin reportedly lowered over part of the ferry because of rain. PCG had not established whether the covering obstructed passengers or contributed to anyone becoming trapped. PCG and MARINA were seeking the vessel’s captain for questioning as of September 13. His name did not appear on the official list of 43 survivors, although a shipping-company representative provided preliminary information that he had accompanied surviving crew members to the Barangay Turda covered court after the incident. Authorities had not independently verified the captain’s whereabouts.

Deadly Langtang rock-ice avalanche in Nepal followed decades of glacier retreat and exceptional high-altitude heat - Youtube video - Glaciers in Nepal’s Langtang Catchment lost about 41.5% of their area from the Little Ice Age to 2023, while warming above 4 000 m (13 120 feet) reached about 0.3°C (0.54°F) per decade from 1964–2023, according to peer-reviewed research (Silwal et al., 2026). Those long-term changes are relevant to high-mountain hazards because glacier retreat, thinning, and fragmentation alter the mechanical and hydrological conditions of steep ice-rock slopes — processes now under examination after the August 26, 2026 Langtang Lirung rock-ice avalanche and flood. Flash floods in Rasuwa Valley, Nepal on August 26, 2026. The August 26 failure provides a case in which long-term cryosphere change can be compared with conditions immediately before a major high-mountain disaster. HiRISK’s rapid hazard assessment found that glacier ice and underlying bedrock detached across a zone approximately 1–1.3 km (0.6–0.8 miles) wide near 5 200 m (17 060 feet), descended to the valley floor below 3 000 m (9 840 feet), temporarily blocked the Lhende Khola, and released a flood when the deposit failed. HiRISK classified the event as a rock-ice avalanche and flood rather than a conventional glacial lake outburst flood. The physical sequence is increasingly well constrained; the trigger is not. Post-event satellite imagery showed that both glacier ice and bedrock had failed, while HiRISK’s assessment stopped short of attributing the collapse to climate change. Climate-related weakening processes remain possible contributors rather than demonstrated causes of the August 26 failure. One result can appear counterintuitive without explanation: the number of mapped glaciers increased from 58 to 115 even as total glacier area declined sharply. The catchment did not gain ice. Large glaciers separated into smaller units as thinning and retreat disconnected formerly continuous sections, increasing the glacier count while reducing the total area covered by ice (Silwal et al., 2026). The study also documented widespread glacier thinning, slower surface flow and rising equilibrium-line altitudes. The equilibrium-line altitude, or ELA, is the elevation where annual snow and ice gain approximately balances annual loss. When the ELA moves uphill, a larger proportion of a glacier lies in the lower, melt-dominated zone. In Langtang, rising ELAs increasingly intersected steep, thin, and heavily crevassed icefalls, contributing to glacier fragmentation and disconnection (Silwal et al., 2026). Warming was strongest at higher elevations. Silwal et al. (2026) found warming of about 0.3°C (0.54°F) per decade above 4 000 m (13 120 feet) from 1964–2023, compared with about 0.1°C (0.18°F) per decade at 3 865 m (12 680 feet). This elevation-dependent warming means that high mountain terrain has warmed faster than the lower-elevation reference site, changing the thermal conditions that control snow persistence, glacier melt, and frozen mountain ground. HiRISK documented a more localized structural change at the August failure site. The glacier retreated approximately 450 m (1 480 feet) between 1990 and 2020 and moved across a bergschrund, the large fracture that commonly separates moving glacier ice from more stationary ice or rock near the head of a glacier. The assessment said long-term retreat had probably produced a debuttressing effect on the underlying bedrock slope. Debuttressing occurs when retreating ice removes some of the mechanical support previously exerted against a steep rock face, changing the stresses acting on the exposed slope. HiRISK also noted that permafrost is generally warming in mountain terrain and that recent glacier recession may have facilitated the failure process. Permafrost is rock or ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years. In fractured mountain rock, ice inside cracks can add cohesion; thawing can reduce that frozen bonding and allow more liquid water to enter fractures. HiRISK did not report direct measurements showing a site-specific permafrost temperature trend on the failed slope. A separate short-term temperature reconstruction adds another layer to the event. Berkeley Earth chief scientist Robert Rohde used ERA5 reanalysis together with observations from high-altitude weather stations to estimate conditions near the failure zone at about 5 200 m (17 060 feet). Rohde estimated an average temperature of about 5°C (41°F) from August 21–26. AFP reported that corresponding six-day averages in his reconstruction remained below 4°C (39.2°F) throughout more than 55 years covered by the series. Rohde also estimated that the six-day mean at the site had warmed by about 1.8°C (3.2°F) since the mid-20th century. The values are reconstructed estimates rather than direct measurements from a weather station at the failure point. Rohde’s analysis therefore establishes the thermal conditions estimated for the period before the failure, but it does not constitute an event-attribution study demonstrating that the heat caused the avalanche.

Super El Niño-fueled fires destroyed huge tracts of this country before. They’re happening again -- Wildfires are ripping across parts of Indonesia, destroying precious peatland and smothering the country in a toxic smoke so thick, people are struggling to breathe. With months of wildfire season still remaining, experts warn this could end up as one of the country’s worst. Blazes have been raging for many weeks, with parts of Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo among the hardest hit. Flights have been delayed, parks shut and thousands of schools closed as reports of asthma cases and respiratory infections soar. Authorities have deployed more than 50 aircraft for both cloud-seeding — the attempt to artificially simulate rain — and water-bombing operations, according to Reuters. Indonesia is no stranger to wildfires; they are an annual event. But this year, the arrival of what’s expected to be a “super” El Niño — a supercharged version of the natural climate pattern which tends to bring bone dry conditions to the country — has set the stage for unusually intense blazes. A previous super El Niño in 2015 fueled catastrophic fires, which incinerated around 2.6 million hectares — an area roughly the size of Massachusetts — cost the country as much as $28 billion and may have caused 100,000 premature deaths across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. There are fears this fire season could rival that intensity, as the current El Niño, which arrives in a world already heated by human-caused climate change, is shaping up to be historically strong. “The magnitude of the 2026 fire season is currently very similar to that of 2015,” said Nisa Novita, a peatlands researcher at YKAN, an Indonesian conservation non-profit. Already the fires have eaten through more than 200,000 hectares of land and the fire season is likely to continue into October and November. Over 23,000 “fire hotspots” have been detected by satellites in the last eight months, according to BKMG, the Indonesian government agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysics. This means “2026 is already surpassing 2015 in terms of fire activity,” a BKMG spokesperson said. It’s a catastrophe for this vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, home to critically endangered orangutans, Sumatran tigers and rhinos. It also contains nearly 40% of the world’s tropical peatland, water-logged ecosystems that lock up vast amounts of planet-heating carbon. “These ecosystems are essentially storing ancient carbon beneath our feet,” Novita said. The problem is that when peatland is drained or degraded then exposed to drought, it turns into a “vast reservoir of ready fuel,” said Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London. When they burn, they release massive amounts of planet-heating pollution. Huge stretches of peatland in Indonesia have been cleared and drained for commercial plantations, including those that produce palm oil, an ingredient used in a slew of products from noodles to toothpaste. “By draining away the water … companies leave the previously fireproof landscape like a ticking carbon time bomb,” said Belgis Habiba, a forest campaigner from Greenpeace Indonesia. Humans are usually the ones who set off this bomb, through activities such as burning land to prepare it for agriculture and plantations. But El Niño amplifies the flames by prolonging dry conditions, lowering water levels in the peatland and turning plants into tinder.

El Niño just leveled up to super status. Here’s what that means for the weather - An already-strong El Niño just turned super as the phenomenon crosses into unprecedented territory.The natural climate cycle has been strengthening at a breakneck pace since it was first declared in June and is stronger now than it’s ever been on this date. And isn’t done bulking up yet. Forecasters have thought for months that El Niño would become very strong or “super” by this fall. The key measure of its strength has now crossed that threshold and will continue to soar higher.As a refresher: El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average water temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The warmer water triggers corresponding shifts in the atmosphere that have a domino effect on weather patterns around the globe.An active Pacific hurricane season that’s churned out multiple threats for Hawaii, a hurricane-less Atlantic hurricane season to date and Indonesia’s overwhelming wildfires are just a few effects of this very strong El Niño. The stronger an El Niño is, the more likely it is to influence these types of weather patterns — but it doesn’t guarantee more extreme impacts.  To capture El Niño’s strength, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters measure how far above normal sea surface temperatures are in a specific region of the Pacific, using a metric called the Niño 3.4 Relative Oceanic Niño Index, or RONI. The latest weekly RONI value just hit 2.0 degrees Celsius, 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above average. This is the threshold for “very strong,” the highest official category set by forecasters. That’s also when El Niño gains its unofficial “super” moniker. These weekly values from NOAA capture a reliable snapshot of El Niño’s strength in real-time, which is crucial because of just how fast the event is gaining ground. This time a year ago, a weak La Niña — El Niño’s cool counterpart — was in place, and only a handful of other years have had such a rapid flip to a potent El Niño, including the strongest ever event from 1982 to 1983. Even so, using the weekly values is a slight departure from the norm. NOAA’s most widely recognized strength metric is a three-month rolling average RONI. The rolling average’s purpose is to smooth out choppy short-term changes in data in favor of capturing a cleaner long-term average; that value updates once a month. This is how a climate record that dates back decades is built, but the delayed data means it’ll take weeks for that reading to truly capture how super-sized El Niño is right now. This isn’t a normal event: In addition to being the strongest El Niño on record on this date, it’s ultimately likely to become stronger than any event before it. By the end of the year, El Niño has a 75% chance of peaking as the strongest event since records began in 1950, according to NOAA’s latest forecast issued last week. This year’s El Niño is also happening in a much hotter world than previous record-setting events due to climate change. One look at sea surface temperatures from this year compared to past record events shows just how much fossil fuel pollution has rewritten the rules. Climate change has literally changed the metric used to monitor El Niño. This event is the first to be captured by NOAA’s aforementioned RONI, which was first implemented in February. The old metric took sea surface temperatures at face value, but RONI subtracts out how much warmer the Pacific Ocean is because of climate change to get the “true” strength of El Niño. Even so, this El Niño continues to clear hurdles in its pursuit of record-breaking strength later this fall or early this winter. Winter is when El Niño is forecast to hit its peak strength and is also typically when its influence on global weather is most pronounced, but it’s already left many calling cards behind this summer as it strengthened rapidly. It was, and continues to be, a major factor in both the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons. In the Atlantic, it’s taken storm-killing wind shear to extreme levels and kept it there, even at what should be the busiest time of the season. That’s created a record-long wait for the season’s first hurricane. El Niño has prevented that same type of wind shear over the exceptionally warm Pacific and activity exploded. Sixteen storms, including two Category 5 hurricanes, have formed and thrived in the eastern and central parts of the ocean so far, with Hawaii alone facing three tropical systems in less than a month. Fourteen of those storms originated in the East Pacific, which, with two and a half months of the season still to come, will likely blow past its average seasonal storm total of 15. Elsewhere, Indonesia is battling widespread wildfires and conditions could deteriorate further: El Niño years make the country drier than usual, which leaves plenty of tinder-dry vegetation for blazes to consume and limited rainfall to help fire crews tamp down ongoing activity. El Niño also raises global average air temperatures above levels already being increased by climate change and was a factor in making this summer such a scorcher around the globe. This August was Earth’s hottest on record and could mark the start of a record-breaking warm stretch that would likely culminate in a record-hot 2027 — and possibly 2026 — globally. It’s clear El Niño is already a major player, but it will hit its full stride in the months ahead, right on time to dictate winter weather across the US.

El Niño May Bring More Water to California Than Reservoirs Can Hold – Newsweek  New precipitation outlooks published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) on Thursday imply that a  strengthening El Niño will likely bring above-average precipitation across Southern California this winter.Although the forecast is widely considered good news for a region that often struggles with a fluctuating water supply, some of the reservoirs in this part of the state are already close to capacity, meaning more rain might not have a place to go. On Thursday, the CPC issued its seasonal precipitation outlooks through December 2027. The predictions come as forecasters track a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. The developing El Niño, which is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, has already broken numerous records and is on track to become a "super" El Niño by this winter. The strength of the climate pattern could influence weather across the globe, including in the U.S., where a wet winter is expected in the Southwest. Several meteorological agencies have been referring to the ongoing El Niño as a “super” event. Although NOAA refers to the climate pattern as “very strong,” both labels refer to an event in which waters are warmer than average, usually by around 2 degrees Celsius. The warmer the waters, the greater the influence on weather. El Niño can influence weather around the globe. In the U.S., it causes the most widespread impacts during the fall and winter months, when cooler, wetter conditions are experienced across the South, with warmer, drier conditions in the North. It also can influence storm track, whether precipitation falls as snow or rain, and extreme cold spells. Most of El Niño's impacts are felt in the U.S. during the colder months, especially in winter. During typical El Niño years, the U.S. Southwest is wetter and colder than average. These conditions can benefit the desert region, which often sees fluctuating water supplies. When looking at NOAA's new forecasts, a wet winter certainly seems likely in Southern California. The seasonal precipitation outlooks show increasing chances of above-average precipitation across the region beginning in November and persisting through next June. "El Niño does matter significantly for California winter precipitation," climate scientist Daniel Swain previously told Newsweek. "But really only matters in a reasonably consistent way if it is particularly strong." While this seems like good news for a state that only emerged from extreme drought conditions last September, many of the major reservoirs tracked by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in Southern California are already close to capacity even before the water year officially begins in October. That means that even if El Niño delivers regular rain to the region throughout the winter, certain reservoirs might not be capable of holding any more water. For example, Castaic Lake, the largest state water project in Southern California, is at 95 percent capacity as of Friday—115 percent above its average water levels for this time of year. To make space for the incoming rain, reservoir managers draw down the lake's water. This occurs every winter, a DWR spokesperson told Newsweek. "Each winter, the reservoir levels are lowered to create space to safely manage high inflows and allow water to be released in a controlled manner, when necessary," the spokesperson said. "Released water moves through established downstream channels, supporting environmental flows and water supply needs. Being near capacity at the start of the water year is normal as operators across agencies proactively manage storage ahead of winter storms to ensure public safety and system reliability." The spokesperson went on to add that DWR staff is currently assessing conditions and conducting seasonal maintenance and inspections at the lake. "This preparation allows DWR to capture, store, and move water when conditions allow, while maintaining flexibility to respond to changing weather and water supply conditions," the spokesperson said. Other Southern California reservoirs are also near capacity as of Friday, including Lake Casitas, owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Diamond Valley Reservoir, owned by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

‘Slowing things down’: Trade wars hit global electrification shift - — Import limits on solar technology. Export controls on critical minerals. Rising tariffs on photovoltaic cells, electric vehicles and batteries. The list of trade barriers grows every day, in countries around the world, ensnaring an electrification supply chain that is crucial to slashing global fossil fuel use, meeting rising power demand and staunching the rise of electricity bills. Governments from Brussels to Brasilia, craving a slice of the booming clean economy and eager to counter China’s green technology dominance, have turned to a range of trade measures in an effort to secure jobs and protect domestic manufacturing. Meanwhile, the United States has not only unleashed a wave of tariffs across the board under President Donald Trump but also issued more targeted levies on Chinese solar products and grid imports. The result could be a slower global energy transition, more planet-warming emissions and a hotter climate. “It is slowing things down for sure,” said Karen Wayland, CEO of the GridWise Alliance, a coalition of U.S. electric utilities, equipment makers and technology providers focused on grid infrastructure. Industry, utilities and analysts are warning that rising trade barriers threaten to stifle electrification and make the switch to cleaner energy more expensive. Governments, however, are framing trade restrictions as necessary steps to safeguard prosperity and sovereignty. Many also assert that allowing the clean-tech economy to become fully dependent on China would undermine public support for the energy transition. Either way, signs point to a bumpy road ahead for the global clean energy trade. Trade tensions over clean technologies aren’t exactly new. In the 2010s, the Obama administration piled anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels, as did the European Union. But in recent years, trade barriers have not only proliferated but started enveloping the entire supply chain, from basic materials and key components to finished products. “Tariffs, duties, anti-dumping measures, local-content provisions and subsidy regimes have proliferated, tightening trade conditions and reshaping trade patterns,” International Energy Agency analysts wrote in August. Tariffs on batteries, EVs, electrolysers, heat pumps and wind turbines all went up over the past two years. For solar, the average duty rate across the supply chain increased ninefold between 2023 and 2024, the analysts noted. That threatens to drive up the cost of the global energy transition at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Take grids. In many countries, utilities and governments are struggling to update aging networks amid spiking electricity demand and vast amounts of renewables waiting to come online. Tariffs will raise prices for those upgrades and nudge electricity bills higher. In the EU, policymakers are proposing made-in-Europe requirements for certain clean technologies bought by public authorities. But grid operators have started warning that the measure — meant to strengthen domestic industries — risks slowing electrification and renewables deployment. Europe isn’t producing sufficient amounts of key clean technologies, such as some transformer components, to meet demand, the European Distribution System Operators said this month. “In such contexts,” the association said, “rigid origin requirements would not strengthen European capacity in the short term but would instead constrain procurement and increase costs.” In the U.S., Trump issued broad restrictions in August on a range of imported grid technology. The executive order bans the buying, selling or installation of any power grid equipment manufactured by any foreign company that may pose a national security risk. The order doesn’t name any specific countries, tasking the energy secretary with identifying what equipment and which companies should be subject to the ban. But the move — the latest in a yearslong U.S. effort to keep Chinese-made equipment out of U.S. systems — is raising concerns among the power industry and manufacturers. Grid supply chains are already under duress thanks to data centers and reshored manufacturing, both of which compete with utilities for transformers and other equipment, said GridWise’s Wayland. Transformers are taking nearly two-and-a-half years to deliver — with prices up 158 percent since May 2020 — while circuit switchers, distribution automation switchers and voltage regulators all take at least a year, she said. Trump’s trade actions will exacerbate that problem, Wayland said. That’s because the U.S. lacks domestic sources for bulk grid tech. While Trump’s protective measures likely hope to attract more manufacturing investment, production would not materialize quickly enough to meet surging power demand, she said.

Self-driving trucks are cruising Ohio roads - When the purple lights turn on, the robots have taken the big rig’s wheel. Over flat highways and rolling rural hills, a small fleet of passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers have been learning to drive on Ohio’s roads for years now. But for the first time this summer – though on semi-private roads – some don’t have human drivers present. These first deployments of autonomous trucks and cars, backed by artificial intelligence and a suite of lidar (similar to radar, but using light instead of radio waves) and camera technology, are limited in scope. The trucks are festooned with purple lights, which the truck’s operators say will send a clear signal of an autonomous driving mode to law enforcement without advertising their status to anyone looking to stress test it. Ohioans are unlikely to see them in the wild just yet. But they could be early indications of a significant shift away from human beings controlling our cars. The state currently only allows fully self-driving cars on the road for testing and research. In most self-driving deployments in Ohio, a human sits behind the wheel ready to take over, especially in more complicated driving environments such as construction zones or during bad weather. A full rollout of self-driving cars and trucks would require a change in state law. But at least one company trying to build out a self-driving workforce says its products are ready and they’re only waiting on the law and the public to catch up. Autonomous vehicle testing is led by DriveOhio, an office in the Ohio Department of Transportation. Gov. John Kasich created the office via executive order in 2018, and it has carried on since. Farthest along in the local automation race is Ease Logistics, a Dublin, Ohio, company that’s mostly an old fashioned freight brokerage that’s dabbling in autonomous trucking. Over the past few years, the company has tested “platooning” mode in its trucks, with the underlying technology coming from Kratos Defense of California. The term refers to one platooned vehicle following another and mimicing its behavior while analyzing its own camera and lidar feeds to maneuver. In 2022, a fleet of both trucks and cars spanned thousands of miles of rural and windy roads in Vinton and Athens counties with both automated and platooning technologies. A state report of company data noted more success with the trucks than cars, which required more frequent driver engagements and struggled to predict other drivers’ behavior. More recently, Ease trucks accrued 3,000 miles in platooning mode with a human backup driver present, according to data submitted to DriveOhio this summer, not counting the human-engaged miles on the interstate. While there were a handful of what are known as “excessive braking events” – the company and DriveOhio haven’t yet analyzed all the data – there were no crashes in platooning mode on I-70, and Chief Administrative Officer Abbi Fallia is bullish on the future. “The Kratos technology could be ready. It is ready. It could be automated,” she said in an interview. “We could automate that and take the second driver out of the cab. So we’re there. It’s more of a regulation thing than a capability thing.” And at the company’s warehouses in Marysville, the trucks drive themselves, by themselves – with tech from Einride, a Swedish company. Rather than tractor-trailers, Ease’s fully self-driving vehicles look more like shoeboxes than trucks. At modest speeds of 15 mph, the all-electric haulers shuttle a short loop on quasi-private roads within a corporate park. But they carry real cargo. And Falli is eager to expand its testing onto a nearby 45 mph roadway, or even U.S. 33.

Trump’s data center push runs into a new demand for environmental review – - Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus is pushing back on President Donald Trump’s push to expand AI data centers onto federal lands by proposing the projects must undergo extensive environmental review and public-engagement processes. Titus introduced a bill Wednesday, exclusively shared with POLITICO, that takes aim at Trump’s directive to speed up data center development on public lands.“Data centers are proliferating in Nevada and other states,” Titus said. “We need to make sure the public’s voice is heard and that the effects on the environment, water resources and the electric grid are thoroughly assessed and made public.”The legislation comes as Democrats seek to make regulation of AI and data centers a larger political issue ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans are pushing legislation on Capitol Hill to protect consumers from the costs of data centers, but Democrats argue the bill is wholly insufficient amid the broader picture of existential fears about AI development and the booming power needs of data centers.The bill would specifically require hyperscale data centers on public lands to undergo a full environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, prohibit the use of categorical exclusions and require at least 45 days of public comment and a public hearing in the affected community, among other provisions.Trump, for his part, has insisted data centers will lead to richer, more successful Americans and criticized those who object to them.“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump said in a recent Truth Social post. “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”Republicans will vote on their Ratepayer Protection Act on the House floor Wednesday, which would require states to consider — but not mandate they adopt — a federal standard ensuring large power customers cover all of the costs for new generation and transmission upgrades.The issue hits close to home for Titus, who faces a tough reelection bid from state Sen. Carrie Buck (R).In June, the Bureau of Land Management quietly approved the Townsite Data Center project in Nevada, located on 88.5 acres of public land in Boulder City, roughly 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It marks the first data center approval on public lands so far.“BLM approved the application for the data center project without conducting a new environmental review or gathering community input,” a fact sheet on the bill reads.

$5B Amazon project pits city against townships –   (Cincinnati Business Courier) - A tangle of scenarios is unfolding in Butler County over a $5 billion data center proposal from Amazon Web Services, planned on 601 acres in Madison and St. Clair townships currently up for annexation into the city of Trenton.Officials believe the project is likely to happen. Unknown is in what jurisdiction, under what tax incentives, with what community benefits and how litigious the pathway will be going forward.As it stands, the city and the townships find themselves in adversarial roles as they jockey for control over a substantial tax windfall. The city forecasts the project could result in nearly $10 million in annual tax revenue at full buildout starting in 2033.

Trenton withdraws request to annex land for data center. What's next? - The City of Trenton has abandoned its effort to annex 600 acres of land from its neighbors for an Amazon Web Services data center — at least for now.City Attorney Nick Ziepfel sent a letter to Butler County administrator Judi Boyko on Monday, notifying the county of its decision to withdraw the petition, effective immediately.“Petitioners reserve all rights to refile a future petition for annexation covering all or any portion of the subject property,” Ziepfel wrote. “Nothing in this notice shall be construed as a waiver of any such right.”The Butler County Commission had been scheduled to hold a public hearing on Tuesday about the annexation petition, following decisions by the two townships who hold the land — Madison and St. Clair — to deny Trenton’s request.Though the townships objected, the type of petition both allows the commission to make a final decision and permits Trenton to amend its request to resolve the two townships’ concerns. Now, Ziepfel indicated Trenton wants to revisit the annexation after the Nov. 3 election.Boyko said the commissioners still held the hearing Tuesday, during which they unanimously acknowledged and approved Trenton’s decision to withdraw the petition.On Election Day, Trenton voters will decide whether to ban data centers above 25 megawatts in the city. Rescheduling until after the election allows Trenton and Amazon Web Services to know the result of the vote before deciding whether to pursue annexation again.But even if Trenton voters do pass the charter amendment, there’s still another potential path for Amazon Web Services: the company could choose to go through Madison and St. Clair townships instead of annexing the land.St. Clair, which enacted a 12-month moratorium on data centers in May, has its own zoning resolution which Amazon would have to navigate. But Madison Township trustee president Jeff Willoughby said that is not the case for his township.All of our zoning is done through the county, because we’ve never had a large development or anything in the township that would require us to [create our own zoning],” Willoughby said.In this scenario, if nothing changes, the decision would be up to the Butler County Commission.In June, the county enacted a six-month moratorium on data centers for Madison and five other townships to allow time to consider whether county zoning is adequate enough to prepare for data centers. The moratorium is set to expire in December, but Willoughby said the township has not received any communication from the county about how it plans to amend the county zoning, if at all.“We need to have some kind of zoning to ensure that people around it — wherever these places like to be developed — have protection from the noise, from the traffic, from visibility that occurs around these developments,” Willoughby said. Boyko said the commissioners have not discussed the matter together, publicly or privately, yet. “It’s all been through me, where I’m just gleaning their interest [on] what they would be interested in perhaps permitting,” Boyko said. “There has been no consensus yet, so I’m not really at liberty to share what their position is.”Willoughby said it’s a matter of “wait and see” until after the election for his township, because annexation is the only thing he and the other trustees can control.“Somebody asked me about that. They said, ‘Well you guys can just vote no on this,’” Willoughby said. “I said, ‘How would we do that?’”Amazon Web Services did not return a request for comment about whether it plans to continue its play for the site.

Petitioners launch effort to block Amazon data center in Wilmington  - — Petitioners are seeking a referendum to overturn new ordinances passed by the city of Wilmington that would allow a new data center to be built within city limits. It comes as Amazon seeks to build a data center on nearly 500 acres of land in the city. If constructed, the new facility is expected to be 1.9 million square feet in size and cost approximately $4 billion to get up and running. Two emergency ordinances passed by Wilmington City Council this month pushed the effort forward. The first ordinance passed by the Wilmington City Council on Sept. 3 rezoned data centers as a permitted use in the city's Light Industrial District, while the second permitted Amazon's data center to be built in the Light Industrial District. In response, petitioners are now seeking to stop the construction of the data center by placing a referendum before Wilmington voters this November that would block the ordinances from going into effect before construction on the data center begins. In total, 1,122 valid signatures are required to be submitted to election officials before Sept. 30. However, opponents of the data center have so far faced significant legal roadblocks in doing so: The ordinances were passed by the City Council under emergency provisions, which typically prevent local laws from being challenged by voter referendums. As a result, one Wilmington resident is now suing to allow the question to go forward on the ballot, arguing that the rezoning ordinance does not fit the definition of an "emergency" under Ohio law and that city residents should therefore be allowed to weigh in on whether the data center should move forward. A judge will issue a ruling on whether the referendum will be permitted to go forward at a later date. Regardless, petitioners say they are intent on moving forward with gathering the necessary signatures in the interim. The petition will be available only to residents who live in the city of Wilmington, with petitioners planning numerous in-person events to allow city residents to sign over the next few weeks. Some of the planned signature gathering times can be found below, with additional information available on the Clinton County Residents for Responsible Development's Facebook page.

Lima puts pause on future data center projects as city evaluates standards -- The city of Lima is putting a pause on future data center developments within the city limits. Lima City Council approved an 18-month moratorium that will allow the city administration to evaluate standards for data centers, including appropriate locations, water capacity, electric demand and other potential impacts. Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith says the moratorium will give city departments time to research the issue and develop recommendations for council. “This 18-month moratorium will allow all of these city departments that have a hand in looking at what would be an impact of a data center here in the city of Lima to actually research the issue, come back to council with some recommendations,” Smith said. Lima Utilities Director Mike Caprella says the city wants to ensure it has enough water capacity for future development while maintaining residential needs as a priority. “We want to just make sure that if somebody wants water in the future, that we have the water to supply them. Priorities always residential water, and we have plenty of water to service our community,” Caprella said. The city maintains five reservoirs with a combined capacity of 15 billion gallons of water and can treat 30 million gallons of water per day. Smith says evolving state and federal policies are another reason the city wants to be prepared for possible data center development requests in the future. City officials emphasize the moratorium applies to future data center development and does not include the Google data center, which is already well under construction.

Data Centers Are on the November Ballot in These 18 Ohio Communities - Voters in 18 Ohio municipalities and townships will decide the future of data centers in their communities this Election Day. The deadline to file charter amendment petitions with Ohio’s city councils in time to make the Nov. 3 ballot passed Sept. 4. Registered voters in charter cities can file charter amendment petitions at any time, but if the next regular election is less than 60 days or more than 120 days away, a special election is held instead.Nine petitions — in Conneaut, Defiance, Granville, Oregon, Pataskala, Piqua, Sunbury, Trenton, and Upper Sandusky — mirror a statewide effort to ban data centers that draw over 25 megawatts of energy per month. Organizers with Conserve Ohio are hoping the statewide petition will make the 2027 ballot after missing a signature deadline in July.“Conserve Ohio is continuing to organize with many more communities across Ohio to enact local data center bans and to create local government structures that are by the people and for the people,” the group said in a statement Tuesday.Piqua petition organizer Alisha Lange said she became politically engaged in 2023, when a battery plant approved by the city gave her and others living nearby long-term health issues. She pleaded with politicians who represented Piqua, including U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, with little success.Now, she says those private meetings are a waste of time. After Meta announced plans for a data center in Piqua that would demand around 1,400 megawatts of power, she gathered enough signatures for a petition to recall Piqua’s mayor and two city commissioners, she said. Two more petitions filed Monday would change the city’s signature requirements for recalls to match state law and strike down a city agreement to power the data center.“When we’re out getting signatures, people come up, and they all want to share something. They’re all upset,” she said. “It’s like some fellowship … Even though the data centers are driving us apart, the petitions are bringing us together.”Ohio has the fourth-most operational data centers in the country, according to an analysisby Pew Research Center published in April, and tech giants and data center developers want to build dozens more across the state. 14 of the 18 communities with petitions filed for the November election have received formal proposals for new data center projects.A Gallup poll in May found that over 70% of Americans oppose data center construction in their area, and a Bowling Green State University poll found that a similar percentage of Ohioans support a data center moratorium. Opponents list a variety of grievances, like rising utility bills, negative effects on the environment, or concerns about artificial intelligence.

Ohio Poll Finds Majority Oppose Data Centers, Want Guardrails - An estimated two-thirds of Ohioans hold negative views regarding data centers, with a larger majority supporting legislative guardrails toward the facilities, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted by UpONE Insights and commissioned by the Infrastructure Alliance of Ohio, injects further fodder into the debate on those facilities as supporters work to improve public perception of the industry and lawmakers continue considering regulatory options. A representative described the alliance as “an effort that champions responsible infrastructure development that creates jobs, strengthens the tax base, supports schools and public services, and ensures that economic growth is sustainable and community-driven.” The Aug. 19-23 survey, which polled 800 Ohio voters and has a 3.46 percentage point margin of error, found 67% of respondents viewed those facilities unfavorably and 81% expressed support for legislative action such as requiring the facilities to cover infrastructure costs and report water use. In all, 74% of respondents indicated opposition to data center construction near their community with 63% believing such construction is harmful to the state. Although suggesting that public perception remains underwater, the poll showed voter attitudes changing, with approval rising to 60%-34%, when that construction is coupled with "accountability, local protections, and community benefits." "When data center companies are presented as promising to cover the full cost of their infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, generate tax revenue for schools and local services, improve broadband infrastructure and the electric grid, and protect electric bills and property taxes, Ohioans support construction by a 60%-34% margin," according to a memo from the pollster. "This support extends across party lines and especially among older Ohioans." Lawmakers continue weighing how to best regulate data centers at a time when opponents warn the facilities drive up energy costs, harm the environment and produce minimal economic advantages for the communities that allow their development. Conserve Ohio organizer Nick Owens said the statewide polling is much in line with national views of data centers. A Gallup survey similarly determined 70% of Americans oppose the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area. The group, which is pursuing a constitutional amendment to bar new data centers, recently announced that it has received more than 130,000 signatures in its effort to land the question on the ballot in 2027. Owens said in an interview that he is concerned about data centers causing pollution and their development leading to a loss of farmland. He also wants more transparency regarding agreements signed by local officials and developers. “You also hear from many politicians and Big Tech leaders that communities should have a say on the data centers,” he said. “Well, I totally agree that communities should have a say, but in many places that's not realistic. “How can a community have a say in an area when the data center projects are shrouded in secrecy behind nondisclosure agreements?” Supporters of that industry continue working to change the public narrative, including the Ohio Business Roundtable, which recently launched "Future Ready Ohio" campaign. The effort is intended to provide new insights into how data centers are creating economic opportunities across the state. “Ohio has a once-in-a-generation opportunity in front of it, and the real choice isn’t whether data centers are coming — it’s whether Ohio communities help write the terms,” roundtable President and CEO Pat Tiberi said in a statement. The campaign pointed to the Licking Heights and Johnstown-Monroe school districts as examples of communities benefiting from data center development. They received $2.67 million and $2.51 million, respectively, from developers in 2024, according to the campaign. The campaign also noted that New Albany has experienced a construction boom, averaging 3,500 jobs a year over the past 10 years because of the build-up of new facilities. “Future Ready Ohio exists to put the facts on the table, so every community is empowered to negotiate a deal that works for them, not just for the company writing the check," Tiberi said.

Ohio lawmakers mull pulling data center tax break -   — As they face a busy campaign season, state lawmakers are looking ahead at how to address widespread backlash against data centers; one strategy is targeting tax breaks. Tech companies have long enjoyed significant tax incentives to build data centers in Ohio, but that era could be coming to an end. Lawmakers anticipate an aborted effort at regulating data centers is likely to return in the post-election “lame duck” session. Some are already drafting proposals that would force data center developers to pay more taxes. Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) is one of the most vocal data center skeptics in the Statehouse. He has introduced a bill to prohibit data center companies from receiving any new state sales tax exemptions, which Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) paused via executive order earlier this year.  “These data centers have more money than God, they absolutely do not need incentives to be here,” Rader said. “We’ve created a regulatory regime and a tax incentive structure that allows these things to crop up everywhere with very little contributions to the communities that they want to target to exist in.” The sales tax breaks came under fire after Statehouse leaders learned the true extent of how much revenue they cost the state. “We do know at least $1.5 billion dollars in 2025 is what that tax exemption for the sales tax is worth for the state,” Rader said. “I am sure the property tax exemptions are equivalent if not more.” The degree of revenue lost to property tax breaks is difficult to determine, however. As Rep. David Thomas (R-Jefferson) noted, while sales tax incentives are granted to tech companies by the state, property tax abatements are granted by local communities. “That’s something else that we’re looking into,” Thomas said. “What actually abatements are really all on the books for all different types. We know some types of abatements across the state but because this is purely a local government decision, that doesn’t go through our books.” Thomas expects most of the different data center reform proposals to be consolidated, possibly into House Bill 646, which the General Assembly tried and failed to pass before leaving Columbus in June. He is already drafting language that would eliminate property tax abatements, which he suggested would be a more effective way to regulate the data center industry. “We could say no new sales tax exemptions starting today, but the big companies will still actually get them for the next couple of decades,” Thomas said. “But no more property tax, that means even the big folks, they’re going to have to pay their property tax share which will then lower the bills for all the other property owners.” Changes coming to Walmart checkout — when you’ll see them in Ohio Another proposal for eliminating the property tax abatements has been introduced by Rep. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick). For much of the past year, Troy and Thomas have been working jointly to ease the property tax burden for Ohioans, a project Troy believes would be easier if data center companies were forced to pay their share. “Property tax reform was the No. 1 issue until data centers showed up on the scene, but they’re tied in,” Troy said. “If these entities pay property taxes based on their full unabated value, this could go a long way to reducing the burden on our residential homeowners.” All three predict a legislative package regulating data centers is on the horizon given the public backlash and growing bipartisan agreement that the state should step in. “We know where the public is on this, they are weighing in; they just don’t want these things in a lot of cases,” Troy said. “If we’re going to get them — and maybe we might not be able to stop them — we at least want to make sure that they’re helping out the community by paying all of their tax obligations.”

What we learned about $10.8 billion in Ohio transmission projects that bypassed PJM board approval -  Cleveland.com — Ohio electric utilities proposed at least $10.8 billion in transmission projects from 2017 through 2025 through a process that did not require approval from PJM Interconnection’s Board of Managers.That does not mean the projects escaped review. Utilities presented them through stakeholder meetings, and PJM examined whether they could harm reliability elsewhere on the regional grid. The unresolved dispute is whether that process provides enough independent scrutiny before customers ultimately bear transmission costs. These are five takeaways from the original article, which examined how the projects are approved, what they cost and why Ohio’s consumer watchdog wants more oversight.

• 1. Ohio utilities proposed at least $10.8 billion in nine years.The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel identified about $6.5 billion in supplemental projects proposed from 2017 through 2022.  PJM reports list another $1.38 billion in 2023, $1.91 billion in 2024 and $1.04 billion in 2025, bringing the nine-year total to about $10.8 billion.That is not the amount ultimately spent or charged to customers. The figures reflect project cost estimates when they entered PJM’s planning process, and projects can later change or be canceled.
• 2. Supplemental projects do not need PJM board approval/ PJM identifies some regional transmission needs itself. Those “baseline projects” go to its Board of Managers for approval.Supplemental projects work differently. A utility identifies a local need — such as replacing aging equipment or strengthening its network — and proposes the solution.The projects are reported to PJM’s board, but the board does not approve or reject them.
• 3. The projects still go through reviews. Utilities must explain the need, assumptions and proposed solution during stakeholder meetings where regulators, consumer advocates, other utilities and interested parties can raise questions.PJM also reviews whether a project qualifies as supplemental and whether it could create reliability problems elsewhere on the grid.The Consumers’ Counsel argues that those reviews do not provide an independent decision on whether a project is necessary, prudent and cost-effective before construction.
• 4. A federal complaint over the process remains unresolved.The Consumers’ Counsel filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in September 2023 seeking greater scrutiny of supplemental transmission projects.PJM and utilities defend the existing process as providing meaningful oversight through stakeholder review, reliability analysis and federal regulation of transmission rates.FERC still has not ruled on the Ohio complaint.
• 5. Data centers are adding another layer to the cost debate. Supplemental project costs generally are assigned within the sponsoring transmission owner’s zone rather than spread across PJM’s entire region.That issue is becoming more significant as data centers and other large electricity users seek grid connections that can require expensive transmission upgrades.FERC opened a separate proceeding in June over how PJM studies large new loads, discloses upgrade costs and prevents costs from being unfairly shifted to other customers.That proceeding does not establish that Ohio utilities built unnecessary projects or improperly charged customers. But both cases could influence how future transmission spending is reviewed and who ultimately pays for it.

As data centers demand electricity, people demand answers | Letters -Akron Beacon Journal -  I am writing regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent actions to gut pollution controls for artificial intelligence data centers.  Modern AI data centers can use enormous amounts of electricity, as much as a city in one location. Local grids struggle to keep up with such demands. EPA’s efforts to deal with this problem come at the expense of clean air and the public’s right to know what is happening in their community. Specifically, the Trump administration allows construction to begin before obtaining air permits; AI data centers to run their dirty generators more frequently; certain power plants to not install any pollution controls for acid rain; and companies to seek and receive “minor source” air permits without gathering public input.Limiting the transparency and accountability of the buildout of these dirty data centers will have real consequences. Large-scale generators at AI data centers are usually powered by diesel, polluting the air we breathe with dangerous chemicals. The public deserves clean air and has a right to know what kind of pollution data centers are pumping into our communities. It's your right to know.   Marcia Schulz, Silver Lake

Ohio candidates seeking to regulate data centers both invest in them - Dayton Daily News - Both frontrunners for Ohio governor are adamant about pausing the data center boom, but each is invested in and financially benefiting from the tech hubs they seek to regulate. Outside the I-X Center Substation in Cleveland, activists and local officials rallied against the rapid expansion of data centers. “I don’t think the incentives line up pretty well for the everyday average Ohioan who has to put up with higher utility bills, who has to put up with dirty air, who has to put up with, basically, building out our water infrastructure,” state Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) said. Rader fears for the November election. “Now we’re going to have a governor potentially that’s going to be conflicted, that’s making millions of dollars off of these data centers,” he said. Republican billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s personal investments in data centers and digital infrastructure could cause a problem, he said, since the governor oversees and appoints the leaders to regulate these tech hubs. “Ramaswamy holds significant investments in essentially every link in the data center supply chain,” progressive organization Innovation Ohio’s Caitlin Johnson said. Ramaswamy’s financial disclosure form, obtained by open records laws, shows the entrepreneur has a large portfolio with more than a dozen holdings in companies affiliated with data centers. He holds stock in NVIDIA, one of the largest AI chip-making companies, individually, as well as through Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF, which he cofounded. He also invests in Microsoft and Amazon, two of the nation’s leading cloud operators and data center developers with a major presence in Ohio. It’s unclear how much he earns from each of these assets, as Ohio law does not require full transparency with income. However, a federal tax filing report from 2023 shows Ramaswamy had a holding worth up to $5 million in Microsoft. He also holds stock in numerous AI-focused companies specializing in data center infrastructure, power generation, or cryptocurrency. Ramaswamy has long been a supporter of the tech expansion. “In our own state here, we’ve got an AI data center boom, which is great,” Ramaswamy said during a speech in 2025. He didn’t respond to a request for comment for this story, but previously, he said that all of his policies around data centers would benefit both the need to store and process information, as well as meet the needs of Ohioans. “If you are going to use electricity from the electric grid, you should have to pay for it and bring your own energy,” he said in the summer. His platform, announced in August, would prohibit new data centers from coming to the state until companies pay electric bills for the communities they’re in. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick is against data centers, and his financial disclosure did not share any investments or income related to data centers or AI at all. Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton also wants a conditional moratorium on data centers. “We are absolutely open, but we’re not for sale,” Acton said in early August. “We have conditions.” Acton’s financial report shows a couple of technology-related holdings like Microsoft, but she holds stock in Iron Mountain, which runs a data center near Dayton, Ohio. Iron Mountain’s Ohio data center is a small-scale hub, using just 1.4 megawatts and serving the surrounding cities. The company, however, is expansive, existing on three continents and using more than 1.4 gigawatts. Hyperscale facilities are the most common in Ohio, according to a study done by the University of Virginia. Those giants typically use a minimum of 40-50 megawatts, according to Policy Matters Ohio. The governor has “oversight of the agencies that regulate data centers and determine whether or not to give them tax breaks,” Johnson said, emphasizing the importance of not being fiscally involved in their development. We asked both candidates if they would divest from their data-center-related holdings if elected governor, but didn’t hear back from either before this story was published. “Dr. Acton does not own any individual stocks, and as Governor she will not invest in or possess individual stocks,” the campaign said after this story aired on television.

Can Ramaswamy's free electricity plan work in Ohio? - Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy made an attention-grabbing claim earlier this summer about his plans to regulate data centers. The billionaire tech entrepreneur promised that Ohioans who live near future data centers would receive free electricity. The plan would involve requiring data center developers to give away extra electricity generated by the private power plants that AI companies increasingly are building to power their projects. “If a data center is built in your community, then … you will no longer have to pay for your home’s electricity,” Ramaswamy said in an opinion article published in The Columbus Dispatch and on his campaign website. Data centers that don’t agree to provide the free electricity – as well as meet several other conditions, such as following environmental standards – wouldn’t get state approval, he said.The plan goes way beyond what politicians typically have pledged to address rising public concerns about the data centers’ effects on electricity demand and the environment. Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, has a more modest proposal that calls for a set of environmental, transparency and labor standards for the facilities.The boldness of Ramaswamy’s plan raises some obvious questions. Would he have the authority to force AI companies to give away free electricity to homeowners? Is it even technically possible?  Signal Statewide put these and other questions to energy and data center experts. They described Ramaswamy’s plan to hook up data center power plants to neighbors’ homes as ranging from fanciful to extremely complex because of the thicket of state, multistate and federal entities involved in regulating energy policy.  “I don’t know anybody who thinks that it’s a workable idea,” said Ashley Brown, executive director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group and a former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio commissioner under former Democratic Gov. Ted Celeste. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”The Ramaswamy campaign didn’t respond to a request from Signal Statewide to have its expert detail the plan for us. But Ramaswamy’s plan appears to acknowledge practical challenges by offering data centers a simpler alternative. It says developers instead could just provide nearby residents with a direct subsidy – a potential fallback that would eliminate the need to navigate the regulatory issues surrounding his promises.  Here are some important takeaways from Ramaswamy’s plan.

Ohio Audit Finds PUCO Sitting on Double the Cash It Needs, Weak Pipeline Fines - A new state performance audit says Ohio's utility regulator lacks key information about its workload and has maintained cash reserves well above recommended levels. The findings arrive as the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio faces a projected 56% increase in peak electricity demand over the next two decades, driven largely by data center growth across the state. The audit, mandated by the General Assembly in the state's biennial budget bill, examines PUCO operations, data use, staffing, finances, planning and enforcement. In its response to the performance audit, PUCO said the review covered the commission's management systems and ongoing efforts to improve them. As first reported by Cleveland.com, auditors found that the case-tracking system records filings and other documents but does not consistently connect key case steps with the staff resources used to complete them. That gap matters because PUCO regulates electricity and natural-gas rates for the entire state, and lawmakers are watching closely as new statutory deadlines reshape how fast the commission has to move. Cleveland.com reports that PUCO lacks granular data on employee hours spent on individual parts of rate cases, a blind spot auditors say could worsen as workload climbs. The audit also found that PUCO's seven dedicated-purpose funds held reserves far above recommended levels. The commission had enough cash to cover at least a full year of operating expenses in every year from 2020 through 2025, and more than 18 months of expenses in some years, according to the audit findings reported by Cleveland.com. The funds are supported by assessments and fees paid by regulated utilities and other businesses, costs that can ultimately reach customers. Auditors warned that excessive fund balances may add unnecessary costs to end users and recommended PUCO set formal minimum and maximum reserve targets. State Auditor Keith Faber said PUCO's decisions affect Ohioans' pocketbooks and that the commission should be using the analytical tools available to it, according to the report relayed by Cleveland.com. Faber also recommended that state officials explore consolidating commercial motor carrier safety enforcement under a single agency, noting that motor vehicle safety monitoring is currently split between PUCO investigators and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, per the Ohio Auditor of State. Pipeline Safety Fines Lag Federal Standards The audit also flagged Ohio's pipeline-safety fine limits as among the lowest in the country. State law sets maximum fines for natural-gas pipeline-safety violations, but those limits have not kept pace with increases in federal standards. Auditors warned that falling too far behind federal benchmarks could jeopardize PUCO's federal pipeline-safety certification. Ohio's recent enforcement history shows how pipeline-safety violations can produce civil penalties under the existing system. According to Farm and Dairy, PUCO inspections at Enbridge Gas Ohio locations between February and March 2023 found 36 instances of exposed pipelines, along with other safety, record-keeping and contractor-qualification problems. The audit also flagged Ohio's pipeline safety fine limits as among the lowest in the country, with state law setting maximum fines for natural-gas pipeline safety violations that have remained fixed even as federal standards have increased. Auditors warned that falling too far behind federal benchmarks could jeopardize PUCO's federal pipeline-safety certification, the report states. The audit discusses federal pipeline-safety requirements and possible restrictions on PUCO's enforcement authority, according to Van Ness Feldman LLP. PUCO has previously used its enforcement powers in this area: in November 2024, the commission authorized a $350,000 civil penalty settlement with Enbridge Gas Ohio after a 2023 staff audit discovered 36 instances of exposed piping, missing records on abandoned lines, and unqualified contractor personnel, according to Farm and Dairy.

State audit raises concerns about how Ohio's utility regulator manages staff, money ---- The agency that decides how much Ohioans pay for electricity and natural gas doesn’t track how much staff work goes into those cases. That’s one finding in a new state audit of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which also found the agency holds twice as much money in reserve as it needs and has some of the lowest pipeline safety fines in the country. “PUCO is making decisions each and every day that affect the pocketbooks of Ohioans,” Auditor of State Keith Faber said. “There’s too much at stake for the commission to disregard the analytical tools that are readily available to it.”Faber’s findings come as data centers and other large power users are expected to push Ohio’s peak electricity demand up by 56% over the next two decades.Auditors warned this could significantly increase PUCO’s workload, making it more important for the agency to know whether it has the staff needed to keep up.The audit didn’t conclude that PUCO has too few employees. It found the agency doesn’t collect enough information to know whether it has the right number of people for the work it needs to do.PUCO’s case-tracking system records filings and other documents, but it doesn’t consistently connect key steps with the staff resources used to complete them. Auditors said important information, including how many hours employees spend working on parts of a rate case, isn’t available.That makes it difficult to tell whether adding staff would speed up cases, whether employees could handle more work or where additional resources might be needed.PUCO has considerably more money sitting in reserve than auditors recommend.The commission doesn’t receive money from the state’s general fund. Instead, much of its budget comes from assessments and fees paid by utilities and other businesses it regulates.Auditors found all seven of PUCO’s dedicated-purpose funds had reserves “far in excess” of recommended levels. Taken together, the commission had enough cash on hand to cover at least a full year of operating expenses every year from 2020 through 2025. In some years, it had more than 18 months’ worth.That matters because those reserves ultimately come from fees. Auditors warned that “maintaining excessive fund balances may add unnecessary costs to end users of a good or service.”The report recommended PUCO set both minimum and maximum targets for how much it keeps.Another problem the audit identified is outside PUCO’s direct control.Ohio law sets the maximum fines the commission can impose on companies that violate natural-gas pipeline safety rules, and auditors found those limits are among the lowest in the country.Federal standards have increased over time while Ohio’s limits remain fixed in state law.If Ohio falls too far behind, it could jeopardize the federal certification that allows PUCO to enforce pipeline safety rules. In other words, Ohio could lose some of its authority to police the pipelines running underneath our feet.Finally, auditors found PUCO doesn’t have a formal strategic plan laying out its priorities, how it will accomplish them and how it will measure whether it succeeds.That’s unusual enough to raise concerns, although PUCO isn’t alone. The audit found 13 of the 32 states with regulated utility markets had publicly available strategic plans, while 19 did not. Auditors said having a written plan tied to PUCO’s budget would help the commission decide where to put its staff and money, particularly as Ohio’s energy needs change.PUCO officials told auditors that they aren’t waiting to address these problems.The commission said it has adopted a new policy governing how much money it keeps in reserve and is nearing completion of a formal strategic plan. It also expects a modernization of its case-tracking system to provide more detailed information about workload and staffing. PUCO also said it added employees and reorganized departments to prepare for the new deadlines lawmakers imposed through House Bill 15, a sweeping energy law passed in 2025.The commission said it has met all of the law’s new deadlines for power-siting cases so far and that five pending utility rate cases are on track to do the same.

Turbine Shortage Has AI Data Centers Going Old School with Steam - - Marcellus Drilling News - -- Last month we told you about Akron-based Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) reserving a gigawatt’s worth of steam turbines for gas-fired data centers (see Akron’s B&W Buys 1 GW of Turbines for Gas-Fired Data Centers). The idea is now getting wider attention. In the past week, both POWER Magazine and ZeroHedge ran stories saying AI developers who can’t get a gas turbine for years are going old school: burn natural gas in a boiler, make steam, and let the steam spin a turbine. Is it a full-blown trend? Not yet. But it’s catching on, and it’s a setup that burns more gas per megawatt-hour than a modern power plant. We have no complaints about that.

'This industry won't have carte blanche': Spanberger cracks down on data centers— Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Friday unveiled what she called the “highest standards in America” for data centers, including what she said is the country’s first crackdown on on-site power plants using natural gas. “Starting today, this industry won’t have carte blanche to play by their own rules in Virginia,” Spanberger said at a press conference in Richmond. The moderate Democrat unveiled a package of executive actions that begins to tighten oversight of data centers, including by ordering a review of their diesel backup generators, accelerating noise regulations and designating Eastern Virginia as a “cooling-water-scarcity area.” Spanberger also created a task force on artificial intelligence, which she described as the first of any state to address the pace of AI development. The governor also outlined a legislative agenda she wants the Democratic-controlled legislature to pass next year, including restrictions on on-site natural gas generation and incentives for data centers to develop their own clean energy supplies. Data centers have become a major issue in the midterms, with candidates on both sides of the aisle scrambling to keep up with rapidly shifting public opinion. Democrats who once embraced data centers for their economic potential have pivoted to call for guardrails on them. “We are at an inflection point with this technology,” Spanberger said Friday. “The industry has been rapidly expanding in the last few years without a coordinated or clear plan to address the impacts on Virginians – on their electric bills, their water, their land, their air, or our quality of life.” Spanberger’s move comes amid a broader bipartisan push by governors to draw sharper lines around data centers and artificial intelligence — and comes the same day that Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed an executive order putting new restrictions on data centers that want state tax breaks. Northern Virginia is home to the world’s densest concentration of data centers. That’s made the commonwealth a flashpoint for public anger over rising power bills, as well as the facilities’ noise and air pollution. It’s also elevated Virginia into a leading indicator of how Democrats might try to balance public backlash with a tempting boom in economic development. Virginia will play a particularly influential role in the 2028 presidential primary as one of the early states in that contest — meaning Spanberger’s handling of the issue, and Republicans’ response, could provide an important road map for Democrats who want to be president. Spanberger earlier this year beat back a bipartisan push in the state Legislature to repeal data center tax incentives. That led to a months-long budget impasse that nearly ended in the state’s first government shutdown — and led Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas (D) to dub Spanberger a “data center diva.” The governor, along with House Democrats, agreed to a new energy consumption tax on data centers, capped at $600 million annually for two years. But Spanberger has held firm on tax breaks, arguing that repealing the sector’s tax incentives would be like “breaking a contract” and could undermine Virginia’s other economic development programs. The same budget agreement directed a legislative panel to examine data center subsidies and offer recommendations for next year’s legislative session. Lucas, the Senate’s lead budget-writer, responded to Spanberger’s actions on Friday by reprising her calls to end data center tax incentives. “The Governor is finally feeling the heat but still ignoring the fire,” Lucas said in a statement, noting Spanberger is still defending a tax break worth $2 billion to the industry. “I look forward to moving substantial and effective legislation that Virginians demand,” she said. “I hope the Governor will be on the same page for the 2027 session.” A very different message emerged from the lower chamber, which sought to preserve the tax incentives in this summer’s negotiations. House Speaker Don Scott (D) said he was proud to stand with Spanberger’s actions, which he called a “moratorium on bad actors.” “Governor Spanberger has done something Virginia has needed for a long time: she’s turned the page on Virginia’s approach to data centers,” he said in a statement. “If you’re a developer who wants to cut corners, ignore your neighbors, or stick Virginia families with the bill, you’re not welcome here anymore.” The Data Center Coalition, the sector’s trade association, said it did not have input into Spanberger’s actions and was awaiting details on how the governor and legislature would enact them. The industry shares Spanberger’s goals, Nicole Riley, the coalition’s director of Virginia government affairs, said in a statement. Balanced policies can continue delivering jobs, investment and community benefits, she added, “if done right.” “However,” she said, “significant and abrupt policy changes without meaningful stakeholder engagement could prove unworkable and jeopardize the real tangible benefits this industry can create.” Curbing on-site gas generation could draw the commonwealth into a fight with the fossil fuel industry, too. The Natural Gas Coalition of Virginia said it was “very concerned” by Spanberger’s proposal. The governor, though, dismissed criticism that businesses might raise about her actions. “I don’t need industry to tell our Chief Energy Officer what they think Virginia should be doing in the way of backup generation,” she said in response to a question from POLITICO, adding that she was proud to roll out policies no other states have enacted. “I’ll defer to the industry to determine whether they would choose to meet those very high standards,” she said. “We’re not going to apologize for setting the highest standards.”

Upper Burrell Data Center Rules: Bring Your Own (Gas) Power -- Marcellus Drilling News - - The Upper Burrell Township (Westmoreland County, PA) Planning Commission hit the pause button Tuesday on recommending the township’s latest draft data center ordinance. The delay gives residents time to email their wish lists to supervisors before an Oct. 7 meeting. Supervisors hope to pass the ordinance at a special meeting in October, ahead of the Nov. 2 end of their data center moratorium, and Westmoreland County gets a say, too. The rules won’t touch TECfusions’ existing operations at the former Alcoa/Arconic campus, but they would govern new development there. Buried in the 26-page draft is a line that should make every Marcellus/Utica (M-U) driller and landowner sit up: every new data center must supply its own baseload power. And the township says its next project is writing rules for power plants.

Something Flawed This Way Comes: Syracuse Prof Takes on Data Centers -- Marcellus Drilling News - A Syracuse University professor has published a paper in the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA) urging towns to treat AI data centers the way they treated fracking a decade ago. Syracuse’s PR department is billing it as “new research” that shows communities how to handle data centers. There’s just one problem. It isn’t really research—by the author’s own admission, no new data was collected. And several of the “facts” about fracking it leans on are flat wrong, especially about Pennsylvania.

No Gas, All Hydro, Still Banned: NY Freezes 635 MW Massena Project -- Marcellus Drilling News -   Pittsburgh-based Alcoa says it’s “very close” to selling its shuttered Massena East aluminum smelter in New York’s North Country to a data center developer. Here’s the part that other reporting left out: the buyer has been sitting on that site since 2017, wants to build a 635-megawatt (MW) computing campus there — and Gov. Kathy Hochul froze the whole thing two months ago with her data center moratorium (see NY Gov. Hochul Goes BANANA, Bans Data Centers for at Least 1 Year). Alcoa is selling a piece of land that New York State has made it illegal to develop. Somebody will eat that discount, and it won’t be Albany

Thousands of gallons of diesel spill from AI data center in Secaucus, N.J. - CBS New York - Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilled from an AI data center in Secaucus late last week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said. Contractors have been at the scene since, removing the oil from nearby Anderson Creek, a tributary of the Hackensack River. The diesel fuel discharged from a storage tank at Equinix Data Center on Friday has been contained, the New Jersey DEP said. The DEP said it is estimated that 5,000 gallons was discharged, but a spokesperson said it's unclear how much made it into the creek. Bill Sheehan of Hackensack Riverkeeper said he has been told a computer glitch caused the spill. "The computer was calling for oil," he said. The DEP said there have been no impacts to the Hackensack River and "there are no drinking water intakes in the area and no impacts to wildlife have been reported." Sheehan said he's concerned. "I'm not saying that they found a lot of dead animals. I'm not saying that. I am saying it's too early to know," he said. Equinix said it detected the fuel release Friday, stopped it, and immediately contacted different agencies, adding, "We are working closely with those agencies, local officials, and community stakeholders to ensure a thorough remediation, while also conducting a full investigation to determine the root cause and prevent recurrence." "Secaucus is the place where data centers have been being built," said Ben Dziobek of Climate Revolution Action Network. "We need to slow this down, and we are calling for a statewide moratorium on data centers." Equinix said it has been in the community for more than two decades and is committed to resolving the issue, and will be transparent with the community. The DEP said the cleanup should take several days.

EPA scraps climate curbs for U.S. power generation - EPA on Monday landed a major blow against current and future greenhouse gas regulations for power plants, the largest U.S. industrial contributor to climate change. The Trump administration rescinded marquee Biden-era standards targeting carbon emissions from fossil fuel power generation — and proposed blocking any future power plant carbon regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced at a G20 minister-level meeting in Houston on “energy abundance” that EPA was walking away from the 2024 standards, which would have required long-serving coal and some new gas plants to eventually capture and store most of their carbon emissions underground. “For over 15 years, the Obama and Biden administrations implemented a war on coal to destroy reliable and affordable energy. The Trump Administration has come in to protect American energy and to make sure you can afford to keep the lights on,” Zeldin said in a statement announcing the move. The repeal came packaged with a new proposal that would scuttle EPA’s legal basis for regulating power plant carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act — an attempt to prevent future administrations from reinstating standards. While certain to be challenged in court, if upheld, the rules will represent a final nail in the coffin for most federal climate regulation. Monday’s repeal marks the third time an EPA power plant carbon rule has been repealed before it was implemented. The agency has tried for more than a decade to use a catchall part of the Clean Air Act known as Section 111 to tackle U.S. power sector climate emissions, which are second only to climate pollution from motor vehicles. If the Trump administration gets its way, it will be the last. “The proposed rule takes the position that it is beyond our authority in the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases for climate change for power plants,” an EPA official told reporters at a Monday afternoon briefing. It comes as the power sector heightens calls for an end to the regulatory whiplash of the last decade as they struggle to meet demand needs from rapidly scaling data centers. And it represents an escalation of the Trump administration’s policy preference for fossil fuels over renewable energy. The package released Monday answered urgent power industry pleas to undo a remaining Obama-era regulation that would require new gas-fired power plants to meet stricter efficiency standards. The requirements on certain new coal- and gas-fired units would remain temporarily in place, but if the supplemental proposal on EPA’s regulatory authority becomes final, those rules would be wiped away, too. Utilities and electric cooperatives have raised concerns about those gas plant standards, though they’ve largely shrugged off the Obama-era coal plant rules. It has been 13 years since a new coal-fired power plant was built in the U.S., though the Trump administration this summer pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia tied to new data centers.EPA’s new “supplemental proposal” would effectively extend to the power sector its February repeal of the endangerment finding, a keystone 2009 science finding that paved the way for EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.  The official said it advances the same argument — that the Clean Air Act’s “definition of air pollution [applies] to local and regional impacts and not to those that are global in nature.” The power industry praised the rules, citing increasing demand and rising prices for consumers. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson, a former Democratic lawmaker, urged EPA to “work quickly to finish the job.” “America’s electric grid needs every available electron,” Matheson said.

Trump administration axes power plant climate rules - The Trump administration on Monday gutted the rules governing the nation’s climate regulations for power plants. The rules, which have been announced but whose underlying text did not appear to be public at press time, are expected to ax most, but not all, of the climate regulations on the books for the power sector. When the Trump administration first proposed to get rid of Biden-era power plant rules last year, it said it would eliminate all climate rules for the sector. Monday’s move stops short of immediately doing that. It gets rid of major components of past regulations but does leave a few pieces in place.In particular, EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo told reporters that new natural gas plants would still need to abide by 2015 standards and 2024 efficiency requirements.It also leaves in place Obama-era regulations for new coal power plants, though few if any new coal plants are expected to be built in the years ahead. The rule also comes with a supplemental proposal that, if finalized, would seek to repeal the agency’s authority to regulate power plants’ climate contributions entirely.Szabo said the proposal would find that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA the authority to regulate power plants’ planet-warming emissions. In addition to axing the few regulations that remain, he said, the proposal could block future administrations from regulating power plants’ climate emissions. If it’s finalized, a future administration could ultimately undo the maneuver, but in the meantime, it could act as a delay for future regulations.   The proposal is expected to allow for significantly more planet-heating emissions such as carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.A regulatory analysis of the Trump administration’s proposal, which does differ from the final rule, said that it would have allowed an estimated 38 million additional metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2028, an additional 50 million metric tons in 2030, 123 million metric tons in 2035, 54 million metric tons in 2040 and 42 million metric tons in 2045.The U.S. power sector is a major driver of planet-warming emissions, responsible for a quarter of total U.S. emissions.  A report from New York University School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity found that if the U.S. power sector were a country, it would be the world’s sixth-largest emitter, contributing more to climate change than the entirety of nations including Canada, Japan, Brazil and Mexico.The report also said that the sector’s 2022 emissions alone will contribute to future climate change impacts that are expected to cause about 5,300 additional premature deaths in the U.S. due to heat and wildfire smoke.The change is expected to eventually lower electricity prices, but the changes may not be particularly dramatic.An analysis based on the original proposal, from which the final rule slightly differs, found that in 2028 and 2030, the changes could actually increase average retail electricity prices by 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.In 2035, it would cause a 1.4 percent drop in electricity prices, as well as a 0.2 percent drop in 2040 and a 0.7 percent drop in 2045 compared to a baseline where the Biden-era regulation is not repealed. The rule is expected to be a win for the coal sector, an industry that has been on the decline as other fuel sources, particularly natural gas, have become increasingly dominant.  The analysis of last year’s proposal said that in 2028, coal production for use in the electric sector could be 6 percent higher than it otherwise would have been. By 2045, coal production would be expected to be 84 percent higher under last year’s proposal than it would have been if the Biden-era rules stayed in place.In 2045, coal used by the power sector would have also been 32 percent more expensive under the proposal than it would have been under the Biden rule.  Opponents of the Trump administration’s move are expected to sue to try to block it. “I would expect that the final repeal will be pretty immediately challenged,” said Dena Adler, senior attorney at the Institute for Policy Integrity. Some groups are already indicating they could sue.   “The EPA has a legal obligation to protect us from climate pollution from power plants,” said Jill Tauber, vice president for climate and energy at Earthjustice, in a written statement. “Earthjustice and our partners will continue to defend climate protections and hold the Trump administration accountable.” But, Adler said, it could take time before there’s any actual resolution.   “I think we’ll see immediate challenges, but I think we’re not going to necessarily get to the bottom of some of those legal claims until the intermediary question of EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is addressed,”

Trump guts climate rules for coal and gas power plants The Trump administration on Monday gutted regulations that limited planet-warming emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. The move allows a sector that makes up a large share of the U.S.’s climate change contributions to release greenhouse gases unchecked by the government. It’s expected to be a win for the fossil fuel industry, while allowing the release of significantly more planet-heating pollution. When it proposed to kill the regulations entirely last year, the Trump administration estimated that in the year 2035 alone, this would result in the release of 123 million more metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to putting an additional 28.7 million gas-powered cars on the road. Monday’s move could be slightly different. While it is expected to repeal large swaths of Biden-era power plant regulations, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assistant administrator Aaron Szabo told reporters that limited pieces of Biden- and Obama-era regs would remain in place. In addition to Monday’s final rule, the EPA proposed to find that the Clean Air Act does not give it the authority to regulate power plant emissions due to their climate impacts. If finalized, Szabo said that this move could block future administrations from regulating power plants’ climate emissions. Overall, he said that the moves would allow “American families and businesses experience lower electricity costs … thanks to an increased power supply.” The moves come as high electricity demand and increasing power prices continue to be a major political issue. Last year’s analysis found that in 2035, axing power plant climate rules could reduce electricity prices by an average of 1.4 percent. In a press release, the EPA said that it expects its final rule to save $310 billion.  President Trump has falsely said that climate change is a “hoax” on multiple occasions, and his administration has broadly sought to cut back or eliminate climate regulations. It recently repealed all climate rules for cars and trucks, saying their emissions did not pose a threat to the public. Climate change has been linked to worsening heat waves and extreme weather. The U.S. power sector is a major driver of planet-warming emissions, responsible for a quarter of total U.S. emissions.  A report from New York University School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity found that if the U.S. power sector were a country, it would be the world’s sixth-largest emitter, contributing more to climate change than the entirety of nations such as Canada, Japan, Brazil and Mexico. The report also said that the sector’s 2022 emissions alone will contribute to future climate change impacts that are expected to cause about 5,300 additional premature deaths in the U.S. due to heat and wildfire smoke. “The public health and welfare toll of this deregulation is just going to be staggering,” said Jason Schwartz, one of the report’s authors and regulatory policy director at the Institute, told The Hill. Environmental activists recoiled at the Trump administration’s latest rollback before news of it was officially announced. “It’s really just the Trump EPA putting their head in the sand,” said Meredith Hankins, federal climate legal director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “I mean, you can look at the weather we experienced this summer, the heat waves on the Fourth of July. We’re going into an El Niño season with potential hurricanes and even more extreme weather. We see the impacts of climate change all around us every day, and the Trump EPA is trying to say, ‘Well, that’s not our problem.'” Meanwhile, industry players celebrated the move. Rachael Marsh, chief legal officer at the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group representing power companies, said in a statement that it “welcomes EPA’s repeal” of the Biden-era rule. Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, which represents the coal industry, said in a statement that the Trump rule “has averted what would have been a catastrophic collision of unlawful and unworkable Biden-era technology mandates with surging energy demands.” “With today’s repeal, well-operating coal plants are no longer faced with the false choice between commercially unavailable and technically infeasible technologies, fuel-switching or closure. The administration’s action corrects the egregious misuse of the Clean Air Act as a political tool to end American coal generation and implements the law as Congress intended,” Nolan added. The EPA’s action repeals most of a Biden-era rule that would have required existing coal plants and new gas plants to prevent 90 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.

EPA rollback may worsen Trump’s Supreme Court climate headache - The Trump administration’s move on Monday to undo EPA climate rules could further complicate another wing of its strategy to quash U.S. greenhouse gas policies — its Supreme Court bid to derail lawsuits seeking to make oil producers pay for climate change. The administration has made its authority over greenhouse gas emissions central to its argument against climate lawsuits playing out in state courts. On Monday, it ceded more of that authority by formally rescinding EPA’s carbon rules for power plants, the largest industrial source of U.S. climate pollution. Lawyers watching the administration’s parallel strategies say Monday’s move may make the Justice Department’s Supreme Court case harder by undercutting its legal theory that EPA is in charge of climate regulation. “I assume when we see today’s proposal, there will be some discussion and some fancy footwork about how the Clean Air Act continues” to block state climate action, said Sean Donahue, an attorney with Donahue, Goldberg, Herzog and Davidson, who has defended federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants. “But I think in practice,” he said, “it makes it harder to have that be a credible argument.” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Monday he would refer any questions about litigation to DOJ, but argued that Congress had been “purposeful” in excluding climate from the Clean Air Act and that his agency was following the law “to the T.” “I care deeply in our Constitution, our rule of law, our process,” he said, “and I’ve read these laws and I’ve read these Supreme Court decisions.” DOJ has said it does not see any conflict with its decision to rescind climate rules and its Supreme Court argument that state-level climate lawsuits interfere with the federal government’s job. “We don’t see any contradiction in the government’s position,” Adam Gustafson, head of DOJ’s energy division, told POLITICO in a recent interview. “There are lots of ways for the federal government to win.” DOJ’s strategy will be put to the test in early October, when administration attorneys will appear alongside oil companies at the Supreme Court to argue that the justices should put the kibosh on dozens of state court lawsuits that — if successful — would force companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron and Suncor Energy to pay billions of dollars for contributing to climate change. Ahead of the argument, Trump’s DOJ has said in court papers that EPA — not the states and cities behind the climate lawsuits against oil producers — is the primary regulator of greenhouse gases. In a May Supreme Court filing, DOJ said EPA still retained authority over some industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The government’s brief said that EPA had recently concluded through its rollback of the so-called endangerment finding that it couldn’t set climate rules for motor vehicles — but hadn’t said the same about stationary sources like power plants. That’s expected to change with Monday’s rollback. West Virginia Solicitor General Michael Williams, who supports the Trump administration’s position at the Supreme Court, said federal common law and the Constitution still prevent state and local governments from regulating interstate emissions. DOJ’s Supreme Court argument “is just as strong today as it was yesterday,” Williams told POLITICO on Monday. Donahue called Trump officials “maximalists” on decimating federal regulators’ power. “The fact that it creates problems for some of their legal arguments is just, they’ll just deal with it,” he said.

DOE Coal Orders Barely Dent Summer Natural Gas Demand as Court Questions Authority - Rising US power demand is expanding natural gas’ role as a flexible fuel for electricity, but federal emergency orders extending the lives of aging coal plants are adding another complication to the pace of gas-to-power growth.NGI’s summer natural gas prices show Midwest and Midcontinent hubs maintaining premiums to Henry Hub.  At a Glance:
Coal orders displace little gas demand
Gas regains thermal generation share
Power demand growth keeps gas flexible

Nearly 3,000 acres of Ohio's only national forest auctioned off for oil and gas development  -- The U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management has leased nearly 3,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest to oil and gas companies. Critics warn the move could be damaging to the region, but industry officials say the project is needed to help the nation meet its energy needs. The Bureau announced its plans to lease the land in July. Following a mandatory protest period, 40 parcels within the Wayne National Forest were sold in an online auction on Tuesday. The sales totaled over $11 million.The highest bid was nearly $10,000 per acre on a parcel in Monroe County.Nathan Johnson, attorney of land and water for the Ohio Environmental Council, said the scale of the projects could radically change the area.“We are talking about pipelines. We are talking well pads,” Johnson said. “We're talking [about a] huge increase in truck traffic. We're talking about major increases in air pollution as well.”This isn’t the first time the Wayne National Forest has seen industrial changes. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the logging, mining and farming industries all cleared large swaths of forest land in the region.Ecologist Glen Matlack with Ohio University says the area still hasn’t fully recovered.“It takes a while to accumulate a whole forest community, to put together the entire forest. A forest is not just the trees that grow in the forest,” Matlack said.Matlack has found small patches of forest herbs growing in the national forest. The native plants grow underneath established tree canopies and are a nutrient resource for wildlife. Matlack says the infrequency of the herbs is indicative of past deforestation.“You can still recognize the history of disturbance in a forest patch here by the poverty of forest species in it,” Matlack said.The Wayne National Forest is home to several endangered species like the Indiana Bat. Because they’re protected, federal agencies can’t take actions that would put them at further risk.Mike Chadsey, director of external affairs for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, says oil and gas companies generally prefer to work with private landowners who have already clear cut their fields, instead of taking down trees in the national forest. That way they don’t have to worry about violating federal laws that protect endangered species.“The vast majority of these well pad locations, they are going to be on private property,” he said. “When you try to take down trees you can only have a small window to do that because of Indiana bats and various other species that reside in those trees.”Some private properties in Monroe and Washington Counties are surrounded by national forest land. Chadsey says opening up the forest for oil and gas development allows those landowners to lease their mineral rights, many for the first time.Chadsey says some forest land will likely still need to be cleared for pipelines — and there’s no guarantee the oil and gas companies won’t place well pads in the Wayne — but he says the impact should be minimal.“We have to be mindful of truck traffic, we have to be mindful of pipelines. So here's all the things that are involved. We are aware of them. We don't think that's a negative impact to the forest,” Chadsey said.Overall, he thinks the development will be positive for the entire state, as thousands of products can be made from crude oil and gas.“To be able to use that as a feedstock for manufacturing is huge for Ohio and West Virginia, because these are states that make things,” Chadsey said.The Ohio Environmental Council doesn’t think oil and gas drilling is worth the risk to the land.“That's a huge chunk of public land for context. I mean, that's larger than Cuyahoga Valley National Park,” Ohio Environmental Council Attorney Nathan Johnson said. “It is larger than the largest state park in Ohio. It's more than 30,000 football fields.”The Ohio Environmental Council filed a lawsuit claiming the Bureau of Land Management is violating several environmental laws by leasing federal forest land, and filed an official protest ahead of the auction.Johnson said the Council is likely to file another suit now that the auction has taken place. The Council also argues the Bureau’s environmental studies neglected to fully consider the wells’ impact on air quality.Ecologist Glen Matlock says opening up the area is especially concerning considering trees are natural air filters. They also naturally produce moisture, which cools the air.In a press release, the Bureau of Land Management stated this week’s auction is only the first step of the process. Companies leasing the land still have to submit a drilling permit application, which the Bureau has to approve.Ohio isn’t the only state where federal land is up for lease. The Bureau of Land Management is also putting National Forest land in New Mexico up for bid, along with land in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and several other states.

Fracking industry pays $11 million for first leases in Ohio’s only national forest - Signal Ohio –    A handful of out-of-state oil and gas companies paid $11 million to the federal government as a lease payment to allow them to frack for natural gas in the Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio. Drillers from Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas all won bids for some of the 41 plots that were sold Tuesday, the culmination of about a decade of work from three presidents to expand oil and gas exploration in the forest and litigation from environmentalists trying to block it. The sale spans nearly 2,800 acres of forestland. Both the signing bonuses and royalty payments will be split between the federal government and the state. As the U.S. Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday announcing the sales of leases all over the country, legislation championed by President Donald Trump lowered the legal minimum of those royalty payments from 16.67% to 12.5%. That makes the leases that much more favorable to the industry than the public, the ostensible landowner. “[This] reduces the cost of doing business on public lands, making oil and gas development more economically attractive to industry,” the agency said in a statement. “This is expected to spur additional leasing and drilling activity, which in turn supports increased domestic energy production and strengthens U.S. energy security.” Finalizing leasing in the Wayne has been part of the Trump administration’s aggressive pursuit of opening new public lands to the oil and gas industry while easing some of the rules around bond requirements, public comments and timelines around the lease sales. Environmentalists typically oppose lease sales of public lands to oil and gas companies for two reasons. For one, the drilling and extraction itself can harm plants and wildlife in the protected areas – the Center for Biological Diversity raised this issue for years in court to stall the lease sale. They also say they make governments financially dependent on fossil fuels, complicating the transition to a renewable-energy-dependent grid. More than 3,650 people filed letters of protest with the federal government over the sale. Wendy Park, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in an interview that while further legal action remains on the table, it would be a steep ask for a judge to intervene in some way so late in the process. She said it’s “outrageous” that the federal government would allow a few corporations to prosper at the expense of Ohio’s air, water and local endangered species in the forest. “Thousands of Ohioans spoke out,” she said. “Unfortunately, the federal government blew them off.” Nathan Johnson, an attorney with the Ohio Environmental Council, said the organization plans to challenge the lease deals in federal court. “Yesterday’s lease sale violates important environmental laws meant to protect endangered wildlife and the quality of the environment,” Johnson said in a statement. Drilling for oil and natural gas in Wayne goes back to the mid-20th century. However, the new leases call for “unconventional” drilling, more commonly referred to as fracking. This entails operators drilling thousands of feet downward – much deeper than “conventional” wells – before turning 90 degrees and reaching laterally. Then a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure to force the gas out at the surface. Operators are left to dispose of the millions of gallons of liquid waste. While the lease sales are final, the companies still must obtain permits from the U.S. BLM before they can begin drilling. Wayne is unique in that it’s not one contiguous plot of land but more like three separate swaths around southeast Ohio. The leases for sale sit near Marietta, Ohio, and Parkersburg, West Virginia. The federal action mirrors that of the state government. Republicans at the General Assembly and governor’s office over the past few years built a legal apparatus allowing the state to lease out 22,000 acres of its state parks and wildlife reserves to out-of-state oil and gas companies. The new leasees are Gulfport Appalachia, of Oklahoma, Apex Energy, of Pennsylvania, Magnum Producing, of Texas, Texas Independent Exploration, and OhioGasCo, of Pennsylvania.

Apex Energy Grabs 25 of 40 Parcels in OH Wayne Nat’l Forest Sale -- Marcellus Drilling News - -It’s a sellout, and we now have the full scorecard. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctioned drilling rights to 40 parcels of federal minerals under Ohio’s Wayne National Forest (WNF), and every parcel found a buyer. The 2,776.84 acres in Monroe and Washington counties brought $11,097,693 in total receipts. Five companies won leases, and one of them, Apex Energy Operating III LLC, walked off with nearly two-thirds of the acreage. We have BLM’s full parcel-by-parcel results, embedded below. It’s the first federal lease sale in the WNF since March 2017.

Ohio gas pipeline safety penalties among lowest in nation, audit finds - — Ohio’s civil penalties for gas pipeline safety violations are among the lowest in the nation, according to a state performance audit of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.The state could lose regulatory autonomy over gas pipeline safety if the Ohio General Assembly fails to increase the penalties soon, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber’s office said. Under Ohio law, PUCO can impose a maximum penalty of $100,000 for each day of each violation of noncompliance — up to a maximum aggregate forfeiture of $1 million for any related series of violations. Those are currently the minimum amounts required by federal law. State lawmakers haven’t updated the daily maximum violation amount since 2012, and they haven’t revised the aggregate maximum forfeiture amount since 2005. The current federal maximum civil penalty for pipeline safety violations is $272,926 for each violation for each day the violation continues. The federal maximum penalty for a related series of violations is $2,729,245. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regularly revises the penalties based on the consumer price index, and the federal daily and maximum penalty amounts have increased every year since the law was enacted in 2015. Auditors were able to find information on gas pipeline safety violation penalties for 40 states, and 24 of them had amounts lower than the federal maximum. However, most of those states have amounts that are above the federal minimum — the average being $1.6 million for the maximum aggregate penalty.Fifteen states have the same maximum amounts as the federal government, while Massachusetts has an aggregate maximum forfeiture amount of $10 million.Mr. Faber’s office suggested the following options to the state legislature:

• Ensure that Ohio’s pipeline safety maximum forfeiture amounts automatically update in accordance with federal regulations.
• Increase the maximum forfeiture amounts to at least the peer state average.
• Have the fines tied to an inflationary measure, such as the consumer price index.

PUCO Chairman Jenifer French said these penalty amounts have been an area of increasing concern in recent years.“Your team did an excellent job of examining how Ohio compares with its peers and analyzing the potential impact on federal funding,” Ms. French said.“This funding supports the important work of our Facility and Operations Field Division in inspecting natural gas pipelines and ensuring compliance with federal safety regulations,” she continued. “We support further study of the issue and the consideration of an increase of these maximums.”State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D., Toledo) said she wasn’t surprised that Ohio’s penalties are among the lowest in the nation.“I’ve always thought that Ohio has been very lenient to the utility companies,” Ms. Hicks-Hudson said. “I do think it’s a wakeup call for us to be a little bit more proactive.” Ms. Hicks-Hudson said she initially thought that automatically updating Ohio’s amounts in accordance with federal regulations was the best route, but she wants to study the issue further.“I do think that we need to do something to make sure that we don’t put ourselves in a worse predicament,” she said. Mike Chadsey, spokesman for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said the organization is reviewing the audit.“Safety remains our industry’s first priority,” Mr. Chadsey said.“It is important to note that Ohio's PUCO remains in compliance with federal pipeline safety requirements,” he continued. “We will continue working with regulators to ensure Ohio’s pipeline safety program remains strong and effective.”

DeepRock Appeals; Must Fix 2 Noble Co. Wells by Nov 28 or Plug -- Marcellus Drilling News - DeepRock Disposal Solutions wants two of its Noble County, Ohio, injection wells back in service — and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) keeps saying no. ODNR’s Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management shut the Travis and Warren wells in January 2023, blaming them for a 2021 brine eruption that cost the state $1.28 million to clean up. DeepRock argued its case at a hearing in April. It lost. The division chief issued a fresh order on July 31 continuing the suspension, and on Aug. 28 DeepRock appealed to the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission. Here’s the part our readers should circle on the calendar: under Ohio Administrative Code, DeepRock has 120 days from that July 31 order — until roughly Nov. 28 (our count) — to submit a plan fixing what the division found, or plug both wells permanently.

Ohio Utica 2Q26: EOG Pumps 67% of State Oil, Ascent 41% of Gas -- Marcellus Drilling News - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently released second-quarter 2026 production numbers. The state’s top natural gas producer was Ascent Resources, with 220,554,117 Mcf (220.55 Bcf) produced during the quarter, averaging 2.42 Bcf/d. Ascent’s production accounted for 41% of the state’s natural gas production. The top oil producer in the state, by far, was EOG Resources, which reports under two names: EOG Ohio LLC (the old Encino Energy assets EOG bought last year) and EOG Resources Inc. Together, they produced 8,846,396 barrels of oil during the quarter, which works out to an average of 97,213 barrels per day. That’s 67% (two-thirds!) of Ohio’s entire oil production during 2Q26.

EOG's 39 New Utica Wells Take it to 100000 bbl/d in Ohio - Hart Energy -  EOG Resources has put 39 new Ohio Utica wells online where the multi-basin E&P’s U.S. oil output is expected to grow amid hefty, but flat, Delaware Basin volumes. EOG Resources' new Utica growth is expected to offset flat output from the Delaware Basin.

ORVI Says Ohio Shale Is Shrinking. The Data Says Otherwise. - Marcellus Drilling News - -The Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI), the radical anti-fossil fuel outfit that wants to shut down Appalachian shale, is at it again. Today ORVI senior researcher Sean O’Leary published an op-ed in the Ohio Capital Journal claiming that shale’s importance to Ohio’s economy is “small and shrinking.” He lists seven “facts.” We checked every one of them against the same government data he cites. Some are technically true but badly misleading. At least one is flat wrong — by a factor of a million. Here’s what the data actually says.

16 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Sep 7 – 13 -- Marcellus Drilling News - The Marcellus/Utica region received 16 new drilling permits last week, September 7 – 13, down from the 28 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 13 of the new permits. Ohio issued 3 new permits. And West Virginia issued no new permits. The drillers who received new permits last week were: CNX Resources, EOG Resources, EQT, Infinity Natural Resources, and Range Resources. Allegheny County | CNX Resources | EOG Resources | EQT Corp | Indiana County | INR/Infinity Natural Resources | Noble County | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Westmoreland County

Precision Drilling Renews Buyback, Touts #2 Marcellus Rig Ranking -- Marcellus Drilling News - - Precision Drilling, the Calgary-based rig contractor that says it’s the #2 drilling company-for-hire in the Marcellus, announced on Sept. 16 that it will keep buying back its own stock for another year. Yawn, right? Stick with us. The buyback is the boring part. The interesting part is the investor presentation Precision put out this month, which lays out why the company thinks gas drilling for LNG exports will keep its rigs busy for years, and why the price of renting a rig is heading up.

Appalachia Nearly Matches Texas: 28% of US Gas from PA/WV/OH - Marcellus Drilling News --Texas is still the undisputed king of American natural gas — but Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio together produced almost as much gas in 2025 as Texas did all by itself. New EIA data confirms Appalachia is America’s second major shale gas hub, and it’s not particularly close behind. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual gross withdrawals table shows the country produced 47.73 Tcf of natural gas in 2025 (gross withdrawals — the total wellhead volume before processing, as distinct from marketed or dry gas figures). Texas alone accounted for 13,603 Bcf, or 28.5% of the U.S. total — nearly double Pennsylvania’s 7,676 Bcf (16.1%).

Expand Energy and Twin Eagle Transaction Closes - Expand Energy has closed its transaction with Twin Eagle, bringing together North America’s largest natural gas producer and leading gas marketer to create North America’s leading integrated natural gas company.“Today we officially merge Expand Energy’s unmatched scale, resource depth and financial strength with Twin Eagle’s marketing and optimization platform to build an advantaged commercial platform. We’re not just capturing additional margin across the natural gas value chain, we’re cementing our position as the leading integrated natural gas company in North America,” said Michael Wichterich, Expand Energy’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.Twin Eagle will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Expand Energy, retaining its name and brand. Jeremy Davis will lead the combined Marketing organization as President of Marketing.With the transaction complete, the organizations will focus on working together to drive value by:
  - Accelerating Expand Energy’s strategy by delivering incremental free cash flow.
  - Expanding customer and market reach to capture greater value from every molecule.
  - Leveraging scale and financial strength by extending contract terms, attracting additional high-quality customers and reaching high-value markets.
  - Adding an experienced team with a highly successful track record.
Together, Expand Energy’s combined portfolio now markets approximately 14 Bcf/d of natural gas, backed by roughly 9 Bcf/d of firm transportation and 49 Bcf of storage capacity — serving more than 1,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada. (NB: Expand Energy was formed by the merger of Chesapeake Energy and Southwestern Energy)

Project Bulletin, September 14, 2026: Fayette County, Pennsylvania -Upon acquiring about 700 acres of former coal mines and refuse sites from up to six Pennsylvania landowners, spanning both Luzerne and German townships, NextEra Energy Resources will now pursue development of a natural gas power plant campus. The $13 billion East Riverside Energy Center plans to leverage natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations to supply its three upcoming plants, which will carry a combined 3.75-gigawatt capacity. Funding for the project comes as a result of the Trump Administration’s March 2026 trade deal with Japan to support national large-scale power infrastructure development. While the U.S. and Japan governments will fund the project via a special-purpose vehicle, NextEra will develop and operate the complex. The facilities will be built out in phases with the first to open in 2030 and campus completion to be reached in 2032. Up to 2,000 construction roles will be created. Electricity produced by the company will be sent to the PJM Interconnection regional grid through existing transmission lines, in addition to serving data center and industrial customers.

DEP: Wind Tipped Over Conventional Crude Oil Tank, Spill Travels Nearly 1,000 Feet Down Access Road, Seeps Into A Stream On State Game Lands In Knox Twp., Jefferson County - On September 8, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the State Game Lands 244 26 conventional oil well owned by Diversified Production LLC in Knox Township, Jefferson County after notification of a crude oil spill. The owner said crude oil from a tank the wind tipped over during a recent storm caused a release of crude oil that traveled nearly 1,000 feet down an access road to a low spot where it left the road and seeped into a stream. Blobs of oily material were found nearly 180 feet down stream. Before the inspector arrived the tank had been removed, absorbent booms were placed in the stream and across the road to catch any remaining oil seeping into the stream. DEP said the tank was removed from the site of a plugged well and left along the access road. A visual cleanup of oil and oil contaminated soil was completed where the tank tipped and released the oil and piled and covered on the site until it could be tested. A representative of the tank owner said about 20 gallons of crude oil had been released, traveled nearly 1,000 feet down a road, went into a stream and traveled nearly 180 more feet in the stream. Multiple violations were issued and a written response requested by September 20. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.  To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage. Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

DEP: Routine Inspection Finds Contaminated Water From GASP Investment Conventional Oil & Gas Well Leaking From Tank In Bell Twp., Jefferson County  On September 11, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did a routine inspection of the GASP Investment LLC  Samuel J. Ishman 2 conventional oil and gas well in Bell Township, Jefferson County and found contaminated water had leaked from a storage tank.The release had killed vegetation in the area of the release which DEP estimated to be less than 42 gallons..  DEP said the tank appeared to be disconnected from the well. DEP said a visual clean up “is sufficient for this site” due to the release being less than an estimated 42 gallons.  [More than 42 gallons would have triggered more extensive cleanup procedures.] Multiple violations issued, but not a failure to report a spill, and a response requested by September 28. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.

DEP - Day 29: Cleanup Of 336,000 Gallon Spill Of Fracking Flowback Fluid From An Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well Continues At INR OPR LLC Pad In Young Twp., Indiana County  - On September 9 and 15, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did follow-up inspections of the areas at the INR OPR LLC Cooper shale gas well pad impacted by the release of 336,000 gallons of fracking flowback fluid from an uncontrolled well in Young Township, Indiana County.  Removal of contaminated materials on the well pad is mostly complete and contaminated soil is still being removed from the south and west berms of the pad.Trees were removed from the first tree line downslope from the pad and the INR cleanup contractor has installed a filter sock to control sedimentation from the excavation area along the second tree line.The consultant was onsite collecting soil samples to determine if any other areas need to be remediated and which area were clean. INR asked for and received a two week extension to respond to the original violations issued for this incident to September 25.DEP continued all the violations originally issued and noted the agency has not received an updated Spill Response and Pollution Prevention and Control Plan for the site it had requested on April 15, 2026. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.September 15:  DEP reported remediation of the well pad is complete, but contaminated soil is still being removed in the fields west of the pad. Excavation should wrap up shortly and the owner’s consultant was again onsite collecting soil samples. Click Here for the September 15 DEP inspection report + photos. An August 17, 2026 inspection report posted by the Department of Environmental Protection documents how “copious quantities” of fracking water came “gushing” from an uncontrolled shale gas well at the INR OPR LLC Cooper well pad in Young Township, Indiana County contaminating a large area and polluting nearby Whiskey Run.  Read more here.On August 31, 2026 DEP reported an estimated 336,000 gallons of fracking flowback water was released during the incident and an undetermined amount went into Whiskey Run.  Read more here.The incident resulted in a major response from firefighters in Indiana, Armstrong, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties to support a specialized gas well response crew that worked to bring the well under control.  Read more here.

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 2 Shale Gas Development Water Withdrawal Requests; Total Of 3 In 2026 On September 16, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission held its regular business meeting and, among other actions, approved two shale gas development water withdrawal requests.The requests include--

• -- EQT ARO, LLC (Loyalsock Creek), Hillsgrove Township, Sullivan County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 1.700 mgd (peak day).  Read more here.
• -- Expand Operating, LLC (Susquehanna River), Ulster Township, Bradford County, PA. Application for surface water withdrawal of up to 4.000 mgd (peak day).  Read more here.

The Commission approved three shale gas-related water withdrawals and a total of 223 well pad water use general permits so far in 2026. More Information available on pending and issued water withdrawals is available on SRBC’s Water Application and Approval Viewer webpage.

DEP: Contaminated Water, Cement Spill, No Secondary Containment Or Sedimentation Controls At Conventional Well Plugging Site In Indiana County - On September 18, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection was notified of a September 17 spill of contaminated water and cement during plugging operations at the Greylock Conventional LLC Stella Temchulla 1 conventional well in Canoe Township, Indiana County.DEP’s inspection report said cement and contaminated water returned to the surface through an 8 inch hole in the well casing and was released onto the well pad and a small amount flowed into an adjacent wooded area.L&J Oilfield Services, the plugging contractor, did not notify Greylock of the spill.  The spill was estimated to be less than 42 gallons and DEP said a “visual cleanup is appropriate for this site.” A spill reported as larger than 42 gallons could have triggered Act 2 Land Recycling Program cleanup procedures.In addition, there was no secondary containment in place around the well plugging operation and no erosion and sedimentation controls around the perimeter of the well site.Multiple violations were issued and DEP requested a response by October 5.  Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.  To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

National Fuel Gas explores options for $5 billion natural gas production business, sources say -U.S. energy firm National Fuel Gas is exploring strategic options for its integrated natural gas production business, with any deal set to value the unit at around $5 billion, five people familiar with the matter said. The Williamsville, New York-based company, which traces its roots back to 1902 as a carve-out from John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, is working with advisers including investment bankers at Goldman Sachs to study a wide range of scenarios for the business, which consists of natural gas-focused producer Seneca Resources and pipeline operator National Fuel Gas Midstream Company.Among the options being considered are a full or partial sale, a merger with another publicly listed U.S. producer, or its spinoff into a separate publicly listed company, said the sources.The sources cautioned that no transaction of any kind involving the natural gas production unit could ultimately materialize, and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.National Fuel, which has a market capitalization of around $7.6 billion, declined to comment, as did Goldman Sachs.A divestment would grant National Fuel focus and cash to grow its utility business, at a time when power demand across the United States is soaring due to the boom in infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence build-out and wider industrial electrification efforts. The utility operations are also regulated, meaning their earnings are more stable and predictable to investors than natural gas production, which is governed by market prices for the commodity. The move to explore options was also, in part, catalyzed by an inbound expression of interest in the natural gas production business earlier this year, three of the sources added, declining to disclose the bidder’s identity and the extent of the sale conversations.Seneca Resources is a Houston-based exploration and production company focused on natural gas, with operations across the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in Appalachia. It produces around 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, according to National Fuel’s July earnings presentation. Energy infrastructure operator National Fuel Gas Midstream Company supports Seneca by transporting gas from well sites to larger pipelines that carry it to end consumers. Seneca and the associated infrastructure constitute a considerable amount of National Fuel’s earnings — around 69% of adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), per the July presentation — meaning any divestment would have to be weighed carefully to ensure it does not undermine National Fuel’s remaining business, the sources said.National Fuel management has previously highlighted how cash generated by its natural gas production unit provides capital to support organic growth projects and to pay down debt faster.However, releasing cash from Seneca would allow National Fuel to fast-track an expansion of its utility business, both in terms of providing resources to pursue growth including deals but also to recalibrate its valuation multiple to that of a regulated energy business.National Fuel currently trades around 11.2 times its earnings, while many pure-play natural gas utilities trade at more than 16 times, according to data provider LSEG. This is because natural gas producers trade at a lower multiple — the top four U.S. shale gas names trade between 8 times and 12.4 times earnings, per LSEG data — which weighs on companies such as National Fuel which have both businesses.National Fuel provides natural gas utility services to around 756,000 consumers in New York and Pennsylvania, according to the July presentation. It is working to close a $2.62 billion purchase of CenterPoint Energy’s Ohio natural gas utility business, which will add a further 335,000 customers. The deal, National Fuel’s largest-ever acquisition, is slated to close on October 1.

National Fuel board to complete review of plan to split company by October 15  (Reuters) - National Fuel Gas Company said on Thursday its board expects to complete by October 15 ​its review of plans to split into two ‌publicly traded companies - utility and pipeline, and Appalachian upstream and gathering natural gas business. On Wednesday, Reuters reported the US ​energy company was weighing strategic options for its ​integrated natural gas business in a deal ⁠that could value the unit at roughly $5 billion, ​citing five people familiar with the matter.Here are some ​details:

• The separation comes as growing US power demand from AI data centers and electrification fuels investment in energy infrastructure, ​while rising natural gas demand accelerates the need ​for additional pipeline and storage capacity.
• The review follows the Williamsville, New ‌York-based ⁠company's pending acquisition of an Ohio gas utility next month.
• The proposed separation would leave National Fuel as a fully regulated natural gas company serving about 1.1 ​million customers ​in Ohio, ⁠New York and Pennsylvania, with nearly $5 billion in rate base.
• The Integrated Upstream and ​Gathering (IUG) business would become a standalone ​producer and ⁠midstream operator focused on the Marcellus and Utica shale regions.
• The IUG business would have about 1.2 million ⁠net ​acres in Appalachia, with net ​natural gas production of about 1.1 billion cubic feet per day.

SC Landowners Take Canadys Gas Plant Fight to State Supreme Court -- Marcellus Drilling News - We told you back in July that the two landowners fighting the 2,180-megawatt (MW) Canadys Station gas-fired power plant in South Carolina’s Lowcountry were teeing up an appeal straight to the state Supreme Court (see SC PSC Won’t Reconsider Its Approval of Edisto River Gas-Fired Plant). On September 1, they did exactly that. John M. Burbage and Lauren V. Moody Stanfill filed a notice of appeal with the Supreme Court of South Carolina, asking the justices to undo the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) approval of the roughly $5 billion project — a 50/50 joint venture between Dominion Energy South Carolina and state-owned Santee Cooper.

Gas Processing Frac Spread Soars to 2.5 Year High | RBN Energy - The frac spread — a rough gauge of the value of extracting NGLs from raw gas — hit $6.15/MMbtu last week, its highest level since February 2024. Weak natural gas prices combined with strong NGL prices yielded the wide price differential.  The frac spread is simply the differential between the price of natural gas at Henry Hub and the weighted average price of a typical basket of Mont Belvieu NGLs on a dollars-per-MMBtu basis. The spread is up 165% since January 2026, with natural gas down 20% over the same period while NGLs are up 50%.  As shown in the left graph below, the average annual Frac Spread has ranged between a low of $2.38/MMbtu in 2020 to a high of $5.30/MMBtu in 2021. Since 2017, it has averaged just over $4.00/MMbtu. The Frac Spread will likely stay strong as long as natural gas prices remain low and crude prices (which influence most NGL prices) remain at elevated levels.

U.S. and Gulf Coast Propane Inventories Reach Record Highs The EIA reported that total U.S. propane/propylene inventories increased by 3.1 MMbbl for the week ended September 4, exceeding the industry-expected build of 920 Mbbl and the average build of 1.9 MMbbl for the week. The increase lifted stocks to an all-time high of 110.5 MMbbl (red line in the chart below). Stocks are 12.8 MMbbl, or 13%, above the same week in 2025 (blue line); 11.4 MMbbl, or 11.5%, above the five-year maximum; and 22.2 MMbbl, or 25%, above the five-year average (green line). Inventories remain on track to approach 119 MMbbl by early October before seasonal draws begin. That would be approximately 13% above the 2025 high of 105.4 MMbbl recorded in November 2025.The increase in total U.S. inventories was driven primarily by PADD 3 (Gulf Coast), which added 2 MMbbl and accounted for roughly two-thirds of the nationwide build. The increase lifted regional stocks to an all-time high of 70.2 MMbbl (red line in the chart below). Inventories were 12 MMbbl, or 21%, above both the same week in 2025 (blue line) and the previous five-year maximum and 20.2 MMbbl, or 40%, above the five-year average (green line). Combined with the 657-Mbbl increase in PADD 1 (East Coast), the two regions accounted for approximately 86% of the nationwide build. PADD 3 now holds nearly 64% of total U.S. stocks, highlighting the concentration of inventories along the Gulf Coast.

Counterseasonal Draw Begins to Erode U.S. Propane Inventory Surplus -- The EIA reported a 1.4-MMbbl decrease in total U.S. propane/propylene inventories for the week ended September 11, compared with an industry-expected build of 650 Mbbl and an average build of 1.0 MMbbl for the week. The counterseasonal draw—the largest for the comparable week in our records dating back to 2011—lowered stocks to 109.1 MMbbl (red line in the chart below). Despite the decline, inventories are 10.2 MMbbl, or 10%, above the same week in 2025; 8.4 MMbbl, or 8%, above the five-year maximum; and 18.9 MMbbl, or 21%, above the five-year average. The draw was broad-based, led by a 781-Mbbl decline in PADD 1 (East Coast). Inventories in PADD 3 (Gulf Coast) and PADD 2 (Midwest) decreased by 570 Mbbl and 303 Mbbl, respectively, while a 277-Mbbl build in PADDs 4 and 5 provided a partial offset. As shown by the red bars in the chart below, inventories remain concentrated in PADD 3, where stocks are well above both the same week in 2025 and the five-year average. Although total stocks remain historically high, the counterseasonal draw reduced the additional inventory accumulated ahead of the winter heating season. Continued draws or below-normal builds over the next several weeks would narrow the current surplus and leave the market more exposed to strong winter demand.

Tetco M-2 Sinks to $1.435, Below EQT’s $1.50 Shut-In Trigger  - Marcellus Drilling News - -  The fall “turn down the valves” season for Marcellus/Utica gas has arrived, and it showed up about a week early. Last Friday (Sept. 11), the spot price at Texas Eastern M-2 (aka Tetco M-2), the key pricing point for gas produced in southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, averaged $1.435 per MMBtu (million British thermal units, roughly 1,000 cubic feet of gas). That’s 6.5 cents below the $1.50 mark that EQT, the region’s biggest driller, has flagged as its trigger for curtailing (temporarily cutting back) production. So, are shut-ins coming? History says probably, at least for a while.

Venture Global Secures China Gas SPA as Plaquemines, CP2 Expansions Advance -Venture Global said Monday it reached a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to supply 0.5 Mt/y of LNG to offtaker China Gas for 20 years starting in 2030, the latest in a string of positive developments for Venture Global and its Gulf Coast project portfolio. At a Glance:

• Offtake with China Gas reaches 2.5 Mt/y
• FERC approves Gator Express uprating
• Baker Hughes to support Plaquemines expansion

U.S. LNG Returns to China, But This Time the Game Is Different | RBN Energy - The nice thing about LNG trading is that cargoes do not get offended, pack their bags and disappear if they are not immediately needed in one port; they can be simply redirected to another. The trade tensions between the U.S. and China have created exactly this kind of rerouting story in the LNG market. As tariffs, trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions reshaped flows between the two countries, sellers were pushed to find new buyers, buyers had to find new suppliers, and traders had to find new routes. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how this shift has reshaped U.S.-China LNG trade and whether the new trading pattern is likely to stick around. Direct LNG trade between the U.S. and China had been dormant since February 2025, but just when it looked like things would remain quiet, a cargo from the U.S. reached China again. The QatarEnergy-operated LNG carrier Al Fat’h arrived at PipeChina’s Yangpu LNG terminal on Hainan Island in mid-July with a cargo loaded at Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG facility in early June. It may sound like a routine LNG delivery, but it was anything but ordinary. The most interesting part was not simply that U.S.-origin LNG had returned to Chinese shores; instead, it showed how U.S. LNG could physically reach China even though the commercial barriers remain in place, enabled by market flexibility and arbitrage. The cargo was moved through QatarEnergy Trading, while the Yangpu terminal has bonded status for two of its 160,000-cubic-meter LNG tanks. That’s key, because in a bonded facility an LNG cargo can be unloaded and stored without it being designated as an import unless it is regasified and sent into the pipeline network. This allows for cargoes to be re-exported, or loaded onto bunkering vessels, without attracting the Chinese import tariffs that have largely dried up the flow of U.S.-sourced LNG to China. (The Yangpu terminal is one of eight operated by state-owned PipeChina, which could be the first to develop a true Asian LNG hub, a subject we’ll explore in a future blog.)To understand why the Al Fat’h cargo matters, we need to look at the players behind the U.S.-China LNG trade and their long-term contracts. On the U.S. side is Venture Global, which developed and operates the Plaquemines LNG and Calcasieu Pass facilities in Louisiana. On the Chinese side, Sinopec and CNOOC Gas & Power stand out. Both signed long-term LNG supply agreements with Venture Global years before trade tensions between the U.S. and China intensified. In 2021, Sinopec signed two separate sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) to buy a combined 4 million tons per annum (MMtpa, 0.52 Bcf/d) of LNG from Plaquemines for 20 years. Sinopec’s trading arm, Unipec, also signed a separate agreement to purchase 3.5 MMtpa (0.46 Bc/d) of LNG from Calcasieu Pass. CNOOC agreed to purchase 2 MMtpa (0.26 Bcf/d) from Plaquemines for 20 years, while it also has a separate 1.5 MMtpa (0.2 Bcf/d) agreement for Calcasieu Pass. Because the contracts are structured on an FOB (free-on-board) basis, the buyers have the flexibility to take delivery at the U.S. terminal and place the LNG in different markets. (Destination flexibility has been the key feature of the U.S. LNG industry from the start; for more, see our Steady as She Goes series and Should I Stay or Should I Go?) That means U.S.-sourced cargoes that reached — or did not reach — China cannot be viewed solely through physical trade between the two countries. ­­While the contracts remain in place, a cargo’s final destination can change; LNG can be sold into another market instead of China, and Chinese demand can be met — or “backfilled” in trading parlance — from other, closer sources. This is where the distinction between physical flows and commercial relationships becomes important. To see why, we need to look at when and how much U.S. LNG actually reached China.As shown in Figure 1 below, U.S. flows to China have been highly variable since the U.S. began exporting LNG in 2016. Flows strengthened rapidly in 2017 and were more consistent in 2018, with a monthly high of 17,509 MMcf recorded in April. The relationship between U.S. LNG and China had gone from a standing start to a rapid courtship in just a few years, although there is some nuance to that. Companies that signed up for U.S. cargoes immediately looked to place their large U.S. exposure with Asian buyers on Henry Hub indexation, which they did. However, hardly any cargoes under those contracts were actually sourced from the U.S.; instead, they were supplied from closer sources to China, saving costs. In that regard, the U.S. was a virtual supplier to China.

Petrobras Deal Adds Commercial Support for Port Arthur Phase 2 - Sempra Infrastructure has signed Brazil’s Petrobras to a 20-year LNG supply agreement for its Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 expansion in Texas, adding a South American buyer as construction advances toward the project’s planned 2030–2031 startup.  At a Glance:

• Petrobras takes 0.8 Mt/y
• Phase 2 construction moving ahead
• Trains target 2030-2031 startups

Caturus to Nearly Double Commonwealth LNG with 7.75 MTPA Expansion - Marcellus Drilling News - - Four months after pulling the trigger on its $13 billion Commonwealth LNG export plant in Cameron Parish, Louisiana (see Caturus Makes FID to Build Commonwealth LNG Export Plant in La), Caturus is already planning to make it bigger. A lot bigger. On Tuesday, Caturus announced a five-train, 7.75 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) expansion that would take the site from 9.5 MTPA to roughly 17.25 MTPA. That’s an 81.6% increase, or “nearly double” in press-release speak. So what’s in it for the Marcellus/Utica? More than you might think, although not in the way we first thought (more on that below).

Caturus Nearly Doubles Commonwealth LNG Capacity Plans in 5-Train Expansion  -- Houston’s Catarus is expanding its Commonwealth LNG export project in Louisiana, adding five trains and 7.75 Mt/y of capacity as global energy demand surges. At a Glance:

• 5 new trains add export capacity
• Expansion targets early 2030s startup
• Initial capacity stands nearly 90% subscribed

U.S. LNG Terminals Increase Toward Winter Levels | RBN Energy -Total U.S. LNG feedgas demand averaged 18.9 Bcf/d for the week ending September 13 (blue-dotted line below), up slightly week-on-week with small changes across all terminals. All U.S. terminals are operating around full contracted utilization, with some terminals even beginning to head towards winter peak production levels, according to our LNG Voyager Weekly report. Intake at Cove Point, Corpus Christi, Calcasieu Pass, Elba Island and Plaquemines are all slightly above contracted levels.There is still room to grow because none of them are back at previous peak levels yet, and Sabine Pass could add another 0.5 Bcf/d of feedgas demand when it starts producing at winter peak levels. Cove Point will likely begin its annual maintenance outage on September 19 and could be offline for three weeks, which puts its return in mid-October. After Cove Point returns from maintenance, U.S. feedgas will likely hit new record levels with the combination of winter peak production and new capacity that has come online this year at Golden Pass and Corpus Christi Stage III.

Late Summer Heat Fuels Record September Natural Gas Power Burn - Natural gas power burn across the Lower 48 is off to its strongest September start as summerlike heat lingers over the South, propping up regional spot prices and pointing to a lighter injection in Thursday’s US Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage report. EIA weekly average US natural gas-fired power generation from 2021 through 2026, measured in GW. At a Glance:
Power burn runs 13% above 5-year average
Southeast cash expands Henry Hub premiums
Injection seen 37 Bcf below year-ago build

US Natural Gas Pipeline Buildout Pace Not Matching AI, LNG Demand Growth --Click here to listen to the latest episode of NGI’s Hub & Flow featuring Interstate Natural Gas Association (INGAA) CEO Amy Andryszak who outlines the hurdles midstreamers are facing in their race to stabilize infrastructure in key markets amid rapid US demand growth. Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, power generation, reshoring manufacturers and global LNG exports are pushing North America’s energy needs to record heights, and midstream infrastructure in the United States is hitting a critical wall. While INGAA estimates show that even in a low-carbon scenario there is a need for about 25,000 miles of new natural gas pipelines by 2050, long-standing regulatory hurdles, litigation and supply chain delays threaten to constrain critical markets, which in turn creates price volatility. In this episode of Hub & Flow, NGI’s Christopher Lenton and Andryszak dissect the key drivers and obstacles shaping the future of North American energy transport. From legislative changes and regulatory reform, to navigating steel tariffs and intense competition for natural gas turbines, the discussion outlines what it would take to build the infrastructure required to fuel the continent.

LNG Buyers Rethink Supply Strategies as Middle East Shock Reshapes Trade - Buyers of natural gas are shifting their procurement strategies after a second energy crisis in four years once again upends markets, according to McKinsey & Company. At a Glance:

• 93% plan greater supplier diversification
• Hormuz closure disrupts global LNG supply
• Asia sees deeper procurement changes

US natural gas prices hold steady as higher LNG flows counter rising output -- US natural gas futures held steady as bullish forecasts for more demand next week and an increase in daily flows to liquefied natural gas export plants offset a bearish increase in output and ample amounts of gas in storage. Front-month gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 1.1 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $2.912 per million British thermal units. That put the contract up about 3% for the week after falling about 5% last week. Looking ahead, futures for calendar 2027 fell to an average of $3.31 per mmBtu, their lowest since February 2022. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the US Lower 48 states rose to 113.2 billion cubic feet per day so far in September, up from a monthly record high of 112.2 bcfd in August. Record output and mild spring weather have allowed energy firms to keep the amount of gas in inventory above the five-year (2021-2025) average since March, reaching a high of 7.7% above normal in April. But hotter-than-normal weather this summer has forced energy firms to pull lots of fuel from storage to produce the power needed to keep air conditioners humming, cutting the inventory surplus. About 40% of US power generation comes from gas-fired plants. With the weather still hot this week, analysts predicted the amount of gas in storage slid to 3% above normal during the week ended September 18, down from 3.7% above normal in the previous week, according to estimates ahead of next Thursday’s weekly federal inventory report. Meteorologists forecast weather would remain mostly warmer than normal through October 3. LSEG said average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, is expected to slide from 109.8 bcfd this week to 108.1 bcfd next week and 105.4 bcfd in two weeks. The forecast for next week was higher than LSEG’s outlook on Thursday. Average gas flows to the nine big US LNG export plants rose to 18.1 bcfd so far in September, up from 17.2 bcfd in August, but remained short of the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to rise to 18.2 bcfd on Friday, up from a three-week low of 17.1 bcfd on Thursday, due primarily to an expected increase in flows to Sempra’s 2.0-bcfd Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana, according to LSEG data. That increase in LNG feedgas, however, may not last long since US energy firm Berkshire Hathaway Energy has said it planned to start a few weeks of maintenance on its 0.8-bcfd Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland as soon as this weekend. Around the world, gas traded near 44-month highs of around $27 per mmBtu at both the Dutch Title Transfer Facility benchmark in Europe and the Japan-Korea Marker benchmark in Asia.

Iran War Tests US Natural Gas Market as Oil Surges The intensifying Iran war is sending fresh shockwaves through global energy markets. While the impact on US natural gas prices remains muted relative to the turmoil gripping oil and international gas markets, developments this month are amplifying demand for American LNG and lending bullish sentiment.Map of Arabian Peninsula maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Suez Canal. At a Glance:
Demand for US LNG robust
Iran war side effects critical
Oil, overseas gas prices surge

Trump EPA’s Carbon Rule Reversal Could Hit Natural Gas Prices -The Trump administration finalized a partial repeal of Biden-era carbon rules for power plants, freeing new natural gas-fired turbines from a 2032 carbon capture deadline. The government’s own modeling shows coal gaining the most from the rollback, opening up natural gas supply as LNG demand tightens the market.NGI Henry Hub natural gas forward prices through May 2033 compared with curves from one, two and three years earlier. At a Glance:
CCS deadline lifted for new gas turbines
Repeal keeps 68 GW of coal online
EPA models lower Henry Hub prices

Texas Dominates U.S. Natural Gas Output, Producing Over A Quarter Of National Supply In 2025 - Texas cemented its position as the undisputed leader of American natural gas production in 2025, accounting for more than a quarter of total U.S. output across the year. The state produced 13,603 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2025, a figure that nearly doubles the output recorded by second-place Pennsylvania. That production advantage underscores the sheer scale of Texas energy infrastructure, which continues to outpace every other state by a considerable margin. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio collectively contributed 28% of U.S. natural gas production, driven largely by prolific output from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations. The Marcellus and Utica shales have long been central to Appalachian energy output, providing a significant counterweight to the dominant Permian and other Texas-based production basins. Despite that combined Appalachian strength, no single state came close to matching the volume Texas brought to market throughout the year. Just four states, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Louisiana, together accounted for 61.3% of all U.S. natural gas withdrawals in 2025, illustrating how concentrated domestic production truly is. That level of geographic concentration carries significant implications for energy policy, pipeline infrastructure planning, and national supply security going forward. New Mexico and Louisiana each play a supporting but critical role in maintaining overall supply levels, particularly as domestic and export demand for liquefied natural gas continues to grow. The data reinforces a long-standing structural reality in American energy markets, where a handful of resource-rich states effectively determine the pace and volume of national gas supply. With global LNG demand rising and U.S. export capacity expanding, Texas production figures will likely remain a closely watched benchmark for energy investors and policymakers alike. The dominance of these four states also raises questions about the resilience of U.S. supply chains should weather events, regulatory shifts, or infrastructure disruptions affect any of these key producing regions simultaneously.

Thousands of gallons of diesel spill from AI data center in Secaucus, N.J. - CBS New York - Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilled from an AI data center in Secaucus late last week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said. Contractors have been at the scene since, removing the oil from nearby Anderson Creek, a tributary of the Hackensack River. The diesel fuel discharged from a storage tank at Equinix Data Center on Friday has been contained, the New Jersey DEP said. The DEP said it is estimated that 5,000 gallons was discharged, but a spokesperson said it's unclear how much made it into the creek. Bill Sheehan of Hackensack Riverkeeper said he has been told a computer glitch caused the spill. "The computer was calling for oil," he said. The DEP said there have been no impacts to the Hackensack River and "there are no drinking water intakes in the area and no impacts to wildlife have been reported." Sheehan said he's concerned. "I'm not saying that they found a lot of dead animals. I'm not saying that. I am saying it's too early to know," he said. Equinix said it detected the fuel release Friday, stopped it, and immediately contacted different agencies, adding, "We are working closely with those agencies, local officials, and community stakeholders to ensure a thorough remediation, while also conducting a full investigation to determine the root cause and prevent recurrence." "Secaucus is the place where data centers have been being built," said Ben Dziobek of Climate Revolution Action Network. "We need to slow this down, and we are calling for a statewide moratorium on data centers." Equinix said it has been in the community for more than two decades and is committed to resolving the issue, and will be transparent with the community. The DEP said the cleanup should take several days.

Exploration-Led Strategy Keeps EOG's Pipeline Full | Energy Intelligence  -Exploration is part of EOG Resources' DNA. One of the shale sector's true E&P pioneers, EOG has drilled and evaluated nearly every unconventional basin in the US, organically building an expansive portfolio of foundational and diversified asset bases. The Houston-based independent continues to test new frontiers, with ongoing efforts to unlock unconventional resources in the Middle East and conventional barrels elsewhere. But CEO Ezra Yacob does not necessarily expect many of EOG's rivals to replicate its strategy: "I'm not sure if we're really going to be a trendsetter," he tells Energy Intelligence in an exclusive interview. As shale enters a new era of maturity, Yacob still sees plenty of room for innovation to drive recoveries higher. For many shale operators, consolidation within primary basins has been the key driver of growth. While EOG has dabbled in M&A, including last year's $5.6 billion purchase of Encino Acquisition Partners, most of its growth has come through the drill bit. "So much of the industry has moved more toward exploitation, development and specialization in a single basin, more so than exploration. I'm not sure if there is a strong desire to start exploring, especially internationally," Yacob says. From 2017-24, for example, Energy Intelligence calculations show that EOG's proved reserves increased by 86% to 4.47 billion barrels of oil equivalent, primarily through organic exploration and with limited dealmaking. EOG's reserve base comprises a uniquely diversified portfolio, including four "foundational" assets: the Permian's Delaware Basin; the Eagle Ford Shale and the Dorado gas play, both in south Texas; and the Utica Shale in Ohio.

Midland’s Summit Petroleum Wraps U-Turns Around Planned EOG Well - Hart Energy - Permian Basin operator Summit Petroleum has stacked U-turn laterals on either side of where EOG Resources planned—but has not yet completed—a lateral in the southern Midland Basin. Summit Petroleum's five U-turn wells in the southern Midland Basin IP'ed an average of 1584 bbl/d each in Upton County.

Basket Case – With U.S. Refiners Already Running Hard, Relief on Diesel Remains Elusive | RBN Energy  -- A $100/bbl diesel crack spread is an incredibly strong market signal, but it doesn’t translate to higher refinery output because most U.S. refiners already operate at or near their practical limits. As global supply disruptions drain inventories and foreign buyers pull more barrels from the U.S., diesel prices have surged even as domestic refinery runs remain near historic highs. In today’s RBN blog, we look at why high crack spreads don’t necessarily increase a refinery’s output, how market disruptions elsewhere can drain U.S. inventories, and the indicators that will help tell us whether the diesel squeeze is easing (or worsening).As we noted in Part 1 of this mini-series, 2026 will be remembered by some as the year that diesel cracks topped the century mark ($100/bbl) for the first time. On August 17, the U.S. Gulf Coast diesel crack spread (vs. WTI Cushing) surpassed that sky-high level. On Monday, September 1, 2026, the diesel crack closed at $103.29/bbl, the highest close on record, before reaching a record high intraday price the following day of $108.02/bbl. As of publication, the diesel crack soared even higher, closing at a new record high of $107.72/bbl on September 10. It’s important to note that global crude markets are not terribly short of crude in the traditional sense (despite various geopolitically driven constraints). Instead, the world is struggling to refine enough crude oil into middle distillates to satisfy demand. U.S. distillate stocks in August were on track for their lowest end-of-month level since April 2005 and were the lowest for the month since 1951.A crack spread measures the difference between the value of refined products and the crude oil used to produce them. A $100/bbl headline diesel crack (the right end of the orange line, measured against the left axis in Figure 1 below) does not mean a refinery earns $100/bbl in net profit. First and foremost, U.S. refiners and importers currently incur approximately $15 in RVO/RIN compliance costs for every barrel of diesel sold domestically. That cost is passed through 100% into the domestic diesel price. The headline crack therefore includes the full RVO/RIN cost—an amount the refinery must spend on compliance rather than retain as margin. To calculate the effective crack spread, the entire RVO/RIN cost per barrel of diesel must be deducted:Effective diesel crack = Headline diesel crack − RVO/RIN cost per barrel of diesel.  Thus, a $100/bbl headline crack less than a $15/bbl RVO/RIN cost yields an $85/bbl effective crack (still a historical high value), before operating costs and other expenses. The same distinction explains why, on a comparable basis, U.S. diesel exports to Latin America typically sell at a discount to domestic diesel equal to the RVO/RIN cost: exported barrels do not carry that domestic compliance obligation.In addition, refiners still have operating expenses, transportation costs, financing costs, hedging effects and the economics of the other products produced by the refinery. Instead, it means that the market value of diesel relative to crude has become extraordinarily high. If crude (blue line and left axis) is expensive because the world is short of barrels, crude prices should be doing most of the work. But when diesel prices (green dashed line and right axis) rise dramatically relative to crude, the problem is further downstream.   One would think this would lead refiners to increase their output, but there’s a big catch in the usual higher-cracks-bring-more-supply story: U.S. refiners do not wait for exceptional margins before running hard, as you can see in the steep increase around the variable-cost threshold in Figure 2 below. Once margins cover the incremental cost of processing another barrel (and we are in the operating regime the vast majority of the time), most refiners quickly return to high operating rates (yellow box in Figure 2). Refineries carry enormous fixed costs, while the cost of processing the next barrel is comparatively low. Because refineries have such large fixed costs, processing another profitable barrel helps to cover those costs even when overall margins are not exceptional. Indeed, for most U.S. refiners, we dip below this marginal-cost threshold only during periods of extremely weak demand and refinery margins, with the 2008/2009 financial crisis and the COVID pandemic as two relatively recent examples. So, as long as the margin on that barrel covers the incremental cost of processing it, running the refinery contributes something toward fixed costs, which explains why the curve rises so sharply. Average margins normally clear that bar, as seen in the ‘Average’ portion of the x-axis. At this point, the curve has nearly flattened, meaning most available refining capacity is already running. A $100/bbl crack makes a refinery much more profitable, but it does not make the crude unit or hydrocracker any bigger. Once a refinery approaches its physical operating limit, stronger margins cannot create much additional throughput (practical maximum in Figure 2). Maintenance and outages can also move this practical ceiling up or down. So despite profitability increasing substantially, refinery throughput changes very little (blue box in chart below). At the aggregate U.S. level, utilization therefore moves much more with the turnaround calendar and unplanned outages than with the difference between average and very strong margins. Broad discretionary run cuts are unusual. Economics generally have to get very weak, as they did during the late 2000s financial crisis and during COVID, before a large share of the industry starts backing down. A few smaller or higher-cost refineries adjust rates more often, but they are mostly noise in the national numbers.That operating model is also why refining margins are so volatile. Refineries keep running through mediocre markets because the incremental barrel still contributes toward fixed costs. Once the available system is full, however, higher margins bring forth little additional throughput. Demand and outages can change in days, while a major expansion or new refinery takes years. Cracks can fall a long way before economics get bad enough to force meaningful run cuts, then soar when the market runs short of capacity.That is where U.S. refining sits today. As discussed in our weekly Crude Billboard report, Energy Information Administration (EIA) data show second-quarter runs at their highest level since 2019. Distillate exports averaged 1.56 MMb/d, 30% above the five-year average, and Reuters estimated early August exports near a record 1.9 MMb/d. Those exports do not show that high cracks unlocked idle capacity. They show foreign buyers pushing harder on a system that was already near its limit.During the week ended August 28, the EIA reported 17.5 MMb/d of crude inputs and 17.7 MMb/d of gross inputs, equal to 98.0% of reported operable atmospheric distillation capacity, the highest utilization rate since August 2018. Ratings are not hard ceilings, but little headroom remains at that national rate. Extra diesel also requires room in hydrocrackers, hydrotreaters, hydrogen plants and sulfur-recovery units.Despite high runs, U.S. distillate inventories remain low. As of the week ended September 4, inventories stood at about 106.3 MMbbl, 14 MMbbl below year-ago levels and roughly 12% below the five-year seasonal average. Inventories still remain low, particularly low in PADD I, whose inventories fell the prior week to 19.3 MMbbl, their lowest level since records began in 1990.With stocks already that low, a foreign supply loss cannot be absorbed quietly through inventory. More of the adjustment has to come through higher prices (which trigger demand destruction), shortages, or mandated demand curtailment. Figure 3 below shows how a disruption elsewhere can drain U.S. stocks and widen diesel cracks even when domestic refineries are running flat out. Higher cracks can redirect cargoes and encourage modest yield shifts, but they cannot quickly create much additional U.S. throughput. Potentially lower demand is not likely to provide quick relief. Most diesel is burned to move freight, harvest crops, operate construction and mining equipment, and power industrial and marine activities. High prices will eventually destroy some demand, but much of that consumption cannot be easily deferred. Late-summer and fall harvest demand adds to the near-term pressure. This explains why diesel cracks have been able to achieve such high values.  Can the headline crack remain at these extremely elevated levels? Probably not indefinitely. But higher U.S. utilization is not a viable pathway to relief. Relief will have to come from returning Russian or Gulf supply, higher refinery utilizations elsewhere (such as Latin America and Africa, especially the new 700-Mb/d Dangote refinery in Nigeria, where utilization is typically weak due to poor operation and maintenance rather than economics), increased exports from China, weaker demand, rebuilt inventories, and/or lower RIN costs. Refiners can adjust crude slates, shift yields toward distillate, and squeeze a little more out of individual units, but those are small responses compared with a major loss of foreign supply. The EIA expects U.S. refinery inputs to remain around 17 MMb/d through August, then fall below 16 MMb/d in October as seasonal maintenance begins. That decline would reflect the turnaround calendar, not refiners walking away from strong margins. With inventories already thin, routine autumn maintenance could tighten the balance further.  Several indicators will show whether the squeeze is easing (or worsening):

• Inventories. A sustained build, adjusted for normal seasonality, would show that U.S. production plus imports are outpacing domestic product supplied plus exports. Conversely, continued below-normal draws would signal that the U.S. balance remains tight.
• Latin American refinery utilization. Mexico and Venezuela have significant refinery capacity that is not running (or running at low utilization). If operators can get those plants running more reliably, they could add meaningful product supply to the global market. There is, however, no sign of a broad, sustained increase in runs, and none appears imminent. But the capacity is there (at least on paper), so it is worth watching. In Mexico, the performance of the new Dos Bocas refinery will be of particular interest — it is still struggling to achieve rates anywhere near its design capacity of 340 Mb/d and in the past few months throughput has fallen to below 150 Mb/d due to several fires and other operating hiccups. The evolution of Venezuela's political situation will also be worth noting, although a meaningful improvement in refinery operations (from current utilization rates in the 20% range) is a long-term proposition and will require significant foreign investment and partnerships.
• Chinese Refined Product Export Policy. China has spare refining capacity but routinely restricts product exports. Exports were severely restricted in April-June 2026, with some loosening of export restrictions seen in July and August 2026. Nonetheless, it is never easy to predict export policies on a month-to-month basis, as they are driven by domestic politics and are not necessarily responsive to global markets. The biggest swings in Chinese product exports generally come in jet, but that would still be impactful to middle distillate markets.
• Exports. If U.S. diesel exports remain high while stocks fall, foreign buyers are continuing to pull barrels from the U.S. market.
• Russian and Persian Gulf supply. A sustained recovery in Russian product exports would help. However, the more likely near-term swing could come from Persian Gulf refineries returning and Hormuz shipping normalizing.
• RINs and BOHO. Lower Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices (likely driven by a narrower spread between soybean oil and ULSD, known as the BOHO spread) would reduce compliance costs even if the physical diesel balance remained tight. (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 Renewable Volume Obligation, or RVO, mandates.)

The diesel market will not be balanced by U.S. refiners simply turning up the dial. With runs already near practical limits and inventories well below normal, meaningful relief will have to come from somewhere else — returning refinery capacity overseas, stronger Russian and Gulf product flows, softer demand, rebuilding stocks or lower compliance costs. Until then, a major supply disruption can continue to produce an outsized price response. The key is to watch the physical market, not just the headline crack: inventories, exports, refinery utilization and global product flows will tell us whether the diesel squeeze is actually loosening, or merely waiting for the next disruption.

Pink Pony Club – Enbridge Saddles Up for Expanded Crude Service With Pony Express Acquisition | RBN Energy - Enbridge is buying Tallgrass Energy’s crude oil transportation, gathering and storage business for US$2.55 billion in cash. The deal includes a 75% interest in the 1,050-mile Pony Express Pipeline, a roughly 460-Mb/d crude oil system linking Rockies production with the Cushing, OK, storage hub and providing direct access to about 500 Mb/d of refining capacity. Enbridge also gets a 51% interest in the Powder River Gateway system, about 8.4 MMbbl of storage capacity across nine crude terminals, and Stanchion Energy, a crude marketing business. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss what the acquisition means for Enbridge.  Tallgrass Energy entered the crude business following its August 2012 purchase of about 432 miles of the existing Pony Express Pipeline (pink line in Figure 1 below) from Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission. The line had originally been a crude-oil pipeline but was converted to natural-gas service in the mid-1990s. After receiving Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization in September 2013, Tallgrass abandoned the line’s natural-gas service in December 2013 and converted it back to crude-oil service. It also constructed approximately 260 miles of new pipeline from Lincoln County, KS, south to Cushing, creating the original Guernsey-to-Cushing mainline, which entered commercial service in October 2014. Pony Express receives crude at the Guernsey, WY, hub from the Powder River Basin — including volumes delivered via the Powder River Gateway System’s Iron Horse and Powder River Express pipelines (more on those below), as well as from the Bakken. The initial Pony Express system established a Rockies-to-Cushing crude oil route, with deliveries also available to the Phillips 66 refinery (blue refinery icon) in Ponca City, OK. The Northeast Colorado Lateral entered commercial service in April 2015, adding supply access from northeastern Colorado. The 55-mile Platteville Extension, which connected a new origin near Platteville, CO, to the Pony Express system, entered service in Q2 2018. Pony Express completed direct connections to the Holly Frontier El Dorado refinery (green refinery icon) and the CHS McPherson refinery (yellow refinery icon) in January 2018, giving shippers direct access to three refineries, including the existing Ponca City connection. Tallgrass also acquired a 51% interest in the Pawnee Terminal in Colorado, an injection point for the Northeast Colorado Lateral, and a 38% interest in the Deeprock North crude oil terminal in Cushing, which merged into the Deeprock Development terminal (gray terminal with orange icon) the same month. (Tallgrass owned ~60% of the combined entity after the merger.)Tallgrass and Silver Creek Midstream formed the Iron Horse Pipeline joint venture in February 2018 to transport Powder River Basin crude to Guernsey. Iron Horse (aqua line) is an approximately 80-mile, 16-inch pipeline with an initial capacity of 100 Mb/d and expansion capability to about 200 Mb/d. Silver Creek also owned the Powder River Express (PRE; dark-blue line), a 70-mile, 12-inch crude oil pipeline connecting Powder River Basin crude to Guernsey, with a capacity of about 90 Mb/d and expansion capability to 125 Mb/d. Effective January 1, 2019, Tallgrass and Silver Creek Midstream combined the pipelines and Guernsey crude-oil terminal facilities in the Powder River Gateway joint venture. Tallgrass owns 51% of Powder River Gateway and operates the joint venture, while Silver Creek owns 49%The expansion of Pony Express and the Powder River Basin supply system occurred alongside a broader change in Tallgrass’s ownership. Tallgrass became a public company through Tallgrass Energy Partners and related entities before Blackstone Infrastructure began acquiring control. Blackstone completed its purchase of Tallgrass’s general partner and approximately 44% economic interest for about $3.2 billion in March 2019. Blackstone and its partners then completed the transaction in April 2020, acquiring the remaining public Class A shares for $22.45 per share.Today, Pony Express is about 1,050 miles long, with 460 Mb/d of capacity connecting Rocky Mountain crude production with Cushing and direct access to approximately 500 Mb/d of refining capacity. A planned Pony Express expansion is expected to increase system capacity to approximately 515 Mb/d when it enters service in late 2027.That brings us to what Enbridge is buying. The deal, which is expected to close in late 2026, includes a 75% interest in Pony Express and a 51% interest in Powder River Gateway, which includes the two crude pipelines (Iron Horse and PRE) with combined delivery capacity to move about 240 Mb/d of crude to Guernsey. The deal also includes about 8.4 MMbbl of storage capacity across nine crude terminals (gray tank icons in Figure 1) connected to Pony Express, including the non-operating interest in the Deeprock terminal in Cushing, as well as Stanchion Energy, a crude-marketing business. This deal follows Enbridge’s recently announced $600 million acquisition of Salt Creek Midstream’s crude gathering business in the Permian Basin (see Connection). Enbridge announced plans to buy Salt Creek Midstream’s crude-oil-gathering business on August 26. The deal includes full ownership of the Orla and Wink North systems and a 50% interest in the Delaware Crossing system, giving Enbridge a stronger connection to Permian production. From there, crude can move onto larger pipelines Enbridge has ownership of, such as Gray Oak or Cactus II, to Corpus Christi, then to the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC) for export. Enbridge said the Salt Creek and Tallgrass transactions fit its broader approach to investing in crude infrastructure where it sees strong basin fundamentals, contracted cash flow and opportunities for future growth.The Salt Creek acquisition will strengthen the connection between crude production in the Permian Basin and export capacity at EIEC (white diamond in Figure 2 below) because of Enbridge’s Gray Oak Pipeline (magenta lines), an 850-mile system that moves crude from multiple West Texas receipt points to Corpus Christi and Ingleside. It entered service shortly before the pandemic with a capacity of 900 Mb/d and has long operated at high utilization rates. Continued Permian supply growth prompted Enbridge to expand the line by 120 Mb/d in two phases (see I Want to Break Free). The first, an 80-Mb/d expansion from Crane to Corpus Christi and Ingleside, entered service in May 2025. The second, 40-Mb/d phase was completed in May 2026, bringing Gray Oak’s capacity to 1.02 MMb/d.Enbridge also owns 30% of Cactus II (blue lines in Figure 2), a 575-mile, 26-inch system that was designed to ease Permian constraints, with construction beginning in late 2017 and service starting in August 2019 at 585 Mb/d. Plains All American operates and owns 70% of Cactus II, which is also connected to EIEC. The pipeline extends into the Midland and Delaware basins via connections at Station 285 near Orla, Wink South and McCamey, and now has 670 Mb/d of capacity, with deliveries to George West, Taft and Ingleside on the South Texas coast.With the Salt Creek acquisition, Enbridge will gain crude-gathering infrastructure closer to the wellhead in the Delaware Basin. Barrels collected at or near Wink and Orla can move into larger Permian takeaway systems — including Cactus II and Gray Oak — on their way to the Texas coast. The acquisition strengthens Enbridge’s physical connection between Permian production and its EIEC.

Sable Offshore Digging Up 12 Spots of Pipeline for Corrosion - The Santa Barbara Independent --Six months after Sable Offshore Oil relaunched oil production at its Las Flores Canyon Plant in Santa Barbara County — after a 10-year shutdown resulting from a major oil spill caused by pipeline corrosion in 2015 — company attorneys notified county officials that they need county clearance to dig up 12 lengths of pipeline to determine whether they’re as corroded as a federally mandated tests indicated they were. Should the 12 “anomalies” — as these corrosion hot spots are known — eat into the wall of the steel pipeline by 40 percent or more, the company would be required to repair that portion of pipe. Although the county counsel’s office has not yet decided whether to issue the Houston-based oil company such a clearance — or even what the county’s jurisdictional authority is — Sable work crews have been out digging up pipeline since September 8. Seven of the anomalies are located along the coast — more typically the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission — and four stretches located inland close to Sable’s Las Flores plant. (Two of the anomalies are located at one site.) For the time being, county officials are saying they do not know how many — if any — of the 12 anomalies will require repair. Regardless, Sable is required to dig up the corrosion hot spots to visually and physically inspect the stretches of pipe to determine if the actual corrosion is as bad as the “smart pig” tests — as they are colloquially known — indicated, using a method known as Inline Inspection that bombards the inner walls of the pipeline with electrostatic energy. According to county spokesperson Kelsey Buttita, the county does not know how corroded the “smart pig” said the 12 anomaly hot spots were. Nor does she know at this point whether any of the 12 anomalies will need to be repaired. For the time being, the county and Sable are describing these digs as “validation digs.” According to Buttita, Sable told the county that pipeline excavation and repair can be conducted “live,” meaning that pumping need not stop for the work to get done. The first leg of the work ran from September 8 to 15. The next leg will run from September 18 to 26. For a host of obvious reasons, corrosion control is an exceptionally hot-button issue where Sable and its pipeline are concerned. Given the viscosity of the crude oil pumped from Sable’s three offshore platforms, the heat required to move that thick oil up our steep mountain slopes, and the condensation that accumulates along the lower half of the pipeline as a result of that heat, Sable’s pipeline is unusually susceptible to corrosion. Making the matter more charged, traditional industry best practices for corrosion control have demonstrated they are simply not up to the challenge here. That — coupled with the criminal neglect evidenced by one of the pipeline’s prior owners — led to the pipeline rupture of 2015 and the 142,000 gallons of crude that spilled as a result in what’s known as the Refugio Oil Spill. Currently, Sable answers to the federal pipeline safety administration for its marching orders regarding pipeline safety and corrosion control. That federal agency seized oversight authority from the Office of the State Fire Marshal last year at Sable’s request; the Fire Marshal had insisted upon a level of corrosion significantly more stringent than the federal agency and, based on this reading of the rules, denied Sable the restart permit the company then desperately needed. Sable accused the Fire Marshal of moving the goalposts where corrosion control was concerned at the last minute as part of a politically motivated hit by Sacramento Democrats. Regardless, this federal agency — the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA — requires that Sable conduct two smart pig tests over nearly 200 miles of pipeline twice a year for the first two years of operation. After those two years, PHMSA will require just one such test. Sable first notified the county on August 31. According to county spokesperson Buttita, Sable informed the county that the current validation sites “are not located in the exact same locations that were repaired since 2017,” alluding to the 120 anomalies that Sable repaired along the pipeline in the past two years to address the widespread corrosion discovered in the aftermath of the spill. While that description — not “the exact same location” — opens the door to further questions, Buttita added, “Staff confirmed that this is correct based on review of the information submitted.” Linda Krop, chief counsel for the Environmental Defense Center and one of Sable’s most dogged opponents, expressed legal and operational safety concerns about the news that Sable is digging “validation” sites along the coast and back country. “According to Sable and the Trump Administration, this pipeline was supposed to be totally safe. But just six months after starting, they are already finding so-called anomalies, which are defects that are serious enough that they require excavations and potential repairs.” Krop blistered Sable for doing the work without having secured what normally would have been required permits. (With the Trump Administration’s invocation of the Defense Production Act to order Sable to restart production at the end of last year — arguing more oil production is necessary because of national security concerns — anything resembling “normal” ceased to exist as a matter of permitting requirements.) Krop charged that Sable needs coastal development permits from the Coastal Commission to conduct digs that move 47 cubic yards in the county’s environmentally sensitive coastal zone. “Just last month, a court ruled that Sable can’t make any repairs to the pipeline in the Coastal Zone without permits from the Coastal Commission,” Krop said. Calls and texts to Sable representatives for comment have not been returned.

Ksi Lisims Builds Commercial Momentum With 20-Year Santos LNG Deal -Ksi Lisims LNG has added Australia’s Santos to its growing list of prospective buyers, giving the proposed Canadian terminal another commercialization boost as developers work toward a final investment decision (FID) by year-end. NGI LNG netback prices compare Western Canada, Costa Azul and Cove Point with North American natural gas forwards through September 2027.  At a Glance:

• Santos agrees to 1 Mt/y
• Binding SPAs cover half capacity
• Developers target year-end FID

Naftogaz, Hanwha Agreements Advance 2 Canadian LNG Proposals -    Two early stage Canadian LNG export proposals have taken additional commercial steps, with Quebec’s Kino Aski LNG identifying its first prospective buyer and British Columbia’s Kanata LNG advancing investment and ownership arrangements. NOVA/AECO C natural gas spot prices and forward curve through 2030, with forwards mostly ranging from about $1.30 to $2.50/MMBtu.  At a Glance:
Kino Aski names 1st prospective buyer
Naftogaz eyes long-term Canadian LNG
Kanata advances proposed Hanwha partnership

‘A Long Time Coming’ for Ecuador, Colombia’s New LNG Plans  -Ecuador’s state oil and gas company Petroecuador is seeking interest in an LNG import project as the nation’s government looks to shore up energy security.  NOAA map shows how often El Niño summers have been warmer or cooler than average worldwide across 29 historical events.  At a Glance:
Ecuador eyeing 60–100 MMcf/d
Colombia plans 150 MMcf/d terminal
Drought raises power demand

VLCC Freight Rates Soar to Record High | RBN Energy -As discussed in this week’s Crude Billboard, the cost of moving U.S. crude into international markets became a more significant constraint last week, as the broader energy market strengthened amid escalating geopolitical tensions. The cost to charter an Aframax vessel from the U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC) to Europe (green line in chart below) more than doubled, rising from below 250 Worldscale (WS) points at the end of the prior week to nearly WS500 on Friday, their highest level since early April. The increase was not limited to a single vessel class or destination but reflected broader tightening across the tanker market. A raise in rates also proved consequential for long-haul exports. The cost of chartering a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) from the USGC to Asia soared 25% to nearly $37 million per voyage on Friday, the highest since RBN’s records began and almost four times the year-ago level, before skyrocketing to a new record high of $44.8 million per voyage on Monday (far right of blue line in chart below). These increases materially change the export calculation. A wider Brent-WTI spread generally improves the economics of moving discounted U.S. barrels overseas, but the spread must now cover a substantially larger freight bill before an exporter realizes any improvement in netback. Unless the Brent-WTI spread widened by enough to offset the weekly increase in VLCC costs, the economics of an incremental cargo to Asia deteriorated despite the more supportive benchmark differential.

Pemex contains another oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico  - An oil spill was detected at Pemex facilities north of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, last Thursday, prompting the Navy to activate a contingency plan to help the state-owned company control the leak quickly enough to assure the public that no oil would reach the coastline. Unlike the major Gulf Coast incident that occurred earlier this year, Pemex quickly confirmed that crude was leaking from one of its pipelines. “Immediate action was taken to depressurize the pipeline and isolate it by closing safety valves at its ends,” Pemex said in a statement released on Saturday. “Since then, it has remained without flow and without any leakage.” Complementing Pemex’s security measures, the Navy deployed its ARM “Guanajuato” Ocean Patrol Vessel, four additional boats and two aircraft, along with 255 naval personnel. Additionally, continuous observation is being carried out to monitor the evolution of the slick — which measured 4 square kilometers on Thursday — and forecast its movement so as to apprise state authorities and the public. Agency for Safety, Energy and the Environment (ASEA) scientists were analyzing three drift forecast models, all projecting a net westward shift over the next five days. ASEA has also been conducting overflights to document the containment, the clean-up and repair efforts. The Permanent Observatory of the Gulf of Mexico — which discovered and reported the leak — is an integrated, real-time environmental monitoring system created by the federal government in April. It was launched amid fallout over a massive leak in February that Pemex officials originally hid from upper management and then was made worse when the oil company denied responsibility. This time, authorities have been more transparent. Pemex acknowledged that the incident occurred at its Ek Balam platform system, part of the Cantarell oil field, one of the most productive in Mexican history By Sunday, the dredging of the seabed had been completed and Pemex said pipeline repairs would be completed in the coming days.

The Long Road – U.S. Oil Deals Have Venezuela Poised for Long-Term Growth, But It’s Far from Certain   --Venezuela’s oil industry spent more than a decade moving in the wrong direction, with crude production, exports and refinery operations falling far below their former levels. But 2026 has brought a notable change. Production has begun to recover, exports have risen and even refinery throughput has moved slightly higher. A sweeping new agreement with the U.S. could accelerate investment and development across the country’s upstream oil sector, although that outcome is far from certain. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the recent improvements in Venezuelan crude oil production and exports in light of its deal with the U.S., and although that deal does not involve refining, we will also address the prospects there.Under the first-of-its-kind agreement announced in late August, Venezuela agreed to grant 100-year concessions for 17 oil fields with proven reserves of approximately 65 billion barrels to North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), the country’s second-largest private oil producer. NABEP, which said it expects to spend nearly $100 billion on new infrastructure in Venezuela, granted the U.S. a 35% equity stake in its corporate parent and also gave the U.S. the right to purchase, at production cost, 20% of the offtake from all current and future fields NABEP will operate, according to a White House fact sheet published August 31. The U.S. also has the right of first refusal to purchase the remaining 80% of its production, per the fact sheet. The deal greatly expands U.S. control of Venezuela’s energy sector..We should note at the top that there are a seemingly endless number of questions about the practical and legal concerns around the highly unusual deal. Can the U.S. government legally take a majority stake in a foreign joint venture? How politically durable will the agreement be in the U.S. and Venezuela? Will it encourage other oil and gas companies to invest in Venezuela? Those, and others, are thorny questions and we’re not going to attempt to answer them here. Our focus today is what the deal, and a separate announcement by Chevron (more on that below), could mean for Venezuela’s oil sector going forward given the changes already seen this year.Venezuela’s oil industry has been in long-term decline, but its massive reserves alone provide hope for a lasting turnaround. Venezuela reported in 2023 that it has 303 billion barrels of proved reserves (far-left bar in Figure 1 below) — roughly equal to 17% of the global total and the highest of any country. The announced deal with the NABEP would give the U.S. access to 65 billion barrels (green bar segment at far left; about 21% of the total) but would not include the other 248 billion barrels (orange bar segment). The U.S. has about 74 billion barrels of proved reserves (red bar segment), ranking #9 globally.

Antwerp-Bruges shipping resumes after oil spill disruption - Port Technology International - Shipping traffic has resumed at the Deurganckdock in the Port of Antwerp following an oil spill that temporarily disrupted operations. The incident occurred near quays 1714-1716 on 14 September, with emergency and clean-up teams deployed to contain the pollution and address damage to the vessel involved. The hole in the vessel’s hull was temporarily sealed on 14 September, allowing shipping traffic to pass the affected vessel. Permanent repairs are still required. The Kieldrecht Lock has also returned to service, while clean-up operations remain ongoing. As of 15 September at 08:30, a mooring ban remained in place at berths K1714, K1716 and K1720. READ: Port of Antwerp-Bruges brings digital release to Zeebrugge During the incident, part of the Deurganckdock was closed, and vessels were unable to pass the affected ship. Traffic was diverted through the Kallo Lock where possible. Operations elsewhere in the Deurganckdock, including shipping and loading and unloading activities outside the affected area, continued. Two inland vessels located within the affected zone were cleaned and subsequently left the area. The vessel involved, MSC Renaissance III, was the only vessel still reported to be polluted. No oil pollution had been detected spreading into the Scheldt. Clean-up teams continue to contain and remove the remaining pollution while work progresses towards a permanent repair of the vessel’s hull.

IEA Sees 5.7 Million Bpd Oil Supply Plunge as Gulf Recovery Slips to 2027 - The IEA just took another 1.4 million barrels per day out of its 2026 global oil supply outlook, and it no longer expects normal Gulf flows to return this year, according to a new agency report released on Friday. Global oil supply is now expected to fall by 5.7 million bpd in 2026, or roughly 6%, compared with the 4.3-million-bpd decline the agency forecast just one month ago. The delayed recovery of Middle Eastern production has pushed the return of normal Gulf supplies into 2027.Global oil stocks fell at a rate of 3.1 million bpd in August, leaving inventories at 7.8 billion barrels, their lowest since 2023. In July, the IEA had put the cumulative inventory loss since the Iran war began at 410 million barrels.Saudi Arabia accounted for a large chunk of August’s deterioration. Saudi crude supply plunged 2.3 million bpd during the month to just 6 million bpd, its lowest level in more than three decades, after attacks hit facilities and shipping routes. OPEC+ production fell 1.8 million bpd to 38.8 million bpd.The shortage is already destroying demand.The IEA now expects global oil consumption to fall by 2.5 million bpd this year, compared with the 1.6-million-bpd contraction it forecast in August. Record fuel prices are forcing consumers to use less, particularly as refinery disruptions tighten diesel and other product markets.Supply is disappearing faster.  That puts the IEA nearly 2.9 million bpd away from OPEC on 2026 demand. OPEC said Thursday that it still expects global oil consumption to grow by 380,000 bpd this year.The two forecasters converge in 2027. The IEA expects demand growth of 2.6 million bpd next year, while OPEC sees 2.36 million bpd.

XRG’s Caspian Expansion Converges With US LNG Push Into Europe Abu Dhabi-backed investment firm XRG has reached into Southeast and Central European natural gas markets with the acquisition of a stake in the Southern Gas Corridor, strengthening a Caspian supply position as US LNG exporters pursue many of the same regional buyers. At a Glance:

• XRG adds Southern Gas Corridor stake
• US LNG targets overlapping markets
• Balkan gas routes draw investment

Kazakhstan to boost purchases of Russian gas | Eurasianet - Kazakhstan intends to increase natural gas imports from Russia. The purchase price may be cheap, but the overall cost could turn out to be steep because of pending new US sanctions on Russia. Under a supplementary agreement signed with the Russian energy giant Gazprom, Kazakhstan has agreed to purchase about 11 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Russian gas this year, up from 4 million bcm in 2025, the Tass news agency reported. The two sides are still in talks about the purchase of as much as 9 bcm in 2027. Kazakhstan has been a net natural gas exporter over the years, and in 2025 domestic production reached a record level of 68.1 bcm. At the same time, domestic demand is surging. A key unknown factor in the Gazprom import deal is the price. Gazprom did not disclose financial details. It is probably a bargain rate. Russia’s energy industry is a crucial income earner for the Kremlin, which needs the revenue to keep its war effort in Ukraine afloat. The war has closed off lucrative European markets for Gazprom, forcing the company to reportedly offer deep discounts to entice purchases elsewhere. The Gazprom supplementary deal could thus offer Kazakhstan a low-cost way of meeting growing domestic demand while not losing a big chunk of revenue generated by the country’s exports. Uzbekistan, where domestic gas production has steadily declined in recent years, appears to be following a buy-Russian-gas-low, sell-Uzbek-gas-high strategy to cover growing domestic demand while maintaining substantial export earnings. Uzbek gas exports in 2025 generated about $629 million in revenue, while mainly Russian imports were valued at $1.66 billion. The decline in Uzbek domestic gas production is accelerating rapidly. Officials reported 18.3 billion bcm were extracted during the first half of 2026, compared to 21.9 bcm during H1 the previous year. The sanctions bill passed by the US Congress on September 16, and likely to be signed by President Donald Trump, could disrupt Kazakh and Uzbek gas import plans. The bill stands to turn the screws on Russia’s energy sector and enables the president to impose punitive tariffs on any nation that purchases Russian energy. In addition, Kazakh and Uzbek gas purchases could potentially expose entities in the two Central Asian states to secondary sanctions.

India’s crude oil imports in August fall 3%, import bill rises 18% - India’s imports of crude oil in August deaccelerated 3% though the import bill stood about 18.2% higher from the comparable period last year, according to provisional government data, potentially indicative of an elongated period of continuing uncertainties prior to the resurgence of tensions in West Asia early-September. August also had import volumes of liquified natural gas (LNG) and spending staying nearly flat on a year-over-year basis. India’s net spend on oil and gas stayed nearly flat in August at $9.3 billion. August alsohad import volumes ofliquifiednatural gas and spending stayingnearly flat ona year-over-year basis. India’s crude oil basket averaged $90.19 for every barrel during the reported period compared to $82.04 per barrel in July and $69.11 per barrel in August last year. Notwithstanding the elevated cost for procuring crude, India’s net import bill — which is the difference between petroleum products, crude and gas imports; and exports of petroleum products — stayed unchanged at $9.3 billion. The country’s refiners imported 19 million metric tonnes (MMT) of crude in August for which they spent $11.7 billion. In the same month last year, they had spent $9.9 billion to import 19.6 MMT of crude oil. The unchanged net import bill can be attributed to India’s refiners earning about 43% more money from exports despite a more than 14% decline in quantities supplied during the reported period. India’s LNG imports in August spurred 0.1% from comparable period last year to 2,915 million standard cubic meters (MMSCM) for which it spent the same $1.2 billion.

Diesel Crack Spread Explodes To Record As Russia Weighs Longer Export Ban, US Eyes Its Own Diesel futures and refining spreads climbed to record highs as worsening supply disruptions in the Gulf and Russia tightened availability of the industrial fuel that powers the global economy. Potential export restrictions, or at least extending risk, are compounding the squeeze: Moscow is reportedly considering extending its diesel export ban, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Tuesday he was "open to exploring" a US diesel export ban. Nymex heating oil futures, the US benchmark for diesel, jumped 6.1% Tuesday to their highest settlement in records dating to 1986. European gasoil futures climbed 6.2% to a record in data going back to 1989. The squeeze was even more severe in refining spreads. The US heating oil crack, which measures the difference between fuel and crude prices, surged to $117 a barrel on Wednesday morning, the highest level in Bloomberg data going back to 2009. Moves in diesel and refining spreads show the energy shock isn't necessarily in crude available on global markets but is, in fact, festering deep inside the industrial fuel market as a global refining crisis. Russia is considering extending its diesel export ban through October, potentially adding pressure as the Northern Hemisphere approaches winter. Barclays refining and midstream analyst Theresa Chen commented to clients on Tuesday about Thune's comments on a potential US diesel export ban. She said, "Given renewed discussion surrounding a diesel export ban, we discuss the potential implications across our refining coverage. We continue to view the possibility of an export ban as both detrimental to the US refining complex and unlikely to provide the intended price relief." At the start of the week, Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone warned that the diesel price shock echoes similar moves gasoline made during the 2008 energy shock.

Vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO reports  - Iranian state media has claimed an Iranian commercial vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz late Saturday, killing one person, amid an ongoing battle between the US and Iran for control over the crucial energy chokepoint. It comes at the same time as Iran-backed rebels in Yemen step up attacks and advance in their efforts to control a second vital waterway in the region, which could put further pressure on global oil prices. The Hormuz attack, which the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) said injured four, took place near Qeshm Island in the strait. Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a “terrorist enemy” for the attack. The US has not commented on the reported attack. CNN has reached out to US Central Command for comment. The US military has previously struck Iranian-flagged vessels as it maintains a blockade of Iranian ports and faces the renewed threat of Iranian ballistic missiles launched at its warships. Qeshm Island, which is about 14 miles from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 million barrels of oil passed every day before the war. Traffic remains about 90% below pre-conflict levels. On Sunday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the MT El Gaia, a Panamanian-flagged vessel with 14 Indians among its crew, was attacked off the Omani coast. “Of the 14 Indian crew onboard, 13 Indians have been rescued so far,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. “Search and Rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing.” Iran’s military said the El Gaia hit a sea mine while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media on Monday. US Central Command quickly branded the claim as “false,” asserting that the ship was struck by an Iranian drone over the weekend. CNN has reached out to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for comment.  Separately, another vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the strait late Saturday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center.

Iran Reports One Killed in Attack on Iranian Commercial Ship Near Qeshm Island - -Iranian media reported on Sunday that an Iranian commercial ship was struck by a projectile off the coast of Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz and that at least one person was killed and several others were wounded in the attack. Iran’s PressTV quoted Hossein Amir-Teymouri, Governor of Qeshm Island, who said the projectile was fired by the “American-Zionist enemy,” though so far the US hasn’t taken credit. President Trump was asked about the attack before boarding Air Force One to depart Ireland, and said, “I don’t want to say,” suggesting he had knowledge of the strike. PressTV also reported that the ship was struck by a “self-propelled underwater missile,” suggesting that it was some sort of torpedo or underwater drone.The US has bombed multiple Iranian commercial ships in recent weeks, including five oil tankers that it struck last week. Iran responded with heavy attacks on US military facilities in Jordan and also targeted multiple commercial ships in the region. The US has also bombed multiple ships as part of its enforcement of the blockade of Iranian ports, which has remained in effect since it was reimposed in July.

Satellite images show extent of damage to Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline that bypasses Strait of Hormuz - Satellite photos show the extent of the damage caused by a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, a highly strategic network that transports crude oil from Abqaiq on the kingdom’s eastern Gulf coast to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. The images, released by Vantor and published via Getty Images on Sunday, show a bird’s-eye view of fire damage and extensive blackened areas in and around a pumping station on the pipeline.Saudi Arabia on Friday temporarily closed the roughly 750-mile system, or Petroline, as a precautionary measure following multiple attacks by drones launched from Iraq. Several people were injured in the strikes, the Saudi government said, with drones targeting a key stretch of the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions.OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia has relied on the East-West pipeline to shift crude exports away from the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz as fighting continues between the U.S. and Iran. The East-West pipeline is estimated to have a total design capacity of 7 million barrels per day, following recent expansions.The pipeline’s closure comes as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have ramped up attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and launched a lightning ground offensive to exercise control of another critically important oil choke point on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.There are concerns that the Houthis’ advance toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could have significant ramifications for energy markets and global trade, particularly if the militant group ratchets up threats or attacks on Red Sea shipping.Vantor satellite image shows fire damage and extensive blackened areas in and around the East-West pipeline pumping station in Saudi Arabia following the September 11, 2026 drone attack and resulting fires. Vantor satellite image shows a closer view of fire-damaged structures and blackened ground at the East-West pipeline pumping station in Saudi Arabia following the September 11, 2026 drone attack and resulting fires.Oil prices have rallied in recent days amid deepening supply concerns in the Middle East.International benchmark Brent crude futures for November expiry rose 3.3% to $108.02 per barrel on Monday morning, extending gains after jumping more than 20% over the past month.U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for October expiry, meanwhile, traded nearly 3% higher at $102.98. The contract, which is up nearly 25% over the past month, surpassed $100 for the first time since May last week.

Saudi pipeline to remain out of service for weeks after drone attack - A key Saudi oil pipeline will remain largely out of service for weeks after being damaged in a drone attack, the Associated Press reported late Monday. Repairs to the pipeline, including damage at a major pumping facility, could take three to five weeks, according to two regional officials who spoke to the AP. The pipeline may continue operating partially during the repairs, although it is unclear how much oil could flow through it. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Earlier estimates suggested repairs could take up to six weeks, potentially putting around 4 percent of the global oil supply at risk, according to energy industry sources cited by Reuters. The news comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized more islands along Red Sea shipping routes, adding to concerns about Saudi Arabia’s oil exports. Oil prices were already trading around 3 percent higher on Monday, on top of gains last week, as traders feared the shutdown could further tighten global crude supplies if it lasts more than a few days. The kingdom announced on Friday it had shut its East-West oil pipeline as a precaution following strikes from Iraq, likely by Iranian-backed militant groups. Riyadh did not reveal the extent of the damage or how long it will stay offline. The pipeline across the Arabian Peninsula has allowed Saudi Arabia to reroute 4 million barrels of oil per day to its port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, following the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in Iran. With the pipeline out of service, Yanbu can only maintain exports for just five to seven days, according to industry sources, cited by Reuters. Newsweek has contacted the Saudi government for comment. “Oil is priced globally, so a disruption overseas reaches American families at the pump,” Dan Varroney, economic growth strategist, told Newsweek on Monday, “how long it lasts determines how much more damage it does.” Roukaya Ibrahim, chief strategist, commodities, at economic advisory firm BCA Research, told Newsweek, “the pipeline’s closure will likely increase the magnitude of the supply disruption, inject greater volatility into crude oil markets, and will have knock-on effects on refined product markets, which are already extremely tight.” This image from 2019 shows Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq oil processing plant. This image from 2019 shows Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq oil processing plant. Saudi Arabia shut down the pipeline after it was hit in an air attack, officials said Friday, confirming reports of fire and smoke along the key energy route. The Saudi Ministry of Energy said the closure was “precautionary” and its Foreign Ministry said several drones involved in the attack came from Iraq and gave Baghdad “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.” The Iraqi government condemned the assault and ordered an investigation. Sentinel-3 satellite imagery showed a black smoke plume over the pipeline route across the desert between Medina and Mahd adh-Dhahab. NASA’s FIRMS system also showed clustered thermal anomalies in the area.

Supertanker explodes after hitting mines on illegal route south of Hormuz: IRGC Navy - The Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says a supertanker that tried to force its way through a restricted zone south of the Strait of Hormuz exploded after striking naval mines, with the entire vessel now engulfed in flames. In a statement issued on Monday night, the IRGC Navy identified the ship as the Algaya, also listed as El Gaia, with IMO number 9325336. The IRGC Navy said the tanker attempted to transit an unauthorized and unsafe passage despite earlier warnings about the route's dangers. Efforts to contain the blaze failed, the statement added, leaving the ship fully on fire. The IRGC Navy stated that the incident was the predictable result of ignoring Iran’s maritime security regulations in a waterway placed under wartime control after the United States and the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic. “The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and remains under our smart control,” the force said. Iranian naval authorities have repeatedly cautioned shipping companies not to act on false American assurances about so-called safe corridors. They have said vessels that enter mined or prohibited areas, or that sail without coordination with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, put their crews and cargo at risk. Iranian officials have dismissed US propaganda designed to lure commercial traffic into unsafe waters and to conceal the failure of the American military to reopen a strait it does not control. The IRGC Navy has stressed that compliance with Iranian regulations is mandatory and that the fate of any vessel violating the security rules of Hormuz will be no different from that of ships already halted or set ablaze. Tehran has conditioned any change in the status of the strategic waterway on an end to US hostility, the lifting of the illegal naval and economic blockade against Iran, and a durable halt to aggression across the region. Until those conditions are met, the IRGC says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to violators and under Iranian surveillance and control.

Oil prices soar over 4% to 16-week high after strikes on Saudi pipeline, ships in West Asia | World News - Oil prices jumped over 4% to a 16-week high on Monday after new strikes on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure and attacks on ships in the Middle East compounded energy supply concerns. Brent futures rose $4.68, or 4.5%, to $109.29 per barrel at 10:15 a.m. EDT (1415 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $4.21, or 4.2%, to $104.26. That kept both benchmarks in technically overbought territory for more than a week and put Brent and WTI on track for their highest closes since May 19. Arab states in the Gulf called off a meeting with Iran planned for Monday, while Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia after fighting that has extended the Middle East war to another theatre and further jeopardised global oil supplies. The Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones on Monday at a Saudi military airbase in Khamis Mushait, near the border, hitting aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots. On Friday, an attack, which Riyadh blamed on Iran-backed fighters in Iraq, knocked out Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline, which helps Saudi Arabia avoid the Strait of Hormuz by re-routing oil shipments to the Red Sea, threatening up to 4% of global oil supply. Before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, about a fifth of the world's oil supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a single digit per day at the weekend, preliminary ship tracking data showed on Monday, well below a 10-day average of 14. With the pipeline out of service, the Red Sea port of Yanbu will have to draw on storage, which is estimated to cover five to seven days of exports, according to three industry sources. "The relatively contained price reaction suggests the market still expects Saudi inventories to cushion exports in the near term, but if the disruption extends beyond the five-to-seven-day inventory cushion, that could change quickly," said Janiv Shah, oil markets analyst at Rystad. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis reached the island of Perim on Friday, tightening their control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Iran issued a list of 77 ships it said had violated its protocols for operating in Hormuz. "Short of stopping both oil-price-affecting wars and curing the global refinery (capacity) problem, our fraternity is wondering where an inoculation against $120 Brent can be found," said PVM analyst John Evans, pointing to Russian refinery outages and falling stockpiles. U.S. diesel futures were trading around $5.18 a gallon on Monday, putting the contract on track to top a record $5.14 set in April 2022. That futures price gain also boosted the heating oil crack spread, which measures refining profit margins, to an all-time high of around $114 a barrel, according to LSEG data. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the attacks were causing a shortage of the fuel that is "hurting the world". Ukraine has said it is attacking Russian refineries to push up the cost to Moscow of continuing its invasion of 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 producing countries.

Oil Jumps as Attacks Halt Key Saudi Hormuz Strait Bypass  - Oil futures jumped Monday morning after drone strikes on Friday forced shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, which transported 4 million bpd of crude oil to export terminals at the Red Sea, bypassing Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. By 7:53 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for November delivery was up $3.86 to trade near $108.47 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for October delivery rose $3.49 to $103.54 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery advanced $0.1071 to $5.0664 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures soared $0.1355 to $3.4427 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index jumped 0.46 points to 99.57 against a basket of foreign currencies. Exports from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu continued Monday as crude was being drawn from storage tanks. The port's maximum storage capacity of 35 million bbl would allow exports to continue at the current pace for around nine days. Tanks, however, are unlikely to be filled to the brim, shortening this already terse time window. Riyadh has not yet commented on how long it expects the pipeline to be shut for repairs, calling the shutdown "temporary" and a "precautionary measure". Reports suggested the pipeline was struck at several points along its route, and satellite images published over the weekend revealed extensive damage to at least two pump stations. Simultaneously, Houthi rebels on Friday took control of vital areas in and along Bab el-Mandeb, the waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. The Iran-allied Yemeni militia has since July, when it declared a blockade of Saudi oil exports, launched repeated attacks on Saudi tankers, forcing shipments from Yanbu to Asia on a long and expensive detour around Africa. Damages to the pipeline feeding the port are now jeopardizing even these flows, and full Houthi control over Bab el-Mandeb could keep buyers east of the Suez Canal choked off from most of this vital supply source even in the event of a swift restart of the East-West pipeline. The oil supply disruption from the Persian Gulf, meanwhile, showed no signs of easing. Multiple tankers near the Strait of Hormuz were struck over the weekend, and Muscat on Sunday said that planned talks with Tehran about a joint shipping lane, which on Friday weighed on prices, had been postponed.

Oil Market Gains as Saudi Pipeline Attack Raises Supply Concerns - The oil market ended the session higher on Monday but off of its highs after the market weighed the widening conflict in the Middle East against the possibility of a diplomatic resolution, with President Donald Trump stating that Iran wanted to reach a deal with the U.S. Over the weekend, Gulf Arab countries postponed a planned meeting with Iran and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched attacks on Saudi Arabia. On Friday, Saudi Arabia blamed the Houthis for striking its East-West Pipeline, a key route that allows Gulf oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The oil market was well supported on the opening on Sunday evening following the weekend developments in the Middle East. It continued on an upward trend and rallied to a high of $104.95 early in the morning. However, the market pared its gains following President Trump’s comments regarding Iran’s desire to make a deal to end the war. The crude market sold off to a low of $100.53 and settled in a sideways trading range ahead of the close. The October WTI contract settled up $1.34 at $101.39 and the November Brent contract settled up $1.07 at $105.68. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 22 points at $4.9615 and the RB market settling up 99 points at $3.3171. According to the DOE, stocks of crude oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 285 million barrels last week, the lowest level since November 1982. Saudi oil buyers and traders said Saudi Arabia will run out of oil stocks for exports if it does not restart its major pipeline to the Red Sea within days, leading to a loss of up to 4% of global supply. According to industry estimates, Yanbu storage capacity stands at around 35 million barrels, with Ain Sukhna and Sidi Kerir able to store 18 million and 20 million barrels, respectively. Sources said stocks are not full and will ultimately run out without the East-West pipeline resuming operations. Bloomberg reported that if repairs are needed on the East-West pipeline, Saudi Aramco has an exceptional track record. It noted that in 2019, when attacks claimed by Houthi militants shut in 5% of global production, Saudi Arabia restored its output to where it was before the strike within a month. It also managed to bounce back quickly from an earlier attack on the pipeline this year. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 494,000 bpd of capacity for the week ending September 18th, decreasing available refining capacity by 44,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to increase to 544,000 bpd in the week ending September 25th. Exxon Mobil’s 264,000 bpd refinery in Joliet, Illinois, experienced a power outage on Sunday afternoon. The cause of the power outage is under investigation. BP’s 440,000 bpd oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana on Monday said labor contract negotiations are underway. BP also stated that it is conducting planned operational activities at the refinery over the next several days.

Oil Prices Rise on Saudi Pipeline Outage and Rising Red Sea Risks - Oil prices continued to rise early on Tuesday, rallying by 1.7% in Asian trade, as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are expanding their control over the west coast along the Red Sea, while the attacks on a key Saudi onshore oil pipeline triggered concerns about additional disruptions to already severely disrupted oil supply from the Middle East.  As of publication, Brent Crude prices were up by 1.67% in Asian trade at $107.45 per barrel. WTI Crude held above the $ 103-a-barrel mark it hit on Monday. The U.S. crude oil benchmark rose by 1.9% to $103.26.As it has become customary when oil prices rally above $100 a barrel, U.S. President Donald Trump posted late on Monday that “The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to.”Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, disputed President Trump’s claim, saying, “Don’t get distracted by the U.S. president’s mixed signals - from 'no negotiations' to 'we’re ready to talk.' The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming. No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!”As hopes of talks fade, so did hopes of a wider regional agreement about the Strait of Hormuz. A meeting that was due to be held in Oman on Monday and had to involve Iran and other Persian Gulf states has been postponed.Last week's attack on the East-West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, a vital conduit to redirect the Kingdom’s oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, has forced the Saudis to shut down the pipeline. This has put further upward pressure on oil prices as the market fears the pipeline disruption could last for weeks and oil for export at Yanbu’s storage tanks may run out before the pipeline restores full operations.

Oil Steady Above $100 Bbl on Escalating Houthi Attacks  (DTN) -- Crude futures retreated from session highs Tuesday morning, remaining largely steady since the prior session's close, as escalating Houthi offensive actions in Saudi Arabia continue to maintain a formidable geopolitical risk premium across energy markets. By 9:20 a.m. EDT, NYMEX WTI crude for October delivery rose $0.29, or 0.27%, to $101.68 bbl. The session high was $104.21. ICE Brent for November delivery moved up $0.21, or 0.19%, to $105.89 bbl. It reached as high as $108.43 earlier in the day. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery climbed $0.1584, or 3.06%, to $5.1199 gallon. It peaked at $5.1631 during the session. RBOB for October advanced $0.0384, or 1.03%, to $3.3555 gallon. The high for the day was $3.4080. The U.S. Dollar Index gained 0.199 points to 99.305 against a basket of currencies. The Iran-aligned Houthi militia launched fresh strikes against Saudi infrastructure Monday while consolidating control along critical maritime positions on the Red Sea. The tactical expansion has enabled sustained disruptions against commercial shipping transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, directly threatening regional crude flows following last week's forced shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline. Market analysts project the compounding infrastructure damage could disrupt an additional 4% to 5% of total global oil supplies. Their expectation is that a solid floor will persist for crude prices in the $100 bbl territory until clearer visibility is available on Saudi export recovery timelines. Diplomatic efforts also remain stalled as planned talks between Iran and Persian Gulf states on safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz were postponed without a rescheduled date. Political friction further heightened as Tehran rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that it was seeking a diplomatic resolution with Washington, with Iranian officials declaring there will be no truce until Washington adhered to terms of a lapsed June ceasefire agreement. Oil market participants are also focused on supply data due at 4:30 p.m. EDT from the American Petroleum Institute for the week ended Sept. 11, which will serve as a precursor to official inventory figures from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday. In the prior week ended Sept. 4, the API reported a modest crude stock drawdown of 300,000 bbl, whereas official EIA data showed a slightly larger commercial crude draw of 400,000 bbl. Analysts expect the upcoming EIA report to show a further crude inventory decline of around 1.3 million bbl for the week ended Sept. 11, driven by steady refinery utilization and strong export demand. Inventory numbers aside, crude futures are taking directions from broader financial markets as investors await the Federal Reserve's first anticipated rate hike in three years as the central bank tries to clamp down on persistent inflation. The Fed is expected to add 25 basis points to benchmark U.S. rates at the conclusion of a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, bringing primary lending rates now in a range of between 3.50% and 3.75% to between 3.75% and 4.00%.

Oil Market Jumps as Saudi Pipeline Shutdown Disrupts Exports -- The oil market continued to trend higher on Tuesday amid the increasing concerns over crude supplies from the Middle East following the recent attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. The market remains supported as it awaits for news on how long Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline will remain offline after it was struck by the Houthi militants on Friday. The crude market retraced some of Monday’s move lower as it traded to $104.21 in early morning trading. The market erased its gains and sold off to a low of $101.21 only to bounce off its low and extend its gains amid the news that oil loadings at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu have been suspended following the shut in of its East-West Pipeline on Friday. The market was also supported in light of the news that operations were suspended at two oil fields and a pumping station in Libya following the closure of a valve on the main Hamada-Zawiya crude loading pipeline. Libya’s National Oil Corp said it may declare force majeure if the valve remains closed or if other fields are subjected to similar forced shutdowns. The market rallied a high of $106.75 in afternoon trading. The October WTI contract settled up $4.44 at $105.83 and November Brent contract settled up $3.07 at $108.75. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 30.05 cents at $526.20 and the RB market settling up 14.81 cents at $346.52. U.S. Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum, said that a ban on U.S. oil or fuel exports would be unlikely to help lower energy prices for consumers amidst the Iran war. He said that bans on oil, gasoline or diesel exports could lead to retaliatory actions from other countries, which could hurt consumers in states like California, which depends partially on energy imports. Shipping traffic at the Strait of Hormuz fell further at the start of this week after attacks intensified in the Middle East. Preliminary data from Kpler showed that commodity vessel transits at Hormuz totaled four on Monday, down from ten during the previous day. Kpler data also showed that in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 21 commodity vessels transited on Monday, down from 28 during the previous day. U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, said oil should be flowing through Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline within days. According to the Associated Press, Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline is expected to be mostly offline for three to five weeks. Oil loadings at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu have been suspended, days after the world’s biggest crude exporter closed its East-West pipeline due to an attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. Saudi Arabia has informed its European customers that some late-September crude oil cargoes will be cancelled. Saudi Arabia closed its East-West Pipeline due to an attack last week and is challenged by Yemeni Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Libya’s National Oil Corp said operations were suspended at three oil fields after a member of the Petroleum Facilities Guard, which secures Libya’s oil facilities, closed a valve on the main Hamada-Zawiya crude loading pipeline. The NOC said it may declare force majeure if the valve remains closed or if other fields are subjected to similar forced shutdowns.

Oil Prices Fall as US Inventories Rise --Oil prices fell on Wednesday after an unexpected increase in US crude inventories, as investors assessed supply risks following Saudi Arabia’s suspension of oil loading operations at Yanbu port after an attack on its East-West pipeline leading to the Red Sea. Brent crude futures fell 93 cents, or 0.86%, to $107.82 a barrel by 0028 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined 97 cents, or 0.92%, to $104.86 a barrel. Both benchmark contracts closed more than $3 higher on Tuesday, reaching their highest levels since May 19, after the suspension of loading operations at Yanbu heightened supply concerns and Saudi Arabia reduced oil shipments to Europe. Market sources said on Tuesday, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), that US crude oil, gasoline and distillate inventories rose last week. US crude inventories increased by 7.1 million barrels in the week ended September 11, the sources said, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a decline of about 1.6 million barrels. Sources said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia suspended oil loading operations at Yanbu after the world’s largest crude oil exporter shut its East-West pipeline following a Friday attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. Saudi Arabia uses the pipeline to divert nearly 4 million barrels per day, or about 4% of global oil supplies, to the Red Sea port. The US Department of Energy said crude oil flows through the vital pipeline linking eastern and western Saudi Arabia were expected to resume within days. However, sources who spoke to Reuters offered varying estimates of how long the pipeline could remain out of service. One source said repairs could take five to six weeks, while another said partial pumping could resume sooner as repair work continues. In Libya, the National Oil Corporation said operations at three oil fields had been suspended after protesting members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard closed a valve on the Hamada-Zawiya crude oil export pipeline. However, NOC Chairman Masoud Suleiman told Reuters that Libya’s oil production had been only minimally affected by the shutdowns and remained at around 1.4 million barrels per day.

Oil Pulls Back as Saudi Arabia Finds Alternative Export Route, but Supply Risks Keep Crude Above $100 -  As of approximately 5:31 a.m. MDT Wednesday, WTI was trading around US$104.63 per barrel, compared with Tuesday’s official settlement of US$105.83. That puts WTI US$1.20 lower, or 1.13%, making today’s move clearly down rather than relatively flat. Brent was approximately US$108.16, versus Tuesday’s US$108.75 settlement, a decline of US$0.59, or 0.54%. Tuesday had been another powerful session: WTI jumped US$4.44, or 4.38%, while Brent gained US$3.07, or 2.9%, as suspended Saudi loadings from Yanbu and cancelled European cargoes intensified supply concerns. WTI remains on the October 2026 front-month contract, while Brent is on its current front-month delivery. There is no significant rollover distortion affecting today’s day-over-day comparisons. The biggest development this morning is Saudi Arabia’s effort to work around damage to its East-West Pipeline and the suspension of loadings at Yanbu. Saudi Arabia is offering Asian refiners additional crude through ship-to-ship transfers near Sohar, Oman, providing another avenue for exports after drone attacks damaged the pipeline connecting eastern Saudi production with the Red Sea. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said the development was easing fears that the disruption could become even larger. That has taken some of Tuesday’s geopolitical premium out of crude. However, the underlying transportation problem has not disappeared. Visible vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to only four Tuesday from seven Monday, versus a recent 10-day average of 18. Before the Iran conflict, the Strait carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies. Key Market Risks or CatalystsU.S. inventories are providing another bearish influence. American Petroleum Institute figures showed U.S. crude stocks unexpectedly increased by 7.1 million barrels during the week ended September 11, compared with analyst expectations for a roughly 1.6-million-barrel decline. Gasoline and distillate inventories also increased. But refined-product markets remain extremely tight. European gasoil futures reached record territory Tuesday, while the U.S. national average diesel price recently exceeded $6 per gallon for the first time. Asian diesel refining margins have also climbed above $87 per barrel, an all-time high. Middle East escalation remains the biggest upside risk. Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are creating another potential threat to energy shipping, while Saudi forces have intensified strikes against Houthi positions. Diplomacy offers the main potential bearish catalyst. China has called on Iran and the United States to resume negotiations and reopen Hormuz, while Citi expects tensions to support prices in the near term but sees potential normalization later in the fourth quarter. Saudi Arabia’s ability to redirect some crude through Oman reduces the immediate danger of a severe Saudi export collapse. The unexpected U.S. inventory build is also putting downward pressure on prices. But with WTI still around $105, Brent above $108, Hormuz vessel traffic deeply depressed and diesel markets exceptionally tight, the fundamental supply-risk premium remains substantial. The key question is now whether Saudi Arabia can maintain enough alternative exports to prevent physical shortages while its damaged pipeline system is repaired. A reliable Tuesday WCS physical-market settlement was not available from the public sources reviewed by publication time, so this report will not manufacture a same-day WCS number. The latest verified WCS settlement remains Monday’s October-delivery Hardisty differential of US$17.35 per barrel below WTI, according to brokerage CalRock. Monday WTI settled at US$101.39, implying a WCS price of approximately US$84.04 per barrel. The previous Friday differential was US$16.75 below WTI, meaning the latest verified WCS discount widened by US$0.60 per barrel. The widening was linked partly to the shutdown of Exxon Mobil’s 264,000-barrel-per-day Joliet, Illinois refinery, an important processor of Canadian heavy crude. Because Wednesday WTI is now around US$104.63, combining that live price with Monday’s WCS assessment would create a misleading apparent spread. The appropriate latest verified comparison therefore remains Monday WCS of approximately US$84.04 versus Monday WTI of US$101.39, for a US$17.35 discount. Oil sands producers realize WCS-linked prices on unhedged production, and their capital plans key off the differential outlook. US Midwest and Gulf Coast refiners with coking capacity buy WCS as feedstock and treat the differential as their margin opportunity. The Alberta government forecasts royalty and tax revenue directly off WCS — a one-dollar move in the differential is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the provincial budget over a fiscal year. And diluent demand links WCS volumes back to condensate markets.

WTI Holds Losses As Crude Production Hits Record High, SPR/Cushing Near 'Tank Bottoms' - Distillates have gone vertical again and physical markets remain incredibly tight, according to Goldman's Rich Privorotsky. Saudi’s East-West pipeline disruption forced the suspension of Yanbu loadings and cancellation of some European cargoes, with European physical crude trading north of $130 in places yesterday. Despite all that, there are reports of more visible signs of cargoes moving through the Strait. "Iraq's seaborne crude oil exports from its southern Gulf terminals averaged 3.16 million barrels/day in the first 10 days of September, nearing the prewar levels of 3.335 million b/d recorded in February" - Platts. But for now, the market is watching inventories... API:

• Crude +7.1mm
• Cushing -246k
• Gasoline +1.5mm
• Distillates +1.6mm

DOE

• Crude -640k (-1.4mm exp)
• Cushing -342k
• Gasoline +794k
• Distillates +1.58mm

US crude stocks drew down inventories for the 3rd week in a row (though only by a de minimus 640k) but drastically different from the 7.1mm build that API reported.. Cushing stocks fell again, putting tank bottoms in view... The Trump admin drained the SPR once again, but the 403k draw was the smallest since the war began... ...as 'tank bottoms' loom for the reserve... US crude production was steady at record highs... Refiner crude runs fell in most US regions last week but remain at the highest seasonal level since 2018. Runs last week were less than 100,000 barrels a day below reaching the highest seasonal level ever, continued evidence of how hard the US fuel-making fleet is running. WTI was trading around $103 ahead of the official data To close, we go back to where we started with Goldman's Rich Privorotsky noting that while he admits to having no special insight in Energy, like everyone else, he's trying to focus on incentives. "Economically, it is rational for all sides to try to find a pathway toward a deal, but I have very little certainty around timing/outcome...it does seems more is getting out of the strait then people appreciate." With gas prices at record highs for this time of year, President Trump has lots of incentives... Especially with the odds of a Democratic Sweep in November soaring...

Oil Sinks 3% on Saudi Pipeline Restart Plan, Fed Hike (DTN) -- Oil prices tumbled 3% Wednesday, marking their sharpest drop in three weeks, on reports that Saudi Arabia could restore within days half of its East-West pipeline capacity jeopardized by Houthi militia attacks. The first U.S. interest rate hike in three years also weighed as businesses expected higher capital stress from a Federal Reserve that could raise borrowing costs again before the end of the year to combat surging inflation. NYMEX WTI crude for October delivery fell $3.41, or 3.23%, to settle at $102.43 bbl, after tumbling to $100.97 during the session. It was WTI's sharpest one-day drop since Aug. 25. ICE Brent for November delivery moved down $3.04, or 2.82%, to $105.71 bbl. The session low was $104. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery eased 2.24 cents, or 0.57%, to finish at $5.2396 gallon. It bottomed at $5.1227 for the day. RBOB for October advanced 1.92cts, or 0.55%, to end the session at $3.4844 gallon. It touched a session low of $3.3891 earlier. By 2:45 p.m. EDT, the U.S. Dollar Index gained 0.469 points to 99.810 against a basket of currencies, reacting to the Fed rate hike. Energy futures sank on reports that Saudi engineers could bring some 2 million to 2.5 million bpd of throughput back online along the damaged 7 million bpd East-West pipeline. This was on top of ship-to-ship crude transfers off Oman's Sohar port overseen by Saudi authorities determined to keep Asian contract deliveries moving. Saudi Arabia had suspended operations at its Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu earlier this week following strikes on the East-West pipeline by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. It also canceled multiple European cargo deliveries, sparking fears that the pipeline outage could last for weeks. The initial Saudi actions had boosted pricing for middle distillates, the most distressed part of the barrel since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in March. On Wednesday, the diesel crack spread for U.S. refiners reached a record high of $117.97 bbl, while European gasoil futures neared all-time peaks. Some of the concerns over distillate supply were alleviated after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Wednesday that U.S. inventories for the product rose for a third consecutive week last week, climbing 1.6 million bbl to 107.9 million bbl. Gasoline stocks also rose by 800,000 bbl during the week ended Sept. 11, the EIA reported. The headline draw of 600,000 bbl in commercial crude stocks -- versus the 7.1 million bbl build reported a day ago by the American Petroleum Institute for the same week -- did little for bullish market sentiment. While refinery utilization dipped 1.0%, it remained at an elevated 96.8%, showing that the U.S. petroleum industry was doing its most to push out product. The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it has raised U.S. interest rates by 25 basis points, bringing key U.S. lending rates to a range of between 3.75% and 4%. It was the first monetary tightening since July 2023 by the central bank, with analysts expecting another hike at the Fed's December rate decision.

Oil Prices Extend Declines as Supply Concerns Ease - Oil prices fell in early trading on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session after reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude shipments through Oman, easing concerns over potential supply disruptions in the Middle East. By 0049 GMT, Brent crude futures had fallen $1.24, or 1.2%, to $104.59 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped $1.14, or 1.1%, to $101.29 a barrel. Both contracts fell by around $3 on Wednesday. “Concerns about tight supplies have eased somewhat following reports that Saudi Arabia will ship crude through Oman,” said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, chief analyst at Nissan Securities Investment. He added that expectations of progress toward easing tensions in the Middle East ahead of a US-China summit next week were also limiting price gains. Sources familiar with the matter said Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes for delivery to Asian refineries through ship-to-ship transfers off the port of Sohar, Oman. The move is helping ease some pressure on global supplies caused by attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline. Oil prices had risen to their highest level in nearly four months earlier this week after shipping industry sources said crude shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea had been suspended and Riyadh had canceled some deliveries to European customers following attacks on the pipeline supplying Yanbu with crude. Yanbu became the main outlet for Saudi oil exports after Iran began closing the Strait of Hormuz following the launch of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies passed through the strait. According to assessments by three sources in the oil and security sectors, two pumping stations serving the East-West pipeline were damaged in an attack last week. The timeline for repairs remains unclear. Despite Thursday’s decline in oil prices, concerns over a further escalation of the war in the Middle East remain. Meanwhile, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday that US crude oil inventories fell by less than expected last week. EIA data showed that US crude inventories declined by around 640,000 barrels, compared with a forecast for a 1.62 million-barrel decrease in a Reuters poll of energy market analysts.

Oil Prices Slide as Saudi Arabia Reroutes Crude via Oman -- Crude oil prices, which dipped yesterday, extended their losses earlier today following reports that Saudi Arabia will be exporting more oil through Oman while the East-West pipeline is repaired.At 12:20 AM CDT, Brent crude was trading at $105.89 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $102.39 per barrel. Earlier in the week, Brent topped $108 briefly, and WTI spiked to over $103 per barrel. The spike followed the latest Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure, notably the East-West pipeline that was sending crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, from where it was exported to global markets.Following the attack, which prompted the shutdown of the pipeline, worry about oil supply security spiked in sync with benchmark oil prices. Those fears got additional momentum from reports that Saudi Aramco had cancelled several oil cargoes that were supposed to be shipped to European buyers this month. Further fuelling fears of shortages, Kpler reported that oil in storage at Yanbu port has fallen below 15 million barrels, from close to 21 million barrels in July. This would cover only a few days of exports at current rates (3.5 million barrels daily).Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it would start redirecting more oil to its Persian Gulf ports, which calmed traders, as Aramco would, reportedly, avoid the Strait of Hormuz via ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.The STS transfers of spot crude cargoes have been perfected in recent months by the United Arab Emirates, whose national oil company ADNOC has offered prompt supply in multiple tenders both within the Persian Gulf and the Fujairah-Sohar range outside the Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains paralysed, with the latest strike on a vessel in the waterway happening just a few days ago. Tanker traffic rates remain in the single digits.

Oil Prices Extend Decline on Saudi Supply Recovery Hopes -- Oil prices continued to retreat Thursday morning on easing supply concerns amid reports of Saudi Arabia establishing workarounds to the recent supply disruption from the Red Sea. By 9:12 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for November delivery was down $3.34 to trade near $102.49 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for October delivery fell $2.11 to $100.32 bbl. In early morning trade, the contract slipped below $100 bbl for the first time since Friday. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery retreated $0.1590 to $5.0875 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures slid $0.0663 to $3.4187 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.165 points to 99.815 against a basket of foreign currencies. Reports on Wednesday suggested Saudi Arabia was offering more crude oil cargoes via ship-to-ship transfers off Oman to compensate for the loss of exports from its Red Sea port of Yanbu. Shuttling oil to tankers outside of the Persian Gulf has been one of the ways Middle Eastern oil was able to bypass Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The 7 million bpd capacity East-West pipeline, Saudi Arabia's primary workaround, was forced shut after being damaged by multiple drone attacks Friday, cutting Yanbu off its only source of crude oil. Estimated storage levels at the port were enough to sustain exports for a few days before loadings were suspended on Wednesday. Rumors that the country was seeking to restore around half of these flows within the coming days by bypassing the damaged pipeline sections also weighed on prices. Riyadh continued to keep the market in the dark about a timeline for the repairs needed to return to full capacity, but experts estimate that this could take weeks to months. U.S. government data released Wednesday, meanwhile, showed domestic refiners were still running far above the typical seasonal pace amid near-record high diesel cracks stemming from the global refined fuels supply crunch. The Energy Information Administration said distillate fuel oil inventories rose for a third straight week, but were still tight by historical standards, lagging year-ago levels by 13.5%.

Oil Market Retreats as Saudi Arabia Reroutes Crude Through Oman  -  The oil market on Thursday extended Wednesday losses as reports of additional Saudi crude cargoes leaving Oman’s Sohar port eased supply concerns. Saudi Arabia is offering more crude cargoes to Asian refiners through ship to ship transfers off Oman’s Sohar port, helping to offset some of the disruption caused by attacks on the East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea. The market posted a high of $102.47 in overnight trading before it continued its downward trend. The crude market extended its losses to over $3.30 as it sold off to a low of $99.10. The market later bounced off its low and retraced its earlier losses as it traded back towards its high ahead of the close. The October WTI contract settled down 52 cents at $101.91 and the November Brent contract settled down $101 at $104.82. The product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling down 13.26 cents at $5.1139 and the RB market settling up 2.23 cents at $3.5073. U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped an end to the war against Iran was near, as the conflict escalated with Saudi aircraft striking Yemen and Houthi fighters launching drones and missiles at Saudi cities. President Donald Trump reiterated his previous comments stating “They want to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.” He also said he had heard from Iran “directly”, without elaborating. Axios reported late on Wednesday that President Trump was expected to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the conflict. Axios said President Trump would meet with leaders or foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Preliminary ship-tracking data showed that commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just three ships on Wednesday, down from 12 a day earlier and well below the 10-day average of about 17. In the Red Sea, vessel crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait eased to 21 on Wednesday, compared with 24 vessels a day earlier. According to Environmental Protection Agency data, the U.S. generated 1.29 billion ethanol (D6) blending credits in August, about the same as in July. Biodiesel blending credits (D4) fell to 693 million, from 796 million in July. U.S. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, said the Trump administration is temporarily relaxing rules on hours of service by truck drivers handling gasoline and diesel, citing supply and cost concerns. The 90-day waiver takes effect on Wednesday, allowing drivers to operate up to 16 hours within a 24-hour window, versus 14 under existing rules, so long as they take required rest breaks. He said the waiver was because short-term supply chain disruptions could delay gasoline and diesel shipments, which could affect freight deliveries. The move comes as the US average diesel price hit a record of $6.29/gallon, up from $3.74 a year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration, as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries squeeze supply. The department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it took the action “in anticipation of the need for greater hours-of-service flexibility.” The department said it aimed to “respond to global supply disruptions, anticipated increases in the demand for gasoline and diesel fuels in the late summer and fall.”

World oil prices are falling amid Saudi Arabia’s efforts to resume exports | УНН --Oil prices are falling for the third consecutive day amid Saudi Arabia's efforts to resume exports after the "East-West" oil pipeline was damaged. The market is ignoring the latest escalation in the Middle East, although a barrel of Brent is still holding above $104, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains risky. Reuters reports, UNN writes. Brent crude oil futures fell by 79 cents, or 0.75%, to $104 a barrel as of 03:19 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined by 70 cents, or 0.69%, to $101.20 a barrel. On Thursday, both benchmark grades closed down by approximately 1%. Brent prices are heading for their first weekly decline in the past three weeks (down 0.5%), while WTI is on track to rise by 1.2%. Markets largely ignored concerns about new threats to supplies, even though Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militants exchanged new strikes across the border on Thursday, expanding the front of the war in the Middle East - the publication emphasizes. Earlier this week, prices rose to nearly four-month highs after sources reported a suspension of oil shipments at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu export hub on the Red Sea, while Riyadh canceled some deliveries to Europe after its "East-West" pipeline was damaged in an attack last week. However, prices cooled amid reports that Saudi Arabia aims to restore about half of the capacity of its "East-West" oil pipeline within several days, while also offering more crude cargoes to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers off the Omani port of Sohar. Nevertheless, oil prices are still holding above $100 a barrel as markets await confirmation of a clear improvement in the supply situation, analysts say. Nonetheless, transporting oil through the region remains risky. The naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that a Togo-flagged tanker came under attack on Thursday while attempting to make an "illegal passage" through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported on Friday morning.

Oil Futures Diverge to End Volatile Trading Week (DTN) - Oil futures were mixed Friday (9/18) morning, with Brent crude edging lower on easing supply concerns around Saudi crude oil exports, while WTI and ULSD futures moved higher. After a volatile and turbulent trading week, most contracts were eyeing small weekly gains. By 10:00am ET, ICE Brent for November delivery was down $0.16 to trade near $104.66 bbl, while NYMEX WTI for October delivery advanced $1.04 to $102.95 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery rose $0.0543 to $5.1682 gallon, while front-month RBOB futures retreated $0.0258 to $3.4815 gallon. The US dollar index strengthened by 0.235 points to 100.22 against a basket of foreign currencies. Supply concerns sparked by last weekend's shutdown of Saudi Arabia's 7 million bpd capacity East-West pipeline eased throughout the week as the kingdom sought to reassure buyers that it will offer additional cargoes via alternative routes. Reports that the pipeline can soon restart at half capacity also weighed on oil prices. Saudi Aramco reportedly suspending term contracts to Europe next month, however, dampened these bearish effects. The WTI contract for October delivery, meanwhile, continued to diverge from Brent futures on its penultimate trading day, leading the spread between the two crude benchmarks to plummet to $1.5 bbl in early morning trade, its lowest since May. A similar story played out with ULSD futures, reflecting the outsized impact the Hormuz supply disruption has had on refined fuels compared to crude oil. While crude oil flows through the now porous blockade have risen from war-time lows, fuel exports from the Persian Gulf, lacking alternative outlets and stymied by damages to refineries in the region, remained depressed at around a quarter of pre-war levels. The resulting divergence in crude oil and product prices, especially for fuels from the middle of the barrel, has since mid-June put ULSD cracks on a precipitous rise dwarfing the one in 2022 in both size and duration, with the differential on Wednesday (9/16) soaring to an all-time high $117.923 bbl. This continued to incentivize refiners to run as hard as possible and defer non-essential maintenance. U.S. Energy Information Administration data published this week showed unusually high refining activity for this time of year, with domestic refiners last week utilizing nearly 97% of operable capacity, compared to the 90-92% range typical for this time of year.

Oil slides after China asks Iran to limit Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities   (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Friday after China, acting on a request from Saudi Arabia, asked Iran ​to limit attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi oil infrastructure that have threatened a second oil export route in the Middle ‌East. Brent crude futures settled at $104.87 a barrel, down 95 cents, or 0.93%. US West Texas Intermediate futures finished at $100.30 a barrel, down $1.61, or 1.58%. Oil prices have moved up steadily in the last few weeks as the US and Iran resumed attacks on each other and the Iran-aligned Houthis also stepped up their military activities. The recent action, coupled with ​refining capacity issues worldwide, has pushed up the price of key fuels like diesel in major markets. Currently, retail diesel in the United ​States costs $6.45 a gallon, according to AAA data, a record, while retail gasoline averages $4.47 a gallon, at a time ⁠of the year when gasoline prices are usually declining. IIR Energy, a refining data provider, said on Friday that US refining capacity in production was expected ​to fall next week by 371,000 barrels per day (bpd). "Right now it's not a supply problem; it's a refining problem," Despite the reported intervention from China, analysts say the outlook for coming months remains murky. JPMorgan on Thursday said it does not have a clear baseline view for oil markets for the first time since the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February. The Strait of Hormuz is still largely cut off, with just four commodities ​vessels passing through the strait on Thursday, below the 10-day average of about 16, preliminary shipping data showed on Friday. Prices climbed to close to four-month ​highs earlier in the week after sources said crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub of Yanbu had been suspended and Riyadh cancelled some deliveries to Europe ‌after its ⁠East-West pipeline was damaged in an attack last week. State-run Saudi Aramco has told at least two European refining customers they will receive no crude oil next month following an attack on Saudi Arabia's key pipeline to the Red Sea, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh strikes across their border on Thursday and Yemenis took to boats in the Red Sea to escape fighting, as the spreading Middle ​East war created new threats to ​supply. Three pumping stations serving the East-West Pipeline ⁠in Saudi Arabia were damaged in an attack last week — one more than assessed previously — with a repair timeline unclear, according to satellite imagery and three industry sources. Saudi Arabia is seeking to restore about half the capacity of ​the East-West oil pipeline within days, though sources interviewed by Reuters have given varying estimates of how long it will ​take to reopen ⁠the pipeline and return crude flows to normal. "The key question is whether physical flows can normalise and what the timeline could be. If we see a sustained improvement in Hormuz traffic, some of the geopolitical premium can unwind further," The US and Iran have held ⁠no peace ​talks since the collapse of an interim agreement reached in June. The war will come up ​for discussion at the United Nations General Assembly next week, and an Iranian delegation will be able to attend, according to the US State Department.

Red flags emerge for oil prices in Europe and China - On the surface, the oil market looks relatively calm. The oil futures market, which most investors watch to see where prices are heading, has actually been down for the past three days. But there are new signs of stress in the market, and the warnings from oil executives about a looming shortage are only growing louder. U.S. gasoline prices hit $4.47 on Friday, up 17 cents in just one week. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said at a conference this week that the oil market’s “buffers” are running out, leaving oil buyers increasingly vulnerable to price spikes. The U.S. strategic petroleum reserve is down to 285 million barrels, versus its full capacity of over 700 million. The reserve can only be drawn down by about 30 million more barrels before it hits limits imposed by Congress that make emptying it more legally complicated. As the market’s safety mechanisms disappear, escalations in the Iran war are having an outsize impact. One of Saudi Arabia’s pipelines was damaged in an attack last week, causing the kingdom to cancel planned shipments to European refiners, according to multiple media reports. Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant, declined to comment about the reports. Europe normally gets about 600,000 to 800,000 of the 14 million barrels of oil it uses per day from Saudi Arabia. Refiners secure much of their supply through long-term deals. Without guaranteed Saudi oil, refiners have to buy more on the volatile spot oil market, which is already showing signs of strain. Spot prices for Brent crude, the global benchmark measured in Europe’s North sea, were up to $137 per barrel on Friday, $33 above the Brent futures price that is normally considered the most accurate price of oil. Until a couple of weeks ago, the spot and futures prices were trading in lockstep, often within a dollar of each other. When the prices decouple like they are today, it can be a sign that the stress of the day-to-day oil market isn’t yet being reflected in trading markets. That doesn’t mean that oil prices will invariably rise—the market could balance in the other direction too, assuming the Saudi pipeline is repaired sooner than expected or the Iran war comes to an end. But it does raise the risk of futures prices moving higher. Europe isn’t the only place where there are signs of anxiety in the oil market. The price of Shanghai crude on the futures market has also spiked higher, exceeding $130 per barrel earlier this week and trading around $115 on Friday, according to data from Refinitiv. China has been a wild card in oil markets since the war began. There is less transparent data about the Chinese market, so analysts have had trouble predicting what the country might do next. For much of the war, China has helped balance the market by reducing imports of oil. It has relied instead on its substantial stockpiles, estimated before the war at 1.2 billion barrels, or enough to fully cover about 100 days of normal imports. Chinese residents also appear to have reduced consumption considerably, which has allowed the country to reduce its reliance on imports. So far, China has used 147 million barrels of its inventories, JP Morgan strategist Natasha Kaneva estimates. One way to explain the recent increase in Chinese oil futures is that China’s demand is rising at a time when supply is scarce. It appears China is ramping up its oil imports again, writes Tim Rezvan, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, which is one reason he’s increasingly bullish on oil into next year. Rezvan thinks that prices, and the stocks of producers can keep rising even after a very strong year. “We view this latest attack [on the Saudi pipeline] as a significant escalation that raises the ceiling on ‘worst case’ outlooks for global markets,” he wrote.

Iran postpones talks with neighbouring countries; cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz reportedly struck | CBC News - An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said, and a plan by Tehran to brief neighbouring countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping in the strait was postponed. The attack, which the reports said killed one and wounded four, drew attention back to the strait after threats to shipping in the region intensified last week when Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured an island on the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a "terrorist enemy" for Sunday's attack. There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military, which has struck Iranian-flagged vessels during its blockade of Iranian ports and faces a new threat from Iranian ballistic missiles launched at its warships. Qeshm Island, about 22 kilometres from the port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz. Hours before the attack, Iran's government remained defiant. "Our people can't be bullied into submission. Iran won't surrender," President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post. U.S. Central Command says it carried out fresh strikes on Iran, claiming it was retaliation for Iran preparing to launch sea mines from rockets into the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump disagreed, saying on Sunday that Iran "wants to make a deal so bad" that "they're calling constantly." Trump spoke at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where he was attending a tournament. Later, when asked by a reporter whether the U.S. struck the Iranian cargo vessel early Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: "I don't want to say." He then boarded Air Force One to head back to Washington. Iran aims to brief region on strait Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet Monday in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed "in the interests of consensus." Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks "at the request of some regional countries," said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran's Foreign Ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X. Video U.S. and Iran trade strikes, Trump says war will end 'immediately after election' Commercial ship traffic remains low in the Strait of Hormuz as attacks continue on what was seen as an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor said Sunday that a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, though it wasn't clear if this was referring to the attack Iran had reported off Qeshm. The monitor said a severe fire had broken out and that local authorities were evacuating those on board.

Iran: Regional foreign ministers meeting in Oman called off at Saudi Arabias request  -Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says a meeting of foreign ministers of regional states scheduled in Oman to discuss arrangements for safe commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was canceled at Saudi Arabia’s request. Addressing reporters at a weekly press conference on Monday, Baghaei said Iran and Oman have finalized an agreement concerning maritime routes. “The understanding between Iran and Oman, as two littoral states, has been finalized. In consultation with Oman, we will decide on the next step, including how to announce or register the understanding,” he said. He noted that the Iran-Oman understanding regarding the security of maritime routes was the result of weeks of negotiations between the two countries. Iran does not make decisions on “highly sensitive and complicated” security-related issues based on a single factor, Baghaei added, stressing that Tehran should not call its own rational and forward-looking actions into question because of the ill-advised actions or broken commitments of others. Baghaei said the planned meeting in Oman was an “opportunity” created by Tehran and Muscat, saying regional countries were expected to recognize and make use of it. He reiterated that Iran has consistently made efforts to help resolve regional issues and has demonstrated that commitment in practice. “We well know that the continuation of war in the region among Muslim countries has only one winner, and that winner is no one other than the Zionist regime (Israel), which seeks to prolong tensions and insecurity among Muslim countries in our region,” the Iranian spokesperson pointed out. The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy chokepoint, with roughly one-fifth of global oil demand passing through the waterway. Iran has maintained heightened restrictions on navigation since the start of the US-Israeli military aggression against the country on Feb. 28, citing security concerns and the need to safeguard its sovereignty. Iran and Oman have been engaged in negotiations for nearly three months over arrangements for safe navigation through the strategic waterway. On August 25, the two countries announced discussions on a phased framework that would initially establish a temporary joint maritime corridor, alongside a joint mine-clearance project. The framework is aimed at restoring safe navigation while preserving the sovereignty and sovereign rights of coastal states. Technical talks are expected to continue toward a permanent navigation corridor and an agreement on the future administration of the waterway. Mohammad Alibek, Director General of the Persian Gulf Department at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Sunday that the meeting of foreign ministers from Persian Gulf littoral states, originally scheduled for Monday in Oman’s Salalah, has been postponed to a later date following a joint decision by Iran and Oman, at the request of certain regional countries, stressing that Tehran remains fully committed to the process of constructive regional dialogue. Claims about Iran’s involvement in attack on Saudi oil pipeline ‘completely false’ Baghaei categorically rejected US claims that Iran was involved in an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline from Iraqi territory, describing the allegation as sheer lies. “Americans are constantly fabricating news and making false claims without paying any cost. There is no doubt about that,” he said. He added that US’ repeated lies amid the current circumstances were aimed at deepening divisions among regional countries, and urged the countries of the region to solve issues by themselves. “Otherwise, those who do not seek the good and interests of our region will continue to resort to such lies to further complicate the situation,” the spokesman warned. Baghaei also rejected claims about Iranian involvement in Yemeni affairs, saying Iran, as a country that cares about regional stability, is aware that some parties are exploiting the situation to escalate divisions and discord among Muslim countries. “It is quite clear that the Yemenis make their own decisions. [The Yemeni resistance movement] Ansarullah is an independent Yemeni party that takes decisions based on what it considers to be its own interests and priorities,” he reiterated. Yemenis have shown that they are free people and that issues concerning the Muslim world and humanity are important to them. The Iranian spokesman stressed the importance of guaranteeing shipping security and freedom of maritime trade for all. “You cannot attack a country or countries, impose a naval blockade on them, and then unilaterally expect them to act as the guardians of maritime shipping,” he said. He recommended that all the countries in the region recognize the realities on the ground and refrain from making baseless accusations against others if they genuinely seek to resolve regional problems.

IRGC Navy strikes Togo-flagged tanker after illegal attempt to transit Strait of Hormuz - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced that the offending Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend was struck and brought to a halt after a fire broke out aboard the vessel as it attempted an illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement issued on Thursday night, Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, commander of the IRGC Navy, said the tanker sought to cross the strategic waterway last night “at the instigation and through the deception of the child-killing US military.” “The brave warriors of Islam and the valiant sailors of the IRGC Navy continue to powerfully maintain control of the vital waterway of the Strait of Hormuz and do not allow any aggressor to pass through it,” the statement read. The IRGC Navy added that the Trend “was struck and stopped after a fire broke out on it.” The force once again warned that illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will have no outcome other than the destruction of the offending vessel.” The statement opened “In the name of God, the Subduer of the Tyrants” and addressed “the great and honorable people of Islamic Iran,” noting that their “epic presence in the field” has now passed its 200th consecutive night. That nationwide presence, the commander said, continues to strengthen the nation's armed forces as they safeguard Iran’s maritime rights. Iran has for months enforced a new order in the Strait of Hormuz following the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression that began in late February. Under that arrangement, commercial vessels may transit only along routes designated by the Islamic Republic and only after obtaining authorization and coordinating with the IRGC Navy. Traffic outside those routes is prohibited. The IRGC has repeatedly described any alternative corridor announced without coordination with Tehran as unacceptable and dangerous. The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have been kept free of the presence of US forces and other enemies through the committed work of Iranian sailors and the support of the Iranian nation, Rear Admiral Azmaei has emphasized in recent days. He has stressed that the waterway remains under Iranian intelligence surveillance and smart control, and that any hostile or unauthorized movement will be targeted. The latest incident fits a consistent pattern. Vessels that ignore IRGC warnings, follow US military instructions, or attempt to use undeclared and unsafe routes have been turned back, struck, or otherwise stopped. The IRGC Navy has made clear that so-called guidance from the US Central Command and the American Navy will not go unanswered and that shipping companies and insurers should disregard such directives. The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital energy artery. Iran has consistently maintained that it never sought the waterway’s closure in principle, but that security, coordination, and respect for the Islamic Republic’s sovereign rights are non-negotiable after months of aggression, blockade, and attempts to dictate terms from outside the region. Safe passage is available to vessels that comply with Iranian regulations. Those that do not, the IRGC Navy says, face the consequences already demonstrated in the case of the Trend.

Iran claims it struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and other Mideast developments -- Iran says it struck an oil tanker trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, while hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Tehran in the largest show of support for the government since the United States and Israel launched attacks in February.    Meanwhile, South Korea says it is considering expanding a naval operation in the Gulf of Aden to protect its ships and oil-shipping routes, but it will not send troops to intervene in the Iran war. Iran said it struck the Togo-flagged oil tanker Trend over what it described as an “illegal attempt” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night, according to the state broadcaster, which cited the Revolutionary Guard Corps.The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the report. The Guard's navy warned that vessels attempting to pass through the strait without authorization would face “destruction,” the broadcaster said. Tehran has asserted control over much of the waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which alerts about attacks or military operations, said another tanker was struck Wednesday by an “unknown projectile” while transiting out of the strait, with the crew reported safe. No other details were available.Hundreds of thousands of Iranians filled the streets of Tehran in the biggest rally since the war began in February, pledging to take up arms as “Janfaday-e Iran,” or those “who sacrifice their lives for Iran.” Iran’s government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions meant to increase Tehran’s economic pain. Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel. Others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”  Hundreds of people rallied in northern areas of Yemen in support of the Houthis and to protest Saudi Arabia’s accusation that the rebels targeted Islam’s holiest site, Mecca. Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV showed protesters carrying pictures of the Kaaba, a landmark in Mecca, along with Yemeni, Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian flags. A speaker reiterated the Houthis’ opposition to Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen's internationally recognized government.The Saudis said they intercepted a Houthi drone targeting Mecca earlier this week. The Houthi leadership has denied responsibility.  The Iran-backed Houthis are fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, and the conflict recently has fueled mass displacement of more than 100,000 people.  Container ships and oil tankers continued to transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after the Houthis said they are only targeting Saudi-linked vessels. But a dip in traffic has been reported over the last week after a lightning advance by Houthis on islands in the waterway. About 26-35 vessels per day have transited this week, down from the 35-40 daily average of the prior eight weeks, according to Dimitris Ampatzidis, Maritime Risk & Compliance Manager at Kpler.Many shipping companies abandoned the route after Houthi attacks on Israeli-linked vessels began in 2023, though vessels from Russia and China appear to have no trouble.“Traffic remains severely impaired and increasingly selective,” said Mohamed Kotb with United Insurance Brokers in London.South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government is considering expanding the operations of a naval unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia to protect his country’s vessels and oil shipping routes.But he stressed that South Korea would not take action that would draw it into the U.S.-Iran conflict, pushing back against recent pressure from the Trump administration. South Korea has deployed the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit for years.

Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia Trade Attacks as Fighting Continues on the Ground in Yemen - - Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, reported on Sunday that Saudi Arabia launched dozens more airstrikes in Yemen as Ansar Allah continues to advance on the ground against Saudi-backed forces. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Armed Forces, said the Saudis launched 58 airstrikes over a 24-hour period using US-made F-15 fighter jets that took off from an air base in Khamis Mushait, southwest Saudi Arabia. Saree said that airstrikes hit the Yemeni provinces of Taiz, Lahj, al-Jawf, Hajjah, al-Bayda, and Saada.In a separate statement, Saree said that Yemeni forces targeted what he called “weapons depots and command and control centers” at a military base in the Sharurah area of southern Saudi Arabia.“We assure the criminal Saudi enemy that the continuation of its aggression against our people will be met with even more severe and massive operations deep within its territory, and the consequences for it will be dire, by the permission and power of Allah,” Saree said, according to Yemen’s SABA news agency.   Yemeni media also claimed that five Saudi-backed commanders were killed during fighting in Kahboub, southwest Yemen, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Last week, Ansar Allah gained significant ground in a rapid offensive, capturing the Red Sea port city of Mocha, and later Mayyun, an island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them full control of the strategic waterway.According to SouthFront, which tracks the situation on the ground in Yemen, Ansar Allah made more territorial gains in the Taiz province on Sunday. According to the UN’s migration agency, the ground fighting has displaced more than 82,000 people in southwestern Yemen. Ansar Allah launched the ground offensive on September 3, following weeks of escalations in the wake of Saudi Arabia bombing the Sanaa International Airport on July 13, which reignited the war.

Ansar Allah Takes Control of More Red Sea Islands, Launches Attack on Saudi Arabia - - Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has taken control of more islands in the Red Sea and launched another significant missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia on Monday, as the war in Yemen continues to rage after it was reignited by Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport on July 13.Yemeni sources told The Associated Press that Ansar Allah took control of the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish, which are 100 miles north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The report noted that the islands are also only 20 miles from the US military base in Djibouti.  Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), announced on Monday morning that the YAF launched “a large-scale, qualitative military operation targeting military facilities and infrastructure, including aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways, ammunition depots, and other targets at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait,” located in southwest Saudi Arabia.Saree said the attack was launched in response to Saudi Arabia “launching more than 300 airstrikes in the past five days” using US-made F-15 fighter jets and European-made Typhoon fighter jets. Later in the day, Saree said that Saudi Arabia had launched dozens more airstrikes.“The criminal Saudi warplanes launched 54 airstrikes in the past 24 hours using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from enemy Saudi bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif, targeting the governorates of Taiz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Ma’rib, and Hajjah. This brutal aggression will not go unanswered and unpunished, God willing,” he wrote on Telegram.  Yemeni media reported that at least two civilians were killed by Saudi airstrikes that hit a bridge in the southwestern Taiz province. Dr. Omar Al-Bukheiti, spokesman for the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni government, denounced the attack as a “crime” and said that it came as the “blood had not yet dried” from the September 7 strike on a prison in al-Jawf, Yemen, which killed at least 23 civilians, including inmates and a child, according to Yemeni officials. Saree previously said that the strike on the prison was carried out by a US-made F-15, and Yemen’s Mine Action Center also reported that its experts documented bomb fragments at the site and determined that the strike was carried out with a 2,000-pound US-made satellite-guided GBU-31 JDAM bomb.While the US has reportedly declined a Saudi request to launch direct airstrikes in Yemen, it is deeply involved in the war, as around 200 US military personnel are in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting assistance. The Saudi air force is also very reliant on US maintenance support and frequently uses US-made munitions.

Map: Iran's ally poised to choke additional 10 percent of oil trade by sea  - A rapid offensive by the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has put a powerful Iranian ally in control of the nation’s Red Sea coast and, with it, another key maritime corridor at the mercy of the Axis of Resistance. The Bab el-Mandeb lies between Yemen‘s southwest and the East African nation of Djibouti, constituting a link between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, which ties to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. At its narrowest breadth, it’s just 16 miles wide and Ansar Allah has a record of paralyzing global shipping from much farther away. With Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in retreat, a new blockade backed by the Ansar Allah’s missiles and drones would interrupt the flow of roughly 8.1 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate and petroleum products. That’s around 10 percent of global maritime oil trade, a figure made all the more strategically valuable by the Bab el-Mandeb’s role as an alternative route since Iran moved to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint in response to the war launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel. “If the Houthis consolidate control over Yemen’s western coast and the approaches to the strait, this becomes much more than a Yemeni issue,” Hisham al-Omeisy, a Yemeni analyst and former information resource center director at the U.S. Mission to Yemen, told Newsweek. A map of Yemen shows areas controlled by government forces and the pro-Iran Ansar Allah rebels as of September 11, 2026, according to the Sana’a Center. A Omeisy emphasized that Ansar Allah’s fighters do not necessarily even have to close the Bab el-Mandeb to make a difference. Rather, “they only need to make it dangerous enough that shipping companies decide the risk is too high,” leading to “higher insurance costs, ships going around Africa, longer delivery times and ultimately higher prices.” “And this becomes particularly dangerous when you look at what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz,” Omeisy said. “If Iran can put pressure on Hormuz while the Houthis threaten Bab el-Mandeb, you essentially have pressure on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula at the same time.” In addition to hosting 10 percent of global oil and 8 percent of global gas trade by sea, the Bab el-Mandeb also served as a gateway for some 30 percent of the world’s container traffic before the war, according to Nitya Labh, academy associate fellow at Chatham House’s International Security Program. “Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, countries like Saudi Arabia have diverted some of their oil exports from the Gulf to the Red Sea via overland gas pipelines, increasing the importance of the Red Sea in global energy markets,” Labh told Newsweek. But overland routes are not immune to the conflict, either. After reports emerged of attacks against Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline that runs from the eastern city of Abqaiq to the west coast port city of Yanbu, Riyadh confirmed Friday that damage had been inflicted by drones originating from Iraq, where other Iranian allies operate under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The Red Sea crisis also threatens to choke off the Suez Canal, which Labh described as “the last viable shipping pathway through the Middle East region.” After Ansar Allah launched its initial campaign against Red Sea shipping in response to the October 2023 outbreak of the war in Gaza that precipitated the ongoing Middle East crisis, traffic through the vital waterway fell by more than two-thirds. Most vessels were forced to take the far longer and costlier route toward South Africa’s Cape of Good hope in a situation reminiscent of an era before the Suez Canal’s founding in 1869. Transits slowly recovered upon a U.S.-backed ceasefire reached between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in October 2025 and had hit their highest wartime level just last month. Now that revival appears ill-fated and the impact looms for companies and consumers. “Diverting trade through this longer route introduces a number of risks: traffic congestion around ports in the Mediterranean and the coast of Africa create major supply chain disruptions,” Labh said. “New routes and changing traffic patterns create greater risk of piracy and accidents. “They also add over 15 days and millions of dollars in fuel, insurance, and transport costs. These costs often get passed to consumers leading to higher rates of inflation globally. Some imports may become prohibitively costly, cutting off supplies completely. This is particularly impacting economies in small island states.”

Houthis strike Saudi targets anew as talks over Strait of Hormuz stall (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia and were digging into positions on the western coast of Yemen along the Red Sea, Yemeni officials said, as urgent deliberations took place in Riyadh over how to respond to their lightning advance. Meanwhile, Gulf Arab states postponed planned talks with Iran, raising concerns the Middle East conflict could spread further and threaten global oil supplies. The Houthis on Monday said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, targeting aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts there and in three other southern cities. Thirteen civilians were wounded in the Houthi attacks, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. The Houthi advances in recent days, including the taking of Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, have put further pressure on Saudi oil exports after an aerial attack on Thursday knocked Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline offline. Riyadh blamed the pipeline attack on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Saudi Arabia built the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline across its territory from the Gulf to the Red Sea in the 1980s to bypass the Strait of Hormuz when it came under threat from the Iran-Iraq war at that time. Traders said a prolonged shutdown of the Saudi pipeline could cut off as much as 4% of global oil supply while the strait is largely blockaded. Riyadh has not said when operations might resume. Responding to the Houthi offensive, the Saudi and Yemeni air forces have stepped up aerial bombardment of Houthi targets, including around the historic Red Sea port of Mocha, but the Houthis have maintained effective control over almost the entire western coast of the country along the Red Sea, the officials with Yemen's internationally recognised government said. “The Houthis are being put under heavy pressure. They in turn are putting more and more pressure on the Saudis, increasing their campaign of missile and drone attacks,” one of the Yemeni officials said. Crude oil prices rose more than 4% on Monday before settling about 1% higher. The renewed Yemen conflict poses another challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump. Three sources have told Reuters that Washington has so far resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence support. Trump said over the weekend he had spoken with the Saudi crown prince and that the Houthis had also contacted Washington urging it to stay out of the conflict.

Saudi regime seeks British strikes on Yemen after US refusal, Burnham undecided - The Saudi regime has asked Britain to carry out military strikes against Yemeni forces after Washington rejected Riyadh’s appeals for direct US action, according to a Bloomberg report, as the Al Saud monarchy struggles to contain the latest advances of Yemen’s Armed Forces along the Red Sea coast. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has yet to take a final decision on the request, sources familiar with the matter told the outlet on Monday. Riyadh is seeking operational military support to try to reverse Yemeni gains toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and assistance in defending oil infrastructure that has come under legitimate retaliatory fire. Burnham has so far approved only the dispatch of British military advisers. The appeal follows a US snub. President Donald Trump turned down urgent requests from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for American airstrikes after Yemeni forces seized the strategic port of Mokha and pushed toward the strait, opting instead for intelligence sharing while keeping US forces focused on the confrontation with Iran. Yemeni Armed Forces have made rapid territorial gains in recent days, taking Mokha and other positions on the western coast after years of Saudi-led aggression, blockade and bombardment that devastated the country. Sana’a has made clear that its operations target the Saudi war machine and the economic assets used to sustain it, while international shipping remains unaffected except for vessels linked to the aggressor. Britain is no bystander. London has long armed, trained and politically covered the Saudi campaign that killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis through bombs, starvation and disease. UK-supplied aircraft, bombs and missiles were central to the coalition’s attacks on civilian infrastructure. Sending advisers now would deepen that complicity at a moment when Riyadh’s decade-long war of aggression has failed to break Yemeni resistance. Burnham’s hesitation reflects both the unpopularity in Britain of further entanglement in Washington’s regional wars and the economic risks of a wider clash over Red Sea routes. Officials in London have privately warned that Yemeni control of approaches to Bab al-Mandeb would expose British and Western shipping interests that the UK itself helped militarize through past support for the Saudi coalition.

UK's Burnham Considers Request from Saudi Arabia To Assist in Yemen War -  - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering a request from Saudi Arabia to assist in its war against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, according to a report from Bloomberg. Sources told the outlet that the UK has received requests for a range of military and diplomatic support and that Riyadh seeks help pushing back the Ansar Allah advance on the Red Sea coast and in defending its oil infrastructure from missile and drone attacks. The sources said that Burnham doesn’t want to appear to be too supportive of President Trump’s war with Iran, which is very unpopular in the UK. The report said the UK fears Ansar Allah’s control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could severely affect shipping and global oil prices, though senior Ansar Allah officials say their blockade still applies only to Saudi shipping. Back in 2024, the UK joined a US bombing campaign against Ansar Allah, which led to attacks on US and British commercial shipping and failed to stop Yemeni attacks on Israeli-linked shipping.The UK has approved the deployment of military advisors to Saudi Arabia to assist in the war but hasn’t ordered any direct military intervention. The US has reportedly declined to launch direct strikes against Ansar Allah, but it is deeply involved in the war, as it reportedly has up to 200 troops in Saudi Arabia assisting with intelligence and targeting. In the face of the Ansar Allah advance, Saudi Arabia has also requested help from Israel, according to a report from Israel Hayom. The report said Riyadh requested intelligence and other types of support through US Central Command.The war between Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah had been in a state of ceasefire since 2022 and was reignited by Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport on July 13, an attack carried out to prevent a plane from landing that was carrying a Yemeni delegation who attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.

Saudi Arabia reports wide-ranging security alerts after week of strikes (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia issued security alerts over a range of territory on Tuesday, including in the holy city of Mecca and second-largest city Jeddah, following a week of attacks from Iran-aligned fighters that have drawn it deeper into the Middle East war. The alerts were swiftly lifted and Saudi authorities did not immediately report whether any incoming projectiles had landed, nor was there any immediate claim of responsibility for attacks. But the alerts were the widest ranging since an escalation in the conflict last week, and the alarm in Mecca was the first of the war in the city, which houses shrines sacred to all Muslims. The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen have announced a number of major attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week, including strikes on an air base on Monday they said were in retaliation for airstrikes on Yemen. Saudi Arabia has blamed a separate pro-Iranian movement, based in Iraq, for an attack on Friday that knocked out one of the Kingdom's most important oil transport routes, the East-West Pipeline across the Arabian desert. Crude oil should be flowing through the pipeline within days, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Tuesday. A Saudi-led military coalition fighting against the Houthis in Yemen said 13 civilians had been wounded in the Houthis' attacks on Saudi Arabia on Monday. The Iran-backed fighters launched a lightning advance along Yemen's western coast last week, culminating in the seizure of an island in the mouth of the Red Sea. The escalation in a new theatre in the Middle East conflict has strengthened Iran's hand in its war with the U.S. and further jeopardised global oil supplies. Officials from a Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which is based in the south of the country and opposes the Houthis, said the Saudi and Yemeni air forces had been responding to Houthi advances by stepping up aerial bombardment of Houthi targets. That included strikes near the historic Red Sea port of Mocha, which the fighters captured last week. But the Yemeni officials acknowledged that the Houthis had now taken effective control over almost the entire western coast of the country along the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia's 1,200-km (745-mile) East-West Pipeline, which links its Gulf oil fields to the Red Sea, has been the Kingdom's principal export route while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted by six months of war. Since the pipeline was shut after Friday's attack, traders say a prolonged closure could cut off as much as 4% of global oil supply. Riyadh has not said when operations might resume, but Wright said on the sidelines of a G20 energy meeting in Houston that he thought "it will be measured in days." He said Saudi Arabia was taking steps to move more oil out of the Strait of Hormuz with assistance from the U.S. military. The new Houthi presence in the Bab el-Mandeb, or "Gate of Tears", the strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, could further jeopardise that crucial export route.

Defense Minister Says Pakistan Will ‘Fulfill Our Duty’ to Saudi Arabia Amid Attacks from Ansar Allah - Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad was prepared to fulfill its obligations under the Mecca Agreement as Saudi Arabia battles Ansar Allah in Yemen. The “Mecca Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfill our duty,” Asif said on Wednesday without going into details about what kind of support Islamabad was preparing to provide to Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia went to war against Ansar Allah long before the Mecca Agreement was signed last month, Asif said that an alleged drone attack on the holy city of Mecca is cause for Pakistan to act. “If Mecca is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it,” Asif said. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia claimed to have downed a drone fired by Ansar Allah the day before that was headed toward Mecca. Ansar Allah has firmly rejected the accusation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif restated Pakistan’s support, saying the country stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia. The fighting between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia reignited in July after the kingdom attacked the Sanaa airport. In recent weeks, Ansar Allah has taken a significant amount of territory from the Saudi-backed forces in Yemen and attacked several energy sites in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has reached out to international partners for support. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested that President Donald Trump order direct attacks on Ansar Allah positions. However, after a meeting between American and Ansar Allah representatives in Oman last week, Trump informed MBS he would only provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence support. Saudi Arabia has also asked China and Pakistan to place pressure on Iran to rein in Ansar Allah. According to three Iranian sources speaking with Reuters, Beijing privately asked Tehran to rein in Ansar Allah after receiving a request from Riyadh. The sources told the outlet that Iran responded that stability in the region depended on US and Israeli aggression. In public statements, China has called for stability. “China does not wish to see regional tensions further spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea. Escalating regional instability is not in the interests of any party,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Reuters. “The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people’s livelihoods must not be targeted. China calls for an end to actions that further complicate the situation and urges resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation.” Asif said Islamabad also relayed a message from Riyadh to Tehran asking Iran to rein in Ansar Allah. However, the Pakistani Defense Minister downplayed the Iranian role in the ongoing war between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia. “I don’t think Iran as a state will open another front,” he said. While Saudi Arabia’s ties to the US and Ansar Allah’s relationship with Tehran allow the war between the two to appear to be a part of a larger regional war, the conflict began over a decade ago. Additionally, Ansar Allah did not begin its offensive following the US and Israeli surprise attack on Iran, but rather after Saudi-backed forces attacked the Sanaa airport, prompting Ansar Allah to resume attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Araghchi Discusses Regional Developments With Pakistan Army Chief - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a phone call from Beijing. Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that the talks took place on Wednesday on the sidelines of Araghchi’s visit to China, as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain stalled with no signs of an imminent agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he hoped the war with Iran would end soon. A separate media report said Trump is expected to meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next Tuesday to discuss the conflict. According to Axios, Trump’s meeting with Gulf leaders in New York is expected to focus on U.S. plans for a post-war strategy. Trump is expected to meet with the leaders or foreign ministers of the six GCC countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

Yemeni Media Published Photos of Downed Saudi F-15 Fighter Jet as War Continues to Rage -Yemen’s SABA news agency on Wednesday published what it said were photos of a US-made Saudi F-15SA fighter jet that was shot down by Ansar Allah over the Yemeni province of Marib.So far, the shootdown has yet to be confirmed by US or Saudi sources, but the photos show what appears to be the vertical tail fin of an F-15 marked with a Saudi flag. Ansar Allah military spokesman Yahya Saree also released what he said was footage of the jet being shot down by Yemeni air defenses.In a statement on the downing, Saree said that Saudi Arabia had launched 450 airstrikes in Yemen over the past week using both F-15 fighter jets and the European-made Typhoon. “In the face of this brutal aggression our country and people, The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s help and grace, were able to shoot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was conducting hostile operations in support of its military buildup in the skies over Marib Governorate, the fighter jet was downed using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile,” he said. Saree also claimed that Yemeni forces forced two other F-15s to retreat and strongly denied Saudi claims that Ansar Allah had targeted Mecca, Islam’s holiest site. “The fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal Saudi regime regarding targeting Mecca cannot deceive anyone, they are the ones who defile it with immorality, debauchery, and the importation of prostitutes, there is no threat whatsoever facilities from Yemen to the holy sites, our operations target their oil places and military bases, and are far removed from the holy [sites],” Saree said In separate statements, Saree announced more Ansar Allah missile and drone attacks targeting oil and military sites in Saudi Arabia and said the Saudi forces launched 40 more airstrikes over the previous 24-hour period. The airstrikes are backed by the US, which reportedly has up to 200 troops in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support.

UNICEF: 12 Million Yemen Children Need Aid -- UNICEF has warned that renewed hostilities across Yemen are forcing families to flee their homes, killing and injuring children, and disrupting access to healthcare and education, further worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis. More than 12 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. In a statement, UNICEF said more than 104,000 people, including over 57,000 children, had been displaced in just two weeks. The agency added that since September 3, reports indicated that at least nine children had been killed and 12 injured, while three children remained missing following an attack on the road linking Yemen’s western coast with Aden. UNICEF said ongoing fighting in western Taiz, southern Hudaydah, Marib and other affected areas was depriving children of essential services. Services at 26 UNICEF-supported health facilities have been disrupted, while 243 schools have been closed or suspended classes, affecting more than 137,000 students. UNICEF is expanding its emergency response to reach up to 231,000 people affected by the escalation. The organization has already begun providing assistance, including support for health facilities, distributing hygiene supplies and water tanks in Taiz, providing additional water and sanitation supplies in Marib, and redeploying nine mobile health and nutrition teams to displacement sites and affected communities in Aden, Marib and Taiz. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said the latest wave of violence was undermining the little stability left for children who have already endured years of hunger, displacement and disrupted education. UNICEF warned that the impact of the escalation extends to areas across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with more than 2,000 people, including many children, arriving in Djibouti after a dangerous crossing marked by extreme heat, dehydration and serious safety risks. UNICEF is working with relevant authorities to support newly arrived families by providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, child protection assistance, and referrals for the most vulnerable children to receive the care they need. The organization said that even before the latest escalation, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen were already in need of humanitarian assistance. It added that more than 2.2 million children under the age of five were suffering from acute malnutrition, including more than 515,000 children experiencing severe acute malnutrition, while 3.2 million school-age children were out of school. UNICEF reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, including children, comply with international humanitarian law, facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and ensure that urgently needed assistance reaches communities in need.

Saudi Arabia Pivots to Spot Oil Sales After Key Pipeline Goes Offline -- So far this week, Saudi Arabia has sold as many as 20 million barrels of crude oil in the spot market to be picked up from just outside the Strait of Hormuz, after the Kingdom was forced to shut down the key onshore pipeline that helps it bypass the chokepoint, unnamed traders with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. Chinese refiners, including state-held giants and independent refiners, as well as crude processors in other East Asian countries, have been the main buyers of the Saudi spot crude offerings this week, according to Bloomberg’s sources who wished to remain anonymous. The Saudis are selling the cargoes for pickup and loading for this month and next onto other vessels outside the Strait of Hormuz. This means buyers will not be sending tankers into the Persian Gulf via Hormuz, but will load the cargoes in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in the Gulf of Oman. Late last week, Saudi Arabia shut down its East-West oil pipeline following drone attacks launched from the territory of Iraq close to the Iranian border on Thursday. The 750-mile-long East-West pipeline became Saudi Arabia’s vital oil route to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict started and Hormuz was closed to shipping traffic. Thanks to the East-West pipeline, the Kingdom has managed to re-route most of its crude loadings from its eastern ports in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.  After the East-West pipeline outage, Saudi oil giant Aramco has reportedly canceled or delayed some September deliveries to European refiners.The STS transfers of spot crude cargoes have been perfected in recent months by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose national oil company ADNOC has offered prompt supply in multiple tenders both within the Persian Gulf and the Fujairah-Sohar range outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudis tell European refiners they’ll get no crude next month - Saudi Aramco told at least two oil refining customers in Europe that they will be allocated no crude oil next month after the kingdom’s key pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked, people informed of the decision said. European customers normally receive Saudi Arabian crude on so-called term contracts, ensuring a steady flow of supply every month. Those deliveries will not take place next month, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The decision applies to all European buyers, they said. Saudi Aramco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal working hours. Saudi Arabia was forced to shut its East-West pipeline last week after it was attacked by drones. The line is due to partially restart within days and be fully back up and running within six weeks, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. European refineries typically lift Saudi crude from Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir, which is connected to the Red Sea via a pipeline. The pipeline halt caused panic buying from some of Aramco’s customers. Poland’s Orlen SA issued more than ten tenders since Friday in a race to secure alternative supplies. European countries in the OECD imported 577,000 barrels a day of crude from Saudi Arabia in June, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly Oil Market Report.

Macron Calls for Another Emergency Oil Release as Europe Loses Supply - French President Emmanuel Macron is calling the G7 back to the table to discuss another release of emergency oil stocks as Europe loses Saudi crude deliveries and diesel prices push deeper into record territory. Macron said Friday that he will convene G7 countries in the coming weeks to coordinate stock levels, exports and production capacity and consider tapping strategic reserves. France is also working to secure diesel, jet fuel and natural gas supplies for the coming months. Europe has a useful card left to play. Unlike the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, European emergency stocks contain large volumes of finished fuels, including gasoline and diesel. Diesel is exactly where the market hurts. Europe’s diesel benchmark rose to more than $200 per barrel this week, with taxes pushing retail-equivalent costs above $300. Russia has extended restrictions on diesel exports, and Middle Eastern product exports are still constrained. Saudi Arabia added another problem Friday when Aramco told at least two European refiners they will receive no crude under term contracts in October following the attack on its East-West pipeline. The company is trying to restore partial pipeline capacity within days, with full recovery reportedly taking about six weeks. Aramco has found another route for roughly 60 million barrels through the Persian Gulf and ship-to-ship transfers near Oman. Most of those barrels are headed to Asian refiners. Europe is buying replacement crude from the North Sea and elsewhere instead. The G7 has already burned through a lot of ammunition. IEA members have released more than 300 million barrels of emergency stocks since March. Global observed inventories are still 507 million barrels lower than when the war began, after drawing at an average 2.8 million bpd over the past six months. Another stock release could put physical barrels—and importantly, finished fuel—into Europe quickly. It cannot repair Saudi Arabia’s pipeline, restart Russian refineries or reopen Hormuz.

Building Damaged by Israeli Strikes Collapses, Killing 21 Palestinians, Including 12 Children - -A building housing Palestinians in Gaza City that was damaged by previous Israeli strikes collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing more than 20 people.  According to the latest numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 21 Palestinians, including 12 children and five women, were killed when the building collapsed as they slept.  According to The Associated Press, Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, said that rescue workers had finished digging in the rubble for survivors, and at least 14 other people were injured in the collapse. Many Palestinians live in unsafe buildings that had been damaged by the Israeli bombing campaign, as the US and Israel continue to prevent reconstruction from taking place, a decision made by the two nations and the so-called “Board of Peace.”The official position of the US and Israel is that reconstruction cannot happen until Hamas gives up its weapons, yet Israel has rejected a US-backed disarmament proposal that Hamas has agreed to, and the IDF continues to launch daily attacks in Gaza in violation of the October 2025 ceasefire deal. The US also continues to back the Israeli strikes despite President Trump calling for the bombing to stop after he announced Hamas agreed to disarm.The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least two more Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza City on Wednesday. The Health Ministry said in its daily update that since the so-called ceasefire deal was signed about 11 months ago, Israel has killed 1,381 Palestinians and wounded 4,757.

Katz Says Israel Will 'Finish the Job' in Gaza and Go Ahead With Ethnic Cleansing Plan -   - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said that Israel is prepared to “finish the job” in Gaza and reaffirmed his support for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, which he refers to as “migration.” Katz made the comments while discussing the October 2025 ceasefire deal, which Israel has constantly violated with daily attacks that have killed over 1,300 Palestinians since the agreement was signed.According to The Times of Israel, Katz said that 70% of Gaza has already been emptied of its Palestinian population and that the October 2025 deal had “supreme value for all Israelis” by leading to the return of remaining hostages and ensuring “a commitment by the United States” to disarming Hamas.“We all understand that this (disarmament) is not going to happen — and the IDF is prepared, once given the directive to eliminate Hamas, to finish the job so that we can also implement the migration plan,” he added.Back in July, Katz said that even if Hamas does disarm, Israel wouldn’t withdraw from Gaza and would begin establishing “Nahal outposts,” a type of Jewish settlement in Israeli-occupied territory that are first populated by Israeli soldiers with the goal of transitioning them to permanent civilian communities.Last month, the Israeli minister said that ethnic cleansing was the only “solution” for Gaza. “There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without migration,” he said. “The moment will come. When will it come? When it becomes clear that Hamas is not meeting its commitment. Then we will get a green light to move forward militarily, territorially, and in other areas, and this thing will gain momentum.”

Israel Begins Demolishing Homes and Agricultural Structures in Anata. -- jordannews - Israeli forces began demolishing several residential and agricultural structures on Thursday morning in the town of Anata, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that Israeli forces had begun demolishing residential and agricultural structures in the Wadi al-Bayk area of Anata. The demolitions came weeks after Israeli authorities issued dozens of demolition notices in the area, citing alleged construction without permits. The demolitions threaten residents’ homes and livelihoods, further worsening living conditions in the area and increasing pressure on residents to leave and face forced displacement.

Russia's drone war comes to Moldova and Romania -- For Ukrainians, Russia's air war has been a bitter, bloody reality for years. People in Ukraine are being killed every day by missiles,, bombs, and drones. But the country's central and southeastern European neighbors have also found themselves affected, albeit on a smaller scale: Missiles and drones sometimes invade their air space, and occasionally even crash on their territory. Now the Russian drone war is coming dangerously close to two of Ukraine's neighbors: Romania and the Republic of Moldova, where drone incidents are now an almost daily occurrence. The drones often explode, leaving people injured, and there have also been recent attacks on Ukrainian checkpoints at the Moldovan and Romanian borders. The attacks have now escalated to such a degree that many observers believe they can no longer be considered unintentional. They suspect the Kremlin is deliberately trying to bring the war to Ukraine's neighbors. The latest drone incursion and crash on Tuesday caused a furore as it prevented a plane with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on board from taking off in the Moldovan capital Chisinau. A Russian Geran drone, which can fly as fast as 500 kilometers per hour (311 mph), took off in Crimea, then flew through Ukrainian airspace and eventually crashed in a sunflower field near the Moldovan city of Riscani. The drone also flew over Romania, where two fighter jets were scrambled from NATO's Kogalniceanu airbase near the Black Sea port of Constanta, though it remains unclear why they did not shoot down the drone, as they had on other occasions. The most serious aspect of the incident was that it showed how limited Moldovan air defense is in its ability to protect the country's air space. The drones were detected and tracked by air traffic control, but it was not possible to shoot them down. According to publicly available information, the country possesses only a small number of Polish Piorun anti-aircraft missiles, and these are only able to protect certain specific targets. There have been around three dozen drone incidents in Romania and Moldova since the beginning of August this year. The majority were airspace violations, but there have also been crashes and explosions, while debris has also been found. In Romania, several drones have also been shot down. According to official data, 17 drones crashed in August in Moldova alone – as many as in all of 2025. There was also a drone strike on the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and southeastern Moldova on the night of September 8. The crossing, situated around a kilometer from Moldovan territory, and was damaged in the attack. Two people were killed and two others wounded, one of them a Moldovan citizen. The Moldovan leadership has strongly condemned the drone attack. President Maia Sandu said on Wednesday that Russia's war had arrived at the Moldovan border. "It is hard to understand, given this reality, that there are still voices who try to convince Moldovans that Russia is not the aggressor, or that the war in our part of the world has nothing to do with us," Sandu said. The president of the Moldovan parliament, Igor Grosu, wrote on Facebook that these were incidents "we can no longer view as something remote." The threat from Russia, Grosu said, was not a "specter," and not propaganda: "It is a daily reality." Moldova's Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii said that the deaths of Moldovan citizens could no longer be ruled out in future. Vladimir Bolea, the minister of infrastructure, warned that Giurgiulesti, Moldova's port on the Danube, could become a target after the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Romania and Moldova of using the port as a "transit hub" for arms shipments.

NATO Fighter Jets Shoot Down Drone In Lithuanian Airspace -- NATO fighter jets early Tuesday morning shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace that officials said entered Lithuania from bordering Belarus and was armed with explosives. It was the first time a drone has been shot down in Lithuania since the war in Ukraine began.  Since last year, Ukrainian drones have been shot down in Estonia and Latvia, and suspected Russian drones have been shot down in Poland and Romania. Russia has not claimed any of these drones as its own and has yet to comment on the Lithuanian incident. Lithuanian officials didn’t say anything about the potential origin of the drone, but are investigating the debris to determine where it came from.  Also on Tuesday, Denmark said a Russian warship fired two emergency flares at one of its military helicopters conducting surveillance in the Baltic Sea. One flare came close to the helicopter.   President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said both incidents constituted “part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression and provocation against Europe, testing our readiness and our resolve.”She added, “Russia will find our resolve only growing stronger.”NATO’s borders have been moved closer to Russia during the past 27 years, and it is entirely possible that Russian drones could stray into or otherwise enter NATO airspace. Lithuania, which joined NATO in 2004, is less than 100 miles from Mainland Russia, shares a border with the Russian oblast Kaliningrad, and shares a border with Russian ally Belarus.Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, shares a border with Ukraine. On Sunday, a Russian drone hit a civilian train in Yahodyn, Ukraine, very close to the Polish border. The strike sparked suspicions that the intended target was a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, and security advisers from several European Union states. They were returning from a security conference in Kyiv and left the station in Yahodyn ahead of schedule before the attack.On Sunday, President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to stop targeting Russia’s diesel fuel, implicitly blaming Ukraine for rising diesel fuel prices in America. According to Reuters, Trump said:“Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to ‌stop ⁠knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. We spoke to Mr. ⁠Zelensky about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel. That’s hurting the world.” Trump seems intent on shifting blame for the economic crisis caused by his disastrous war with Iran onto Ukraine. However, both the policy of Ukraine striking Russian energy production and the intelligence required for Ukraine to conduct the strikes come from Washington.

China Builds First Mothership for Giant Underwater Drones...Satellite imagery has revealed that China is building a new mothership in Shanghai that is believed to be the first of its kind, potentially capable of carrying and deploying four large uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) for long-range missions. According to The Telegraph, the vessel is under construction at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. Images released by U.S. defense intelligence company Vantor show a distinctive red vessel under construction at the facility. China has previously built large amphibious assault ships at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard. It is also the first known country to develop uncrewed underwater vehicles of this size, commonly described as extra-extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XXLUUVs). Underwater warfare expert H I Sutton, writing for Naval News, said the most likely explanation is that the vessel is a dedicated mothership for uncrewed submarines. Based on its size and configuration, he estimated that it could carry at least four Chinese XXLUUVs. China has already tested two types of very large uncrewed underwater vehicles near Hainan Island in the South China Sea. The two observed designs are approximately 35 and 45 meters (115 and 148 feet) long, making them around six to eight times the overall size of the U.S. Navy’s Orca XLUUV. Sutton said the new mothership appears to have an internal hangar where the underwater vehicles could be stored, along with a stern well deck and a system designed to lower and recover the vehicles. The ship’s size and internal hangar have led analysts to question whether it has a civilian or research role. Naval News assessed that the vessel is most likely intended to serve as a mobile support, maintenance, launch and recovery platform for China’s large uncrewed submarines. The exact capabilities and intended missions of the XXLUUVs remain unclear. Analysts have suggested that their large size could allow them to undertake long-endurance missions and potentially carry substantial payloads. China’s development of XXLUUVs appears to place it at the forefront of large autonomous underwater systems. The U.S. Navy’s Orca XLUUV is significantly smaller, while Britain has been developing its own large uncrewed underwater vehicle, known as XV Excalibur, under the Cetus program. The Chinese vehicles are believed to be designed for long-range operations. Naval News has reported that their eventual roles could include missions conducted far from China, although their exact operational purpose remains uncertain. China has also expanded its broader naval drone capabilities. During its 2025 military parade, Beijing displayed several uncrewed naval systems, including the HSU100 and AJX002 underwater vehicles. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said in a speech on Wednesday that China should “keep in mind the lessons of history” and remain vigilant against what he described as manifestations of hegemony, militarism and historical distortion. The Telegraph reported that some analysts interpreted the remarks as an indirect reference to Japan, amid continuing tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over security and defense issues. The new mothership remains under construction, and China has not publicly confirmed its purpose or capabilities. Current assessments are based primarily on satellite imagery and expert analysis, meaning its final role will become clearer only after further construction, sea trials and possible deployment.