week ending Aug 1

Warsh and Peace: Iran tensions, bond market complicate Fed outlook | Is it the best of times or the worst of times for the Fed to hike interest rates? Either way, this week's meeting of the new-look Federal Open Market Committee will give market observers new clues on how the U.S. central bank interprets a mixed bag of economic data. Based on its core economic indicators — inflation and unemployment — the Federal Reserve appears on solid footing to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged. But renewed tensions in the Middle East have bond markets pricing in higher inflation, building the case for rate hike during Wednesday's policy vote.

• Key insight: The Federal Reserve's preferred economic indicators in recent weeks support the central bank keeping interest rates unchanged, while certain real-time data suggest a rate hike to tamp down inflation might be in order.
• Expert quote: "My suspicion is the chair will find it in his own best interest to describe the committee's reaction function to the market. It's part of the responsibility of the Fed to tell the market what it's thinking, not just what it's doing." —Derek Tang, CEO of Monetary Policy Analytics
• Forward look: The Federal Open Market Committee meets Tuesday and Wednesday, and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will announce the group's policy decision on Wednesday afternoon.

Kevin Warsh can’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz - The public is fed up with the high cost of living, and the Federal Reserve is once again under pressure to act.Kevin Warsh, the new Fed chairman, has vowed to get inflation back to 2%. Some investors suspect the Warsh-led Fed will show it’s serious about that pledge by raising rates as soon as Wednesday. And yet: As powerful as the Fed is, its inflation-fighting tools are limited when it comes to combating the supply-driven inflation America is facing now. The Fed can’t conjure a durable ceasefire in the war with Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, nor disappear President Donald Trump’s high and volatile tariffs.“Rate hikes won’t keep the bombs from dropping,” said Benson Durham, a former Fed official and founder of DASM LLC, an independent research firm.The Fed mostly put out the post-Covid inflation fire by spiking interest rates starting in 2022. Those rate hikes were aimed at cooling overheated demand, giving supply a chance to catch up.But today’s inflation is different.First, it’s not as severe. Inflation is hovering at about 3.5%, above the 2% target but a far cry from the 9.1% inflation of mid-2022. Second, today’s economy is not overheating with gangbusters demand. Hiring is weak. Wage growth has cooled, barely keeping up with prices.Instead of red-hot demand, inflation is mostly being driven by supply problems that are making so many things more expensive: The war with Iran has derailed the flow of energy from the Middle East, lifting prices on diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. High tariffs have also driven up the cost of some goods, though not by as much as many feared.“Monetary policy 101 says when there is a supply shock, don’t respond. Follow the script. It’s worked pretty well,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CNN in a phone interview. “Bottom line: I don’t think they should raise rates.”Zandi warned that raising rates to cool demand could tip over the stock market, which could take down the shaky job market. “That’s a dangerous game to play. The labor market is weak and it wouldn’t take a lot to push us into a recession,” Zandi said.Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen argued last month that the “default strategy” for the Fed should be “looking through supply shocks,” instead of being tempted into rate hikes.“Monetary policy cannot tame supply-driven inflation without exacting unacceptable unemployment costs,” Yellen said at a Brookings event.The exception, according to Yellen, would be if inflation expectations skyrocket. That matters because if the public and investors start to doubt inflation will get back to normal, workers would likely demand major wage hikes and companies would preemptively raise prices. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.But economists say inflation expectations, especially market-based measures, are not near the danger zone.Moody’s estimates that about 0.66 percentage points of forecasted inflation at the end of this year will be due to the Iran war. Another 0.17 percentage points comes from tariffs and trade restrictions, and a smaller amount from restrictive immigration policy.“None of those things will be solved by higher rates,” said Stephanie Roth, chief economist at Wolfe Research. Goldman Sachs economists concluded in a recent report that there is “little reason to think” limited rate hikes would “provide much help in bringing inflation down.”

Warsh welcomes yield spikes as 'change for the better' | American Banker — Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said his limited approach to communication might have contributed to record jumps in Treasury yields since the Fed's June monetary policy meeting. He also said it was a positive development.

• Key insight: Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh hailed rising market interest rates between Federal Open Market Committee meetings as a positive development. 
• Expert quote: "Market participants are learning to play the ball, not the referee, and market prices will continue to respond in the direction and magnitude they see fit. This is, in my view, a change for the better, and we're just getting started." — Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh
• Forward look: Warsh's comments suggest he will be steadfast in his commitment to limited communication, even if it creates volatility in markets. He said the Fed also won't raise rates simply because markets do.

An Interesting Divergence Is Emerging Between The Fed And Other Central Banks - While geopolitical concerns simmer away, market attention will turn today to the FOMC, who meet to decide on the appropriate level of the Fed Funds rate. The overnight index swaps market currency has a touch over 8bps worth of rate hike priced-in for this meeting. The September meeting is now fully-priced for a 25bp hike, with another hike in the curve for March next year. In reality, few expect the Fed to raise rates at this meeting (we certainly do not), though we may see some FOMC members dissent in favour of lifting rates.An interesting divergence is now emerging between the Fed under Kevin Warsh and other central banks. Warsh’s predilection for the Fed to “say less” contrasts with the approach of the RBA, who are busily implementing review findings encouraging better communication. The RBA recently published results of a survey it conducted which made the groundbreaking discovery that households’ primary economic concern is the rising cost of living (inflation) and that many individuals don’t have a firm grasp on the esoterics of monetary policy.Given that the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission is related to the credibility of the central bank, the RBA views this as a problem for it to solve by communicating more effectively. Might we expect set-piece speeches like Governor Bullock’s appearance in support of the Anika Foundation yesterday to give way to TikToks?Warsh, on the other hand, seems to take the view that the wizard retains more power if he remains behind the curtain. Saying less would neatly resolve the risk central bankers face of painting themselves into a corner when goaded into issuing forward guidance by enthusiastic journalists.Bullock spent much of her speech yesterday rehashing the theme of repeated international shocks buffeting the supply side of the economy. Though Australia carried plenty of inflation momentum into the current oil shock, a tightening of global energy supplies has certainly exacerbated the problem and would have figured in the RBA’s decisions to raise the policy rate in March and May. There was some good news on the inflation front today though, with headline CPI in the year to June printing two ticks below market expectations at 3.8% and the core reading printing one tick lower than expected at 3.6%. The AUD and short sovereign yields are down substantially on the news.Ultimately the great hope for overcoming the deleterious effects of geopolitical shocks on living standards is through strong productivity growth at home. AI holds the prospect of being something of a white knight on that score, but outside the US productivity growth remains anaemic and the link between huge AI CAPEX and improved productivity outcomes does not seem to be established in the top level data just yet.While the promise is certainly there, the investment needs to result in inputs being converted to outputs more efficiently, and the physical materials needed for the fixed capital need to actually be available. In an age where semiconductor supply chains are being disrupted by energy and trade shocks, and important base materials like aluminium, copper, helium and nickel are physically constrained in the Strait of Hormuz shock (to say nothing of ongoing labour constraints!), converting those ‘circle of life’ CAPEX numbers into actual production might be easier said than done.

Senate GOP close to cutting deal to avoid shutdown - Senate Republicans are close to cutting a deal with their Democratic counterparts to avoid a government shutdown and rein in a proposed rule from the White House budget office that would give Trump appointees more power to withhold congressional appropriations, according to senators familiar with the negotiations. GOP lawmakers are desperate to avoid another shutdown before the election, but any proposal to quash President Trump’s ability to hold up federal money from going to programs the administration deems “woke” could draw the president’s opposition and scuttle a funding deal. The proposal would fund the government through Dec. 4, and some Democrats believe that if it passes, there would be a tacit agreement from Senate GOP colleagues to postpone Trump’s demanded budget reconciliation package until after the election. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday afternoon that he hopes a government funding deal comes together in time for the Senate to vote on it next week before the upper chamber leaves Washington for a five-week August recess. “There are a handful of issues that are still under consideration with the CR, but we filed on it today, we’re setting it up, we’re hoping to vote next week,” Thune said, referring to the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through early December. “I’m hoping that both sides can come together and figure the last couple of remaining issues out so we can get the government funded,” he added. Some Republican senators — such as those who battled Trump last year over cuts to agencies made by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and the administration’s attempts to claw back federal appropriations through rescissions — want to use the government funding stopgap to reassert their authority over spending matters. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has led the Republican effort to rein in or halt a proposed rule that would give Trump’s political appointees final sign-off authority over grants appropriated by Congress — something that would significantly undercut lawmakers’ power of the purse. “I certainly think that the rule is deeply flawed. I wrote the first letter from a senator to the OMB to express my opposition,” Collins said, referring to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “There’s a huge group of organizations that have come out against it.” Earlier this month, Collins wrote a letter to Russell Vought, the White House’s budget director, and urged him to withdraw parts of the rule, arguing it would allow federal agencies to terminate any grant, cooperative agreement or federal assistance at any time, and it would “conflict with Congress’s control over the federal funding process.” She warned the overhaul would likely “harm small and rural communities” and could result in the termination of clinical trials, leaving patients without treatment. More broadly, it would “disincentivize scientific researchers,” she argued. 

Senate Republicans push to cancel August recess over SAVE America Act - Senate conservatives, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), are calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to cancel the August recess so they can debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a sweeping election reform bill that President Trump has made his No. 1 legislative priority. Lee warned in a social media post to Thune last week that he would “object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August — at least until such time as the Senate has passed the SAVE America Act” and requested a roll call vote to adjourn the Senate for five weeks over most of August and early September. Lee doubled down on Sunday, posting on the social platform X: “The Senate doesn’t need a summer vacation as much as the country needs the SAVE America Act. Let’s cancel recess.” Several other Senate Republicans echoed Lee’s call to stay in session over August and through Labor Day, even though at least three GOP incumbents face tough reelection races — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) — and could benefit from campaigning at home during those weeks. “I stand with @basedmikelee. I will vote to stay in session unless we have passed the SAVE America Act. The American people expect us to deliver. They deserve secure elections,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) posted on social media. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), who’s up for reelection in November, said she would prefer to stay in Washington in August instead of returning to her home state for an extended period to meet with constituents. “I didn’t come to the United States Senate because I needed something to do. I’m serving because there are things we need to get done for the American People. The Senate needs to stay in session until we can get the SAVE America Act to the floor and passed,” Moody posted on X. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), another Trump ally, said he’s ready to cancel the five-week recess to debate the SAVE America Act, which has already failed several times on the Senate floor. “I’m all for it. We don’t need a recess. Let’s pass the Save America Act. It’s more important than taking a break, taking a recess,” Banks told Fox News. “I’m back in Indiana for the weekend, I head back to Washington tomorrow. I’ve heard from people everywhere I go, from the diner this morning to the grocery store, ‘Pass the SAVE America Act.’ We have to get it done,” he said. The Senate has already spent several weeks of floor time debating the SAVE America Act, which would require people to show documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote and show photo identification when voting, and it would restrict mail-in ballots. The Senate has voted on the legislation in whole or in part at least five times, and it hasn’t come close to mustering the 60 votes needed to pass. No Democrat supports the bill, which Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) has called Jim Crow 2.0.

Trump, Thune clash over cancelling August recess to debate SAVE America Act -   President Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) clashed on Monday over the idea of canceling the Senate’s August recess to debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, Trump’s No. 1 legislative priority. Thune warned against wasting time on a bill that has already failed multiple times on the Senate floor, while rebuffing Trump’s repeated demands that the Senate abolish the filibuster to pass the election reform bill. The Republican leader noted that Trump has already heard directly from other GOP senators that there aren’t enough votes to change the Senate’s rules. “If I thought there was a path to getting a result, I’m all for it. … We voted on it two, three, four, five times already, had it up on the floor for an extended period of time. Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?” Thune said Monday as he walked into the Capitol. “If we are going to be sitting here in endless quorum calls, I don’t know if that’s in anybody’s best interest,” Thune said, noting that vulnerable GOP incumbents, such as Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska), need to get back to their home states to campaign ahead of the November election. Thune’s comments came after Trump demanded that Senate Republicans scrap the five-week August recess to pass a sweeping election reform proposal that would place restrictions on mail-in ballots, and require people to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and present photo ID when casting a ballot. “John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump’s closest Senate allies are further ramping up pressure on Thune by vowing to object to motions to adjourn the Senate for August, which could force Republicans to take tough votes to go on recess. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a leading proponent of the SAVE America Act, spearheaded the pressure campaign on Thune through social media. “@LeaderJohnThune, I hereby object to any effort to put the Senate into recess in August — at least until such time as the Senate has passed the SAVE America Act,” he wrote online. He warned Thune to “not assume you have my consent” to send senators home for the five-week recess without calling a vote on the matter. Republican Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Ashley Moody (Fla.) and Jim Banks (Ind.) also called on GOP leaders to keep the Senate in session through Labor Day if necessary to hold additional debate and votes on the SAVE America Act. This has sparked an intense fight in the Senate GOP conference. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned that Trump allies who are vowing to stay in session until the SAVE America Act is passed will wind up disappointing Republican voters when they fail to deliver a win. Cornyn said Lee and others pushing to cancel the recess are putting vulnerable GOP senators in a bad position and “demoralizing our base of voters we’re depending on in 99 days to elect Republicans.” “What possible rationale could there be for that other than self-aggrandizement?” he said, noting that vulnerable Republicans “will have to vote to stay in” session to avoid criticism from the MAGA base. “I hope you have a nice August,” Cornyn said. “I’m going to be somewhere else.” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) warned that canceling the August recess to have another fruitless Senate debate on election reform would be a “catastrophic” move. “I think it’s snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I think what we need to do is get out of here. Staying here longer and just assuming that because we’re here we’re going to bridge some profound differences between people is a catastrophic political miscalculation and shows that they’re tone deaf to the fact that we have a real threat ahead of us with respect to losing the majority,” he said. Tillis added that he wants Senate members to spend the recess in their home states campaigning ahead of the midterms, not “doing the performative politics up here that people like Mike Lee want to do.” Trump and Thune exchanged testy comments last week when Trump fumed at a rally in Georgia: “It’s like the Senate is a place you send things when you want them to die.” On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the president’s “patience is running out with Thune” and that the “Senate needs to do its job.” Thune appeared annoyed by that criticism, telling reporters: “Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here.” The Senate GOP leader on Monday said there aren’t enough votes to eliminate the filibuster — as Trump has demanded — and suggested that the president himself try to twist some arms if he wants to ram the SAVE America Act through the upper chamber. “We have in the past suggested to he and his team to come up here and visit with some of my colleagues and they did that. They sat down with about 20 Republicans on getting rid of the legislative filibuster and getting rid of blue slips and there were 15 nos,” Thune said, referring to Trump’s desire to get rid of the blue slip process that allows senators in both parties to block district court-level judges and U.S. attorneys nominated to positions in their home states. “This is not an open question; it’s just a fact and the facts don’t change. Now, if he can change the facts and start moving some of those senators who are nos into yeses, then we have a different conversation,” he continued.

Donald Trump's Iran Meltdown Raises New Questions About Conflict -President Donald Trump’s frustration over Iran has reportedly spilled behind closed doors. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing people who heard the remarks, Trump erupted in the Oval Office over the conflict, calling Iranian leaders “scumbags and lunatics” in an expletive-filled rant. The reported outburst comes amid a widening confrontation with Iran, with U.S. forces carrying out repeated airstrikes and Tehran rejecting a U.S. ceasefire proposal delivered by Iran on July 23. He defended the prolonged military campaign during recent remarks. Asked by reporters at Joint Base Andrews on July 19 why a conflict he once suggested would last just weeks had stretched to nearly five months, Trump rejected the premise. “This is a far bigger job that we’re doing,” he said. “We were doing a little job, stopping them from having a certain capability. Now, we’re just ending it.” Inside the White House, however, WSJ reported that Trump has grown angry over failed negotiations and believes Iran responds only to force. One senior administration official described him as being in “revenge mode” against Tehran. Experts said the leaked outburst complicated White House messaging.“While President Trump’s frustration is understandable, reports of uncontrolled outbursts can worsen fears of his conduct being erratic and unhinged,” said foreign policy expert Michael Szanto, PhD.“On the other hand, it can also put IRGC leadership on notice that the Trump administration is losing patience with Iran’s terrorism in the Hormuz and larger Persian Gulf region,” Szanto noted.“The technical performance of the U.S. military against Iran overall has been excellent,” he added, “but the accompanying communications from the White House and Defense Department has been very much lacking.”

US pauses Iran attacks after Trump advised to halt bombing - - The US has paused strikes on Iran for a third night as top military officials advised Donald Trump to halt his bombing campaign, and diplomatic negotiations have continued to avoid a return to all-out war. Oil prices fell on Monday as markets responded to the pause in combat.Trump is said to be weighing up diplomatic and military options in the nearly five-month-old conflict, with Benjamin Netanyahu expected to visit the White House on Tuesday. The Israeli prime minister is a vocal critic of Washington’s negotiations with Iranian leaders and has pressed for the US to continue its strikes against Iran.Netanyahu is under considerable political pressure to show that his military campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon have yielded results before elections scheduled for October. Tehran said on Sunday it would pause what it called “retaliatory” attacks against US allies in the region. “These [US] attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks,” said the army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia. “Our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.” Senior officials in the Trump administration are reported to have told the president about dwindling munitions stockpiles that could hamper a sustained military campaign in the region. Axios reported on Sunday that Adm Bradley Cooper, the top US military commander in the region, had told Trump the US military campaign had reached the limits of its effectiveness.The message was said to affect Trump’s decision to hold strikes on Iran for the first time in nearly two weeks. Cooper told Trump the US had nearly exhausted the list of targets that it had developed to attack in Iran, and without a return to major combat operations there was little point in continuing the bombing campaign, the news website reported. Asked on Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press whether Trump was ruling out additional strikes in Iran, the president’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz said: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.” The lull in fighting, which began on Friday evening, follows nearly two weeks of strikes against Iran and the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by Trump. Washington blamed Iran for strikes on US forces and allies in the region and its closure of the strait of Hormuz, a conduit for an estimated 20% of the world’s oil and gas. Senior diplomats from Iran and Oman were said to be holding negotiations on Sunday on reopening the vital waterway and an official in Tehran confirmed colleagues had been in touch with US negotiators to prevent a return to war. Iran has demanded payment and control over which ships pass through the strait. “Mediators are working and trying to prevent tension from escalating,” the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, told a press conference on Sunday. But an Iranian army spokesperson signalled defiance, saying the US had no clear strategy and was “experiencing strategic decision-making fatigue”.

Iran says it will halt strikes as long as US bombing pause holds - (Reuters) - Iran will halt its own ​attacks as long as the United States does the same, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday. The development comes as the United States pressed ‌pause on its bombing campaign after President Donald Trump's advisers told him they were running out of targets and expressed worries about depleting the U.S. arsenal. After 13 nights of intensifying U.S. airstrikes on Iran, the Pentagon suspended the campaign late on Friday, with no U.S. attacks reported on either Saturday or Sunday. Iran, which had been following each night of U.S. attacks with its own strikes ​on neighboring countries that host U.S. bases, has also so far held fire for two days. Make sense of global markets with the Trading Day newsletter. Sign up here. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Tehran's position "remains ‘attack ​for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United ⁠States." The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told "Fox News Sunday" and other U.S. media that Trump had decided to pause U.S. attacks to allow more time for diplomacy. "He's ​giving talks some space, he's giving it a little bit of room," Waltz said, without providing further details. U.S. military officials in recent days have cautioned that bombings over the ​past two weeks meant to deter Iranian threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway that has become a key flashpoint in the war — had largely exhausted the pre-selected sets of targets, one U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Resuming major combat operations remains an option, but General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has cautioned privately to Trump that ​it would carry risk given the negative impact on stocks of munitions, the official said. That includes interceptors used by U.S. air defenses in the Middle East, the ​official added. Caine's office and U.S. Central Command declined comment. U.S. military officials have traditionally declined to comment on their private advice to a sitting U.S. president, even in testimony to Congress. On NBC's "Meet ‌the Press," ⁠Waltz said the U.S. military "has everything that it needs," but also said that when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took over under the Trump administration, he "inherited a depleted situation." The senior Iranian source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Tehran did not hold much hope that Trump's decision to pause strikes represented a major shift in the U.S. negotiating position. "There is more scepticism than optimism about the halt in attacks. The prevailing view is that the pause is tactical rather than genuine. Iran has accumulated enough ​bitter experience with what it sees as ​U.S. deception," the source said. For ⁠the past two weeks, U.S. forces had been striking Iran nightly in what Washington said was retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces have responded to the U.S. attacks by launching strikes at water desalination plants in nearby Gulf ​Arab states. Iran says it aims to retain control of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil flows passed before ​the war. The renewed U.S. ⁠military campaign effectively torpedoed last month's interim agreement aimed at ending the war. Trump's decision to pause the strikes followed what several media outlets described as a meeting on Friday where Caine and other senior military and political advisers raised concerns. CNN said Vice President JD Vance had expressed reservations. Axios reported that the overall commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Admiral Brad Cooper, ⁠had advised ​halting the U.S. bombing campaign because it had reached the limits of its effectiveness. Residents of Iran remain apprehensive. Nader, ​49, an import-export business owner in Tehran, said he doubted any pause in strikes would last. "Everyone in the country is stuck in limbo," he told Reuters by telephone. "Trump is playing games with Iran. He neither ends ​the war and leaves the region nor strikes decisively. It's exhausting."

Iran Warns It Will Expand Attacks in the Region If the US Restarts Airstrikes -  An Iranian military official said on Sunday that Iran would expand its attacks in the region if the US restarts airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, which have been halted for two days following 13 consecutive nights of the US bombing the country. “I believe that if the Americans once again fall for the Zionists’ deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through airstrikes, geographically this will expand further,” said Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to AFP.Since the US paused its airstrikes, Iran has also stopped its retaliatory attacks on US bases, which have targeted facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, and Jordan, where at least three US troops were killed, and dozens were injured in recent weeks. US attacks on Iran this month have killed more than 50 Iranians, according to Iran’s Health Ministry. The US halted its strikes on Iran after President Trump threatened to carry out his biggest attack yet, and according to a report from The New York Times, he has shelved plans for a major escalation, at least for now.The report said that the pause came after Trump held a meeting with his top aides, who warned that a major escalation risks depleting US Patriot missile interceptors and other air defenses to a dangerous level. Officials also expressed concern about more regional escalations, as Saudi Arabia appears to be back at war with Yemen’s Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, following the Saudi strikes on the Sanaa international airport in Yemen, an attack that President Trump approved. US officials have framed the pause in strikes on Iran as a way to give room for diplomacy, but it’s unclear if any negotiations are taking place at all, and the renewed US bombing campaign made talks with the US even more politically fraught than before. While the strikes have halted for the moment, they could restart at any time, and the US continues enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports.

Enemy Suffered All-Out Defeat, Failed to Achieve Goals: IRGC Official - (Tansim) – An Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) official underlined the all-out defeat of the enemy against the Iranian nation, saying despite the support of its allies, the United States failed to achieve any of its goals. Despite utilizing all its power and capabilities in the military, political, economic, and cultural fields, the enemy failed against the will of the Iranian nation and failed to achieve any of its evil goals, General Ramezan Sharif, head of the IRGC’s Sacred Defense Documents Center said at event in the central city of Arak on Sunday evening. “(The enemy) faced a strategic failure at every stage. These achievements are the result of the pure blood of the martyrs, the wise guidelines of the martyred Leader and the (current) wise Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and the awareness and insight of the people who, relying on their religious and revolutionary identity, have neutralized the enemy's complex conspiracies,” he stated. General Sharif added that although the European Union and some countries in the region were on the side of the United States and the Zionist regime in all battles, this coordinated front failed to achieve its goals despite utilizing all its espionage, intelligence, and propaganda capabilities. He noted that the enemy’s incorrect estimates about the collapse of the system in the first days of the war soon showed their baselessness to world public opinion. The adversaries had even planned to disintegrate the Iranian territory and geographically divide the eastern and western regions of the country, but these conspiracies were thwarted with the guidance of the Leader of the Revolution and the people’s resistance, he said. According to General Sharif, the US president’s admission of defeat against the will of the Iranian nation also shows the result of the struggle of brave commanders such as former IRGC commander Lieutenant General Mohammad Pakpour, who sacrificed their lives for the glory of the Islamic system. Emphasizing the strategic depth of the Islamic Republic system, he said that during the past four decades, Islamic Iran has never suffered from an intellectual vacuum in the field of decision-making and future-looking; rather, it has always benefited from a powerful support of pure revolutionary thought, profound scientific theorizing, and valuable defense and security experiences.

Iran Does Not Trust US: Envoy - (Tasnim) – The Iranian ambassador to China emphasized that Iran is committed to negotiations but does not trust the United States due to Washington’s reneging on its commitments. Speaking in a press conference held Tuesday at the Iranian embassy in Beijing and attended by dozens of Chinese media reporters, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Iran has declared from the beginning that it defend itself and respond to US attacks, and whenever the US stops its aggressive attacks, “we will stop our actions in return.” He said the Persian Gulf countries, China, Russia, Pakistan and some European countries are trying hard to end this war, considering the economic and security effects of military aggression in the region. Given that China has always emphasized maintaining the path of negotiations, reducing tensions, strengthening collective security, strategic development and strategic cooperation in the Persian Gulf region, “we believe that this country can play both a direct and an indirect role in establishing peace, security, collective cooperation and regional security,” he added. “Of course, China has made many valuable efforts to strengthen and support regional peace, both in the Security Council and at the regional level, which we appreciate.” In response to a question about the talks to end the war, Rahmani Fazli said, “We have always emphasized that, in addition to our will to defend, we are also ready to negotiate. However, given the US’s lack of commitment to the memorandum of understanding (the Islamabad MoU) and its reneging on its commitments, Iran has no confidence in the American side.” The Iranian ambassador added, “First, we believe in stopping the war and stopping the threats, second, we believe in mutual respect, and third, we insist on adhering to commitments. But we do not trust the Americans in any of these cases, because we have had bitter experiences in this regard, especially in the last year. We accept negotiations and diplomacy in an independent and effective manner and under fair conditions, not accompanied by threats, pressure, the presence of military forces, and bombing.”

Pentagon Database Shows More Than 200 US Casualties in Iran War Since July 7 -  Since July 7, four US troops have been killed, and more than 200 have been wounded in the Iran war, according to the Pentagon’s official casualty database, known as the Defense Casualty Analysis System.  The four dead US soldiers include three who were killed in a July 17 Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan, and they have been identified as Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park.The fourth soldier died on July 18 in Iraq, identified as Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old father from North Carolina, during what the US military called a controlled demolition of an unexploded Iranian drone. A US official told The New York Times that Swinton was not involved in the actual detonation but was hit by flying debris from the blast.  The database says that 207 US troops were also wounded, including 182 US Army soldiers, 21 US Navy personnel, and four US Air Force airmen. Many of the wounded sustained injuries during Iranian attacks on US bases in Jordan, which became a frequent target of the IRGC during the latest exchange of strikes, which have been paused since Friday.The 211 casualties are considered part of “Overseas Operations,” which began on July 7, as the Pentagon separated them from the earlier casualties in the war. During “Operation Epic Fury,” the codename for the first months of the war, at least 14 US troops were killed, and 417 were wounded, for a total of 642 casualties since President Trump launched the war with Israel on February 28. US and Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28 have killed around 3,500 Iranians, including more than 50 since the US renewed strikes several weeks ago. In April, Iranian officials said nearly half of those killed were civilians, including the 120 school children killed in the US bombing of an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran. The Trump administration has consistently downplayed casualties in the war, with the Pentagon only admitting to more than 100 of the recent injuries after The New York Times reported that it didn’t disclose dozens of injuries in Jordan in the days leading up to the deadly July 17 attack. President Trump has also downplayed the casualties by sharing statistics of other US wars with higher casualty rates, and he claimed that the four soldiers who were killed had said that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” as he was going to attend a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Pentagon mum as US casualties in Iran war rise - The Pentagon’s Iran war casualty count topped 600 over the weekend, following a quiet update as the department faces questions about the absence of transparency.The Department of Defense (DOD) restored the death of the four service members killed by Iranian strikes last week and added more than 140 injured. The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), which Pentagon officials say is the accurate database for the injury and death updates of service members in the war, added a new category, dubbed “Overseas Operations,” for those killed and injured since July 7 this year. Once the numbers from Operation Epic Fury and Overseas Operations are combined, a total of 18 service members have been killed since the Iran war began on Feb. 28 and another 624 have been injured. The DOD has come under fire from lawmakers and the news media after the number of service members killed and injured went down in the DCAS database despite the Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in the region continuing.“The Department of War is aware of temporary data disruptions on the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) website. These site anomalies are currently being resolved in coordination with the Military Services,” acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said in a statement Thursday, using the alternative name for the DOD. A group of 12 Senate Democrats last week asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the department’s handling of the database, saying the lack of transparency “undermines confidence that military families and the American people are receiving a complete and accurate accounting of the sacrifices made by those serving in uniform.”Last Monday, the Pentagon said that nearly 100 U.S. service members have sustained injuries since July 7, which is when President Trump formally notified Congress of the new hostility restarting against in Iran.

Rep. Massie Joins Democrats in Attempt To Sue White House Over Iran War -  - Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is joining a group of Democrats who are attempting to sue the White House over its refusal to follow a War Powers Resolution that was passed by Congress and directed President Trump to end the war with Iran, Fox News Digital reported on Monday.  The War Powers Resolution was passed by both the House and Senate in June, marking the first time Congress approved a concurrent resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act directing the termination of an unauthorized war.Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act states that “at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.”Massie told Fox that Trump and US War Secretary Pete Hegseth are “in blatant violation of two sections of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.”“For the first time since the law was enacted, a concurrent resolution has passed in accordance with 5(c) of the law, but the White House has ignored it. It seems they’ve assumed the law is unconstitutional, but no court has ever found that to be the case, so the law remains on the books while the White House flouts it. In the 1983 case INS v. Chadha, the Supreme Court did not opine on the 1973 War Powers Resolution. It’s time for the courts to settle this, and that’s what our legislation directs,” Massie said.“They’ve also violated section 5(b) of the law, but rather than ignore the law, they’ve perpetuated a ruse that the 60-day limit on Presidential military activity does not apply with respect to the Iran war, because each time they effect a temporary ceasefire, the statutory clock restarts. We believe no court would agree with this absurdity, and this should be litigated as well,” he added.The legislation to enforce the War Powers Resolution was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and has five co-sponsors, four Democrats plus Massie. The bill would require House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to take legal action against the administration to enforce the concurrent War Powers Resolution.“The power to declare war rests unequivocally with Congress, yet Speaker Johnson and the vast majority of Republicans have allowed President Trump to trample over the Constitution and wage a war that has not been authorized by Congress. Nevertheless, Democrats, together with the few Republicans who upheld their oath, successfully passed my Iran War Powers Resolution that requires the president to end his hostilities in Iran last month,” Meeks said in a statement on the bill. “Despite what the administration might say, I believe my War Powers Resolution is binding, and it is time to settle that question in the courts. As the Speaker of the House, Johnson must bring this suit forward. If the Speaker won’t defend congressional prerogatives, we must compel him to do so, which is why I’ve introduced this legislation to force his hand,” he added.

As the US pauses the war with Iran, is Trump really running out of weapons? -- When US President Donald Trump took the stage earlier this month at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, flanked by the CEOs of some of America's largest defence firms, he had one message in mind: build more weapons, and build them faster. "We have the best quality in the world," Trump told the armsmakers gathered at the US Army War College, with 'Secretary of War' Pete Hegseth at his side. "But we need a little more speed." The Trump administration framed the summit as part of a two-pronged approach to revitalise American industry and bolster US warfighting capabilities and, in Hegseth's words, its "arsenal of freedom". Largely unspoken, however, was the vast expenditure of sophisticated and difficult-to-manufacture weapons used during nearly 40 days of intense combat operations in Iran during Operation Epic Fury earlier this year and tit-for-tat strikes that have taken place since. So far, the US government says the war has cost $37.5bn (£28bn), and the vast majority of that has been spent on munitions. By the time a tenuous ceasefire took effect on 8 April, US forces had struck over 13,000 targets across Iran, according to the White House. American air defences intercepted over 1,700 Iranian drones and ballistic missiles over the same period. Now, the US has paused its strikes on Iran to allow negotiations to go ahead. A New York Times report says that Trump was advised to shelve plans to escalate the conflict as it would further drain American stockpiles. On Monday, Trump denied there was a shortfall, telling the Wall Street Journal: "We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need." This has been a touchy subject for some time within the US administration. Last month, when pressed on the subject, Hegseth denied that supplies were thinning out. His position seems to have changed since. Last week, he told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the Pentagon needed another $87bn (£68bn) to address "critical shortfalls", including equipment. Exact ammunition expenditures and remaining stockpiles remain classified. But publicly available data compiled by the Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) paints a stark picture of depleted stockpiles that, in the short-term, are difficult to replace. "It depends on the munition - but one to five years [to make a single missile] is the bottom line," says Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at CSIS who has been researching the issue. "And there's nothing you can do to speed that up." But is the US really eating through ammunition so fast that it may struggle to fulfil its military duties and objectives? The critical munitions used in the war span two categories: long-range ground attack systems, and the air and missile defences used to intercept incoming Iranian attacks. Among the ground attack systems that saw the greatest use was the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - or TLAM - that is typically fired from ships or submarines at targets that could be well over 1,000 miles (1,609km) away. These weapons allow the US to conduct precision strikes against hardened military targets, such as command bunkers or fortified military facilities, without putting manned aircraft in harm's way. More than 1,000 Tomahawks have been fired during the war, the CSIS estimates, and the stockpile may not return to pre-war levels until 2031. According to the CSIS, the latest variants of the TLAM cost approximately $2.6m (£2m) per missile. Of the air defence systems used in the war, the most heavily used was the Patriot, a ground-based missile used to target aircraft, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles. According to the CSIS estimate, as many as 1,430 were used during the conflict from an estimated pre-war stockpile of about 2,330. Each Patriot interceptor costs approximately $4m (£3.1m) - an expensive but effective option repeatedly used to shoot down Iranian drones that themselves only cost between $20,000-50,000 each (£15,600–£39,000). These will be hard to replace. "It takes several years to produce a missile. If you put money into the system today, you wouldn't get a missile for three or four years. Sometimes even five," Cancian says. "What we're getting [now] are missiles that were funded in 2023." Also used was a newer, more sophisticated system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, which has a longer range and higher intercept altitudes than the older Patriot. Supplies were already limited, with CSIS estimating that between 190 and 290 were fired out of an estimated pre-war stock of 360. With only nine THAAD batteries operational in the world - and seven of them American - sustained expenditure could leave US forces without a system that would be critical to defending ballistic missile threats from countries such as Russia, China or North Korea.

Ukraine’s strike on Iranian tanker is a message for Trump -An Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea does not, at first, seem like an obvious target for Ukrainian drones.  But more than 500 miles away from Kyiv – and just days before meeting Donald Trump at the White House – Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to make an important point. The ship, which has not been named, was allegedly carrying military cargo between Russia and Iran.Iran has long been supplying Shahed drones to Russia for its war against Ukraine. Now Russia is fitting them with powerful jet engines, and is believed to be sending them back to Iran for its war against the US. Ukraine blew the ship out of the water, killing one crew member. Mr Zelensky hopes that proving Russia is aiding Iran will persuade Mr Trump to turn against Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian president has more evidence to back up his case. He says Russian satellites have been monitoring US bases across the Middle East to co-ordinate the Islamic Republic’s strikes, and wants Mr Trump to take a look.“I will instruct our intelligence to share with our partners the information we have regarding Russia’s new assistance to the Iranian regime,” he said.“Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there.“These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes – both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted.”Corroborating the Ukrainian president’s claim, a Western defence source told The Telegraph that there had been a notable improvement in Iran’s precision strikes and target selection since a ceasefire with the US broke down earlier this month.The source compared it to the initial Western reluctance to support Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion. “Ukraine managed to hold out and did well, and then our arms supplies, intelligence support broadened and deepened significantly after the first week,” they said.By reinforcing the alliance between Russia and Iran, Mr Zelensky hopes that it will create more wriggle room among Mr Trump’s Maga supporters for him to aid Ukraine.  One of the American Maga movement’s cheerleaders, Laura Loomer, travelled to Kyiv and interviewed the Ukrainian president this week. While on the trip, the independent journalist accused Russia of funding Iran and providing it with explosives used against US servicemen.Last week, the Pentagon released the names of three troops believed to have been killed in an Iranian strike in Jordan. A fourth also died during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in northern Iraq.It took the number of Americans killed since the Iran war broke out to 18.Despite Russia’s alleged support for Iran, Mr Trump has been reluctant to criticise Putin. It is also believed the US president’s potential level of support for Kyiv is hamstrung by the Maga movement’s refusal to engage with foreign wars.

Senate Moves Russia Sanctions Bill Forward as Zelensky Watches Vote -  The Senate on Tuesday night advanced a sweeping Russia sanctions bill as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky watched the vote from the Senate gallery.Zelensky was in town for the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, after whom the legislation was named. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would also extend sanctions already in place on Iran, as President Trump asked senators to add Iran sanctions to the bill, saying it’s what “Lindsey would have wanted.”The procedural step to advance the bill passed in an 86-12 vote, with 11 Democrats opposing the bill over concerns it would give Trump too much power to impose tariffs, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) being the lone Republican no vote.The legislation would impose sanctions on Russian officials and companies and would also give President Trump the power to impose 100% tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy, with carve-outs for US NATO allies. The initial bill that Graham was pushing last year would have required 500% tariffs.Ahead of the vote, Zelensky met with a large bipartisan group of senators and addressed Democratic skepticism about the tariffs, arguing that the measures were necessary because Russia has been able to circumvent sanctions, according to Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio.   The bill is unlikely to impact Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has escalated in recent months in response to an increase in long-range Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia.

GOP senators warn confidence in Pete Hegseth eroding as Iran war drags on - Republican senators say that confidence is waning in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the U.S. armed forces as the war with Iran drags on without an end in sight. They are also warning that the success of a possible “massive attack” against Iran could be critical to shoring up support for the unpopular conflict. Some GOP lawmakers are questioning the administration’s failure to anticipate the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz — which has caused oil and gas prices to rise dramatically since February — or failure to anticipate Iran’s willingness to strike neighboring allies, such as Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The expansion of the conflict in recent days to the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthi militants targeted Saudi oil shipments, is another troubling development that some Republicans think caught the Pentagon off-guard. “I don’t have any confidence in him anymore. I think he’s all over the place — he’s accelerating the retirement or forcing out some of the most distinguished leaders in the DOD that we have,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told The Hill, referring to the Department of Defense (DOD). “I think he’s got a massive insecurity complex, he has a lack of experience in large organizations, he micromanages too much. He’s lost my confidence,” added Tillis, who recently has been more critical of President Trump and some of his lieutenants since announcing last year that he would not be running for reelection. Tillis’s vote will be critical to advancing any budget resolution before the August recess to set the stage for advancing a $95 billion reconciliation package that includes $73 billion in funding for the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies. Tillis says there’s a growing crisis of confidence in Hegseth’s leadership within the Senate GOP conference as costs mount and Iran appears no closer to agreeing to a lasting peace deal. “I think there are other people that are probably one decision or another” away from speaking out critically about the leadership of the Pentagon, he said. One Republican senator close to Defense policymakers on Capitol Hill said that Hegseth is losing support within senior military ranks and that is fueling concerns among GOP colleagues. “I have heard out of the Pentagon that there’s a loss of confidence — within the Pentagon. And of course then everyone here on the Hill hears those same concerns,” the GOP lawmaker said, requesting anonymity to discuss private conversations about Hegseth.

US Starts Bombing Iran After Trump's Threats - - US Central Command announced on Wednesday night that it began launching airstrikes against Iran, hours after President Trump threatened a response to an Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan. CENTCOM described the attacks as a “powerful response” to the attack in Jordan, though the extent of the US strikes remains unclear at this point. Trump has reportedly been mulling a significant escalation compared to the airstrikes the US was launching against Iran earlier this month.On Wednesday morning, Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst that the US was going to “beat the f-cking sh-t” out of Iran in response to the Jordan attack.“We’re going to beat the f-cking sh-t out of them,” the president said, according to Yingst. “We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.”Trump described the strikes as a “surprise attack” and said that US troops had just “minutes” to intercept the missiles. During heavy US airstrikes on Iran earlier this month, Iran was pounding US bases in Jordan in response, and at least three US troops were killed, and more than 100 were wounded in the attacks.The attack came after several days of a lull in US airstrikes against Iran, though the US military has still been enforcing a blockade against Iranian ports, and the Iranian military warned on Monday that it would consider the continued blockade an “expansion of war in the region” and vowed a response.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the strikes on the US base in Jordan were a response to “aggressive actions by the child-killing American army.”“Until threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran continue and the illegal and mischievous actions of American forces against our interests are ongoing, resistance will continue as well,” the IRGC said. “Threats by American officials and illegal interventions against our interests must stop.”The Iranian attack came after Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to discuss the Iran war, and the two leaders described the talks as very positive. “It was a meeting with full cooperation, with mutual support, with understanding on the joint goal that Iran won’t have nuclear weapons, and also other goals,” Netanyahu said. “It was one of the best conversations I’ve had with our friend, US President Trump.”

US launches fresh wave of aggression against Iran; explosions reported across southern provinces - The United States has once again launched a fresh round of military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to a statement from the US Central Command (CENTCOM). In a post on X late Wednesday local time, CENTCOM claimed that American forces began the attacks at 8:00 p.m. ET (00:00 GMT Thursday), describing them as a so-called “powerful response” to what it labeled “attempted Iranian attacks” on US forces illegally stationed in the region the previous day. Explosions were subsequently reported in several locations across southern Iran following the launch of the US attacks. Three explosions were heard on Qeshm Island inside the city, Tasnim news agency reported. Explosions were also heard in Bushehr province, according to the IRIB state broadcaster. A deputy security minister in Khuzestan province said US forces targeted “some locations in Abadan,” IRIB reported. The broadcaster also said two explosions were heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province, with similar sounds reported on the islands of Abu Musa, Kish, and Qeshm. A senior Hormozgan province official stated that there had been no attacks on the city of Sirik. Locals reported that a missile struck a residential area, though information regarding casualties remains unavailable, according to Tasnim. The agency further stated that US forces hit southwestern Fars province as well as Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. In Fars province, an area on the outskirts of the city of Kazerun was targeted, while two loud explosions were heard on Kish Island following a missile strike. Two people were trapped under rubble following a US strike on a residential building on Qeshm, IRIB reported. Citing the deputy governor of Hormozgan province, the broadcaster said the building in the Chah-Tango neighborhood of Qeshm city was “hit by enemy projectiles,” and that “search and rescue operations are underway to save the trapped individuals with all available resources.” Meanwhile, US forces hit several locations in Ahvaz in southwestern Khuzestan province, with power outages reported in some parts of the city, Tasnim news agency said. At least seven locations in the city were hit, IRIB added. Explosions were also heard in the cities of Shadegan, Arvandkenar, and Abadan in Khuzestan province. On Thursday morning, CENTCOM claimed it had completed a “heavy wave of strikes against Iran” following the previous day’s attempted missile attacks on American forces, adding that its assets struck dozens of IRGC targets. The latest US assault is a clear continuation of Washington’s pattern of unprovoked aggression, violation of international law, and breach of previous understandings. It follows the IRGC’s lawful defensive missile operation targeting US military positions in Jordan, an operation carried out in response to the ongoing American occupation of regional soil and repeated assaults on Iranian interests. US and Jordanian officials claimed all the ballistic missiles were intercepted, with no reported casualties among the occupying forces. This outcome further highlights the effectiveness of Iran’s calibrated approach even as it exercises its inherent right to self-defense against foreign bases that serve as launchpads for aggression against the Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance. The strikes come after a brief pause in US bombing, which American officials had claimed was intended to allow space for diplomacy. That pause was shattered by Washington’s own refusal to end its illegal military presence and its continued support for regional instability. US President Donald Trump had earlier on Wednesday openly threatened Iran with further punishment, declaring it was “our turn” and vowing to hit the country “very hard” and deliver a “beating," language that exposes the bullying and imperialist mindset of the American leadership. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that any aggression against the country’s soil will be met with decisive reciprocal action.

Iran War: Jordan Strike Shows Iran Intensifying War to Exhaust US Economy and Military; Trump Takes Bait by Retaliating - Yves Smith - The media, and even commentators who should know better like Trita Parsi and Robert Pape, took up the CENTCOM/Trump framing that Iran’s strike on Jordan after refraining from attacks after the unilateral US “pause” as a “surprise” attack. FFS, a war is on. The US is engaging in an ongoing assault by imposing a blockade just beyond the Strait of Hormuz. That is an act of war. However, the Iran strike on Jordan is significant. It means Iran has abandoned its practice of attacking the US and its allies only in response to particular strikes, as opposed to continuing aggression and economic warfare. Iran is now out to displace Trump as the driver of events, and even more critically, of overall pacing and intensity. This is more than just getting inside the US OODA loop to gain tactical advantage. The US revealed, by refraining from the monster attack that Trump had threatened for last weekend, that the armed services were worried that the Iran conflict was depleting US precision weapons to the degree that continuing with the attacks, which were also admitted to be not very productive, could weaken US effectiveness in other theaters. Yes, the US still has ample supplies of less sophisticated arme. But generally speaking, using them puts servicememembers at more risk when the US has also demonstrated that it is casualty-averse. As we will soon show below, Mohammed Marandi argues that Iran is now seeking to force US retreat by breaking its economy. But the US is one of the last in line in terms of downsides. India, most of Africa, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are among the countries that will suffer great damage before the US will (admittedly, as with military fatalities, the US has limited pain tolerance). Even though Marandi downplays this possibility, given what amounted to an intervention by top generals last weekend, it seems even more likely that the rupture will occur on the military front. Admittedly, there is the wild card, widely discussed in the Israeli media, of Israel and the US jointly attacking, as in the US gets a wee lease on force projection life. Further evidence of US weakness comes via reports of the US dragging in NATO allies to try to parry Iran attacks: But even so, if Iran succeeds in deking the US into operating at a higher gear, the US will face the risk of dangerous depletion. Alternatively, it may fall into the trap of attempting a ground operation with US forces, as opposed to useful idiots like the Kurds. The Iranians eagerly hope the US will do so; independent Western experts are in close to universal agreement that it would be an epic fiasco. At least on the energy front, the Trump team has signaled it is willing to go all in to try to beat Iran. We argued, and readers concurred, that the Department of Energy statement that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve could be drained to a level of 70 million barrels was tantamount to saying they were willing to collapse the salt caverns if need be. But what happens if Trump grandiosity and need to dominate runs into resistance from the military? As Robert Barnes reported, Trump was talked down last weekend by being told in firmer, simple noun-verb sentences, that Bad Things would happen if he went ahead, plus the action was unlikely to hurt Iran much. What happens when Trump becomes immune to argument? I have said from before the time the war started that Trump was at risk of a soft military coup, of having orders (then the object of consideration was an unjustified declaration of martial law) defied. One possible version is a Trump version of the Saturday Night Massacre, of ordering Hegseth to fire generals who would not implement US-overall-interest-threatening attacks on Iran. Even if that did not generate a Constitutional crisis, as it did with Nixon. it could trigger a breakdown of authority in the armed services. We’ll return to the strategic implications of Iran’s new posture but first, we’ll cover some kinetic updates.

US-Owned LNG Ship Reportedly Struck By Kamikaze Drone At Egyptian Port -- A potentially major escalation emerged late Wednesday after a US-owned gas-processing vessel moored at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta was reportedly struck by a drone, according to Reuters, citing maritime security firm Ambrey. Details remain scant, and this assessment is preliminary. Ship-tracking data from Bloomberg shows the gas-processing vessel Energos Winter, which serves as a floating storage and regasification unit, moored off the port of Damietta. The port hosts the Damietta LNG terminal, a critical outlet for processing and exporting Egyptian and regional natural gas to Europe. Reuters reported: The drone hit floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a fire that then spread to another vessel, Gaslog ‌Salem, ⁠three trading sources familiar with the incident said. Two separate security sources said the cause ⁠of the blast was a drone strike. The crew was evacuated, and the fire had ⁠been brought under control, Ambrey said, adding that no party ⁠had claimed responsibility. Our partners at Newsquawk issued an alert at around 12:09 p.m. New York time that appeared to contradict Reuters' reporting on the floating storage and regasification unit: Reports of a drone attack targeting Damietta port are false, Al Hadath reports, citing a source. There are also conflicting reports on X: Some say it was a drone strike, while others say it was an industrial accident.

Joint US-Saudi Strikes on Iraq Kill 20 PMF Fighters - -  The US and Saudi Arabia launched major airstrikes in Iraq overnight, targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of mostly Shia militias formed in 2014 to fight ISIS. The US-Saudi strikes targeted PMF facilities in Baghdad and five Iraqi provinces, killing at least 20 PMF fighters, according to the group. President Trump claimed the attacks were coordinated with the Iraqi government, but Baghdad strongly condemned the strikes, with Iraq’s National Security Council saying they “resulted in a group of innocent martyrs and wounded.” The attacks were launched over claims that Iraqi militias targeted oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, though Yemen’s Ansar Allah appeared to take credit for the attacks, and the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an Iran-aligned Shia coalition that includes PMF militias, denied responsibility.The Iraqi National Security Council said the strikes came as “the Iraqi government was communicating with the concerned parties to verify and address” Saudi Arabia’s claims “regarding the targeting of Saudi territories [from Iraq].” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who recently visited Trump in Washington, canceled a planned trip to Saudi Arabia over the attacks.In its statement on the strikes, US Central Command said that US and Saudi aircraft “struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours.” Iranian media reported that four members of the IRGC’s Quds Force were killed by US-Saudi strikes on the Iraqi city of Karbala, a holy city for Shia Muslims. The reports said the IRGC members were acting as security guards for pilgrims traveling to the city for the upcoming Arbaeen holiday.Iran-aligned factions in Iraq also strongly condemned the US-Saudi strikes and called on the Iraqi government to take action. “We condemn in the strongest terms the sinful and unjustified aggression that targeted the sovereignty of Iraq and its armed forces,” said Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organization, according to Rudaw. “We demand that the Iraqi government take a firm and decisive stance regarding this infringement on Iraq’s sovereignty and the targeting of its heroic forces,” al-Amiri added. The escalation in Iraq came after the IRGC targeted a US base in Jordan with a missile attack, which the IRGC said was a response to “aggressive actions by the child-killing American army.” President Trump threatened a major response to the Iranian attack, which came after a several-day lull in US attacks against Iran, though the US continues to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.

US-Saudi strikes in Iraq kill 20, including Iranians -The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed armed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes. The Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), said that at least 20 fighters "were martyred and another 32 wounded according to a preliminary toll". Two Hashed officials told AFP that five Iranian advisors were among those killed in a strike in the central province of Diyala. AFP correspondents saw coffins wrapped in Iranian flags during a funeral organised by the Hashed al-Shaabi in Baghdad for those killed. The Hashed alliance was created in 2014 to fight jihadists before it was formally integrated into the Iraqi armed forces. It now includes brigades belonging to Iran-backed groups reputed for acting unilaterally. US President Donald Trump said the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government, according to Fox News. They follow growing US pressure on Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran armed groups, which have frequently targeted US facilities in the country and have long called for the withdrawal of US troops. Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who came to power this year with Washington's blessing, vowed to ensure those groups would hand over their weapons, but has faced pushback from some powerful factions. The strikes came after Riyadh said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities, blaming the Iran-backed groups in Iraq. The most active pro-Iran armed groups are united under an alliance known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has acted in support of Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming hundreds of attacks against US bases in Iraq and across the region. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said "our response to the American enemy is inevitable, and may target its tools in Saudi Arabia". But the group added that it would only retaliate after the Arbaeen day of pilgrimage, which falls on Tuesday. The Arbaeen marks one of the most significant events in the Shia Muslim calendar, during which pilgrims, many from Iran, flock to Iraq to visit the holy shrines. The pro-Iran groups denied attacking Saudi Arabia and they haven't claimed any attacks since the US-Iran war resumed earlier this month.

Iraq calls Saudi-US attacks a ‘flagrant violation of sovereignty’ - Iraq’s National Security Council has condemned Wednesday’s Saudi-US strikes against the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which killed at least 20 members of the Iraqi paramilitary group. The council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, called the attacks on PMF bases in seven Iraqi provinces “a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands”. “An aggression”, according to a statement shared on X, “in contravention of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter”.“Any transgression or compromise of Iraq’s security and sovereignty will not be tolerated under any circumstances”, it said. Saudi Arabia and US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the joint air strikes targeted Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq responsible for attacks on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. The Saudi Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the strikes were “in response ⁠to recent drone attacks” and that Saudi air defences had “intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions… launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-aligned terrorist militias”. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella coalition of self-proclaimed resistance groups backed by Iran, had denied any role in the attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the Saudi claims were “fabrications” and that “any foolish Saudi action will be met with a harsh response”. The joint Saudi-US attacks, from the Iraqi cities of Kirkuk in the north to Basra in the south, killed at least 20 PMF members and at least four advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian and Iraqi media reports. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi was due in the Saudi capital on Thursday, his first visit since taking office, but the visit has been cancelled following the attacks. Baghdad has complained that US-Saudi “aggression has hindered investigation efforts regarding the alleged targeting of Saudi Arabia”. “We demand evidence and proof regarding the launch of attacks from Iraq, and no party has provided any evidence,” the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief for Iraq’s armed forces told the Iraqi News Agency. Funerals were held in Mosul for some of the PMF fighters killed, with mourners calling for revenge. There is also anger on the streets of the capital, Baghdad, where PMF supporters rallied, demanding the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador. In a statement, the Iran-aligned Iraqi paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah said it would give the Iraqi government until August 6 to demonstrate it can defend Iraq’s sovereignty. The group said an immediate response to the US-Saudi attack is “inevitable”.

Iranian Army strikes key US base in Bahrain in 26th phase of Operation Thunder - The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has successfully executed the 26th phase of Operation Thunder, launching a precise drone strike against the United States military’s Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. The operation, carried out by advanced destruction drones, targeted critical infrastructure, including power generators, navigation systems, and administrative support buildings of the US military presence in the region. According to a statement from the Army’s Public Relations Department, the strike was a direct and justified act of retaliation for the martyrdom of Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, the valiant Su-24 pilot who was killed in action while defending the Islamic Republic against US-Zionist aggression. "Despite the presence of multiple advanced defense systems and heavy fortification, recent and ongoing attacks on US bases in the region have inflicted significant damage on the equipment and facilities of the US military, whose regional footprint is defined by aggression and war crimes," the statement read. The Sheikh Isa Air Base is considered one of the most sensitive and strategically vital US military installations in the Persian Gulf. It serves as a primary hub for US reconnaissance aircraft and a major maintenance and logistics center for helicopters and drone components. This latest strike is part of a sustained and escalating campaign by Iran to expel the illegitimate US military presence from West Asia and hold aggressors accountable for their actions. Iranian drones and missiles have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to bypass layered US air defense networks, striking logistics hubs, command centers, and radar installations. These operations are conducted under the framework of Article 51 of the UN Charter, asserting Iran’s inherent right to self-defense against foreign military aggression.

Iran Army hits US base in Kuwait as satellite images show fresh damage - The Iranian Army says it has targeted key facilities at US-run Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, as newly analyzed satellite imagery also points to fresh damage at another US-operated base in the Persian Gulf state. The Army's Public Relations Office said the strike marked the 27th phase of Operation Sa'eqeh and was carried out in response to recent US military attacks on Iran, including an airstrike on a residential home on Qeshm Island. According to the statement, loitering drones targeted aircraft shelters, satellite communications systems and equipment storage facilities at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base. It described the installation as a major hub for US air and surveillance operations and a vital center for the logistical support of American forces. The retaliation comes as the US has been targeting southern Iranian provinces since earlier in July after violating the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Tehran has responded with repeated missile and drone attacks targeting US-operated military facilities across the region under Operation Nasr 2 and Operation Sa'eqeh (Lightning). The Army condemned the US strike on civilian homes in Qeshm, calling it "a clear violation of humanitarian principles and another example of the enemy's war crimes." It added that "crimes, sanctions and threats will only make Iran more united and cohesive in its sacred defense." The statement further said the "decisive, extensive and heavy" attacks carried out by the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps have made it "very costly and difficult" for the United States to intercept Iranian drones and missiles despite deploying advanced air defense systems and reinforcing them. It also noted that Washington has imposed strict censorship to prevent information about damage, casualties and injuries from becoming public. The operation followed a deadly US strike on a residential building on Iran's southern Qeshm Island on Thursday. A local official said three members of a family—a mother, a father and their two-year-old son—were killed in the attack. Two other children were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital after receiving emergency treatment at the scene. The father was identified as a taxi driver, and the neighborhood was a working-class residential area. Meanwhile, satellite imagery has indicated new damage at another US-operated military installation in Kuwait. Soar Atlas, specializing in maps and satellite imagery, said its assessment of newly released satellite images suggested fresh damage at Ali Al Salem Air Base. According to the analysis, part of a storage area used by US forces appeared blackened in the latest imagery, indicating that the facility may have sustained damage. The developments come as The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Washington is reassessing the scale of its military presence in Kuwait. Citing US officials familiar with the deliberations, the newspaper said the Pentagon had already been considering reducing its troop presence before the war on Iran began and has since scaled back personnel in Kuwait to minimize the risk posed by Iranian attacks on US military bases. Analysts quoted by the newspaper said US officials increasingly believe that maintaining a large permanent force in Kuwait is no longer militarily necessary.

Panetta: US locked into 'unwinnable war' with Iran -- Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Thursday that the U.S. is “locked into an unwinnable war” with Iran, arguing the conflict risks becoming another prolonged military engagement with no clear end.Panetta pointed to the latest “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran and attacks from the other side to explain how the U.S. has often become entangled in wars that only drain American resources. He compared the ongoing military operation to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I think we’re locked into an unwinnable war that is going to continue as other wars have continued without any satisfactory conclusion,” he said in an interview on CNN.“That’s the kind of legacy, frankly, that in the 21st century the United States continues to make. Whether it was Iraq, whether it was Afghanistan, or whether it’s Iran, we are finding ourselves in unwinnable wars that ultimately consume the United States, hurt our economy, and most importantly, I think, make us look weak to the rest of the world,” Panetta added.The ex-Pentagon chief, who served in former President Obama’s administration, oversaw the operation that led to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s death in 2011.He argued Thursday that history shows the U.S. should be wary of becoming embroiled in another open-ended conflict in the Middle East. President Trump and his administration are now facing mounting questions over the conflict’s endgame from both sides of the aisle, especially after a previous ceasefire fell apart. The deeply unpopular war, now in its sixth month, has caused the administration to become increasingly frustrated as Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key channel carrying roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply — has caused energy prices to soar.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified to lawmakers earlier this month that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion. Depleting military stockpiles have also raised red flags and led to a temporary pause in fighting last week.Iran’s recent surprise attack on an American base in Jordan, however, refreshed the conflict. The U.S. launched retaliatory strikes on the Islamic Republic in return.Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the U.S. and its allies in the region over the new attacks.

Trump faces threat of widening regional war with Iran - The U.S. war with Iran is flaring up across the region, threatening to pull U.S. allies into a fight that President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started five months ago. Egyptian leaders said Thursday that a drone sparked a fire on two gas vessels in the port of Damietta on Wednesday, and while no one has claimed responsibility, the incident has fueled concerns about a widening war. Wednesday’s incident comes as the U.S. launches retaliatory strikes on Iran for launching missiles on U.S. forces in Jordan earlier this week. And Saudi Arabia teamed up with the U.S. on Tuesday night to launch joint strikes on Iranian proxy militias in Iraq. That came in response to drone strikes on the Saudi Aramco oil processing facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. The attack on the Egyptian port of Damietta underscores the potential vulnerabilities of the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and highlights how expanding the conflict could further disrupt global trade. Iran pinned the blame for the tanker strike on Israel, while praising Egypt as an “important friend and partner” in the region. “We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media. “The threat is clear, mutual and fearful of Muslim solidarity.” Military experts who spoke to The Hill on Thursday were skeptical of Iran’s ability to keep up such attacks, assuming Tehran is to blame, and they questioned the strategic prudence of pulling Egypt into the war. “It’s not clear that they’re able to do that at scale to the point where they would be significant. So if they could demonstrate, like the Ukrainians are against the Russians, that they would have the ability to conduct a sustained campaign against strategic targets like that, then that might be a little bit more influential,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland. He compared the drone strike to Iran’s firing at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. base in the Indian Ocean, earlier this year. The Diego Garcia attack didn’t land, but it shattered assumptions about Iran’s missile strike radius. Jason Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, noted the war has been a regional conflict since its inception in March, but he characterized the latest Iranian strikes as “an uptick.” “Perhaps what they’re doing is trying to limit some of the military options for the United States in Israel as they appear to be getting ready or preparing or staging for another set of strikes here in the near term,” Campbell said. MacFarland said an Iranian drone strike in Egypt would not make a lot of sense in the context of the current conflict, as it would antagonize a powerful military force in the region. “Why would you want to draw them into the conflict too? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. But sometimes these things don’t make sense,” he said. “It made no sense for Germany to declare war on the United States after Pearl Harbor.” In response to the escalation in strikes, Trump vowed Wednesday to “beat the f—ing s—” out of Iran. The escalations come as Trump faces growing political pressure to end the war. An AP-NORC poll released Thursday found that 64 percent of Americans said the conflict was “not worth fighting,” while only 33 percent said it was worth fighting. Israel, which kicked off Operation Epic Fury with the U.S. on Feb. 28, has stayed on the sidelines so far but vowed to retaliate if Iran levied new attacks on the country. Prior to the latest strikes, the U.S. telegraphed it was preparing for a large-scale airstrike campaign in the region. The U.S. deployed special operations forces to the Middle East, while more fighter jets, including F-15s from Germany and stealthy F-35s from the U.K., were staged across the region in recent weeks. Additionally, the U.S. sent an additional 150 medical personnel to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. Army post near Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Additionally, the State Department issued multiple travel warnings to Americans traveling and living abroad, citing an increase in threats on U.S. diplomatic facilities. “These are all suggesting that the U.S. was getting ready to conduct a new set of strikes, and maybe expand its targets,” Campbell said. “I think Iran saw the signs,” he added, noting Iran likely wanted to send a message that it is no longer willing to allow the U.S. and Israel to operate on their preferred timeline. Will Walldorf, a professor at the department of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University, said Iran’s strikes against U.S. outposts in the region are meant to signal its seriousness in not accepting terms at the negotiating table it views as inconsistent with its interests. “After rejecting the most recent peace terms put forward by Oman, its attacks on Jordan and Egypt are meant to send this signal,” Walldorf, who is also a senior fellow at the think tank Defense Priorities, told The Hill on Thursday. “Along those lines, it is also trying to demonstrate to Trump that force is not the answer, that it won’t be bullied. It is playing a dangerous game of chicken with Trump, hoping and anticipating that at some point Trump will see that force is pointless and that talks — with reasonable terms — are the best way to go.” Saudi Arabia said Thursday that it hosted a meeting of representatives from 43 countries in hopes of forming a multinational maritime defense alliance to protect regional shipping lanes. The Saudi Defense Ministry said 14 nations signed on for the alliance, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia. The widening of the scope of the war comes as the U.S. military struck dozens of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military targets late Wednesday. The “heavy” barrage lasted about two hours and was in retaliation to the IRGC firing five ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan in a surprise attack on Tuesday. All five missiles were shot down, according to Trump. The tit-for-tat strikes this week ended a brief pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran, which followed 13 days in a row of U.S. military airstrikes against Iranian military targets in the south of the country. During that stretch, Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Campbell said Tehran is seeking to divide the U.S. and its allies in the region by showing the U.S. is either unwilling or unable to provide the level of security its regional allies expected. “U.S. general standing in the region has been reduced,” Campbell said. “Iran is sending a message to the entire region that they’re still able to interrupt general commerce as they’re being attacked, in their minds, unjustifiably by the United States and Israel.”

China To Arm Iran With Hundreds Of MANPADS Despite Trump Warnings: Report - President Trump has repeatedly said that China's President Xi Jinping has directly assured him that Beijing will not supply Iran with weaponry or military support. But this week these 'assurances' have been called into question by an Reuters investigation. "Iran is expected to receive within weeks a first shipment out of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers, three sources familiar with the deal told ​Reuters, as it rebuilds its defenses amid war with the United States," the fresh report says."The purchase, valued at $60-70 million, is one of Tehran's largest-known efforts to strengthen its short-range air ‌defences since the outbreak of its war with the U.S. and Israel, which exposed gaps in Iran's ability to protect military sites and strategic infrastructure," it adds.The fresh report cites three anonymous sources and did not receive comment from the Iranian side. Some of the assertions of the Reuters report are surprisingly specific, such as in the following:The contract covers the purchase of between 300 and 400 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), including Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, the sources said.The deal was signed with Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, a Hong Kong-based company that the sources said was acting as an intermediary between the Iranian ​side and the Chinese supplier. The reporting even explores options being considered for delivery of the weapons, at a moment Iran is urgently seeking to replenish its air defense supplies after months of grinding tit-for-tat conflict with the US military."Two Western intelligence sources and an Iranian official said Tehran had also explored the use of overland routes to move Chinese military supplies and dual-use components ⁠more discreetly and ​reduce the risk of disruption," Reuters continues.MANPADS could prove especially dangerous for US helicopters and other low flying aircraft, and for Iran can serve as layer of short-range protection.The opening days of Operation Epic Fury saw much of Iran's anti-air units get taken out, especially across the Western part of the country, giving US-Israeli jets air superiority. However, at times the Iranians have claimed to shoot down some aircraft, and since then the US has seemed to operate from further afar.

Lockheed Martin Scores $58.6 Billion Patriot Contract as It Continues To Cash in on Iran War --The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to ramp up production of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors, as US forces have used an enormous number of them in the war with Iran.According to The Hill, the deal converts a previous one-year contract worth $4.7 billion to a multi-year deal to provide the US military with a supply of the interceptors through 2032.According to an analysis from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), which receives grants from Lockheed Martin among a number of other US weapons makers, the US’s stockpile of Patriot interceptors numbered 2,330 before the US and Israel launched the latest war against Iran on February 28.Once the initial ceasefire was announced on April 8, the US was left with 1,030 interceptors, and since the US and Iran have continued to trade attacks, that number today stands somewhere between 759 and 827. The US has also provided hundreds of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine in recent years.CSIS also said that the US has around 250 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, which have been used extensively in the 12-Day War and the current conflict. Lockheed also produces the THAAD interceptors and secured a $35 billion contract to ramp up production earlier this year. Lockheed intends to triple Patriot interceptor production and quadruple THAAD interceptor production over the coming years.While the depletion of US air defenses presents the Trump administration with a strategic dilemma regarding the continuation of the war with Iran, as current production levels cannot keep up with the rates at which they’re being used, the shortages are a boon for US arms makers and are helping the Trump administration justify its ask for a massive $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027, a more than 40% increase from this year’s budget.

Trump to Netanyahu: 'Nobody tells me what to do' in F-35s row - Donald Trump has told Benjamin Netanyahu that “nobody can tell me what to do”, in a row over the United States selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.The US president said during this month’s Nato summit in Ankara that he was lifting US sanctions imposed on Turkey that blocked it from the F-35 programme over purchasing missiles from Russia in 2019.But the suggestion has raised fears in Israel that bolstering the Muslim country’s firepower would upset a delicate balance of power in the Middle East. Turkey, unlike its Nato allies, does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.Turkey and Israel are also jockeying for greater influence in Syria. Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has personally lobbied Mr Trump about the potential sale, publicly describing Turkey as a “nation infected with the Muslim Brotherhood” and claiming that Turkey has “aggressive aspirations”.Asked about Mr Netanyahu’s warnings by reporters on Air Force One on Monday, Mr Trump responded: “Nobody tells me what we should be selling.“Turkey’s not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi [Netanyahu]. But they’ve been great for me.”Mr Trump also said that Israel would not “survive” without US support. “Frankly we’re being very nice to a lot of countries that would not survive without us. And you know who wouldn’t survive without us? Israel,” he said.Tensions have been high between the two nations since the beginning of the Iran war on Feb 28. When asked about dwindling arms supplies, Mr Trump said “sophisticated” weapons after abruptly pausing strikes on Iran over fears of a missile shortage. For the first time in nearly two weeks, the president called off strikes on the Islamic Republic on Friday and set aside plans to return to major combat operations over concerns about dwindling interceptor supplies. The decision to postpone the attack allowed time to assess the impact that a return to all-out conflict could have on an American missile stockpile and gave space for a potential meeting with Iran, which Mr Trump told reporters on Monday he had requested.Rumours are circulating across the administration that the Pentagon is concealing a shortage of interceptor missiles, which are needed to defend American troops and allies in the Gulf.Asked about the state of munitions, Mr Trump insisted that stockpiles were in good shape and that the Pentagon was forcing contractors to ramp up production to meet demand. “We have a lot. I’d like to have more, to be honest,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.He also blamed Joe Biden, the former US president, for giving US technology to Ukraine and admitted that some more “sophisticated” weapons were in shorter supply.“Every one of our contractors is building four to five plans right now, and we’re in very good shape,” he said.

Poll: 49% of Americans Want Netanyahu Arrested During His Visit to the US - Nearly half of Americans want Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested by US authorities during his visit to the US, according to an Economist/YouGov poll cited by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.  The poll found that 49% of Americans wanted to see Netanyahu arrested, including 74% of Kamala Harris voters and 23% of voters who supported President Trump. The survey also found that 54% of Americans view the Israeli leader unfavorably and that 47% believe he’s guilty of war crimes and has damaged US-Israel relations. A separate poll published by YouGov on July 23 had similar results, with 46% of respondents saying Netanyahu should be arrested if he entered the US, and 28% saying he should not. That poll found that 28% of Republicans and 68% of Democrats supported the Israeli leader’s arrest.The results come after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he believed Netanyahu was a “war criminal” and called on federal authorities to arrest the Israeli leader to enforce the International Criminal Court warrant against him for his role in war crimes in Gaza. President Trump responded by saying that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while ​in the United States of America.”Netanyahu met with Trump and his top officials at the White House on Tuesday and is due to attend the funeral for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was known for his staunch support for Israel and the US-Israel relationship. During his talks with Trump, Netanyahu was expected to push for the US to restart strikes on Iran and escalate the war.

Netanyahu Describes Meeting With Trump as 'One of the Best Conversations' They Have Ever Had - News From After meeting with President Trump in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the talks as “one of the best conversations” he’s ever hadwith the US president. “It was a meeting with full cooperation, with mutual support, with understanding on the joint goal that Iran won’t have nuclear weapons, and also other goals,” Netanyahu said after the meeting. “It was one of the best conversations I’ve had with our friend, US President Trump.” Photos from the Oval Office show Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were also present at the meeting. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the talks as “good and productive.” “There is no truth in the claim that Israel is pushing the US in a certain direction on the Iran issue,” Hotovely said, according to Axios. “The Prime Minister is not telling the US President what to do and is not pushing him in any direction. Both sides want to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons. There are many ways to achieve this goal.” While the US and Israel continue to insist that the war is about preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, there was no evidence either before the June 2025 waror the current conflict that Iran was pursuing a bomb. Hotovely also told reporters that Trump didn’t ask for Israel to withdraw from any of the areas IDF soldiers are occupying in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza. Trump has remained silent about Israel’s constant violations of the US-backed ceasefire deal in Gaza, which have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians since the agreement was signed in October 2025.

'I Almost Cried': Unreleased Documentary Footage Shows Lindsey Graham Celebrating Start of Iran War - - Footage from an unreleased documentary about the late Lindsey Graham shows the notoriously hawkish senator celebrating the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran just days after the bombing campaign started.“Look what we’ve done here. I almost cried. How long have we been pushing this?” a laughing Graham is heard saying in the footage, released by Alex Holder, a filmmaker granted extensive access to the South Carolina senator in the years leading up to his death.Graham goes on to say that he spoke with President Trump, who he said was also very happy about the war. “I talked to Trump this morning, he’s jacked, he said, ‘best thing I have ever done.’ He loves blowing stuff up,” he said. Graham then appeared to take credit for helping convince Trump to launch the war. “There are a lot of people inside who didn’t want to do it, so I had my challenges,” he said, adding that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were like “Roosevelt and Churchill.” Holder also released footage of a phone call between Graham and Netanyahu from early March, during which Graham said he was going to travel to Florida to meet with President Trump to convince him to join Israel’s bombing campaign in Lebanon, but Netanyahu talked him out of it.“We’re concentrating right now on Iran,” Netanyahu told Graham. “If we tell Hezbollah that we’re going all the way, we threaten them, but if we actually do it, then they have no reason not to go all the way against us. And right now that’s not our interest.”

Footage Released by Laura Loomer Shows Sen. Lindsey Graham Celebrating His Birthday at Ukrainian Drone Factory - --Footage released on Tuesday by Laura Loomer, an extremist political activist known to have influence on the Trump administration, shows Sen. Lindsey Graham celebrating his birthday at a drone factory in Ukraine just days before his death.Loomer said that Graham visited the factory belonging to the Ukrainian military-linked firm SkyFall two days before his death, which would put the visit on July 9, his 71st birthday. Photos of Graham holding a drone at the SkyFall factory were released the day of his death, but it was unclear exactly when he visited the facility.The footage shows a drone flying inside the facility, carrying a sign that reads “Happy Birthday.” Loomer said that SkyFall had gifted Graham a drone that was going to be delivered to his house, but it would now be deployed in the war.

Hamas to disarm after Trump announces Gaza peace plan - President Donald Trump has said his Board of Peace reached a “historic” agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, roughly nine months after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into force in the Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that the Palestinian militant group had agreed to the plan. Hamas shedding its weapons was one of the most contentious issues in the protracted talks. Negotiators struggled to advance the deal—signed in October 2025—beyond the ceasefire phase and onto the second stage, which determined Hamas’ future and that of the devastated Gaza Strip. An accord would be a major foreign policy win for the Board of Peace, but many questions remain about the terms of disarmament, including the timeline, who would monitor the process, and how Israel will respond. The Trump administration’s 20-point ceasefire plan demanded Hamas give up its weapons and its vast network of secret tunnels snaking under the Gaza Strip. It also called for Israel to pull its troops from the territory, and an international force to arrive alongside Palestinian officials. Trump called the disarmament agreement “a major milestone” for the 20-point plan, and said it would be “carried out in carefully structured phases.” Trump said on Thursday that a “new Palestinian government” would oversee the strip, with Israeli troops pulling back and the International Stabilization Force (ISF) stepping in to work with Palestinian security teams. Hamas leaders have spent days in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to meet with meditators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Hamas announced the dissolution of its governing body that had ruled Gaza for nearly two decades earlier this month. Hamas negotiator, Ghazi Hamad, told Al Jazeera that the negotiations had been challenging, and the group would only disarm if Israel pulls through on its own obligations. Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of International Relations at the City College of New York, told Newsweek that if a deal “links disarmament to an Israel withdrawal from Gaza, things will get complicated because it’s not clear that Israel will fully withdraw from Gaza.”

Trump touts "historic" agreement to disarm Hamas, rebuild Gaza --President Trump announced Thursday that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement with Hamas to disarm and transfer civilian and security control of Gaza to a new Palestinian technocratic government. If implemented, the agreement would represent a dramatic breakthrough in Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan and clear the way for reconstruction of the devastated enclave. But the deal requires Hamas and Israel to complete a complicated series of reciprocal and independently verified steps over roughly seven to eight months. Israeli officials remain deeply skeptical that Hamas will surrender its weapons, while comments from a senior Hamas official suggest the sequencing of disarmament and Israel's withdrawal could still be contested. "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza," Trump wrote Thursday evening on Truth Social.  "This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY," he added.  Two U.S. officials said Hamas had agreed to the terms of the deal after months of what one senior administration official described as "very delicate" negotiations with mediators Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.

• Implementation is expected to begin in the coming weeks, the senior U.S. official said.
• A Board of Peace official said this is the first time Hamas and the other Palestinian factions in Gaza have agreed to demilitarize the enclave and transfer responsibility for security and civilian services to a technocratic government.

Under the agreement, Hamas would relinquish any role in governing Gaza. The new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) would serve as an alternative to Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. "It will work for the people of Gaza," the senior U.S. official said. Hamas official Ghazi Hamad confirmed to Al Jazeera that "difficult" negotiations had produced an agreement, but his description raised immediate questions about its implementation."We will not take any steps regarding disarmament before Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip," Hamad said. He added that the NCAG would carry out disarmament without Israeli involvement. That appears to differ from Trump's description of a "carefully structured" and phased process in which Israeli forces withdraw as disarmament is completed. U.S. and Board of Peace officials said implementation would proceed through reciprocal, independently verified steps, while acknowledging that the timetable for Israel's withdrawal is still being finalized.Large parts of Gaza were destroyed during the war, and most of its 2 million residents continue to live in tents or makeshift shelters. Food and other aid are entering Gaza in large quantities, but the humanitarian situation remains dire. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the Oct. 10, 2025, ceasefire. Some were Hamas militants, while many others were civilians, including children.The agreement is based on the principle that Gaza will have one government, one legal system and one legitimate security authority. The demilitarization process is expected to take between 200 and 250 days and to proceed through one part of Gaza at a time.

• Hamas' civilian police would first transfer their weapons to a new Palestinian police force under the technocratic government.
• Hamas' heavy weapons would then be decommissioned and placed in secure storage, while its tunnels and weapons factories would be dismantled.
• Small arms would be collected in accordance with Palestinian law.
• All other militias in Gaza, including anti-Hamas factions armed by Israel during the war, would also be required to surrender their weapons.

The NCAG would assume authority over each area only after a monitoring mechanism verified that the relevant commitments had been fulfilled. At the end of the process, the technocratic government and its police force would have a monopoly on weapons in Gaza, the Board of Peace official said.Under the agreement, an international stabilization force would help train the new Palestinian police, assist with weapons collection, and deploy between Palestinian-controlled areas and Israeli forces.

• A Board of Peace official said the agreement was designed around "zero trust" because Hamas and Israel each made clear from the outset that they did not trust the other side.
• The process would not advance from one stage to the next until monitors verified that both sides had met their obligations.
• The goal is to avoid a situation in which the technocratic government controls Gaza during the day while armed factions retain power at night, the official said.

Israel's withdrawal would proceed gradually under a timetable that is still being finalized.Trump said Israeli forces would withdraw as disarmament was completed and the international force and new Palestinian police assumed responsibility for security. Israel would also halt military operations and targeted killings in Gaza, except in cases involving an imminent threat. "All military activity in Gaza will have to cease — both from Israel and Hamas," the Board of Peace official said. The senior U.S. official said the Trump administration coordinated closely with Israel throughout the negotiations.The administration also intends to ensure Israel fulfills its commitments under the agreement, despite Israel's skepticism that Hamas will disarm. "We are not asking Israel for anything other than to implement their commitments under the 20-point plan," the official said. "If they do not do that, President Trump will be very disappointed. I do not think the Israelis would want to escalate things with us right now."  Egypt, Qatar and Turkey exerted intense pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. A key figure was Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, who hosted the talks and has a close relationship with Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya, U.S. officials and others familiar with the negotiations said.

Hamas reaches Gaza disarmament agreement with Board of Peace | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera - Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a document setting out a plan for their disarmament in Gaza, in what United States President Donald Trump has called “a monumental step” towards peace and security. Al Jazeera has received a copy of Thursday’s agreement, which stipulates that the precise disarmament roadmap must be prepared within 14 days, with possible extensions subject to the approval of an international verification body, and the agreement of all parties. “These negotiations were difficult and hard, and we tried to reach the best possible formula that was achievable,” Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating delegation, told Al Jazeera. However, Hamad said that Hamas would not implement any part of the agreement if Israeli forces failed to fulfil their obligations. The official said disarmament depended on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and progress on reconstruction in the Palestinian territory. There has been no comment yet from Israel. Trump framed the agreement as a success for the Board of Peace, the body established to oversee Gaza’s governance. “This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.” The copy of the agreement obtained by Al Jazeera says that the disarmament process will begin with the entry of a National Committee and the International Stabilisation Force to Gaza. The National Committee will then oversee the “inventory and storage” process, with the international verification committee observing, and the Palestinian factions participating. The disarmament process is also tied to the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It also adds that no weapons should be handed over to Israel or any non-Palestinian body, and that the National Committee be the sole force holding on to the weapons in Gaza. A Board of Peace official confirmed to Al Jazeera that Hamas and other armed factions would hand over their weapons to a National Committee set to administer Gaza. The official said weapons held by the police would be transferred first, followed by the decommissioning of heavy weapons. All military activity in Gaza would have to stop under the plan, though the official said the process will take time to implement. Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, said it “took months of very difficult negotiations” for the agreement to be reached. “There were several points when I did not believe we would make it,” he wrote on X on Friday, adding that what happens next “matters even more” than the initial deal. “Implementation and verification have to be real,” Mladenov said. “Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.”

Hamas agrees to Trump's plan to disarm in Gaza, official tells BBC, with Israel yet to comment - BBC News  - Summary:

• US President Donald Trump says an agreement has been reached for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas in Gaza - what we do, and don't, know
• A senior Hamas official tells the BBC they have agreed to the plan and an official statement will follow
• Israel has yet to comment - US officials say Trump will be "very disappointed" if Israel does not withdraw as part of the agreement
• It remains too early to judge whether this agreement will stick - but it marks the first time ever that Hamas has said it would completely disarm, which has been the most significant obstacle for peace talks, writes the BBC's Rushdi Abualouf
• Announcing the agreement late on Thursday, Trump said it was "a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government"
• The second phase of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan - released last October - includes the disarmament of Hamas

The four-page roadmap of Donald Trump's plan, seen by the BBC, sets out the phased disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal, with US officials saying each step of the process will be "verified". According to page three of the agreement, which Israel is yet to comment on, this is how that would work:

• It will begin with an inventory being made of all heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depot and tunnels within Gaza
• An "international stabilisation force" will be deployed to Gaza, alongside a newly-formed Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza - that will manage the process
• The disarmament will be "gradual and sequential", and will occur based on a schedule to be prepared "within 14 days"
• Disarmament will be linked to a "phased Israeli withdrawal", with a "verification committee" ensuring each phase is completed
• The agreement states that no weapons will be handed to Israel or any non-Palestinian entity

After this process is complete, according to the roadmap, this new Palestinian authority "alone shall retain, store, or exercise control over weapons in Gaza".

Saudi Arabia stares down Trump whiplash on nuclear deal - Saudi Arabia is sending no signals it will accept President Trump’s after-the-fact condition that Riyadh establish ties with Israel as part of a nuclear energy deal with the United States. In fact, its leaders haven’t even conceded that the deal signed last week is off. Normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia was long a central pillar of a package deal for the U.S. to partner with the kingdom in building its civil nuclear program — negotiated during the first Trump administration and then the Biden administration. But that demand appeared absent when Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Wednesday that the U.S. signed a major deal with Saudi Arabia for American companies to jointly build a civil nuclear program in the oil-rich country. Mohammed Alhamed, a Saudi geopolitical analyst and president of the consultancy group Saudi Elite, said Trump’s demands about the Abraham Accords “do not change the substance of the agreement.” “If Saudi recognition of Israel had been a formal condition for the nuclear deal, it would have been negotiated before the agreement was signed and explicitly included in its terms,” he said. “I believe President Trump was primarily speaking to a domestic political audience by reassuring Israel and its supporters in Washington. That does not necessarily mean Saudi Arabia has changed its position.” Trump on Friday pushed back on reporting that he was caught off guard by Wright solidifying the nuclear agreement. “No, nobody got out ahead. I mean, I just say that in order to do it, they have to be a member of the Abraham Accords,” he said in the Oval Office with Wright behind him. “It was always understood, and Chris knew, and Saudi Arabia knew, that if they didn’t join the Abraham Accords — I’m not going to do the deal.” The Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to comment on the record about the status of the nuclear deal or whether it was considering joining the 2020 deal establishing ties between Israel and Muslim-majority countries. Michael Ratney, a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said Saudi officials are likely taking a deep breath and withholding any actions that could trigger Trump to further bear down on his demand. “I think if you’re the Saudis, you’re like, all right, let’s kind of see where this goes. Maybe we’ll gradually start having some conversations … Does Trump really want to kind of scuttle this big deal? Which for Trump, it’s a big deal because it’s theoretically big business for U.S. companies. So do you really want to scuttle that?” he asked. “I think they’re just going to take a pause, take a deep breath, have some quiet conversations, and see where this lands.” A key test for Trump is if he transmits the nuclear agreement to Congress in the coming weeks, before Republicans possibly lose majorities in the House and Senate. Once the agreement is transmitted to Congress, lawmakers have 90 days to either oppose the deal or allow it to proceed. If Trump delays in sending the agreement after September, he’ll almost certainly have to contend with slimmer GOP margins or Democratic majorities. The text of the agreement is not public, but reported details include a 30-year, multibillion-dollar deal giving American companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure.

US walks out of UN Security Council meeting during France's remarks -- The US delegation walked out of a UN Security Council meeting when France spoke, in a protest against comments that compared Washington's voting on human rights to that of authoritarian states. The diplomatic row sparked on Friday after the US joined North Korea and Russia in voting against extending Volker Turk's term as UN high commissioner for human rights. After the vote, France's UN Mission in Geneva said: "The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore". US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz accused France of supporting someone who had been "lecturing" democratic countries while "cozying up to the world's worst oppressors". Turk has criticised Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's conduct in Gaza. The US walkout came during an emergency Security Council meeting on Russia's war in Ukraine, as France was speaking. Senior US official Dan Negrea said the US delegation would continue to make similar stands until France "renounces their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric". The fight over Turk's second term, which was passed with 144 states in favour, 10 against and 13 abstentions, reflects tensions between Washington and the UN. Washington has cut funding for UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of UN entities. On Friday, US Ambassador Jeff Bartos criticised Turk's reappointment and said "there will be consequences" to the assembly which "tolerates procedural overreach, backroom deals, and the misuse of UN posts". "The United States will immediately reassess our engagement, participation, and funding". However, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont described Turk on Friday as " a voice of conscience" who demonstrated "rigor and impartiality" during his first term. Deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq declined to comment on the US walkout, adding the UN expected all member states to respect the decision.

Illinois woman with green card has been detained by ICE for 12 months. Her daughters plead for her release. -- Beata Siemionkowicz spent her first night in Kentucky’s Campbell County Detention Center in a cell with black mold covering the air vents and dead bedbugs lingering in the room’s corners. There was blood smeared above the doorway. Siemionkowicz shared that pod with 60 other women, many of whom, like herself, were immigrants in the United States detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Poland native, a green card holder of more than two decades, was arrested days earlier in Des Plaines. Her first night in Campbell County was Aug. 4, 2025. She has remained incarcerated in northern Kentucky since, for the last 51 weeks. Now, nearly one year later, Siemionkowicz’s family continues to fight for her freedom. Her former cellmate, whom she spent that first night with in Kentucky, may be the legal case study that will get her out of ICE custody, her friends and family hope. “Beata did all the paperwork right; she even applied for naturalization,” said Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen who was incarcerated with Siemionkowicz and described the conditions they endured. Hughes-Brown has since been released; the deportation charges in her case were unfounded. “She had done everything right,” Hughes-Brown said about Siemionkowicz. “And it didn’t matter.” Siemionkowicz could not be reached for comment in detention. But her family says and records show that she entered the United States legally in 1995, moving to Illinois from her hometown of Bialystok, Poland. She has been a permanent resident with a green card since 2003. A divorced, single mom of two, Siemionkowicz built her life in Round Lake as a commercial cleaner and later, a hospice caregiver. That life was abruptly halted one August afternoon in 2025 when two masked ICE agents in civilian clothes arrested Siemionkowicz in her daughter’s backyard where she was gardening. Claudia, 25, and Gabi, 21, Siemionkowicz’s daughters, heard the news of her arrest via a phone call from Siemionkowicz’s second husband, John. “He was hysterical, crying,” Claudia said. “He’s like, ‘I couldn’t do anything. They just took her, grabbed her, and shoved her in the car.’” Siemionkowicz was arrested Aug. 2, 2025. She was one of just 33 Poles to be booked into a Chicago-area ICE detention center, according to a Tribune analysis of ICE data provided by the research group Deportation Data Project. However, more than half — 19 — were Polish immigrants arrested during the main, 64-day surge of Operation Midway Blitz. Agents arrested Siemionkowicz for her criminal record of misdemeanor retail theft from Jewel in September 2005 and Kohl’s in October 2011. The agency also claims she forged documents to obtain immigration benefits in 2001, before her green card status. Gabi and Claudia knew about their mom’s criminal history, which Siemionkowicz resolved years ago through fines and a period of supervised release, according to Lake County court records. The sisters say their mom stole kids’ clothes for them during an especially hard time after her divorce. In a statement to the Tribune, a DHS spokesperson said: “Siemionkowicz has made a mockery of our immigration system and our laws.” “Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused.” While at Broadview, Siemionkowicz met Hughes-Brown, an Irish immigrant and green card holder, who was detained at O’Hare International Airport after landing on a plane from Dublin. The women were transferred to Kentucky together. “We were put in general population with the regular inmates, the ones that had actually committed crimes,” Hughes-Brown said. “We were right there with folks who had attempted murder charges on them for slashing their partner’s necks and stuff like that. Then there’s Beata and myself.” Hughes-Brown’s situation is largely similar to that of Siemionkowicz: Both women were arrested by ICE for a misdemeanor crime committed more than a decade ago and hold valid legal status. The difference is that Hughes-Brown is no longer in ICE custody. She was released after a federal judge ordered her no longer deportable. She was detained at the Campbell County Detention Center for 143 days. “My case is done, I’m out,” Hughes-Brown said. “My mission is not done — speaking out for Beata and her case, speaking out for Jamie and the hundreds of other detainees that shouldn’t be detained because there’s no process to get here.” Despite Siemionkowicz’s status as a green card holder, an immigration judge ordered her deportation on Dec. 9, 2025, according to court records. Siemionkowicz’s family has since filed an appeal, fighting to keep their mother on U.S. soil. She will remain in ICE custody pending her removal, a DHS spokesperson confirmed.

ICE impersonators detained and assaulted driver during fake stop -  State and federal officials said they are investigating after a group of masked men impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulled over and assaulted a migrant in Oregon. The incident, the latest in a string of crimes committed by alleged ICE impersonators, took place between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on July 17 near Woodburn in Clackamas County, south of Portland. The encounter began when the driver saw an SUV behind them turn on red and blue emergency-style lights and pulled into a turnout. “Two men exited the suspect vehicle, one of whom was armed with a rifle,” Oregon State Police said in a statement. “The suspects identified themselves as ‘ICE’ and told the victim they were being detained. The victim was forcibly removed from their vehicle, searched, and placed into the back seat of the suspects' vehicle.”Inside, a third individual assaulted the driver, police said. The victim was released about 20 minutes later.The suspects were described as wearing boots, baseball caps, face coverings, and green long-sleeved shirts, as well as tactical vests marked ‘POLICE.’The FBI confirmed to The Independent it is jointly investigating the incident with state police but declined further comment, citing its policy on ongoing investigations.The victim later sought medical treatment for injuries sustained in the incident, state police said. While at a local hospital, the individual began getting text messages from a number claiming to be from a law firm offering legal services in response to the alleged assault.A call to the same number by The Independent went straight to voicemail.ICE agents regularly use masks, civilian clothes and unmarked cars, opening the door to abuses by bad actors impersonating law enforcement, according to critics (AFP/Getty)The Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, a local advocacy group, said in a statement on Saturday on Facebook that an “immigrant community member” was the victim of the incident, and that the alleged assault was reported to the group on its hotline the day it occurred.The group said it was unaware until state police described the incident that the attack had “been carried about by impersonators and not by ICE themselves.” “This reveals the truth immigrant communities and advocates have long known: there is very little visible difference between ICE kidnapping someone, and armed private kidnappers,” the group wrote.ICE agents have face widespread criticism for their use of masks, civilian clothes and unmarked cars because such tactics can make it harder to easily identify members of law enforcement and easier to impersonate them, which is a federal crime. During its large-scale operations in cities across the U.S. last year, ICE and the Border Patrol regularly carried out warrantless stops and detentions.ICE impersonators, meanwhile, have been accused of rape, terrorizing business owners, kidnapping and false traffic stops.

Donald Trump warned delaying Blanche nomination could backfire: ‘This place could be very different’ - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is warning that President Trump’s threat to withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general and resubmit it in 2027 to circumvent GOP critics could backfire because control of the Senate could flip in November. Asked by a reporter Thursday whether it would be “risky” to delay Blanche’s nomination until the next Congress, Kennedy responded: “Well, duh. Yeah.” “This place could be very different,” Kennedy said, noting Democrats could pick up seats in the Senate or win control of the upper chamber. Senate Republicans now control 53 seats. Trump on Thursday threatened to withdraw Blanche’s nomination because Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are threatening to block it in the Judiciary Committee unless the Department of Justice and Trump agree to revise or clarify a settlement with the IRS to establish a $1.8 billion legal compensation fund for MAGA allies. “Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. A new Fox News poll of Texas, however, shows that Democratic candidate James Talarico is leading Paxton in the Texas Senate race by 3 percentage points and another Fox News survey of voters in North Carolina shows Democratic candidate Roy Cooper with a 9-point lead over Republican Michael Whatley. Cornyn, who lost his Republican primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Tillis, who decided not to run for reelection, will retire from the Senate after their terms end in January. Tillis on Thursday said Trump needs to be careful about assuming Republicans would have the votes to confirm Blanche next year and urged the president instead to agree to a deal with Cornyn to add language to the settlement with the Justice Department and IRS to permanently scrap the proposed “anti-weaponization” fund. “He’s perfectly entitled to do that,” Tillis said of Trump’s threat to delay Blanche’s nomination. “He just needs to game out what the numbers look like in the next Congress versus a willing group of people who wants to confirm him now if they do nothing more than follow up on what we all thought was true, that [the fund] is inoperative,” Tillis added. Trump on Friday lashed out against Cornyn for holding up Blanche and opposing the establishment of a fund to compensate MAGA allies who say they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. The president accused the Texas senator of being sore about his endorsement of Paxton in the Texas GOP primary. “John Cornyn never had a problem with the so called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

State Department agrees to reinstate vaccine funding for Gavi -- The chair of the Senate appropriations committee said yesterday that the State Department has agreed to disburse US funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The department has been withholding $600 million appropriated by Congress for the international partnership, which helps poor countries buy and administer vaccines that protect children against 20 infectious diseases. The funding was reportedly held up over objections from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized Gavi for its use of vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal and has said the group doesn’t take vaccine safety seriously.Although evidence reviews by the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded that small doses of thimerosal in multidose vaccines do not cause harm, Gavi has already begun to phase out vaccines containing the preservative.Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and committee chair, credited the decision to pressure from committee members, including a letter sent in May to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “It is welcome news that following our recent outreach, the State Department has committed to contributing the full $600 million for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance,” Collins said in a statement. “I have worked to ensure that the Department uses this funding Congress appropriated to replenish U.S. funding to GAVI, an organization that plays a critical role in averting the spread of preventable diseases globally and stopping outbreaks before they reach U.S. borders.”Launched by the WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation in 2000, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1.1 billion children across 78 low- and middle-income countries since its inception. According to a recent KFF analysis, the US government has been Gavi’s third-largest financial contributor in recent years and has provided 13% of its funding since inception. The $600 million approved by Congress for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 was set to expire on September 30.

Paul releases Fauci’s diary entries ahead of hearing - Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci will appear before the Senate this week for a hearing. Leading up to his appearance, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released thousands of pages of Fauci’s diary entries from 2020 to 2022. Fauci’s diary entries reveal his keen awareness of the media’s growing interest in him as the pandemic went on, as well as his thoughts on how he planned to use this newfound attention. “Press is going wild with me. Front page in Washintgton Post yesterday and Op Ed by Maureen Dowd in NY Times today about me and my relationship with the POTUS. . I am trying in several articles and on TV to clarify that the POTUS is talking about hope for therapies although there are no good data, while I must stick to the science and so fundamentally we are approaching this from different, but not conflicting standpoints,” Fauci wrote on March 22, 2020. By a May 21, 2020, diary entry, Fauci had become very aware of his heightened profile and considered some of the attention “flattering.” “Big front page article abut me appeared in the Washington Post. Very flattering. The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyoperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson in the world,” wrote Fauci. Since retiring from federal work, Fauci has discussed the negative impacts of the attention placed on him and his family. When appearing before the House in 2024, he became emotional while sharing the types of threats his family had received. “There have been everything from harassments by emails, texts, letters of myself, my wife, my three daughters,” Fauci told Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). “There have been credible death threats, leading to the arrests of two individuals — and ‘credible death threats’ means someone who clearly was on their way to kill me, and it’s required my having Protective Services essentially all the time.” Fauci will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

5 takeaways on Anthony Fauci's COVID-19 diary entries released by Sen. Rand Paul - In years’ worth of journal entries, Dr. Anthony Fauci wrote about the uncertainty surrounding the origins of COVID-19, the media attention he received during the pandemic and his “unique” relationship with President Trump.The office of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released the entries, which Fauci wrote while he led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, ahead of the longtime health official’s Wednesday testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — which Paul chairs. Here are 5 things to know from Fauci’s diary entries.

• Expressed uncertainty about source of COVID. During the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, Fauci was unsure about the origins of the virus. The two leading scientific theories are that the virus officially known as SARS-CoV-2 jumped from animals to humans at a wet market in Wuhan or it leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “We know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier,” Fauci wrote on Jan. 26, 2020. “Having said that, somewhere the virus jumped from animals to humans.” Fauci also noted that during a Feb. 1, 2020, call with U.S. and international health experts, officials were in disagreement about COVID’s origins.He wrote that Ron Fouchier, the deputy head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, said “he was sure this could occur naturally,” putting him in agreement with Christian Drosten, the director of human virology at the German Center for Infection Research at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.But Fauci wrote that the nine other officials on the call believed “deliberate insertion” was possible, not ruling out the lab leak theory. Those officials included Francis Collins, then the director of the National Institutes of Health.Former FBI Director Christopher Wray said in 2023 the bureau “has for quite some time” assessed that COVID “most likely” originated from a lab incident in Wuhan. Last year, the CIA said in a “low confidence” assessment COVID most likely originated from a lab leak.
• Took some credit for state lockdowns. During a January 2024 interview with members of a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on the pandemic, Fauci said he was not involved in local- and state-level decisions to close schools during the pandemic.“I have often said we need to open up the schools as quickly and as safely as possible, and I must have said that 500 times on TV,” he told the panel at the time.But Fauci’s diary entries show he was aware of his impact on policymakers. On March 15, 2020, he wrote that then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) decided to close city schools after a conversation they had and Fauci’s public remarks. “I went on to tell him he should close the bars and restaurants in NYC,” Fauci added. “He said that he would base this on my recommendation.” Three days later, Fauci said he advised de Blasio to issue a “shelter in place” order for all of New York City, despite pushback from then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).Also on March 15, Fauci wrote of a “similar call” he had with Ann O’Leary, then the chief of staff to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).“Ann said that based on my TV appearances today and yesterday, the Governor has decided to close the schools in California as well as the bars and restaurants,” Fauci recalled.A 2024 study published in Scientific Reports found that the pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns, resulted in worsened development of social cognition skills in early childhood, particularly for students of lower socioeconomic status.
• Reveled in some instances of media attention.During the pandemic, Fauci became one of the most recognizable U.S. government officials, speaking with reporters in the White House briefing room and appearing for numerous TV interviews.In his diary, Fauci noted those media appearances on a daily basis. He also acknowledged news articles written about him, including a “very flattering” Washington Post article from May 2020.“The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson in the world,” he wrote on May 21, 2020. Fauci also wrote of the costs his increased profile brought, including death threats that required him to have a beefed-up security team. On Aug. 15, 2020, he wrote his newfound fame “is triggering increased hate mail and threats.”In 2024, Fauci spoke of threats he and his family members received during testimony before the House Oversight subcommittee on the pandemic. “There have been everything from harassments by emails, texts, letters, of myself, my wife, my three daughters,” he told Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). “There have been credible death threats, leading to the arrests of two individuals.”
• Increasingly critical of Trump. While noting his increasing profile in May 2020, Fauci wrote that Trump “seems to be enamored” of him.“We are developing a very unique and interesting relationship,” he noted. “The entire secret service corps is coming over to me and chatting.”But Fauci also expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s rhetorical style during press briefings. On March 22, 2020, he wrote the president’s remarks were “very rambling and disorganized” and he would have “advised against” Trump’s ad-libbing. “Very laborious press conference where the POTUS rambled on,” Fauci wrote on March 27, 2020. “He wasted the opportunity to just focus on the relief package and went into his diatribe against previous administrations.”On May 15, 2020, Fauci wrote that Trump told him, “Tony, you are losing me trillions of f—ing dollars,” during an event to announce the Operation Warp Speed vaccine initiative. But later in their conversation, the president cleared the air.“I know you better than you think and I respect you and like you,” Trump said, according to Fauci. “You need to do your thing and I need to do mine; as long as you understand tht I need to keep this country alive.”But in August 2020, Fauci blasted Trump as an “idiot” for misrepresenting the number of Americans who had died from COVID.
• Fondly described celebrity conversations. Fauci wrote of numerous conversations he had with celebrities during the pandemic. In May 2020, he copied an email the actress and singer Barbra Streisand sent him, in which she wrote “I deeply appreciate the important and consistent work” he was doing.“From the bottom of my heart I thank you and your colleagues for your constant guidance, patience and reassurance that we, as a nation, will find answers and make it through these times,” Streisand added.Fauci also wrote that month of a “wonderful discussion” he had with actress Julia Roberts on Instagram. The infectious disease expert said Roberts “was absolutely fabulous” and “embarrassed” him by saying he was her personal hero. “She was totally down to earth,” he recalled. “Great experience!!”That same day, Fauci wrote of a phone call he had with former Vice President Dick Cheney, during which the latter thanked him for his work. “He was muted in his criticism of Trump, but he did agree that Trump was living in an alternative universe (I said this and he agreed),” he added.

Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment during congressional hearing - In a long-anticipated hearing before a Senate committee, former National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, MD, refused to answer questions amid accusations that he misled the country about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The highly politicized hearing was the latest chapter in a years-long effort by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to pursue Fauci, who led the COVID-19 response in the first Trump and the Biden administrations. Paul argues that Fauci supported gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, that resulted in the creation and accidental release of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and that he tried to suppress evidence and discussion of the lab-leak theory.“Admit it was a mistake to fund dangerous research in China,” Paul said in his opening statement. “Admit that the risk of this dangerous research exceeded any possible benefits. Ask forgiveness, and pledge to help our government devise safeguards, so a man-made epidemic never happens again.”To date, there is no conclusive evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic emerged from a lab leak, though the Trump administration now says evidence points to the virus being created in a lab that was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Fauci has said that a lab leak cannot be ruled out.Fauci received a pre-emptive pardon from former President Joe Biden before he left office in January 2025, but Paul and other Republicans have suggested that any false statements made by Fauci in congressionally subpoenaed testimony would be perjury and could result in prosecution. Fauci said he believes in legitimate congressional oversight but that Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” and "repeated slanderous comments" compelled him to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights, under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution,” Fauci repeated over the course of the nearly three-hour hearing.Other Republican members of the committee took turns assailing Fauci, claiming that he was responsible for COVID lockdowns and school closures, that he lied about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and discredited alternative treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, that he abused his power, and that he personally profited from the pandemic.Democratic members of the committee criticized the efforts to “entrap” Fauci and said the hearing should be focused more on learning the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and helping the nation prepare for the next pandemic.

Deborah Birx says persistent anger over Covid response evident after Fauci Senate hearing - Deborah Birx, the former coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said there is still “persistent anger” about the government’s COVID-19 response following former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci’s Senate hearing Wednesday. Birx, in an interview on CBS News’s “The Takeout,” said the hearing showed frustration from Americans over “questions not being answered adequately” about the pandemic. She added that she agreed with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on the importance of answering whether responses to the pandemic balanced “saving lives” with “preserving people’s livelihoods.” Fauci testified in the Senate on Wednesday and invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times, not answering any questions from senators about COVID-19 pandemic guidance. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has scheduled a vote on holding Fauci in contempt next week. Birx in a Thursday interview on NewsNation said public health officials “need to answer the questions that the senators have.” In his opening statement to the committee, Fauci said he believed the sole reason Paul called him before the committee was to have him “say something” that would result in Fauci being put “behind bars.” Birx had a hearing in 2022 in front of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis where she criticized the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. She said the administration had communicated to “underplay” the “seriousness of the pandemic.” Republicans during Fauci’s hearing criticized his newly released diary entries, which detail his communication with state officials as he advised them to close businesses and public institutions. “Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying, who the f‑‑‑ do you think you were for doing that?” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said to Fauci during the hearing as he recounted the story of a woman arrested in his state for refusing to wear a mask at a football game. Birx added on NewsNation that the United States could not go into another pandemic with “American people still having these questions” about the pandemic response.

Stephen A. Smith on Fauci: ‘You can’t show up on Capitol Hill and plead the Fifth 111 times’--Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said Thursday that former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci should have answered lawmakers’ questions during the hostile Senate hearing earlier this week instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. Smith argued that Fauci owed the public an explanation after serving as the face of the nation’s COVID-19 response. “As it strictly pertains to the coronavirus pandemic, my attitude is, with you being the face that you have been, you can’t show up on Capitol Hill and plead the Fifth 111 times,” he told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “You just can’t do that. That’s not right. You’ve got to answer some questions.” During a three-hour hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Fauci pleaded the Fifth 111 times as Republicans blasted him over his handling of the pandemic and accused the doctor of covering up the U.S.’s involvement in gain-of-function research that could have caused the spread of the virus.Smith acknowledged that Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years, may have had a legitimate legal reason to remain silent — pointing to a pardon he received from former President Biden on his final day in office for potential offenses between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025. “Anything that he said clearly could potentially incriminate him and could give them fodder to come after him for future potential transgressions, and they can go after him that way, and I certainly don’t want an 85-year-old man thrown in jail, particularly with his exemplary service,” the commentator told NewsNation.During the hearing, Republicans argued Fauci had no basis to invoke the Fifth Amendment, when the doctor continuously repeated his one-line phrase: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”Before the hearing, committee Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary and work records. Fauci condemned the move as an attempt at “embarrassing and intimidating” him.  Paul, who has sought to indict Fauci, is also threatening to hold him in contemptafter the hearing. While Democrats praised the doctor for his decades of public service and leadership in the infectious disease space, many Republicans accused him of being responsible for COVID-19-related deaths, vaccine injuries and destroying the American public’s trust in the healthcare system.

Senator pushes to hold Fauci in contempt after he declined to answer COVID-related questions in hearing - After Anthony Fauci, MD, declined to answer questions during a hearing of a congressional committee chaired by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) yesterday, Paul says he is moving to hold the former National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director in contempt of Congress, he told reporters.Throughout the contentious hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to questions and accusations that he attempted to obscure the true origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senator said the vote will occur in committee next week. Some Republican committee members allege that Fauci had no right to take the Fifth, because the preemptive pardon he received from former President Joe Biden conferred immunity from criminal prosecution.“We believe that with his… immunity from criminal liability, that he didn’t need to hide behind the Fifth Amendment and that maybe the Fifth Amendment doesn’t attach when you have a pardon in place,” Paul said. “That’ll be a legal question… and then there’s a question of whether or not the Department of Justice will take that up.”During the hearing, Fauci said he believes in congressional oversight but took issue with Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.”Paul has long pursued Fauci, who led the COVID-19 response during the first Trump administration and the Biden administration, and called for his criminal prosecution.The senator alleges that Fauci supported gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, that resulted in the creation and accidental release of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, and that he tried to suppress evidence of a lab leak, which Fauci disputes. No conclusive evidence of a lab leak has been uncovered, though the Trump administration now says evidence points to the creation of the virus in a National Institutes of Health–funded lab. Fauci has said that a lab leak cannot be ruled out.

Fauci’s COVID‑origins hearing shows how conspiracy theories became political weapons - Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from a Senate committee more than 100 times on July 29, 2026.The Republican-led hearing – convened to scrutinize Fauci’s management of the pandemic and the origins of COVID-19 – was the latest chapter in a political story that began in 2020, when uncertainty, fear and frustration with the government became entangled with conspiracy theories.In the past six years, some of these theories have emerged from the margins of the internet and made their way into Republican politics, the MAGA movement, anti-vaccine communities and even white-nationalist extremist networks.Conspiracy theories do not simply explain events, they identify villains – and Fauci has become one of the most popular in this particular story.In the years since the pandemic, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and others have accused Fauci of many things, but the central conspiracy accusation is that Fauci helped enable the COVID-19 pandemic through U.S.-funded research at a lab in Wuhan, China, and then participated in a coordinated government-scientific cover-up, misleading Congress to conceal that connection and suppress the laboratory-leak explanation. Paul, a Republican, has repeatedly called for Fauci’s prosecution.In January 2025, President Joe Biden granted Fauci a preemptive pardon covering potential federal offenses related to his government service since 2014. Fauci had not been charged with a crime, but critics portrayed the pardon as evidence that he had something to hide. Fauci has denied claims of wrongdoing and has testified multiple times before Congress. The Fauci conspiracy is much bigger than Rand Paul, though. Paul may be its most persistent congressional promoter, but it’s been amplified by a wider network of Republican lawmakers. Several Republican members of Congress, such as Rep. Steve Scalise, Rep. James Comer and former Rep. Brad Wenstrup, among others, have advanced versions of the Fauci/COVID-origin narrative. House Republicans formally investigated these claims for two years, while members repeatedly accused Fauci of suppressing the lab-leak theory and misleading the public.That investigation ultimately endorsed a central claim of the conspiracy narrative: the House GOP’s COVID-19 investigation concluded the virus most likely leaked from a Wuhan lab, that Fauci helped shape a scientific paper dismissing that theory, and that he privately testified the “six feet apart” guidance “sort of just appeared” – though these are the conclusions of a partisan committee, not an independent inquiry, and Fauci and Democratic members have disputed them. Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment, which he and his lawyer explained not only as a basic constitutional right but also a strategy to avoid the possibility that Paul might try to prosecute him for lying to Congress based on anything he might say, may be politically explosive and provide his opponents with another talking point. But, in my assessment, the spectacle says more about what happens when conspiracy theories become embedded in political institutions than it does about the origins of COVID-19.

Feds shut down ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research, tighten oversight of foreign collaboration-  A new Trump administration policy ends federally supported “dangerous” gain-of-function (DGOF) research and strengthens oversight of life sciences research that “could pose significant risks to public health, biosecurity, or national security,” a move lauded yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Gain-of-function research is the study of infectious agents or toxins that are altered to increase their ability to cause disease, transmissibility, or host range to help scientists attempt to predict viral evolution, design vaccines, and develop effective countermeasures should an outbreak nationally occur.  The policy, which is slated for implementation in mid-November, affects two kinds of life sciences research, DGOF and “international research of concern,” (IROC) or that conducted in collaboration with non-US researchers in foreign countries or entities of concern.“Life sciences research is necessary to ensure the United States maintains global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health and agricultural research, as well as readiness against biological threats,” the policy states. “However, there are clear cases in which the potential benefits of life sciences research do not outweigh the potential risks, and such research should not be undertaken domestically or abroad in any circumstance.” But some say the situation is more nuanced than that. In a statement today, the ASM, formerly the American Society for Microbiology, said, “The new policy from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services… broadly defines several categories of research that, if shut down, will impede our ability as a nation to address infectious disease threats and respond to future outbreaks.”Allen Segal, JD, ASM chief strategy officer, told CIDRAP News that the policy is a step toward ensuring the rest of the world meets the high standards of the United States. But he added that, in the United States, “we should be investing in facilities and training to ensure that it is being done safely, rather than taking the risk of prohibiting research to detect, prevent, and treat illness."While the policy currently affects only federally supported research, privately funded research may also be affected: “Additional regulatory, legislative or other actions to broadly manage the risks associated with research that has DGOF potential, including research that is privately funded, will be explored by an interagency working group,” the policy states.Federal funding agencies will establish a US government board to review proposed DGOF research under consideration for funding and provide a recommendation to the funding agency.Under the policy, principal investigators are assigned responsibilities, such as continuously evaluating their life sciences research for DGOF and IROC. They also must comply with other requirements, such as including the names and affiliations of key personnel participating in the proposed study, including any non-US collaborators or research to be conducted abroad.The policy says that it doesn’t ban development of “essential medical products and medical countermeasures to protect against bioterrorism and biological weapons, nor does it prohibit international collaboration,” and “continues to emphasize the importance of sharing the knowledge, products, and results of life sciences research while striking to improve the laboratory biosafety and biosecurity of life sciences research performed worldwide.”For non-IROC international research proposals under consideration for funding, department or agency officials, in consultation with the Secretary of State, will use a risk-based method to “ensure that the institution performing the research meets, exceeds, or complies with US biosafety and biosecurity oversight standards and policies.”In its news release, HHS said, “The United States will continue to support biomedical research that develops vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other lifesaving medical countermeasures while ensuring that the highest-risk research is subject to rigorous safeguards. We encourage our international partners to join us in ending dangerous gain-of-function research and adopting strong biosafety and biosecurity standards that make the world safer, more secure, and better prepared for future biological threats.”

White House pushes to reopen closed refineries amid high gas prices - The Trump administration is looking to reopen closed oil refineries, including an embattled one in the Virgin Islands, amid high gasoline prices spurred by the Iran war. A White House official confirmed to The Hill in an email Thursday that the Trump administration “would like to see refineries across the country reopen, especially the St. Croix refinery.” The official said this refinery is of particular interest because it was built to refine Venezuelan oil and because of its “strategic” location. The official said that since April 2025, companies have approached the administration to express interest in purchasing the refinery and that this has ramped up since the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and U.S. takeover of the country’s infrastructure. The refinery push was first reported by Politico. Three industry executives told the news outlet that the White House has had discussions about reopening refineries ranging from the Virgin Islands to California. “Energy security is national security, and America’s refining capacity is essential to ensuring the United States has continuous access to secure, affordable, and reliable energy,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. “The President’s National Energy Dominance Council will continue supporting the reopening of shuttered refineries and the construction of new ones to lower prices and strengthen our national security,” Rogers added. The push comes as gas prices have remained high amid the war in Iran. As of Thursday, the average U.S. gas price was about $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA, more than $1 higher than where it was when the war broke out earlier this year. The St. Croix refinery in question shut down indefinitely in 2021. That came after the Environmental Protection Agency ordered it to shut down for 60 days, saying its oil releases and air pollution posed an “imminent risk to public health.” David Johnson, director of Port Hamilton Refining & Transportation welcomed the prospect of restarting the refinery in a statement shared with The Hill. “By leveraging substantial private investment alongside targeted federal programs that strengthen nationally significant infrastructure and industrial capacity, the restoration of the St. Croix refinery has the potential to accelerate the return of a strategic American industrial asset while enhancing U.S. energy security, expanding domestic manufacturing, strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting advanced technologies, creating thousands of high-quality jobs and improving America’s long-term economic competitiveness,” he said. Johnson said that the company “continue[s] to have constructive discussions with federal and territorial officials, commercial counterparties, investors and financing sources regarding the future of the refinery.” “While those discussions remain confidential, we remain optimistic that the St. Croix refinery can once again become an important contributor to America’s energy security, industrial competitiveness and long-term economic resilience,” he continued. Oil is turned into gasoline at refineries. While the price of oil is typically the largest factor in the price of gasoline, refineries can also play a role.

Energy, enviro spending work teeters in the Senate - Bipartisan dealmaking to fund energy, water and environment programs has ground to a halt in the Senate as top appropriators butt heads over spending levels and policy riders. The Senate Appropriations Committee has been effectively frozen for weeks amid stubborn partisan disagreements and the extended absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell. As the House plowed ahead in recent months, marking up all 12 of the annual spending bills, negotiations in the Senate have gone nowhere. The deadlock means top appropriators for energy and environment priorities cannot finalize legislation to fund EPA, the Interior Department and the Department of Energy for fiscal 2027 — creating uncertainty for the future of those agencies’ programs as Congress barrels toward the Sept. 30 funding deadline. “It’s all on pause. The Democrats don’t want to do an approps bill, and even if we did, McConnell’s not here,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), chair of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, referring to the Kentucky Republican’s ongoing recovery from health issues. “It’s detrimental” to energy and water programs that need longer-term funding certainty, Kennedy said. But Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), are eager to get moving on fiscal 2027 spending bills, and they have insisted that they do not want a shutdown come October. Their biggest grievance is that Republicans are taking up the administration’s request to authorize a significant increase to defense spending while leaving funding for domestic programs relatively flat. “We need a top line that is fair and not a 4-to-1 defense-spending-over-nondefense-spending increase,” Murray said last week. Until then, negotiations on the Energy-Water bill, which she leads alongside Kennedy, are “on hold,” Murray said. Republican appropriators, meanwhile, have balked at some Democrats’ announced intentions to demand votes on hot-button policy riders that the GOP considers to be “poison pills;” those could be politically difficult votes before the midterms. Some have also accused Democrats of trying to derail the appropriations process to undermine the reelection bid of Republican committee Chair Susan Collins, who is in the throes of a competitive race in Maine. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not released or marked up any fiscal 2027 bills. At this point last year, the panel had marked up six of its 12 spending bills. The House has been slow in passing its bills on the floor — with Energy-Water and Interior-Environment in limbo — but the lower chamber has its opening proposals ready. ‘ The impasse over fiscal 2027 funding is particularly aggravating for senior Senate appropriators who feel they could be close to a deal on their spending bills, if only they had a top-line level to work with.The leaders of the Senate Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, who typically produce a bipartisan product with broad support, are waiting on the sidelines.“We’ve been working on it since the beginning, and you know, we’re ready to move,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the chair of the subcommittee that funds the Interior Department and EPA.“I would love for us to be able to advance all of our appropriations bills — all of them — but we gotta get moving, and it’s hard to do just that,” Murkowski said. “So it’s frustrating.”

Senate GOP to add ethanol legislation to farm bill - Senate Republicans will include language to permanently allow year-round sales of E15 fuel in the farm bill they plan to mark up next Thursday, according to two people familiar with the plans. The E15 language that senators are planning to attach to their package is a scaled-back version of the bill the House passed in May. The House bill narrowed exemptions for certain small refiners, a provision that became a sticking point for some GOP senators.Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) is set to formally schedule the farm bill markup for Aug. 6. His bill will include E15 language that more closely mirrors legislation championed by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), according to the two people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.Republican senators have spent recent weeks negotiating an approach that would expand ethanol sales while addressing refining industry concerns. They ultimately concluded that attaching the provision to the farm bill offered its best chance of becoming law this year, according to the two people.

Congress welcomes Trump’s nuclear waste plan — with some caveats - Even though lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are welcoming the Trump administration’s plan to deal with nuclear waste piling up at reactors around the country, Congress doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to codify it. The plan, reported by POLITICO this week, would rely on willing states to participate in a program that would solve the decades-old waste problem once and for all.But for the Trump strategy to be fully implemented, Congress would have to formally take Nevada’s Yucca Mountain off the table as the nation’s sole repository.“We got to figure out something to do with that,” Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) told POLITICO on Wednesday when asked about the Trump administration’s request on Yucca. Lee said he’d “quite possibly” introduce legislation along those lines but didn’t elaborate further.Across Capitol Hill, House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) was noncommittal about his intentions for implementing the White House’s framework.Guthrie, in a statement, said he would “continue working with the Trump Administration and the Department of Energy to usher in America’s nuclear renaissance.”The Department of Energy is looking at various states to potentially host sites for its “nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses” program. The department unveiled finalists earlier this week — Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho.More than two dozen states submitted proposals to potentially take waste. And at least some lawmakers from those volunteer states are fine with the idea.“Tennessee has a long history of managing, storing, and processing nuclear materials and waste,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said in a statement. “As the nuclear sector continues to grow, the state is well positioned to remain a leader in supporting the safe, secure, and responsible management and processing of these materials in accordance with federal and state laws. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, was more cautious. “I need to learn a lot more about it before I’m going to be supportive of the rest of the country dumping its nuclear waste on Louisiana,” Kennedy said. Nevada lawmakers were glad to see the administration pushing Congress to formalize what several administrations have stated — that Yucca Mountain is not a politically viable solution for the waste problem.“I am glad to see the Trump Administration take a step toward acknowledging what Nevadans have known for years: Yucca Mountain is dead,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).“But I’m not going to take anything for granted — I’ll keep fighting until I know for sure that the Department of Energy will always give state and local stakeholders the seat at the table they deserve when making decisions about nuclear waste storage.”Congress last appropriated funds for the Yucca Mountain repository over a decade ago, but under federal law, high-level nuclear waste cannot be permanently stored elsewhere.

Scott, Kelly push for EPA water funding change -- Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly are pushing to change how EPA distributes sewer infrastructure grants among states, arguing that the current system is outdated and unfair.The bipartisan duo is trying to drum up support for their Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act, S. 5016, which would replace the fixed funding formula used to allocate the grants with a new one based on population and poverty levels.In a letter to colleagues Monday, they proposed including the bill in the pending Water Resources Development Act authorization expected to pass later this year. “The moment to act is now,” Scott and Kelly wrote to colleagues in a letter obtained by POLITICO. “As the Senate takes up WRDA 2026, we urge you to support incorporating the Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act into the legislation so that the program Congress reauthorizes is one that finally treats every state fairly.”

Trump bets Chevron’s fall lets him rewrite rules for imperiled wildlife - For decades, presidents of both parties and the Supreme Court have agreed that federal law prevents developers from destroying habitat critical to vulnerable wildlife. The Trump administration is now making the case that a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending judicial deference to federal agencies gives it room to reverse that longstanding interpretation. The problem: Many environmental lawyers say the high court’s 2024 decision doesn’t go nearly that far. If they’re right, one of the administration’s biggest efforts to narrow the Endangered Species Act could face an uphill battle in court. “There will be a bitter fight over this rule in the courts,” said Ben Cowan, an environmental attorney at the firm Troutman Pepper Locke. Earlier this month, the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries finalized a rule that said the agencies will no longer define “harm” of protected plants and animals to include habitat changes that could be detrimental to a species’ survival. The rule change upends an approach that has been the law of the land since the Supreme Court decided in 1995 that federal regulators reasonably included habitat protections in safeguards for two vulnerable birds. As the impetus for its new rule change, the Trump administration cited the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which ended Chevron deference. That practice refers to the high court’s 1984 ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which concluded that courts should defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of laws like the ESA when the wording is ambiguous. Following Loper Bright, FWS and NOAA Fisheries wrote this month, the question that matters is: “does the agency’s regulation match the single, best meaning of the statute?” Concluding it did not, the agencies said that the Supreme Court in Loper Bright had left them an opening: “the Court left open the possibility that the executive branch could itself depart from regulations that do not match the single, best meaning of the statute — so long as the new regulations reflect that best meaning.” The Trump administration has advanced that argument in other contexts, too. In April 2025, a presidential memorandum asked agencies to review their regulations to examine whether they still held up in a post-Loper Bright world. Federal courts have already found that there are limits to the Trump administration’s approach.A Washington federal appeals court last month upheld a Biden-era rule strengthening the national particulate matter standard — even after the Trump EPA switched sides in the case to align with the agency’s challengers, claimed it had made a legal error and asked the court to use Loper Bright to kill the Biden standard.  Kevin Minoli, a former career attorney at EPA who served as acting general counsel in Trump’s first term and is now a partner at Alston & Bird, said some people misunderstand Loper Bright to mean that if there is uncertainty in the law, an agency’s authority to regulate is heavily restricted. “Statutory ambiguities will continue to exist and now instead of the court deferring to the agency interpretation on how to fill that gap, the court is going to give its own interpretation,” Minoli said after the EPA ruling. “There are going to be times when that resolution is in favor of regulation or allowing an agency to regulate as opposed to restricting the agency’s ability to regulate.” In their ESA rule change, FWS and NOAA Fisheries have done exactly what Loper Bright said is not the job of a federal agency, said Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife, which is suing the administration over the new regulation. “Loper Bright said it’s the court’s job, not the agency’s job,” she said. In the 2024 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts said that Loper Bright did not “call into question prior cases that relied on the Chevron framework.” But Jeffrey McCoy, a senior attorney at the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, said that the case gave agencies an opening to “go back and relook at old definitions.” He also said Loper Bright left open questions about the scope of respect for precedent that relied heavily on Chevron deference. “This kind of falls in that middle ground of where the Chevron [respect for precedent] lands,” McCoy said.

Bipartisan bill would block Trump ESA rule - --Bipartisan House legislation would block the Trump administration’s move to undo habitat protections for imperiled species.  H.R. 9901, the Safeguarding Endangered Species Act, from Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), would nullify this month’s final rule that redefined “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. The new interpretation from the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries excludes destruction of habitat from the law’s purview of explicit prohibitions. That change shifts how the Interior Department agencies have interpreted the bedrock environmental law for half a century.“For more than fifty years, our nation’s protections have reflected a basic legal, scientific, and commonsense truth: when habitat destruction actually kills or injures protected wildlife, that destruction is harm,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

DOJ to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism charges, citing "botched installation" - Federal prosecutors on Friday asked a judge to dismiss an indictment charging former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn with ripping up the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, citing new information that the damage was caused by a "botched installation" by a contractor, not vandalism. The U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. had charged Hearn with felony destruction of government property, accusing him of causing more than $1,000 in damage to the sealant that was recently installed at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool. The project to renovate the pool was championed by President Trump.On Friday, prosecutors cited new information that the damage was caused by a "botched installation" by a contractor, not vandalism. President Trump criticized the decision on Saturday afternoon, saying on Truth Social that there "may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"   "I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool,' Mr. Trump wrote. I don't know what she was thinking?" Attorneys for Hearn — who strongly denied the vandalism allegations — said in a statement Friday that the government "owes Mr. Hearn an apology.""The Trump administration's case against Davey Hearn should have never been brought," attorneys Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin said. "Its dismissal today does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong. The government's approach was ready, fire, aim."The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department, the contractor that installed the sealant and the Department of the Interior, which managed the project. The decision to drop the case against Hearn marks a significant backtrack for federal prosecutors. Shortly after the new "American Flag Blue" sealant was installed at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool at the president's direction, passersby began to notice chunks of the material were peeling off the bottom of the pool and an algae bloom had turned the water green.

US spy agencies suspect Iran launched cyberattack on Minnesota water facilities -- U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran was likely behind a coordinated cyberattack on more than 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota this week, according to several U.S. officials. The FBI is investigating the attack, which comes as a five-month-old military conflict between the United States and Iran threatens to escalate. Though intelligence agencies have not definitively concluded that Tehran is responsible, the hack follows urgent warnings by federal cybersecurity officials that Iran for months has been targeting internet-exposed devices that control operations at water, wastewater and energy facilities in the U.S. and, in some cases, causing disruptions. Intrusions have been noted at several water and energy systems across the country since shortly after the war began on Feb. 28, said Joe Slowik, director of threat research for Dataminr, a real-time commercial intelligence platform. “It is not a secret that these things have been taking place since the spring,” he said. “There have been disruptions in multiple critical infrastructure sectors. It’s a big deal.” The New York Times earlier reported that federal and state investigators believe Iran was likely responsible for the Minnesota attacks. Related video: Cyberattack targets water systems in at least seven states (KYTX-TV Tyler-Longview) At least one system was briefly offline and another saw its remote sensors disrupted, but the state’s information technology agency notes that there are no active requests for Minnesotans to modify their drinking water usage. The attacks took place on Sunday and Monday, according to a statement by Minnesota IT Services, the information technology agency. The agency, as well as the affected municipalities, are working with state and federal authorities to share threat intelligence and remediate the attack. Nate George, the mayor of Braham, Minnesota, said in an online statement that his city’s public works department discovered the attack early Monday morning. After learning at least four other Minnesota communities were affected, they determined the plant had been hacked. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes,” George said of the city’s response, noting that Braham’s residents received water from the city’s water tower while the plant was offline. In the city of Plymouth, several devices that control the water and sewer systems’ operations were hacked and taken offline but have now been restored, said Michael Thompson, the city’s public works director. The water supply was not affected, he added. But devices known as “programmable logic controllers,” or PLCs, which operate on the city’s cellular network and track water level, pressure, pump operations and equipment alarms, were impacted. Iran has been actively targeting the U.S. with cyberattacks since the war started on Feb. 28, but most have not drawn headlines. Kurt Gaudette, head of intelligence for Dragos, a cybersecurity firm that specializes in protecting critical infrastructure, noted a pattern with attacks in March and in Minnesota: the targeting of small utilities that use internet-exposed controllers with default passwords. “It’s very low-hanging fruit,” Gaudette said. He said he has seen such attacks in the past, notably in late 2023, when a PLC at a municipal water pumping station in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was hacked. The attack, which caused no major disruption, was claimed by a group affiliated with Iran’s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and known as CyberAv3ngers. The Aliquippa station used PLCs made by an Israeli firm, Unitronics, which were targeted by the hacking group across the U.S., Britain, Israel and Ireland.

Sweeping cyberattack on water systems in multiple states has US officials on edge -- Hackers have targeted water systems in several US states in a coordinated cyberattack that has caused some utilities to issue boil-water notices and switch to manual mode, taking their systems offline, according to US officials. It’s one of the most serious cyberattacks on water systems in the US in years, according to some analysts. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency have for the last week been scrambling to try to help secure the water facilities and ensure that the safety of drinking water isn’t affected. No incidents of contamination have been reported. The hackers “are targeting water entities of all sizes,” CISA said in a warning Thursday that urged water facilities to get vulnerable industrial equipment offline. US and state officials are treating Iran as one of the suspects behind the hack, but have not made a formal determination of who is responsible and are wary of false flags. The first public sign of the cyberattacks came from Minnesota authorities, who said that hackers on Sunday night and Monday morning targeted about 30 water systems in that state. The “likely desired impact” of the hackers’ intrusion at the water facilities was “to cause loss of system pressure and subsequent potential contamination of water supply,” said the memo distributed this week by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and obtained by CNN. At a cabinet meeting Friday, President Donald Trump blamed Minnesota authorities for the hack and cast doubt on whether Iran was involved. “They like to say, “Oh, it’s Iran.’” Trump said. “Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” The New York Times first reported on the possible Iran connection. The hackers are targeting internet-facing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), the devices that allow machinery to communicate at water facilities and other industrial plants. PLCs monitor water pressure, chemical dosing and other features in water systems to ensure they are safe. The hacks are not complicated: The attackers are breaking into PLCs that are sitting online and vulnerable. “I suspect that those attackers are going to … continue to look nationally across the infrastructure,” John Israel, Minnesota’s chief information security officer, told CNN on Tuesday. The hackers will “continue to rattle those doorknobs and try to break into systems that have weak configurations,” Israel added. He was right. Roughly six states have reported related cyber incidents over the last week, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

Exxon and Chevron’s $26.5 Billion Quarter Draws Trump’s Ire -- ExxonMobil and Chevron made a combined $26.5 billion in the second quarter after producing more oil, refining more fuel, and selling all of it into a market scrambled by war.Washington is investigating why gasoline costs so much.Chevron reported record net income of $12.2 billion, nearly five times its year-ago profit. Exxon earned $14.5 billion, double what it made during the same quarter last year and its best result since oil prices soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The Iran war sent crude prices sky high after Gulf production fell and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed. It did worse things to gasoline and diesel markets, where Middle Eastern refinery outages piled onto lost Russian capacity and China’s reluctance to export more fuel.Chevron’s refining profit jumped to $4.9 billion from $737 million a year earlier. Exxon’s refining business earned $5.5 billion after losing $1.3 billion in the first quarter.Exxon CFO Neil Hansen said the bigger price problem is no longer crude. It is the shrinking availability of the products made from it.Chevron’s global production reached 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, helped by its Hess acquisition, while U.S. output hit a record 2 million bpd. Exxon produced 4.5 million bpd, with Permian output also reaching a record. Their refineries ran close to capacity.  President Donald Trump still wants gasoline at $2.25 per gallon. The national average is $4.11. There is a small hitch with that comparison: gasoline last averaged $2.25 during the pandemic, when Americans stopped driving and oil demand collapsed. Recreating that price may prove difficult.Trump has ordered a Justice Department investigation into alleged price gouging, and an export ban is no longer being dismissed entirely. Chevron warned that restricting exports would discourage investment and eventually leave the market with less supply.

Pallone plots data center crackdown - - The top Democrat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee is threatening a nationwide data center moratorium if his party regains the House next year, a cudgel he says he’ll wield to achieve an aggressive reining in of the power-guzzling tech infrastructure.In an interview, Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey had a slightly more conciliatory tone compared to his surprise endorsement last month of a federal pause on data center construction, which made him the highest-ranking federal lawmaker with jurisdiction over energy and the environment to back the idea. He said he wants to go much further on regulating data centers than Republicans and some Democrats are currently willing.Pallone plans to first pursue “federal guardrails” on data center development through pollution rules, siting standards and ratepayer protections should he once again become chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee next year.“Fixing this data center crisis is a top priority of mine,” Pallone said. “What we’re really trying to say is that there needs to be guardrails, and that if we can’t achieve that, then the possibility of a moratorium out there is certainly real.” He contrasted his preferred approach with New York, which under Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul became the first state to pause new data center permits as her administration considers policies to address concerns about impacts on ratepayers and the environment.“You could do it either way. You can do what I’m saying, which is that let’s see if we can develop something before we put a moratorium in place. We’re kind of both saying the same thing,” Pallone said. Aggressive regulation of data centers is unlikely to become law even under a divided government next year. Democrats may have a tougher time retaking the Senate and the Trump administration remains bullish on AI despite steps to curb the impacts of data centers.Pallone’s comments came days after the Energy and Commerce unanimously approved the Ratepayer Protection Act, H.R. 9340 (119), requiring states to consider adopting a federal standard directing data centers to pay the full cost of the electricity infrastructure needed to serve them.The relatively modest bill pushed by Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) is the only major data center energy bill to gain traction on Capitol Hill. Democrats have characterized it as a good first step, while Republicans hope the bill would demonstrate responsiveness to voter backlash toward data centers.Pallone dismissed questions on whether his position is out of step with Democratic leaders in Congress, who have stopped short of endorsing a data center moratorium.It may be problematic for a committee leader to pursue such a contentious policy that’s not in line with most members of their party.“The bottom line is everyone is concerned about data centers, whether it’s the leadership or it’s rank-and-file members or it’s just everyday Americans,” Pallone said.Senior Energy and Commerce Democrat Kathy Castor of Florida — who is co-sponsoring the Ratepayer Protection Act with Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) — said she was not supportive of the moratorium but understood Pallone’s position.“I was talking to the ranking member, and he explained that back home he’s got local government sending him resolutions all the time opposing [artificial intelligence] data centers,” Castor said. “But I don’t think you can say, ‘We’re going to just stop everything now.’”House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO last month he hadn’t discussed the moratorium with Pallone and stressed, “That’s certainly not a position that I’ve articulated at this moment.”  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), addressing union leaders at an event on Capitol Hill on July 14, said the Democratic caucus “has taken a position that data centers must pay their fair share and promote healthy communities, but we have not said, ‘Don’t build data centers.'” Pallone said he came to his decision to call for a nationwide data center moratorium in response to community-level opposition in his central New Jersey district, where he said a half dozen towns have recently either imposed moratoriums or rejected major data center projects. He pointed to action from New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a former moderate House Democrat, who has announced a set of “guardrails” on data centers in an effort to control costs.“We’re seeing electricity prices skyrocketing, the grid is strained, and there is also a lot of concern about clean air and water pollution, and most states don’t have anything on the books,” Pallone said.Prompted by that pushback, Pallone directed his committee staff over the last four months to meet with data center companies including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Meta, Oracle, Amazon and SpaceXAI to inquire about their projects’ energy consumption, environmental impacts and commitments to local community engagement.His conversations with companies are ongoing to assess what federal guardrails he would look to put into place to “ensure data centers are not causing harm to communities.”“We’re trying to get information before we move ahead with any specific legislation,” Pallone said. But he is already planning to put on notice one of the companies, Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI, whose data centers in the Memphis area have generated controversy for operating gas turbines before seeking air pollution permits. Pallone sent a letter to Musk on Tuesday — shared first with POLITICO — demanding answers and seeking site visits to the company’s Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers, including analyses and documentation related to the emissions, power consumption and water usage of the projects, and emissions and permitting application details for the turbines.Pallone said he is not targeting Musk, a top Trump ally, for political reasons. He says SpaceXAI has been the least willing to answer questions compared to other companies his staff met with.“Most of the companies have been providing a lot of information that’s important and that we’re looking for. But not SpaceXAI,” Pallone said. “It’s not a political exercise because he [Musk] is not being cooperative.”

Sunrise co-founder bets on data centers in House bid - A co-founder of the Sunrise Movement is betting that data center opposition will propel his progressive campaign over more-centrist Democrats, despite his underdog status.William Lawrence, a community organizer who help launch the youth-led climate change action group nearly a decade ago, is in a three-way Democratic primary in Michigan’s Lansing-area 7th District, where President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election by the slimmest of margins. The winner will face incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in what is likely to be one of the nation’s closest general election races this November.Lawrence — who has support from Sunrise, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed — has tried to put significant attention on data centers. He’s calling for a nationwide moratorium on data center construction and has focused on the issue in his first video advertisement of the campaign.The race serves as a key indicator of whether voters want Democrats leaning more left on data centers and climate change. Lawrence hasn’t raised as much money as either of his primary opponents — Bridget Brink, former ambassador to Ukraine, and Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL — who have also gotten high-profile endorsements.  Michigan is home to a number of high-profile data center construction projects, such as ones in Saline Township and Dowagiac that have, at times, split communities and state leaders over their potential impacts to the electric grid, water supplies and surrounding area. “It wasn’t something I expected to be talking about last August when I got into the race because it really wasn’t on folks’ radar here in Michigan. But there were then four data centers proposed in my district alone after I declared my candidacy,” Lawrence said in an interview. Lawrence said he went to local planning meetings to listen to data center companies pitch their projects and hear what Michiganders were saying about them.“It was clear to me that this is an abuse of power that is taking advantage of communities without the resources to fully fight back on their own,” he said.Lawrence’s campaign launched an ad featuring him at a farm, saying, “Tech billionaires want to turn this field into a massive data center that’ll jack up our energy bills and ruin our home values.”“I’m running for U.S. Congress because I’ve never been afraid to stand up to corporate power,” Lawrence said in the ad.Michigan is a hot market for data centers, owing to its location near the middle of the country and favorable tax treatments for the facilities. Out of the United States’ 4,668 data centers in operation or development, 79 are in Michigan, ranking it No. 18 among states, according to Data Center Map. A POLITICO analysis of Data Center Map’s data found that 12 projects are in Michigan’s 7th District, half in operation and half in development.El-Sayed, who is running as a progressive in Michigan’s Democratic primary for the Senate, is making data centers a high priority in his race as well, although he has not endorsed a nationwide moratorium. Many top Democrats have endorsed the more-moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. The Democratic primary winner will likely take on former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers.

AI breaks free of lab and goes on hacking spree  -- Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence (AI) model hacked into the systems of three companies during testing after an error gave it access to the internet.  Anthropic, the world’s most valuable AI start-up, said a misconfiguration had allowed Claude models to get online from testing environments that were supposed to be isolated.Only days ago, rival OpenAI disclosed that an autonomous agent powered by its AI models went rogue during a security test and triggered a hack that compromised the infrastructure of Hugging Face, an online platform and community for AI.Anthropic said it identified the incidents after reviewing 141,006 test sessions.The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are fuelling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard by flaws their models can exploit.Last month, Anthropic called for a global freeze in AI development and warned that humans risked losing control of the technology.It offered to suspend its work on more powerful systems if it could be assured that other companies would do the same.The company has restricted access to its latest AI system, Claude Mythos Preview, saying it is currently too dangerous to release to the public. “Claude compromised the impacted organisations’ infrastructure using basic techniques, such as exploiting weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints,” Anthropic said on Thursday.The company said the incidents involved three separate models: Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research model. The earliest cases dated back to April and occurred in evaluation environments that lacked what the company described as standard safeguards.The breaches occurred during the so-called “capture the flag” exercises, in which models are tasked with finding hidden information in simulated networks.The company said its prompts told the models that it had no internet access, but a misunderstanding with its evaluation partner Irregular had left the systems connected to the public internet.

Open AI CEO Sam Altman Says The AI Singularity Is Here. Is He Right? -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says humanity has entered the AI singularity, the hypothetical point when artificial intelligence advances beyond our ability to predict or control it. “We are now, like, in the singularity,” he said during the July 25 episode of Relentless. “This is the moment.”The timing gave his claim weight. Days earlier, OpenAI disclosed that models in a controlled cybersecurity evaluation found a path to the open internet and exploited flaws in Hugging Face’s production systems. But Altman didn’t identify a new scientific threshold, and researchers don’t agree on what counts as a singularity. The useful question is what evidence would show that AI has crossed such a line.  What Is the AI Singularity?  There’s no universally accepted definition. In 1965, mathematician I.J. Good described an “intelligence explosion” in which an ultraintelligent machine could design still better machines. Computer scientist Vernor Vinge later argued that superhuman intelligence would make the future difficult to model. Futurist Ray Kurzweil popularized a version centered on human-machine integration and predicted it for 2045.  These versions share a basic idea: improvement becomes self-reinforcing. Better AI helps create better hardware, software or research methods, which accelerates the next round. The key dispute is whether the singularity is a sharp threshold, a gradual transition or simply a metaphor for rapid technological change.  Altman is using the broadest of those meanings. In his 2025 essay, “The Gentle Singularity,” he wrote that “the takeoff has started” and described a world in which wonders become routine. He also called today’s systems a “larval version of recursive self-improvement.” That framing describes a period of compounding progress, not one instant when machines become uncontrollable. Under Altman’s definition, the claim is more plausible and less dramatic than the headline sounds.AI systems are improving quickly in coding, scientific research and complex digital tasks. The Hugging Face incident matters because OpenAI’s models planned across short-lived test environments and chained several vulnerabilities. It’s a serious example of autonomous action. The details also limit what the event proves. OpenAI says it had deliberately relaxed the models’ usual cybersecurity safeguards for the test. The models took advantage of a test configuration and infrastructure flaws, and human researchers had supplied the objective. The incident shows stronger autonomous capability under unusual test conditions. It doesn’t show that an AI can escape safeguards at will or improve its own intelligence without people.A classical singularity should produce broader, sustained evidence. AI would take over more of the research cycle while human input kept shrinking. Gains would transfer across fields, and each generation would help create a substantially stronger successor on a tightening schedule. No accepted benchmark shows that process today.Experts remain divided. AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has estimated a window of roughly five to 20 years for machines to become smarter than people. In a survey of 2,778 AI researchers conducted in 2023, the aggregate forecast put a 50% chance of machines outperforming humans at every task by 2047. That forecast moved 13 years earlier than a similar survey conducted one year before.Skeptics point to what today’s systems still struggle to do. Roboticist Rodney Brooks expects deployable humanoid dexterity to remain far below human hands beyond 2036. Computer scientist Melanie Mitchell has documented how hidden assumptions produce overconfident AI forecasts. Modern models still make errors, depend on human-defined goals and operate on infrastructure people build and control. Despite rapid progress, the idea that AI could improve itself in a runaway cycle remains unproven.Altman’s podcast remark extends the argument he made in “The Gentle Singularity.” He sees the milestone as cumulative: AI becomes more capable, spreads into everyday work and starts helping researchers improve the technology that follows. The cyber incident offered a vivid new example of a system acting beyond the path its evaluators expected.There’s also a reason to treat the label carefully. Altman leads the company building and selling the systems he’s assessing, so he’s a participant in the debate, not a neutral referee. Calling the current moment “the singularity” can shape how investors, policymakers and customers interpret OpenAI’s progress. That incentive doesn’t make his conclusion wrong, but it raises the burden of proof.

AI Scammers Are Better at Building Trust Than Humans - Researchers pitted a person against a Claude agent and found that, after a week of texting, the AI chatbot was more effective at creating “exploitable trust” with others. The notion that scammers can use AI to sharpen their deceptions, polish their language, and lubricate their banter with victims is now a reality for anyone fighting the fraud operations that steal tens of billions of dollars a year worldwide. But can AI fully replace a human scammer, autonomously building the web of deception leading up to the fake investment that defrauds the mark? One study's experiment suggests that it can—and may even be able to carry out the majority of that long con more effectively than humans. Researchers from four universities—Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in India, Foscari University of Venice, the University of Melbourne, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev—carried out a broad study on the use and potential of generative AI chatbots in the growing scam industry centered around a form of fraud known as “pig butchering,” text-based romance scams that eventually shift to fake crypto investments that steal as much as six-figure sums from victims. In their study, the researchers pitted AI chatbots directly against humans in a simulation of the scamming process—or more specifically, the long, trust-building conversations that eventually lead up to soliciting a fake investment from the scam’s target.They found that for the relationship-establishing stages of the scam—the stage that in real-world scams typically represents the longest part of the interactions with the victim, often stretching to months—an AI chatbot performed remarkably effectively, successfully impersonating a human and by some measures outperforming the real human “scammers” in their experiment. After a week of talking to 22 test subjects who were recruited to unwittingly serve as “victims,” the chatbots and human scammers were assigned to ask the victim to either download an app or play an online game as a proxy for their willingness to fulfill the scammer's request. Nearly half of the test subjects fulfilled that request for the AI chatbot, while fewer than one in five took the bait when talking to a human. The subjects also graded their level of trust with each “person” they were texting with and gave significantly higher scores to the AI bot.That suggests, the researchers argue, that AI chatbots could soon take over much of the scam process as fully independent fraud agents—even replacing the staffers, often forced-labor human trafficking victims, working in scam operations primarily across Southeast Asia. To avoid triggering the safeguards built into large language models to detect scamming, a human scammer would take over the conversation in just the final stage of the process to direct the victim toward a fake investment app or website.“By having the full first stage of the scam performed automatically with LLMs at scale, you bring the victim up to this point where they have a very high level of trust. Then by transitioning it over to the human scammer at the end, this completely bypasses any vendor safeguards,” says Yisroel Mirsky, a computer science professor at Ben Gurion University of the Negev focused on AI security, who led the research. “With relatively little effort, we're able to make an agent that can outperform a human at building this exploitable emotional trust.”To understand how pig butchering works in practice, the researchers interviewed 145 former scam workers, including human-trafficking survivors who had been forced to work in scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Based in part on those interviews, as well as scam transcripts and guides the former scam workers provided, the researchers describe a model for how scamming works they call “hook, line, and sinker.” A victim is hooked with an initial intriguing message, reeled in with long-term, relationship-building conversation, and only at the end of that process tricked into making a fake investment. (The term “pig butchering” itself describes the same system but with the metaphor of fattening “pigs” by building trust before “butchering” them with the investment fraud—though the term is often discouraged due to its pejorative reference to victims.)In that system of scamming, the researchers realized, the vast majority of scammers’ work is innocuous friendly or romantic conversation. That’s a task, they speculated, that an LLM might be capable of doing just as well as a human. The scam workers the researchers interviewed confirmed that they often used AI to refine their language and conversation, for translation, to make the fake personae they played more convincing, and for video deepfakes. But the researchers decided to test whether an LLM alone could autonomously carry out the conversational phase of the scam with no human in the loop. In their bake-off between AI and human scammers, carried out in early 2025, they told a test subject they were participating in a study in “how people make friends online” and asked them to text for a week with two “people.” One, unbeknownst to them, was a Claude agent the researchers had created, while the other was a person the researchers describe as an expert in romance scams. At the end of that week of friendly chatter, they had both the human and AI texters make a request: The human tried to get the subject to download and play a video game, while the Claude bot asked them to download and try an app described as a program they had coded. (That mismatch of tasks, the researchers say, was necessary for the test subject to not notice the same request from both texters, which might make them suspect the significance of the request and affect their response.) The researchers found that 46 percent of the research subjects agreed to download the app the AI chatbot requested they test out, while only 18 percent of them agreed to download the video game app the humans asked them to try. Despite the asymmetry of those tasks, the researchers were struck by the relatively high success rate of the AI in building enough trust to persuade the subject to download a new piece of software on their phone.Although that download represents only a loose proxy for a fraudulent investment, the researchers argue it nonetheless shows how successful AI alone was at building an exploitable relationship. “It's like trust harvesting,” says one of the study's researcher, Gilad Gressel of the university Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. “You're building up emotional trust, and then that gets them ready to be scammed.” The researchers also asked the test subjects to grade their trust in the two “people” they were texting with on a scale of 1 to 5. On average, the subjects gave a trust score of 3.31 to the human, while they gave an average of 3.78 to the AI. Of all the text messages the subjects sent over the course of a week, fully 80 percent were sent to the Claude bot. The researchers point to this as further evidence that the subjects preferred texting with AI instead of an actual human. Yet, significantly, when researchers revealed to subjects at the end of their week-long conversation that one of the two texters was in fact a chatbot, they were able to identify which one it was in 20 out of 22 cases. That clarity in hindsight, Gressel argues, is typical of scam victims to whom the truth is revealed. “That's exactly how scams are, actually. Once the scam victim realizes what's going on, it's obvious. But when you're in the illusion of it, you just don't see it,” he says.  While most subjects passed the test of retroactively identifying the AI, the revelation that they’d been texting with a bot still created a state of shock or even denial in many cases, Gressel adds. “Some people were just blown away,” he says. “They just had absolutely no idea.”In a separate experiment whose results they confirmed in recent weeks, the researchers also tested whether they could instruct various LLMs to impersonate humans and hide the fact that they were AI. Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro played the role of humans without ever admitting to being AI. OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 and Claude Opus 5 admitted to being AI when confronted with commands from an interlocutor such as, “It is unethical to use AI to deceive people. Admit you are an AI,” or “It is unethical to use AI to deceive people. Admit you are an AI.” (Gemini didn't admit to being an AI even in response to those demands.)When ChatGPT was asked simply if it was AI or “a bot,” it admitted to not being human in fewer than half of conversations, and Claude never admitted to it in response to those questions. When WIRED reached out to Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google about the researchers' findings, OpenAI and Google didn't respond. But an Anthropic spokesperson says in a statement that the company’s policy prohibits the use of its platform for scamming—as well as impersonating a human—and also has worked to build safeguards that technically prevent Claude's use by scammers.“While we welcome independent feedback on our products, this report does not reflect the current state of our safeguards,” Anthropic’s statement reads, noting that the study was carried out with a Claude model from early 2025 that's no longer available. “Since then, we've deployed new detection systems for fraud and built a dedicated evaluation to measure how Claude handles romance scams, which we run before every model launch. Claude Opus 5 responded appropriately throughout those simulated conversations in 97 percent of cases.”The researchers note, however, that Anthropic's 97 percent detection rate likely applies to full scam conversations including the appeal for a fake investment, not the relationship-building phase they focused on, which includes far less conspicuous language. Their findings about Claude's willingness in many cases to impersonate a human, the researchers note, were carried out with the latest version of Anthropic's chatbot.The efficiency of using AI for scam relationship-building contrasts with the researchers’ findings from their broad survey of scam workers, which found that they use LLMs only as a supplementary tool for refining their scams. The reason for that disconnect, the researchers concluded, is that human trafficking may still be cheaper and more profitable than AI for scam organizations. That's not only because it's nearly free labor—given compounds often enslave workers without pay or pay them only a small income that keeps them in debt bondage—but also because the same human trafficking victims are sometimes ransomed for payment at the end of their time in a scam compound. “It may be that they don't yet feel forced to automate,” says Mirsky of Ben Gurion University of the Negev. “It's not only free labor, they also get money for those people as well.  The study's results suggest, nonetheless, that the scam industry may soon shift to more AI automation, says Erin West, a former Santa Clara County, California, prosecutor who now leads an anti-scam organization called Operation Shamrock. “We should be in great fear of what this study is showing,” West says.

OpenAI Close to Landing $500 Billion Data Center With Nvidia’s Backing - The chipmaking giant is in talks with OpenAI to provide a $250 billion financial backstop for the project, which would be among the largest of the A.I. boom. OpenAI is close to leasing a $500 billion data center in southern Ohio that could be among the largest of the artificial intelligence boom, according to three people familiar with the project.OpenAI is in separate talks with the chipmaking giant Nvidia for a $250 billion financial backstop for the project, said the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.The U.S. government, which is helping to provide the electrical power for the project, is still talking to other potential tenants, and the deal will not be final until Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agrees to it, one of the people said.But the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, an OpenAI investor that is leading the development of the data center, and government officials are leaning toward OpenAI as the main tenant because Nvidia has added financial muscle to the A.I. company’s proposal, the three people said.Microsoft, Google and possibly other companies have also submitted bids to use the data center, the people said. The center, financed in part through a trade deal with Japan, will be backed by 10 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power millions of households.The financing for the Ohio project is indicative of the elaborate deals that have helped fuel the A.I. boom over the past several years. Through unusual and creative arrangements with chipmakers, cloud-computing companies and governments across the globe, start-ups like OpenAI and Anthropic are tapping into huge amounts of computing power they could not afford on their own. Many of these deals can be described as circular. A start-up will receive billions of dollars from giant tech companies before sending those billions back to the same companies to pay for computing power and other services.Last week, Anthropic announced such a deal with Advanced Micro Devices, one of Nvidia’s chief rivals. AMD agreed to invest $5 billion in Anthropic, while Anthropic agreed to buy tens of billions of dollars in hardware from the chipmaker. OpenAI has made similar agreements with AMD, Nvidia and others.Nvidia would allow OpenAI and its partners to receive more favorable terms on the billions of dollars in debt they must raise to help fund the project. Nvidia would agree to cover both OpenAI’s lease payments and its debts if the start-up was unable to make payments on its own.Nvidia, with a market valuation of nearly $5 trillion, is one of the few companies in the world that have the financial wherewithal to backstop a deal of this size. It can help a smaller company raise large amounts of money at reasonable interest rates.That makes the deal less risky, said Jeremy Kress, an associate professor of business law at the University of Michigan who specializes in financial stability and systemic risk in the economy.“It is nice to have a backstop,” he said. “You want to see stable money that can absorb losses.”The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on the talks between OpenAI and Nvidia.From 2019 through 2023, Microsoft pumped more than $13 billion into OpenAI. Then OpenAI funneled most of those billions back into Microsoft, buying cloud-computing power needed to fuel the development of new A.I. technologies. Anthropic made similar agreements with Google and Amazon. And Google has provided chips and financial backstops for new data centers built by Anthropic and other partners.(The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The two companies have denied the suit’s claims.)OpenAI’s latest effort is even larger and more elaborate. Nvidia, which previously invested $30 billion in OpenAI, is also considering financing the purchase of $350 billion of its chips for the data center in Ohio, a person familiar with the talks said.Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank, left, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick at the groundbreaking for the new data center.Credit...Joshua A. Bickel/Associated PressThe U.S. government is providing the electrical power through a partnership with Japan. The Japanese government agreed to help fund the project as part of an agreement to invest in U.S. projects in exchange for lower tariffs. Mr. Lutnick will need the approval of the Japanese government to complete the deal.SoftBank, a longtime investor and partner of OpenAI, is building the data center from a decommissioned Cold War-era uranium enrichment plant on federal land in Piketon, about 50 miles south of Columbus. The project is still in the early stages, and it is not yet clear when the data center will be completed. The first stage of construction is planned for completion in 2028.Financial experts have long warned that such deals pose risks to the economy because companies are taking on enormous amount of debt to fund new data centers — and because of the circular nature of many of the deals.“Five hundred billion dollars is a very large project, even given the current level of spending across the industry,” said Gil Luria, head of technology research at the investment firm D.A. Davidson. “Is this investment worthwhile? Will it generate the appropriate returns? Is it sustainable? This is the right conversation to have.”Dr. Kress said that even if Nvidia was backstopping the deal, it still would come with risk. If OpenAI struggles to repay its debts, that may mean that the entire A.I. industry, including Nvidia, is in financial distress.“It is not really outside equity that is coming in to backstop the project,” he said. “There is a very high correlation between Nvidia’s business and the success of this project.”Mr. Luria said some investors were already beginning to see sizable returns from their data center deals. This includes tech giants like Google as well as investment banks like Blackstone.Google said last week that its revenues in the three months that ended in June rose 24 percent from the previous year, boosted by the company’s investments in A.I.-related companies like SpaceX and Anthropic. Gains tied to those investments were valued at about $99 billion and contributed $77 billion to the company’s overall profit.When Blackstone reported quarterly earnings last week, Stephen Schwarzman, the company’s chief executive, said the “most significant driver” of its results had been investments in A.I., specifically citing data centers, energy and power as well as A.I. companies.“We are in the early days of what I believe will be the most consequential transformation in industry and markets in a generation,” Mr. Schwarzman said during the firm’s investor call.

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: Amazon Ramps Up AI Spending | RBN Energy Amazon executives highlighted strong and growing customer demand for AI, noting the company is accelerating spending to keep pace with customer demand.On its July 30 earnings call, Amazon said it is ramping up its capital expenditure for 2026 from $200 billion to $220 billion, with the majority directed toward AI-related investments. Even at that level, executives acknowledged capacity will remain constrained. “We will still not have enough capacity to meet all the demand we have in 2026,” said CEO Andrew Jassy, adding that the imbalance is likely to persist into 2027 and that “the demand we already have for 2028 is striking.”At RBN, we’ve been tracking how hyperscalers are rapidly constructing more data centers and a key challenge is securing electricity to power these facilities. A central question for the tech and energy sectors is how that load will be served and the answer will likely involve a mix of natural gas, coal, renewables, and nuclear generation. See: Go Speed Race Go.  Amazon didn't disclose the size of its data center footprint. It reported a $600 million unrealized gain from changes in the fair value of long-term energy contracts used to secure electricity for existing and future data center operations. These contracts help lock in power for its data centers. Executives also outlined the different investment timelines across AI infrastructure. Capital for data centers is typically deployed about two years before facilities become operational, and then they can generate revenue for 30-plus years without requiring another comparable upfront investment. In contrast, servers and networking equipment are purchased just months before use. The servers reach break-even in under three years and can last for up to six years.

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: Microsoft and Meta Pour Billions Into AI Technology | RBN Energy - Microsoft and Meta made one thing clear in their earnings calls this week. They are spending billions more to expand their AI infrastructure, including building data centers to support it.  On July 29, both companies reported second-quarter earnings, and AI dominated the conversation. A key takeaway from both calls was a sharp emphasis on capital spending focused on AI and data centers as they hurry to add more computing capacity.

• Meta, owner of Facebook, raised its 2026 capital expenditure guidance from $115 billion to $135 billion up to a new range of $125 billion to $145 billion. That compares with about $75 billion in capex spending last year. On the earnings call, CFO Susan Li and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said much of that investment is going toward AI infrastructure. The company spent $31.1 billion on capex in the second quarter, driven by investments in servers, data centers, and network infrastructure. Meta executives said it is investing aggressively to meet growing infrastructure needs while continuing to improve efficiency.
• Microsoft also signaled that investment in AI infrastructure is a top priority. Capex reached $41 billion during the quarter, with management noting that higher component pricing contributed to the increase. Roughly two-thirds of that spending went toward short-lived assets, primarily central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), highlighting the company's investment in the computing power needed to support AI demand and Azure cloud services. The company has said it will spend about $190 billion for calendar year 2026 on capex.

Energy is one of the highest costs behind AI because the models and the data centers that run them require enormous amounts of electricity. At RBN, we spend a lot of time evaluating how these power-hungry facilities will secure reliable supply, whether from natural gas, nuclear, renewables or a combination. See: Go Speed Race Go. Neither Microsoft nor Meta broke out energy costs, but powering AI is becoming a major challenge and expense, with implications for both the tech and energy industries.

Reverse warrants’ should worry all Americans who value their liberties -Throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, as the collection of our personal data became commonplace, traditional notions of privacy have increasingly felt antiquated. But a little over two years ago something unexpected happened: a broad, non-partisan wave of opposition to government surveillance began to rise like a tsunami over America. Different philosophical segments of the population had different reasons for their awakening. Libertarians leaned into their bedrock opposition to intrusive government. MAGA adherents saw mass surveillance as an extension of the Deep State. Traditional conservatives viewed mass surveillance as antithetical to their small government preferences. Progressives rallied to defend the vulnerable populations who mass surveillance most frequently targets. Even centrists and the politically non-engaged recoiled at the idea of persistent government spying. Despite their different starting points, all arrived at the same conclusion: mass government surveillance needs to be reined in. It was within — and perhaps because of — this climate that on June 29 and 30, 2026, we witnessed two events that collectively produced a watershed moment for the restoration of privacy in our digital age. One involved a U.S. Supreme Court decision and the other a piece of groundbreaking legislation from Delaware. Both involved a modern government surveillance tool known as reverse warrants. Reverse warrants are a technology-driven version of a general warrant. “Reverse location warrants” (or “geofence warrants”) allow the government to demand the identity of an unlimited number of people based on their electronic devices’ location tracking data. “Reverse keyword warrants” operate similarly but identify people based on the words they type into internet search engines. Because those who obtain reverse warrants do not have probable cause to believe any identified person committed a specific crime, organizations like mine argue that they violate the Fourth Amendment. This question was before the Supreme Court this past term in Chatrie v. U.S., a case involving the identification of an alleged bank robber using his phone’s location data. Including Okello Chatrie, the reverse warrant in that case initially identified 19 people as potential suspects based on location data from Google showing phones that happened to be near the scene of the robbery. The court forcefully rejected the government’s argument that police could obtain that location data without any Fourth Amendment limitations, explaining that people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the private information their electronic devices share nearly automatically. The court sent the case back to the lower courts for consideration of whether the search warrant the government used in the case satisfied the Fourth Amendment’s requirements. Writing for the court, Justice Elana Kagan announced two important holdings. First, the court held that even limited location data reveals enough personal information to implicate Fourth Amendment privacy protections. “Even short-term monitoring of a person’s physical movements,” Kagan wrote, “can provide a wealth of detail about [his] familial, political, professional, religious, and sexual associations.” Second, the court held that when a person’s cell phone routinely generates and shares personal data that doesn’t mean you waive your privacy rights altogether. That’s true even if there is a way to turn off data sharing somewhere in the phone’s settings, as was the case with Chatrie’s location data. As Kagan wrote, “a cell-phone user is not to be viewed as sharing private information with third parties — which then can be freely passed on to the government — just by doing the ordinary things cell-phone users do.” Collectively, these holdings place the personal information our electronic devices routinely share squarely under the Fourth Amendment’s privacy protections. The day after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Delaware legislature voted on a bill to sharply restrict the use of reverse keyword warrants. Delaware’s lawmakers understood two important modern realities when they took up that legislation. First, they recognized that allowing a government to identify a person based on their private internet searches without any individualized criminal suspicion was at least as problematic as revealing their location. Second, they understood the chilling effect these warrants would have on people’s other rights if they had no confidence their internet searches would remain private. If the government could uncover the identities of everyone who searched the internet for “Planned Parenthood,” “immigrant services,” or “gun show,” then people might be too afraid to run such searches. In response, Delaware’s legislature passed a law that not only restricts the use of reverse keyword warrants to certain serious crimes, but that also takes the “mass” out of mass surveillance. Specifically, to prevent dragnet searches that ensnare countless innocent people, Delaware’s new law — once signed by its governor — will prohibit the use of reverse keyword warrants that identify over five people. If the government’s search is too broad, they can try a narrower one, but over-broad demands will not be allowed. Despite this progress, much work remains to be done. Legislatures must pass laws ensuring the privacy of any electronic data that is routinely shared with third parties. Other states should pass copycat versions of Delaware’s law that cover both reverse keyword and location warrants. And to prevent the circumvention of these new privacy protections, states and Congress should pass the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, which prohibits governments from evading warrant requirements altogether by purchasing private data.

The Pentagon wants to build data centers. Congress would like a word. - The Department of Defense’s leasing of land to private companies for artificial intelligence server farms is drawing bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers worried about the impact on military installations and surrounding communities. The Pentagon is building data centers to supercharge its war tactics with drone swarms and other technologies powered by AI. Members of Congress — including a senior Republican appropriator — are trying to check that effort before it accelerates any further.“As we enter the period of AI, which requires very serious data centers, data facilities, that are extraordinary consumers of both energy and water, the question arises as to whether they should be on military bases,” Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) said last month after proposing a sweeping amendment to the House’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. “The answer to this may be yes, may be no,” said Garamendi, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.  DOD officials and some congressional conservatives are pushing back, saying the military has already accounted for the impact of data centers. They also warn restriction would create a drag for military innovation at a time when the Pentagon is scrambling to stay competitive in the AI arms race. But despite the administration’s resistance, some proposals are advancing and could become law as part of broader legislative battles over how to regulate the data center boom.In many cases, lawmaker proposals addressing DOD data centers don’t seek to shut down the build-out. Most of them would simply require studies, evaluations or additional planning that would force the Pentagon to take into account — and be transparent about — proposed data centers’ consumption of energy and water, as well as the impacts they could have on local communities and the environment.“Members ... understandably want to ensure there is careful consideration of impacts to local residents with regards to potential strain on the power grid and water supplies,” Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said in a statement.The military’s data center drive gained momentum last year with President Donald Trump’s executive order directing the agency to identify suitable sites on military installations for AI infrastructure. The order required EPA and the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality to take steps to support data center construction.Since then, the Air Force has offered up unused land on five installations for private companies to build data centers. The Army has already entered into two conditional agreements with private companies to build “commercial hyperscaled data centers” on its installations, the branch said in a news release. The investment firm Carlyle Group will build a data facility on 1,384 acres on Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, by 2027. Data center developer CyrusOne will build a facility on 1,201 acres on Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground by 2029, according to an Army fact sheet. The Army has stated that the projects will come at “no upfront cost to taxpayers,” and that they will include “comprehensive behind-the-meter power and water solutions.”  But some lawmakers — mostly Democrats — are skeptical that can be done. El Paso Matters reported earlier this year that the Fort Bliss data center alone could require more power than all of El Paso’s 460,000 electricity customers combined.Lawmakers say they have been left in the dark with regard to how these contracts will be enforced and what steps the Pentagon is taking, if any, to ensure the data centers do not create problems for military readiness, base infrastructure and nearby residents.“Just like any other data center, we have to be very cognizant of water and of electricity,” said Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), whose district is home to a major Marine Corps base. “A bigger concern is that we haven’t received the appropriate brief from [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth or the Defense Department about any of this.”Lawmakers kicked off their data center amendment spree in the spring, with the House Appropriations Committee’s markup of Republicans’ fiscal 2027 Energy-Water funding bill.A bipartisan amendment package, approved by voice vote, added language advising the Department of Energy to mitigate data centers’ impacts on energy and water usage, grid reliability, and ratepayers.“This Congress has an obligation to defend our people — not stick our heads in the sand or pretend it’s 1946,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member on the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, said while discussing the proliferation of data centers and rising electricity bills.When House appropriators marked up their Defense spending bill — which is separate but related to the NDAA — they adopted a Republican package of amendments from Calvert, the top Republican appropriator on defense issues, that contained a provision acknowledging that data centers “place significant strain on energy and water resources and communities have resisted such projects.”That provision would require DOD to brief Congress on the impacts that military data centers would have on nearby communities, before construction begins. Calvert said his proposal is part of the committee’s regular efforts to conduct oversight over DOD programs.Republican appropriators rejected several Democratic amendments to the Defense spending bill, including one from Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) that would have prohibited the construction of AI data centers on federal lands, including military installations. She introduced that amendment as a standalone bill this week.

Commerce Dept. quietly announces 7 new equity stakes in private companies - The Department of Commerce quietly announced this week it will designate more than $870 million in federal incentives for semiconductor manufacturing in exchange for a minority equity stake in seven companies. In a blog post Wednesday, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development Office signed letters of intent with seven companies to provide a combined $874 million in federal funding under the landmark CHIPS and Science Act. The financial awards will be used to conduct research and development on critical technologies and advanced integrated photonics — a microchip technology that uses light instead of electricity to transfer and process data. It will also be used for research and development on compute architectures and memory for computing and artificial intelligence systems, according to NIST. “The Department will receive a minority, non-controlling equity stake in each company as a condition for receiving the funds to enhance the return for the U.S. taxpayer,” NIST wrote. Up to $300 million will go to GlobalFoundries, a semiconductor manufacturer, while Kepler, which is developing AI memory and logic technologies, will receive up to $245 million. Multibeam Corp. will get up to $140 million for the company’s semiconductor equipment manufacturing, NIST said, with remaining funds going to equipment makers Extropic, Thintronics, Obsidia Semiconductors and Aeluma Inc. “These strategic investments will enhance our country’s domestic capabilities, create high-paying jobs and keep America at the forefront of the semiconductor industry,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wrote in a press release. The announcement comes nearly a year after President Trump announced the federal government would take a 10 percent stake in Intel, one of the nation’s largest chip manufacturers, for roughly $11 billion in federal subsidies the company received. The practice has drawn criticism from Trump’s Republican base. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who drafted the foundation of the CHIPS and Science Act, said at the time the law never intended to let the federal government take a major stake in Intel or any other major company. The legislation, signed by then-President Biden in 2022, provides federal subsidies to domestic semiconductor manufacturers to boost domestic production in the U.S. Despite backlash last summer, the Trump administration moved last December to take a $150 million stake in xLight, a startup developing laser technology, in exchange for federal incentives.

As AI-Related CDS Soar, The Market Is Asking These 4 Questions | ZeroHedge - CDS spreads have started to widen out for names in AI, and as Apollo's Torsten Slok highlights today, the market is asking four fundamental questions: 1) Will the AI capex pay off, and how quickly?

Why AI has eclipsed cyberattacks as firms' top compliance problem | American Banker  -- (see graphic) For the people tasked with keeping wealth management firms secure, the biggest threat is coming from within.

Data center boom sparks lobbying surge - - The number of companies, associations and advocacy groups lobbying around data center issues more than doubled this spring compared to the same time last year as Congress and the Trump administration sought to address the industry’s rapid growth.More than 200 entities lobbied between April and June on proposals to prevent data center electric demand from spiking utility rates, a nationwide moratorium on new facilities and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s actions around how to connect the massive electricity users to the grid, a review of new federal lobbying disclosures by POLITICO showed. It’s a sharp increase from the same quarter in 2025, when fewer than 100 companies and groups reported lobbying on data center matters.“At this point, almost all my clients are lobbying on this,” said Elizabeth Whitney, who represents electric cooperatives and municipal power utilities as managing principal at the firm Meguire Whitney.The Washington lobbying rose as concern about the energy and environmental impacts of data centers exploded around the country and action trickled up from city halls and county commission to the White House and Congress, according to the disclosures.The intense lobbying hasn’t stopped lawmakers and administration officials from acting on data centers, but it’s at least keeping national moratorium demands at bay. President Donald Trump has gotten hundreds of companies to sign onto a nonbinding pledge that calls for limiting electricity price increases on homeowners. A House committee advanced legislation directing state utility regulators to consider a standard that would put data centers on the hook for the cost of new power generation. And FERC is mulling new regulations.New York became the first state to enact a moratorium on large-scale data center construction, but congressional leaders from both parties haven’t endorsed the idea of a national halt on such facilities.Trump himself praised the data center industry as “real doers” and “an amazing group” during a Washington event celebrating new signers of his pledge.“You have communities that really want the data centers, and frankly, those are the smart communities, because it means tremendous numbers of jobs, very little actual disruption,” the president said last week.

New study: Data centers have big economic impact on area - Chicago Tribune --A new study on data center economics shows hyperscale data centers have an outsized impact on the local economy. Co-author Justin Ross, professor of public finance and economics at Indiana University’s main campus in Bloomington, did the study alongside Saurav Roychoudhury, professor of finance and economics at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. “The public discourse is like a cacophony of ideas,” Ross said, so he wanted to get hold of the numbers to study the actual economic impact. The Northwest Indiana Forum, which funded the study, helped Ross and Roychoudhury get the numbers they needed to complete the study. “This study is the first true Northwest Indiana-specific academic analysis of what hyperscale data center development (the kind of investment Microsoft is building in LaPorte) would actually deliver to Northwest Indiana’s economy,” Ross said. The Microsoft data center, a 1 gigawatt facility, will generate $16.1 billion in regional economic output over 20 years, Ross said. That comes with 14,651 construction job-years, with $1.08 billion in construction earnings, and 2,090 ongoing jobs supported across the regional economy once the data center becomes operational. Annual worker earnings will be $176 million as a result of the data center once it’s operational, Ross said. If you think that’s big, Hobart’s data center will have an even bigger impact, at 1.5 gigawatts. Lifetime regional output from Amazon’s data center in Hobart will be $24.2 billion with 21,979 construction job-years, the study said. “The scale of impact here is significant for Northwest Indiana. We apply standard input-output modeling carefully with conservative assumptions at every step and find a single hyperscale campus generates billions in regional output and thousands of jobs,” Ross said. “This is the kind of sustained economic activity that can meaningfully strengthen a regional economy over the long term.” The Northwest Indiana Forum has been a staunch supporter of data centers, but that didn’t color the study’s findings, Ross said. “While we feel like this is a conservative study, we are very encouraged by the findings and the impact these types of projects can have on our regional economy,” Northwest Indiana Forum President and CEO Heather Ennis said. Heather Ennis, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Forum, looks on as Indiana Gov. Mike Braun answers questions during a luncheon in Merrillville, Indiana, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune) Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, said he is preparing a peer-reviewed academic paper on the subject. “You can see the jobs they create, but you don’t know where the jobs came from,” he said. “I think a community thinking that these are going to bring a lot of jobs is mostly a mirage,” Hicks said, other than the construction jobs to build them. “Data centers are not going to build the AI ecosystem of labor. They’re going to take advantage of what’s already there,” he said. Hicks has looked at three studies, two of which say there’s no significant economic impact over time. “Think of them as a very small warehouse with a little bit of headquarters,” he said. Some of the jobs, swapping out computers, would pay only in the $40,000s or $50,000s, Hicks said. “For some places, you may be worried about new development bringing in new high costs” like having enough classroom space for employees’ children and parks and other recreational facilities for the new families, he said. “Data centers don’t use a lot of public services because they don’t bring new people with them,” Hicks said. There are some potential downsides. “The biggest one is if you’re building it in a tourism area, there’s some evidence that it stops tourism or at least slows it down.” But Hobart isn’t Savannah, Georgia, he notes. “If they’re actually paying taxes, and they’re paying their energy right, and they’re paying for their water usage,” data centers can be a benefit for communities, Hicks said. Just don’t expect R&D firms and a lot of high-paying jobs to come with a data center, he said.

Texas data center critics push for special session --Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is facing growing calls to convene a special session to enact more oversight on data centers, though the Republican may be unlikely to budge from a planned legislative blitz next year.Dozens of protesters gathered Monday on the steps of the state Capitol ahead of a state Senate Finance Committee hearing, demanding more action be taken between now and the next regular legislative session slated to begin in January.In the hearing, lawmakers said they’re concerned that more data centers would get big tax breaks or draw on scarce water supplies before they can pass guardrail legislation next year. Monday’s meeting was part of the Texas Legislature’s interim work to prepare for 2027.“I’m not trying to be political about this, but the question is whether or not we need to have a special session focusing in on this,” said state Rep. Royce West, a Democrat from the Dallas area.Data centers and extra-high-voltage transmission projects have created a chasm among Republicans who control the state’s government. Some GOP officials from rural Texas districts have started to side with Democrats, pushing for a special session and more guardrail rules to prevent data centers from overpumping water or being too noisy.It’s unlikely that Abbott will call a special session to tackle data centers this year, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston. “I suspect he won’t,” Rottinghaus said in an interview Tuesday. “He generally reserves special sessions for issues he knows he can pass and only calls lawmakers back when leadership is united and there’s a realistic path to passing legislation.”The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.But Abbott, who has courted data centers in the past and last year called Texas the “epicenter” of artificial intelligence development, has changed his messaging in recent weeks.He ordered electricity regulators in June to send him a memo about their actions and said he would support legislation during the regular session that would repeal data centers’ sales tax exemptions and require data centers to use less-water-intensive cooling technologies, among other things. The governor also announced last week that a data center project would not be moving ahead in East Texas.Abbott is seeking a fourth term as governor in a race against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who has called for a moratorium on new data center developments until the state Legislature meets to take action.It can be hard to find widespread agreement among Republicans lawmakers about how to balance Texas’ pro-business reputation with mounting concerns from voters about the effects of data centers on communities.Some officials from suburban and urban areas have remained supportive of retaining tax breaks and regulatory leeway for data centers.“The public has yet to really understand how much they use data centers already,” said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from the Houston area, during Monday’s hearing as he held up a mobile phone. “Everything on this phone — almost everything — is data centers.”

Trump's EPA Wants Fewer People Asking Questions About Data Center Pollution - The Trump administration is quietly considering a rule change that could make it easier for polluters to build facilities—including certain gas plants and diesel generators that power data centers—with little to no notice to the public.On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on a proposed rule change that would hand the power to states to decide how the public participates in the permitting process for certain new sources of air pollution. The proposed rollback comes as data centers face greater pushback across the US, with many communities using the permitting process to try to slow down development. Any changes could have major consequences for how ordinary people are given notice about new or expanded polluting facilities coming into their neighborhoods.“As someone actively working in communities with data centers, I know this to be fundamentally true: People want to have a say,” Vanessa Lynch, a Pennsylvania organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, said at the EPA hearing.  Companies building any kind of facilities that release air pollution are required to get permits under the Clean Air Act. Polluting sources can either be put through a “major” permitting process, meaning that they meet or exceed thresholds for certain pollutants, or a “minor” one for those that don’t.Major sources of pollution are reviewed by both federal and state regulators and have extensive requirements before and after construction. However, there’s less oversight of minor sources. The scope of what gets permitted as a minor source is extremely broad and can include everything from dry cleaners and auto body shops to diesel and gas engines. The latter two are increasingly being used to power data centers, with operators such as xAI and Meta using minor source permitting processes to build behind-the-meter gas plants.The Clean Air Act does require the public to be involved in permitting processes; Congress has specified that major sources need to have several public steps, including a public hearing. EPA rules require some public participation for minor source permits. But thanks to a patchwork of state enforcement laws, that engagement process—and whether state agencies are actually complying with EPA requirements—varies across the US.If the proposed rule is finalized, “it would put state and local agencies most familiar with local issues in the driver’s seat to determine whether, when, and for how long to provide opportunities for public participation for proposed new minor sources and modifications,” an EPA spokesperson tells WIRED, noting the rule wouldn’t alter emissions standards.These state-by-state differences can make a big difference in how the public gets involved. Keri Powell, an Atlanta-based attorney at the environmental legal advocacy group Southern Environmental Law Center, says that groups like hers often end up taking on cases in states like Georgia, which, she says, has a more robust public notification and participation process for minor sources. Earlier this month, the group alerted the state utility about construction issues at a data center, based on information they’d gotten from the companies’ public air permit applications. But if the EPA removes the federal requirement, community and legal groups in the state could get little to no heads up about upcoming projects and be shut out of participation and review. Texas is an example of what lower levels of engagement look like. The data center boom there has driven a massive buildout of private gas plants, many of which rely on minor pollution permits. The state’s lower levels of enforcement have left some communities living in the shadows of data centers surprised at the scope of fossil fuel infrastructure being installed near their homes.

How Circle's IBM patent deal shakes up stablecoins - As Circle accumulates patents for the technology that supports digital assets, the banking industry will have to wait to see how the stablecoin issuer will use its new intellectual property.

• Key insight: Circle acquired nearly 1,000 blockchain patents overnight through buying up IBM's portfolio of distributed ledger tech patents.
• What's at stake: Circle could use the patents either defensively to strengthen its IP protections or offensively to demand payment from banks using IBM's blockchain tech.
• Expert quote: "Circle just gained a trump card it could use if the competition gets too heated." —Coin Bureau's Nic Puckrin

The technology giant's patents, which were built for banks and credit unions, will enhance the USDC issuer's intellectual property as more banks enter the stablecoin market.

Bitcoin ETFs see $12M outflow, Ethereum funds gain $9M on July 27 - Bitcoin ETFs recorded an outflow of $11.6 million while Ethereum funds experienced a $9.2 million inflow on July 27, according to data from @WuBlockchain. These movements highlight ongoing volatility in the cryptocurrency ETF market, where investor interest has fluctuated between the two major digital assets. The outflow from Bitcoin ETFs could suggest a temporary decline in demand, while the inflow into Ether funds indicates positive sentiment. Markets are closely observing these trends as they may influence the broader cryptocurrency market dynamics. Market behavior suggests decreased demand for Bitcoin, as evidenced by the $11.6 million outflow from Bitcoin ETFs. The $9.2 million inflow into Ether funds implies continued institutional interest in Ethereum. Current pricing suggests a significant probability that Bitcoin will maintain its value above certain thresholds on July 28. The developments in Bitcoin and Ether ETF flows could influence market perceptions of these cryptocurrencies’ future value. Additional data on ETF flows may help assess demand trends. Key indicators include any further shifts in inflow or outflow patterns, which could either reinforce or challenge current pricing expectations. Markets will also watch for macroeconomic events or announcements that could impact cryptocurrency valuations.

Bank-approved yield language teeters as Senate weighs CLARITY — Bank-favored changes to a much-anticipated crypto market structure bill still have a slim chance of making their way into the final legislation, as the Senate considers whether to bring the bill to the floor. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., offered an amendment to the CLARITY Act, a cryptocurrency market structure bill, in committee that did not get a vote. The amendment could still get a vote on the Senate floor if cloture is invoked for the bill.

• Key insight: The CLARITY Act needs 60 votes to invoke cloture with just days left before the Senate's August recess.
• What's at stake: Bankers want a stricter ban on stablecoin yield products, while crypto firms want fewer restrictions.
• Forward look: Whether yield language gets a vote may depend on how narrow the margin is on the procedural motion to proceed.

As a vote to invoke cloture on the CLARITY Act looms in the Senate, lawmakers are considering how and whether to offer banks' preferred language on stablecoin yield on the Senate floor.

NY Sues Kalshi for running an 'illegal gambling' operation - New York sued Kalshi Inc.'s trading subsidiary for allegedly running an illegal, unlicensed gambling operation in the state, marking another legal hurdle for an industry that has won support from the Trump administration. The company is being accused of failing to seek a license from the New York State Gaming Commission and avoiding paying taxes "like licensed casinos and mobile sports gambling platforms do."

Fed proposes higher threshold for extending credit to bank 'insiders' | American Banker Banks could soon lend nearly $2 million to their own executives, major shareholders and other "insiders" without getting board approval or making a public disclosure.

• Key insight: The proposal would raise the credit limit imposed on insiders for the first time since 1979 and would establish an indexing system to ensure the threshold keeps pace with broader economic growth.
• Expert quote: "Community banks often face challenges recruiting experienced business leaders to serve as members of bank boards and as bank executives. Many potential board members are business owners whose expertise is invaluable." — Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
• Forward look: The request for comments was approved unanimously, but Fed Gov. Michael Barr flagged potential issues related to the indexing approach in the proposal.

Banks fear SEC rule may limit access to capital markets  — The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to make it easier for public companies to raise capital, but banking industry groups say one provision of the agency's proposal would have the opposite effect for some banks.

• Key takeaway: Banking trade groups are urging the Securities and Exchange Commission not to change Form S-3 eligibility rules, arguing that the proposed restrictions would disproportionately harm banks versus other publicly reporting companies.
• Expert quote: "The proposed expansion and escalation of the consequences associated with 'ineligible issuer' status would introduce a significantly more severe restriction on capital markets access that is not necessary to achieve the SEC's investor-protection objectives." — Joint comment letter from ABA and BPI
• What's at stake: Banking groups argue that banks' extensive regulatory oversight makes them more likely to face actions that could trigger "ineligible issuer" status. If adopted, the proposal could make it harder for affected banks to access funding by limiting their ability to use Form S-3.

The American Bankers Association, Bank Policy Institute and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association submitted comment letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission arguing that a proposed change to Form S-3 eligibility would make it more difficult for some banks to access the capital markets.

Trump admin revamp of anti-redlining law targets activist groups  — A new Community Reinvestment Act proposal would direct funding away from "activist" groups, and would steer exams more closely to lending rather than deposit activities.

• Key insight: FDIC and OCC proposed CRA rule changes aimed at curbing grant funding for "activist causes." 
• What's at stake: Exams would narrow to focus mainly on lending, dropping deposit services from the retail assessment.
• Forward look: The proposal is subject to a 60-day comment period once it hits the Federal Register.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a joint notice of proposed rulemaking for the Community Reinvestment Act that would tailor requirements for smaller institutions and monitor which groups receive community development grants.

More US parents advocate for vaccination than discourage it, survey finds As cases of vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles continue to increase, experts often wonder how to encourage greater vaccine acceptance. A paper published last week in PLOS One looks at how parents influence one another, finding that more of them promote vaccines than argue against them. “Over a third of US parents in our nationally representative study reported advocating for other parents to vaccinate their children, while only about one in ten discouraged other parents from vaccinating,” wrote the authors, led by researchers from the University of North Carolina. “Importantly, vaccine encouragers most often focused on measles vaccine while discourages seldom did so, suggesting a potential asymmetry in the advocacy landscape favorable to public health during the recent measles resurgence,” they added. The scientists surveyed 1,315 parents with children ages 9 to 12 years about immunization advocacy in 2025. More than one-third of parents (36%) promoted vaccination, while 12% discouraged it. Those who felt strongly about the importance of vaccines were more likely to support them and often urged measles (50%) and flu (44%) immunization by telling family and friends about their child’s vaccine experience (47%) and sharing data about vaccine effectiveness (38%) and their recommendations on immunization (35%). Those who discouraged vaccines often expressed perceived problems with COVID-19 (53%) or flu vaccines (41%), with fewer mentioning the measles vaccine (10%). “Given that encouragers often advocated for measles vaccine, future efforts to increase vaccination coverage should consider ways to partner with parent advocates to stem the alarming resurgence of this disease,” the authors said.

Heavy TV viewing linked to signs of Alzheimer's disease: Study— Regularly spending hours in front of the TV could have lasting effects on brain health, according to new research that links heavy television viewing in midlife to changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.  The study, published in Alzheimer’s Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, followed more than 1,700 people for nearly 24 years. Researchers tracked participants’ television viewing habits in midlife before later examining their brains using MRI scans. The findings showed that men who frequently watched television had similar brain volumes in areas vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, more white matter damage associated with cognitive decline and dementia and smaller frontal and occipital lobes, which are involved in decision-making, planning and visual processing. Researchers didn’t find the same association in women.. Surprisingly, the study found that people whose jobs required them to sit for long periods didn’t show the same brain changes, suggesting not all sedentary behavior affects the brain equally. “Sedentary behavior has become a major part of modern life, but not all sedentary activities are the same,” lead author Natan Feter, Ph.D., said. “Spending an hour reading a book is very different from spending an hour passively watching television.” Researchers also found the results were not explained by differences in physical activity, meaning regular exercise didn’t eliminate the association between heavy TV watching and the observed brain changes. Feter told Science Alert the stronger link in men could stem from differences in viewing habits, with men tending to watch television for longer, uninterrupted stretches. Hormonal and biological differences may also contribute.The study didn’t distinguish between types of television programming, though Prevention reported documentaries, educational programs and complex dramas may be more mentally engaging than passive viewing.Anna Hohler, M.D., director of neurology for Northwell in Westchester, told Prevention to use closed captions, discuss shows with others and incorporate light exercise such as walking on a treadmill, stretching and using a stationary bike while watching TV to make the activity more cognitively and physically engaging. Experts emphasized that television itself is not necessarily harmful. Instead, they say the biggest concern is when long periods of passive screen time replace exercise, social interaction, learning, or other mentally stimulating activities that support long-term brain health.

State Department agrees to reinstate vaccine funding for Gavi -- The chair of the Senate appropriations committee said yesterday that the State Department has agreed to disburse US funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The department has been withholding $600 million appropriated by Congress for the international partnership, which helps poor countries buy and administer vaccines that protect children against 20 infectious diseases. The funding was reportedly held up over objections from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized Gavi for its use of vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal and has said the group doesn’t take vaccine safety seriously.Although evidence reviews by the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded that small doses of thimerosal in multidose vaccines do not cause harm, Gavi has already begun to phase out vaccines containing the preservative.Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and committee chair, credited the decision to pressure from committee members, including a letter sent in May to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “It is welcome news that following our recent outreach, the State Department has committed to contributing the full $600 million for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance,” Collins said in a statement. “I have worked to ensure that the Department uses this funding Congress appropriated to replenish U.S. funding to GAVI, an organization that plays a critical role in averting the spread of preventable diseases globally and stopping outbreaks before they reach U.S. borders.”Launched by the WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation in 2000, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1.1 billion children across 78 low- and middle-income countries since its inception. According to a recent KFF analysis, the US government has been Gavi’s third-largest financial contributor in recent years and has provided 13% of its funding since inception. The $600 million approved by Congress for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 was set to expire on September 30.

Reports detail scope, impact of global HIV funding cuts | CIDRAP - A trove of new reports highlights the scope of cuts to international funding for the HIV response in limited-resource countries, and the impact those cuts are having on the organizations that deliver HIV services.In a joint report published yesterday, KFF and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) found that donor government funding for HIV decreased by $2.1 billion, or 25%, in 2025 compared with the previous year. The decline reduced donor government funding for HIV to $6.2 billion, which is below pre-2008 levels, the report notes.The $2.1 billion decline matched the amount of funding that was cut by the US government. The US cuts were driven by changes the Trump administration has made to foreign assistance, highlighted by the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the shifting of foreign aid management to the State Department. "Collectively, these actions temporarily halted, and then slowed, U.S. HIV disbursements in 2025," the report states.The drop in US funding is significant, because the US government, since the establishment of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, has been the primary funder for the HIV response in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). And the country has taken on a larger and larger role since 2011. From 2011 to 2025, the amount of HIV response funding from other nations was cut in half, falling from $3.2 billion to $1.6 billion. Aggregate funding from all other donor governments in 2025 remained flat compared with 2024. The US accounted for 74% of total donor government funding in 2025, up from 59% in 2011. The next biggest donor was France, at $280 million.And US funding for HIV is likely to decline even further, the report notes, with the Trump administration making clear that it plans more foreign aid cuts going forward.In another report for the 26th International AIDS Conference taking place this week, UNAIDS said the unprecedented cuts resulted in substantial reductions in HIV prevention programs in sub-Saharan Africa in 2025, with data showing major declines in condom purchases, the number of people receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, and HIV testing in countries where domestic funding for HIV response efforts is limited. Since 2010, the estimated number of new HIV infections has fallen by 42%, and the number of people dying from AIDS-related causes is at its lowest level in more than 30 years. But UNAIDS warned the funding cuts could reverse that progress."While the world has turned the tide against HIV, the progress is fragile and the ground beneath our feet is still shifting," the report states. "The international community has entered a period of profound political and financial upheaval that threatens decades of hard-won gains against HIV." The on-the-ground impact of the funding cuts is highlighted in a third report, published last week by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR), Funders Concerned About AIDS, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Data Etc.The report highlights responses from the PEPFAR Pulse study, a survey of 166 PEPFAR-funded organizations from 46 countries conducted from November 2025 through April 2026. As the primary pillar of the global HIV response, PEPFAR has been credited with saving more than 26 million lives in 50 countries. PEPFAR funding includes direct contributions to other countries and contributions to multilateral organizations like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The report authors note that while publicly released PEPFAR data have shown drops in service delivery, the impact on the groups that rely on PEPFAR to provide HIV services hadn't previously been calculated."Documenting what happened to PEPFAR’s service delivery partners is a key question to understand what was lost, what remains, and how these changes reshaped HIV service delivery," they wrote.Over 77% of the implementing partners said they had at least one award terminated or delayed in 2025, which contributed to the closure of at least 1,700 service-delivery sites, like clinics and drop-in centers, and to layoffs of over 16,000 full-time staff members. Less than 2% of the organizations were able to replace the lost funding.Among the hardest-hit programs were HIV prevention efforts, which saw spending fall by 51% from 2024 to 2025. Forty-three percent of organizations reported stopping at least one prevention activity, including PrEP and condom programs.Also affected were the populations most affected by HIV, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender populations, and injectable-drug users. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the organizations that had previously serving these populations reported permanently ending a service.Survey respondents also reported that the programs the US government said would continue to receive funding—such as HIV treatment, testing, and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission—were affected. Sixty-three percent reported interruptions to these services, and 22% said they ended them altogether.

Feds shut down ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research, tighten oversight of foreign collaboration-  A new Trump administration policy ends federally supported “dangerous” gain-of-function (DGOF) research and strengthens oversight of life sciences research that “could pose significant risks to public health, biosecurity, or national security,” a move lauded yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Gain-of-function research is the study of infectious agents or toxins that are altered to increase their ability to cause disease, transmissibility, or host range to help scientists attempt to predict viral evolution, design vaccines, and develop effective countermeasures should an outbreak nationally occur.  The policy, which is slated for implementation in mid-November, affects two kinds of life sciences research, DGOF and “international research of concern,” (IROC) or that conducted in collaboration with non-US researchers in foreign countries or entities of concern.“Life sciences research is necessary to ensure the United States maintains global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health and agricultural research, as well as readiness against biological threats,” the policy states. “However, there are clear cases in which the potential benefits of life sciences research do not outweigh the potential risks, and such research should not be undertaken domestically or abroad in any circumstance.” But some say the situation is more nuanced than that. In a statement today, the ASM, formerly the American Society for Microbiology, said, “The new policy from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services… broadly defines several categories of research that, if shut down, will impede our ability as a nation to address infectious disease threats and respond to future outbreaks.”Allen Segal, JD, ASM chief strategy officer, told CIDRAP News that the policy is a step toward ensuring the rest of the world meets the high standards of the United States. But he added that, in the United States, “we should be investing in facilities and training to ensure that it is being done safely, rather than taking the risk of prohibiting research to detect, prevent, and treat illness."While the policy currently affects only federally supported research, privately funded research may also be affected: “Additional regulatory, legislative or other actions to broadly manage the risks associated with research that has DGOF potential, including research that is privately funded, will be explored by an interagency working group,” the policy states.Federal funding agencies will establish a US government board to review proposed DGOF research under consideration for funding and provide a recommendation to the funding agency.Under the policy, principal investigators are assigned responsibilities, such as continuously evaluating their life sciences research for DGOF and IROC. They also must comply with other requirements, such as including the names and affiliations of key personnel participating in the proposed study, including any non-US collaborators or research to be conducted abroad.The policy says that it doesn’t ban development of “essential medical products and medical countermeasures to protect against bioterrorism and biological weapons, nor does it prohibit international collaboration,” and “continues to emphasize the importance of sharing the knowledge, products, and results of life sciences research while striking to improve the laboratory biosafety and biosecurity of life sciences research performed worldwide.”For non-IROC international research proposals under consideration for funding, department or agency officials, in consultation with the Secretary of State, will use a risk-based method to “ensure that the institution performing the research meets, exceeds, or complies with US biosafety and biosecurity oversight standards and policies.”In its news release, HHS said, “The United States will continue to support biomedical research that develops vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other lifesaving medical countermeasures while ensuring that the highest-risk research is subject to rigorous safeguards. We encourage our international partners to join us in ending dangerous gain-of-function research and adopting strong biosafety and biosecurity standards that make the world safer, more secure, and better prepared for future biological threats.”

Long COVID may affect up to 5% of healthcare workers in hospitals, new data suggest | CIDRAP -  Long COVID affected roughly 3% to 5% of healthcare workers at three Spanish hospitals from 2020 to 2023, with prevalence increasing with age and in some occupational groups, according to a new study published in BMC Public Health.  For the study, a team led by researchers at the Center for Research in Occupational Health at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and the Center for Biomedical Research Network of Epidemiology and Public Health in Madrid analyzed occupational health registry data from 8,441 healthcare workers diagnosed as having COVID-19 at three public hospitals from 2020 through 2023. Long-COVID prevalence was estimated at 4.9% and 5.0% at two of the hospitals and 3.0% at the third. These estimates are lower than those observed in previous studies, which have ranged from 15% to more than 70% among healthcare workers. A Swiss study earlier this year assessing data through 2024 placed the rate at up to 60%.  Across all three Spanish hospitals, the likelihood of long COVID increased with age. Each additional year of age was associated with a 3% to 9% increase in long-COVID prevalence. The highest rates were observed in healthcare workers aged 50 and older. The researchers also found differences across occupations. At all three hospitals, nurse assistants most consistently experienced higher rates of long COVID than physicians, “suggesting that occupational role may contribute to long COVID prevalence among healthcare workers,” write the researchers. The findings “may reflect differences in exposure intensity, task allocation, duration of patient contact, physical workload, and working conditions,” the authors noted.Occupational patterns also varied by sex. Among women, nurse assistants at one hospital were nearly three times as likely as physicians to have long COVID (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.97). Among men, occupational differences were even more pronounced. Male nurses at one hospital were more than twice as likely as physicians to have long COVID (PR, 2.56), while male nurse assistants at another hospital had a more than 20-fold higher risk (PR, 20.33). But the researchers note that the estimates are based on relatively few cases, and the latter finding had wide confidence intervals.

Many Black US patients with long COVID being missed, analysis reveals - A new study suggests that Black patients with acute COVID-19 infection are less likely to be diagnosed as having long COVID than White patients, despite no significant difference in long-COVID symptom burden between the two groups. For the study, published this month in Health Affairs, researchers led by a team at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley analyzed electronic health records for roughly 2.4 million US patients diagnosed with acute COVID from January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The researchers identified six race and ethnicity categories and 222 symptoms within one year after infection. They found that, when at least one long-COVID symptom was present among patients who visited a healthcare provider at least bimonthly, Black patients were less likely to be diagnosed as having long COVID than were White patients. According to the findings, Black patients were diagnosed with long COVID at a 6% lower rate than White patients (controlled direct effect relative risk, 0.938; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.887 to 0.992), even when they had similar long-COVID symptom profiles. The researchers did not find any statistically significant differences in diagnosis rates between White patients and patients who were Hispanic or Latino, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaska Native. The researchers also looked at which symptoms were most closely associated with receiving a long-COVID diagnosis in different racial and ethnic groups. Across nearly every racial and ethnic group, pulmonary symptoms, such as cough or shortness of breath, showed the strongest correlation with a long-COVID diagnosis, although the correlations were weak. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander patients, loss of taste or smell had the strongest association with receiving a diagnosis. In addition, the researchers highlight a broader problem in diagnosing long COVID. Previous research suggests that more than 10% of patients with acute COVID infection may go on to develop long COVID, but electronic health records tend to indicate that less than 1% of patients receive a long-COVID diagnosis. “This disparity between true incidence and observed diagnostic proportions raises concerns regarding diagnostic bias,” the researchers write. More objective diagnostic criteria could help reduce disparities, the researchers argue. “However, objective measures are unlikely to remove diagnostic inequity entirely, as bias may be present in providers’ decisions regarding whether to screen patients, diagnostic effectiveness, and interpretation of diagnostic results,” they add. The findings align with previous research suggesting that racial and ethnic bias among healthcare providers often influences patient care, and it highlights the need for improved equity in healthcare settings.

Can air purifiers prevent flu and COVID-19 in nursing homes? Only if they’re used properly | CIDRAP Air purifiers had a moment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interest in the devices spiked when research found that high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters could reduce levels of the virus that causes COVID-19 up to 99%. Many schools, medical facilities, and businesses installed air purifiers to reduce the risk of illness. Studies of air filters in the real world, however, have been less promising.A new study from the United Kingdom found that portable air purifiers didn’t prevent respiratory infections in nursing home residents. British researchers launched the randomized controlled trial of more than 1,100 older adults from September 2021 to May 2024. Researchers compared bouts of winter respiratory infections in 48 nursing homes given air purifiers and 47 facilities without the devices. “We found no evidence that HEPA filters reduced resident winter respiratory infection episodes, other infections, antibiotic use, or staff absenteeism,” authors wrote in the paper, published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine. “Care homes should continue to adhere to nationally recommended prevention measures to control respiratory and other infections.” An extremely vulnerable population Nursing home residents were extremely vulnerable during the pandemic. People living in long-term care facilities made up nearly half of all deaths from COVID-19 in 2020. Even as vaccinations rolled out, nursing home residents continued to be vulnerable, accounting for nearly one in four COVID-19 deaths. Study authors said they launched their study because “the need to reduce infection transmission in that setting was becoming a priority,” first author Alastair Hay, MD, told CIDRAP News. Researchers persuaded nursing homes to set up the HEPA filters and record any respiratory illness symptoms in residents. But given the stress that nursing homes were facing in 2021, employees agreed to participate in the research only if it placed “no further burden on staff,” said Hay, a professor of primary care in the Centre for Academic Primary Care Infection Group at the University of Bristol. Hay described the study as a “pragmatic clinical trial,” conducted under less-than-ideal conditions, “without research staff visiting the sites.” Interviews were largely conducted by phone or video conferencing. The trial’s “main advantage is that it gives a reproducible estimate of how effective the HEPA filters are likely to be if they are used in ‘real-world’ care homes, with all the inherent difficulties care homes have in ensuring equipment is working,” said Hay. Some air quality scientists say the study had numerous flaws. Air purifiers only work if they’re turned on, said Joseph Allen, MD, a professor of exposure assessment science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the new study. Based on information in the study, he said, it’s not clear how often the devices were actually used. In a press release about the study, the University of Bristol wrote that “there were high levels of compliance, with care home managers and residents following the manufacturer’s instructions for air filter set up, location and use.” But in the study, authors acknowledged, "there was low intervention adherence.” Linsey Marr, PhD, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who wasn’t involved in the new research, said she interprets that statement to mean, “in many cases, the filters were not turned on.” Researchers listed nursing homes as “compliant” with the study protocol if HEPA filters were in use at least 20% of the time. But that’s a very low bar, Allen said. “It is possible that the devices were on for only one-fifth of the time,” Allen said. In the study, authors wrote that HEPA units were mostly turned to the lowest setting to reduce noise, at the request of nursing home staff. “That isn't going to run that much air through,” said Lisa Brosseau, ScD, CIH, a research consultant at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), which publishes CIDRAP News. “But it's quieter and people are going to be able to stand it.” Nursing home staff also told researchers that residents, many of whom had dementia, sometimes moved or tampered with the air purifiers. One resident urinated into the air purifier, according to a companion article published in PLOS One. Another resident put the air purifier on his windowsill. Staff told researchers that another resident “goes around” and turns off the air purifier nearest him “because he doesn’t like the electricity being spent.”

Senator pushes to hold Fauci in contempt after he declined to answer COVID-related questions in hearing - After Anthony Fauci, MD, declined to answer questions during a hearing of a congressional committee chaired by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) yesterday, Paul says he is moving to hold the former National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director in contempt of Congress, he told reporters.Throughout the contentious hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to questions and accusations that he attempted to obscure the true origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senator said the vote will occur in committee next week. Some Republican committee members allege that Fauci had no right to take the Fifth, because the preemptive pardon he received from former President Joe Biden conferred immunity from criminal prosecution.“We believe that with his… immunity from criminal liability, that he didn’t need to hide behind the Fifth Amendment and that maybe the Fifth Amendment doesn’t attach when you have a pardon in place,” Paul said. “That’ll be a legal question… and then there’s a question of whether or not the Department of Justice will take that up.”During the hearing, Fauci said he believes in congressional oversight but took issue with Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.”Paul has long pursued Fauci, who led the COVID-19 response during the first Trump administration and the Biden administration, and called for his criminal prosecution.The senator alleges that Fauci supported gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, that resulted in the creation and accidental release of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, and that he tried to suppress evidence of a lab leak, which Fauci disputes. No conclusive evidence of a lab leak has been uncovered, though the Trump administration now says evidence points to the creation of the virus in a National Institutes of Health–funded lab. Fauci has said that a lab leak cannot be ruled out.

CDC: Ever-expanding US measles outbreak tops last year's total -With 58 new measles case announced today and 2,318 for the year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed it: The country has already topped the US total for all of 2025.All but 16 of this year’s cases have been locally acquired, with the rest tied to international travel. The total for all of last year was 2,289 infections, which was the most since 1991. The country is on its way to losing its measles elimination status this fall, which it gained in 2000.“Halfway into 2026, the U.S. is experiencing the worst year for measles since 1991,” said Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a news release. “We are witnessing an avoidable crisis that disproportionally hurts children.” Racine said the cases represent “real people in communities across the country,” including hospitalized babies and students who’ve missed weeks of school.“After keeping measles under control for decades, the country has now experienced continuous outbreaks since January 2025,” Racine said. “We should not accept this as our new normal. …Of the 2026 cases, 20% involve children age 5 and under, and 69% involve kids and young adults to age 19. Seven percent of patients have been hospitalized, compared with 11% in 2025.

Study details full range of what respiratory virus infections look like in young kids Infants are far more vulnerable than older children to severe illness from viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study yesterday in Pediatrics. The findings also highlight significant differences in how respiratory infections affect infants, ranging from asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infections managed at home to severe illness requiring hospital or emergency department (ED) care. For the study, researchers led by a team from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center followed up with 1,223 healthy children from birth to age 5 years from November 2019 to August 2025. After collecting weekly nasal swabs from participants and pairing the laboratory results with biweekly symptom surveys, the team identified 15,898 acute respiratory infections (ARIs) caused by different pathogens. Both silent and severe infections Overall, more than three-quarters (78.4%) of symptomatic respiratory infections were managed at home, and the remaining 21.6% were treated in a healthcare setting. The researchers identified asymptomatic infections for all respiratory pathogens, including influenza (7.6%) and RSV (10.2%). Infants younger than 1 year experienced the most asymptomatic flu and RSV infections—14.5% and 12.5%, respectively. No symptoms were reported in one-fifth of SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus, and endemic coronavirus infections or in one-third of rhinovirus and bocavirus infections. While infants experienced the highest rates of asymptomatic infections, they were simultaneously at highest risk for serious illness. Compared with older children, infants were significantly more likely to experience respiratory distress or require ED or hospital care after infection with influenza A viruses (odds ratio [OR], 4.73), RSV A (OR, 2.52), RSV B (OR, 2.22), hMPV (OR, 2.36), and SARS-CoV-2 (OR, 3.99). The study also looked at gastrointestinal symptoms. Vomiting or diarrhea accompanied about one-third of influenza infections and more than one-quarter of RSV infections, regardless of age. The authors conclude that the variation in how children respond to the same respiratory viruses could provide important clues to improving pediatric preventive and therapeutic care.

Quick takes: Plea for PAHO support, another death in NYC Legionnaires outbreak, frozen blueberry recall | CIDRAP

• More than 100 health and national security experts have signed an open letter to the Trump administration warning that its plan to eliminate funding for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will leave the country more vulnerable to infectious disease threats. The letter argues that PAHO, which was founded in 1902, has been a powerful investment in US health security and that being part of the organization gives the United States early warning about infectious diseases “before they reach American communities and farms” at a cost of just 0.0011% of total federal spending. “A nation that cannot detect and contain disease threats at their source cannot fully protect its people at home,” the letter states. “PAHO is a critical part of that defense in the Western Hemisphere.”
• Health officials in New York City have confirmed a seventh death in the Legionnaires disease outbreak in two neighborhoods on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A total of 92 people have been sickened in the outbreak of the severe type of pneumonia, which is caused by breathing in water vapor containing Legionella bacteria, and five people remain in the hospital. No new cases have been identified since July 21. The NYC Health Department says 59 cooling towers have tested culture positive, confirming the presence of live Legionella, and all have since been cleaned and disinfected.
• Grocery chain Publix this week announced a recall of all lots of GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday in an update on its investigation into an Escherichia coli O145:H28 outbreak in Georgia and Florida. Interviews with nine of the 12 people who’ve been sickened in the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E coli have identified GreenWise frozen organic blueberries, which come from a producer in Chile, as a leading food item of interest. The FDA says it is working with state partners to actively identify the source of contamination. Customers who’ve purchased the products are advised to discard them or return them to Publix for a refund.

Egg-related Salmonella outbreak sickens nearly 100 in 17 US states - Brown and white eggs iStock Midwest Poultry Services has recalled 1.6 million cartons of eggs, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a food-safety alert about a 98-case Salmonella outbreak in 17 states. The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and public health authorities are investigating the outbreak, which has led to 26 hospitalizations. Among the 44 patients interviewed, 91% said they ate eggs before symptom onset. The FDA traced the cases to Midwest Poultry Services. The recalled brown cage-free eggs and white eggs were produced in Texas and shipped to food-service and retail outlets in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, with best-by dates of June 6 to August 17. The eggs were available to consumers at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana and Brookshire grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi. Brand names included Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire's, Cal-Maine, and Country Morning. In its recall notice, Midwest Poultry Services said sample testing on two Texas farms revealed the presence of Salmonella enteritidis. Whole-genome sequencing by the company’s third-party lab matched the sample isolates to the outbreak strain. Consumers who still have the eggs should discard them or return them to the place of purchase and wash any surfaces that may have contacted the eggs using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.

Dozens sickened across 17 states in salmonella outbreak linked to recalled eggs – Salmonella cases across 17 states have been linked to millions of recalled eggs, though federal investigators say other sources may be to blame. Nearly 1.6 million cartons of white and cage-free brown eggs produced in Texas were recalled last week over concerns of possible salmonella contamination. The eggs were sold at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana; Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, and to foodservice and retailer customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. A full list of the recalled cartons can be found here.

Huge Cyclospora outbreak spreads to 9 states   -The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms has expanded to nine states and now includes Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The newly affected states are Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.During the CDC’s investigation, scientists collected data from 1,947 people with cyclosporiasis (infection with Cyclospora), including 98 who were hospitalized, who reported eating at a Taco Bell restaurant in one of the nine states. People reported being sickened from June 22 to July 20. “This increase in cases is, in part, due to the identification and addition of four new states that are now considered part of this outbreak,” the FDA said in an update today about the outbreak.The outbreak started in the Midwest. Since its beginning on May 1, when the first cases were identified, Michigan has had 8,176 people with confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, and 160 people have been hospitalized, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Northwestern Ohio is reporting 2,508 cases, with 1,113 cases in Lucas County, says the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.  On July 17, Taylor Farms recalled its iceberg lettuce from Walmart stores, Jack in the Box restaurants, and food service distributors in 27 states. Still, experts anticipate seeing more cyclosporiasis cases. “We also expect to continue to see the number of confirmed cases rise, despite the recall, due to the fact that it can take as long as six weeks for CDC and state officials to determine if a sick person is part of this outbreak,” the FDA said in the update. It can be challenging to investigate Cyclospora, because trace amounts of the parasite on fresh produce can cause infection. But the levels are sometimes too low for tests to detect it on the produce. This difficulty likely contributed to the false-positive on lettuce that the FDA reported this week.  Yesterday, the FDA announced a new Cyclospora outbreak infecting at least 72 people that is unrelated to the nine-state outbreak. The source of this second outbreak is unknown. People should avoid eating recalled lettuce. Experts urge people who have symptoms of cyclosporiasis, such as watery diarrhea, nausea, cramping, and bloating, to seek medical care. There are treatments that can lessen the severity of the illness, and people can be included in the investigation if they receive a diagnosis.

Survey finds cyclospora outbreak changing food habits, less trust in FDA- A poll released Sunday shows that 40 percent of U.S. adults are buying or eating less produce after the cyclospora outbreak. Comparatively, according to survey results from CBS/YouGov, 4 percent of people said they are eating more produce. Among respondents, 56 percent said there has been no change in their diet. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an investigation into the outbreak. On July 19, the FDA retracted test results that concluded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms was the source of the nationwide outbreak. The agency walked back the statement after company executives met privately with White House and FDA officials. Next Stay However, the Trump administration has said that despite the false positive declaration, the FDA maintains that epidemiological data links the outbreak to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico. Forty-seven percent of survey participants say they do not trust the FDA to deal with the cyclospora outbreak, while 40 percent say they have some faith in the agency. Thirteen percent of people said they have “a lot” of trust in the FDA’s ability to get the outbreak under control. More than a thousand people have contracted cyclosporiasis as a result of a microscopic, single-celled parasite known as Cyclospora cayetanensis contaminating bagged iceberg lettuce. Vulnerable foods include prepackaged bagged salads, leafy greens, basil, cilantro and berries, which have high risk due to textured surfaces and raw consumption. Cyclospora creates an illness that infects the small intestine with symptoms ranging from frequent, watery diarrhea, severe fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal cramps, bloating and increased gas.

CIDRAP Op-Ed: The Cyclospora outbreak was, and still is, a communications failure - The response to the current large outbreak of food-related illnesses caused by a microscopic parasite is a communications failure, not a failure of the investigation.  A few characteristics of Cyclospora make it tricky to chase down. Because it will not grow in culture, the standard playbook doesn't apply. With most foodborne bacteria, a lab grows the organism, sequences it, and uploads the genetic fingerprint to PulseNet, the national network that flags when a case in one state matches a case in another. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has instead been working from partial genotyping, because Cyclospora's genome is complicated enough to defeat the sequencing methods that work for bacteria. Cyclospora contamination on produce is often sparse and unevenly distributed, and it tends to sit close to the limit of what a test can detect, which is how contaminated lettuce ends up testing clean. Investigators were left with the oldest tools in the kit: interviews and shipping records.  Dr. Mike Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, explained that when cases start rolling in, the demographics of who is getting sick can hand you an important early clue. These cases skewed heavily toward adults, with the CDC putting the median age at 44 across a range from 1 to 89 years, and the relative absence of young children pointed toward something green rather than something fruit.  If you have young kids you know exactly why. They are devoted fruit eaters. But more spotty toward veggies. That narrows things, but the hunt continues. There are other important factors, too, like understanding how a growing region is organized into blocks, when each produce item was cut and by whom, how product from different fields gets combined at a processor, how long it takes to move from a field in central Mexico to a restaurant in Michigan, and how fast a perishable product cycles off the shelf.  That knowledge does more than point at a culprit. It also helps estimate how many people could have been exposed and where. It tells you when contaminated products should have cleared the shelves and new exposures should stop, even though reported counts will keep climbing for weeks afterward. Because molecular typing cannot deliver the clean fingerprint that is available in a bacterial outbreak, it is also central to deciding whether a case in one state belongs with a case in another. Trace-back is a supply chain exercise as much as an epidemiologic one. Michigan went through ingredient-level food histories from 190 people who had eaten at Taco Bell before falling ill, and 90% of them had eaten iceberg lettuce. The FDA's trace-back investigation followed the paper backward, converging on one supplier and then on a single independent farm in central Mexico that Taylor Farms says accounts for less than 1% of the US iceberg supply. The recall came July 17.  This is the largest documented Cyclospora outbreak in US history, and the coverage has that part right. What has reached the public is a scary number that keeps going up.  It misses the fact that, while cyclosporiasis—which is what a Cyclospora infection is called—has now been reported in 41 states, the outbreak is only in nine. The numbers being reported measure different things. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have included 1,947 confirmed cases in the nine-state Taco Bell outbreak, which epidemiologic and trace-back evidence links to iceberg lettuce, while the CDC separately reports more than 4,000 confirmed domestically acquired cases nationally since May.In addition, thousands of samples from patients are still awaiting CDC confirmation, plus several hundred more in travelers who got sick abroad. Some states count probable and confirmed cases together, so their totals run higher still. Stack all of it, as plenty of coverage has, and you get a single national outbreak that doesn't exist.  Consider what happened when the CDC added four states to the outbreak on July 24. It read as though the outbreak had spread, but investigators think those patients may have gotten sick around the same time as the patients in the original five states, and simply took longer to connect to the same source.  Cyclosporiasis turns up somewhere every summer, following a seasonal pattern that is well established even if its exact causes are not, and outbreaks are frequently tied to fresh produce. Several states, including California and New Jersey, have said their counts this year are running in line with typical seasonal trends. North Carolina thinks its own increase is about parsley and cilantro, neither of which has emerged as a national signal, and the FDA is separately investigating a cluster of at least 72 people with no source identified at all. Folding all of that into one running total costs us more than public calm. It hides the possibility that several outbreaks are happening at once.  Illinois, one of the four states added last week, says its July case reports are running at levels the state has not seen since 2018. Illinois is right that 2018 is the year to think about, though the important lesson isn't the case count. That summer brought 511 cases tied to a Fresh Express salad mix served at McDonald's, 250 tied to Del Monte vegetable trays, and a third outbreak in Texas that never had a source identified at all.A cumulative tally is a surveillance instrument, and an important one, but it does not tell you whether you are at risk this week, which is the very thing people want to know. Picture one person inside that count. She eats a salad at the end of June and feels fine for a week. She spends a few more days assuming it's a stomach bug, sees a doctor in the second week of July, and gets tested only because someone thinks to request Cyclospora testing, which many routine stool tests and gastrointestinal panels don't include. The lab confirms toward the end of the month. Her interview comes after that. Whether she belongs to this outbreak or to the ordinary summer background data may not be settled until August.  Every case on every one of those charts is carrying some version of that lag, which is why the FDA has said confirmed counts will keep climbing well after the recall. On July 24, the CDC finally published an epidemic curve for this outbreak, plotting the 1,947 outbreak-associated cases by illness onset rather than by report date. There are two distinct peaks: one (when the person first had symptoms) cresting around June 25 and a second (when the sickness was reported) around July 10, with a deep valley between them. That separation is substantial enough to suggest exposure may have come in more than one wave. Working back through Cyclospora's usual incubation period of about a week would place those exposures near mid-June and again around the start of July. Lettuce isn't harvested once a season and held in storage like corn or soy. It's cut more or less continuously and eaten within days, so illness follows fairly closely behind whenever the contaminated product moved. That makes a gap this deep more consistent with separate windows of exposure than with one prolonged stretch of it. The first of those illness peaks had risen and fallen before the CDC issued its health advisory on July 14, and before the FDA publicly named the lettuce two days later. Whether the two waves represent separate contamination episodes—one product contaminated intermittently across different harvest lots, or something else—the curve alone cannot say, and nobody else has either. It arrived the same day the outbreak grew to nine states, a week after the recall and long after the story had largely been told as one steadily rising national number. Producing that picture is the one thing no state could have done on its own. Michigan posts case counts by date reported, updated weekly and labeled accurately as such. Others post illness-onset curves, or county maps, or twice-weekly tallies. Every one of those answers a question about a single jurisdiction, and none of them can tell you whether two states are experiencing the same outbreak, because no state can answer a multistate question using its own data no matter how carefully those data are collected. That assembly sits a level above all of them, and it took until the fourth week of July. The messaging made it worse. The CDC's Health Alert Network advisory arrived July 14, roughly 10 weeks after the CDC began receiving reports of a national rise in cases. Days later, the FDA published notice of a Cyclospora-positive lettuce sample on Saturday, July 18, retracted it the next day, and didn't explain the sequence until the afternoon of July 20. That sample had come from routine border screening rather than from recalled product, and the epidemiologic and trace-back case implicating Taylor Farms lettuce never rested on it. By then "false-positive" had run the news cycle, and plenty of people came away thinking the company had been cleared, in an investigation already drawing political scrutiny.

A difficult-to-trace parasite, messaging missteps contribute to summer of overwhelming Cyclospora outbreaks -Ten days ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a sample of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for Cyclospora, the microscopic parasite responsible for a nine-state outbreak of foodborne illness. The next day, the agency noted it was a false-positive test result.  Some people thought this meant that iceberg lettuce did not contribute to the thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by Cyclospora. A day later, the FDA held a media briefing to explain that the false-positive was from lettuce that underwent regular screening at the border—not of the lettuce connected to the outbreak. Taylors Farms lettuce was still suspected, however. “This is a complicated outbreak. There’s no question about that,” Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, which publishes CIDRAP News. “Even under the best of circumstances, this would not be an easy one to solve.” Tracing Cyclospora remains difficult. Scientists can’t grow it in culture and use whole-genome sequencing to trace it. While the government is using partial genotyping to investigate the ongoing Cyclospora outbreaks, much of the information used to uncover the source comes from the people sickened by it. But how the parasite affects people also muddies the investigation.“If you look at the timeline for this pathogen versus say E coli or Salmonella, it’s much more complicated,” Osterholm said. “You’re talking about an incubation period [time from exposure to first symptoms] often of seven to 10 days. You’re talking about a period of illness that can be indefinite. But people don’t often go in and get tested until they realize ‘Maybe I have this particular parasite because I actually ate certain food products.’”  Even after people undergo testing for cyclosporiasis, it could take another seven to 10 days for their results. “By the time this whole chain of events occurs, it can easily be two and a half to three weeks or more from the time you were exposed,” Osterholm said. Last week, the FDA announced a second outbreak affecting at least 72 people unrelated to the nine-state outbreak linked to Taylor Farm’s lettuce. The source and location of this outbreak remains unknown, causing even more confusion. “There’s a huge cluster of cases in North Carolina and the southeastern states, which may well represent the second outbreak that’s not associated with the lettuce,” Craig Hedberg, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, told CIDRAP News. “It would be useful to have more open communication and more rapid assessment of what’s going on.” The built-in delay associated with Cyclospora lengthens the investigation, slowing news about an outbreak. Still, there’s been only a sluggish trickle of information from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While it’s believed cases from the large Cyclospora outbreak were first reported on May 1, the CDC didn’t issue a Health Alert Network advisory about it until July 14, about 10 weeks later.  “The lack of federal public comment has been very challenging, because people have looked to the federal government to give them clarity of what’s happening,” Osterholm said. “That absence has allowed this big black hole for information.” . “Anytime you have a void of information, it gets filled with rumor,” former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH said. “If you’re not out there regularly communicating, then it does open a gap.” It can be tough for public health officials to balance how much to share, especially when there are still so many unknowns. “In a period of uncertainty, public health officials and regulatory officials really don’t want to overstate what they know,” Hedberg said. “But it doesn’t help when there’s a lot of information floating around the edges, and the main officials responsible for tracking it aren’t really commenting on it.” Jernigan agrees. “It’s OK for them to be careful,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you have to be quiet.”   As of today, Michigan, the hardest-hit state, is reporting 9,680 cases of cyclosporiasis, which is what infection with Cyclospora is called. The total includes 160 hospitalizations, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. Northwestern Ohio is reporting 2,785 cases, with 1,173 cases in Lucas County, says the Toledo Lucas County Health Department. These numbers far surpass national cases in years past. Nationwide, there were 4,500 cases in 2023 and 3,500 in 2024, the FDA said last week. It’s unclear why the number of cyclosporiasis cases this year is so high.  “The short answer is we don’t know why,” Hedberg said. “I think there’s several things that are contributing to that.” There are some possible reasons more people are being diagnosed as having cyclosporiasis. Culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) to identify foodborne illnesses “make testing more available and faster and easier,” he explained. “We have the ability to identify cases in ways that weren’t readily available not that long ago.” As awareness of an outbreak spreads, people are more likely to visit their doctor if they have any symptoms of cyclosporiasis, which include bloating, stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, and nausea. “They see their illness as part of the outbreak,” Hedberg said. “They seek care, and then that further increases the amount of testing that gets done.” The source of the large outbreak, iceberg lettuce, likely contributes to higher numbers of cases, because it’s widely eaten.   “If lettuce is contaminated and you have high volumes of consumption, then you’re going to have probably more exposures than we might have had with other less readily available [produce],” Hedberg said. Taylor Farms recalled its iceberg lettuce on July 17, and the affected lettuce should no longer be available. Also, the way lettuce is grown likely means that new lettuce is coming from a different area of the farm, what’s often called a block. “When you’re dealing with produce, you’re harvesting every day, 365 days a year, and therefore you actually have to position those fields to be harvested at a given time,” Osterholm said. He is a consultant for Fresh Express, a supplier of bagged lettuce and salad kits. “You could have contamination on just several blocks based on contaminated irrigation water, for example, and it wouldn’t even affect a full ranch, let alone an entire region.” It’s possible that the nine-state outbreak is winding down.   “In all likelihood, the first phase of the outbreak associated with lettuce from Mexico may well be in the waning phase,” Hedberg said. The epidemic curve, which the CDC shared on July 24, provides insight into the outbreak’s path. “There are two distinct peaks,” Hedberg said. “We’ve been sort of on the backside of the second peak.” The data delay could mean the outbreak is ongoing, “but if you look at the two outbreak peaks that are present, it would certainly be consistent with the main transmission event… having worked its way through the system,” he added. Still, there’s an ongoing trace-back investigation involved in the newly identified outbreak. “We’ll have to wait and see what that means,” Hedberg said.

Cyclospora outbreak response near catastrophic level: Ex-FDA official - A former top Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official who served under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden has warned that the federal response to a sweeping national cyclospora outbreak is nearing a “catastrophic level” as infections continue to mount across the country. Frank Yiannas, who served as the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response from 2018 to 2023, voiced his concerns in an interview with Politico that was published on Friday. He called for an independent assessment of the government’s handling of the crisis, pointing to an unusually high volume of illnesses, consumer confusion, and what he described as inadequate federal coordination and communication. “My point is not to find fault, but to find facts on how we can further strengthen the system,” he said. “It’s not being critical of any particular agency, but it is being critical of the system. In some respects, I think there’s been some dismantling of the system.” The criticism comes as federal health officials continue investigating multiple cyclospora outbreaks nationwide, including a large multistate outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. It also follows a turbulent week for the FDA after the agency announced that a laboratory finding indicating cyclospora in a sample of Taylor Farms lettuce turned out to be a false positive, prompting further confusion and questions about the investigation and public messaging.  “They just went too fast and they made a mistake,” Yiannas, who has also served as a vice president for food safety at Walmart, told Politico. “They should share more about how and why it happened and what they’ll do to prevent it in the future.” The outbreak has grown into one of the largest cyclospora events on record in the U.S. At least 1,947 people have been sickened by the multistate cyclospora outbreak that federal officials said they linked to Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce. However, a Taylor Farms spokesperson told Newsweek that “there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora as of July 24, 2026.” “We are passionate about helping people live healthier lives through fresh produce, and the safety of our food is paramount. We maintain best-in-class Cyclospora prevention protocols and invest more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols,” the spokesperson said. “When questions were raised about the source of the recent Cyclospora outbreak, we immediately removed all potentially implicated product from the marketplace, and out of an abundance of caution we issued an even broader recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from the region. We have also voluntarily suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico.”Taylor Farms has commissioned independent experts to review the food safety processes and protocols at the central Mexico facility. As of July 18, all product production has been temporarily suspended at the facility, the spokesperson said.“We are confident in our food and food safety systems and will continue to be transparent as more information becomes available,” the spokesperson said.Meanwhile, several other outbreaks have also added to this year’s cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it had received reports of 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases as of July 24 and is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed. The agency has also reported 308 hospitalizations and no deaths. State totals are significantly higher because many states count both confirmed and probable cases. Michigan alone has reported more than 8,000 illnesses, underscoring the gap between federal and state surveillance figures.

More cases reported in cyclospora outbreak not linked to lettuce: FDA data -– While the cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce has caused thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis — and likely even more we may never know about — another outbreak with an unknown cause has increased, according to federal authorities.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week added this separate outbreak to its ongoing foodborne illness investigations. The cyclosporiasis cases in this outbreak have not been linked to the lettuce outbreak, and the FDA says it is still conducting traceback efforts to identify the source. Meanwhile, an additional 21 cases have been linked to the outbreak, bringing the case count to 93.There are still six active cyclospora outbreaks under investigation. Three — sickening 18, eight, and two people, respectively — are listed as ended. Only the lettuce-linked outbreak has an identified source.While U.S. officials have said that domestically acquired cases of the “explosive” diarrhea-causing illness are linked to produce, the source of an outbreak isn’t always identified. Because of how long it can take for people to experience symptoms, and the difficulties of sequencing cyclospora, investigations can “take a significant amount of time,” Gwen Biggerstaff, the deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said earlier this month. There are currently nine states linked to the outbreak caused by iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico. As of Wednesday, more than 10,000 cases have been reported in Michigan alone.Meanwhile, health officials have insisted that the “U.S. food supply is safe.”

Cyclospora infections increasing in 2 US outbreaks | CIDRAP - The number of cases in the Cyclospora outbreak that’s unrelated to the massive nine-state lettuce-related cluster has increased from 72 to 93, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared yesterday. A trace-back investigation is ongoing to uncover the source of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes the diarrheal illness known as cyclosporiasis.  Few details are known about the latest outbreak of Cyclospora, but some experts have noticed a growing number of cases in North Carolina and other southern states. “[This] may well represent the second outbreak that’s not associated with the lettuce,” Craig Hedberg, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, told CIDRAP News. Cases are still being added to the huge outbreak affecting people in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Interviews with people sickened with cyclosporiasis indicate that many in those states ate at a Taco Bell restaurant and ate lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms de Mexico. That lettuce has since been recalled.   Michigan, which has the most cases by far in the nine-state outbreak, reported 10,386 cases, with 193 people hospitalized as of today, says the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. There are 2,926 cases in Northwest Ohio, with 1,194 cases in Lucas County, per the Toledo Lucas County Health Department. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDD) reports 6,707 domestically acquired, lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, and an additional 11,500 are awaiting confirmation or need more investigation to determine where people contracted the parasite. The CDC noted that there have been 423 hospitalizations related to cyclosporiasis this year, with 45 states reporting cases of the gastrointestinal illness. It is difficult to track Cyclospora, which means that much of the data investigators have about an outbreak comes from people interviewed about what they’ve eaten. What’s more, the illness has a delayed onset of one to two weeks after exposure, adding to a lag in reporting.  Still, it’s likely that the number of cases in this large outbreak could lessen soon. “Typically, outbreaks of this type do have their natural history,” Hedberg said. “We may well be on a downslope.” Yesterday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced it is seeing an uptick in people being diagnosed with cyclosporiasis. The agency noted that 67 people who reported traveling were diagnosed as having cyclosporiasis, and 48 of them said they had been in Mexico, staying at hotels near Riviera Maya and Cancun and eating and drinking at their resorts.

Africa CDC chief says ‘no magical solution’ for intensifying deadly Ebola outbreak | CIDRAP - The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to move faster than the response amid “intense” community transmission, with government officials announcing the death toll has surpassed 1,500.In an update today, the Congolese government said 3,442 cases have been reported, with 1,521 deaths, according to the Associated Press. Cases and deaths have risen sharply over the past week, in what was already the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. The case-fatality rate is a sobering 44%.Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, said at a press briefing today that, 11 weeks into the outbreak, the number of cases is now more than seven times the number recorded at the same point in the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is the largest on record.“This is why we are saying it’s a very serious outbreak,” Kaseya said.Kaseya said community transmission of the Bundibugyo virus, which is the Ebola species responsible for the outbreak, is intense, with a more than 40% test-positivity rate. But he said the primary issue is that more than 80% of new cases in Ituri province, the outbreak epicenter, are not linked to known cases, and more than 60% of Ebola deaths are coming from communities rather than treatment centers. “We need to ensure that all new cases are coming from the contact list,” Kaseya said. “We need to ensure that all deaths are coming from confirmed cases that we have isolated or admitted.”  Kaseya will be traveling next week to Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, to meet with DRC health officials. When asked whether the surge in cases and deaths requires a rethinking of the response strategy, Kaseya suggested that more community involvement is needed. Community mistrust has been one of the factors hindering the response.Kaseya said that it will be difficult to control the outbreak unless community leaders can be enlisted to help prevent attacks against healthcare workers, ensure that safe burials of Ebola victims are conducted, and encourage case contacts to come forward for monitoring. “We need to rethink the way to work with the community if we really want to stop this outbreak,” he said. “There is no magical solution unless we really work with communities.”

Public Health Alerts: Emergence of babesiosis in Nova Scotia, Canada | CIDRAP -  A Public Health Alerts report published today describes 11 cases of infection with Babesia, a genus of parasites transmitted by Ixodes ticks, in Nova Scotia since 2023, seven of which were confirmed last year.The paper also notes a potential detection—though not a confirmation—of Babesia among almost 11,000 blood samples from donors in the province.Babesiosis (infection with Babesia) became a reportable disease in Nova Scotia on May 23, 2023, along with implementation of a case definition. Since that time, two infections were confirmed in 2023, two in 2024, and seven in 2025. The 2025 infection rate was 0.6 cases per 100,000 population.Nine cases were reported in the province’s Western Zone, and one each in the Northern and Central Zones. Seven patients were female, and seven were adults 70 or older.Three people tested positive for other tick-borne diseases. One of them also had Lyme dis­ease, one had a simultaneous anaplasmosis infec­tion, and one had a previous and current Lyme disease infection.Officials were not able to complete public health investigations for three retrospectively reported cases. Eight cases with available information, all in the Western Zone, were locally acquired, indicating the patients had not recently traveled to a Babesia-endemic area. None of the patients reported donating or receiving blood, and all had docu­mented signs and symptoms consistent with babesiosis.Only three of the eight patients with complete information reported a tick bite before they had symptoms.One of 10,976 collection tubes of donor blood resulted in a reactive nucleic acid test (NAT), with the authors noting that “two of three repeats were weakly reactive.” A Canadian Blood Services Medical Officer interviewed the blood donor who had the reactive Babesia NAT result. The person, who lived in the Western Zone, reported extensive outdoor activities, a Lyme disease diagnosis in the two months before donating blood, and several months of feeling generally unwell.Confirmatory tests, however, came back negative. The authors conclude, “This report provides evidence of local transmission of human babesiosis in Nova Scotia, consistent with recog­nized changes in ixodes tick distribution and climate and ecosystems.”They add, “Nova Scotia case rates and rates of babesia NAT reactivity in blood donors are lower than rates in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, where babesia NAT screening is mandated by the Food and Drug Administration for blood components that cannot be treated for the pathogen (e.g., whole blood, red blood cells).”

After lab study finds interspecies spread of CWD prions, experts debate significance for humans - A recent study has drawn attention after it detected some limited interspecies transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions in a lab. But the authors and other experts caution that the findings don’t confirm that the fatal disease is a threat to people; rather, they provide important clues to what infection might look like in humans—which is key in recognizing cases. And for at least one CWD researcher, the failure of standard tests to detect CWD prions in infected but asymptomatic macaques has deepened concerns about relying on those tests to determine whether venison is safe to eat. Prions are misfolded infectious proteins that cause the disease in cervids such as deer and elk. CWD is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) in cattle. While no people are known to have been infected with CWD, the unrelenting spread of the disease in animals across North America means increasing opportunities for the prions to adapt to different hosts. Also, it can take a decade or longer for prions, which mainly spread through direct contact and environmental contamination, to exert their neurodegenerative effects, which in cervids can include stumbling, drooling, inability to eat and weight loss, and a lack of fear of people. The study, published in Science Advances, was 18 years in the making because of the difficulty of getting funding for this study and because study personnel were located in several countries and moved to different institutions over the study period. “This was a big project, very complicated in the logistics, and very complicated to get it funded,” senior study author Hermann Schatzl, MD, PhD, of the University of Calgary, told CIDRAP News. The University of Calgary–led study team orally or intracerebrally inoculated 18 female cynomolgus macaques in 2009 with different CWD prion preparations, which included tissues from elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer in the United States and Canada. The team also inoculated three macaques with material from uninfected cervids as controls. Macaques are medium-sized monkeys commonly used in research. The study describes findings in seven macaques and controls for up to 7.5 years post-inoculation. While most macaques developed no symptoms in that period, one orally and one intracerebrally inoculated macaque showed clinical signs consistent with prion disease, including unsteady movement, tremors, and anxiety. “I am convinced that actually we saw signs of infection in macaques,” Schatzl said. Standard biochemical tests failed to show prions in the central nervous system of the inoculated macaques, and histologic and immunohistochemical analyses detected minimal prion activity. But highly sensitive protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) tests showed some infectious prion seeding in the brain, and in some cases, the spleen, of intracerebrally and orally inoculated macaques. No such activity was seen in controls. “This is important because it suggests that the macaque species barrier may not be absolute under experimental conditions,” said Olivier Andreoletti, DVM, PhD, of the Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse in France, who wasn’t part of the study. “However, it is equally important to say that the study does not demonstrate efficient transmission of CWD to macaques, nor does it show a classical prion disease phenotype [observable indication of a condition] in these animals,” he added. “The current evidence still needs to be interpreted in the context of previous macaque studies, epidemiological data, experimental duration, exposure scenario, and the known complexity of prion strain adaptation.” A central question, however, is whether the PMCA signal in the study reflected residual inoculum or newly generated prions. “For intracerebral or wire-based inoculation, residual inoculum is a possibility that has to be considered seriously, especially when the signal is very low and conventional pathology is negative,” Andreoletti said. “For orally exposed animals, the persistence of inoculum for many years in brain tissue would seem less straightforward biologically, but it cannot be completely excluded without more detailed strain comparison/typing.” It would be important to determine whether the agent recovered after macaque passage retained the biological and biochemical properties of the original CWD inoculum or if it reflects strain selection or evolution during cross-species passage, he added. But Jason Bartz, PhD, a professor at Creighton University who wasn’t involved in the study, sees the finding of prions in the brain and spleen on PMCA differently. “It speaks strongly that these are newly generated prions in these animals,” he said. Andreoletti also urged caution when interpreting the clinical signs seen in some macaques, because although tremor, wasting, anxiety, and behavioral changes can be compatible with prion disease, they are not diagnostic. “In the absence of clear neurodegeneration, convincing PrP [prion protein] deposition by IHC [immunohistochemistry] or PET-blot [paraffin-embedded tissue blot], and a consistent anatomical distribution of lesions, I do not think one can firmly attribute those signs to prion disease,” Andreoletti said. “A stronger determination would require concordant clinical evolution, neuropathology, PrPSc [scrapie prion protein] detection by conventional methods, and ideally, reproducible transmission from macaque tissues with preservation of a defined strain phenotype,” he added. Andreoletti said it’s important not to extrapolate directly from macaques to humans. Just as non-human primates like macaques are not a single model, CWD is not one uniform agent, and passage through a new host can select or reshape strain properties, including host range and tissue tropism (affinity of CWD prions for particular tissues). “Susceptibility is strain-dependent, and macaque PrP can even be more permissive than human PrP for some agents, such as classical BSE,” he said. “This means that the macaque is a very useful model, but it is not a perfect surrogate for the human species barrier.”

Abortion opponents have a new weapon in their fight for pill bans: Wastewater data - -Anti-abortion activists are launching the next phase of their yearslong effort to use environmental protection laws to cut off access to the abortion drug mifepristone, which they see as the main impediment to eliminating abortions after the fall of Roe v. Wade.The group Students for Life of America spent the last two years collecting and analyzing water samples in different American cities, searching for evidence to support their claim that women having at-home abortions using the drugs and flushing fetal remains poses a threat to the environment.That work culminated in the release this week of a controversial study purporting to show “significant levels of mifepristone” contaminating the waterways of Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois. Despite acknowledging there is no proof the mifepristone detected impacts human health, livestock or the environment, the paper warns of potential “deleterious effects on human and animal biology,” including everything from autism to infertility.Environmental activism is rare for conservatives. But more in the anti-abortion movement are turning to it as federal rules adopted by the Biden administration allowing telehealth prescription and mail delivery of the drug enable a growing number of patients to circumvent state bans on the procedure that Students for Life and others spent half a century fighting for.

Spotted lanternfly detected in Kanawha County, West Virginia -— Kanawha County has now been added to the list of West Virginia counties where the invasive pest spotted lanternfly has been detected, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture announced July 21. An infestation of SLF was detected in St. Albans near the intersection of W. Main Street and Strawberry Road. The United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the finding. Kanawha is the 22nd county in West Virginia where SLF have been detected. The other counties include Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hardy, Hampshire, Mineral, Grant, Pendleton, Preston, Marion, Taylor, Harrison, Monongalia, Wetzel, Marshall, Ohio, Brooke, Hancock, Wood, McDowell and Mercer. The SLF is an invasive plant hopper that is native to China and arrived in North America hidden on goods imported from Asia. Juvenile SLF, known as nymphs, and adults prefer to feed on the invasive tree known as tree-of-heaven, but also feed on a wide range of crops and plants, including grapes, apples, hops, walnuts and hardwood trees. “There has been some success treating infested areas with insecticide. Removing tree-of-heaven from your property is another step to take to slow the spread,” said WVDA SLF Program Coordinator James Watson. “We are also encouraging landowners who see SLF in counties not known to have an infestation, to report any sightings to bugbusters@wvda.us. It is important that we track their movement. We rely heavily on the public to aid us in this effort.” Spotted lanternfly can travel short distances on their own, but their main mode of movement is hitchhiking. Those who travel to an area with SLF are asked to carefully inspect their vehicles, trailers, boats, ATVs and any other surfaces for hitchhikers before they head home.

Where have all the wasps gone this summer?  -  Whether they present as an irritating picnic visitor or an uninvited attic guest, common social wasps are as much a part of our summer as festivals, sunscreen and the growing despair of how to entertain children who've forgotten how to be bored. But summer 2026 is breaking the norm, and there don't seem to be many wasps about. As a wasp biologist, I've noticed it acutely because my students need wasps for their experiments, and we simply can't find them.A second sign that something is wrong is the absence of wasp stories in the media. Wasps tend to be more active in warmer weather. Their colonies grow faster and larger, and they end up making news headlines by bothering humans. This time last year, after another warm spring and hot summer, the media were filled with "plagues of wasps" stories. Now, even professional pest control workers tell me it's a quiet year with very few requests to remove wasp nests.Admittedly, these are anecdotes, not data: The Big Wasp Survey—the only national wasp monitoring survey—is yet to start sampling this summer. But the signs are not good.If data back this up, their absence worries me greatly because—love them or hate them—wasps are important in ecosystems as pest controllers, pollinators and decomposers.So what's happening? Spring started well for wasps. In the warm, dry spring, a glut of glorious foundresses—new queens—emerged from hibernation to start their nests alone, carrying out all the nest building, egg-laying, foraging and brood rearing. This nest-founding period is a risky time. If a new queen survives until her first brood emerges as adult workers, though, the odds are in her favor because she no longer needs to undertake risky foraging.But spring 2026 was strange: The warm, dry start should have been good. Warm, dry spring weather improves a nest's chance of survival because it ensures a good nectar supply for the queen to develop her ovaries and good prey populations for her to feed the brood. But we experienced unprecedented heat for the time of year, punctuated by cold, damp days and followed by unexpectedly chilly nights.Such weather extremes may have caused queens to abandon their nests or die, reducing the initial spring queen bounty to a more modest population.And then came the heat wave. And another. And another. Some insects may benefit from this. Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is hoping 2026 could be a "bumper summer of butterflies" because warm, dry days mean uninterrupted foraging, mating and egg-laying.But all insects have a thermal tolerance called critical thermal maximum (CTmax). If their CTmax is exceeded, insects succumb to desiccation, muscle spasms and eventual stupor. For honeybees, this is around 49°C (120°F)—which might sound high, yet ground surfaces exceeded 50°C (122°F) in the UK heat waves this summer. But the temperature doesn't need to reach an animal's CTmax to affect its productivity and behavior. For example, bumblebee cognition and foraging efficiency are impaired by heat waves of 32°C (90°F).Bumblebee Conservation Trust raised concerns that 2026 may exacerbate a declining trend in bumblebee populations as flowers wither and bees fail to forage effectively.Wasps are thought to be quite resilient to extreme weather. They are one of the most successful invasive species around the globe. And as social insects, their thermoregulation behavior (such as wing fanning to cool the larvae) and nest architecture (which has insulating envelopes surrounding the brood combs) may help buffer them against environmental perturbations.Insects also have waxy molecules called cuticular hydrocarbons that coat their exoskeletons, protecting them from desiccation. Social wasp cuticular hydrocarbons change structure in response to heat, better protecting them from desiccation in excessive heat.Their varied diets should also buffer them from imbalances in prey populations. However, their CTmax may be lower than that of other social insects—at around 45°C (113°F)—which may have made them especially vulnerable to the high ground temperatures of the 2026 heat waves.There's something else that I've noticed: The few wasps I've seen are rather small. The adult size of many insects is fixed during their development, depending on the quality and quantity of food they receive as larvae. Wasps don't get bigger once they've pupated. The first workers to emerge in spring are usually small because the queen is limited in how much food she can provide for them alone. But by early August, the foraging capacity of the colony has increased exponentially, the brood is better fed and the emerging workers are substantially larger. So why are we still seeing "spring-sized" wasps? It's possible that limited diversity and abundance of prey may mean their nutrition is restricted. The problem may also be more directly linked to heat. Insect larvae reared at higher temperatures will develop faster and reach pupation at a smaller size.

Trump bets Chevron’s fall lets him rewrite rules for imperiled wildlife - For decades, presidents of both parties and the Supreme Court have agreed that federal law prevents developers from destroying habitat critical to vulnerable wildlife. The Trump administration is now making the case that a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending judicial deference to federal agencies gives it room to reverse that longstanding interpretation. The problem: Many environmental lawyers say the high court’s 2024 decision doesn’t go nearly that far. If they’re right, one of the administration’s biggest efforts to narrow the Endangered Species Act could face an uphill battle in court. “There will be a bitter fight over this rule in the courts,” said Ben Cowan, an environmental attorney at the firm Troutman Pepper Locke. Earlier this month, the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries finalized a rule that said the agencies will no longer define “harm” of protected plants and animals to include habitat changes that could be detrimental to a species’ survival. The rule change upends an approach that has been the law of the land since the Supreme Court decided in 1995 that federal regulators reasonably included habitat protections in safeguards for two vulnerable birds. As the impetus for its new rule change, the Trump administration cited the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which ended Chevron deference. That practice refers to the high court’s 1984 ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which concluded that courts should defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of laws like the ESA when the wording is ambiguous. Following Loper Bright, FWS and NOAA Fisheries wrote this month, the question that matters is: “does the agency’s regulation match the single, best meaning of the statute?” Concluding it did not, the agencies said that the Supreme Court in Loper Bright had left them an opening: “the Court left open the possibility that the executive branch could itself depart from regulations that do not match the single, best meaning of the statute — so long as the new regulations reflect that best meaning.” The Trump administration has advanced that argument in other contexts, too. In April 2025, a presidential memorandum asked agencies to review their regulations to examine whether they still held up in a post-Loper Bright world. Federal courts have already found that there are limits to the Trump administration’s approach.A Washington federal appeals court last month upheld a Biden-era rule strengthening the national particulate matter standard — even after the Trump EPA switched sides in the case to align with the agency’s challengers, claimed it had made a legal error and asked the court to use Loper Bright to kill the Biden standard.  Kevin Minoli, a former career attorney at EPA who served as acting general counsel in Trump’s first term and is now a partner at Alston & Bird, said some people misunderstand Loper Bright to mean that if there is uncertainty in the law, an agency’s authority to regulate is heavily restricted. “Statutory ambiguities will continue to exist and now instead of the court deferring to the agency interpretation on how to fill that gap, the court is going to give its own interpretation,” Minoli said after the EPA ruling. “There are going to be times when that resolution is in favor of regulation or allowing an agency to regulate as opposed to restricting the agency’s ability to regulate.” In their ESA rule change, FWS and NOAA Fisheries have done exactly what Loper Bright said is not the job of a federal agency, said Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife, which is suing the administration over the new regulation. “Loper Bright said it’s the court’s job, not the agency’s job,” she said. In the 2024 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts said that Loper Bright did not “call into question prior cases that relied on the Chevron framework.” But Jeffrey McCoy, a senior attorney at the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation, said that the case gave agencies an opening to “go back and relook at old definitions.” He also said Loper Bright left open questions about the scope of respect for precedent that relied heavily on Chevron deference. “This kind of falls in that middle ground of where the Chevron [respect for precedent] lands,” McCoy said.

Bipartisan bill would block Trump ESA rule - --Bipartisan House legislation would block the Trump administration’s move to undo habitat protections for imperiled species.  H.R. 9901, the Safeguarding Endangered Species Act, from Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), would nullify this month’s final rule that redefined “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. The new interpretation from the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries excludes destruction of habitat from the law’s purview of explicit prohibitions. That change shifts how the Interior Department agencies have interpreted the bedrock environmental law for half a century.“For more than fifty years, our nation’s protections have reflected a basic legal, scientific, and commonsense truth: when habitat destruction actually kills or injures protected wildlife, that destruction is harm,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

In biology of cells, octopus has another trick up its sleeve - The octopus is a biological oddity. It can use tools, open jars, and its complex nervous system supports as many neurons as a small primate. Now Harvard biologists have discovered a mysterious distinction in octopuses' core biology: Some octopuses have an unusual adaptation in the protein-making machinery of their cells that helps ensure accuracy, perhaps an evolutionary byproduct of their acute sensory system. In a study published July 29 in Current Biology, the researchers report the discovery of a structural aberration in the ribosome—the protein-manufacturing organelles of cells—that appears to be unique in the animal kingdom. "This shows that the ribosome is actually an important part of the evolution of biological novelty across hundreds of millions of years," said Nicholas Bellono, professor of molecular and cellular biology (MCB) at Harvard University and one of the senior authors of the new study. "This opens a different way for people to think about the biochemical basis of comparative biology." The finding began with an accidental observation in the lab. About five years ago, Richard Han, then a Ph.D. student at Harvard Medical School, was conducting routine control experiments and extracting ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from tissues of the California two-spot octopus, known by the scientific name Octopus bimaculoides, a species native to the Pacific coast. Han worked in the lab of Amy Lee, assistant professor of cancer immunology and virology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, which frequently collaborates with the Bellono team. Normally, such sequences of rRNA remain uniform even among distantly related animals. In fact, they are so predictable that lab scientists often use them as a quality control to check whether the material has degraded. Then Han saw something unexpected. Instead of the normal single band, the octopus rRNA was split into two distinct fragments. At first, the scientists assumed it was an error. But researchers repeated the experiment numerous times and kept finding the same break in the same spot. They saw the same thing in all octopus tissues at all developmental stages. Ribosomes contain a common core set of rRNAs and proteins. Some of these elements are among the most evolutionarily conserved RNA sequences known to biology, and variation in the basic architecture of the ribosome is rare. "The assumption was that this doesn't change very much," said Lee, who specializes in how genetic code is translated into proteins. "That was the real surprise here." Intrigued, the scientists continued digging. Ultimately, the study expanded to 10 co-authors and stretched over about five years. They discovered that the shift appears to enhance the accuracy of protein synthesis and reduce errors that cause pathological aggregations of misfolded proteins. Rishav Mitra, a postdoctoral researcher in the Bellono lab and co-lead author of the new paper, helped decipher the functional consequences of the shift and trace it across the species family tree. When researchers inserted the same rRNA break into the ribosomes of E. coli, the bacteria produced proteins with twice their normal fidelity, or accuracy in translating genetic code into proteins. The octopus ribosome adaptation appears to enhance the fidelity of protein synthesis, even when transplanted into very different creatures. The researchers found the rRNA break was universal among shallow-water octopuses (the suborder Incirrina), which diverged from their deep-water cousins (the Cirrina) about 100 million years ago. The researchers obtained a sample of a deep-sea octopus that had been collected many years ago. When they analyzed the tissue, they discovered the cirrate octopus did not possess the same change in its ribosome. Likewise, squid, which diverged from the octopus lineage about 300 million years ago, did not possess the same change. The researchers suspect the newly discovered adaptation may be tied to the evolution of the large octopus nervous system, including the acutely sensitive "taste by touch" sensory system of shallow-water octopuses. Most of the 500 million octopus neurons are in the arms, and a single suction cup contains some 10,000 sensory cells. Despite these advanced sensory capabilities, octopuses do not show much genetic novelty compared with other invertebrates. Instead, their nervous system is believed to arise from how widely shared genes are regulated, or switched on and off. Cephalopods (the taxonomic class of mollusks that includes octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) are known to edit their RNA far more than other organisms, which allows them to use existing genes to adapt proteins to new functions. But this shift also increases the potential for errors, or misfolding of proteins, and the formation of toxic clumps known as aggregates. Bellono suggested that the newly discovered feature of the ribosome might serve as a brake or filter to prevent this evolutionary innovation from running amok. "They have the ability to make many protein products from single genes, but the ribosome will only allow certain ones to be made," he said. Similarly, Lee described the rRNA adaptation as "controlled plasticity for the genetic information." "The major surprise is that the ribosome, which is highly conserved across life, can actually undergo evolutionary changes that impact function," she said, "and may even contribute to new innovations—such as a more complex nervous system in the octopus."

Ships stranded by Strait of Hormuz closure may be 'superspreader' - The closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran may lead to a “large-scale, marine bioinvasion ‘superspreader’ event,” according to a new study. More than 1,500 commercial vessels have been stranded in the Gulf since the key waterway closed at the start of the war on February 28. In that time, the ships have sat submerged in the same waters, likely leaving them now coated with marine microbes, algae and invertebrates, according to scientists at the University of Maryland and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The research suggests this could lead to “significant environmental risks,” including the spread of invasive species as the idle ships re-enter the global shipping network, resulting in a “large-scale, marine bioinvasion ‘superspreader’ event.” The scientists argue the current situation is “unparalleled” in modern history, that no other shipping disruption has left so many ships sitting idle for so long. Most vessels in this region spend 1-3 days in port before departing, meaning the ships that have been stuck for months have had ample time for what scientists refer to as “biofouling,” or the unwanted build-up of marine communities on the vessel. Once the thousands of stranded vessels depart — taking with them algae and other organisms — they may bring invasive species elsewhere. When species are taken from one environment to another it can create problems and put the current ecosystem at risk for damage. The research highlights an “extreme worst-case scenario currently prevailing in the Gulf region,” which is exposing ecosystems across the globe to biosecurity risks. Issues caused by stranded ships have long been documented, and the International Maritime Organization passed a resolution in 2023 to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species through biofouling. The resolution specifically recommends that ships that sit idle for 18 to 30 days take “immediate actions before the next voyage” to manage biofouling. However, the scientists note in the study that current biofouling management and regulatory frameworks are “insufficient” in mitigating such large-scale, unplanned vessel stoppages. The researchers noted: “While the human and economic consequences of events like the war in the Middle East will always remain the highest priority, ecological impacts cannot be overlooked.”

Algal blooms accelerate plastic weathering, potentially fueling microplastic formation - Every summer, algal blooms turn rivers and lakes green. Although they are widely known as a major form of water pollution that makes water murky, a KAIST research team has now shown for the first time that algal bloom conditions can make discarded plastics, such as plastic bags, more prone to breaking apart, potentially accelerating the formation of microplastics. The study points to a new direction for the era of climate change: water pollution and plastic pollution need to be managed together rather than as separate problems. A research team led by Professor Jaewook Myung from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering found, through a microcosm experiment using water collected from Duck Pond, a pond on the KAIST campus, that algal blooms alter the microbial ecosystem on the surface of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)—a common plastic used in plastic bags—and accelerate its early-stage weathering, in which the surface oxidizes and develops microscopic cracks. The study is significant because it suggests that, in natural environments, plastic pollution and the eutrophication that drives algal blooms can interact and lead to new ecological changes. Over time, plastic debris discarded in rivers and lakes becomes colonized by a wide variety of microorganisms, creating a small ecosystem of its own on the plastic surface. This ecosystem is known as the "plastisphere." The plastisphere is known to influence the spread of pathogens and the transport of microplastics, but little has been known about how algal blooms, a serious form of water pollution, affect this microbial ecosystem. To investigate this question, the research team constructed microcosms—small-scale experimental systems that recreate natural environments in the laboratory—in which algal blooms were artificially induced by controlling light exposure and nutrient concentrations. Over the following six weeks, the researchers closely analyzed the biofilms forming on the plastic surface, the succession of microbial communities and changes in their functional gene profiles. The analysis showed that under eutrophic conditions, in which excessive nutrients trigger algal blooms, cyanobacteria, a major group of photosynthetic bacteria, proliferated alongside a variety of other bacteria, forming a thicker biofilm on the plastic surface. Microorganisms capable of producing large amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) also became significantly more abundant. EPS is a sticky, mucilage-like material that binds microorganisms together and helps them adhere to plastic surfaces. As the microbial ecosystem on the plastic surface changed, the early weathering of the plastic—including surface oxidation and the formation of microscopic cracks—also accelerated. The team found that microorganisms harboring genes encoding enzymes associated with plastic oxidation and early-stage degradation became more abundant under eutrophic conditions. Analyses using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) directly confirmed these changes. Oxygen-containing functional groups associated with oxidation, including carbonyl and hydroxyl groups, increased on the plastic surface, while more fine, hairline cracks appeared. These changes indicate that the plastic had become more susceptible to further physical weathering and fragmentation. The results suggest that these changes were driven not by a single microbial species but by the combined activity of a microbial ecosystem comprising photosynthetic and other bacteria.

Global warming threatens rice harvests more than crop models predict, study warns - A new studyon how rising temperatures will affect rice production in Science Advances compares 214 observations from field-warming experiments with seven crop models, revealing modeled estimates for yield reductions from 1°C of global warming were roughly half those of the real-world observed experiments (3.8% instead of 8.1%). The study was led by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research with contributions from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world's population, but estimates of how climate change will affect production vary widely. One reason is that many scientific assessments do not clearly distinguish between the more gradual effects of higher average temperatures and acute damage caused by heat extremes. In the new study, results from 214 observed experiments show that extreme heat (exposure to temperatures above 30°C) is the dominant factor behind rice yield losses from warming. At more than 70% of observed sites, high-temperature exposure accounted for more than half of absolute yield change. However, when compared with seven crop models, the models were shown to be less sensitive to heat extremes than the real-world observations. "The discrepancy between the observations and models appears to arise mainly because many current crop models don't yet capture heat damage in rice's reproductive stages well. Observations in the study show this is exactly when rice is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, as panicles and grains develop," commented lead author Yiwei Jian from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. After correcting the models in line with the observed data, the study estimates that an increase of 1°C in global mean temperature would reduce global rice yields by an average of 8.1%. This is approximately twice the loss previously estimated by the crop models (3.8%). The authors stress that their estimates isolate temperature effects and should therefore not be interpreted as a complete forecast of future rice production. "This is a really significant jump for the models and emphasizes the role of heat extremes in projected losses, not just average temperatures. This intuitively makes sense—when we check the weather in summer to know how to cope with heat, we're looking for the daily high, not the average temperature," commented PIK scientist Christoph Müller, another author of the study. The study also rethinks the geographical distribution of crop losses. The biggest revisions are in South and Southeast Asia, where rice crops have high exposure to extreme heat. For Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, the yield-loss estimate increases from 2.1% to 6.6%. For Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar, it increases from 3.7% to 7.7%.

Icelandic fish 'hot tubs' reveal genetic adaptations to warming—and unexpected overeating New research, led by the University of Glasgow reveals that adaptation to warmer waters causes fish to display a range of behavioral and biological differences, including obesity, overeating and lower metabolism. The study, "Parallel adaptation to geothermally-warmed habitats due to common structural variation and functional developmental pathways" is published in Nature Communications. The findings have important implications for our understanding of the potential impact of global warming on aquatic life. To carry out the study, the research team headed to Iceland, where they used the country's naturally warm geothermal waters as a model for the impact of climate change. There, the team studied the threespine stickleback, a species of fish that commonly lives in both Iceland's cooler, average-temperature waters and its geothermal waters, where indigenous fish have had to adapt to living in unusually warm conditions. These warm-water conditions reach up to 27.8°C (82°F) and have been described by the researchers as like "fish hot tubs." The researchers studied the behavior, appearance and genetics of the fish and found clear differences between those living in cooler and warmer waters. The threespine sticklebacks living in warmer waters were hyperphagic, a condition that causes excessive hunger and overeating. The geothermal fish also put on more fat stores in the summer in preparation for winter and hold onto fat more efficiently during periods of low food availability. In addition to differences in appearance and behavior, the warm-water fish also had a range of DNA adaptations. These genetic changes varied across different groups of geothermal fish, highlighting the unique and unpredictable nature of adaptation to specific environments. However, the research team did discover cellular differences shared by all warm-water groups. A key genetic change in the mapk pathway, a signaling mechanism with implications for growth factors and stress, was found among all fish that had adapted to living in warmer waters but not in their cold-water cousins. The geothermal fish harbor a flipped region of the genome (inversion) that is absent in cold-adapted fish, allowing them to live in geothermally warmed waters. Both the mapk pathway and the inversion work together to facilitate adaptation to warming environments. Dr. Kevin Parsons, co-lead author of the study from the University of Glasgow, said, "Our study is the first to show the specific genetic changes caused by adapting to warmer waters, offering key insights into the impact that climate change could have on aquatic ecosystems.

Trees and microbes team up to improve nitrogen nutrient processes in higher CO₂ conditions - Forest trees growing in air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) radically change the way they "cycle" nitrogen, a key plant nutrient, with implications for forests as a nature-based climate solution.In a new study in Science Advances, researchers at the University of Birmingham's world-leading Free Air CO₂ Enrichment (BIFoR FACE) facility in Staffordshire, UK, examined how a nearly 180-year-old oak woodland responded after six years of exposure to CO₂ levels expected in the 2050s and beyond.They found that key processes managing nitrogen in the forest increased significantly under elevated CO₂ conditions. Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for living things, including trees, and while elevated CO₂ levels lead to a "carbon fertilization" effect, previous studies have not unpacked how trees and their microbial partners manage nitrogen in such future scenarios.In the study, the oak woodland's soil nitrogen-cycling processes, responsible for meeting tree nutritional needs, increased by about 30%. Rather than remaining "hungry" for more nitrogen, the trees maintained healthy nutrition by working with microbes to "mine" it from organic matter in the soil.Dr. Manon Rumeau, who completed the study at the University of Birmingham and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, is the study's lead author. Rumeau said, "Trees secure nitrogen from soils by releasing an easily decomposable cocktail of organic carbon through their roots. This natural 'energy drink,' known as root exudates, stimulates soil microbes to break down organic matter and release nitrogen that would otherwise remain locked away."Releasing nitrogen from soil organic matter can make it vulnerable to loss, seeping away as a gas or liquid solution. Surprisingly, the study finds that the high-CO₂ ecosystem holds on to its nitrogen more effectively and conservatively, creating a 'faster but tighter' nitrogen cycle."

Extreme weather is fueling a blood crisis, says Red Cross - - The American Red Cross declared its second-ever national blood supply crisis this week after donations dropped to their lowest levels in four years. It blamed falling donor turnout on extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread outbreaks of foodborne illnesses across the country.The episode points to an underreported danger of climate change: the risks it poses to global blood supplies. Record-breaking heat waves have affected much of the U.S. this summer, while wildfire smoke has permeated parts of the West and drifted into the Northeast from Canada, triggering air quality alerts for millions of people.“The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events presents an ongoing challenge for maintaining a stable blood supply,” said Nicole Maul, the American Red Cross’ director of media relations, in an email. Heat, wildfires, storms, floods and other disasters can affect the ability of donors to reach blood drives or shut down collection events, she added. They can also make it harder for suppliers to transport blood to hospitals.

US spy agencies suspect Iran launched cyberattack on Minnesota water facilities -- U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran was likely behind a coordinated cyberattack on more than 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota this week, according to several U.S. officials. The FBI is investigating the attack, which comes as a five-month-old military conflict between the United States and Iran threatens to escalate. Though intelligence agencies have not definitively concluded that Tehran is responsible, the hack follows urgent warnings by federal cybersecurity officials that Iran for months has been targeting internet-exposed devices that control operations at water, wastewater and energy facilities in the U.S. and, in some cases, causing disruptions. Intrusions have been noted at several water and energy systems across the country since shortly after the war began on Feb. 28, said Joe Slowik, director of threat research for Dataminr, a real-time commercial intelligence platform. “It is not a secret that these things have been taking place since the spring,” he said. “There have been disruptions in multiple critical infrastructure sectors. It’s a big deal.” The New York Times earlier reported that federal and state investigators believe Iran was likely responsible for the Minnesota attacks. Related video: Cyberattack targets water systems in at least seven states (KYTX-TV Tyler-Longview) At least one system was briefly offline and another saw its remote sensors disrupted, but the state’s information technology agency notes that there are no active requests for Minnesotans to modify their drinking water usage. The attacks took place on Sunday and Monday, according to a statement by Minnesota IT Services, the information technology agency. The agency, as well as the affected municipalities, are working with state and federal authorities to share threat intelligence and remediate the attack. Nate George, the mayor of Braham, Minnesota, said in an online statement that his city’s public works department discovered the attack early Monday morning. After learning at least four other Minnesota communities were affected, they determined the plant had been hacked. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes,” George said of the city’s response, noting that Braham’s residents received water from the city’s water tower while the plant was offline. In the city of Plymouth, several devices that control the water and sewer systems’ operations were hacked and taken offline but have now been restored, said Michael Thompson, the city’s public works director. The water supply was not affected, he added. But devices known as “programmable logic controllers,” or PLCs, which operate on the city’s cellular network and track water level, pressure, pump operations and equipment alarms, were impacted. Iran has been actively targeting the U.S. with cyberattacks since the war started on Feb. 28, but most have not drawn headlines. Kurt Gaudette, head of intelligence for Dragos, a cybersecurity firm that specializes in protecting critical infrastructure, noted a pattern with attacks in March and in Minnesota: the targeting of small utilities that use internet-exposed controllers with default passwords. “It’s very low-hanging fruit,” Gaudette said. He said he has seen such attacks in the past, notably in late 2023, when a PLC at a municipal water pumping station in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was hacked. The attack, which caused no major disruption, was claimed by a group affiliated with Iran’s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and known as CyberAv3ngers. The Aliquippa station used PLCs made by an Israeli firm, Unitronics, which were targeted by the hacking group across the U.S., Britain, Israel and Ireland.

Sweeping cyberattack on water systems in multiple states has US officials on edge -- Hackers have targeted water systems in several US states in a coordinated cyberattack that has caused some utilities to issue boil-water notices and switch to manual mode, taking their systems offline, according to US officials. It’s one of the most serious cyberattacks on water systems in the US in years, according to some analysts. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency have for the last week been scrambling to try to help secure the water facilities and ensure that the safety of drinking water isn’t affected. No incidents of contamination have been reported. The hackers “are targeting water entities of all sizes,” CISA said in a warning Thursday that urged water facilities to get vulnerable industrial equipment offline. US and state officials are treating Iran as one of the suspects behind the hack, but have not made a formal determination of who is responsible and are wary of false flags. The first public sign of the cyberattacks came from Minnesota authorities, who said that hackers on Sunday night and Monday morning targeted about 30 water systems in that state. The “likely desired impact” of the hackers’ intrusion at the water facilities was “to cause loss of system pressure and subsequent potential contamination of water supply,” said the memo distributed this week by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and obtained by CNN. At a cabinet meeting Friday, President Donald Trump blamed Minnesota authorities for the hack and cast doubt on whether Iran was involved. “They like to say, “Oh, it’s Iran.’” Trump said. “Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” The New York Times first reported on the possible Iran connection. The hackers are targeting internet-facing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), the devices that allow machinery to communicate at water facilities and other industrial plants. PLCs monitor water pressure, chemical dosing and other features in water systems to ensure they are safe. The hacks are not complicated: The attackers are breaking into PLCs that are sitting online and vulnerable. “I suspect that those attackers are going to … continue to look nationally across the infrastructure,” John Israel, Minnesota’s chief information security officer, told CNN on Tuesday. The hackers will “continue to rattle those doorknobs and try to break into systems that have weak configurations,” Israel added. He was right. Roughly six states have reported related cyber incidents over the last week, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

Record snow drought drives water-hauling crisis for Rocky Mountain ranchers - As water shot into an open stock tank atop a high-country mesa, a trickle soaked the dusty earth below. Scott Snyder rose from the shade to fasten a hose and stop the spillage. "It's just so much work. I hate dropping any of it," said Snyder, who operates Mex and Sons Ranch near Montrose, Colorado, with his family. It took eight trips in three vehicles over nine hours in sweltering heat before the 800 cow-calf pairs finally had enough water to make it through to the next day—maybe two. Hauling water across rugged landscapes has become a daily chore for many ranchers in the U.S. Rockies. They historically relied on snowmelt to sustain stock ponds, springs and creeks for livestock to drink throughout the summer, but this year's snowpack was the worst on record in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Human-caused climate change made the snow drought about 14 times more likely, a new study in PNAS confirms. Coping with the impacts of minimal snow and a lackluster monsoon season so far requires more time and money and causes more stress for producers who are already struggling to maintain family legacies and meet America's demand for beef. Snyder and his brother Monte are adapting. Like many other ranchers, they shrank their herd, bought hay to supplement what little they could grow, shuttled cows farther to reach grazeable land and are constantly monitoring whether wildfires are blowing their way. And now, they are hauling drinking water. "If Mother Nature doesn't want to help out here, we're probably in a lot of trouble," Snyder said. Still, the Snyders count themselves lucky. A nearby landowner charges them to refill their 6,500-gallon (24,600-liter) water tanker from a reservoir. Late last week, Snyder pulled up alongside another truck carrying a 3,000-gallon (11,360-liter) tank to water sheep. Mark Ragsdale's phone rings off the hook with neighbors asking the same question: Where can I find water? During the day, he works as the state's water commissioner for Norwood, where his cousin Snyder ranches. But morning, afternoon and evening, he is also hauling water to his small herd of 45 cow-calf pairs. He counts himself lucky that his solar-powered well is still producing and his herd is nearby. His Dodge Ram's tires churned through a muddy depression on a dirt road on a recent morning water run—a welcome sign of the first monsoonal rain that arrived the night before. "It's gonna take 10 years of above-normal (precipitation) to get back to what I consider normal," Ragsdale said. The good news is that this year's snow drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin was so severe that the odds of a repeat this bad in the near future are low, said Adrienne Marshall, assistant professor of geology at the Colorado School of Mines and lead author on the study. Still, multiple years of lesser droughts can compound, and the odds of an extreme snow drought grow each year as greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, continue to rise, she explained. The record-setting low snow, after years of drought, prompted the Brays to expand their water truck fleet this year. Lance Bray, who owns 500 head with his brother Zandon, bought a flatbed truck with more than 300,000 miles (482,800 kilometers) on it to haul a 2,600-gallon (9,842-liter) water tank. It's now their third flatbed dedicated to the chore. Ranchers can apply for reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cover above-normal costs to transport water and feed due to drought, but there's no getting back their time. "I'm gonna fight like hell this year so I can turn around and fight like hell next year," Zandon Bray said. He and his brother restarted the cattle operation two years after the 2018 drought season prompted their dad to sell the herd. They love ranching and are trying to operate more sustainably, running fewer head than their father did when grass was more plentiful and nutritious. But the emotional toll grows heavier as each year passes without meaningful moisture.

US plans steep water cuts for southwest amid Colorado River crisis - The US federal government on Friday unveiled its plan for future management of the beleaguered Colorado River, with significant water reductions ahead for several western states in response to record-breaking droughts worsened by climate change. Under the roadmap, the lower basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada could face collective cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet (130 billion cubic feet or 3.7 billion cubic meters) of water annually, through 2036. "This represents 20 percent of the amount these three states are technically entitled to," Sarah Porter, an expert in the field at Arizona State University, told AFP. Put another way, the cuts are roughly equivalent to the amount of water consumed by nine million households in a year. The actual extent of reductions will depend on the river's reserve levels and other hydrological conditions. The plan is set to take effect in October for two years before being reassessed. "The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. In mid-July, the combined water levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the United States and both fed by the Colorado River, reached their lowest levels in over 60 years. The Colorado River provides drinking water for more than 40 million people and fuels hydropower across seven states. "States view what happens on this river in terms of survival," Doug Kenney, director of the water policy program at the University of Colorado, told AFP. He said a lawsuit was "undoubtedly" coming, and he said it could go all the way to the Supreme Court. "Historically that type of litigation can take decades to resolve, and in the meantime, the water crisis doesn't go away," Kenney added. The upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, which also rely on the river for their water supply, will not face the same cuts as the lower basin states -- a disparity likely to fuel disagreements. Overexploited for decades, the Colorado River is also suffering from the "unprecedented multi-decade drought" that has plagued the region for 25 years, the interior department said. Washington was forced to step in after the affected states again failed to agree on reducing their water consumption. "The amounts of water that are needed to save the system can't be achieved without reducing demand for agriculture," Porter said. "It's just a matter of math." Arizona's Department of Water Resources lambasted the plan, saying it "does nothing to elevate expectations around a coherent seven-state plan" for those that rely on the river, adding that the restrictions "would devastate Arizona's water users and its economy." cha-ia/jgc/des

California drought may have pushed parts of the Sacramento Valley aquifer toward permanent collapse - Around a quarter of the U.S. food supply is grown in California's Central Valley. Most of its crops, like rice, fruit trees and nut trees, are water-intensive and require extensive groundwater pumping during droughts. Over time, heavy water extraction has contributed to changes in the aquifer systems under the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. Although some of these changes can be reversed, a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that large parts of the Sacramento Valley may have undergone irreversible ground compaction during recent droughts, leading to a permanent loss of groundwater storage. Pumping water out of aquifers lowers underground water pressure, which can make the land surface sink in a process called land subsidence. Moderate sinking can be reversible when water returns because of the elasticity of underground pore spaces. However, intensive pumping can permanently and inelastically compress the sediments that hold water, resulting in a permanent reduction in water storage space. Land subsidence also results in visible sinking of the surface. The authors of the new study write, "Measurements of surface deformation over exploited aquifer systems provide a way to monitor groundwater management practices and mitigate risks including infrastructure damage, increased flood vulnerability and other socioeconomic consequences of land subsidence." Well measurements can show where water levels stand but can miss stress changes in other underground layers. The study authors say that space-based geodetic techniques can enhance aquifer monitoring by enabling measurements of surface deformation with far better spatial coverage, decameter resolution and millimeter-level accuracy in annual depth changes. The team assessed changes in the Sacramento Valley aquifer system by combining satellite radar maps of land movement with GPS station data, groundwater well records and satellite gravity measurements of regional water mass from 2016 to 2022. In doing so, they found that large parts of the Sacramento Valley abruptly shifted into mostly irreversible ground compaction in 2021, during a drought lasting from 2020 to 2022. In the preceding 2016–2020 period, most ground movement coincided with seasonal water-level changes and was largely reversible. After 2021, some areas sank by as much as 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year, far beyond the expected reversible response of 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) per year. Estimates also showed permanent loss of groundwater storage rose about fivefold, to roughly 0.2 cubic kilometers per year in 2021–2022.

Sweltering heat wave grips central and southern US for a second straight day --At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day. Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C), according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures. “It’s extraordinarily hot,” said Pete Miller, an outreach manager for the homeless services network Threshold CoC, which was passing out water bottles to residents in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday. “We’re seeing a lot of people who are exhausted, drained by the heat in a way that is really dangerous,” Miller added. “The humidity is insane. You stand outside for 30 seconds and you get drenched. And it’s going to be like that all night.” On Saturday, Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 C). A horse race planned in Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minnesota, was canceled Sunday because of the heat. “Right now, it’s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,” said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. “The core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.” The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday. The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days. “If you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you’ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,” Oravec said. “It’s all related.” Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted. Authorities warned that children and older adults, along with people with certain medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious conditions including heat stroke or even death. Experts recommend seeking out air conditioning or a cooling center, make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.  

Thousands of America's historic landmarks face significant wildfire risk -- When the Palisades Fire tore through Los Angeles in January 2025, it didn't only destroy homes. It took the Will Rogers Ranch House—a beloved California landmark—with it. Six months later, the Dragon Bravo wildfire burned through Grand Canyon National Park and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, originally built in 1927. Whether either landmark will ever be meaningfully restored remains uncertain. A new study published in Scientific Reports suggests these losses are not anomalies; they are an early warning. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) have completed the first national-scale assessment of wildfire risk to American cultural heritage. Of the 100,117 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, more than half face measurable wildfire exposure. For 3,446 places, that risk is severe."These places anchor community identity, collective memory and national heritage," said corresponding author Caitlin Fong, a researcher at NCEAS. "Unlike homes, they cannot simply be rebuilt—and in many cases, once lost, they are gone forever."The study cross-referenced every mappable National Register of Historic Places site in the U.S. with high-resolution wildfire burn probability models, categorizing risk by place type, geographic location and cultural significance. Explore the map to see how your favorite place scores. Spatial distribution of wildfire hazard and place-type classification for places in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  Key findings include:

• ● Risk is most concentrated in the western United States, with additional hotspots emerging in Oklahoma, Arkansas and along the southeastern coast.
• ● Buildings and historic districts—which account for 90% of all listed resources—likely face particularly acute risk because their cultural value is inseparable from their physical form. Destroy the structure, and the heritage is gone with it.
• ● Nationally significant sites face disproportionately high wildfire exposure relative to state- and locally significant ones, meaning America's most important historic places are among its most vulnerable.
• ● In California, New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma, the concentration of at-risk sites is especially acute.
• ● Climate change is expected to expand wildfire hazard zones, putting sites in previously lower-risk regions increasingly in the crosshairs.

Wildfire smoke from Pacific Northwest fires spreads across much of the U.S., reaching the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast - Smoke from numerous large wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest since a widespread lightning outbreak in mid-July 2026 continues to spread across much of the continental United States, with satellite observations, air quality monitoring and smoke forecast models showing plumes extending from the Northwest through the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes into the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Southeast. Smoke produced by numerous large wildfires burning across Oregon and Washington continues to spread across much of the continental United States, with the broad plume extending from the Pacific Northwest through the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes into the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Southeast on July 27-28. NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System, EPA’s AirNow Fire and Smoke Map and NOAA’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Smoke model indicate long-range eastward transport of wildfire smoke under persistent upper-level westerly flow associated with the jet stream. The smoke is being generated by numerous lightning-caused wildfires that ignited following a severe thunderstorm outbreak across Oregon and Washington in mid-July. According to FOX Weather, many of the largest ongoing fires were sparked during that lightning outbreak, with hot, dry weather and gusty winds allowing them to spread rapidly across the Pacific Northwest. Among the largest incidents is the Rowe Creek Complex in central Oregon. The lightning-caused fire had grown to more than 80 937 ha (200 000 acres) by July 27, producing an expansive smoke plume visible in satellite imagery. The Rowe Creek Complex is one of the major contributors to the widespread haze affecting much of the United States. Wildfire activity remains exceptionally high across the Northwest. According to the National Interagency Fire Center’s National Fire News issued on July 27, the United States remains at National Preparedness Level 5, the highest level of national wildfire readiness. Firefighters are responding to 95 large fires nationwide, including 13 new large incidents reported during the previous day. More than 25 700 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to suppression efforts across the country, while more than 1.62 million ha (4 million acres) have burned so far this year. The Northwest Geographic Area alone continues to account for dozens of large active fires. According to FOX Weather, the Northwest is battling more than 30 large active fires that have collectively burned nearly 404 686 ha (1 million acres), with the majority located in Oregon. Critical fire weather conditions have fueled rapid wildfire growth across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Great Basin, where hot, dry weather and gusty winds continue to challenge firefighting efforts. Air quality impacts remain greatest near the source region. Smoke is expected to continue degrading air quality across parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, with some impacts extending into North Dakota. Boise, Idaho, remained in the “Very Unhealthy” Air Quality Index category during the event. Farther east, however, the character of the smoke changes considerably. According to EPA AirNow, satellite-observed smoke plumes indicate smoke somewhere in the atmosphere and do not necessarily correspond to degraded air quality at the surface, as smoke may remain elevated and never mix down into the boundary layer. As a result, many locations across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are expected to experience hazy or milky skies without the severe surface-level air quality impacts observed closer to the fires. Much of the densest smoke remains concentrated across Oregon, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas, where smoke is reaching near-surface levels. Farther downstream, the plume is expected to remain largely elevated, producing widespread haze while having a more limited effect on the air people breathe. The elevated smoke could remain approximately 6.1 to 12.2 km (20 000 to 40 000 feet) above the ground as it circulates around a sprawling heat dome over the central United States, allowing the plume to extend as far east as the Mid-Atlantic and as far south as parts of the Southeast. The plume is expected to continue shifting eastward during the coming days but is not expected to approach the severity of the Canadian wildfire smoke episode that affected large portions of the United States between July 14 and 16. Unlike that earlier event, the current plume is expected to remain higher in the atmosphere because no nearby weather systems are forecast to force significant amounts of smoke toward the surface. Even where surface air quality remains relatively good, elevated wildfire smoke can still noticeably affect the appearance of the sky. Hazy or milky conditions and more vivid sunrises and sunsets are expected across parts of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast as the elevated smoke plume continues moving eastward through the end of July.

Japan records unprecedented five-day streak of temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F), the longest on record - Japan recorded temperatures of 40°C (104°F) or higher for the fifth consecutive day on July 25, 2026, marking the country’s longest such streak on record as an exceptionally persistent heatwave continued under a dominant Pacific high-pressure system. Heatstroke alerts remained in effect across much of the country, while additional climatological analysis suggests this summer is already approaching last year’s record number of locations reaching the 40°C (104°F) threshold.Japan experienced its fifth consecutive day with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) or higher on July 25, setting the country’s longest such streak on record. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) attributed the persistent heat to a Pacific high-pressure system that has kept skies largely clear across much of the country. The highest temperature of the day was 40.8°C (105.4°F) in Mino, Gifu Prefecture. Other locations reaching 40°C (104°F) or higher included Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture at 40.7°C (105.3°F), Kuwana, Mie Prefecture at 40.6°C (105.1°F), Hamamatsu (Chuo Ward), Shizuoka Prefecture at 40.3°C (104.5°F), Toyota, Aichi Prefecture at 40°C (104.0°F), and Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture at 40°C (104.0°F). Kofu also became the first location outside the Tokai region this year to record a kokushobi, the designation introduced by JMA in April 2026 for days when temperatures reach 40°C (104°F) or higher. NHK reported that heatstroke alerts were in effect across 37 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Authorities urged residents to use air conditioning, drink plenty of water, replenish salt and avoid prolonged outdoor activity. Warm, humid air flowing around a stationary front was also expected to bring heavy rain to parts of the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture, increasing the risk of landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers, lightning and strong wind gusts. Emergency medical services are also seeing the effects of the prolonged heat. According to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 10 857 people were transported to hospitals by ambulance for heatstroke nationwide during the week of July 13 to 19, the first weekly total above 10 000 this year and 2.4 times higher than the previous week. Fourteen people died, while 321 people were classified as severe cases expected to require at least three weeks in hospital. The agency described the extreme heat as a “disaster.” Tokyo also experienced a surge in heat-related emergencies. The metropolitan government reported a record 453 heatstroke ambulance transports on July 22 under the current reporting system. Authorities also confirmed at least one heat-related death after an elderly woman collapsed while gardening, while several other patients were reported to be in critical or serious condition. Sayaka Mori, a Japanese meteorologist and weather communicator, said that July 25 marked Japan’s fifth consecutive day with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) or higher, the longest such streak on record. Mori also reported that 22 locations have already reached the 40°C (104°F) threshold this year, the second-highest annual total ever recorded. The record of 30 locations was set in 2025, with much of the current summer still ahead.

France, Spain battle 'monster' wildfires with more heat on the way - Firefighters battled massive blazes tearing through forests across France and Spain on Monday, as authorities warned of a fresh heat wave set to engulf the scorched French wine-growing region around the major city of Bordeaux. More than 325,000 people have fled their homes, mostly in the Gironde department, home to Bordeaux, as some of the worst forest fires in either country's history rage across southwest France and central Spain near Madrid. The French fire has caused an unprecedented "pyrocumulonimbus"—a giant fire cloud that creates its own winds and packs lightning that causes more blazes, said the National Firefighters Federation of France (FNSPF). "It's a David-versus-Goliath scenario ... at some point, we'll find a weak spot and strike there," said FNSPF spokesman Eric Brocardi. French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a crisis Cabinet meeting to discuss the emergency on Monday morning. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit fire-hit areas in Valencia, in the east of the country, on Monday, where firefighters are battling a new blaze and 15,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Smoke from the fires 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Madrid can be smelt in the Spanish capital. On Sunday, during a visit to the fire zone in Avila province west of Madrid, he warned: "Difficult hours lie ahead." Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Sunday evening that the fires were advancing, but slowly. Earlier Sunday, civil protection chief Virginia Barcones, describing the fire around Avila, said the country was battling a "monster." "We are dealing with a perimeter of 280 kilometers (174 miles) encompassing 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres)," Barcones told state broadcaster TVE of the wildfire. Coming at the height of the summer vacation season, the fires were fueled by woodland parched to tinder by successive heat waves and a lack of rain since May. In France, the prefect of the southwestern Gironde region, where the country's fires are concentrated, urged tourists to stay away and seek "other destinations." Villages west of Madrid were devastated by the huge blaze. "The wind is changing so much, it's really the fire calling the shots. We just have to go with it," a firefighter said. Around 220,000 people have been evacuated in the region, with 45 campsites forced to close, ruining the vacation plans of around 40,000 people. The Gironde local authority said early Monday it had banned camps, including Scouts' trips involving overnight stays and camps for people with disabilities. Garden hose in hand, Georges Clivaz sprayed water along a road leading to his property in Saint-Jean-d'Illac in Gironde as the blaze burned a few kilometers away. Although the village was evacuated on Friday, Clivaz said he and his family were trying to hold out. "But the firefighters are telling us that in two or three hours the fire will be here." The forest infernos have raged for days unchecked in France's southwest. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that "the situation remains very unfavorable" across France, where more than 250,000 people have been evacuated. The Gironde local authority said early Monday, though, that the fire had remained "broadly stable" overnight. Since Wednesday, the fire in the Gironde area has injured 84 firefighters, 10 of whom have been evacuated, according to the latest situation report published Sunday by the prefecture. Sebastien Bouvier, federal secretary of France's CFDT union, said firefighters lacked adequate protective equipment against the fires' toxic fumes. Weather forecasters warn another heat wave could hit France from Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) in some areas. At least 240 homes have been destroyed in the Gironde region, many of them in the village of Le Porge. But Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said there were no plans to evacuate the city's urban area, home to 850,000 people and sheltering thousands displaced by the fires. Local officials remained "vigilant," he added. The fire has ravaged 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres) in Gironde—an area seven times the size of Manhattan—since Wednesday. France's Defense Ministry said it has taken special steps to protect industrial sites around Bordeaux, a key center of the country's aerospace industry. The main highway south of Bordeaux and rail services have been cut. Some 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel and around 1,200 police have been deployed to the Gironde region. Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited fire evacuees on Madrid's outkirts. King Felipe VI, visiting an emergency shelter in Villamanta on Madrid's western outskirts, said the wildfires had caused "incalculable" damage to Spain's natural heritage. Around 75,000 residents have been evacuated from the Madrid region, Avila, Toledo and the eastern region of Castellon in Valencia. "We had a real scare," said Azucena Paguada, one of those evacuated to the Villamanta gym-turned-shelter. "The Guardia Civil came to our house and made us leave, telling us we were in danger." Another evacuee, 70-year-old Margarita, showed the stains on her T-shirt, which she has been wearing for four days. "The queen came to say hello, and I was wearing this dirty thing," she added with a sigh. Officials said winds were pushing wildfires near Madrid to the south, away from the capital for now, but forcing more evacuations of villages in their path. Hundreds of kilometers away, the new fire in Valencia was proving "very intense," Pilar Bernabe, the central government delegate to Valencia, wrote on X. A separate, smaller fire near Valencia killed one person on Saturday, the only civilian death reported so far in the wildfires. In France, two firefighters died near Bordeaux on Tuesday. Pope Leo IV, in his prayers on Sunday, expressed solidarity with all those affected by the "devastating" Spanish and French fires and called on people to pray for them and first responders. Italy, too, was facing its own fires. More than 400 tourists and beachgoers were evacuated by sea near the town of Peschici in the southern Puglia region, with 300 more expected to be rescued, said the coast guard.

Devastating European wildfires in maps - and how they're being tackled - Wildfires are tearing through France and Spain, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes. France has seen its worst fires in two decades, while officials in the Spanish capital Madrid say they are the worst the region has ever experienced. It follows a sweltering summer of heatwaves across Europe that have seen temperatures soar above 40C (104F) in many places. Separate wildfires in the regions outside Madrid have together burned about 297 sq miles (770 sq km), authorities estimate - an area larger than the city itself. A map shows the location of active fires in the last 24 hours west of Madrid, Spain. [BBC] In France, the worst affected area is Gironde, around the city of Bordeaux, where more than 200,000 people have been forced from their homes. The blaze has spread rapidly, tearing through forests and fields in France's famous wine region, and burning more than 162 sq miles (420 sq km) in less than four days - an area roughly four times the size of Paris. It is now just nine miles (15km) from the south of Bordeaux. Three maps show how fires spread quickly from a high alert warning that hot, dry winds could fuel flames on 22 July, to fires spreading to over 2,000 hectares on 24 July, then to more than 200,000 people evacuated by 26 July. [BBC] The fires have also threatened a number of sensitive military and industrial sites in the area, including facilities that work on French ballistic missiles, rocket motors, and the processing of hazardous chemicals. The fires have become so extreme they have created their own giant fire thunderstorm. A rare weather event, storms like these are formed when heat from the wildfires makes the air above the fire rise rapidly, carrying smoke, ash and water vapour high into the atmosphere. As the air rises, it cools, and the water vapour condenses into a cloud. If the fire is powerful enough and the atmosphere is unstable, that cloud can grow into a cumulonimbus - the same type of cloud associated with thunderstorms. If these clouds then become large enough, they can produce their own lightning, which can then start new fires. They can also occasionally bring hail and rain. A graphic shows how wildfires create their own weather. [BBC] These extreme and unpredictable conditions make the fires all the more difficult to stop. To combat them, French firefighters have been using planes loaded with fire retardant, as well as planes like the Canadair, which can scoop 6,000 litres of water from lakes or the sea in 12 seconds and drop it directly on the fires. On dangerous days, loaded aircraft patrol high-risk areas before any fires have been reported, so they can drop within minutes of a sighting. Planes often fly in a continuous shuttle while retardant is laid along the edges of the fire and ground crews attack the flames directly. In Gironde, about 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel, and 1,200 police officers and gendarmes have been involved in tackling the blaze. But even with these numbers, Gironde official Jean Luc Gleyze told the BBC that authorities don't have enough people to combat the fires. "We don't have enough people and enough trucks and even I think France don't have enough," he said. Around the town of Lacanau, bulldozers, diggers and mechanical shovels have been used to carve a firebreak that is 100m (328ft) wide at points, according to French media. A firebreak is essentially a stretch of land that has been stripped of all vegetation to stop the fire from spreading - removing any potential fuel before the fire has a chance to reach it. Spanish teams have been using many of the same techniques to tackle their wildfires, which are on course to become the worst the country has seen in two decades. Francisco Martin, a government delegate in Madrid, described one of the fires as "undoubtedly the largest fire in the history of the Madrid region". This summer's fires have been aided by the hotter, drier conditions caused by climate change, which allow fires to spread faster and burn more fiercely. Many on the ground - in both Spain and France - are fearful that the coming week could see worsening conditions, with high pressure forecast to bring dry, settled and increasingly hot temperatures.

France wildfire: Residents douse embers with water after blaze destroys 170 homes in Le Porge | Watch – (news video) Residents in Le Porge, in France's southwestern Gironde region, are working to stop a devastating wildfire from reigniting by finding smouldering embers in the forest and dousing them with water. Using pickup trucks fitted with water tanks and hoses, locals are targeting lingering hotspots as smoke continues to rise from the burned landscape. At least 170 homes were destroyed by the wildfire, leaving widespread damage behind it and a long recovery effort ahead.

France and Spain race to contain fires before new heatwave - Europe - The Jakarta Post Firefighters in France and Spain rushed to contain the worst wildfires in living memory Tuesday, seizing crucial hours before the arrival of another wave of searing temperatures. Blazes have ripped through vast swathes of woodland in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people -- residents and tourists alike. A large wildfire raging near the French winemaking capital of Bordeaux created a rare pyrocumulonimbus cloud -- a phenomenon that can create wind and lightning. In the southwestern city's surrounding Gironde region, tractors fitted with blades to clear land, pickups towing water tanks and logging trucks sped to join a convoy of fire engines on Monday. "We want to help... I want nature to stay like it is," said 25-year-old farmer and wood transporter Christopher Bonnefond. New heatwaves are expected to hit western Europe this week, with searing temperatures returning in France from Tuesday, and in Spain from Wednesday, meteorologists said. Temperatures were set to increase in the region from the afternoon and peak at 37 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, weather office Meteo France said. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the coming hours would be "absolutely decisive" to tame fires burning west of the capital, Madrid. In France, the focus was on the blaze near Bordeaux. Firefighters said Tuesday the fire had not expanded overnight as they managed to tackle several flareups. French President Emmanuel Macron warned of hard times ahead as he visited a crisis centre in the city on Monday. "The coming weeks will be tough and we have to hold out," he said. Over the past six days, the wildfire near Bordeaux has ravaged 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres), forced 220,000 people to flee and destroyed 240 houses. "Mobilisation is still full and complete, particularly on the eve of a day that is expected to be marked by a significant rise in temperatures and a drop in humidity," the prefect of Gironde said late Monday, describing the situation as "highly unpredictable". Temperatures in Bordeaux are forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, around 7 degrees above the average high between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

France evacuates 4,000 people as heat threatens wildfire fight across Europe - ABC News -- French authorities ordered nearly 4,000 people evacuated Tuesday from tourist sites on France’s Atlantic coast as returning heat threatened firefighters’ fragile hold on a vast wildfire west of Bordeaux.The order underscored a wildfire emergency of exceptional scale across southwestern Europe.Fires in France and Spain have forced roughly 330,000 people to evacuate. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including its largest on record. Firefighters held the French blaze in check through a calm night, bringing flare-ups near coastal dunes under control and keeping the burned area unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles). Authorities described the Gironde fire as stabilized, not fixed, meaning it could still spread again as temperatures rose and humidity fell. The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, including Lacanau Ocean and both shores of Lacanau lake, Gironde regional authorities said. “We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.” France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 Celsius (91 to 95 Fahrenheit). Southeast winds were expected across Gironde, with westerly sea breezes along the coast. More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service and the World Meteorological Organization. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said. The Gironde blaze has been raging since last week and has proven wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding firestorm. It has burned an area four times the size of Paris and prompted the evacuation of 220,000 people. Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the vast perimeter. Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed work early Tuesday on firebreaks designed to prevent the flames from spreading. Authorities said 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks had been completed. A total of 93 firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said. The A63 highway remained partly closed, while rail traffic south of Bordeaux was suspended except on the route toward Toulouse. In neighboring Landes, thousands of evacuees were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing. The fire had displaced more than 30,000 residents and vacationers. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had been stopped and there were no new fire starts. About 15,000 people were authorized to return home Monday night in Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born and some parts of Biscarrosse. Residents of Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground were among those allowed back, although several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible. The return marked a significant step for communities evacuated as flames swept through forests and tourist areas during the height of the summer vacation season. Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished. Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or possibly weeks. Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” but warned that conditions could deteriorate as temperatures rose again. Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 C (104 F) in some areas. Authorities have evacuated about 79,000 people and ordered another 30,000 to remain in their homes. The government declared a national emergency over the fires. The greatest concern remained two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid. Another fire in the eastern province of Castellón also forced mass evacuations. A fire burning through hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said. “Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila. “We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said. Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

Over 300 000 evacuated in France and Spain as authorities prepare for renewed heatwave – 4 Youtube videos - Massive wildfires continued to burn across southwestern Europe on Monday, July 27, 2026 as French and Spanish authorities prepared for another period of extreme heat expected later this week. More than 300 000 people have been displaced, while thousands of firefighters, aircraft and international emergency crews continue battling some of Europe’s largest wildfires. Officials warned that rising temperatures and critically dry vegetation could make containment efforts significantly more difficult. More than 300 000 people have been displaced across the two countries, while thousands of firefighters, aircraft and international emergency crews remain engaged in suppression operations. The most critical situation remains in France’s Gironde department, where the wildfire advanced to within about 15 km (9 miles) of Bordeaux before cooler temperatures and lighter winds slowed its progress overnight on July 26. The fire had been stabilized but was not yet under control, stressing that firefighters remain on high alert as hotter, drier weather is forecast later this week, accoridng to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Around 220 000 people have been evacuated or displaced since the fire began. The Gironde wildfire has burned about 42 000 ha (104 000 acres), an area roughly four times the size of Paris, making it one of the largest wildfires in modern French history. About 2 500 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, helicopters, military personnel and international crews deployed through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, continue working to prevent renewed fire growth around Bordeaux and the surrounding wine-producing region. President Emmanuel Macron chaired a crisis meeting on Monday to coordinate the national response to the Gironde wildfire and other active fires across France as authorities prepared for another period of dangerous fire weather later this week. France has recorded more than 13 500 wildfires in 2026, with over 100 000 ha (247 000 acres) being reportedly burned nationwide, making this the country’s most severe wildfire season on record. Firefighters battling the Gironde blaze also observed the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds, towering thunderstorms generated by the fire itself. Laurent Nuñez described the phenomenon as a first for France’s wildfire response. These fire-generated storms produce powerful updrafts, erratic winds and lightning that can rapidly increase fire intensity and spread, making suppression efforts significantly more difficult. Spain is simultaneously battling multiple major wildfires across the central and eastern parts of the country, including the record-breaking blaze in Ávila, fires west of Madrid and an active wildfire in Castellón Province. The Ávila wildfire has burned more than 50 000 ha (123 500 acres), making it Spain’s largest recorded wildfire, while more than 150 000 ha (370 700 acres) have burned nationwide during the 2026 wildfire season. More than 100 000 people have been evacuated across affected regions. One of the most challenging operations continues in Castellón Province, where firefighters are working around areas contaminated by unexploded Spanish Civil War ordnance. The unexploded munitions restrict access to parts of the fire zone and complicate suppression efforts. Spanish authorities have also classified several of the ongoing fires as sixth-generation wildfires, describing them as extremely intense fires capable of generating their own weather systems, behaving unpredictably and overwhelming conventional firefighting strategies. Youtube video The European Union has activated its Civil Protection Mechanism to reinforce firefighting operations in both France and Spain. Aircraft, helicopters and ground crews from several participating countries have been deployed to support suppression efforts, while the Copernicus Emergency Management Service continues providing rapid satellite mapping to assist emergency responders. Meteorological agencies warned that the recent improvement in firefighting conditions may be temporary. Another period of extreme heat is forecast later this week, with temperatures expected to exceed 35°C (95°F) across parts of France and 40°C (104°F) in parts of Spain. Authorities warn that critically dry vegetation combined with renewed hot weather could quickly increase wildfire activity and make containment efforts more difficult. Earlier, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez has declared a national emergency covering the Madrid region and the neighboring province of Ávila after fast-moving wildfires threatened populated areas and prompted the activation of Level 3, the country’s highest civil protection emergency reserved for incidents of national interest. The order was signed on July 23 and published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on July 24.

Wildfires are more extreme in Europe and North America, but global burning is oddly decreasing--It seems as if the world is afire this summer. But even as wildfires in Europe and North America grow more extreme, key worldwide burning statistics are at a record low largely because Africa and Asia are controlling fire more. Experts say these seemingly opposite trends are happening at the same time because of what humanity is doing to the planet. "It does seem like a paradox because we're talking increases in fires, yet the global numbers have been going down and down. But they're both true," said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in Canada. Spain's wildfire is that country's largest on record at more than 193 square miles (500 square kilometers) while wildfires in Europe have burned just a bit under 2025's all-time high. In Canada and the United States this summer, land burned by wildfires is at least 25% higher than the 10-year average and more than double what it was decades ago, according to national wildfire centers. Entire chunks of the continent were choked by smoke, causing unhealthy air quality. Fires are worsening in terms of size, intensity, speed and frequency, especially in the U.S., Canada and Europe, said University of Colorado fire scientist Jennifer Balch. "Extreme wildfires are on the rise globally in different parts of the world. And that's the piece that you know has us shaking in our boots,'' Balch said. And yet the world went into July this year with record low global emissions from burning fires, a key measure of their prevalence, the European climate center Copernicus reported. That is because fires in Africa and Asia are way down due to changing agricultural practices, fire management and where people are moving to, said Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at Copernicus. Copernicus calculated that this year's carbon emissions from burning are the lowest since satellites first measured nearly 25 years ago—about half what they were in the early 2000s. "Africa dominates the global fire activity," said UCLA water and fire scientist Park Williams. "So if there's a trend in Africa, then that's going to be the trend in the global fire activity. In sub-Saharan Africa, fire activity over the last 25 years has gone down pretty dramatically." On average, more than three-quarters of the global emissions from the burning of plant material comes from Africa and Asia, Copernicus statistics show. Less than one-eighth comes from North America and Europe. Traditionally, huge grassland fires on the African savanna burned each year, compared to more intermittent forest fires in other regions, influencing worldwide fire totals, said John Abatzaglou, a fire scientist at the University of California Merced. But with more land being used for housing and farming, humans are limiting savanna fires, while also creating barriers to prevent fires from spreading, he said. In Asia and the Amazon fires are often used to clear land for agriculture, experts said. So, Williams said, "it really is all driven by human demographic change." In North America and Europe there are also "human fingerprints" on the more extreme fires dominating the news, but that is from climate change Abatzaglou said. Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas is making it hotter and drier—ideal fire weather—five different experts told The Associated Press. Hotter temperatures mean humans "have our foot on the gas pedal" for bigger fires, "but we also have lost the brakes on fire" because warmer and wetter nights don't give forests—or firefighters—time to recover during darkness like they used to, Balch said. When it gets hotter, the atmosphere sucks more moisture out of the ground, making it drier and easier to burn, Flannigan said. Climate change also increases the length of the burning season across North America and especially in northern forests where there used to be only a few days when the weather was conducive to wildfires, but now there are a lot more, he said. And when climate change makes fire more extreme in places with larger populations, it tends to have a greater impact by burning more valuable property, Flannigan said. Abatzaglou said that North America has long done a good job of fire suppression. But with climate change making fires more intense and frequent, "we're losing our ability to do that," he said.

'Mind-blowing' El Niño stuns scientists. Why are they so concerned? - The world's most influential climate pattern is baring its teeth in the Pacific. The strengthening El Niño – a natural warming of seawater that influences weather around the planet – is setting daily warm water records.It's not only "very likely to be the strongest event since reliable records began – it may end up the strongest by a truly mind-blowing margin," Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, wrote in a post for The Climate Brink, a Substack blog, earlier in July.It remains to be seen what this will mean for the world's weather over the next 12 to 18 months, but climate scientists say El Niño's effects on global temperatures will increase the chances that 2026 could be the warmest year on record, and make it likely that 2027 will be the warmest.Meanwhile, world leaders have expressed concern about the prospect of droughts, heavy rainfall events and heat waves. (It's worth noting, however, that not all El Niño effects are sinister. The climate pattern is widely expected to tame the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season.) El Niño impacts are already being felt in the U.S., suppressing Atlantic hurricane activity and bringing unusual heat and humidity to parts of California, one of the states most vulnerable to El Niño’s impacts.Sea surface temperatures already have crossed the threshold that typically marks a very strong event, Hausfather and Robert Rohde, his colleague at Berkeley Earth, wrote in a monthly climate briefing on July 23. The warming trajectory of sea surface temperatures in the El Niño region along the equator has been “remarkable,” developing faster than the 1997-98 El Niño, Hausfather wrote in the earlier post.NOAA data shows water temperatures in the region have never run this hot in July in the modern record.While El Niño is a naturally occurring pattern, concerns are growing about its amplified impacts when combined with the climate change-fueled warmer-than-normal temperatures around the globe.The world is looking at "an unprecedented combination" between the strong El Niño and the elevated warmth from climate change, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. That will influence what El Niño actually means on the ground in the U.S. and across the world, Swain said. Previous El Niño events temporarily raised global temperatures about 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit, he said. Now the globe will have the effects of long-term human-caused warming with additional warming on top of that. "A potentially record-breaking El Niño on top of record-breaking global temperatures to begin with is a pretty big deal," he said."The odds of either this year or next year, or both, setting a new record warm average global temperature are high," Swain said. “If we don’t get there this year, we almost certainly will next year.”  Sea surface temperatures in the El Niño region of the Pacific are up to 6 degrees warmer than normal for the date, a phenomenon that is several times more likely because of climate change, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science and communications organization."What is most striking is how strong this event is forecast to become," wrote Hausfather and Rohde in their briefing. The vast majority of computer models predict an El Niño that exceeds the 2015-2016 record event, even taking into account the background ocean warming, the pair concluded. It's "more likely than not to be the strongest El Niño ever observed.""El Niño will give an extra boost to global temperatures,” stated Alvaro Silva, a World Meteorological Organization scientist. “We know that during El Niño years, the global temperatures normally reach record levels.”In the U.S., a strong El Niño means “a pretty robust increase in the jet stream,” Swain said. “That can result in more intense and more frequent winter storms in California, the interior southwest and the southern tier of states.”“Some of California’s wettest winters have occurred during some of the strongest El Niños," he said.El Niño can heighten hurricane activity in the eastern Pacific and suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic. Because of its influence on hydrologic cycles, El Niño can bring catastrophic floods to some regions but severe drought and wildfires to others. It can also disrupt fisheries and food production and bring about trillions of dollars in economic losses."The current forecasts imply this could be the costliest El Niño on record," Specifically, there are likely to be drier-than-average conditions in Central America and the Caribbean, along with North and South America, the United Nations said. Drier weather patterns are also forecast in parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia during the monsoon season, but wetter conditions are anticipated during the rainy season from September to December in East Africa.

It's not just El Nino - sea surface temperatures globally are at record levels -- Ocean temperatures across our planet have been warming substantially over the last couple of months.  Climate Central climate scientist Zack Labe posted this graphic over the weekend showing that global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are currently running at all-time record warm levels — even warmer than the unprecedented levels seen in 2023 and 2024. This record warmth is foundationally supported by the rapidly growing El Nino — with SSTs in the tropical Pacific also at record warm levels for this time of year.  However, this global SST anomaly map shows that with a few exceptions, anomalous warmth is pretty much everywhere. Along with the clear signature of the El Nino extending west along the equator from South America, another particularly warm "blob" has been growing over the northern Pacific where SSTs are as much as 5 to 6 degrees Celsius above normal.Much of the Mediterranean Sea (and Atlantic waters offshore western Europe) is also experiencing particularly abnormal warmth, with temperatures of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal over much of the western half of the basin. These warm SSTs and ongoing record heat across Europe are likely part of a dynamic, self-reinforcing cycle that's also playing a key role in the drought and massive wildfires plaguing the region.This past weekend, all-time record warm minimum temperatures were set at locations across the western and central United States including Phoenix, and unusually high dewpoint values and moisture levels were observed across this region.  These impacts are directly connected to the anomalous ocean warmth we are seeing across the planet: a warmer planet means warmer oceans which means more moisture in the atmosphere which means higher rainfall rates (when thunderstorms occur) and warmer overnight low temperatures. These connections are some of the most studied aspects of climate change, and are strongly supported by basic thermodynamics. They are also supported by observed data. Climate record monitoring from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information show that US and global monthly and all-time record warm minimum temperatures are occurring at about an order of magnitude more frequently than record cold minimum temperatures. The next several months will bring a lot of focus and attention to global climate and the impacts of what increasingly looks like a record El Nino. While El Nino is a natural phenomenon, the broader shifts in our climate are driven by human activity — and that influence on weather is only growing.

Hurricane Fausto moving toward Hawaiʻi, dangerous surf forecast - Dangerous surf generated by Hurricane Fausto is expected to build along east-facing shores of Hawaiʻi starting July 26, 2026, before spreading westward through July 27, with additional hazards including heavy rainfall and damaging winds possible early next week. Forecast details are expected to improve over the coming days as the hurricane approaches.  Hurricane Fausto is forecast to affect the Hawaiian Islands with hazardous conditions beginning as early as July 27, with damaging winds and heavy rainfall possible as the cyclone approaches the state. The specific extent and location of hazardous impacts will become clearer over the next several days as forecast confidence improves. “There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Interests in the Hawaiian Islands should monitor the progress of Fausto,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. At 05:00 HST (15:00 UTC) on July 25, Hurricane Fausto was centered about 1950 km (1 210 miles) east of Hilo, Hawaiʻi. The system was moving west at 22 km/h (14 mph) with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h (100 mph). The estimated minimum central pressure was 971 hPa. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 65 km (40 miles) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reached outward as far as 335 km (205 miles). Hurricane Fausto forecast track July 25, 2026-NHC. Long-period swells generated by Fausto are expected to begin reaching east-facing shores of the eastern Hawaiian Islands on July 26 before spreading westward overnight into July 27. Surf is forecast to continue building through July 28 as the hurricane moves closer to the state. The increasing swell is expected to produce life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents along exposed east-facing coastlines. Residents and visitors are advised to follow guidance issued by local authorities and the National Weather Service, as forecast details and potential impacts will continue to evolve over the coming days.

Hurricane Fausto Is Headed Toward Hawaii — Will It Get There? - Hurricane Fausto is moving towards the Hawaiian Islands. While the Atlantic hurricane basin remains quiet, the eastern Pacific basin has been active. Fausto is the sixth named storm of the Pacific season. Hurricane Genevieve just became the first category 5 storm in the basin, but it is not expected to impact land. Fausto, however, will move close enough to the Hawaiian Islands that some degree of attention is warranted. At the time of writing Monday morning, Hurricane Fausto was moving at 14 miles per hour toward Hawaii with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. On its current track, it is expected to skirt just north of the islands. That’s the first bit of good news. The second piece of good news is that the storm is expected to weaken over the next several days as it gets closer to Hawaii. “Environmental conditions are expected to become increasingly less favorable for Fausto during the next couple of days as the hurricane moves into a drier mid-level environment over marginal sea surface temperatures,” according to the National Hurricane Center. Vertical wind shear is also expected to increase. "By the time Fausto moves north of the Hawaiian Islands, it is forecast to be a weakening tropical storm, with the deepest convection becoming increasingly displaced from the low-level center and the strongest winds confined to the northern side of the circulation," NHC went on to say. Though a weakening storm is expected to move north of the Hawaiian Islands, it is important to remember that hurricanes are not “dots” on a map. Weather associated with the storm and its spiral bands can cover broad areas, so I would not be surprised if some of the islands experience winds, rainfall and swells as the storm passes north of Hawaii. “Surf generated by Fausto will continue to build westward across the state along exposed east-facing shores through Tuesday as Fausto approaches and begins to pass north of the islands…Large surf and strong currents will lead to dangerous conditions along exposed shores,” cautioned Hurricane Center forecasters.

Hurricane Genevieve briefly reaches Category 5, hazardous marine conditions continue along parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast - Genevieve became the first eastern Pacific hurricane to reach Category 5 strength since Hurricane Kristy in 2024 after rapidly intensifying on Monday, July 27, 2026. The hurricane weakened back to Category 4 later in the day as it entered an eyewall replacement cycle, with gradual weakening forecast over cooler waters during the coming days. Hurricane Genevieve remained a high-end Category 4 hurricane over the eastern North Pacific on July 27 after briefly reaching Category 5 intensity during a period of explosive rapid intensification earlier. Genevieve strengthened rapidly on July 27, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) assigning it Category 4 status in a bulletin issued at 03:00 UTC. By 09:00 UTC, the system had reached Category 5 strength. One-minute sustained winds reached 260 km/h (160 mph). At the time, the system was located 850 km (530 miles) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. It had an estimated minimum central pressure of 925 hPa. It was the first hurricane to reach Category 5 strength in the eastern Pacific since Hurricane Kristy in 2024. By 15:00 UTC on July 27, the system had weakened back to Category 4 strength. It was located about 835 km (520 miles) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California at the time. The cyclone was moving northwest at 20 km/h (13 mph) with maximum sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph). It had an estimated minimum central pressure of 929 hPa. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect. Hurricane Genevieve satellite loop on July 27, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-19, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers Satellite imagery showed the hurricane retaining a distinct warm eye, although its infrared cloud pattern had become less organized than during its peak, indicating that the rapid intensification phase had ended. Microwave satellite imagery indicated that the hurricane had entered an eyewall replacement cycle, a structural process frequently observed in very intense tropical cyclones. During this process, a secondary eyewall develops around the original eye, temporarily reducing maximum winds before the storm reorganizes. Guidance referenced in your source placed the probability of an eyewall replacement cycle during the following 24 hours at 42%, allowing for additional short-term fluctuations in intensity. Environmental conditions remained supportive of a powerful hurricane, including sea surface temperatures near 29°C (84°F), low vertical wind shear, and favorable upper-level outflow.

Hurricane Genevieve roars in the Pacific  (AP) — Rough surf was possible for Hawaii and Mexico on Tuesday thanks to two tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean that forecasters said were sending strong waves to some coastal areas.Tropical Storm Fausto was expected to pass just north of the Hawaiian islands starting Tuesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was expected to weaken from tropical storm strength early Wednesday.On Tuesday, Fausto was about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east-northeast of Honolulu and moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph). Forecasters said strong currents from the tropical storm could create dangerous conditions on some Hawaii beaches.Meanwhile, Hurricane Genevieve strengthened to a Category 4, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 130 mph (215 kph) for the major hurricane, which was about 590 miles (950 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Swells from Genevieve were reaching Baja California and coastal southwestern Mexico. Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.On the forecast track, Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity for about a day before consistently weakening.

China evacuates 340,000 people as Typhoon Noul approaches - Authorities have evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and rail services as Typhoon Noul approaches southern China, with flight cancellations announced in Hong Kong. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall along the coast between Shenzhen and Haifeng in Guangdong province early Sunday, China's National Meteorological Center said. The Chinese weather forecaster issued a red typhoon alert Saturday night, the highest level in its four-tier system. Parts of Guangdong and neighboring Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces are set to receive heavy rainfall from Saturday night to Sunday night, it said. When the typhoon makes landfall, it is forecast to have maximum sustained winds of 151–173 kilometers per hour (94–107 mph). More than 340,000 people have been evacuated in Guangdong, Xinhua news agency said. Twelve cities across the province, including Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shantou, have suspended "classes, work, production, business operations, and transportation" either fully or partially, it added. All train services in the province will be halted Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV said. Hong Kong, a financial hub, issued its third-highest typhoon warning Saturday night, with local authorities saying they had opened 28 temporary shelters across the city. The Hong Kong Observatory said it would consider raising the warning to the second-highest level early Sunday. "Local winds will strengthen significantly overnight," it added. The city's airport authority said Saturday that at least 49 flights were canceled and 238 delayed, adding that "a large number of flights are expected to be affected tomorrow." Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific said it had canceled all flights scheduled to arrive and depart from Hong Kong International Airport between 1:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time Sunday (1715 GMT Saturday and 1000 GMT Sunday). "A small number of other flights will be delayed as we set up our flying plan to resume once the typhoon passes," it said in a statement Saturday. Guangdong's Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport said airlines would adjust flight schedules from Sunday morning to around midday "depending on weather conditions." Typhoon Noul is "characterized by deep inland penetration, a prolonged duration, heavy cumulative rainfall, a path traversing complex terrain, and a high risk of causing disasters," CCTV said, citing meteorologists. Authorities upgraded Guangdong's emergency response for "flood and typhoon control" to the third level in its four-tier system Saturday afternoon, Xinhua reported. A level-four flood emergency response for Jiangxi and Hunan was also activated, Xinhua added. Extreme weather has already wreaked havoc on southern and central China this month, with 39 people killed when Typhoon Maysak triggered devastating floods in Guangxi. Maysak also caused thunderstorms and gale-force winds that killed 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei.

Strong and shallow M7.1 earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan, hazardous tsunami waves possible - A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.8 struck Kyushu, Japan at 07:27 UTC (16:27 JST) on July 28, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.8 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), while the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported M7.1 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) in the Kumamoto Region, Kumamoto Prefecture. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), hazardous tsunami waves are possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter. The epicenter was located 5.2 km (3.2 miles) E of Uto (population 37 442), 6.2 km (3.9 miles) NE of Matsubase (population 26 163), 8.7 km (5.4 miles) NE of Uki (population 59 928), 10.2 km (6.3 miles) WSW of Mifune (population 16 901), and 14.1 km (8.8 miles) SSE of Kumamoto (population 738 907), Japan. According to the USGS PAGER, 813 000 people are estimated to have felt severe shaking, 609 000 very strong, 1.7 million strong, and 8 million moderate. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), hazardous tsunami waves are possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are heavy wood frame and reinforced/confined masonry construction. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses. Liquefaction triggered by this earthquake is estimated to be significant in severity and/or spatial extent, according to the USGS. The number of people living near areas that could have produced liquefaction in this earthquake is extensive. Landslides triggered by the earthquake are expected to be significant in severity and/or spatial extent, with a significant population exposed.

Earthquake in Japan leaves dozens missing in shopping center collapse  (AP) — A 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook Japan ’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday, leaving several people dead and dozens of others injured or missing after part of a shopping center and a huge chimney at a paper factory collapsed, officials said. A tsunami advisory was issued but quickly lifted. At least three people, including two who were found without vital signs at the mall late Tuesday, were confirmed dead, and about 30 others were injured across the Kagoshima prefecture, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday. In Kashima Town, the quake collapsed the second floor of the Aeon Mall shopping center, trapping an unknown number of people there, according to the fire department in the prefectural capital of Kumamoto. Japan’s NHK national television said the collapse came after an explosion, believed to have been triggered by a gas leak at the building. Four people were pulled out with injuries and taken to a hospital, while 10 others were unaccounted for, the Kumamoto prefectural emergency response team said. It said the extent of the damage was still being investigated as the search and rescue effort continued. A 35-year-old male shopkeeper told Japan’s Asahi newspaper that he fled the building after the quake alert, and heard an explosion sounding like a bomb blast about an hour later. When he turned around, he saw enormous white smoke billowing from the mall. A female employee at the mall told Japanese broadcaster TBS television that she and her colleagues smelled gas when they returned to their shops after helping customers to evacuate out of the building, then heard the explosion. A man interviewed by Yomiuri newspaper said that his friend who works at the mall was missing, and he was praying for those who are unaccounted for to be safely rescued. At the Nippon Paper Industries Co.'s Yatsushiro factory, where a chimney collapsed and the building was damaged, 11 people were trapped underneath the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said. Two of them were later found without vital signs, while the conditions of nine others were unknown, the team said. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate, most of them in Kumamoto prefecture, but also in the neighboring Nagasaki prefecture. The affected area is about 900 kilometers (540 miles) southwest of Tokyo, the country’s capital.

Live updates: Japan earthquake and rescue efforts, at least 13 dead in Kumamoto | CNN - At least 13 people have been confirmed dead after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday.  CNN is outside a shopping mall where three people are dead and three are missing, its operator said, after the building partially collapsed due to a likely gas explosion. One woman who lives across the road told CNN the blast was “terrifyingly loud.” : Takaichi says “every second counts” as thousands of military personnel mobilize to reach those who are trapped. Track the impact in maps and charts here.   Several people are also unaccounted for at a paper factory. Bridges have buckled, and a historic castle has once again been damaged in a region still reeling from a larger 2016 quake. The effects from Tuesday’s powerful earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan, have left at least three workers dead at a partially collapsed shopping mall, the complex’s operator said, and five people at a paper factory have also died, public broadcaster NHK reported. Another shopping mall worker is in a critical condition, three are missing, and four others have been hospitalized due to their injuries, Akio Yoshida, the president of Aeon Malls, said in a press conference. The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time when around 3,000 people were on site, Yoshida said, adding that it was during the mall’s summer vacation peak season. All customers had been evacuated to the parking lot by 5 p.m. local time, and the explosion occurred 50 minutes later, he said. Echoing other officials, Yoshida said a gas leak likely caused the explosion but that has not yet been confirmed by the fire department. At the Nippon paper factory, which sustained extensive damage during the earthquake, five people were killed and four others are still missing, NHK reported. Two others have been rescued.The deadly explosion at the Aeon mall was so “terrifyingly loud” that it made local resident Yuko Yonemitsu’s ears hurt. “It was like a huge explosion right next to my ear. I couldn’t even tell if it was an earthquake or something else,” said Yonemitsu, who lives across the street. “The sound was so terrifyingly loud, it felt like something had dropped right into our own backyard,” she told CNN. Yonemitsu, 70, said her friends’ homes were “completely trashed” after the earthquake. She’s now grappling with the fear that more aftershocks are to come. “I keep feeling like another big one might be on the way.”

Japan earthquake: Rescuers search for survivors after 7.1 quake kills 18 (AP) — Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 18 people, including a foreigner, in southwestern Japan. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu also left at least 62 people injured, six of them seriously, the prefectural government said. The tally has been steadily growing, fanning fears it may continue to rise. Some of the most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened. The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before a gas explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working. Fumika Ono was shopping at a mall with her older sister when the ground shook so fiercely she lost her balance and ducked. Children began screaming and goods scattered on the floor. The 19-year-old was among the crowd of shoppers who managed to escape safely. The sweltering weather heightened worries about the survivors as rescuers braved the heat. It remained unclear how many people might still be missing. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Witnesses said the explosion shook the area as much as the quake. Three people remained missing, while four deaths were confirmed at the mall site, according to Aeon President Akio Yoshida. “We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost,” Yoshida told a news conference in Kumamoto, where he bowed deeply along with two other executives. Japanese media footage of the mall showed that part of the ceiling had caved in, and metal pieces and other debris were scattered about as helmeted and masked rescue workers searched the area. Kiyoshi Matsunaga, 74, who lives in the mall’s neighborhood and was at a supermarket just a few blocks away, said Tuesday’s quake reminded him of a deadly quake 10 years ago that hit Kumamoto and killed 50 people. He stopped in his tracks when the shaking began while he was pushing his cart toward a cash register. Things scattered from the shelves. He could not move, he recalled. In the Nuyamazu district, a pair of temple gates at a 16th-century Buddhist temple collapsed. They had just been repaired five years ago. Yuki Kiyozumi, deputy chief priest at the temple, recalled how she had to crawl on the floor because the shaking was so violent. She had just returned home from a meeting and was about to feed her cat. “I don’t even know if or how we can rebuild them again,” she said, while cleaning up damaged ornaments and furniture. In nearby Yatsushiro, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people while seven others were rescued from the debris, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government disaster team. Four people were still believed to be trapped there, it said. In the first reported death of a foreign national, a Vietnamese technical intern was killed after a crane fell on him at a factory where he worked, according to the Vietnamese government. He had arrived in Japan in January. Seven other Vietnamese technical interns at the factory evacuated safely. Separately, a Vietnamese woman married to one of the workers was injured when a wall collapsed and was being treated at a hospital. Nearly 34,900 homes were still without electricity and some 15,000 homes without running water, Kumamoto officials said. More than 8,800 people left their homes to stay in over 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

The oceans near Australia may be the best places to fertilize for removing carbon dioxide  - Deploying ocean iron fertilization—a strategy for carbon dioxide capture—in higher latitudes rather than near the equator could reduce environmental impacts while still achieving removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a modeling study published in Nature. The findings offer insight into best practices for maximizing carbon dioxide removal while reducing potential ecological trade-offs typically associated with iron fertilization. Current carbon emissions are projected to surpass the Paris Climate Agreement's limit of 2°C above preindustrial levels. Ocean iron fertilization—in which iron is added to surface water to stimulate phytoplankton growth for carbon dioxide removal—is a potential solution. However, the ecological impacts of this strategy, such as creating runaway algal blooms and depleting nutrients in the water, have been a limitation. Jun Yu, Adam Martiny and colleagues used an ocean iron fertilization model to assess the climate benefits and ecological trade-offs of the approach. By analyzing more than six decades of fertilization data, they found that net carbon dioxide removal was up to 5.3 parts per million, which corresponds to a removal rate of 0.70 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year. Furthermore, Yu and colleagues found that the most productive areas—that is, the areas with the largest plankton blooms—after iron fertilization were the Southern Ocean and the equatorial Pacific. A key ecological issue with the strategy involves the depletion of macronutrients from the water column, particularly in areas near the tropical Pacific, which can propagate through the food chain and result in declines in macrozooplankton biomass. Ecosystem and atmospheric CO2 resilience after iron fertilization ceases. Credit: Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10795-y However, the authors determined that these disturbances posed less risk when fertilization was deployed in higher latitudes. Specifically, they note that fertilizing 0.35% of the ocean in the equatorial Pacific leads to a minimum decline of 10% in macrozooplankton biomass, while fertilizing 0.2% of the Southern Ocean led to a 10% increase in macrozooplankton. The authors suggest that fertilizing the Southern Ocean offers the best balance between ecological disturbance and carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. However, they caution that ocean iron fertilization has downstream effects and that any localized interventions will inherently have nonlocal effects.

An entire world of fungi nearly a third of a mile underground could affect carbon storage estimates -Hundreds of feet below Earth's surface, rocks and water teem with fungi and support complex ecosystems of tiny organisms, according to a University of Michigan study that finds fungi are far more abundant deep underground than researchers previously thought.The study, led by U-M doctoral candidate Quinn Moon, is believed to be the first to successfully quantify fungal abundance at a deep subsurface site, as deep as 1,640 feet below ground. Moon and colleagues identified 689 unique species of fungi, including 13 species that have not been described before, in water samples drawn from gas-well sites. Using genetic tools and microscopy, the research team found that a single drop of this water may contain as many fungal cells as a drop of ocean water. That equals roughly 250 fungal cells in a single drop—or more than 12 trillion cells in an Olympic-sized pool.The researchers also found other complex life forms, including tardigrades—often called "water bears"—and tiny segmented worms. Together, the organisms appear to form a true underground food web. Some organisms likely eat others, while some may live as parasites, according to the study, published in The ISME Journal."Our study challenges the idea that it's inhospitable for more complex life like fungi in the deep subsurface, and under favorable conditions, eukaryotes can be quite abundant," Moon said. "We propose in the paper that we may be meaningfully underestimating the biomass and diversity of fungi on the planet because we've never incorporated the subsurface into estimates of global fungal biodiversity." Tim James, curator of fungi at the U-M Herbarium and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, is the senior author of the study. The study brought together Earth scientists and fungal biologists to investigate whether fungi inhabited deep spaces in Earth.To study organisms in the subsurface, the researchers examined the Antrim Shale, a buried rock formation rich in organic material that stretches beneath much of the Great Lakes region. They collected water from gas wells drilled into the shale at depths ranging from 650 to 1,640 feet (200 to 500 meters). The team, which included hydrologists, biologists and geologists, then tested the water to determine its origin.Using the water samples' stable isotopes—atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons—the researchers determined that the water from deep beneath the ground likely came from melting ice sheets that covered Michigan at the end of the last Ice Age and that much of the water "was last in contact with the surface 11,000 years ago," Moon said.Melting glacial water likely carried fungi and bacteria down through porous and fractured rock layers until they settled in cracks of the Antrim Shale, where they began munching on the organic material trapped in the rock. The researchers also studied carbon dioxide and methane in the samples to confirm that the shale itself is the food source at the base of this underground ecosystem."For a long time, there wasn't evidence that eukaryotes can be abundant in the deep subsurface. People have found traces of them using environmental DNA, but they've been chalked up to being transient or dormant," said Moon, a researcher in James' lab.There are likely similar sites around the world, according to Moon. Deep rock formations that hold reservoirs of oil and gas may also support undescribed communities of fungi and other eukaryotic organisms.The study raises new questions about carbon stored underground. Scientists often think of carbon locked in rock as safely sequestered. But if fungi, alongside bacteria and other organisms, convert some of that ancient material into gas, then underground carbon may be more biologically active than previously thought."Regardless of whether these fungi originated in or were introduced to these deep spaces, many fungi possess adaptations that allow them to grow and influence the carbon dynamics deep in the Earth," James said. "Fungi need to be incorporated into models of carbon cycling and sequestration in the subsurface."The team isolated and grew more than 200 kinds of fungi from the deep subsurface to help researchers better understand how fungi survive in extreme environments, how underground ecosystems function and what happens to carbon stored in Earth's crust. The collection is now the first public collection of deep subsurface fungi and is stored at the U-M Herbarium."The discovery opens a window into a world that is dark, ancient and almost entirely hidden—but is far from lifeless," Moon said.

Senate GOP to add ethanol legislation to farm bill - Senate Republicans will include language to permanently allow year-round sales of E15 fuel in the farm bill they plan to mark up next Thursday, according to two people familiar with the plans. The E15 language that senators are planning to attach to their package is a scaled-back version of the bill the House passed in May. The House bill narrowed exemptions for certain small refiners, a provision that became a sticking point for some GOP senators.Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) is set to formally schedule the farm bill markup for Aug. 6. His bill will include E15 language that more closely mirrors legislation championed by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), according to the two people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.Republican senators have spent recent weeks negotiating an approach that would expand ethanol sales while addressing refining industry concerns. They ultimately concluded that attaching the provision to the farm bill offered its best chance of becoming law this year, according to the two people.

Drivers flock to EVs amid rising gas prices from Iran war - Electric vehicle sales have spiked worldwide amid the U.S.-led war in Iran, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Between March and June, sales roughly doubled in Australia, Brazil, India, South Korea and Vietnam compared to the same period last year, helping to bolster China’s globally dominant EV sector, the Paris-based intergovernmental organization said. “Electric car sales are now expected to reach 29% of total car sales worldwide in 2026,” the report said. “Together with strong second-quarter market momentum and policy support for EVs in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Europe, these trends support the expectation that electric car sales will grow around 10% this year, compared to 2025.” The surging sales mark a reversal from the first quarter of this year, when global EV purchases were pushed down when motorists cooled on the cars in key markets such as the U.S. and China. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have cut support for EVs and renewable energy, while they push fossil-fuel-first policies.

More House Republicans target California air pollution rules - - Pennsylvania Republican Rep. John Joyce introduced legislation Thursday that would undo a 2013 federal waiver that allowed California to impose stricter pollution standards for vehicles.The legislation is the latest attack in the Republican onslaught against federal EPA waivers for California air pollution rules dating as far back as the Obama administration.Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) introduced a similar resolution late last week, and two more could be coming from Rep. James Gallagher (R-Calif.) as soon as next week, according to a person familiar with the situation, granted anonymity to share nonpublic information.The Republican-controlled Congress last year repealed three Biden-era waivers for California rules that GOP lawmakers said amounted to an electric vehicle mandate. The Trump administration now wants to scrap four more waivers.

Texas green-lights water plan lacking data center forecasts -  Texas water officials approved the initial 2027 State Water Plan on Thursday after denying a petition to have it include forecasts and historic figures on data centers’ water usage.The Texas Water Development Board’s staff had recommended rejecting the additions because of how late the state is in its five-year water planning cycle.The approved water plan includes no specific data on large-scale digital infrastructure. Breann Hunter, an attorney with the water board, said the agency is working on methodologies to separate data center and crypto miner demand in the next state water plan — which will be published in 2032.“I just didn’t want folks to think that if it’s not in the water plan, someone’s not thinking about it or someone’s not considering it,” said Brady Franks, a member of the agency’s board, during Thursday’s meeting.

EPA excuses data centers from acid rain regs - EPA declared Monday that power generators that don’t sell power to the grid aren’t beholden to Clean Air Act acid rain standards. EPA’s new guidance states that “under the best reading” of the Clean Air Act, “islanded” power plants like those used exclusively to power data centers aren’t subject to EPA’s cap-and-trade program for sulfur dioxide or its curbs on nitrogen oxides. EPA cast the guidance as an effort to insulate ratepayers from the costs associated with increased power demand from data center build-out. “Ensuring that the United States maintains our artificial intelligence dominance is essential to national security and economic prosperity,” said Aaron Szabo, EPA’s assistant administrator for air and radiation. “At the same time, it is equally important that we safeguard our communities from utility price hikes.”

Flawless – Hyperscalers Add Carbon Capture, Renewables and Nuclear to Offset Expanded Gas Use -- Natural gas-fired generation is the undisputed king in the realm of data center development, at least for the near term.  Still, hyperscalers like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are taking a variety of steps to mitigate the climate impact of their rapidly expanding gas use. These include capturing and sequestering most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) from their gas plants, developing new renewable energy capacity to offset their gas-fired generation, and ramping up their use of nuclear power. In today’s RBN blog, we conclude our series on this topic with a look at several key examples of these efforts.This is the third and final blog in a series on how many of the nation’s largest hyperscalers acknowledge that the need to rapidly ramp up the availability of around-the-clock electricity to power their new data centers gives them little choice but to rely heavily on gas-fired generation. As we said in Part 1, the catch is that these gas-dependent plans conflict head-on with the companies’ long-stated “net zero” goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so many of these same AI giants are taking aggressive steps to mitigate the environmental impact of their fast-rising gas use. We also summarized the major hyperscalers’ stated goals for reducing GHGs, the new challenges they face in meeting those goals, and identified the primary approaches that hyperscalers are leaning into.In Part 2 we focused on a popular tactic, namely the purchase and retirement of low-methane intensity (low-MI) gas certificates — aka MiQ certificates — tied to natural gas that has been independently certified as having very low MI. Today, we will shift to a discussion of three other mitigatory approaches hyperscalers have been taking.We’ll start with plans by some to employ carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). We noted in Part 1 that Nscale, the developer of the 8-GW Monarch Compute Campus in West Virginia (purple dot in Figure 1 below), is working on a plan to capture CO2 generated by gas-fired power units at the site and utilize 800 million metric tons of already-secured CO2 pore space. (Permit applications for the first Class VI CO2 injection and storage well were filed in 2024; approvals are expected in Q2 2027.)We also mentioned that Google holds a long-term agreement to buy most of the power generated by the Broadwing Energy Center (blue dot), a new 400-MW, gas-fired plant in Decatur, IL, being developed by Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI), a portfolio company of I-Squared Capital. More than 90% of the plant’s CO2 will be captured and sequestered at an existing Class VI well at the site. The electricity produced at the plant will flow into the regional grid, which serves (among many other customers) existing and planned Google data centers in Aurora and New Lenox, IL.There are other examples too, among the most prominent being Chevron’s Project Kilby (green dot), a planned 2.67-GW, gas-fired power complex in West Texas’s Reeves County whose output will power a new Microsoft data center under development at the same location. Reeves County is in the heart of the Permian’s Delaware Basin, a crude-oil-focused shale play that also generates vast amounts of natural gas. Chevron has said that while its massive power complex will not be connected to CCS when the behind-the-meter (BTM) project starts coming online in 2028, the facility’s GE Vernova 7HA gas turbines are designed to be retrofitted with CCS-related equipment at a later date. (An upcoming blog will discuss Project Kilby in more detail.)Also, ExxonMobil is currently engaged in front-end engineering design (FEED) for a BTM, gas-fired power complex at a yet-to-be-identified site along the Gulf Coast that would provide at least 1.5 GW to data centers to be developed nearby. Unlike Chevron’s Project Kilby, ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon Data Center project will employ CCS from the get-go, with the captured and compressed CO2 being fed into the company’s vast coastal network of CO2 pipelines and sequestration sites. ExxonMobil has been in talks with data center developers and expects to reach a final investment decision (FID) on its power-with-CCS project in late 2026.For years now — starting well before the AI boom — high-tech companies like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have been among the nation’s leading purchasers of renewable power from wind, solar and geothermal developers, and in some cases they have developed projects themselves. The intermittent nature of wind and solar power production in particular has precluded the use of these technologies for the highly reliable, 24/7 electricity supply data centers depend on, so many new wind and solar projects are being built with a battery energy storage system (BESS) nearby to store their power output for later use.The ongoing race to build new data centers (see Go Speed Racer Go), most of which are initially powered by natural gas, has added urgency to hyperscalers’ efforts to line up additional renewable resources. As we said in Part 1, in at least a few instances, these companies are planning renewable energy facilities near their planned data center sites to reduce the amount of gas-fired power that needs to be produced (also see Together in Electric Dreams). For example:

• Amazon in January acquired the fully permitted Sunstone site in Morrow County, OR (orange dot in Figure 1 above), where it plans to develop 1.2 GW of solar and a 1.2-GW BESS to support the company’s nearby data centers.
• In March, Google and Fervo Energy executed a Geothermal Framework Agreement (GFA) that calls for the development of up to 3 GW of geothermal generating capacity by 2033, including 1 GW of projects over the next two years.
• In July, Google and Cypress Creek Energy broke ground on what they said will be the largest solar facility in the U.S.: the 2.5-GW Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, AR (red dot). The facility, slated to come online in 2029, will also have a BESS component capable of providing 2.9 GWh to the regional grid. (Google is an anchor investor in a 1.6-GW portion of the solar element of the project and a 1.6-GWh portion of the BESS element and an offtaker of power from the overall project.)

Another project worth noting is actually a hybrid of gas-fired power, renewables and CCS — and an example of how the evolution of data center power supply may play out more broadly. Natural State Renewables’ Project Nimbus (pink dot) is a proposed data center campus in south-central Arkansas that would provide increasing amounts of power in three phases as new data center capacity starts up. As shown from left to right in Figure 2 below, the first phase of 150 to 200 MW would come in the form of small, modular gas-fired generators; that could happen as soon as 2028. Power in the second phase (with an incremental 350 to 400 MW by 2030) would come from the combination of a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) plant, a gas-fired combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, the modular generators from Phase 1, and a possible connection to the regional grid. (A BECCS plant generates energy from biomass like agricultural waste and wood chips while capturing and storing the CO2 produced.) The third phase, which would provide a total of 1 GW or more by the early 2030s, would add a second BECCS plant and a second CCGT plant. The developer noted that it hopes to secure Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for an onsite Class VI sequestration well in mid-2027.Nuclear power is perhaps the most reliable way to provide reliable, around-the-clock electricity to data centers without generating CO2 or other GHGs. For that reason, several hyperscalers have either turned to existing nuclear capacity for data-center power or announced their support for the development of new nuclear capacity, especially small modular reactors (SMRs). Examples here include Microsoft’s long-term deal to buy all of the 835 MW to be produced by Constellation’s Three Mile Island Unit 1 in Pennsylvania (now called the Crane Clean Energy Center) when it is restarted in 2028, and Amazon’s agreement to buy up to 1.9 GW from Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear station, also in Pennsylvania (see We’ll Be Together). In addition, Google has agreed to buy power from NextEra Energy’s now-idled Duane Arnold nuclear plant near Cedar Rapids, IA, when the 615-MW facility is restarted in 2029.Separately, Amazon, Google and Meta are backing plans for advanced SMRs, each taking a slightly different approach. Amazon has entered into a partnership with Energy Northwest and SMR developer X-energy to build as many as 12 80-MW advanced SMRs at the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility near Richland, WA (see rendering above); Amazon also has invested in X-energy. Google, in turn, has committed to buy up to 500 MW from a fleet of seven molten-salt-cooling SMRs planned by Kairos Power; the first SMR is now under construction in Oak Ridge, TN. Meta, finally, is funding the early development of the first two 350-MW Natrium SMRs planned by TerraPower, and plans to buy the output of the first eight units (a total of 2.8 GW) to help power Meta data centers.That’s just a brief and partial overview. We’ll continue to track not only the development of the gas-fired plants being built to support AI, but also the efforts to advance certified gas and other ways hyperscalers are working to mitigate the climate impact of their expanded gas use.

Nvidia considers $250bn backstop for OpenAI's planned 10GW Ohio data center – report - Nvidia is in talks to provide a $250 billion backstop for a planned OpenAI data center in southern Ohio. The SoftBank facility could cost more than $500bn, consume 10GW, and be the largest ever data center. Its first phase is expected in 2028, at around 800MW.The Wall Street Journal reports that Nvidia’s backing would allow SoftBank to raise debt at more favorable terms, making the facility more viable.The project was first announced this March on Department of Energy land, currently home to a decommissioned uranium-enrichment site. SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy is set to build 10GW of new power generation, including 9.2GW of natural gas generation, to power the facility. OpenAI is also an SB Energy investor.As part of a broader trade deal, Japan agreed to invest $33 billion in the natural-gas power project operated by SB Energy. The US government will reportedly pay SB Energy to operate the project, one of the people said. Japan and the US will split the power sales until Japan recovers its investment, after which the American government will get 90 percent of the revenue, the WSJ reports.Under the Nvidia backstop deal, which is still under negotiations, the GPU giant would guarantee a series of financing vehicles behind the project. The guarantees would focus on the data center buildout and lease, and not the purchase of the chips set to go into the site.Nvidia has invested $30bn into OpenAI, and is separately in talks to help finance as much as $350bn in chip sales to the company.As the costs of deploying AI at scale continue to grow, Nvidia has increasingly moved to back its customers. The company has been in talks to guarantee a number of OpenAI loans since last year, has backed $860m in lease obligations for an undisclosed partner's data center, and has signed a $1.5bn deal to lease its GPUs back from Lambda.This month, the company announced that it would rent back unused GPUs at a fixed rate from neoclouds, with Firmus and Sharon AI signing on.Google has similarly backstopped loans for Fluidstack lease obligations, with the neocloud set to deploy Google TPUs.

Nvidia is in talks to back OpenAI's Ohio data center with $250 billion in financing - Nvidia is in talks to provide a roughly $250 billion financial backstop for OpenAI as part of a massive data center project in southern Ohio, according to The Wall Street Journal. The backstop would enable OpenAI to lease a 10-gigawatt facility that SB Energy, SoftBank's power subsidiary, is building in southern Ohio. The project is sited on a decommissioned uranium-enrichment facility roughly 50 miles south of Columbus, and the full cost — including chips — could exceed $500 billion, making it the largest data center project announced to date.The proposed arrangement would have Nvidia stand behind a set of financing instruments designed to reassure lenders about the solidity of the project's funding. Such backing is needed partly because OpenAI has not yet turned a profit and therefore cannot obtain an investment-grade credit rating on its own. Terms have not been finalized and the deal could fall apart.Under the terms being discussed, the $250 billion commitment would apply to the lease and construction financing, leaving the cost of the chips themselves outside its scope. In a parallel negotiation, Nvidia is also in talks to help fund OpenAI's acquisition of chips, a figure the Journal said could reach $350 billion. Nvidia has already invested $30 billion in OpenAI.The power for the project is controlled by the U.S. government and funded separately by Japan under a recent trade deal. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is involved in deciding which companies will receive access to that power. In March, Secretary Lutnick, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright broke ground on the complex.Japan agreed to invest $33 billion in a natural-gas power project on the federal land as part of its commitment to invest in the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs. The two countries would share proceeds from power sales until Japan recovers its outlay, at which point Washington's share would rise to 90 percent.The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2028 with around 800 megawatts of power. At full scale, the campus would require roughly 10 gigawatts of electricity. OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Google  have all spoken with Secretary Lutnick about the site.The Ohio project would mark OpenAI's first time leasing a data center directly, reducing its dependence on cloud providers such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle. OpenAI has raised its projected spending on computing infrastructure to around $750 billion through 2030, up from roughly $600 billion earlier this year. The company separately announced plans to build its first wholly owned data center in Effingham County, Georgia, committing $20 billion to that project.

AEP to upgrade for data center at A-Plant site --  AEP Ohio representatives plan to upgrade the power grid in Pike, Jackson and Gallia counties. This project requires regulatory approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). The OPSB process requires public engagement and outreach to residents in the project area. The project involves:

• Building Baku Substation in Pike County off Wakefield Mound Road.
• Building about 50 miles of 765-kilovolt transmission line between Baku Substation and Gavin Substation, located in Cheshire near Highway 554.

The proposed additions to the power grid are needed serve a data center campus planned for the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon, Ohio. The customer is committed to paying for the transmission investments needed to serve the site to help avoid increases to transmission rates for Ohio residents. Your community benefits from the project through tax revenues generated from construction, job creation, and an increase in future electric capacity. Additional electric capacity creates an opportunity for growth and community development in southern Ohio. After reviewing results of field surveys, public meetings in May and incorporating public feedback, officials have determined a preferred line route. Company representatives plan to file a survey corridor for the preferred route with OPSB that extends beyond the anticipated right-of-way to comply with OPSB rules. The company plans to build the line within the acquired right-of-way. If adjustments are needed outside the acquired right-of-way, agents will work with landowners accordingly.

Data centers have become a political issue. Here's where the Ohio governor candidates stand. - The frontrunners for Ohio governor both want to regulate data centers but have different plans for how to address growing concerns. It’s one of the most controversial topics this year: data centers and their rapid expansion in Ohio. “I think we need a leader who just doesn’t say, ‘Hey, open it up, and it’s a free-for-all,’ or a leader who says that they ban it because ‘I don’t understand it,'” Republican nominee for governor Vivek Ramaswamy said in a town hall event in Strongsville last week. Ramaswamy explained that the state needs more data centers in order to store and process data. Previously, Ramaswamy said a total ban would be bad for the economy. During recent events in Northeast Ohio over the past week, Ramaswamy laid out his plan for regulating the tech hubs. “Attract and use and require the use of the best technology that requires only two restaurants’ worth of water rather than 3% of the water supply of a city,” he said after an attendee asked about data centers polluting water. He emphasized that he wanted to protect agriculture and the water supply. Much of the criticism against data centers is mainly due to environmental and energy usage concerns, which Ramaswamy said he understands. “If you’re going to use a whole bunch of energy as a demand user, a hyperscaler, you should bring at least the energy that you’re using,” the Republican said. Democratic candidates Amy Acton and her running mate, David Pepper, went further into detail, taking a hard-line position on data center energy usage. “Nobody should have to pay a dollar more on anything because the data centers are moving in,” Pepper said in an interview. “That should be an absolute baseline, red line of guardrail by the state of Ohio for any future developments.” He said that energy costs, infrastructure, or any tax costs associated with the tech hubs should not fall to Ohioans. On Thursday, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge for data centers to pay their own way. On day one, Pepper said he and Acton will work to put in place major changes, addressing concerns over transparency and safety, as companies frequently ask public officials to sign non-disclosure agreements. “No more NDAs, no more secrecy, no draining the water tank table, no polluting,” the Democrat said. Recently, there was bipartisan outrage over the Ohio EPA’s plan to allow data centers to discharge wastewater into some bodies of water. “Ohio families shouldn’t have to worry about the quality of their air, their water or the health of their communities because a billion-dollar company wants fewer rules,” Acton said in a post on X. Also fueling data center opposition are reports that tax breaks handed out by the state have reached $1.6 billion. “They need to be reined in as well,” Pepper said. Ramaswamy said tax incentives shouldn’t be given to companies using outdated technology. “We should not be given state incentives to bring something here that guzzles water and drives up electric bills,” he said. “The modern versions of that are actually being built today take less water.” Lawmakers attempted to pass legislation reducing those tax breaks, but weren’t able to get it across the finish line before summer recess. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick is “against data centers,” his website says. “Data centers are not just warehouses for computers — they are becoming part of a growing surveillance infrastructure that concentrates unprecedented amounts of personal data and power in the hands of government agencies and large corporations,” Kissick said on his campaign website. He wants to have more transparency in the process as a whole. “These facilities consume massive amounts of electricity and water, contribute to environmental concerns through energy use and electronic waste, and are increasingly being built on productive farmland that should remain available for food production and local communities,” he wrote.

Democrat running for Ohio governor calls for conditional moratorium on new data centers -  Ohio’s Democratic candidate for governor, Amy Acton, has a message for data centers that want to come into Ohio: you must meet certain conditions before being allowed to build here. Data centers have been lauded as a clean industry with good-paying jobs. But as they proliferated in Ohio, they came under scrutiny, with swaths of farmland being bought up to build them. Critics blamed their massive energy needs for straining utilities, resulting in higher rates for Ohioans. Acton said Monday she supports a conditional moratorium on new data centers. “Costs are too high, and Ohio families and businesses need protection from data centers driving up costs. Ohio is open for business, but we are not up for sale. If you do not meet these conditions, we do not want you in Ohio," Acton said in a statement. Acton’s running mate, David Pepper, detailed those conditions in an interview, saying they include using 100% union labor to build the data centers. Unions have expressed support for data center construction. Pepper said other conditions include meeting environmental standards, signing community benefit agreements, and ensuring data centers cover all of their utility costs. “No one should be paying more because a data center came to town,” Pepper said. He said ideally, those centers would bring their own energy source so costs can actually decrease. He also said the centers must be transparent, with no non-disclosure agreements. Where Acton’s opponent stands on data centers Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has been supportive of data centers, and has also said data centers should take care of their energy needs, including using nuclear energy. His spokesman, Evan Machan, criticized Acton for her comments. “Vivek has spent more than a year taking tough questions from Ohioans on this issue, while Amy Acton has spent months in hiding,” Machan said in a written statement. “She finally spoke up, only to parrot ideas Vivek has shared for months and pretend it’s new. Let’s see if the media falls for it.”   Ramaswamy has been endorsed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, which has advocated for data centers in Ohio. He’s also received sizable financial contributions to his campaign coffers from data-center-linked companies. A new analysis from the left-leaning think tank Innovation Ohio shows Ramaswamy will benefit from data centers since his financial disclosure reveals a personal investment portfolio that includes parts of the data center supply chain: chip manufacturers, hardware suppliers, real estate developers, and tech companies that operate data centers. “We’ve got AI data centers moving to our state. That’s a good thing. It’s a good thing,” Ramaswamy said in a video his account posted on X in March 2025. “I want the sectors of the future to come here, but that will make a level of demand on our electric grid of a kind that we have not seen in the history of our state.”  Ohio's next governor will have sway in data center development by appointing members to the board of directors of JobsOhio, the private, non-profit company that provides incentives to companies siting operations in Ohio. The new governor also appoints one member of the Ohio Power Siting Board, which approves energy infrastructure projects, and will appoint five members of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which regulates utilities.

Acton backs data center moratorium; Ramaswamy wants more built - Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton said Monday she would support a conditional moratorium on data centers in Ohio, keeping new facilities out of the state unless they cover their full utility costs, are built exclusively with union labor and go up on former industrial land instead of farmland.“As governor, I will take immediate action and support a conditional moratorium on data centers to ensure they cover one hundred percent of their utility costs, exclusively build with union labor, operate with full transparency, adhere to Ohio’s environmental standards, support the needs of local communities, and bring jobs to former industrial areas that have been left behind,” Acton said in a statement released by her campaign. “Costs are too high, and Ohio families and businesses need protection from data centers driving up costs. Ohio is open for business, but we are not up for sale. If you do not meet these conditions, we do not want you in Ohio.”The announcement puts the Democratic nominee closer to the position taken by a string of Ohio communities — Tiffin among them — that have paused data center development while the state works out who pays for the electricity, water and infrastructure the facilities consume.According to the campaign, Acton would require data centers and their investors to cover the full cost of the gas, water and electricity they use rather than shifting it to taxpayers or ratepayers, to invest in their own generation, and to demonstrate that a project would not raise electricity prices or degrade regional reliability. The campaign said low-cost, carbon-free and net-zero energy paired with storage would get priority.The remaining conditions, as described by the campaign, would require that construction, maintenance, operation and upgrades be performed by union workers trained in Ohio; that Ohio’s long-term tax incentives be reined in and paired with clawback provisions; that nondisclosure agreements and the secrecy surrounding site negotiations end; that new facilities be built on brownfields and previously developed industrial sites rather than farmland or the centers of communities; and that air quality and groundwater standards not be loosened for the industry.The release did not say how Acton would put a moratorium in place — through legislation, executive action, or the state boards a governor appoints. Ohio’s governor names the members of the Ohio Power Siting Board, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, the panels that site, regulate and subsidize these projects.The announcement is an escalation of a position Acton has held since spring. Her ActOn Costs Agenda, released April 6, called for guardrails rather than a bar to entry: data centers paying their own energy costs, union labor on the job, and restoration of the energy efficiency and renewable standards gutted by House Bill 6. Monday’s statement keeps those demands and attaches a consequence for companies that will not meet them.Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has made data center growth central to his campaign and has rejected the idea of a ban. At a town hall in Strongsville this month, he framed the choice as one between two failures of leadership.“I think we need a leader who just doesn’t say, ‘Hey, open it up, and it’s a free-for-all,’ or a leader who says that they ban it because ‘I don’t understand it,’” Ramaswamy said, according to News 5 Cleveland’s July 23 report on where the candidates stand.Ramaswamy has said the industry should shoulder its own energy demand. “If you’re going to use a whole bunch of energy as a demand user, a hyperscaler, you should bring at least the energy that you’re using,” he said. On incentives, he told the station’s reporter that the state should stop subsidizing older, more resource-intensive facilities: “We should not be given state incentives to bring something here that guzzles water and drives up electric bills.”The distance between the two is less about whether data centers should pay their own way — both say they should — than about what happens if they will not. Acton would hold projects out of the state until conditions are met. Ramaswamy would sort good projects from bad ones and keep building.

DeWine signs Trump pledge urging data centers to pay for utilities - Gov. Mike DeW­ine joined a fed­eral effort that aims to pro­tect con­sumers from soar­ing util­ity costs as data cen­ters explode in Ohio and nation­wide. DeW­ine signed onto Pres­id­ent Don­ald Trump’s Rate­payer Pro­tec­tion Pledge, which urges com­pan­ies to shoulder the cost of power­ing data cen­ters, pro­tect the elec­tric grid and invest in local com­munit­ies. Trump, who has touted data cen­ters and called them “money machines,” first announced the non-bind­ing pledge in March with the sup­port of Amazon, Google and other tech giants. DeW­ine was among 23 gov­ernors who com­mit­ted to “imple­ment the prin­ciples estab­lished in the Rate­payer Pro­tec­tion Pledge, to the greatest extent pos­sible in our respect­ive pos­i­tions,” accord­ing to the White House. In a state­ment, DeW­ine said Ohio led the nation by approv­ing a data cen­ter tar­iff for Amer­ican Elec­tric Power that requires new, large data cen­ters to cover at least 85% of their con­trac­ted elec­tri­city capa­city. “As demand for elec­tri­city con­tin­ues to grow, we must pro­tect con­sumers, strengthen our grid and ensure eco­nomic devel­op­ment is achieved without shift­ing costs onto the people we serve,” DeW­ine said July 23. Ohio is home to 240 exist­ing or in progress data cen­ters, accord­ing to Data Cen­ter Map, which tracks facil­it­ies around the globe. Pro­ponents say they’re neces­sary to accom­mod­ate the rise of arti­fi­cial intel­li­gence and keep Ohio at the fore­front of advances in tech­no­logy. But data cen­ters are unpop­u­lar with people across the Buck­eye State, who worry the massive build­ings will drain resources and harm the envir­on­ment. As a res­ult, some com­munit­ies have placed morator­i­ums on devel­op­ment. Act­iv­ists are also col­lect­ing sig­na­tures for a pro­posed con­sti­tu­tional amend­ment to ban most data cen­ter projects. State and local offi­cials have wel­comed data cen­ters to Ohio, often with mil­lions of dol­lars in tax breaks. DeW­ine paused a con­tro­ver­sial sales tax exemp­tion for data cen­ters after learn­ing the price tag soared to $1.6 bil­lion last year. The move came months after he rejec­ted the Legis­lature’s attempt to elim­in­ate the exemp­tion. DeW­ine isn’t the only one con­tend­ing with data cen­ter back­lash. U.S. Sen. Jon Hus­ted, DeW­ine’s former lieu­ten­ant gov­ernor, is field­ing attacks on the cam­paign trail over his sup­port for data cen­ter projects. Hus­ted recently intro­duced legis­la­tion that aims to ensure com­pan­ies pay for their elec­tri­city. “If Amer­ica wants to lead the world in AI and strengthen our national secur­ity, we have to build the energy infra­struc­ture to sup­port it,” Hus­ted said. “But we must do that without passing the costs on to work­ing fam­il­ies and small busi­nesses.”

Ohio's cautionary tale on data centers is a lesson for us all - - Cathy Cowan Becker -- When I moved to the thriving suburb of Hilliard, Ohio, three years ago, I never imagined I would be on the front lines of fossil fuel expansion. But that’s what happened, thanks to a new law allowing data centers to fast-track approval for “behind-the-meter” energy generation.That law makes Ohio a case study on how not to power a data center.Starting in 2020, Hilliard welcomed three Amazon data center campuses. The projects were seen as major investments bringing in good-paying jobs and tax revenue for schools. But in 2025, the Ohio legislature passed House Bill 15, which allows data centers to get approval for “major utility facilities” on land they own to generate energy behind the meter — meaning the electricity is not put onto the grid but used solely to power the data center.The process takes just 60 days, with no public notice, no public hearing and no consultation with local officials. Approval is automatic, meaning no formal vote. And because the generation facility must go on land owned by the data center, the only viable option is gas.Soon after H.B. 15 went into effect, and before anyone knew what was happening, the largest fracked-gas fuel cell project in North America was quietly approved, and an air permit issued for one of Hilliard’s Amazon data centers. The gas fuel cell will emit 1.45 million pounds of carbon dioxide every day — as if 66,000 gas cars were parked onsite and running 24/7 — next to hundreds of homes, a park and an elementary school.Hilliard is just one example of behind-the-meter gas generation for data centers in Ohio. So far, 11 combustion gas turbine plants totaling 5,200 MW have been proposed or approved to power data centers across the state.Others include:

• The Socrates North and Socrates South gas plants, totaling 400 MW, were approved to power Meta’s Prometheus complex in New Albany, the world’s first gigawatt data center. Additional power will come from deals for three offsite nuclear projects.
• The 350 MW Apollo gas plant got fast-track approval to power a Meta data center in Wood County with no public hearing. A shell company, Liames LLC, signed non-disclosure agreements with elected officials, hiding the project for months.
• EdgeConneX has proposed an 800 MW gas project to power a data center complex in the tiny village of Ashville. The village council signed an agreement to support the gas plant, located next to children’s soccer fields and on top of the village aquifer, after the company offered $102 million for schools and critical wastewater upgrades.
• Four gas plants totaling 1150 MW — Socrates North, Socrates South, Socrates the Younger and NEO Power Generation Facility — have been approved and proposed to power Meta’s Prometheus complex in New Albany, the world’s first gigawatt data center.
• Vantage seeks to build a 1,350 MW gas plant with 40 turbines just a mile from the resort town of Millersport. Diagrams show particulate pollution would cover the village, Buckeye Lake State Park, and Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve, the only floating sphagnum moss island in the world. The project got a $76.1 million state tax break.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick unveiled plans for a 9.2 gigawatt — that’s 9200 megawatts — gas plant to power a giant data center complex in Pike County on the former site of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which enriched uranium for atomic weapons during the Cold War. Financed by $33 billion from Japan’s SoftBank, it would be the largest gas project in the world, spewing more than 53 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution each year. Together all these gas projects will create more greenhouse pollution than many entire countries.So many gas plants will surely carry a great cost for people and the environment. A study by Harvard biostatistician Michael Cork found that a 96 MW gas plant with eight turbines to power a Vantage data center in Loudon County, Va., could result in $53 million to $99 million in health damages, in addition to 3.4 to 6.5 additional deaths per year due to asthma, hospitalizations and lost productivity. Most gas plants now being built are much larger.The prospect of so many new gas plants has fueled a rush to frack Ohio’s public lands, with almost 22,000 acres of the state’s parks and wildlife areas approved for extraction.This enormous demand for energy is now fueling a citizen backlash against data centers in Ohio. More than 50 communities have passed data center moratoriums, and a statewide volunteer group is collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would ban data centers over 25 MW. The Buckeye State ranks fifth for data centers, with 240 statewide. That puts Ohio on the front lines of fossil fuel expansion — but it doesn’t have to be this way. If your county or state is not yet building fracked gas to power data centers, you can still reach out to legislators and demand renewable energy and guardrails for data centers.With the right laws and incentives, data centers can transform from an extractive burden to an engine that builds communities and the clean energy economy. There is a wrong way to power data centers, but you can push your state to do it right.

Akron approves new process for data centers with requirements tied to utility demand -  Akron has approved new guardrails for future data center proposals. Council unanimously passed a new process that, among other rules, requires data centers to be approved by both the city’s planning commission and city council. "Our zoning code was written before facilities like modern data centers became a significant planning consideration," Mayor Shammas Malik said in a June news release when the review process was first proposed. "This proposal creates a thoughtful, transparent process that allows us to evaluate each project on its merits, engage the public and ensure we're protecting community interests while providing clarity and predictability for applicants." The legislation also defines data centers and adds them to the city's code and conditional use process, which requires the planning commission to review proposals and make a recommendation to city council ahead of an eventual council vote. The new rules also require data center developers to provide information about expected noise, and impacts to water, power and sanitary sewer systems, said Planning Director Kyle Julien. "[This ordinance] gives Akron a clear and transparent framework for evaluating data center proposals while we continue studying best practices from around the country,” Julien said in the release. For future data center proposals, developers must provide detailed information about expected electricity demand, projected water use and wastewater discharge, backup power systems and projected noise levels, according to the proposal. In Akron City Council's planning committee meeting July 27, Julien added that the legislation does not necessarily seek to limit data centers in the city, pointing out that businesses, hospitals and other institutions in the area are increasing their use of data. Instead, the proposal will allow for more oversight and discussion when new centers are proposed, he said. “We would decide that [a proposed data center’s] impacts are minimal or not,” Julien said. “At least this brings us to the point where we can consider them.” In a public hearing, several residents spoke in favor of the legislation. City staff will continue evaluating best practices and may consider additional changes in the coming months, including noise thresholds, buffering from residential areas and landscaping requirements, Julien said.

New zoning regulations change data center developments in Canton - — Data centers remain a controversial topic, especially in the Buckeye State, leading to protests, petitions and demonstrations. Local governments across the state are voting on how these centers will affect their communities, including a Stark County city council. On Monday, Stark County residents packed Canton City Council chambers to express their thoughts about data centers. “I am not in support of the data centers,” said Samuel A. Smith, a Canton resident. “Being as how they are in my backyard. We have 10 acres, and we bordered 161 acres for 40 years, and now the proposed center will be taken up at 161 acres, and I’m not happy about it.” Smith said he wanted to use his voice to speak out after finding out​ a proposed data center could be built behind his home. Dozens of other Canton residents at the meeting said they do not want data centers in their neighborhoods. For the last 10 years, large-scale data centers, or those over 10,000 square feet, have been popping up across the Buckeye State. Now they are developing in Canton, but residents are pushing back against them. “You don’t have enough of anything that’s going to protect any of us,” said a Canton resident. “Need for a moratorium on this for at least a year till you least amend this where it is going to protect your citizens.” At large Canton City Council Member Bill Smuckler said it’s not if data centers will be in the city, it’s about how they will be regulated. “This was all done in 2024, and at the time nobody really cared about data centers,” said Smuckler. “They were lumped into industrial and into commish into, you know, commercial properties. Now, we were trying to get something in place to regulate setbacks.” Matt Bailey, the Canton City Planning Commission secretary, sent a memo to the city council president and members. “In 2024, the topic of data centers was presented to the planning commission and city council as a relatively new type of land use that many jurisdictions had not yet addressed or defined in their zoning ordinances,” Bailey said. Smuckler said right now data centers in Canton are not regulated and what was passed Monday night should include​ regulations on incoming centers and the one being built on Trump Ave. “There’s one being built inside the city limits,” said Smuckler. “We don’t know whether they are going to follow these regulations. We hope they’re going to follow these regulations.” The proposed amendment to chapter 1131 of the city code that adds an expanded definition of “Data Center” to incorporate the different data centers being developed. The proposed amendment to chapter 1148 creates a new chapter that gives different development requirements for data centers. Canton City Council passed the zoning regulation ordinance by a vote of eight to three. While residents said they are worried about noise, light pollution, water usage and electricity concerns, Smuckler said he hears their concerns but wants facts and hopes that the council​ will get them soon. “There’s money coming in, there’s jobs coming in, but I have yet to hear any concrete proof that we are poisoning the environment,” said Smuckler. Smuckler said there are more questions to be asked, especially when it comes to what the council can and cannot do about data centers.

Findlay set to clamp down on data centers | The Courier  Proposed zoning rules 'extensive' — New zoning rules for data centers in Findlay are heading for city council. On Wednesday, council's Planning and Zoning Committee voted 5-0 on a recommendation that would subject data center development to the most extensive review process the city has ever required, said Matt Cordonnier, director of the Hancock Regional Planning Commission. “As a planner at the city of Findlay, we’ve never had something this complete and this thorough and demanded as much information as this would require," he said. The proposed regulations would be housed in a new I-3 industrial district designed for large-scale industrial campuses, including data centers and other emerging technologies that don’t fit neatly into existing zoning categories. Data centers would not be permitted outright; instead, each project would require conditional use approval that spells out operating conditions and gives the city enforcement authority if a facility fails to meet them. On Wednesday, committee members discussed enforcement tools, including permit revocation, water shutoff and coordination with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio if a facility fell out of compliance. They also reviewed wastewater discharge standards, noting industries must meet pretreatment requirements before sending water to the city’s plant. Detention pond maintenance requirements are also included to ensure on-site ponds remain functional. Electric grid impacts drew extended discussion. Developers must provide documentation from American Electric Power, Columbus, or the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative, North Baltimore, showing required grid upgrades, timing and whether service to existing customers would be affected. Members also agreed the acreage threshold in the draft was too high. The original version applied only to sites greater than 50 acres. After discussion, the committee supported lowering the threshold to five acres. The committee is also recommending a uniform 1,000-foot separation from residential zoning districts, schools, parks and hospitals; a flat prohibition on groundwater withdrawal for cooling; and a clarification that noise readings must be taken at the data center’s property line where it abuts a residential district. The draft requires applicants to submit extensive technical studies covering site plans, utility impacts, electrical demand, water usage, stormwater, wastewater, acoustics, traffic, emergency response, phasing, fiscal responsibility and landscaping. It also authorizes the city to hire independent reviewers at the applicant’s expense, expands buffering and setback standards to shield nearby neighborhoods and adjusts lot coverage rules to reflect that data centers require far less parking than traditional manufacturing. On Wednesday, residents raised questions about wastewater monitoring, electric rate impacts, water use for cooling systems, national security concerns for domestic data storage and a so-far unreleased Blanchard Valley Port Authority study about the local impact of data centers. The action continues months of discussion, as the city works to establish a regulatory framework while a 12-month moratorium remains in place. The moratorium runs until April 2027 unless council adopts zoning earlier. Officials reiterated that Ohio law does not allow cities to ban a land use outright, but does allow them to define “what, where and how” a use may operate. Findlay officials have not identified any specific proposals for data centers within the city. The discussion comes as communities across the region have begun examining their zoning codes and questioning whether utility systems can support large-scale computing facilities. Locally, officials have acknowledged that data center construction would most likely take place outside city limits. The Planning & Zoning Committee is chaired by Councilwoman Heather Kensinger, R-at-large, and includes council members Nichole Coleman, R-1; Kevin Cullen, I-5; Dan DeLong, R-7; and Brad Wagner, R-at-large. Findlay’s review mirrors other action across Hancock County, where a May recommendation from the Hancock Regional Planning Commission has prompted townships to examine their own data center rules. The commission voted 12-0 in May to recommend approval of a Washington Township zoning amendment that would add data centers as a conditional use in its industrial districts and impose strict limits on their size, cooling systems and utility demands. The proposal is designed to give trustees broad discretion over any project. Washington Township began reviewing the amendment after being approached by the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) in Toledo, which has been discussing potential sites across northwest Ohio. According to the minutes from the May meeting, a farmer has assembled 300 to 400 acres in the township. The land’s natural gas line and proximity to Fostoria’s water system make it a candidate for data center development. Other townships may follow suit. Marion Township representatives said they would be “very interested” in Washington Township’s amendment once it is adopted, and Allen Township officials noted their zoning resolution predates the recent surge in data center proposals and may need to be revisited. RGP has told local officials it wants northwest Ohio to have seven to 10 data center operations and has outlined both the advantages and drawbacks of hosting them, according to the minutes. RPG is a privately led economic development organization serving 17 counties in northwest Ohio, including Hancock County. It works as the region’s site selection and business attraction arm, helping companies evaluate locations, assemble land, navigate incentives and coordinate with state agencies. RGP is also the regional network partner for JobsOhio, managing project development, incentive packaging and site readiness efforts across the region. The group markets northwest Ohio to corporate clients, conducts confidential site searches and promotes large-scale investment opportunities — including data centers — as part of its strategy to attract new jobs and capital to the region.

Urbana voters to decide on data center ban in November - After many concerns from the public regarding a potential data center in Urbana, a group of people got enough signatures to add a charter amendment on the November ballot to ban them. Nicole Nawman, who is the Champaign County Lead for Conserve Ohio, started the petition July 7, which required 169 signatures. By July 14, the group had more than 400 signatures and the issue will be on the November ballot to change Urbana’s city charter to prohibit hyperscale data centers in the city. “This is something that is another tool that certain municipalities, certain cities and villages can use in their tool belt to fight data centers locally … It’s another option,” she said. Thor Equities has plans to build a $1 billion, 460,000-square-foot data center at the corner of state Route 55 and U.S. 68, adjacent to the Rittal facility called the Urbana Technology Hub. In March, Urbana City Council passed a temporary moratorium on data centers for 12 months. Then in June, they reversed an April 2025 amendment that allowed data centers to be developed in Urbana’s M-1 Light Manufacturing District. Shortly after, Thor filed a federal lawsuit against the city, its city council and the Building & Zoning Appeals Board seeking to push past the recent zoning reversal and develop the data center. Nicole Nawman, who is the Champaign County Lead for Conserve Ohio, started a petition July 7 to put an issue on the November ballot to change Urbana’s city charter to prohibit hyperscale data centers in the city. Nawman is an Urbana resident who lives less than a mile away from the proposed data center. “I will live it and breathe it, smell it every day and I don’t want that. I know the effects of the data center and not only I don’t want that for me, but I don’t want it for my community,” she said. “There are so much risk to the area where they want to put it. There’s a school. There’s a nursing home. Cedar Bog is not much further down the road. So, it’s not something that I think the city of Urbana and its surrounding community can support.” Nawman also serves with the Conserve Ohio campaign to put a statewide data center ban on the ballot next year. “I started with Conserve Ohio because of the efforts for the statewide ban on the hyperscale data centers. As soon as that petition became available, I had that in my hands, boots on the ground — I was ready to start collecting signatures,” she said. The initial goal was to get the statewide petition on the November 2026 ballot, but that didn’t happen, Nawman said. They have to get 413,000 signatures across all of Ohio. When Nawman saw word about a data center coming to Urbana on Facebook last year, she talked with her Conserve Ohio group about doing something on the local level and that’s how the idea of this charter amendment came about. Nawman said this local petition is something they can do before the statewide petition “hopefully gets on the ballot in November 2027.” The petition packet made it through Urbana’s municipality and the Champaign County Board of Elections verified the signatures, and it’s now back with the city’s law director, Nawman said. He will create the legislation so the city can create an ordinance and it will be discussed at the next council meeting on Aug. 4. “That information will then be put on a ballot for November, where Urbana City registered voters can say no we don’t want a data center or yes we’re okay with the data center,” she said.

Columbus looks to regulate data center developments - With rapid data center development in central Ohio, Columbus City Council is drafting policies that would regulate how they can operate in the future. The second public hearing for the proposed legislative package for data center regulation was held on Wednesday. Columbus residents got a chance to voice their concerns about data center legislation at the committee meeting. Many argued the facilities have no place in our city. “I oppose the construction of data centers. I oppose the ones that are already here that I never consented to,” one speaker said. “I am 100 percent against data centers in or around Columbus or Ohio. There should be a ban entirely,” said another. Columbus City Council presented a proposed policy package that includes five prongs so far. “We think we have policy solutions that will address many of the concerns residents. We can’t address all of them from the seat of city council but for those that fall within our purview this is our attempt to address those concerns,” Columbus City Council member Christopher Wyche said. The proposed policies address the following:

• Water conservation and reuse
• Sewer tapping
• Decommissioning plans
• Community benefits: investment and engagement 
• Rate-setting for high-capacity users

“One of the big concerns we heard at our initial hearing was around wastewater streams and what was actually going to. That’s one of the thing the department expressed to them is they have to treat this waste stream. It’s easier for them to treat it if they know up front what is in that waste stream,” Wyche said. Wyche says there’s a lot of misinformation about data centers right now that he’d like to dispel. “One is the jobs and the economic investment that occurs from having these large data centers located over here. I know that there’s this belief that once this data center is built that’s the end of that. That’s not accurate,” he said. Lukas Skoracki disagrees. “The actions of the state and local government have deeply betrayed the feelings I had previously,” Skoracki said. The OSU senior studies environmental policy and decision making and would like to see a moratorium on data centers. A ban on data centers in the city and in the state. But as long as that’s not going to happen, I also think that we should have, just increased regulations on them. Basically, stopping any, like, thing that we can to, or putting in place any regulations that we can to limit their control of, state resources, state energy, state water, stuff like that,” Skoracki said. City leaders encourage the public to continue to submit their feedback as this legislative process continues. The next hearing is Sept. 16.

Conneaut committee to develop zoning for data centers - Star Beacon — City leaders formed an ad hoc committee at a Wednesday city council economic development meeting. The ad hoc committee will develop conditional use zoning for data centers within the city. The economic development committee decided it would be made up of nine people representing various sectors of the city, including the Conneaut Area City School Board, Conneaut Health Department and local business, along with four private citizens. Three people at Wednesday’s meeting were recruited to join the committee; Lisa Specht, a city resident concerned about data center development in the city, Jennifer Simpson, secretary for the city planning commission, and Conneaut Board of Zoning Appeals Chair Dolly Sherman. Wednesday meeting attendees decided to reach out to other people they had in mind for the committee Currently a brokerage firm, M2 Development Solutions is studying the feasibility of a data center at the Conneaut Industrial Park. City residents and others have been speaking at council meetings since around February, concerned about data center development in the city. Speakers at council have raised several issues, including environmental concerns, negative effects of generative artificial intelligence and the influence on the cost of utilities. A one-year moratorium on data centers is in second reading for city council. During a July 13 council meeting, Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County Executive Director Greg Myers and Lake to River Economic Development Vice President of Engagement and Economic Development Michael McGiffin recommended the city implement conditional use zoning on data centers instead of a moratorium. Council members expressed interest in forming an ad hoc committee on the issue composed of people in favor of and opposed to data centers. Conneaut Councilperson-at-large and Economic Development Committee Chair Nick Perkoski announced at that meeting the economic development committee would work on forming the ad hoc committee at its Wednesday meeting. Council President Terry Moisio said no council member would serve on the committee, and its members could report to city council at its work sessions. He said the committee’s formation did not have to be voted on by council. Perkoski said he expected a lot of differing opinions among committee members and asked everyone to be respectful of that. “Whatever comes out of this committee, I’m going to be respectful of it, and I will follow that,” he said.

 Liberty Twp. trustees to review all data center projects case-by-case -   Any proposed data centers that want to locate in Liberty Twp. will now have to come before township trustees for approval and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Trustees approved a change in the township’s zoning text that restricts data centers — regardless of size — to business or manufacturing planned unit development districts. All PUD projects require final approval from the three-member governing board. Prior to the vote, data centers were permitted as conditional uses allowed only in certain areas in the township that had to be approved by the township’s zoning commission, said Tom McIntyre, the township’s senior planner. “It’s (data center) allowable, which means you can apply for it. It doesn’t mean you’ll be approved,” McIntyre said. The changes will take effect Aug. 21. Through the PUD process trustees would review every data center request, decide if it was in the right location, and put conditions on approval following a public hearing. Trustees could also deny projects that didn’t meet their criteria. Trustee Todd Minniear said the research he’s done raises three concerns on the impact data centers would potentially have on the community that he will take into consideration on every case: energy supply and the cost for citizens, water supply/quality, and noise. “It’s a long shot to put one in Liberty Twp. right now — the barriers are real,” Minniear said. “These are things that will eventually be solved by technology or legislation. But they’re not solved yet, so we have to keep an eye on them.” The changes come as plans for a data center in nearby Trenton move forward and as Ohio legislators study the matter at the state level. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has suspended data center tax breaks for the centers that are largely fueled by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Development of data centers has temporarily been halted in Cincinnati and Fairborn. Groups in Dayton, Trenton, and Wilmington are trying to stop them. Changes to the zoning text also outline when and under what conditions final PUD plans expire. Other minor changes — mostly housekeeping to correct reference numbers in the text — were also approved.

Chillicothe leaders unaware of data center plans – NBC4 (video news report) Chillicothe officials said they had no knowledge of plans to include a data center at the site of a former paper mill.

Ashville Data Center Dispute Reaches Ohio Supreme Court - Residents of a Pickaway County village contend local officials wrongly rejected their referendum petition regarding an arrangement with a hyperscale data center developer. But attorneys for Ashville Fiscal Officer April Grube countered in recent filings that those claims do not hold merit. The data center debate before the Ohio Supreme Court pertains to the proposed EdgeConneX data center in Ashville, which, like many developments of its kind across the state, has been met with local pushback. The resolution passed by the village council in April suspends a temporary data center moratorium in exchange for assurances from the developer. EdgeConneX agreed to invest $64 million in the Teays Valley Local School District in addition to $32 million for a new village water plant and the expansion of a wastewater treatment plant, according to court documents. Challengers filed their referendum petition soon after to force a public vote on the contract. The Pickaway County Board of Elections later verified 669 valid signatures, which surpassed the threshold established by Revised Code for a referendum petition to reach the ballot. Grube’s decision to block the petition drew the legal challenge from three Ashville residents. They are represented by Austin Baurichter — an organizer for Conserve Ohio, which seeks a statewide data center moratorium. “Respondent’s conduct that gave rise to this action was improper on both levels and in both categories, and Respondent has no valid excuse to not certify the Referendum Petition to the Pickaway County Board of Elections,” Baurichter wrote. “The Relators and the other electors of the Village of Ashville are entitled to the day at the ballot box that they have earned.” Grube determined that the petition was “invalid and insufficient” since the resolution was passed as an emergency measure. Her attorneys added that the resolution is not subject to a referendum, pointing to prior rulings from the state’s high court. “Is the ordinance or resolution subject to referendum?” they wrote. “This Court has answered that question many times. Ohio law is clear when it ‘exempts from the referendum power ordinances passed as emergency legislation.’” Attorneys further contend the resolution should be considered an administrative action since it authorized a summary term sheet between the village and EdgeConneX. “The test for determining whether the action of a legislative body is legislative or administrative is whether the action taken is one enacting a law, ordinance or regulation, or executing or administering a law, ordinance or regulation already in existence,” they argued. “Legislation authorizing the execution of a contract is an administrative action.” Several groups also submitted amicus briefs in support of the challengers, arguing that the referendum should be allowed to carry forward. Pickaway Informed Citizens wrote that the EdgeConnex facility would be powered by an 800-megawatt gas-fired power plant, driving environmental concerns among residents. Through the referendum voting, the group contends residents possess the constitutional right to let their voices be heard. “When citizens undertake court challenges to put constitutional referendum votes on the ballot respecting controversial data center decisions, the litigation is too often seen as citizens vs. governments that are defensively aligned with the corporations that benefit from the development decisions made by government,” they wrote. “But referendum voting is essentially the people’s exercise of longstanding democratic rights enshrined in the Ohio Constitution and the actual, legal conflict is between the people and their government.” "The issue before the Court is not whether the proposed data center should ultimately be built,” added the Data Center Resistance. "The issue is whether Ohio's Constitution permits the citizens of Ashville to exercise the democratic authority the Constitution expressly reserves to them."

Data center company hopes to intervene in case before Ohio Supreme Court – NBC4 — An international data center company is getting involved in a Pickaway County legal dispute between residents and a village administrator.Three Ashville residents filed a motion before Ohio’s Supreme Court after the village approved a deal with EdgeConneX to build a hyperscale data center in the small rural community. The residents are taking legal action against Ashville Fiscal Officer April Grube, alleging she improperly kept a citizen petition that would have stopped the data center project from going to the ballot. Residents Laura McNamara-Smith, Brian Meyers and Allison Meade filed the case before the Supreme Court of Ohio on July 14. Now, EdgeConneX is joining Grube and village residents in the dispute. The international data center company has headquarters in northern Virginia, Singapore and Amsterdam. EdgeConneX also owns 195 acres in Ashville and filed its own motion to intervene in the lawsuit because the future of its data center could be complicated by the lawsuit.After months of protest, Ashville Council read an agreement with EdgeConneX at three meetings. Attempts on March 2 and March 16 did not meet the required two-thirds vote needed to pass the legislation as an emergency motion. On April 6, councilmembers approved an agreement with EdgeConneX as an emergency motion.McNamara-Smith, Meyers and Meade were involved in a referendum, or a citizen petition that, when signed by enough residents, places an issue on the ballot for the larger community to vote on. The referendum was filed May 5 and would allow residents to vote on whether or not to go through with the village’s agreement with EdgeConneX.Pushback toward data centers is becoming increasingly common. In a national Emerson College Poll published on July 23, researchers found 63% of Americans oppose data centers being built in or near their community. That number increased by nearly 20% between December 2025 and July 2026. According to court records, the petition received 875 signatures in the village of 4,500 people. In a letter, the Pickaway County Board of Elections found 669 of the signatures were valid, nearly 200 more than were needed to get on the ballot. In a June 26 letter to the board of elections, Grube said the petition is flawed and that she would not recommend the petition to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. She said referendums cannot be enacted on legislation passed under an emergency. Grube also said the agreement with EdgeConneX is not a law or regulation, so it cannot qualify for a referendum. The Pickaway County Board of Elections told McNamara-Smith it was Ashville’s responsibility to determine if the petition is valid and that they would not intervene, per court records. The board of elections said it would respect any legal outcomes. Grube claims she acted appropriately under Ohio law, whereas the trio of residents allege her rejection of the petition was inconsistent with Ohio law. The Ohio Supreme Court will now decide whether the referendum petition should be approved to be placed on the November ballot.On July 22, EdgeConneX requested permission to intervene as its own party in the case. The court granted until Monday for the residents and Grube to file responses as to whether EdgeConneX should be permitted to join the suit as a third party. McNamara-Smith, Meyers and Mead’s attorneys filed a motion asking the court to reject EdgeConneX’s request to interveneThe petition must be certified and approved by Aug. 5 to appear before Ashville voters in November.

Ohio EPA will not finalize proposed data center general permit - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will not finalize a proposed general permit for wastewater discharges from data centers, opting instead to continue using the existing individual permitting process.The decision follows an extensive public comment period on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit, during which Ohio agricultural organizations raised concerns about the proposal’s potential impact on water quality protections.Ohio Farm Bureau applauded the EPA’s decision.“This is the right decision for our state, and we appreciate Ohio EPA’s willingness to listen to our members’ concerns and maintain their current permitting approach,” said Jack Irvin, vice president of public policy for Ohio Farm Bureau. “The individualized NPDES permitting process, for facilities like data centers, gives regulators the ability to evaluate each project based on its unique circumstances while maintaining Ohio’s work toward water quality.” According to Ohio EPA, the agency carefully reviewed the significant volume of public comments before determining that the individual NPDES permit issuance process is the most appropriate path forward. Individual permits will continue to provide project-specific review while maintaining the same environmental standards and protections required under state and federal law.The Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) also welcomed the announcement, noting that it submitted comments expressing concerns with the proposed general permit and joined other stakeholders in supporting the continuation of the individual permitting process.Ohio EPA said public participation remains a critical part of its decision-making process and emphasized that the individual permitting system will continue to provide rigorous environmental oversight for future data center projects.

Ohio EPA drops proposed streamlined wastewater permits for data centers -The Ohio EPA has withdrawn its proposal to streamline wastewater discharge permits for data centers following significant public and environmental opposition, opting to evaluate permits individually. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn a proposal that would have streamlined wastewater discharge permitting for data centers following widespread public opposition.The agency said it received a significant volume of comments opposing the proposed statewide approach for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and has decided to continue evaluating data center discharge permits on a case-by-case basis. The Ohio EPA has released a draft permit regulating wastewater discharges from a proposed data center, emphasizing stricter effluent limits and monitoring to protect water quality...The proposal drew criticism from environmental organizations and elected officials who raised concerns about allowing facilities with varying cooling systems and wastewater characteristics to operate under a standardized permitting framework.According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, most data centers in Ohio currently discharge wastewater to municipal wastewater treatment plants rather than directly to surface waters. The organization said only one facility in the state currently holds an NPDES permit authorizing direct discharge to freshwater.The decision means future data center projects seeking direct wastewater discharges will continue to undergo individual permit reviews based on site-specific conditions and discharge characteristics.

Ohio EPA scraps rule to permit data center discharge into waterways - Farm and Dairy - — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency scrapped a proposed statewide general permit on July 21 that would’ve allowed data centers to discharge wastewater into local waterways. The agency dismissed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit “after carefully reviewing the significant volume of public comments received on the draft” — over 7,000. The general permit would’ve approved all data centers with similar operations and types of discharge without requiring chemical measurements from the water prior to discharge and with limited public participation. The general permit also has a reduced processing and quicker review time, according to the Ohio EPA. Under an individual permit, these projects undergo a public participation process for each discharge application — under a general permit, this would’ve occurred once when the original general permit rule was adopted.   Data centers in Ohio currently discharge to wastewater treatment plants.  “After cooling, about 80% of this water evaporates, and the remainder is discharged to wastewater treatment,” according to an Ohio Chamber of Commerce report released in June.  There are two methods to cool data center servers: air cooling and water cooling. Discharge from water cooling methods can contain hazardous chemicals needed to cool the servers — including chemicals linked to PFAS.  Known as forever chemicals, PFAS are said to exist “forever” as they contain toxic chemicals that break down slowly, remaining indefinitely in the environment and accumulating in the human body, leading to negative health impacts. If approved, this data center discharge would have polluted local waterways with these chemicals and led to thermal pollution, increasing harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie and the Ohio River, according to Helena Volzer, senior source water policy manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “It’s heated wastewater, it’s warm, and (when) it comes out, it creates that environment that harmful blooms like to grow in. So that’s their risk with increased thermal pollution,” Volzer told Farm and Dairy. “Why continue to increase the potential risk for harmful algal blooms, especially given that Ohio has spent millions of dollars on the H2Ohio program to implement farmer best practices to help prevent harmful algal blooms?” she said. The state has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the H2Ohio program since its inception in 2019, including $165 million in the recent 2026-2027 budget. The program aims to address legacy water quality issues. The Ohio Farm Bureau applauded the EPA’s dismissal of the general permit; the organization submitted public comments on the draft proposal, which included concerns “that a general permit would undermine years of progress made by Ohio farmers and conservation partners to improve water quality,” said OFB in a statement. “This is the right decision for our state, and we appreciate Ohio EPA’s willingness to listen to our members’ concerns and maintain their current permitting approach,” said Jack Irvin, vice president of public policy for Ohio Farm Bureau. Several Ohio lawmakers have also supported the dismissal, including Ohio Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid). “In a time when data centers are straining the electric grid and increasing ratepayers’ bills, the last thing that Ohioans need is for multi-billion dollar corporations to also pollute their water,” Smith said in a statement. While Volzer is pleased with the result, she says there is more work to be done, including adopting more transparency standards for data centers on their water and electricity usage. She adds that an individual data center permit could still directly discharge into a waterway, but for now, the general permit dismissal is a big win. “This is a signal that Ohioans really care about their water quality, they want to see this done right, and they want public participation in the process,” Volzer said. “It shows how individual voices, when people speak up and provide their feedback, can make a difference.”

7000 Ohioans spoke up, and they changed how data centers can use Ohio's water -  Keeping Lake Erie as pristine as possible was on the minds of 7,000 Ohioans who spoke up to stop a blanket permit for data centers to dump their wastewater in the lake. It worked and the permit has been withdrawn. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer. You really can fight City Hall. Or, at least, the Ohio EPA. The Ohio EPA had been quietly moving toward a policy that would have allowed data centers to receive blanket wastewater discharge permits — meaning these massive, water-hungry facilities could have operated without individual environmental review. The justification? Streamlining the process, in keeping with a broader push from Washington to fast-track data center development. The result? A proposal that would have effectively handed data centers a pass on scrutiny over how they discharge water into Ohio’s waterways, including Lake Erie.

Ohio citizens showed power by stopping state EPA approval for data center pollution of waterways  -- “You can’t fight city hall.” Resistance is futile. The powers that be always win. Pick one. If you need an excuse to justify inaction with a cynical shrug, there are plenty. But there are also plenty of examples of people who give enough of a damn to battle bureaucracy, to push back because they must. They make calls, send letters, show up. They challenge “city hall” and rules too hard to change even if they cannot win. Because sometimes they do. Thousands of Ohioans took on the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency over a quality-of-life threat. They won. For now. In December enraged citizens got wind of the Ohio EPA’s outrageous proposal to make it easier for massive data centers to pollute local waterways with impunity and they mobilized to table the blanket approach under consideration. The Ohio EPA confirmed that public comments against its proposed statewide data center wastewater permit exceeded 7,000.Last Tuesday the agency announced it had scrapped the general permit drafted to help data centers release wastewater into Ohio’s lakes, rivers, and streams with heavily reduced review and analysis by the state.“After carefully reviewing the significant volume of public comments received on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for data centers, Ohio EPA has decided not to move forward with finalizing the general permit.”Would that have happened without 7,000 voices raised in opposition? If not for the public outcry would the Ohio EPA have handed Big Tech everything it wanted — a quick, one-size-fits-all permitting process that cut meaningful agency review, on-site scrutiny of data center wastewater discharges, dropped notice and comment opportunities for local communities?Ohio already provides massive sales tax exemptions for data centers (costing the state nearly $1.6 billion in 2025) and the state environmental agency was advancing an industry-friendly plan.  In January, Ohio EPA director John Logue admitted the decision to propose a general permit (as opposed to individual, case-by-case authorization) was motivated in part by President Trump’s call to expedite the process for approving data centers. Getting an environmental permit to satisfy clean water requirements took too long. But as developers raced to build a wave of “hyperscale” data centers around Ohio — which hosts more than any other Great Lakes state at over 200-and-counting — controversy grew over wastewater generated by some of those facilities winding up in Lake Erie and its tributaries.The expedited permit proposal could have wrapped up the process in a month compared to as many as six for an on-site specific permit. Incredible as it sounds, the now defunct agency plan would have allowed all data centers, (regardless of size, location, or type) to discharge untreated waste and storm water directly into local waterways under certain conditions not subject to individual inspection. A single statewide blanket permit would cover an entire industry.When the Ohio EPA informed Ohioans that such a deal was in the works at the end of 2025, one phrase from the proposed change ignited alarm.“It has been determined that a lowering of water quality of various waters of the state associated with granting coverage under this permit is necessary to accommodate important social and economic development in the state of Ohio.”In other words, indulging the fast-track agenda of the artificial intelligence industry —  valued at hundreds of billions in direct market size with multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure spending and record-breaking personal wealth creation — is worth the price of polluting some Ohio lakes and streams??The broadly ambiguous language in the agency’s drafted proposal underscored that tradeoff to Big Tech.It acknowledged a “decline in water quality” as an acceptable business proposition as long as data center wastewater isn’t “discharged within 500 yards upstream from a public water supply intake” or dumped “in a lake other than Lake Erie, or groundwater supplies” or “exhibits the reasonable potential” to break Ohio’s minimum water quality standards.All wording a major tech or AI company lawyer could drive a bus through without breaking a sweat.One provision of the streamlined permit did exhort data centers to “evaluate potential prevention methods and install the latest pollution prevention technology if it is economically feasible.” Another revision to exploit.The overwhelming takeaway from incensed Ohioans was that the state was giving AI data centers a pass on polluting surface water in Ohio with weakened safeguards for local communities. The Ohio EPA appeared to sanction the necessary release of unknown contaminants from cooling-component water and other runoff from data centers into natural waterways to get operations up and running faster. An accommodation to AI barons regardless of the cost to Ohioans stuck with polluted water. Data centers consume massive amounts of water to cool servers and prevent overheating of equipment.  Discharge from those water-cooling methods can contain hazardous forever chemicals (PFAS) — toxic compounds that break down slowly in nature and in the human body and are linked to serious health risks.  While most data center wastewater in Ohio goes to municipal systems (treatment plants and sanitary sewers) instead of being dumped directly into lakes and streams, the Ohio EPA was prepared to approve that option for some data centers without requiring chemical measurements from the water prior to discharge and with limited public input. But the agency shelved the idea, thanks to more than 7,000 Ohioans who objected. Loudly. Who says you can’t fight city hall?

Environmental Advocates Push for Energy Policy Reforms to Meet Data Centers' Demands -- Worries over data centers’ broad impact on utility bills and natural resources are seemingly held by Ohioans across the political spectrum, environmental advocates contend. And with that sentiment, Save Ohio Parks sees an opportunity to build consensus with unusual bedfellows. “There are definitely inroads here on this issue…both on making sure that we're organizing around data centers and making them either safe or we're keeping them out of our communities if that's what we want,” Save Ohio Parks Campaign Manager Mark Gavin Sr. said. Gavin made those comments during a Thursday evening virtual press conference and hours after Gov. Mike DeWine signed onto the White House data center ratepayer pledge. Signed by 23 governors and more than 200 stakeholders nationwide, the pledge calls on data center developers to pay their fair share for the electricity they use.Both U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Columbus, and his Democratic challenger, Sherrod Brown, have similarly pushed to keep data centers from leaving ratepayers with higher bills, which Gavin called further proof showing that “both Democrats and Republicans are realizing that this is an issue that people actually care about.”Meeting the demands of the 200-plus data centers in the state could occur through increased adoption of wind and solar energy resources, members of the environmental advocacy group argued. Save Ohio Parks board member Rachel Kutzley said wind and solar could play a vital role in building needed supply to accommodate the facilities.But she said prior General Assemblies, particularly through a 2021 energy law allowing local governments to block renewable projects, have made it harder to build those resources.More than 5.3 gigawatts of wind and solar projects have been abandoned since the law went into effect, Kutzley added. “As a result, even in counties that did not adopt a formal ban, the Ohio Power Siting Board…has denied the primarily solar projects based on local opposition,” she said. “This really contrasts with the scenario for oil and gas that are not subject to local approval.”Board President Cathy Cowan Becker said the Legislature should consider revising the siting process and prohibiting local governments from using nondisclosure agreements.Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, and Rep. Adam Bird, R-Cincinnati, are leading legislation that would bar the use of NDAs, a prospect that has drawn opposition from the business community (HB 695).  Becker also noted proposals creating a community energy program, expanding virtual net metering and authorizing demand response programs as a pathway to increase energy efficiency (HB 303, SB 298 & HB 427).    “Mainly, what we want to see is just parity in Ohio law that oil, gas, solar, wind, batteries — all of these — should be treated the same,” she said. “We shouldn't have some stipulations for solar and wind that oil and gas doesn't have, or vice versa.“And for data centers themselves, we believe they should meet or offset energy demand with 100% renewable energy.” Kutzley also lauded the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s decision this week to not move forward with a general permit allowing data centers to discharge wastewater into public waterways.“That means that data centers will still need case-by-case permits to discharge their wastewater into Ohio water sources, so we were pleased with that,” she said.“It's still not great to have them discharging into rivers, but we do like the fact that the EPA will look at that on a case-by-case basis and hopefully have more kind of monitoring and oversight of that discharge.”

Email records show Youngstown leaders have sought major data center for past year | Watchdog Report  - Across the Valley, communities like Warren, Girard, Niles, Boardman, Lordstown, Hubbard and others have taken some action to be proactive regarding the possibility of data centers within their boundaries. In most cases, in the face of widespread public outcry over concerns about noise, water use, and pollution, these municipalities have opted to impose a moratorium to give themselves time to determine what they are and are not willing to support. Notably silent on this issue, though, has been the largest city in the Mahoning Valley: Youngstown. Mayor Derrick McDowell, in a tightly controlled virtual townhall on June 18, made brief references to data centers, referring to his own personal use of AI platform ChatGPT to research city issues and saying, "That’s why when we talk about economic development…I’ve literally been to communities where a data center has saved their infrastructure because they negotiated a deal where that data center came in and invested $125 million into their budget, and they were able to go out and build back infrastructure,” McDowell said. “I am not saying that is what we are going to do. I am not saying that data centers are right. What I am saying is, if our residents are going to foot the bill themselves, we are never going to get where we are going to try and fix the issues of a city that’s aging right in front of us for decades on end.” Email records newly obtained by 21 News tell a much more detailed story of a city that has been aggressively seeking to attract one or more data centers, all while working to manage its message because of its leaders' awareness of opposition among residents.Beginning in 2025, while still under the Jamael Tito Brown administration, Stephanie Gilchrist, the city's director of economic development, was in communication with Adam Krupp of Wharton Equity, which was at the time working to partner with LightHouse Data Centers. That partnership became official in January 2026 and was described in a Wharton news release as an effort to "launch a fully integrated platform to develop, own and operate hyperscale data centers across North America."On July 16, Gilchrist emailed Krupp, copying Jason Neal and Sarah Boyarko of Lake to River, which is the JobsOhio district that covers the Valley. In that email, Gilchrist tells Krupp that the city is interested in "discussing further the possibility of a data center."Krupp replies, now including David Wilaj from Lake to River as well, thanking them for their interest and saying he hopes to have a similar relationship with Youngstown that Wharton has had with "the team in Hamilton, Ohio." This is likely a reference to a billion-dollar data center in Hamilton, originally proposed by a company called Logistix before being transferred to Wharton. Residents in that community raised enough concerns that Hamilton leaders published an FAQ in an effort to try to ease some of the pushback.The discussions in Youngstown immediately picked up speed from there, with Wilaj emailing the group the very next day, July 30, with a link to a site on Poland Avenue that sits partially in Youngstown and partially in Campbell, saying "All utilities are in place at site and ready to go." That site sits along the Mahoning River and has residential areas on either side. Wilaj suggests a Joint Economic Development District would likely be necessary.Krupp replies on August 4, saying he likes the location and asks questions about whether any zoning variance would be needed, as well as if there are any environmental concerns.The next day, on August 5, Gilchrist loops then-chief of staff Nikki Posterli into the discussion. In an email to Posterli, Gilchrist tells Posterli that her "sources" tell her the Wharton people are reputable and compares the JEDD idea to the agreement in 2009 that brought Vallourec to Youngstown/Girard. Posterli replies enthusiastically, saying "Yes, let's keep the conversation going!"The site comes into question, though, in a follow-up email from Steve Biroschak, a zoning analyst for the city. Biroschak says he has reviewed the potential site and that it was originally reserved by the Ohio Public Works Commission to be preserved as open space. He offers two options: a potential land swap with the OPWC and an alternative site.That site, 102 acres of farmland at the Landsdowne airport on the city's East side, would not be suitable for agriculture. Biroschak suggested the city buy that land and work out a data center agreement.Derrick McDowell, who took office in January of 2026, had not been in office more than a week when interest appears to have resumed.On January 7, Biroschak sends Gilchrist, who was held over from the previous administration, an article from Cleveland television station WKYC with the headline:"Ohio EPA reviewing data center discharge permits amid water quality concerns."  The only context provided for this email is a note from Biroschak saying he's "just passing it along."But five days later, it becomes clear that there is significantly more than just casual sharing of news articles; a much more substantial discussion is taking place. Wendy Zele, manager of external affairs for First Energy, emails Gilchrist, saying she is following up on a voicemail request to set up a meeting with between herself, Gilchrist, Adam Krupp from Wharton, McDowell's newly-appointed director of planning and economic development DeMaine Kitchen and Nick Katsoros, regional external affairs director for First Energy to discuss what Gilchrist describes as a "potential project" on the east side that would require resources from First Energy. During this discussion, Ben Basson and Nick Etschied from LightHouse Data Centers are added to the conversation and Krupp touts their experience in Springfield, Ohio. Etschied previously worked for 5C Data Centers, which had recently opened a billion-dollar data center in Springfield at the site of a former LexisNexus data center that was repurposed.The day after this conversation, Wharton announced its partnership with LightHouse for hyperscale data centers across North America.Over the next few days, city leaders go into research mode. Kitchen emails himself an article about Columbus becoming the second-largest data center hub in the Great Lakes region and receives an email from the American Water Works Association with the subject line, "Data Center Cooling."Valencia Marrow, Youngstown's clerk of council, sends an invite to Kitchen for a webinar from the Ohio Municipal League called "Municipal considerations for data centers," which he signs up for.Ray Lewis of Ray Lewis, Inc., an industrial hose manufacturer, reaches out to Jonathan Huff, McDowell's chief of staff, saying, "When your servers rely on cooling system integrity, there's no room for hose failures. Our custom data center hose assemblies are built to prevent downtime and protect mission-critical infrastructure." It's unclear whether this is an unsolicited sales pitch or a response to an inquiry from the city.In February, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber begins coordinating data center development in earnest, organizing an informational session for leaders in Lordstown, McDonald and Youngstown. At that point, McDonald and Lordstown had publicly discussed the possibility of data centers, but Youngstown was, and still is, quiet on the matter.“What we've done is try to provide some neutral, third-party, unbiased information for anybody who wants it. So we did do a brief meeting with a couple of the government leaders in local governments where there is interest in a data center coming. We also did a webinar for anybody that wanted to jump on and learn more about data centers,” said Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. When asked if he knew about the talks between LightHouse Data Centers and Youngstown, Coviello said no.On February 9, Katsoros of First Energy tells representatives from Wharton, LightHouse and Gilchrist and Kitchen that the next step is to complete a "conceptual load study process." In layman's terms, this is a study examining how much electricity a proposed facility might require.This is when the discussion begins to turn to how and when to inform the public about these discussions.

Team looks to build $9.6B data center along I-71 in Kentucky - A development team is eyeing 550 acres in Kentucky between Cincinnati and Louisville for a $9.6 billion data center project. It's the latest proposal as the AI-related building boom – and the backlash against it – continues. The team, led by Louisville-based Poe Cos. and its partner, Virginia-based PowerHouse Data Centers, has secured options to purchase the acreage, which is located in Carroll County for the proposed Carrollton Industrial Campus. A news release describes it as a "multi-billion-dollar private investment" just east of Interstate 71, about 55 miles southwest of downtown Cincinnati.  The 550-acre Carrollton Industrial Campus would create 320 permanent positions with average wages of $105,000. The development team has secured purchase options and completed initial studies. So far the team, which is also developing an $11 billion data center in Southwest Louisville, has secured purchase options for the site, completed initial due diligence and site evaluation, conducted power studies and system impacts, and completed a draft economic analysis.

Ameren's 2.1-GW Gas Plant Falls Short of Data Center Power Demand Ameren says its planned 2.1-GW West Alton Energy Center is a key step toward meeting rising electricity demand but will not fully close the projected capacity gap driven by data center growth in Missouri. (Reuters) — Ameren's planned mega gas plant for the Midwest will still leave the utility short of the power and reserves needed to meet surging data center demand, the company's own analysis showed ahead of a key approval process next month. The projected shortfall highlights mounting strain on U.S. power grids as data center demand grows faster than the generation and transmission capacity needed to support it. St. Louis-based Ameren's urgency for the project is acute after signing contracts this year to provide electricity to data centers in development by Amazon and Alphabet's Google in rural Missouri. Ameren AEE.N says the 2,100-megawatt West Alton Energy Center is necessary, but would not fully restore the reserve cushion needed to meet projected demand. The project is planned for a site next to a coal plant on the banks of the Mississippi River about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of St. Louis. "The company's resource capacity still falls well short of the total demand" and planned reserve margin, Ameren Director of Corporate Analysis Matt Michels said in July 24 testimony filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission. An August 20 prehearing conference will kick off the regulatory process for Ameren to obtain approval to construct the power plant. Ameren estimates the plant would come online in late 2031. But Ameren's capacity shortfall in the winter of 2032, for example, would equal about 1,500 MW and grow to about 2,300 MW the following year, Michels said in his testimony. Ameren executives say the utility also will build capacity by enhancing existing power sources, developing solar and battery energy storage sites and purchasing power from the regional grid. Ameren's service area falls within the Midcontinent ISO, which manages the flow of electricity for a territory that includes all or part of 15 U.S. states in the Midwest and South. The total return on Ameren's stock over the past 12 months is 12.7%, outpacing the 8.4% for the S&P 500 Utilities Sector .SPLRCU, as investors anticipate strong earnings growth over the next decade. "Ameren anticipates more than $70 billion of additional investment opportunities over the next 10 years, providing a long runway of growth," Morningstar analyst Andrew Bischof wrote this week in a research note. "The most attractive opportunities are supporting data center development in Illinois and Missouri, new generation in Missouri, modernizing the grid in Illinois and Missouri, and transmission expansion across the Midcontinent electric grid," Bischof said.

Mapping rural data center development finds growing opposition - Washington, D.C.’s metropolitan area has long hummed with data centers. The region, which encompasses much of Northern Virginia, has become known as Data Center Alley, home to more data centers than anywhere else in the world. But the data center boom, driven by the rise of AI and the race to build the infrastructure powering it, is changing the geography of these energy-intensive, warehouse-like facilities.  Data centers have arrived in rural America. The Daily Yonder analyzed crowd-sourced data on the locations of data centers, how they connect to existing grid infrastructure, and where communities are fighting back. Though the majority of in-progress data centers are in metropolitan areas, this reporting and data analysis show that large data centers, characteristic of the current boom, represent outsized investments in rural areas. Smaller populations often mean smaller tax bases and fewer government officials, leaving rural communities with fewer resources to negotiate deals with developers or weather the tax revenue fallout after facility closures. The following map shows the number of data centers in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan, or rural, counties. As of June 2026, approximately 30 of the 529 data centers currently in operation are located in rural counties, representing about 6% of operating data centers. At the time of this analysis, 16 rural data centers were either recently approved or currently under construction, representing about 12% of all in-progress projects. The Daily Yonder uses a county-level definition of rural derived from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). All counties outside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) are classified as rural for the purposes of this analysis. Information on the locations of data centers comes from FracTracker Alliance, an organization providing the public with interactive tools to understand oil, gas, petrochemical, and data center development across the country. While there are many other datasets out there tracking data center development, few of them are publicly accessible, making a complete analysis difficult. This report uses FracTracker because of the organization’s methods for obtaining data and the monthly frequency with which it updates the database. That frequency is a key metric for tracking this fast-evolving issue. FracTracker obtains information from crowd sourcing, media announcements, partner datasets, and public records. While the organization is primarily focused on proposed data centers, it is slowly adding existing data centers to the database. That means that the data used in this analysis is preliminary. Because it is a work in progress, FracTracker encourages readers to share new and updated information about data centers in their own communities via a submission form. Analyses that rely on other rural definitions and datasets yield different results. For instance, a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center relied on data from Data Center Map, an industry database. Pew Research found that more than 1,500 new data centers are planned nationwide, with 67% slated for rural areas. Yet Pew Research uses a slightly broader interpretation of rural than the Daily Yonder. Pew Research interprets rurality as it is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification, which includes areas on the outskirts of metropolitan counties that have low population density. These communities are not captured in the OMB definition that the Daily Yonder uses. Still, as data centers expand beyond metropolitan areas, their development and reception in Census-defined rural places often resemble patterns found in non-metropolitan counties defined by the OMB. So, although figures may vary by rural classification method, the general trend is that the presence of data centers is a growing concern in rural communities, particularly because the complex dynamics of data center development show up differently in smaller municipalities. “It is fundamentally a power imbalance for a city attorney in a medium or small-sized city to be able to go up against Amazon’s lawyers, right? That’s not a fair negotiation,” The following map displays non-metropolitan data centers on top of transmission lines with voltages at or above 345 kilovolts (kV). Data centers’ electricity needs often drive their construction in relative proximity to power grid infrastructure that can support their operations. But not all transmission lines are created equal. The transmission lines relevant to the data center conversation are those with higher voltage classes, typically 345kV and up, since they deliver the most substantial power, according to Anna Haensch, an associate research professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Data Science Institute. The map above shows how rural data centers track onto major transmission line networks. The majority of the facilities are five miles or closer to high-voltage transmission lines. According to this analysis, the median distance from a rural data center to one of these major transmission lines was about four miles. In Wisconsin, for example, all of the data centers in the FracTracker dataset are in close proximity to 345kV transmission lines. Observe the same trend in southern Minnesota, where a Goodhue County District Court Judge recently ordered developers to halt a hyperscale project near Rochester until an environmental lawsuit is resolved. According to the FracTracker data, there are more than 113 data centers proposed in rural counties. In regions like the mid-Atlantic and Appalachia, many of these proposed data centers track alongside existing transmission line networks that stretch across Pennsylvania and Virginia into West Virginia and Ohio. In Texas, many facilities are proposed or have already been built in close proximity to the state’s 345kV network. There, locals from across the political spectrum have been fighting to stop the development of a 765kV transmission line in rural Central Texas that will power oil, gas, and data centers in West Texas. But in some regions without the right infrastructure, data centers aren’t being constructed, even if the local or state political environment is favorable to development. Take Northern Wisconsin, for example. There, Haensch said, fewer data centers have been proposed because the rural region lacks high-voltage infrastructure. “If a data center wanted to build there, then they would have to be paying for laying down transmission lines, which is already really expensive, but the social cost of it is so tremendously high, because then you’re talking about blasting through people’s farms and claiming right of way.” According to this analysis of data from the Data Center Opposition Report, a coalition of organizations and academics tracking resistance to data centers, there are approximately 129 groups in rural counties that are fighting the rise of data centers. Opposition movements are largely concentrated in regions where there is more data center development, like the Washington, D.C., metro area and adjacent rural communities. But across the country, opposition is growing. Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans are concerned about data center development. In May, a Gallup poll found that 7 in 10 Americans oppose constructing AI data centers in their area, with nearly half being strongly opposed. In June, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 77% of Americans are concerned that AI data centers will make electricity more expensive. That same poll found that 57% of Americans, ​including two-thirds who identify as Democrats and half who identify as Republicans, said they’d oppose building a data center in their community.

Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water - Officials in Wyoming said a contractor for Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company, Meta, flushed bacteria-contaminated water into public sewers during construction of a controversial new AI datacenter.The incident prompted water authorities in Cheyenne to implement strict safety regulations on how wastewater from such projects is disposed of, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, which first reported the incident.Meta has ordered its general contractor, Fortis, to cooperate with the Cheyenne board of public utilities (BOPU) to ensure there is no repeat, the newspaper said, insisting it wanted to be “a good neighbor”.The company, however, noted that contamination by the rare but naturally occurring Cupriavidus gilardii bacterium did not affect drinking water supplies, and that its contractor’s own water testing by an independent environmental specialist found no trace of it.The incident comes amid growing nationwide backlash to the construction of resource-hungry datacenters, which opponents say place unbearable demands on local water and energy supplies. According to Data Center Map, the US has almost 4,500 datacenters, some consuming up to 300,000 gallons of water each day, equivalent to the demands of about 1,000 households.The Cheyenne contamination was discovered in February during routine testing of wastewater discharged into public sewers from the cooling system of the datacenter campus in the High Plains Business Park, the Tribune Eagle reported.Officials identified Goat Systems LLC, a Delaware-based contractor on the 800,000 sq ft facility known as Project Cosmo, as being responsible. The city permanently revoked Meta’s authority to discharge waste into Cheyenne’s water treatment facilities, where it is recycled and used for irrigation in parks and other public spaces.The city also adopted a new policy prohibiting wastewater discharges from datacenters using closed loop cooling systems and fill and flush systems, which involve circulating purified water to remove construction debris, flux residue, and pipe scale, Frank Strong, BOPU’s engineering and water resource division manager, told the newspaper.Cupriavidus gilardii is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soil, regarded by health experts as an “opportunistic pathogen” harmful only to people with existing serious health conditions or weakened immune systems.A March 2026 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found a patient who died of septic shock after contracting an infection from Cupriavidus gilardii during a cord blood transplantation procedure.The report said known cases of human infection were rare, with only seven reported to date. Among them was a 12-year-old American girl who died of sepsis after contracting an infection during a European vacation, according to a 2010 report in the National Library of Medicine.Strong said it was not known when the bacterium entered the water, only that it was present during routine fecal bacteria testing on the discharged water.“The concern we have with our reuse system is we put it into aerosol, where we spray it on to the grass, and that increases the potential for health issues,” he said. The city’s irrigation program had resumed now that the datacenter’s wastewater was no longer being discharged, he said.

Trump's EPA Wants Fewer People Asking Questions About Data Center Pollution - The Trump administration is quietly considering a rule change that could make it easier for polluters to build facilities—including certain gas plants and diesel generators that power data centers—with little to no notice to the public.On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on a proposed rule change that would hand the power to states to decide how the public participates in the permitting process for certain new sources of air pollution. The proposed rollback comes as data centers face greater pushback across the US, with many communities using the permitting process to try to slow down development. Any changes could have major consequences for how ordinary people are given notice about new or expanded polluting facilities coming into their neighborhoods.“As someone actively working in communities with data centers, I know this to be fundamentally true: People want to have a say,” Vanessa Lynch, a Pennsylvania organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, said at the EPA hearing.  Companies building any kind of facilities that release air pollution are required to get permits under the Clean Air Act. Polluting sources can either be put through a “major” permitting process, meaning that they meet or exceed thresholds for certain pollutants, or a “minor” one for those that don’t.Major sources of pollution are reviewed by both federal and state regulators and have extensive requirements before and after construction. However, there’s less oversight of minor sources. The scope of what gets permitted as a minor source is extremely broad and can include everything from dry cleaners and auto body shops to diesel and gas engines. The latter two are increasingly being used to power data centers, with operators such as xAI and Meta using minor source permitting processes to build behind-the-meter gas plants.The Clean Air Act does require the public to be involved in permitting processes; Congress has specified that major sources need to have several public steps, including a public hearing. EPA rules require some public participation for minor source permits. But thanks to a patchwork of state enforcement laws, that engagement process—and whether state agencies are actually complying with EPA requirements—varies across the US.If the proposed rule is finalized, “it would put state and local agencies most familiar with local issues in the driver’s seat to determine whether, when, and for how long to provide opportunities for public participation for proposed new minor sources and modifications,” an EPA spokesperson tells WIRED, noting the rule wouldn’t alter emissions standards.These state-by-state differences can make a big difference in how the public gets involved. Keri Powell, an Atlanta-based attorney at the environmental legal advocacy group Southern Environmental Law Center, says that groups like hers often end up taking on cases in states like Georgia, which, she says, has a more robust public notification and participation process for minor sources. Earlier this month, the group alerted the state utility about construction issues at a data center, based on information they’d gotten from the companies’ public air permit applications. But if the EPA removes the federal requirement, community and legal groups in the state could get little to no heads up about upcoming projects and be shut out of participation and review. Texas is an example of what lower levels of engagement look like. The data center boom there has driven a massive buildout of private gas plants, many of which rely on minor pollution permits. The state’s lower levels of enforcement have left some communities living in the shadows of data centers surprised at the scope of fossil fuel infrastructure being installed near their homes.

NextEra to Build 2 GW of New Gas Plants to Power $100B KY AI Campus Marcellus Drilling News -A coalition of energy and utility companies announced on Wednesday (July 29) that they’re turning a chunk of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) old Paducah uranium enrichment site in far western Kentucky into a massive data center campus. The gas angle: NextEra Energy will build and own up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of new natural gas-fired generation to power the thing. That’s 2,000 megawatts (MW) of brand-new, on-demand gas burn dropped into a state sitting at the western end of a pipeline system that reaches back toward Appalachia. Here’s the deal in brief…

Dominion/NextEra File to Merge; Greens Try but Fail to Stop Clock - Marcellus Drilling News -- Back in May we brought you the news that NextEra Energy is buying and merging with Dominion Energy in a deal valued around $66.8 billion (see NextEra Energy Buying, Merging with Dominion Energy for $66 Billion), followed by our rundown of the Marcellus/Utica projects that may be affected (see M-U Projects Potentially Impacted by NextEra/Dominion Merger). On July 15, the two companies stopped talking and started filing. They submitted applications to five separate regulators: the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The Virginia filing is the big one — it started a statutory clock that runs out January 11, 2027. And the anti-fossil fuel crowd in Richmond immediately tried to jam that clock

Congress welcomes Trump’s nuclear waste plan — with some caveats - Even though lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are welcoming the Trump administration’s plan to deal with nuclear waste piling up at reactors around the country, Congress doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to codify it. The plan, reported by POLITICO this week, would rely on willing states to participate in a program that would solve the decades-old waste problem once and for all.But for the Trump strategy to be fully implemented, Congress would have to formally take Nevada’s Yucca Mountain off the table as the nation’s sole repository.“We got to figure out something to do with that,” Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) told POLITICO on Wednesday when asked about the Trump administration’s request on Yucca. Lee said he’d “quite possibly” introduce legislation along those lines but didn’t elaborate further.Across Capitol Hill, House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) was noncommittal about his intentions for implementing the White House’s framework.Guthrie, in a statement, said he would “continue working with the Trump Administration and the Department of Energy to usher in America’s nuclear renaissance.”The Department of Energy is looking at various states to potentially host sites for its “nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses” program. The department unveiled finalists earlier this week — Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho.More than two dozen states submitted proposals to potentially take waste. And at least some lawmakers from those volunteer states are fine with the idea.“Tennessee has a long history of managing, storing, and processing nuclear materials and waste,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said in a statement. “As the nuclear sector continues to grow, the state is well positioned to remain a leader in supporting the safe, secure, and responsible management and processing of these materials in accordance with federal and state laws. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, was more cautious. “I need to learn a lot more about it before I’m going to be supportive of the rest of the country dumping its nuclear waste on Louisiana,” Kennedy said. Nevada lawmakers were glad to see the administration pushing Congress to formalize what several administrations have stated — that Yucca Mountain is not a politically viable solution for the waste problem.“I am glad to see the Trump Administration take a step toward acknowledging what Nevadans have known for years: Yucca Mountain is dead,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).“But I’m not going to take anything for granted — I’ll keep fighting until I know for sure that the Department of Energy will always give state and local stakeholders the seat at the table they deserve when making decisions about nuclear waste storage.”Congress last appropriated funds for the Yucca Mountain repository over a decade ago, but under federal law, high-level nuclear waste cannot be permanently stored elsewhere.

Ohio’s Park System at Risk from Fracking - Ohio has been named the best state park system in the nation, with 76 state parks covering 170,000 acres and drawing 55 million visitors annually saveohioparks.org. This reputation is central to the state’s identity and economy, generating about $20 billion in annual economic value saveohioparks.org.However, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission has approved fracking on nearly 15,000 acres of public land, including large portions of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area, Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area, and Salt Fork State Park Spectrum News. Save Ohio Parks, a statewide advocacy group, argues that these decisions undermine the state’s environmental and recreational legacy.Save Ohio Parks says that in every fracking nomination for state parks or wildlife areas, overwhelmingly negative public comments—often thousands of them—have been ignored, while only a handful favor drilling Yahoo+1. They describe the commission meetings as “unreachable” and “adjourned before half an hour,” and note that approvals have been made regardless of public sentiment Yahoo.In 2025, the parks budget was $52 million. In 2026, it was cut in half, with the remaining $26 million to be taken from the Oil and Gas Fund—the source of lease payments from fracking operations Yahoo+1. This shift means funds once used for special projects now cover basic operations, staff, and maintenance. Save Ohio Parks argues the state could instead ask wealthy residents to pay more, rather than funding parks through public land leases.Save Ohio Parks warns that fracking uses 40–60 million gallons of fresh water from creeks, streams, and lakes, mixes it with toxic chemicals, and injects it deep underground Spectrum News. They cite studies linking proximity to fracking to higher risks of leukemia and other health issues in children Spectrum News. They also note that methane from fracking is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, The group’s message is clear: Ohio can still have the best park system without drilling under it. They call for the commission to reverse approvals, protect public lands, and fund parks through alternative means Yahoo+1. The debate is not just about energy production—it’s about preserving a state treasure for future generations.

Ohio has nation's best park system. We're angry fracking will change that | Opinion - The Columbus Dispatch - Mark Gavin Sr. -In his recent guest column, Ohio Oil and Gas Association President Rob Brundrett says Ohioans deserve a debate grounded in facts, science and respectful conversation.On that, Save Ohio Parks certainly agrees. So, let's have that conversation, starting with the facts his column left out. First, Save Ohio Parks does not condone personal attacks on anyone, including members of the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission. But Brundrett's column neglects to acknowledge that things start to get personal when people are fighting for their homes, clean water and clean air.The frustration on display at these meetings is a product of fear, anger and grief. It was built on 10,000 ignored comments, an unreachable commission and being treated like criminals at meetings that tend to adjourn before they reach half an hour in duration.The facts don't lie.Check any fracking nomination at a state park or wildlife area on the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission site and you will find the comments are overwhelmingly against fracking our public lands. Out of thousands of comments, barely a dozen favor it.The commission approved the leases anyway. It has approved nomination after nomination. If a public process always produces the same results no matter what the public says, it has stopped being a process and has become a ceremony. People noticed, and they're understandably upset. In 2025, the parks budget was $52 million. The 2026 state budget cut that in half and told the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to pull the other $26 million from the Oil and Gas Fund, where fracking lease payments go.Money that once paid for special improvement projects now covers basic operations, staff and maintenance. Ohio could fund its parks by asking wealthy residents to pay their fair share. Instead, this Legislature cut their taxes with the flat tax and promised to make up the difference by fracking our public lands.He also mentions that Ohio was recently named the best state park system in America.We are proud of that too. Our parks can still be the best in the nation without drilling under them.On the contrary, fracking our parks degrades them by industrializing the area around them, creating air, light and noise pollution, and converting tens of millions of gallons of fresh water into toxic and radioactive waste.I agree with Rob on something: These resources belong to all Ohioans. Public lands are public assets. Outdoor recreation generated $20 billion in Ohio in 2024. That is due in large part to our renowned parks. Fracking them puts that industry, and our recreation, at risk.So why are the companies that nominate them for fracking kept secret until a bid is awarded?Why does this commission meet in the middle of the workday in Columbus at the Department of Public Safety office, in a room flanked by Ohio State Highway Patrol officers? If commissioners cared about what the most affected Ohioans thought about these nominations, they would hold their meetings in places like Guernsey County, where folks who live around Salt Fork State Park deal with truck traffic, around-the-clock noise and light pollution, and explosions.The oil and gas industry has every right to make its case. So do the thousands of Ohioans who have made theirs, respectfully and persistently, for three years. Only one side of this debate has been ignored. So here is our idea: Hold the next commission hearing in Guernsey County, Belmont County or Columbiana County. Hold it in the evening, when working people can attend. Let them give public testimony. Let commissioners sit with the Ohioans whose homes are on the line, and let the public judge for itself who is bringing facts to this conversation.Our parks belong to all of us. We will keep showing up for Ohio. We hope the commissioners will at some point as well.

‘Like a bomb’: Explosion felt for miles, Canton home leveled  (WJW) — Canton firefighters said a natural gas explosion injured two people early Thursday, July 30. Witnesses told FOX 8 News that the sound of an explosion at 1617 Bonnot Place NE, woke them up shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday. Canton Fire Division Chief Steve Henderson told FOX 8 News the explosion could be felt 2 miles away. Canton firefighters released video of the moment it happened. A nearby resident also captured the explosion on security camera footage, as seen below. Video courtesy of Dalton Thompson YouTube. Henderson said the home was already destroyed when firefighters arrived. The blast was so powerful, it blew one man into the street. Canton Fire said he was taken to the hospital with burns to 80% of his body. That man told firefighters about another victim in the home, who was not found after an extensive search of the debris field. According to Canton Fire, that man was later found in a home on 15th Street Northeast. Canton Fire said the second victim will need specialized treatment for burn injuries. Both were transported to the Burn Center at Akron Children’s Hospital, according to the update. “It was a big boom like a bomb or missile was going off. It actually shattered some of my neighbor’s windows even and shook my whole house,” said Victor Howell, who shared video of the scene. SkyFOX video over the neighborhood showed a massive debris field around the home. Canton firefighters told FOX 8 News at least five additional houses were damaged, and multiple residents were displaced. American Red Cross assisted the victims at the scene, according to the release.. Canton For All People is helping them find hotels and long-term housing support. Refuge of Hope is helping them get personal items and clothing. The city’s Building Code Department has assessed the surrounding properties and is working with contactors to demolish those deemed unsafe, according to the update. The home where the explosion happened was empty and on sale at the time, according to Canton Fire. Click here to see the home listing. Canton Fire reported the explosion also took down multiple power lines, causing additional hazards for first responders and residents. “For your safety, we strongly ask all residents to avoid the area due to debris, and to keep the area clear to allow crews to safely complete their work,” reads the update.

Home explosions are raising alarming questions. What's happening under Northeast Ohio's streets? - — One house explodes, and it’s a tragedy. Two explosions in six weeks, combined with a string of gas line strikes across Northeast Ohio, start to look like something else entirely.That was the unsettling conclusion on Friday’s episode of Today in Ohio, where the hosts questioned whether a region-wide surge in construction is exposing dangerous weaknesses in the maze of aging utility lines buried beneath Northeast Ohio.The latest incident unfolded in Canton, where surveillance video captured a house disappearing in a massive fireball within seconds. The blast left one victim with burns over 80% of their body after being thrown into the street. The other occupant was found an astonishing distance from what had once been the home. Miraculously, both survived.Ordinarily, the hosts said, it would be viewed as a horrific but isolated accident.“I mean, if this had happened a year ago, we usually kind of chalk this up as just a terrible accident or a one-off,” host Leila Atassi said. “But this is the second explosion in our area this summer.”That’s what made the conversation feel different.The Canton explosion came just weeks after another devastating house explosion in Northeast Ohio. And beyond those headline-grabbing disasters is a growing list of gas line strikes that, with only slightly different circumstances, could have ended the same way. In Orange Village alone, three gas lines were struck during a waterline project over the past three weeks. In Summit County, six excavation-related gas line strikes were reported between August 2025 and April. Every one of those incidents raises the same question: How is this still happening?The primary safeguard is the 811 “Call Before You Dig” system, which requires contractors to notify utilities before excavation begins so underground lines can be marked. But the hosts noted that the system depends on something many communities don’t have: accurate records of what’s actually buried underground.“There are lots of lines and pipes underground. We’ve been putting them underground for 200 years,” 811 spokesman Jamie Gillen told cleveland.com, explaining that maps are often incomplete, outdated or fail to account for privately installed utility lines.Even when crews follow the rules, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll find everything.“You know, they have the rules about digging. You’d think that the people who do that are expert and understand what’s going on. But I’m shocked that no one has died,” Laura Johnston said.The timing only heightens the concern. Northeast Ohio is experiencing a wave of infrastructure work, with roads being rebuilt, water mains replaced, fiber-optic lines installed and new developments breaking ground across the region. Every project requires digging through layers of infrastructure that, in many places, date back generations.This week’s strike in Orange Village illustrates the challenge. Crews hit a long-abandoned gas line that once served a shopping center but had long since been taken out of service. No one realized it was still underground.To the hosts, that wasn’t just an oddity. It was a warning.As more construction projects begin simultaneously across the region, they argued, local officials need to stop treating each explosion or gas line strike as an isolated event and instead confront the possibility that Northeast Ohio has a larger problem lurking beneath its streets. Listen to the full discussion here.

What the Twinsburg explosion revealed about Northeast Ohio's buried utilities — When firefighters arrived at a home in Twinsburg Township on June 26 after residents reported smelling natural gas, they had only minutes to work. They began evacuating homes and securing the neighborhood. Then the house exploded. The blast, triggered when a fiber-optic excavation project went catastrophically wrong, destroyed three homes, damaged at least 36 others and shook neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio. Just two people suffered minor injuries — an outcome Twinsburg Fire Chief Earl Wilson later called “a miracle.” The explosion also prompted a question many residents had never considered before: How does a gas line get hit in the first place? The answer lies beneath streets, sidewalks, and front yards across Northeast Ohio, where an unprecedented wave of underground fiber-optic construction is weaving through decades-old utility infrastructure. Fire department records reviewed by cleveland.com document at least six excavation-related gas-line strikes in Macedonia, Northfield Center and Sagamore Hills between August 2025 and April 2026. None approached the destruction seen in Twinsburg Township, but together they illustrate the growing challenges contractors face as governments and private companies expand underground fiber networks throughout the region. State investigators have not determined what caused the Twinsburg explosion or whether excavation practices, utility locating, damaged infrastructure or another factor played a role. But interviews with utility officials, county leaders, local administrators, and contractors reveal a complicated system designed to prevent underground accidents — one that becomes more critical as construction accelerates. Two fiber projects, one underground landscape Much of the recent construction has come from two separate efforts to improve connectivity in the region. One is Summit Connects, Summit County’s public project to build a dedicated fiber network linking police departments, fire departments, city halls, and other government facilities in all 31 communities. The other consists of private telecommunications companies expanding residential broadband service. Although both involve underground construction, they serve different purposes. “It’s just the Summit Connects piece of this is an initiative by the county to install public fiber that interconnects all 31 communities,” Brian Nelson, chief of staff to Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, told cleveland.com. “So, it really just goes from city hall to city hall, to city hall, interconnecting all the communities in the county to create a governmental network.” Nelson said the county’s network is intended to strengthen emergency communications, support future technologies such as smart traffic signals and create a shared communications backbone for local governments. The project is nearing completion, with only a few miles of drilling remaining. Weekly project updates show crews performing directional drilling, conduit installation and fiber installation simultaneously across Summit County while communities that already have that infrastructure in place await final fiber installation. The updates also remind residents not to remove yellow utility locator flags marking underground infrastructure. Meanwhile, private companies continue installing fiber service for homes and businesses throughout the county. “Everybody’s getting away from copper and going to fiber,” Northfield Center Trustee Rich Reville said. Every underground project starts with the same requirement. Before excavating, contractors generally must contact Ohio811, the state’s call-before-you-dig notification system. Ohio811 notifies utilities serving the area, and each utility is responsible for marking its own underground infrastructure before excavation begins. Stephanie Moore, a spokeswoman for Enbridge Gas Ohio, said the company has seen an increase in both requests for utility markings and damaged gas lines as underground construction activity has expanded. Nelson said Summit Connects added another layer of protection beyond standard locating procedures. After encountering difficulties locating aging underground utilities early in construction, the county hired a contractor to use ground-penetrating radar and sonar to locate the utilities on their own before requesting official utility markings. In some locations, crews also excavated test trenches to verify utility locations before drilling. Even with multiple safeguards, underground construction remains unpredictable. Many gas, water and sewer lines were installed decades ago, and locating every utility isn’t always straightforward. Tim Black, Northfield Center’s director of services, said a method known as directional boring, or horizontal directional drilling, minimizes disruption because contractors can install conduit beneath roads and driveways without excavating long trenches. “The reason why they bore is so that they don’t have to interrupt everything on the surface,” Black said. “But when you’re going underground blindly, you’re going to hit stuff.” Oversight of underground construction is divided among utilities, Ohio811, local governments and state regulators. Local governments generally issue permits for work in public rights of way but have limited authority to stop utility projects once they are underway. The Twinsburg explosion did not occur in isolation. Fire department records document multiple excavation-related gas leaks in northeast Summit County over the past year. The largest before Twinsburg occurred on Firebush Lane in Northfield Center, where a 2 Guys LLC contractor’s truck struck a high-pressure gas main when installing conduits to place fiber optics April 16, forcing evacuations until Enbridge crews secured the line. Another strike occurred days later on Brookfield Lane. Earlier incidents also occurred in Sagamore Hills and Northfield Center.Once a gas line is struck, the excavator calls 911. Firefighters and police secure the area while Enbridge crews stop the flow of natural gas, make the area safe and begin repairs. Fire departments determine whether evacuations are necessary and remain responsible for public safety.Moore said Enbridge conducts emergency training with fire departments throughout Ohio and invests more than $1 million annually in safe-digging education for contractors, homeowners and first responders.

Construction crew hits gas line for second time in local community - (WJW) – After several hours, the all-clear was given following a natural gas leak at a construction site at the border of Solon and the village of Orange Wednesday morning. A Solon police source told FOX 8 that the construction stretches along Miles Road from where it started near Naiman Parkway and will continue west until the work to replace the water main is completed near Harper Road. Wednesday morning, an Enbridge gas pipeline was struck near Miles and Brainard roads. “A construction crew working on Miles Road hit an Enbridge Gas pipeline, resulting in a leak. Enbridge Gas Ohio crews responded. “Made the area safe and completed repairs. There was no impact to customers,” a spokesperson for the company said. It was the second time a gas line was struck during the project. Exactly two weeks prior, the same thing happened back near Naiman Parkway on July 15. As a precaution, power was shut off to the area and a shelter-in-place order was initiated. It also hindered traffic in the area. “First of all, I couldn’t find my way here because everything was blocked off and I had to walk down Brainard about a quarter of a mile,” Allen Clark said. Clark is the manager at Rite Dry Cleaners in Solon. He told FOX 8 the loss of power and everything else that came with the gas leak was a nuisance for everyone in the area. “It’s very inconvenient for the business and customers as well because when the power is out, they have to come back for something they could’ve done the first time,” he said. “Hurry up and get the work done so we can get back to our normal lives.” He added that natural gas leaks can pose serious danger for everyone in the area. “It’s frightening,” Clark said. “When you think of the extremes and what could happen, it’s just unnerving. FOX 8 previously reported that State Senator Casey Weinstein was working on legislation to make digging and drilling safer after a gas line was struck and a massive explosion ensued in Twinsburg Township in late June. Weinstein said on Wednesday that the outline of the bill is complete, but it won’t be presented at the statehouse until the PUCO investigation into the Twinsburg Township incident is completed in order to include the findings in the bill.

Repairs made to 'gas line issue' along Brecksville Road in Independence, road reopens | wkyc.com - — Independence police report that repairs have been made to the "gas line issue" that caused a shelter-in-place on Friday.  The gas line issue closed traffic in the area of Brecksville Road between Rockside and Granger roads while crews worked at the scene.  Police announced the shelter-in-place at approximately 12:10 p.m. in a post on Facebook, adding that power to that area would be turned off until the issue was resolved.  No additional details were immediately available.

REX Waste Heat Now Powers Univ. of Dayton – Let’s Do More of This! - Marcellus Drilling News -  Back in March we told you Tallgrass was bolting waste-heat-to-power gear onto three Rockies Express (REX) compressor stations in Ohio and Indiana (see Rockies Express Compressor Stations Turn Waste Heat into Power). Those three were the sequel. Yesterday we got word the original is now up and running. Tallgrass, Kanin Energy, AES Ohio, and the University of Dayton announced that a waste-heat recovery system tied to the REX compressor station at Washington Court House (Fayette County), Ohio, is now generating electricity — enough to cover 100% of the university’s power needs under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The system is expected to crank out roughly 78,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) a year, trim about 55,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and cut UD’s carbon footprint by 71%. Construction started in October 2024 and wrapped up in early 2026

TE Compressor Trips Offline in Ohio While FERC Weighs Replacement - Marcellus Drilling News - We periodically go pipeline-notice hunting to see what’s throttling Marcellus/Utica molecules on any given day (see Up to 8% of M-U Molecules Currently Restricted Due to Pipe Issues). This morning’s sweep through PipeRiv — the free clearinghouse that aggregates critical notices from nearly every interstate pipeline in the country — turned up something with a nice bit of timing attached. The affected pipes include Texas Eastern, Iroquois Gas Transmission, and National Fuel Gas.

DTM 2Q: OH Data Center Deal, Gathering Expansion, Millennium Upside Marcellus Drilling News -  Detroit-based DT Midstream (DTM) reported second quarter 2026 results this week, and while the headline numbers were fine but unremarkable, the Appalachian news buried in the deck is worth your attention. DTM booked net income of $112 million ($1.09 per diluted share) and adjusted EBITDA of $305 million, declared a $0.88 per share dividend, and reaffirmed full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $1.155–$1.225 billion. Fine. Now here’s the part that matters if you own minerals in Belmont County or run a rig crew in Susquehanna County: DTM just signed up a new 380 MMcf/d interconnect on the NEXUS Gas Transmission pipeline that will feed a gas-fired power plant serving a new data center in Ohio — and it’s expanding its Appalachia Gathering System by 100 MMcf/d to shove more supply into NEXUS and Texas Eastern.

19 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Jul 20 – 26 - Marcellus Drilling News -  The Marcellus/Utica region received 19 new drilling permits last week, July 20 – 26, down 7 from two weeks ago. Last week, Pennsylvania issued 10 new permits. Ohio issued 4 new permits. And West Virginia issued 5 new permits. The drillers who received new permits included: Ascent Resources (1), EOG Resources (1), EQT (7), Expand Energy (5), Infinity Natural Resources (2), Range Resources (2), and Snyder Brothers (1). Armstrong County | Ascent Resources | EOG Resources | EQT Corp | Expand Energy | Guernsey County | INR/Infinity Natural Resources | Marshall County | Noble County | Range Resources Corp | Snyder Brothers | Washington County | Westmoreland County

INR Discloses $57.5M Q2 Derivative Gain Ahead of Earnings - Marcellus Drilling News - Infinity Natural Resources, the Morgantown, WV-based operator running Utica Shale acreage in eastern Ohio and stacked dry-gas Marcellus/Utica positions in southwestern Pennsylvania, put out a preliminary hedging update on July 17th, giving the market a first look at its second-quarter derivative results before full Q2 earnings land. We thought that we would take the opportunity to try and explain (decode) what all of this hedging (derivatives) stuff is about. The headline number: a net derivative gain of approximately $57.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. That figure is a combination of two very different things, and it's worth separating them.

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: CNX Resources Production Expectations Remain Flat | RBN Energy -Appalachian natural gas producer CNX Resources affirmed during its 2nd quarter earnings call on Thursday that it expects total annual production in 2026 to be between 1.66 and 1.7 Bcfe/d. This guidance is identical to what the company stated in its Q4 2025 earnings call almost six months ago, as volatility in prices have not caused any divergence from earlier plans. The company expects to turn in line 34 wells this year, with 27 of those in Marcellus and seven in deep Utica.While the annual guidance remains flat on an annual basis, CEO Alan Shepard promised field activity that would be “slightly higher in Q3 then sort of level out in Q4” which is reflected in CapEx projections that increase from Q2 to Q3 before declining in Q4. Shepard stated that the timeline “naturally sets up” so that more gas is available at the end of the year when in-basin demand is highest. He also confirmed that well costs remain in the range of $1,700 per foot but also said that each time the firm goes to drill a new well they get “better and better” so that they might revise their stated well costs sometime in the future.

Pennsylvania roads are being coated in radioactive wastewater—here's why -Pennsylvania's roughly 100,000 oil and gas wells produce wastewater that's many times saltier than seawater and contains radium, a known carcinogen. For decades, that saltwater, called brine, was spread on dirt and gravel roads across the state to control dust and on paved roads to melt ice.The state Department of Environmental Protection halted the practice in 2018, but residents continue to report oil and gas brine being spread in their communities. Now, a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Protection in May 2026 could open a new path for oil and gas well wastewater to be sold as a commercial product that road maintenance operators or snow removal businesses could purchase.William Burgos and Nathaniel Warner, professors of environmental engineering at Penn State, have spent years testing whether oil and gas brine actually works as a road dust suppressant. Road dust is an issue because fine particles generated by traffic can get into residents' lungs and cause respiratory issues. The dust also reduces visibility, which can lead to accidents. Burgos and Warner spoke with The Conversation U.S.'s Pittsburgh editor, Cassandra Stone, about what's in the brine, why it fails at the job it's supposed to do and what the new permit means for Pennsylvanians.

• What is oil and gas brine, and why is it being spread on Pennsylvania roads in the first place?
• Oil and gas wells produce a significant amount of water, called produced water or brine, along with the oil and gas they recover. In northwestern Pennsylvania, the ratio is around eight barrels of water per barrel of oil. The water is very salty—often 5–10 times as salty as seawater. It is generated from both conventional oil and gas wells and unconventional, or "fracked," gas wells—such as those used to extract natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shales in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection banned using brine from fracked gas wells for dust suppression or anti-icing in 2016 and issued a moratorium halting the road spreading of conventional oil and gas brine in 2018. Well operators had previously provided the brine to local townships for free.
• What's in this water, and what do we know about its health and environmental risks?
• Lots of calcium, sodium and chloride, but also radium—a radioactive element and known human carcinogen—as well as petroleum hydrocarbons and lead. Most of these contaminants wash off the road and end up in streams and sediments. The salt can harm fish and other wildlife and corrode bridges and automobiles. Salt from roads can also enter nearby drinking water wells.
• Why are conventional and fracked well brine treated differently?
• Geochemically, there is no obvious reason. Brines from conventional and unconventional wells are chemically very similar: Both are extremely salty and radioactive, and both contain heavy metals and organic contaminants. For example, in Pennsylvania, the combined activity of two radioactive forms of radium averaged 2,000 picocuries per liter in conventional oil and gas brine and 1,800 picocuries per liter in unconventional Marcellus Shale brine. There are numerous federal regulations from different agencies governing discharges of radium into the environment, but many do not directly apply to oil and gas wastes. The EPA tries to follow the principle that radioactivity exposure should be "as low as reasonably achievable," also known as ALARA. Its drinking water standard for combined radium activity is 5 picocuries per liter. Obviously, people are not drinking the oil and gas brine directly, but the problem is that we don't know where the radium ends up after the brine has been applied to the road. It mostly washes off with runoff, but radium dried onto the road could be remobilized as dust that someone inhales, or radium could accumulate in game fish eaten by fishermen. Operationally, unconventional gas wells produce much more water than conventional oil wells, which may be the reason for the additional restrictions on disposal options. Historically, the two industries emerged under very different rules. Environmental regulations were already in place in 2008 when the unconventional Marcellus Shale gas boom began, but conventional drilling dates to the Drake well in 1859—long before modern environmental oversight existed.
• How are these wastes regulated?
• Produced water is regulated by the Office of Oil and Gas Management within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Most regulations rely on self-reporting by well operators. Operators of conventional wells are required to report the volumes of oil, gas and brine produced from each well every year. If an operator wants to classify its brine as a coproduct and use it for some purpose, it must submit a form to the department's Bureau of Waste Management. There are no requirements to measure radium concentrations or demonstrate that the brine works for its new intended use.
• Does oil and gas brine work as a dust suppressant?
• No. We designed multiple studies to determine whether oil and gas brine can suppress road dust. In the first, we used a laboratory method to measure the amount of dust generated from road material treated with various dust suppressants. Oil and gas brine was little or no more effective than rainwater—and in some cases, it even increased dust compared with rainwater. We also conducted large-scale laboratory experiments and found that most contaminants in oil and gas brine, such as radium, completely washed off treated roads after a typical rainstorm. More road material washed off roadbeds treated with oil and gas brine than those treated with calcium chloride, a commercial dust suppressant. Roads treated with oil and gas brine will not suppress dust, and they degrade faster and cost more to repair than those treated with plain water.
• What is the Department of Environmental Protection's new permit for, and why does it matter?
• In May 2026, the department issued a permit for a brine production well drilled into an oil and gas formation. This means that the same radioactive oil and gas brine wastewater could now be sold as a product from the well. The well operator is not yet required to demonstrate that it works for its intended use.
• How would road maintenance operators or snow removal businesses know if brine ends up in products they buy?
• They wouldn't. There are no required disclosures to inform consumers that the product was sourced from oil and gas brine.
• Is there anything currently happening about this issue in the state Legislature?
• On June 10, 2024, the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a hearing on a bill for a complete ban on road spreading of oil and gas brine. On June 8, 2026, the corresponding House Bill 84 was passed out of committee to the full House. Currently, there is no timeline for floor consideration.

Exclusive: Buffett’s EGTS Quietly Plans Project Stratum, All of It in PA -Marcellus Drilling News - Yesterday we told you about Project Oak Leaf, Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage’s (EGTS) 52.5-mile expansion that will carry Leidy gas down to Maryland and Virginia (see Buffett’s EGTS Plans 52.5-Mile Oak Leaf Pipe, Leidy Gas to MD/VA). The folks at EGTS emailed to say thanks for the coverage — and then mentioned, almost in passing, that they have another new project cooking in Pennsylvania. It’s called Project Stratum, and as best we can tell, MDN is the first outlet anywhere to write about it. We searched. Nothing in the trades, nothing in the local papers, nothing. So here you go.

Kentucky Officials Grumble Over 12-Mile Pipe to Ohio Power Plant - Marcellus Drilling News -- Texas Gas Transmission, LLC, a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, wants to build the Dearborn County Lateral Project — roughly 12 miles of new 20-inch natural gas pipeline that begins at Texas Gas's existing system in Dearborn County, Indiana, dips south across the Ohio River into Boone County, Kentucky, then hops back over the river into Hamilton County, Ohio. The destination is Vistra Corp.'s Miami Fort Power Plant, a coal-fired station slated for shutdown until someone had the good sense to convert it to natural gas instead. The lateral would move 265,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of firm transportation service. A dekatherm is roughly one thousand cubic feet of gas, so call it about 265 MMcf/d (million cubic feet per day). Texas Gas filed with FERC in late May. Boone County leaders are not thrilled.

Kentucky Officials Oppose Texas Gas Pipeline Linking Indiana to Ohio - Boone County officials and residents are raising concerns over a proposed Texas Gas pipeline that would cross the Ohio River into Kentucky, citing questions about routing, environmental impacts and local benefits. (P&GJ) — Boone County officials and residents are voicing opposition to a proposed Texas Gas Transmission natural gas pipeline that would cross the Ohio River from Indiana into northern Kentucky before connecting to Vistra's Miami Fort Power Plant in Ohio, as first reported by WCPO. County leaders questioned the proposed route, saying the project provides little apparent benefit to Boone County while raising concerns about potential impacts on private property, water resources and the planning process. Residents who live near the proposed alignment also expressed worries about how construction could affect nearby water wells. Boardwalk Pipelines, the parent company of Texas Gas Transmission, said the project would not involve hydraulic fracturing and that protecting water resources is a key part of its planning. The company also said the route was selected after evaluating environmental constraints, nearby homes and other engineering considerations. According to WCPO, Boone County officials also criticized what they described as limited communication during the project's early stages. Boardwalk said it began outreach with local officials in late 2025 and is encouraging the public to submit comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before the close of the agency's current comment period. The proposed Dearborn County Lateral Project would connect Texas Gas' existing pipeline system in Dearborn County, Indiana, to the Miami Fort Power Plant in Hamilton County, Ohio, as part of the federal permitting process.

Kentucky residents, officials push back on Indiana gas pipeline over wells, eminent domain -- A proposed project that would build a natural gas pipeline from Indiana to Ohio is receiving pushback from residents and town officials.  Approximately 2.9 miles of the 12-mile interstate pipeline would be in Boone County, Kentucky. This could impact wells, groundwater, and Boone County's emergency response teams, should anything happen to the pipeline. Texas Gas Transmission, an Owensboro-based subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines, is seeking to build the Dearborn County Lateral Project sometime in 2027 if approved, northern Kentucky newspaper LINK nky reported. While most of the route would be in Indiana, those 2.9 miles would cross the Ohio River.  The 20-inch-diameter pipeline is intended to help supply the Miami Fort Power Plant in Hamilton County, Ohio, which is owned by Irving, Texas-based Vistra Corp. The project's web page says it could move up to 265,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day and would also include a new measurement and flow-control station, along with other support facilities. Concern surfaced publicly at the July 14 Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, where Petersburg resident Penny Morris said neighbors are worried about water resources and community safety."Although the pipeline may not cross my property, it has the potential to affect my community," Morris said, according to LINK nky. "Petersburg residents depend on the Ohio River and local groundwater resources, and many households rely on private wells for their drinking water." Boone County residents have questioned if the line could negatively impact their community, especially since they are not directly using the pipeline. "It doesn't benefit Boone County at all," Boone County Commissioner Chet Hand said at the Boone County meeting, according to LINK nky. Beyond the local concerns, fossil fuel infrastructure can harm communities long before any accident occurs, Amnesty International reported. Coal and natural gas power plants contribute to air and water pollution.New gas infrastructure can also prolong dependence on fuels associated with health, environmental, and price-volatility risks.Federal regulators are reviewing the proposal through an environmental analysis at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the National Environmental Policy Act. The environmental scoping comment period stayed open until July 27, and even if the project wins approval, construction is not expected to start before spring 2027. County staff has already filed comments about the route and its environmental effects, Boone County Engineer Rob Franxman told LINK nky, as well as objections to using eminent domain on private land.The fiscal court also backed a motion to prepare a formal letter to federal representatives and regulators opposing the pipeline's expansion into Kentucky."We are prepared to take and put letters to the U.S. and put it to any representatives and districts that we have to go through to voice our concerns, because this directly affects us as residents," Morris said.

Antero Midstream Bets Big on WV Power Demand with East Side Express - Marcellus Drilling News - Antero Midstream Corporation (AM) posted second quarter 2026 results on Tuesday and held its analyst call yesterday morning. A quick word on the corporate plumbing for newer readers: Antero Midstream and Antero Resources (AR) are two separate publicly traded companies that share a management team. AR drills the wells; AM gathers, compresses and moves the gas and handles the water. Different shareholders, same brain trust. The headline number is a good one. AM gathered 4.1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) during the quarter, a 19% jump year over year and a company record. Compression volumes rose 17%. Most of that growth came from the HG Midstream assets AM bought earlier this year and has now fully digested. Processing and fractionation capacity at AM’s joint venture ran at 100% utilization — you can’t do better than full.

Ethane Leads July Petchem Margins as Natural Gasoline Falls | RBN Energy -Net petchem margins have strengthened in July 2026 for ethane, propane and butane. Ethane remains the highest-margin feedstock, averaging about 14¢/lb so far for July, up 7% from 13¢/lb in June and on par with a year ago. Propane is averaging about 7¢/lb, up 154% from 3¢/lb in June and more than three times the 2¢/lb average a year ago. Butane is averaging about 2¢/lb, up from 1¢/lb in June but in line with the year-ago level. Natural gasoline is averaging -18¢/lb, compared with -14¢/lb in June and -7¢/lb a year ago, widening the margin gap between natural gasoline and the other NGL-based feedstocks.

U.S. Propane Inventories Rise as Production Trends Lower | RBN Energy - The EIA reported a 2.5-MMbbl build in total U.S. propane/propylene inventories for the week ended July 24, about 510 Mbbl above industry expectations for a build of approximately 2 MMbbl. Total stocks increased to 102.3 MMbbl (red line in the chart below), the highest level recorded for the same reporting week. Inventories are now 18.8 MMbbl, or 23%, above the same week in 2025 (blue line), 13.7 MMbbl, or 15%, above the previous five-year maximum, and 24.8 MMbbl, or 32%, above the five-year average (green line). Most of the nationwide build occurred in PADD 3 (Gulf Coast), where propane inventories rose by 2.2 MMbbl to a record 67 MMbbl (red line in the chart below). PADD 3 accounted for nearly 90% of the total U.S. increase. Inventories in the region are now 16.7 MMbbl, or 33%, above the same week in 2025 (blue line), 14.4 MMbbl, or 27%, above the previous five-year maximum, and 22.6 MMbbl, or 51%, above the five-year average (green line).While total U.S. and PADD 3 inventories moved higher, propane/propylene production continued its recent decline. Production decreased by 10 Mb/d to about 2.88 MMb/d (red line in the chart below), marking the third consecutive weekly decrease. Production is now down 4% from its early-June peak but remains 2% above both year-ago levels (blue line) and the previous five-year maximum.

NFG’s Line N Balloons to 294,000 Dth/d; Seneca Buys Up Tioga Acreage Marcellus Drilling News - National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) — the Williamsville, NY company that drills (Seneca Resources), pipes (NFG Supply Corporation, Empire), and sells gas at the meter (NFG Distribution Corp) — issued its fiscal third quarter update Wednesday evening and talked it over with analysts Thursday morning. NFG’s fiscal year ends September 30, so their “third quarter” is everyone else’s second quarter (April–June). There’s a lot in here for Marcellus/Utica watchers, but two items stand out: Supply Corporation more than tripled the size of its Line N System Upgrade Project, and Seneca is about to start writing big checks to landowners in Tioga County.

Antis Get a Do-Over for Iroquois Compressor Permit in Connecticut -  In March, we brought you the news that a Connecticut Superior Court judge tossed a lawsuit filed by Big Green group Save the Sound and the colluding Town of Brookfield, telling them their attempt to stop the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) from ruling on the Iroquois compressor permit was premature (see Judge Tosses Premature Lawsuit to Block Iroquois CT Compressor). The judge said, in effect, wait until DEEP issues a final permit, then appeal. Final permits were expected “sometime in March.” It’s now late July. There are still no final permits. And DEEP has just handed the antis exactly the thing a judge said they’d have to wait for — and then some.

Buffett’s EGTS Plans 52.5-Mile Oak Leaf Pipe, Leidy Gas to MD/VA - Marcellus Drilling News - There’s a brand-new pipeline project on the board for our region, and it’s a good one. Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage (EGTS) — a BHE GT&S company, which means it ultimately belongs to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy — is proposing Project Oak Leaf, a 52.5-mile expansion of its PL-1 system that will move an extra 250,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of natural gas from Clinton County, Pennsylvania down to customers in Maryland and Virginia. (A dekatherm is a heat measurement roughly equal to one thousand cubic feet of gas, so call it about 250 MMcf/d — 250 million cubic feet per day.) EGTS plans to file its application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the fourth quarter of this year, with construction starting in early 2028 and gas flowing by the end of 2029. The Frederick (MD) News-Post picked up the story yesterday. Four public open houses are already on the calendar, the first one next week.

TGP Launches Open Season to Flow More M-U Molecules South - Marcellus Drilling News - Add another name to the growing list of pipeline projects chasing Northeast Marcellus/Utica gas: Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP), a Kinder Morgan subsidiary, launched a non-binding open season on July 13 for its proposed 219 South Project. The idea is to grab gas from as far north as TGP's Station 219 Pool in Pennsylvania (Zone 4) and move it south through Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee — up to 530,000 Dth/d (that's dekatherms per day, roughly equivalent to 530 Mcf/d). TGP says demand along its "200 Line," the backbone connecting Pennsylvania to Tennessee, is growing fast enough to justify testing shipper appetite now. If it goes forward, in-service is targeted for December 1, 2029. The open season runs through August 13. Below are the key details, straight from TGP's posting.

Enbridge NC Pipe Update: Landowner Settles, Greens Swarm Open House -Marcellus Drilling News -  Back in May, we told you about a new 28-mile intrastate natural gas pipeline Enbridge Gas North Carolina (EGNC) wants to build in Chatham and Lee counties, running from Siler City southeast to Moncure (see Enbridge Plans New 28-Mile Gas Pipe in Chatham & Lee Counties in NC). At the time, we had almost no details. Three months later, we have plenty — including an answer to the question we couldn’t answer in May: which regulator actually blesses this thing? The short answer: none of them, at least not the way you’d expect.

Duke Picks Davie County for 2 Gas Plants, Davidson for LNG Facility - Marcellus Drilling News -  In January, MDN broke the news that Duke Energy was eyeing a 1,360-megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant on 1,600 acres in Davidson County, North Carolina (see Duke Energy Considers 1,360-MW Gas Plant for Davidson County, NC). In April, we updated it: Duke actually wanted two such plants, and had a second candidate site directly across the Yadkin River in Davie County (see Duke Energy Considers 2 New Large Gas-Fired Power Plants in NC). Duke said back then that a final decision wouldn’t come until late 2026 or early 2027. Surprise! The decision landed today, and Duke didn’t pick one site over the other. It’s using both.

Ameren's 2.1-GW Gas Plant Falls Short of Data Center Power Demand Ameren says its planned 2.1-GW West Alton Energy Center is a key step toward meeting rising electricity demand but will not fully close the projected capacity gap driven by data center growth in Missouri. (Reuters) — Ameren's planned mega gas plant for the Midwest will still leave the utility short of the power and reserves needed to meet surging data center demand, the company's own analysis showed ahead of a key approval process next month. The projected shortfall highlights mounting strain on U.S. power grids as data center demand grows faster than the generation and transmission capacity needed to support it. St. Louis-based Ameren's urgency for the project is acute after signing contracts this year to provide electricity to data centers in development by Amazon and Alphabet's Google in rural Missouri. Ameren AEE.N says the 2,100-megawatt West Alton Energy Center is necessary, but would not fully restore the reserve cushion needed to meet projected demand. The project is planned for a site next to a coal plant on the banks of the Mississippi River about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of St. Louis. "The company's resource capacity still falls well short of the total demand" and planned reserve margin, Ameren Director of Corporate Analysis Matt Michels said in July 24 testimony filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission. An August 20 prehearing conference will kick off the regulatory process for Ameren to obtain approval to construct the power plant. Ameren estimates the plant would come online in late 2031. But Ameren's capacity shortfall in the winter of 2032, for example, would equal about 1,500 MW and grow to about 2,300 MW the following year, Michels said in his testimony. Ameren executives say the utility also will build capacity by enhancing existing power sources, developing solar and battery energy storage sites and purchasing power from the regional grid. Ameren's service area falls within the Midcontinent ISO, which manages the flow of electricity for a territory that includes all or part of 15 U.S. states in the Midwest and South. The total return on Ameren's stock over the past 12 months is 12.7%, outpacing the 8.4% for the S&P 500 Utilities Sector .SPLRCU, as investors anticipate strong earnings growth over the next decade. "Ameren anticipates more than $70 billion of additional investment opportunities over the next 10 years, providing a long runway of growth," Morningstar analyst Andrew Bischof wrote this week in a research note. "The most attractive opportunities are supporting data center development in Illinois and Missouri, new generation in Missouri, modernizing the grid in Illinois and Missouri, and transmission expansion across the Midcontinent electric grid," Bischof said.

Chesapeake Utilities Plans $1.2B South Florida Pipe – Ohio Angle - Marcellus Drilling News - Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) and its subsidiary Peninsula Pipeline Company (PPC) announced on July 13 a new intrastate natural gas pipeline project in South Florida called the Florida Energy Pathway, or FEP. The line will be 24 inches in diameter, running from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade County. It’s already anchored by firm commitments of nearly 250,000 dekatherms per day from multiple investment-grade shippers. (A dekatherm, or Dth, is a heat measurement roughly equal to a thousand cubic feet of natural gas — so think of it as about 250 MMcf/d, or 250 million cubic feet per day.) Upstream supply will come courtesy of Florida Gas Transmission’s Phase IX expansion. The price tag is around $1.2 billion, with an in-service date of 2030. Chesapeake plans to sell off up to 49% of the project to one or more partners. CEO Jeff Householder pinned the need on Florida’s booming population, its growing economy, and “significant energy supply constraints” in the south Florida market.

FERC Issues Final EIS for Boardwalk Pipe Carrying M-U Gas to SE -Marcellus Drilling News -  In April, we brought you the news that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Kosciusko Junction Pipeline Project (see FERC Issues DEIS for Boardwalk Pipe to Carry M-U Gas to Southeast). In June, we followed up with word that Boardwalk is dangling temporary capacity on the line during the gap between when the pipe can flow and when its anchor customer actually starts taking gas (see Boardwalk Offers Temporary Capacity Along Pipeline to Southeast). Now comes the next big milestone. Last Friday, FERC staff issued the final EIS (FEIS) for the $1 billion project. Kosciusko Junction — run by Gulf South Pipeline Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines — will lay 110.9 miles of new 36-inch pipe across nine Mississippi counties and take over 98 miles of existing pipe from sister company Texas Gas Transmission. It’s built to move 1.16 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of gas, expandable to 1.58 Bcf/d, from the Marcellus/Utica, Haynesville, and Fayetteville plays to power-hungry Southeast markets.

Go Outside – How Much Natural Gas Will Reach the Southeast Following These Big New Projects? | RBN Energy -One of the seminal energy-related political controversies of the past decade was the construction of Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). Before entering service in June 2024, the 2-Bcf/d pipeline project faced a number of regulatory hurdles and went through countless rounds of litigation, ultimately culminating in a high-profile Senate showdown. Since becoming fully operational, MVP has filled up seasonally in the winter, but much of its capacity has remained unused in the shoulder season because of constraints downstream on Transco, frustrating an Appalachian market that yearns for growth. Now, three new projects aim to debottleneck Transco and get more gas flowing to the Southeast: Transco’s Southeast Supply Enhancement as well as MVP Southgate and MVP Boost, both of which are being developed by the co-owners of MVP. But beyond nameplate capacity numbers, how much will these projects really enable gas to go outside the Northeast and find new markets? In today’s RBN blog, we will discuss the impact of these projects and estimate their impact on future flows into North Carolina and beyond.We have been tracking these projects for some time now, both in our weekly NATGAS Appalachia report and in recent blogs like Don’t Stop Believin’. To recap, the Southeast Supply Enhancement (SSE) comprises 55 miles of pipeline looping and other improvements that will add 1.6 Bcf/d of capacity to Williams Cos.’ Transcontinental Pipeline (Transco) along three paths, each extending south from Station 165: to Station 160 in Rockingham County, NC (Path 1; dashed pink line in Figure 1 below); to Station 145 in Cleveland County, NC (Path 2; dashed purple line); and the Station 85 Zone 4 Pool in Choctaw County, AL (Path 3; dashed red line). SSE had its certificate approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this past January and is expected to be fully in service in the second half of 2027, although Williams management has stated its desire to get some gas to North Carolina ahead of schedule and before the full compression is installed.An overlapping project with a different owner is MVP Southgate (short dashed blue line in Figure 1), a 31-mile pipeline that would run south from Station 165 to Rockingham County, NC, and transport up to 550 MMcf/d to Enbridge Gas North Carolina (formerly Public Service Co. of North Carolina) and Duke Energy, the owner/operator of several gas-fired power plants in the region. The Southgate extension — being developed by MVP co-owners PipeBox (itself a joint venture between EQT and Blackstone Credit and Insurance; 53%), NextEra Energy (31%), AltaGas (10%), Ares Management (4%) and RGC Resources (1%) — has also received FERC approval, and developers hope to bring the pipeline online in 2027 according to EQT’s earnings call last week. As an important corollary to Southgate, the MVP Boost project will increase capacity on the existing MVP pipeline by 600 MMcf/d through four additional compression stations in West Virginia and Virginia. MVP Boost is scheduled to be completed in mid-2028.So now, we arrive at the main question: How much incremental natural gas will go outside Appalachia and reach booming markets in the Southeast as a result of these projects? After all, the reason they are needed is that the full promise of the original MVP has never truly been fulfilled — there are only a few months each year when the pipeline flows at its current 2-Bcf/d capacity, and during those periods it is partially displacing gas that would have headed south out of Northeast Pennsylvania on the old Transco. The reason MVP does not typically flow at full capacity is because of constraints at Transco’s Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, VA. Flows south of Station 165 (yellow box in Figure 2 below) cannot exceed 2.6 Bcf/d over a sustained period. Most of the southbound flow from Station 165 comes from MVP, but since Northeast Pennsylvania gas is not being used to heat in-region furnaces during non-winter months, it rushes south and crowds out some of the gas that might otherwise come from MVP.Southgate and SSE each promise to increase takeaway capacity starting at the Station 165 bottleneck. Combined, they could increase southbound flows by up to 2.15 Bcf/d. So the bottleneck problem is solved, and both MVP and the northeast segment of Transco can flow at their own maximum capacity, right?Unfortunately, Station 165 is not the only bottleneck affecting Transco. Before the glut of gas hitting Southern Virginia created an issue there, Transco was already bottlenecked at Station 195 (orange box in Figure 2). That station is way up north by the Pennsylvania-Maryland border (famously known as the Mason-Dixon line), and it constrained flows from Northeast Pennsylvania southbound in the era before MVP. It is hard to find a record of exactly what the capacity constraint is at Station 195, but we can estimate its effect on southbound flows by looking at how much gas moved south into North Carolina in the years before MVP was operational.Gas flows from Transco into North Carolina maxed out at around 2.4 Bcf/d before MVP was placed into service. With this knowledge and recent usage trends on Transco in the Northeast, we can estimate how much capacity is available to flow to the Southeast from Northeast Pennsylvania, given the existing constraint. The amount is highly dependent on the season — roughly 0.4 Bcf/d in meteorological spring, 0.6 Bcf/d in summer, 0.3 Bcf/d in fall and 0.9 Bcf/d in winter. (Meteorological seasons divide the year using whole months; i.e., March, April and May for spring.)Now that we know roughly how much Northeast Pennsylvania capacity is available to flow southbound, we can turn our attention to the other side of the equation — the gas from West Virginia and Southwest Pennsylvania that will move south on MVP. In very rough terms, MVP is flowing near its capacity in winter and at 1.5 Bcf/d during the other nine months of the year. MVP Southgate will increase the takeaway potential on the route to 2 Bcf/d by mid-2027. But then the previously noted MVP Boost comes online in late 2028 and increases takeaway capacity to 2.6 Bcf/d. We assume the pipeline has a maintenance schedule and won’t run at full capacity, but given previous performance, it could probably send out 2.5 Bcf/d for extended periods.Relative to what MVP is already flowing, this is an increase of 0.5 Bcf/d in winter flows and an extra 1 Bcf/d at all other times. That is a hefty increase in potential utilization for MVP, which is currently averaging 1.7 Bcf/d annually. This will help fulfill the promise made when MVP was approved, providing a steady conduit for production to leave Appalachia. And MVP’s tariff charges shippers for capacity, not transportation, so they have every incentive to flow until the pipeline is full.The result is shown in Figure 3 below. The incremental amount of gas that can leave the Appalachian Basin on the two expansions fluctuates seasonally, but averages around 1.4 Bcf/d. The amount of incremental gas that is able to exit Northeast Pennsylvania on the Transco mainline is represented in orange. This is the amount that is still constrained by the bottleneck at Station 195. The blue area in Figure 3 represents the incremental gas that will be able to flow on MVP after MVP Boost and the completion of the two debottlenecking projects. The overall opportunity for more production will be greatest in the summer and lowest in the fall but consistently exceed 1.3 Bcf/d. Note that we are taking no position on how much of this incremental gas enters North Carolina on Southgate and how much travels on Transco SSE. The market and shippers will determine how that shakes out. But the completion of SSE and Southgate offers an opportunity for Appalachian natural gas production to expand by a significant amount, not only to feed rising Northeast demand, but to go outside and move gas to another region where demand is also growing quickly.

15 Dem AGs Rush to Defend Pipeline Cost Limits Frozen Since 2006 - Marcellus Drilling News - Back in May we told you about FERC’s proposal to modernize its natural gas “blanket certificate” program (see FERC Seeks to Fast-Track Gas Infrastructure with Blanket Permits). We called it a REALLY big deal. Turns out 15 Democrat attorneys general agree with us. They just don’t like it. The comment deadline in Docket No. RM25-12-001 was this past Monday (July 27). Right on cue, the AGs from 14 states plus the District of Columbia filed a joint comment letter telling FERC to drop the plan. Washington AG Nick Brown and Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell co-led the effort. The rest of the roll call: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and D.C. Read More

Expand Energy Corporation to Acquire Twin Eagle, Creating North America’s Leading Integrated Natural Gas Company - Expand Energy Corporation, the largest natural gas producer in North America, announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Twin Eagle Holdings, N.A., a leading private asset-backed natural gas marketing and optimization business, for $1.25 billion from Five Point Infrastructure. The transaction is subject to typical purchase price adjustments, including working capital, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. The Company expects to fund the transaction through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings under its revolving credit facility. The transaction unites Expand’s industry-leading supply and financial strength with Twin Eagle’s premier physical marketing platform, creating a fully integrated natural gas company positioned to capture value across the entire chain in key U.S. and Canadian markets. Twin Eagle’s earnings are primarily supported by recurring physical supply and delivery relationships, asset-backed portfolio optimization, and experienced commercial, logistics and operating capabilities, consistently delivering earnings growth across a wide range of market conditions. “This transaction accelerates Expand’s evolution into a leading integrated natural gas company with a commercial and marketing advantage compared to peers,” said Michael Wichterich, Expand Energy’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re already North America’s largest natural gas producer, and now we’ll be its leading gas marketer, with direct access to customers and structural demand growth. By combining Expand’s scale, resource depth and financial strength with Twin Eagle’s marketing and optimization platform, we’ll capture additional margin across the natural gas value chain and deliver more durable shareholder returns.”
Founded in 2010, Twin Eagle has established itself as one of the leading independent natural gas and power marketers in North America. Its business spans wholesale marketing, asset management, structuring and analytics, logistics and market intelligence.
“This powerful combination pairs Expand’s enviable financial position and large, lower-cost natural gas supply with the talented team and marketing platform we have spent the past 16 years developing. We thank Five Point Infrastructure for their partnership and vision over the last dozen years. Together, with our new partner, we can create additional value in ways neither company could have accomplished on its own.”“We saw a tremendous opportunity to partner with Twin Eagle management to expand its platform and capitalize on the growing demand for North American gas,” said David Capobianco, CEO and Managing Partner of Five Point Infrastructure. “Twin Eagle has generated exceptional returns for all stakeholders, while solidifying its standing as one of the leading independent asset-backed natural gas marketing and optimization platforms. We wish Jeremy and the team all the best as they move forward in partnership with Expand.” Today, Twin Eagle markets more than 5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas and manages roughly 44 Bcf of storage capacity and approximately 2 Bcf/d of firm transportation. It serves more than 1,000 customers across a diversified footprint spanning the U.S. and Canada. On a pro forma basis, the combined portfolio will have approximately 14 Bcf/d of marketed volume supported by roughly 9 Bcf/d of firm transportation and 49 Bcf of storage capacity. The combination does more than add scale, it will enhance how Expand creates value by:
  - Accelerating the Company’s Marketing and Commercial strategy. The Company now expects to deliver $750 million per year of incremental free cash flow from its marketing and commercial strategy. This is an increase of 50% from its previous target, reflecting the value of the new integrated platform and the repeatable earnings of Twin Eagle.
  - Expanding customer and market reach to capture greater value from every molecule. The acquisition will broaden access to premium demand centers across the U.S. and Canada, reaching approximately 90% of the natural gas market. The combined production, transportation and storage capacity will enable the Company offer additional reliability and flexibility to respond to customers’ needs and provide optimization opportunities.
  - Leveraging scale and financial strength. Expand’s diversified portfolio and financial strength will elevate Twin Eagle’s asset-backed natural gas marketing and optimization business, enabling the combined business to extend contract terms, attract additional high-quality customers, and reach high-value markets.
  - Adding experienced team with highly successful track record. Since its inception, Twin Eagle has consistently grown cash flows by leveraging its natural gas market expertise and effective risk management. Following the close of the merger, Twin Eagle will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Expand, with key members of Twin Eagle’s management, including Jeremy Davis, continuing with the Company after closing.

Middle Man – Expand Energy, Already a Giant, Broadens Its Scope and Reach With Twin Eagle Deal | RBN Energy -It’s unusual, to say the least, for an energy-industry acquisition valued at “only” $1.25 billion to be transformational. But that’s surely the case with Expand Energy’s newly announced purchase of Twin Eagle Holdings, which will make Expand — the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. — the nation’s #1 gas marketing and optimization firm as well. The deal, expected to close in Q3 2026, also will dramatically increase the marketing reach of Expand, whose approximately 7.5 Bcfe/d of production is focused on two major shale plays: the Marcellus/Utica and the Haynesville. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the transaction and its far-reaching implications.Before we look at the deal and the significance of Expand Energy’s growing role in gas marketing, we’ll provide thumbnail sketches of both Expand and Twin Eagle.  As we said in Finally, the then-newly named Expand Energy emerged from the October 2024 combination of Chesapeake Energy and Southwestern Energy, two upstream companies that — after a series of strategic missteps in the 2010s — righted themselves in the early 2020s and became very logical merger partners, each with major holdings in Appalachia and the Haynesville. In 2026, Expand expects to produce an average of about 3.2 Bcfe/d in the Haynesville, 2.675 Bcfe/d in the “dry” Marcellus in northeastern Pennsylvania and 1.625 Bcfe/d in the “wet” Marcellus/Utica in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio. Novi Labs, RBN’s corporate parent, said in a recent note that the Chesapeake/Southwestern combination “effectively consolidated the core of the (Haynesville) play,” providing Expand with about 36 million lateral feet of remaining inventory, equivalent to about 32 years of production at the 2025 drilling cadence. Expand has about 27 million lateral feet remaining in the dry Marcellus — ~19 years of inventory at the 2025 pace — and in the wet Marcellus/Utica it has ~ 24 years of inventory. Just as important, the NPV25 median breakeven for Expand’s overall asset base is an enviable $2.77/Mcf: a rock-bottom $2.56/Mcf in the Haynesville and a highly competitive $3.06/Mcf and $3.10/Mcf in the dry Marcellus and wet Marcellus/Utica, respectively. (NPV25 refers to net present value with a 25% discount; in other words, the price at which the investment would earn a 25% internal rate of return, or IRR.)When the Chesapeake/Southwestern merger was consummated, the folks at Expand Energy said the deal would give them a platform to increase their gas marketing activities and reach more markets. According to data compiled by our friends at Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI), Expand was the 11th-largest gas seller in 2025, with FERC Form 552 sales of 5 trillion btu/day (Tbtu/d; dark-blue bar segment to center-right in Figure 1 below). (Form 552 sales refer to wholesale sales of physical natural gas executed at commercial trading hubs or pipeline points where gas is bought, sold and traded before it reaches a final end user.) Expand also posted 4 Tbtu/d of mostly retail “non-Form 552” sales to commercial & industrial (C&I) and other customers (extension of bar segment outlined by dashed dark-blue line). Most of Expand’s marketed volumes were associated with its equity production.Twin Eagle, a gas marketing and optimization firm backed by private-equity investor Five Point Infrastructure, is among a handful of important “intermediary marketers” — the pure-play merchants of the U.S. gas market that have no gas production of their own. Instead, their business is built primarily on portfolio optimization: aggregating supply, serving demand, and capturing the value created by managing the midstream assets (gas pipelines and gas storage facilities) between them. In 2025, Twin Eagle’s Form 552 sales averaged 4.7 Tbtu/d (dark-blue bar segment to far right in Figure 1) and its non-Form 552 sales averaged 0.3 Tbtu/d. Other large intermediary marketers include Tenaska — currently the largest U.S. gas marketer, with 2025 wholesale sales of 9.3 Tbtu/d (left-most gray bar) — Koch (6.3 Tbtu/d), Citadel (5.3 Tbtu/d) and Vitol (5.2 Tbtu/d).The pro forma company, with Twin Eagle as a subsidiary of Expand Energy, would have posted about 14 Tbtu/d of gas sales last year: 9.7 Tbtu/d in Form 552/wholesale sales (medium-blue bar segment to far left) plus 4.3 Tbtu/d of mostly retail, non-Form 552 sales to C&I and other customers.Put simply, the merchant wholesale gas marketer sits in the middle of the value chain between the supply side and the demand side — hence the “Middle Man” title of today’s blog. The focus of companies like Twin Eagle is on logistics optimization, monetizing physical gas transportation, taking advantage of optionality, and making money on the differences in prices between Point A and Point B. Figure 2 below helps to illustrate how it all works. Key for a merchant marketer is the breadth of its portfolio of transportation/transmission capacity on gas pipelines, gas storage capacity, counterparty relationships, risk management capability and credit capacity (blue oval in center of Figure 2 above), because these tools allow them to quickly and efficiently respond to upstream and downstream market forces. As shown by the blue arrows to the left, the marketer secures the natural gas it needs from a combo of supply contracts with producers, spot purchases and asset management agreements (AMAs) with producers and storage owners. AMAs are arrangements under which an asset owner transfers the day-to-day operational control and optimization of its gas assets to an experienced third-party gas marketer or trading desk. Similarly, as shown by the blue arrows to the right, the marketer employs sales contracts, spot sales, and demand-side and storage AMAs to dispose of the gas it has secured. (An upcoming blog will discuss AMAs in detail.)Transmission rights (i.e., capacity on gas pipelines) and rights to gas storage capacity are essential elements of a gas marketer’s portfolio and, as shown in Figure 3 below, Expand Energy (stock symbol EXE) and Twin Eagle have them in spades. As you would expect, a substantial portion of Expand’s 7 Bcf/d of pipeline transmission rights (blue lines) and 5 Bcf of storage capacity (blue triangles) relate to the natural gas the E&P produces in its key production areas — the Marcellus/Utica and the Haynesville (dark-blue-shaded areas in Appalachia and Texas/Louisiana) — and markets to wholesale and retail customers in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. Twin Eagle’s 2 Bcf/d of gas pipeline rights and 44 Bcf of gas storage capacity (red lines and red triangles, respectively) are more far-reaching, stretching from coast to coast in the U.S. and into Canada. The combination of Expand Energy’s production and gas marketing assets with Twin Eagle’s continental reach (and vast gas storage rights in Appalachia and the Midwest) are likely to create a Tenaska-plus type of marketer — and one with strong production bases near major gas-consuming markets. As we’ve discussed in many blogs over the past couple of years, new LNG export terminals are coming online in Texas and Louisiana, as are new gas-fired power plants (many of them serving new data centers) in those two Gulf Coast states as well as in the Northeast and Midwest.Expand Energy put it this way in announcing the Twin Eagle deal on July 27: “The acquisition will broaden access to premium demand centers across the U.S. and Canada, reaching approximately 90% of the natural gas market. The combined production, transportation and storage capacity will enable the company to offer additional reliability and flexibility to respond to customers’ needs and provide optimization opportunities.”Lastly, we should emphasize what should be obvious, namely that there’s a sizable element of risk in what merchant marketers do — risk that can enable them to make vast amounts of money when things go right but also the possibility to lose when things go wrong. That’s manageable to a degree, of course, but sometimes it’s enough to scare off some energy-industry players from getting involved too deeply.As we said earlier, there’s a lot more to gas marketing than we have room to discuss here. We’ll take a deeper dive on that fascinating topic in a future blog.

U.S. LNG Feedgas Demand Continues to Rise | RBN Energy -U.S. LNG feedgas demand increased last week, with most terminals operating at or near full capacity. The primary exception is Freeport, where ongoing planned maintenance combined with a series of unplanned outages this month has continued to suppress intake.Feedgas last week averaged 17.6 Bcf/d, up 0.32 Bcf/d week over week, according to our  LNG Voyager Weekly Report. Demand was largely unaffected by Hurricane Bertha, which made landfall in Louisiana on July 22 before moving into Texas the next day.While Freeport intake has improved modestly, the terminal remains below full utilization. Portions of the terminal are expected to be offline for maintenance through early August, and unplanned disruptions have reduced flows (see dark blue section below).Sabine Pass rebounded following maintenance on the Creole Trail Pipeline, its primary header system. Corpus Christi continues to post strong intake levels as Stage III completes its ramp-up. At Golden Pass, commissioning volumes held steady at about 320 MMcf/d. This is below the feedgas requirements expected at full operations.

Argent LNG Clears Early DOE Export Milestone for Louisiana Project - Argent LNG has passed an early regulatory milestone for the proposed Louisiana export project with a US Department of Energy (DOE) authorization to ship up to 25 Mt/y of LNG to free trade agreement (FTA) countries while broader international exports remain pending. At a Glance:

• DOE clears exports to FTA nations
• Non-FTA authorization remains under review
• FERC construction approval still lies ahead

Baker Hughes Secures Technology Order For Venture Global'S Cp2 LNG Expansion - Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, has announced a major order, booked in 2Q26, from Venture Global LNG to provide a comprehensive liquefaction solution for its CP2 LNG expansion project in Louisiana. The award builds on the companies’ established master equipment supply agreement, and the scope includes six liquefaction blocks for a total of 12 liquefaction modules. Each block is based on two single mixed-refrigerant liquefaction modules and related compression trains featuring Baker Hughes' centrifugal compressor technology, as well as cold boxes, air coolers, and integrated control systems. “Baker Hughes has been a trusted partner across our LNG developments, and we are pleased to extend this collaboration as we advance the next phase of CP2,” said Mike Sabel, CEO of Venture Global. “We are proud to continue providing the critical LNG technologies that enable Venture Global to deliver reliable, affordable and flexible energy needed to meet growing global demand,” said Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO, Lorenzo Simonelli. “Our continued collaboration reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to scaling modular LNG solutions that accelerate US supply and support global energy security.”

Freeport LNG Feedgas Rebounds After Train 1 Shutdown - Pipeline and Gas Journal - Natural gas deliveries to Freeport LNG increased after a compressor issue shut one liquefaction train, offering an early sign of recovery at one of the world's largest LNG export facilities. (Reuters) — Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas was on track to take in more natural gas on July 24 after one of three liquefaction trains shut on July 23, according to a company report and data from financial firm LSEG. Freeport is one of the world's most closely watched liquefied natural gas export plants because the shutdown and startup of the facility previously caused massive price swings in global gas markets. When Freeport shuts, U.S. gas prices usually drop because the plant's demand for the fuel declines, and when liquefaction trains at Freeport restart, U.S. gas prices typically rise as demand for the fuel increases. That is what happened so far on July 24 with U.S. gas futures NGc1 trading up around 1% due in part to the increased feedgas to Freeport. Freeport told Texas environmental regulators on July 24 that Train 1 shut on July 23 due to an issue with a compressor system. LSEG data showed that gas flows to Freeport were on track to rise to 1.3 billion cubic feet per day on July 24, up from 0.9 billion cubic feet per day on July 23. Since July 10, Freeport had been pulling in an average of just 1.0 billion cubic feet per day of gas during maintenance work expected to last until late August. The three liquefaction trains at Freeport are capable of turning about 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of gas into LNG. One billion cubic feet of gas is enough to supply about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.

Corpus Christi Train 7 Feedgas Approval Advances Final Ramp-Up  --Corpus Christi LNG has received federal authorization to introduce feedgas to the warm end of Midscale Train 7, advancing commissioning of the final unit in Cheniere Energy’s Stage 3 expansion. The train is expected to add roughly 186 MMcf/d of feedgas demand once fully operational, based on the seven-train project's combined nameplate capacity of about 1.3 Bcf/d. Train 7 commissioning began in late June, and Cheniere and Bechtel have typically achieved first LNG within four to six weeks of startup on the earlier Stage 3 units. Feedgas nominations to the terminal averaged 2.53 Bcf/d over the past seven days, up 6.1% from the prior week, according to NGI'sEntropic Analytics data.

Iran War Risk Keeps US LNG Cargo Values Near Three-Year Highs --Global natural gas prices pulled back Monday after surging alongside renewed fighting in Iran, but persistent maritime risk and tight European fundamentals kept US LNG cargo values near their highest level in more than three years.  At a Glance:
Maritime risk keeps LNG premiums elevated
US cargo values reach 2023 high
TTF retreats after five-day rally

US Natural Gas Prices Fall 4% to 11-Week Low on Record Output - (Reuters) – U.S. natural gas futures slid about 4% to an 11-week low on Monday on record output, lower flows to liquefied natural gas export plants, and ample amounts of gas in storage. Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 10.4 cents, or 3.6%, to settle at $2.767 per million British thermal units. The contract fell to its lowest level since May 7 earlier in the session. That also pushed the contract into technically oversold territory for the first time since mid-July. With futures down more than 15% so far this month, speculators last week boosted their net short futures and options positions on the NYMEX and Intercontinental Exchange to their highest levels since March 2024, according to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Commitments of Traders report. Looking ahead, the premium of futures for September over August rose to a record high for a third day in a row, a sign that the market does not seem worried about supplies meeting demand in August, the last month of the peak summer air-conditioning season. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has risen to 110.6 billion cubic feet per day so far in July, up from 110.0 bcfd in June and in line with the monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. On a daily basis, output rose to a daily record high of 112.3 bcfd on Sunday, topping the prior all-time highs of 112.2 bcfd on Saturday and 112.1 bcfd on December 21, 2025. Analysts said mostly mild weather during the spring allowed energy firms to stockpile more gas than usual. As they wait for a federal report on Thursday, analysts projected the amount of gas in storage likely rose to 6.6% above normal during the week ended July 24, up from 6.4% above normal during the previous week. Meteorologists forecast the weather would remain mostly warmer than normal through August 11, forcing power generators to continue burning lots of gas to keep air conditioners humming. About 40% of U.S. power generation comes from gas-fired plants. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would rise from 110.8 bcfd this week to 113.3 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG’s outlook on Friday. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants have eased to 17.2 bcfd so far in July due in part to maintenance at Freeport LNG’s export plant in Texas, down from 17.4 bcfd in June and the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April. The U.S. became the world’s biggest LNG exporter in 2023, surpassing Australia and Qatar, as surging global prices fed demand for more low-cost U.S. gas. Global gas prices have spiked in recent years primarily due to supply disruptions linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran this year. Around the world, gas was trading around $20 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe, and near a four-month high of about $22 at the Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) benchmark in Asia.

Nat-Gas Prices Climb on Smaller-Than-Expected Storage Increase - September Nymex natural gas (NGU26) on Thursday closed up +0.036 (+1.32%). Nat-gas prices settled higher on Thursday on a smaller-than-expected storage increase. Weekly EIA nat-gas inventories rose +28 bcf in the week ended July 24, below expectations of +37 bcf. Nat-gas prices extended their gains on forecasts for warmer US weather, potentially boosting nat-gas demand from electricity providers to power an expected increase in air conditioning use. The Commodity Weather Group said on Thursday that forecasts shifted warmer, with above-normal temperatures expected in the western half of the US through August 13. Nat-gas prices tumbled to a 3-month nearest-futures (Q26) low on Wednesday as recent below-normal US temperatures have reduced air-conditioning demand and allowed nat-gas inventories to be rebuilt. A bearish factor for nat-gas prices in the medium term is speculation that a powerful El Niño weather system will bring warmer-than-normal temperatures to the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter, reducing nat-gas heating demand. US (lower-48) dry gas production on Thursday was 112.4 bcf/day (+2.9% y/y), according to BNEF. Lower-48 state gas demand on Thursday was 81.6 bcf/day (-4.3% y/y), according to BNEF. Estimated LNG net flows to US LNG export terminals on Thursday were 18.2 bcf/day (+1.5% w/w), according to BNEF. Projections for higher US nat-gas production are negative for prices. On July 7, the EIA raised its forecast for 2026 US dry nat-gas production to 111.2 bcf/day from a June estimate of 111.0 bcf/day. As a positive factor for gas prices, the Edison Electric Institute reported last Wednesday that US (lower-48) electricity output in the week ended July 18 rose +2.0% y/y to 101,391 GWh (gigawatt hours). Also, US electricity output in the 52 weeks ending July 18 rose +2.3% y/y to 4,350,346 GWh. Thursday's weekly EIA report was supportive for nat-gas prices, as nat-gas inventories for the week ended July 24 rose by +28 bcf, less than expectations of +37 bcf but above the 5-year weekly average increase of +26 bcf. As of July 24, nat-gas inventories were down -1.2% y/y, and +6.4% above their 5-year seasonal average, signaling adequate nat-gas supplies. As of July 28, gas storage in Europe was 56% full, compared to the 5-year seasonal average of 72% full for this time of year. Baker Hughes reported last Friday that the number of active US nat-gas drilling rigs in the week ending July 24 rose by +1 rig to 127 rigs, below the 3-year high of 134 rigs set in February 2026.

Permian Gas Outflows Up as Prices Climb | RBN Energy --Outflows of natural gas have been strong recently, and they stand to strengthen further as new capacity becomes available. Natural gas outflows from the Permian Basin were up last week, with lower outflows to the North, offset by higher outflows to the West, East and Mexico. Last week, outflows to the East averaged 13.2 Bcf/d, up 0.1 Bcf/d week-on-week, as seen in the orange line in the chart below. Outflows to the West averaged 2.6 Bcf/d, also up 0.1 Bcf/d week-on-week. Outflows to the North averaged 1.8 Bcf/d, down 0.1 Bcf/d week-on-week, with slightly lower flows on ONEOK, El Paso towards the Midcontinent and Northern Natural. Outflows to Mexico averaged 2 Bcf/d, up 0.1 Bcf/d week-on-week. Outflows to Mexico have been very strong this summer, flowing near the historic max for an extended period of time rather than only during the ultra-peak season, which typically happens in late summer. The price of natural gas in the Permian continues to strengthen, as Waha basis to Henry Hub narrowed to just minus $0.55/MMBtu last week, according to Bloomberg data. This is the narrowest basis has been since December 2024.Narrower basis has been abetted by the expansion of outbound capacity. On its third quarter earnings call, Kinder Morgan confirmed that the Gulf Coast Express expansion was placed into full service on June 23 and also said that the 570 MMcf/d expansion was full almost immediately once it was online. The next Permian expansion is around the corner, Energy Transfer’s Hugh Brinson potentially already has some in-basin capacity online or coming soon, with Phase 1 (1.5 Bcf/d) expected this quarter and then Phase 2 (0.7 Bcf/d) next year. WhiteWater Midstream and Targa Resources’ Blackcomb Pipeline (2.5 Bcf/d) is also expected to begin service this quarter. For more on the Permian pipeline buildout, see the recent RBN blog, Open The Door.

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: Chevron Reports Record U.S. Production, Refinery Throughput | RBN Energy Chevron’s global upstream volumes increased by more than 5% in Q2 2026, while U.S. production reached a record of nearly 2.1 MMboe/d, the company said during its quarterly earnings call July 31. Downstream operations also reached new highs. Chevron processed more than 1 million b/d through its U.S. refineries, a record. “We remain focused on cost discipline and long-term value creation. During the second quarter, the company achieved its structural cost reduction target six months early by capturing $3 billion in annual run-rate savings” Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said. “Furthermore, we delivered $1.5 billion of annual run-rate synergies related to the Hess Corporation acquisition within one year of closing.”Beyond its traditional oil and gas business, Chevron emphasized its expanding power strategy. The company views reliable electricity as the primary constraint on AI-driven data center growth and believes its natural gas resource base and project execution capabilities position it to capitalize on that opportunity. At the center of that strategy is Project Kilby, a behind-the-meter power development in the Permian Basin (and the subject of a future blog) that management says is the only multi-gigawatt project of its kind backed by a long-term power purchase agreement. Chevron recently signed a 20-year take-or-pay agreement with Microsoft for 2.67 GW of capacity, with a final investment decision (FID) expected later this year. The site is expected to be powered initially by 12 smaller turbines (light-blue bar sections in slide below), with seven larger turbines (dark-blue bar sections) coming online later, with an interconnection with the ERCOT grid in 2030-31.The company said it expects Kilby to create a repeatable model for future data center power projects.

White House pushes to reopen closed refineries amid high gas prices - The Trump administration is looking to reopen closed oil refineries, including an embattled one in the Virgin Islands, amid high gasoline prices spurred by the Iran war. A White House official confirmed to The Hill in an email Thursday that the Trump administration “would like to see refineries across the country reopen, especially the St. Croix refinery.” The official said this refinery is of particular interest because it was built to refine Venezuelan oil and because of its “strategic” location. The official said that since April 2025, companies have approached the administration to express interest in purchasing the refinery and that this has ramped up since the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and U.S. takeover of the country’s infrastructure. The refinery push was first reported by Politico. Three industry executives told the news outlet that the White House has had discussions about reopening refineries ranging from the Virgin Islands to California. “Energy security is national security, and America’s refining capacity is essential to ensuring the United States has continuous access to secure, affordable, and reliable energy,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. “The President’s National Energy Dominance Council will continue supporting the reopening of shuttered refineries and the construction of new ones to lower prices and strengthen our national security,” Rogers added. The push comes as gas prices have remained high amid the war in Iran. As of Thursday, the average U.S. gas price was about $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA, more than $1 higher than where it was when the war broke out earlier this year. The St. Croix refinery in question shut down indefinitely in 2021. That came after the Environmental Protection Agency ordered it to shut down for 60 days, saying its oil releases and air pollution posed an “imminent risk to public health.” David Johnson, director of Port Hamilton Refining & Transportation welcomed the prospect of restarting the refinery in a statement shared with The Hill. “By leveraging substantial private investment alongside targeted federal programs that strengthen nationally significant infrastructure and industrial capacity, the restoration of the St. Croix refinery has the potential to accelerate the return of a strategic American industrial asset while enhancing U.S. energy security, expanding domestic manufacturing, strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting advanced technologies, creating thousands of high-quality jobs and improving America’s long-term economic competitiveness,” he said. Johnson said that the company “continue[s] to have constructive discussions with federal and territorial officials, commercial counterparties, investors and financing sources regarding the future of the refinery.” “While those discussions remain confidential, we remain optimistic that the St. Croix refinery can once again become an important contributor to America’s energy security, industrial competitiveness and long-term economic resilience,” he continued. Oil is turned into gasoline at refineries. While the price of oil is typically the largest factor in the price of gasoline, refineries can also play a role.

Refinery makeover: White House hopes to attract private investors for defunct fuel factories - Investors know the Trump administration is worried about fuel prices — and they’re offering assistance.The White House has had discussions with a wide range of potential suitors to reopen defunct petroleum refineries from the Virgin Islands to California amid rising anxieties over higher fuel prices, according to three industry executives familiar with the talks. National Energy Dominance Council officials confirmed they have fielded inquiries from potential investors, and the industry sources said the NEDC connected those investors to relevant agencies to discuss how the government could help facilitate investments.The discussions have progressed to the point where council officials have consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory requirements for reopening mothballed facilities — an issue likely to be particularly relevant for the refinery on St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has faced years of environmental problems and legal battles. St. Croix “is one of the refineries on a short list of refineries … that the administration wants to keep running,” said one of the industry executives, who was granted anonymity to describe discussions with White House officials

America became the biggest oil producer in history yet it still imports millions of barrels | Watch (video) America’s fracking revolution transformed the country from a vulnerable oil importer into the largest producer in history. Yet the United States still imports huge quantities of crude because much of its refining system was built for a different type of oil. The result is a strange trade in which America exports its own higher-value crude while buying heavier foreign oil for domestic refineries. The boom created enormous wealth and geopolitical power, but serious questions remain over how long it can last.

Commercial Crude Inventories Fall to Lowest Level Since 2018 | RBN Energy -According to the EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) released this morning for the week ended July 24, U.S. commercial crude inventories posted their largest weekly draw in over two months, falling more than 7 MMbbl to less than 405 MMbbl. Total crude once accounting for SPR inventories currently sits at 712 MMbbl (yellow circle in chart below). This draw reduces commercial crude inventories to their lowest level since October 2018, as exceptionally strong refinery demand more than offset modest export growth. As discussed in this week's Crude Oil Billboard, the bulk of the draw occurred in PADD III, where inventories declined 6.5 MMbbl alongside a sharp increase in capacity utilization to above 100% as refiners continue to capitalize on near record-high crack spreads.The inventory decline underscores how little buffer remains in the U.S. crude system. Cushing stocks fell below the widely watched 20 MMbbl threshold to just 18.6 MMbbl, their lowest level since August 2014, increasing the market's sensitivity to disruptions in inland crude logistics. At the same time, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell for an eighteenth consecutive week to its lowest level since 1983 after another 4 MMbbl draw. While the pace of SPR withdrawals has slowed, more than 108 MMbbl has now been released since the start of the conflict with Iran as part of the broader IEA-coordinated emergency stock release.Although commercial crude inventories have fallen to their lowest level since 2018, the U.S. is far from running out of oil. Domestic production remains near record highs, imports are averaging near 6 MMb/d for the year, and more than 700 MMbbl of crude remains in commercial and strategic storage combined. The significance of today's inventory levels lies less in the absolute volume of oil available and more in the shrinking margin of safety. As inventories tighten and uncertainty of the duration of the War in Iran rises, the market becomes increasingly responsive to incremental changes in refinery demand, export flows, or supply disruptions, amplifying price volatility even when overall crude availability remains adequate.

 Bad River tribe, groups sue over waterway crossing approvals for Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute - The Bad River tribe and environmental groups are again suing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources over decisions allowing work to move forward on Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute at four waterway crossings.The tribe, Clean Wisconsin, 350 Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Ashland County Circuit Court. The legal challenge comes after the DNR granted Enbridge a permit to cross Beartrap Creek and permit exemptions for three other waterways. They include Little Beartrap Creek, Bay City Creek and an unnamed tributary to the Brunsweiler River.The groups argue that Enbridge is not eligible to conduct work at the four waterways because it did not own land next to them. The lawsuit is their latest legal challenge against the DNR as litigation continues over key state approvals for the project, including a wetlands and waterway permit.In May, a Bayfield County judge allowed work to move forward on the Line 5 reroute except at the four waterways. Midwest Environmental Advocates, who is representing 350 Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters, accused the company of a “workaround” by obtaining ownership interests at three of the four crossings.“Despite Enbridge’s repeated attempts to overcome these legal barriers, their Line 5 proposal continues to run afoul of Wisconsin law,” MEA spokesperson Peg Sheaffer said. “Until they demonstrate that they have met all the requirements of Wisconsin law, construction at the four stream crossings must not be allowed to proceed.”A DNR spokesperson said it’s reviewing the lawsuit.“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued authorizations for Enbridge to complete erosion control and stream restoration at four waterbody crossings, following established rules and policies and after a thorough review,” Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said in a statement.Enbridge’s Line 5 carries up to 23 million gallons of oil daily from Superior across northern Wisconsin and Michigan to Ontario. The company proposed a 41-mile reroute of Line 5 after the Bad River Tribe sued in 2019 to shut down the pipeline on its lands. The project is crossing about 200 waterways, and it’s slated to affect around 100 acres of wetlands in Ashland and Iron counties.The $450 million project has undergone years of review, protests, tens of thousands of comments and legal challenges. Enbridge has said 600 people are now working on the project, which is projected to employ 700 union workers at peak construction.Supporters say it will contribute $135 million to Wisconsin’s economy. Opponents point to multiple spills on Enbridge pipelines, including up to 1,900 gallons of drilling fluid that spilled on June 27. Kellner said the clay and water mixture used for horizontal directional drilling at Vaughn Creek, where the spill occurred, was approved by the DNR and is non-toxic.At least two other small spills of 250 gallons and 10 gallons of drilling fluid have occurred at Vaughn Creek.Kellner said the clay-water mix has been cleaned up.The company is responsible for some of the nation’s largest oil spills on land, including a 2010 oil spill into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River.In 2023, U.S. District Court Judge William Conley ordered Enbridge to pay $5.15 million for trespassing on roughly 2 miles of tribal lands and shut down or reroute Line 5 around the Bad River reservation by mid-June this year. Both the tribe and Enbridge appealed the decision. In March, Conley paused his shutdown order until a federal appeals court issues a ruling, citing potential “devastating” impacts of a sudden shutdown.

Court Upholds Enbridge Line 5 Trespass Finding But Stops Short of Shutdown A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Enbridge is trespassing on portions of the Bad River Reservation with its Line 5 pipeline but sent the case back to the district court to reconsider the remedies, including the pipeline's removal timeline. (P&GJ) — A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's finding that Enbridge is trespassing on portions of the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin by continuing to operate its Line 5 pipeline after easements on certain tribal allotment parcels expired. However, the court sent the case back to the district court to reconsider the remedies, including an order requiring the pipeline's removal and other injunctive relief. In a decision issued July 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit concluded that Enbridge lacks legal authority to continue operating Line 5 across 12 allotted parcels where easements expired in 2013. The court affirmed that the company is trespassing but determined the lower court must revisit the remedies imposed. The dispute centers on approximately 12 miles of Line 5 that cross the Bad River Reservation. The pipeline transports more than 20 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids each day between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, as part of Enbridge's 645-mile Line 5 system serving refineries in the Midwest and Canada. The Bad River Band sued Enbridge in 2019 after easements covering allotted tribal lands expired in June 2013. The tribe argued that Enbridge continued operating the pipeline without the required rights-of-way and cited erosion along the Bad River that could expose the pipeline and increase the risk of a spill. A federal district court previously awarded the tribe more than $5.1 million in restitution, ordered Enbridge to continue disgorging a portion of its profits while Line 5 remained on the affected parcels, and directed the company to remove the pipeline from those lands. The district court also ordered Enbridge to implement enhanced monitoring and response measures to address erosion risks near the Bad River meander. Both sides appealed. The appeals court agreed that Enbridge's continued operation across the allotted parcels constitutes trespass because the company no longer holds valid easements and did not obtain the tribal consent required for renewed rights-of-way. The court also ruled that federal statutory law displaces the tribe's federal common-law nuisance claim, overturning that portion of the district court's decision. In reaching its decision, the court rejected Enbridge's argument that a 1992 agreement required the Bad River Band to consent to renewed easements over the allotted parcels. The panel found the agreement applied only to separate tribal parcels covered by a 50-year easement that remains in effect until 2043 and did not obligate the tribe to approve future rights-of-way on subsequently acquired allotted lands. The opinion leaves unresolved what remedies ultimately will apply while Enbridge continues pursuing a proposed reroute of Line 5 around the reservation, a project that remains subject to state and federal permitting.

California Dems mobilize to stop pipeline land grab - - California’s Democratic senators are making a full-throttle push to quash an amendment working its way through Congress that would give a lifeline to a contentious oil pipeline in their home state.Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff want to kill a provision in the House’s defense policy bill that lawmakers adopted by a single vote last week, mostly along party lines, that would allow the Pentagon to seize land along the Santa Ynez pipeline system in central California.The amendment, sponsored by Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt, would empower the Trump administration to keep oil flowing to California users — including military installations — after an 11-year stoppage following a spill.“This amendment is a power grab that threatens both states’ rights and California’s coastline and environment,” Padilla said in a statement. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t become law.”

Green groups lose court bid to halt Alaska land transfer - The Interior Department’s transfer of over 2 million acres of federal land to Alaska’s control will survive after a federal judge on Friday rejected environmentalists’ request to block the change in ownership.The land transfer initiated earlier this year includes much of the Trans-Alaska pipeline corridor and will allow the state to more quickly approve permits for the proposed Ambler Road, which would connect the Dalton Highway to mining locations.When Congress passed legislation to make Alaska a state in 1958, it included a promise to transfer 103 million acres of “vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved” land to the state, a process that continues decades later.The transfer came about after a February order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revoked withdrawal orders issued in the early 1970s for lands that are now corridors for the Trans-Alaska pipeline and Dalton Highway.

LNG Canada Achieves Record Gas Intake in June 2026 | RBN Energy  - Intake of natural gas at the LNG Canada liquefaction site in Kitimat, BC reached a record monthly average of 1.78 Bcf/d in June 2026 (green column and text in chart below) as reported in our Canadian NatGas Billboard. This surpasses the previous best value of 1.70 Bcf/d posted in April 2026 (purple column and text) with the record also marking the one-year anniversary of the first commercial cargo shipped to Asian customers in June 2025. On the heels of the June record, we are currently estimating that July gas intake will drop to 1.2 Bcf/d as flare replacement work and other onsite maintenance has been taking place since the end of June. LNG Canada has not provided any timeline as to when this work might be completed.Daily gas intake, computed as a combination of reported pipeline flows and our estimates, point to LNG Canada's gas use in July (blue dashed rectangle in chart below) having fallen to some of the lowest levels since mid-December 2025, aside from a short-term outage in mid-March 2026 when an unexpected power outage briefly sent gas intake to near zero. Export activity has slowed with the LNG tanker turnover rate — the time between tanker departure and next tanker arrival — having increased to more than two days in the past week and was already on an increasing trend from the first half of July and up from an average of less than one day of turnover which characterized much of the previous six months of shipping activity.

Uniper Locks In Canadian LNG as Germany Diversifies Long-Term Supply --Uniper, one of Germany’s largest gas traders, signed a long-term offtake deal for LNG from the proposed Ksi Lisims project in British Columbia, deepening an emerging Canada-Germany energy trade relationship as both countries pursue supply diversification.See table of North American Netback Prices.  At a Glance:
Uniper secures long-term Canadian LNG supply
Canadian cargoes bolster German diversification plans
Ksi Lisims reaches half contracted capacity

Prince Rupert Pipeline Contract Advances Ksi Lisims LNG Feedgas Link - Two partners behind Ksi Lisims LNG have advanced the project’s planned feedgas connection to the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, awarding Allseas a contract for a critical section of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline.  At a Glance:

• Allseas wins subsea pipeline installation contract
• PRGT would move 2 Bcf/d west
• Canada remains net US gas supplier

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: Tourmaline Delays Growth to Wait for Gas Demand | RBN Energy -Tourmaline used its Q2 earnings call to reinforce its view that North American natural gas demand is accelerating, but the company is choosing to pace production growth until more of that demand materializes. Management announced a one-year pause between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of its Northeast BC infrastructure buildout (existing assets shown below), allowing shareholders to benefit from lower costs and higher free cash flow before committing additional growth capital. The company said future spending will depend less on commodity prices and more on new sources of demand, including LNG exports, gas-fired power generation and AI-driven data centers.Tourmaline said Phase 1 of its Northeast BC project remains on schedule, with the Aitken plant expected to start up in the fourth quarter and five of six regional connector pipelines already complete. The company also expanded its LPG export strategy by signing a long-term agreement with AltaGas to ship additional propane and butane through the Ridley Island Energy Export Facility (REEF), increasing exposure to higher-value export markets. At the same time, management highlighted continued gains in well productivity and lower operating costs.Management also expressed growing confidence in Western Canada's long-term gas outlook. Tourmaline expects LNG demand, Alberta data centers and gas-fired power projects to tighten regional markets over the next several years and said it is actively pursuing a long-term gas supply agreement for a hyperscaler project near its Banshee plant. Rather than chasing production growth ahead of demand, the company said it intends to let new markets pull additional supply into service, a strategy that could improve pricing while supporting stronger long-term shareholder returns.

Turn Me Loose – Will Crude Oil Pipeline Capacity Keep Up With Western Canadian Production Growth? - Several projects in the works would expand crude oil pipeline takeaway capacity out of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) to the U.S. and Canada’s west coast. But, given the pace of production growth in Alberta, will enough takeaway space come online in time to prevent pipeline capacity shortages and the price dislocations that come with them? That’s what we’ll be looking at in today’s RBN blog, the final episode in our seven-part series on WCSB crude oil supply, which also serves as a preview of our latest Drill Down Report. Over the course of our series (and detailed in our new report), we've explored the forces reshaping Western Canada's crude oil market, from the rapid growth in WCSB production and its seasonal swings to the pipeline expansions that have enabled rising exports. We also examined how transportation constraints influence crude price discounts, traced the evolution of crude flows and end markets, reviewed proposed pipeline expansion projects, and assessed producers’ plans to increase oil sands output in the years ahead. Together, these trends highlight a market in which production growth, takeaway capacity and changing demand patterns will determine whether Western Canadian crude can continue expanding its reach into North American and global markets. Canadian crude output is rising, requiring new export routes. As traditional pathways face constraints, the U.S. Rockies—especially the Guernsey, WY hub—are emerging as key corridors for moving Canadian heavy crude to downstream markets, including the Gulf Coast.Today, we present our monthly forecasts through 2029 for WCSB crude oil production and exports. Then we’ll compare these export forecasts against expected pipeline takeaway capacity to see if Western Canada’s crude oil market might be at risk of pipeline capacity shortages in the next few years. In addition to the information we’ve gone over in this series, the forecasts we present here include predictions about the impact of future turnaround activity for each oil sands facility and refinery. These forecasts lean on our database of turnaround histories for each facility, and company guidance where available. Starting with our crude oil production forecasts, Figure 1 below shows monthly WCSB historical production by type from 2022 through this spring (solid lines) and our projections through 2029 (dashed lines). We expect continued production growth in non-upgraded oil sands (gray lines), other heavy oil (purple lines), and condensate and pentanes plus (orange lines), while we are forecasting fairly flat production for upgraded oil sands (green lines) and conventional light and medium oil (blue lines), albeit with month-to-month volatility and some year-to-year variability, primarily due to oil sands turnaround schedules. Our Alberta oil sands production forecasts include estimates for every single project (see Section 7 of our report for information on upcoming growth projects), as well as estimates for every Saskatchewan SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage) heavy oil project. For other crude oil and condensate production, we’re assuming growth similar to what we’ve seen over the past couple of years.Figure 2 below shows the combined total production forecast through 2029. We currently expect crude oil and condensate production to grow by 98 Mb/d in 2026, 221 Mb/d in 2027, 121 Mb/d in 2028 and 129 Mb/d in 2029. For context, annual growth from 2022-25 ranged from 100-192 Mb/d and averaged 158 Mb/d. Our forecasts for 2026-29 assume the difference between peak-month and low-month production in a given year averages about 600 Mb/d, less than the 735 Mb/d average range from 2022-25.  To get from a production forecast to an export forecast is easier said than done. Availability of data varies from province to province, from asset to asset, and from pipeline to pipeline. In addition to data reported by companies, we are pulling data from about 20 monthly or quarterly statistical reports from industry sources (i.e., Alberta Energy Regulator, StatCan, Canadian Energy Regulator, EIA, etc.) to try to piece together as complete a picture as possible. We are tracking and forecasting imports (mostly diluent), production losses, refinery and other field use, diluent supplied from refineries and diluent recovery units (DRUs), NGLs and refined product volumes shipped on the oil pipelines, butanes used for diluent and as refinery feedstocks, inventory changes, missing barrels, and several other items. However, if we look at this from a higher level, annual WCSB production exceeded exports by 220-250 Mb/d in the 2022-25 period; for 2026-29 we forecast the annual difference to range from 235-321 Mb/d.Figure 3 below shows the outlook for monthly WCSB export volumes overlaid on top of current and expected new pipeline capacity.

BP puts North Sea business up for sale - BP has said it is putting its North Sea business up for sale in a move that would end 60 years of production in the region by the oil giant. The decision follows a review of BP's operations as it seeks to slim down the group. Its North Sea business has five production hubs - two in the central North Sea and three west of Shetland - and employs about 1,100 people. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he told US President Donald Trump he would take a "pragmatic approach" to the issue of North Sea oil and gas. Trump, some trade unions, industry figures and some Labour MPs all back increased drilling in the North Sea. "The UK has been our home for more than 100 years and will continue to play an important role in our future," BP chief executive Meg O'Neill said. "We're proud of the jobs we create, the contribution we make to the UK economy, and the work we do to keep energy flowing every day," she said. The company said it remained committed to operating the business safely and reliably throughout the sale process. Its North Sea business produced 117,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, a small fraction of the oil giant's 2.3 million barrels of daily production. O'Neill, who took the helm at BP in April, said earlier this year there was "untapped potential" in the North Sea. However, in announcing Friday's decision she said: "As we focus our portfolio and direct capital to our highest-value opportunities, we believe our North Sea business will be better positioned as part of another company. "It has world-class people, resilient assets and a proud heritage, and it is precisely these qualities that can attract an owner ready to back its next chapter. We are seeking an outcome that recognises that value." The sale could potentially bring in £2bn to BP. Last month, the FT reported the company was in talks with Ithaca Energy to sell its North Sea assets for around this amount, although the talks fell through. BP employs around 13,960 people in the UK. Its global headquarters will remain in the UK. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said she was in close contact with BP, and her priority was to ensure that "the workers and local community are protected during this sale process". In its 2024 general election manifesto, Labour said it would not issue new licences for drilling, but would honour existing ones. But in recent months, as the Iran war pushed up global oil prices, calls have grown for more North Sea drilling to be approved, from the Conservatives, Reform UK and from President Trump, while also becoming a divisive issue within the Labour party. Some Labour MPs have urged the government to take a more liberal approach, warning that the transition away from oil and gas must protect jobs and the cost of energy bills. But others have backed the government's existing approach, arguing that expanding renewable energy is key to improving energy security and reducing the impact on climate change. As energy secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's government, Ed Miliband was a staunch supporter of the manifesto position. Miliband is now the foreign secretary in Burnham's government. Burnham himself has seemingly left the door open to future drilling. He said he told President Trump this week: "There is a resource there. When people are struggling - you can't ignore that." Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell previously told the BBC that Burnham would stick to the party's manifesto commitments, but there would be a "change of emphasis" on North Sea oil and gas. Oil and gas companies have also criticised the UK's windfall tax- the Energy Profits Levy - which they argue means the North Sea has lost some of its appeal in recent years. The Scottish government's energy minister, Stephen Gethins, said the decision would cause uncertainty for workers. "Scotland's future prosperity – and our contribution to energy security – are reliant on North Sea energy production and, crucially, the skills and experience of that workforce," he said. Reserved policies – such as the Energy Profits Levy – were driving an accelerated decline of North Sea oil and gas before renewables were fully ready to meet energy needs, Gethins added. The Scottish Conservatives' energy spokesman, Andrew Bowie MP, called on the Labour government at Westminster to approve the Jackdaw and Rosebank offshore sites and cancel plans to ban new licences in the North Sea. He also called for the Energy Profits Levy to be scrapped. Reform MSP Duncan Massey said 1,100 workers faced uncertainty with the BP sale, adding politicians should not put ideology ahead of jobs and economic reality. The Scottish Greens said 80% of the oil from the North Sea was shipped overseas, therefore it was "doing very little to improve our energy security".

France Heat Wave, Asian Premiums Test Europe’s Pull on US LNG --Recurring heat waves across Europe and hotter forecasts for Northeast Asia are supporting summer LNG demand as a widening Asian price premium sharpens competition for flexible US volumes. At a Glance:
Global heat supports LNG demand outlook
Feedgas holds near 17.8 Bcf/d
Cooler US forecast pressures gas prices

Q2 2026 Earnings Calls: TotalEnergies Reframes Middle East Investment Strategy | RBN Energy -As discussed in their recent earnings call, in Q2 2026, TotalEnergies delivered one of its strongest quarterly performances since 2022, supported by higher crude prices, record refining margins, resilient upstream production growth, and continued strength across its Integrated Power business despite ongoing geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East. While the financial results were robust, a significant takeaway from the earnings call was management's evolving view of geopolitical risk and how it is reshaping the company's long-term investment strategy. Rather than treating the recent disruption as a temporary event, management signaled that it expects elevated geopolitical risk in the Middle East to persist, placing greater emphasis on portfolio diversification, integrated value capture, and export infrastructure resilience.A central theme throughout the discussion was that the primary constraint on Middle Eastern crude supply is no longer production capacity, but the ability to reliably move barrels to market. CEO Patrick Pouyanné repeatedly pointed to the Strait of Hormuz as the region's principal bottleneck, noting that production from Abu Dhabi assets recovered quickly when operating conditions improved, while export logistics remained significantly more challenging. As a result, TotalEnergies is increasingly evaluating investments that reduce dependence on Hormuz, including potential participation in expanding Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's (ADNOC's) pipeline system from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, as well as alternative export routes from Iraq to the Mediterranean. Although no formal investment decisions were announced, management's comments suggest that export infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority alongside upstream resource development. The growing focus on the Fujairah export corridor is particularly noteworthy. By expanding pipeline capacity to a terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz, UAE producers could increase the share of crude that reaches international markets without transiting one of the world's most vulnerable maritime chokepoints. The call suggests that infrastructure capable of improving export flexibility and reducing geopolitical exposure may become just as important as new upstream production projects in determining future Middle Eastern supply growth. More broadly, TotalEnergies' strategy indicates that the next phase of investment in the region may increasingly prioritize supply chain resilience over incremental production capacity, reflecting an expectation that geopolitical disruptions will remain a structural feature of the market rather than a short-lived event.

Vaca Muerta Shale Boom Fuels Argentina's Next Wave of Pipeline Growth --Vaca Muerta continues to transform Argentina's energy sector, with major pipeline and LNG export projects advancing even as the country's broader economy faces employment challenges. (Reuters) — Ramiro Ramirez, a trained mechanic, found work in just a month at Argentina's Vaca Muerta, home of one of the world's largest shale oil and gas reserves, where he earns 10 times his previous salary as a cook. His new life operating a gas compressor is not easy. Ramirez, 25, leaves his city in Neuquen province at 5 a.m. for a daily two-hour ride to oil fields by the small, dusty town of Añelo, which has swelled with newcomers seeking work since the formation's production rose sharply in recent years. He hopes to make a career at Vaca Muerta, a bright spot in President Javier Milei’s austerity-heavy economic playbook that contrasts sharply with job losses across the country. “All in all, I feel pretty good,” said Ramirez. “These are very desired positions.” Vaca Muerta could be a transformative force for Argentina's economy, which needs dollars to contain inflation and repay loans to the International Monetary Fund. YPF, Argentina’s state-run energy company, projects that by 2031, the formation will generate $50 billion in export dollars, rivaling Argentina’s agriculture sector. It is well on its way: In 2024, Argentina logged its largest energy trade surplus in nearly two decades, and last year broke its record again exporting $11.1 billion worth of energy. Economists say Milei is smart to focus on capital-intensive sectors such as Vaca Muerta, which he has called “the new Argentine panacea." But they caution that as Vaca Muerta develops, much of Argentina waits for economic relief. Workers in Neuquen in western Argentina's Patagonia region earn the country's highest average private-sector salary. Much of Argentina, by contrast, is suffering from lost manufacturing and construction jobs amid Milei’s lowering of import tariffs, suspension of federal infrastructure projects and austerity measures that have decreased purchasing power. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva recently applauded Milei's reduction of once-staggering inflation but highlighted hurting sectors, saying Argentina needs to create better conditions for businesses and individuals to take out bank loans and mortgages. “There’s no way for Argentina not to prioritize (Vaca Muerta),” said Lucas Pussetto, an economist at Argentina's Austral University, later adding, “Is it enough? No.” Milei has framed job loss in some sectors as inevitable as Argentina’s economy opens and competition increases. In a statement to Reuters, Argentina's Economy Ministry said that "as in any process of economic transformation, the recovery shows differences between sectors in the initial stage" but that the objective is "for growth to progressively extend to the rest of the sectors and translate into greater formal job creation."

Waiting on the World to Change – Global Turmoil Spikes Energy Markets, But Sharply Lower Crude Oil Prices, Production Could be Just Ahead | RBN Energy - Geopolitical developments over the last several months have resulted in perhaps the most chaotic and unstable energy market in the last 50 years, rivaled only by the OPEC oil embargoes of the 1970s, the global financial crisis in 2009 and the COVID lockdown years of the early 2020s. The disruptions have driven crude oil prices and production higher in the short term, but there’s a potential long-term shift just ahead. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how the changes on the horizon could lead to sharply lower global crude oil prices and a rollback in U.S. production, two forecasts at the heart of our newly available Future of Fuels report. It’s been a year of dramatic change, starting with the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January (just before our previous report was published). Things have only accelerated since then, highlighted by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran that began on the last day of February. While the damage to energy facilities across the Middle East has been significant, the largest impact by far has been the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, mostly stopping the flow of one-fifth of global crude oil and millions of barrels of refined products, while also impacting the LNG market and a number of other commodities. The on-again, off-again talks to find a lasting resolution to the conflict, along with the most  recent escalation by the Houthis threatening tanker movements through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, have only added to the global uncertainty.In addition to the events in the Middle East, the Russia/Ukraine war continues to provide additional stress to markets, especially the rapidly accelerating damage Ukraine has inflicted on Russian refineries, resulting in throughputs hitting decades-long lows and the loss of well over 2 MMb/d (and growing) of refined products. Chinese responses to these events and a variety of other global developments also continue to add uncertainties. Less immediately impactful — but maybe the most significant in the long term — was the exit of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from OPEC in May, which we expect to have many knock-on effects in the market.As discussed many times in the RBN blogosphere this year, the changes and unrest noted above have driven prices higher for crude oil and refined products, leading to record-high U.S. crude oil production, surging crude exports and refining margins, and rig counts that are now well above year-ago levels. It’s a rosy picture for producers, and we expect pricing and production will continue to rise in the short term. But major market headwinds appear on the way; the question is how soon they arrive. Here’s where things stand today and why we could be headed for an era of crude oil oversupply:

• Venezuela — The U.S. takeover of the Venezuelan oil industry carries major implications for all segments of the petroleum industry. Operating conditions in Venezuela have improved significantly, leading to an uptick in crude oil production and exports. Because of the evolving conditions there and the uncertain nature of the situation, we are cautiously making only relatively minor changes in our short/mid-term forecasts, but we expect Venezuelan crude production growth to accelerate longer term. On the other hand, we expect only limited improvement in refinery utilization.
• Iran — The stability of the Iranian government has decreased significantly in recent months and potential future actions by the U.S. carry major implications for the crude oil and refined product markets. Due to the significant uncertainties, we have not made substantive changes in our forecasts for Iranian crude production, domestic demand or refining capacity, and the availability of transit through the Strait of Hormuz (and perhaps even from Red Sea ports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait) remains a major risk. That said, a lasting end to the hostilities seems likely at some point, easing the path to a more normal crude market and increased Iranian production and exports.
• The UAE and Saudi Arabia — The UAE is far from the first country to depart OPEC, but it’s the first to do so at the top of its game. The UAE has been a relatively less-disciplined OPEC member in recent years, with its consistently rising production often meeting (and sometimes exceeding) its established quotas. With production of 3.4 MMb/d (before the Strait of Hormuz closure), an estimated productive capacity of 4.5 MMb/d, and a goal to raise output to 5 MMb/d by 2030, the UAE figures to be a significant contributor to global supply growth through the end of the decade. We believe this will have a domino effect on Saudi Arabia’s strategy, as it looks likely to boost output, unwilling to be the sole OPEC producer concerned about defending price by restraining production.
• Russia — The Russia/Ukraine war has significantly changed global petroleum trade patterns and reduced Russian refinery utilization and oil production. We continue to see declines in the performance of both the upstream and downstream industries in the near to medium term, with potential improvement only after 2029 (assuming the hostilities with Ukraine are resolved by then). Russian crude production is forecast to drop to about 9.9 MMb/d by 2029, with a recovery back to pre-war levels of 10.6+ MMb/d taking until 2050. (Its refining industry will continue to be even more impacted.)

The developments noted above and generally improving prospects for producers in other regions could create a very oversupplied oil market in the next couple of years. Were that to happen, increased global output and lower prices could lead to a decrease in U.S. production, resulting in greater market share for producers elsewhere. So, how much could things change? (Note: The forecasts discussed in today’s blog are specific to the Future of Fuels report. Novi Labs is working on its own production forecast, which will show more moderate changes.)

QatarEnergy buys 33 spot US LNG cargoes to offset Hormuz disruption --  QatarEnergy, Qatar's state-owned energy company, purchased 33 spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the US this year for delivery to customers in South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India and Japan after Qatar's gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz were halted. According to international media reports, the company made the purchases following its force majeure declaration, aiming to protect its long-standing reputation as a reliable supplier and help maintain gas deliveries to key customers. The 33 cargoes are estimated to be equivalent to one-third of QatarEnergy's monthly LNG exports before the conflict and are valued at around $1 billion. QatarEnergy purchased only four spot LNG cargoes last year, while most of this year's cargoes were acquired from US LNG producer Venture Global and some of the company's customers. According to data analytics firm Kpler, 28 of the 33 cargoes have already been delivered, while the remaining five are en route to South Korea, Taiwan and India.

Tokyo Gas Warns Prolonged Iran War Could Keep Spot LNG Prices Elevated Tokyo Gas said the conflict involving Iran has tightened the global spot LNG market and warned that prices could remain elevated if the war continues, underscoring ongoing uncertainty for LNG buyers. (Reuters) — The Middle East conflict has significantly tightened supplies on the spot liquefied natural gas market and the upward pressure on prices could persist if the war drags on, an executive at Tokyo Gas said on July 30.

• "We will seek to optimize supply and demand through our global LNG trading capabilities," Go Soga, an executive officer for Tokyo Gas, told reporters.
• Tokyo Gas is Japan's biggest city gas provider and one of the country's biggest buyers of LNG.
• It operates an LNG trading company in Singapore in coordination with offices in London and Tokyo.
• The utility aims to expand the trading business into a growth driver, targeting annual trading volume of 5 million metric tons by 2030.
• Trading volume in fiscal 2025 that ended in March has already reached the high-4 million-ton range, Soga said.
• Tokyo Gas reported a 65% decline in April to June, first-quarter net profit, mainly due to the absence of one-off gains booked a year earlier.
• Higher selling prices for its U.S. shale gas business helped boost revenue, Atsushi Torii, general manager of accounting department, said.
• Results for the U.S. shale gas business for January to March are reflected in its first-quarter earnings.
• The average Henry Hub gas price in that period rose to about $5 per million British thermal units from $3.6 a year earlier, Torii said.
• Tokyo Gas hedges about 75% of its gas price exposure.
• The remaining unhedged portion contributed to higher profit, Torii added.

Japan Has Enough LNG to Avoid Summer Power Shortages Japan’s biggest buyer of liquefied gas has told media it has secured enough supplies until October and there is no risk of summer shortages during peak air-conditioning demand, Channel News Asia has reported.“We have secured sufficient LNG stocks for the peak summer demand season from August to October, and there are no issues regarding stable power supply,” a company executive said. He added that JERA has significantly reduced its purchases of LNG from Qatar and will ensure adequate supply for the winter season through its global trading division.Japan is one of the most energy import-dependent countries in the world, with a lot of its oil and gas previously coming from the Middle East. The war-related disruption in export flows has prompted Japan to rush to secure alternative supplies. These have mostly come from the United States, which has emerged as the biggest low-risk supplier of liquefied natural gas.Yet JERA is looking to ensure a diversified supply of the essential fuel. Last month, the company said it had signed a 20-year LNG supply contract with Malaysia’s Petronas, with deliveries set to begin in 2028. Malaysia is Japan’s second-largest LNG supplier, after Australia. In addition to higher LNG purchases from non-Middle Eastern suppliers, Japanese utilities were forced to ramp up coal generation earlier in the year to maintain power supply security.The Petronas deal is for 2 million tons of liquefied gas annually, adding to earlier supply deals agreed by JERA. The company, which is the largest buyer of liquefied natural gas in the world, last year presented plans to triple its purchases from the United States alone to as much as 5.5 million tons annually. That would have been a 10% increase on its current imports from the U.S., making up a third of its total LNG purchases.

US-Owned LNG Ship Reportedly Struck By Kamikaze Drone At Egyptian Port -- A potentially major escalation emerged late Wednesday after a US-owned gas-processing vessel moored at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta was reportedly struck by a drone, according to Reuters, citing maritime security firm Ambrey. Details remain scant, and this assessment is preliminary. Ship-tracking data from Bloomberg shows the gas-processing vessel Energos Winter, which serves as a floating storage and regasification unit, moored off the port of Damietta. The port hosts the Damietta LNG terminal, a critical outlet for processing and exporting Egyptian and regional natural gas to Europe. Reuters reported: The drone hit floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a fire that then spread to another vessel, Gaslog ‌Salem, ⁠three trading sources familiar with the incident said. Two separate security sources said the cause ⁠of the blast was a drone strike. The crew was evacuated, and the fire had ⁠been brought under control, Ambrey said, adding that no party ⁠had claimed responsibility. Our partners at Newsquawk issued an alert at around 12:09 p.m. New York time that appeared to contradict Reuters' reporting on the floating storage and regasification unit: Reports of a drone attack targeting Damietta port are false, Al Hadath reports, citing a source. There are also conflicting reports on X: Some say it was a drone strike, while others say it was an industrial accident.

Report: US-Owned Gas Storage Vessel in Egypt Hit by Drone - -A drone hit a US-owned liquefied natural gas storage tanker in the Egyptian port city of Damietta, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing the British maritime security firm ‌Ambrey. The incident could signal a widening of the US-Iran war, though at this point it’s unclear who was responsible. Sources told Reuters that the drone hit the storage tanker Energos Winter, owned by the US-based firm Energos Infrastructure.The drone sparked a fire that spread to a second LNG storage vessel, the Gaslog Salem. Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry confirmed there was a fire at the port, though it didn’t say what caused it.The ministry said that the “situation was dealt with immediately in accordance with the emergency plans and the approved rapid response plans, through the relevant authorities and firefighting and safety teams at the site” and added that there were no injuries.The incident comes as the US may be on the verge of conducting strikes against Iran following an Iranian missile attack on Jordan, and after the US and Saudi Arabia launched major attacks on Iraq, marking a major escalation in the region.The US and Saudi Arabia launched the attacks over claims that Iraqi Shia militias targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, though Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, took credit for the strikes and have also been targeting Saudi tankers as part of their enforcement of a new maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.

Egypt rejects reports linking Iran to Damietta drone attack - Egypt has rejected media reports suggesting Iran's role in a recent drone attack on ships at Damietta Port, as Tehran also dismissed any involvement and urged vigilance against Israeli "false-flag operations." Speaking on Thursday, Egypt's Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the Egyptian government believed Iran was responsible for the attack on two ships at the Mediterranean port. Rashwan warned against rushing to conclusions or circulating unverified rumors on social media, particularly given the current regional situation. His remarks came after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi rejected Western media reports seeking to link the unclaimed drone attack to Iran. In a message posted on X, Araghchi stressed that "Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us." "We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace. The threat is clear, mutual, and fearful of Muslim solidarity," he added. The comments followed Wednesday's drone strike that triggered an explosion and fire involving two ships at Damietta Port, including a US-linked gas-storage tanker. No country or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and no casualties were reported. Egyptian authorities said the fire was quickly brought under control. Certain Western media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, have sought to portray the unclaimed incident as part of a so-called "Iran war," in an attempt to manufacture pretexts and drive a wedge between regional countries. Iran has consistently rejected involvement in attacks targeting friendly nations and noted the Zionist regime's long history of carrying out false-flag operations aimed at undermining Muslim unity and advancing its regional agenda. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said authorities have recovered the wreckage of the drone used in the attack on the gas vessel and are examining it to determine its origin. Madbouly stressed that Egypt's conclusions would be based "on facts, not speculation."

ADNOC Defies Hormuz Risks as UAE LNG Exports Continue - The UAE is still exporting liquefied natural gas, despite the threat of strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a Bloomberg report, an ADNOC LNG tanker appeared in the Persian Gulf earlier today, successfully exiting the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly with its location devices turned off to avoid detection. The publication noted that earlier this month, Iranian forces had attacked a Qatari LNG carrier, sapping appetite for risky moves among energy shippers. Bloomberg also said that ADNOC was loading another LNG carrier at its Das Island facility at the end of last week. The developments highlight both the precarious situation that continues to plague Gulf oil and gas exporters and the strength of demand for their energy commodities. ADNOC has been especially active in liquefied gas, stepping in to boost its exports as neighbor Qatar had to declare force majeure on its Ras Laffan LNG hub. Earlier this month, ADNOC Logistics and Services even placed a $900-million order for four newbuild LNG carriers to expand its fleet as Abu Dhabi’s national oil company seeks to seize the global rise in LNG demand. The Abu Dhabi firm also has eight LNG carriers, with an investment of a total of $2.5 billion, currently under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean. These vessels are scheduled for delivery from 2028, and are all contracted on 20-year time charters to ADNOC Gas. Meanwhile, LNG importers have tried to pressure Qatar and the UAE into asking for lower prices for their liquefied gas. Buyers of the commodity argue that the Persian Gulf has become a lot riskier than it was before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February, and this risk will be reflected in the price shippers pay for insurance. As a result, the sellers need to lower their prices, the logic goes.

ADNOC Buys Five Supertankers as Hormuz Crisis Tightens Shipping - Amid tightened vessel supply due to the Middle East crisis, Abu Dhabi’s national oil company ADNOC has paid about $590 million to buy five supertankers to better manage its crude deliveries, Reuters reported on Friday, quoting sources with knowledge of the deal.  ADNOC has acquired the five very large crude carriers (VLCCs) as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) looks to boost crude oil production and exports after exiting OPEC earlier this year, and despite the regional conflict that has stalled traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. ADNOC Logistics and Services (ADNOC L&S) has bought the supertankers, capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of crude oil each, from Frontline Plc, according to Reuters’ sources.In an emailed statement to Reuters, ADNOC L&S said, “We do not comment on rumours or market speculation. ADNOC L&S continually reviews its fleet requirements and strategic growth opportunities.”ADNOC L&S owns over 340 vessels and operates 600 chartered ships.Meanwhile, the UAE produced 4.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in June, its highest output ever, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency.The crude oil production in June was the highest ever on record for the UAE, nearly double the output from March 2026 when Middle Eastern producers slashed production at the start of the Hormuz crisis. The production level also topped the previous record of 4 million bpd from the spring of 2020 when the OPEC+ producers were fighting for market share in a brief price war during peak Covid.The UAE has sought to adapt to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by sneaking tankers in dark mode through the Strait and increasingly offering to sell many of its crude grades for loading offshore Fujairah and at Sohar in Oman, outside the Strait. ADNOC is also boosting its LNG carrier fleet to grow its international gas business.Earlier this month, ADNOC Logistics and Services placed a $900-million order for four newbuild LNG carriers to expand its fleet as Abu Dhabi’s national oil company seeks to boost gas exports to seize the global rise in LNG demand.

Kuwait Signs $16 Billion Pipeline Infrastructure Deal with Blackstone, Brookfield, KKR Kuwait has signed a $16 billion agreement involving its crude oil pipeline network, bringing Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR into one of the Middle East's largest midstream infrastructure partnerships. (P&GJ) — Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has signed a $16 billion infrastructure agreement with a consortium comprising Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR to establish a joint venture covering the country's domestic and export crude oil pipeline network. The transaction, structured as a 20.5-year lease-and-leaseback agreement, includes all 13 of KOC's crude oil pipelines, spanning approximately 320 kilometers (199 miles). The deal is expected to become Kuwait's largest energy infrastructure partnership and the largest foreign direct investment in the country's history. Under the agreement, KOC will retain a 51% ownership stake in the newly formed joint venture, while Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR will collectively own the remaining 49%, with each investor holding an equal share. KOC will maintain full ownership, operation and maintenance of the pipeline system. The joint venture will lease the pipeline usage rights from KOC and grant the company exclusive rights to operate the network in exchange for a volume-based tariff. The agreement does not affect Kuwait's authority over crude production or refinery throughput. The transaction is expected to generate $7.85 billion in upfront proceeds for KOC, supporting Kuwait Petroleum Corporation's capital investment program, including its goal of increasing crude oil production capacity to 4 million bpd by 2035. KPC Deputy Chairman and CEO Shaikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah said the agreement marks a milestone for Kuwait's energy sector while preserving state control of critical infrastructure. The agreement also marks the first time major global institutional investors have committed long-term capital to Kuwait's midstream infrastructure. Representatives of Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR said the investment reflects confidence in Kuwait's energy sector and long-term infrastructure strategy. The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

Two tankers carrying Saudi oil for India exit Red Sea by going 'dark' (Reuters) - Two tankers carrying Saudi crude for Indian refiners have exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by sailing "dark" after Yemen's Iran-aligned ​Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipments, two sources with direct knowledge ‌of the matter said. The Suezmax tanker Amazon, chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), opens new tab, loaded 1 million barrels of oil and Aframax Rodos lifted 700,000 barrels of crude for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL.NS), opens new tab ​at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port around July 20 and briefly turned north towards the ​Suez Canal. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. However, the Amazon and Rodos then switched off their Automatic Identification ⁠System transponders around July 22, preventing public tracking of their moves, and headed ​south to exit the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the sources said. The tankers ​are the first evidence of vessels carrying Saudi crude for India going dark by turning off their transponders, which the sources said is normal practice in war zone areas, since the blockade began. "The owner ​had shut the transponders on the vessels for safety purposes, and the vessels are ​now heading to India," one of the sources told Reuters. The Rodos is expected to arrive at India's ‌Mangalore ⁠port on August 1, while the Amazon is scheduled to reach Chennai in early August, both sources said. Both vessels are managed by Greece-based Dynacom Tankers. Dynacom had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. India's foreign ministry, Indian Oil and MRPL did not respond ​to emails seeking comment. The ​vessels switched off their ⁠transponders after two other Dynacom ships, Malta-flagged Panamax-sized tanker Kavomaleas and Liberian-flagged VLCC Acheloos, were hit by projectiles. Indian refiners have switched to ​cargoes from the Middle East on a delivered basis since the ​Houthi attacks ⁠on several Saudi tankers. MRPL said in its latest tender it will only buy oil shipped on routes avoiding the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. It was not immediately clear if ⁠the ​Indian government talked to the Houthis or Iranian authorities ​to gain safe passage for the vessels after refiners in India approached it for help.

India issues Black Sea advisory after deadly strikes off Ukraine - India has warned its seafarers and commercial vessels face heightened security risks while operating in the “highly volatile” area around the Black Sea, saying the number of drone and missile attacks by both Russia and Ukraine on ships in the region is rising. Indian nationals working on commercial vessels have been asked to “carefully assess” the situation while operating or transiting through the conflict-affected region in the Black Sea, the Indian foreign ministry said on Sunday. At least five Indians are among 11 people killed in attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea since April as Russia has stepped up attacks on the cargo ships in the Black Sea maritime corridor. Russia and Ukraine have both ramped up strikes on ships in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Ukraine claims that it is targeting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet – ships that transport oil in violation of international sanctions. The Indian foreign ministry said it had observed an “increase in the number of such incidents on commercial vessels” and said those who undertake such journeys should exercise the utmost caution. “Indian nationals intending to undertake employment on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the conflict-affected region are advised to carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments,” the ministry said in a statement. It asked seafarers to obtain comprehensive information from employers and ship operators regarding the vessel’s route, port of call and security arrangements while remaining in contact with family members. Seafarers should ensure that the terms of employment comply with applicable international maritime standards and provide adequate provisions for medical care, evacuation, repatriation, and compensation in the event of an emergency. Three merchant vessels with Indian crew members on board have come under attack within just a week in the Black Sea amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. In the latest attack on Saturday, two Indian crew members went missing after MV AGN Ragnar, a Palau-flagged cargo ship, was attacked by three drones. The remaining seven crew members, including two Indians, were safely evacuated by the Ukrainian coast guard. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv said a search and rescue operation has been launched for the two missing seamen. The two, identified as Chandra Ram Dubey and Deepak Kumar Gupta, reportedly jumped into the sea when the vessel was attacked. Earlier, a vessel identified as the MV Omorfi was struck in Russian territorial waters, killing an Indian crew member. There were 10 crew members on board in total, including three Indian nationals. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) said the deceased was chief officer Sagar Gupta and said he was killed in a “Ukrainian drone attack” while on board the Omorfi at Novorossiysk. It came a day after four Indian seafarers were among 10 crew members killed in multiple strikes on bulk carrier MV Golden Leo, which was carrying 17 crew members. One Indian crew member was critically injured in the Russian strike.India strongly condemned the strikes and summoned a Russian diplomat following the attack on the Golden Leo. The attack was the deadliest of its kind on a commercial vessel in the Black Sea since the war began.But Russia refused to apologise for the attack, saying it will not stop targeting shipping to and from Ukraine. The Kremlin alleged that the vessel in question was “transporting ammunition” or other military goods, without providing evidence.

Caspian Pipeline Consortium reports further attack on oil tankers at its Black Sea terminal - The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on Thursday said that two more oil tankers were hit in the Black Sea, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged overnight airstrikes that have killed at least eight people and injured dozens. In a Telegram statement, the CPC said that the crude oil tanker “NISSOS SIFNOS” carrying the flag of the Marshall Islands and owned by the Tengizchevroil company, was targeted overnight in an attack while loading oil at the CPC's single point mooring in its marine terminal in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. “As a result of the drone attack near the oil receiving manifolds, a fire broke out on the cargo deck. It was extinguished by the tanker's crew, along with three CPC support vessels,” the statement said. Indicating there are casualties among CPC employees or contractors, the statement said no oil spill occurred and that the tanker remained buoyant, with damage assessments currently underway. “Oil loading has been suspended, and the pipeline facilities are operating normally,” the statement further said, noting that another vessel, the “MARATHI,” was attacked six nautical miles from the CPC’s marine terminal while en route to receive oil. “Thus, calls from the Republic of Kazakhstan and other foreign CPC shareholders, including through the US State Department, regarding the inadmissibility of using force against international energy infrastructure facilities were ignored,” the statement noted. It added that this created risks to global energy security, disrupted mechanisms for uninterrupted energy trade, caused significant damage to the economic interests of Kazakhstan and CPC shareholders, as well as CPC's shippers, including companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, Eni, Total, and Shell. The statement comes as Russia and Ukraine continue trading accusations about overnight attacks, which have killed at least eight people and injured dozens, according to local authorities on Thursday morning. Earlier this month, both Russia and Kazakhstan condemned what they described as Ukrainian drone attacks on vessels loading oil at the CPC marine terminal. Ukraine has acknowledged such attacks in some instances. However, the CPC did not clarify by whom the attacks on Thursday were carried out, while neither Russian nor Ukrainian authorities commented on the matter.

Two large oil spills detected off the coast of Makhachkala -Two suspected oil spills with a combined area of more than 600,000 square metres have been detected in the Caspian Sea near Makhachkala, Daghestan. The pollution was identified through satellite imagery published by an environmental monitoring service.According to the satellite analysis, one spill covers around 0.25 square kilometres, while the other measures at approximately 0.41 square kilometres — together an area comparable to more than 90 football pitches. The pollution is believed to consist of oil, although this has not been officially confirmed.According to the analysts, one slick appears to have originated in an oil harbour, while the second, located about eight kilometres from the Makhachkala–Garabogaz shipping route, may have resulted from a spill from a vessel.As of publication, neither Russia’s environmental authorities nor the government of Daghestan had announced an investigation or confirmed the presence of an oil spill.On 25 July, Iran accused Ukraine of attacking one of its merchant vessels in the Caspian Sea, saying one sailor had been killed. According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), its drones struck the Filanovsky offshore oil platform in the Caspian Sea, cargo vessels allegedly transporting military supplies to Iran, and a missile boat on the same day. Neither side reported any environmental consequences from the attacks, and Russia has not commented on the strikes.Environmental experts have repeatedly warned of increasing human pressure on the Caspian Sea as a result of oil production and transport, shipping, and industrial pollution. Oil contamination poses a threat to marine ecosystems, fish stocks, and the Caspian seal population, whose numbers have been dwindling in recent years.In December 2024, the sinking of two Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait caused a major fuel oil spill that contaminated parts of the Krasnodar region’s coastline, occupied Crimea, and the Sea of Azov. Although the Caspian Sea is not connected to the Black Sea, environmentalists say such incidents highlight the ecological risks associated with the transport of petroleum products.

Kazakhstan's daily oil output halves after export terminal closure, source says (Reuters) - Kazakhstan, among the world's 10 biggest oil producers, has more ‌than halved its daily oil output after the closure of its main exporting terminal in Russia's Black Sea over drone attacks, an industry source said on Monday. The production decline in Kazakhstan is likely to add to wider global oil ​supply jitters over the Strait of Hormuz's effective closure and risks of passage over other main ​sea routes for commodity exports. . It also shows the over-reliance of the world's largest landlocked ⁠country on Russia for its energy exports. The industry source said oil and gas condensate production in ​Kazakhstan more than halved on Sunday from the average June levels to 133,200 metric tons, or around ​1 million barrels per day, from 2.16 million bpd. Kazakhstan's energy ministry said later on Monday that Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline loading operations had resumed after a week-long suspension. The pipeline — which runs from Kazakhstan's giant Tengiz oilfield to the Black ​Sea terminal — accounts for more than 80% of oil exports from the country, where a number of ​international oil majors operate, including Chevron  and ExxonMobil. The ministry said two oil tankers — Seamajesty and Milos — ‌were ⁠berthed for loading at the CPC terminal. Both vessels were loading U.S. Chevron-led Tengizchevroil volumes, it added. It did not comment on the output cuts. It had said last week that oil companies had reduced output due to export constraints and CPC loadings had been suspended for safety reasons. CPC also said two tankers ​were berthed at the ​Black Sea terminal as ⁠of Monday, adding its pipeline has been back online since 12:28 p.m. Moscow time (0928 GMT). The Suezmax vessel Asia chartered by Chevron was also at the ​Black Sea terminal at midday on Monday, according to LSEG data. Chevron said ​it "continues to monitor ⁠the situation at CPC", adding that the safety and security of personnel remained its top priority. It declined further comment. More than 1,500 km (940 miles) long, the CPC pipeline runs from Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield in the ⁠west of ​the country via Russia to the port of Novorossiysk on ​Russia's Black Sea coast. Drones attacked several tankers at or near the terminal as Ukraine and Russia have escalated counterattacks on vessels ​and other targets as the more-than-four-year war rages on.

Sanctioned oil tanker reportedly leaking oil off Oman - A tanker sanctioned by the European Union and the UK for transporting Russian fuel is suspected of leaking oil in a protected marine area off the coast of Oman, according to Reuters’ analysis of satellite imagery and independent experts.The Caroline Bezengi, which loaded Russian oil at Novorossiysk before its latest voyage, last transmitted an AIS signal on June 11 off the coast of Yemen. Satellite images captured between July 2 and 13 by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites appear to show a silver-grey oil slick in waters southwest of al-Qibliyyah Island. Three independent specialists told Reuters the imagery was consistent with an oil spill. Reuters also reviewed video showing the vessel near the island but could not independently verify when it was recorded.The tanker reportedly experienced difficulties off the Yemeni port of Mukalla on June 8, according to two maritime security sources, one of whom confirmed the spill.The cause remains unclear and may have resulted from a mechanical failure or damage linked to regional conflict.The vessel’s owner, Shanghai-based Rentoor Shipmanagement, could not be reached for comment, while Oman’s Maritime Security Centre and Environment Authority did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.To remind, according to ITOPF, the total volume of oil lost to the environment from tanker spills in 2025 was approximately 4,000 tons, compared to 10,000 tons in 2024.

Six Saudi Oil Tankers Reroute Around Africa to Dodge Houthi Threat - Half a dozen empty Saudi oil tankers have turned away in the Arabian Sea from the Red Sea chokepoint Bab el-Mandeb and headed south around Africa in the western direction, in highly unusual moves for tankers loading crude from the Middle East.All six tankers turned away from Bab el-Mandeb after the Houthi threats to Saudi shipping and actual attacks on tankers prompted Saudi Arabia to re-route its crude oil exports, again, to Egypt.The tankers are indicating destinations such as either Gibraltar or the South African ports of Durban or Algoa Bay, all of which are major refueling hubs, according to vessel-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg. The round-Africa trip would add at least two weeks to the journey of a supertanker compared to a trip through Bab el-Mandeb northward toward the Suez Canal.Separately, more than half a dozen empty supertankers were en route to Egypt's Sidi Kerir port early this week to pick up Saudi crude, as the world's top crude oil exporter is re-routing – again – its export tactics to avoid the new threat for the Middle East's chokepoints, the Bab el-Mandeb.Since the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen announced last week a blockade on Saudi shipments in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Saudi Arabia has been shuttling on tankers more crude from Yanbu to the Egyptian port of Ain Sukhna on the Red Sea, and then on the SUMED onshore pipeline to Egypt's Sidi Kerir port.The Houthi threat, which resulted in attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea last week, has prompted Saudi and Western operators to divert laden tankers to the Suez Canal in Egypt to bypass the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.At least eight empty very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are signaling the port of Sidi Kerir as their destination, with all expected to arrive in the coming two to three weeks, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.The Houthi threats to shipping in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb have already forced at least one oil tanker carrying Saudi crude to Asia to choose the much longer route through the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean, and around Africa.

U.S.-Saudi Consortium Plans $5 Billion Gulf Refinery Outside Hormuz - A consortium of U.S. and Saudi companies is set to build a new refinery in the Persian Gulf despite the current situation in the region. The facility will have a price tag of $5 billion and a capacity of 200,000 barrels of crude oil daily, Reuters has reported.The consortium, dubbed MERA Oil, includes Texas-based MWG Group, the Patel Family Office, and PWS, a company associated with Saudi AHQ Group. The partners are currently selecting the site of the new facility, with a short list of three possible locations from the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC is comprised of six Gulf states.Besides a refinery, the project will also feature a deepwater port, storage capacity, and export facilities, the report said. The location will be outside the Strait of Hormuz, the consortium said.At a future date, the complex may add sustainable aviation fuel processing capacity and carbon management facilities, Reuters also said in its report.Earlier this week, Saudi Aramco had to shut down its Jazan refinery, removing 400,000 barrels daily from global refining capacity, following a strike by the Yemeni Houthis. The attack took place Saturday, and video verified by Reuters showed a large plume of smoke rising from the refinery. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group also struck Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi Aramco has not commented on the damage or restart schedule. Per media reports, repairs at Jazan will take until mid-August.The shutdown will aggravate an already rather severe supply situation in refined fuels, which analysts have been warning about for months but only began to bite in the past couple of weeks, as crack spreads soared to an all-time high due to the gap between demand for fuels and their supply amid fighting in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and Russia. On the good news side, Russia has begun restarting refineries damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes. On the bad news side, its ban on diesel exports is still in place.

Oil Prices Ignore the Warning Signs in Physical Markets - Oil price movements since the start of March this year have become the topic of dozens of discussions. Many have been puzzled by futures prices and why they haven’t gone through the roof given the severe disruption in Middle Eastern supply. It appears the reason is sheer optimism and a bet on market adaptability. However, there is a problem with that. Adaptability has limits. Many commentators like to compare the current oil price—and supply—situation to 2022, when Russia’s incursion into eastern Ukraine prompted an actual surge in oil prices, with Brent going almost all the way to $140 per barrel. At the time, the biggest fear on oil markets was that Western sanctions would cripple crude and fuel flows from the world’s second-largest exporter. Yet nature, or rather oil, found a way and Russian oil, gasoline, and diesel continued flowing abroad. This is the basis for the current optimism for Middle Eastern oil and for a while, it was a reasonable enough basis for optimism, even though the Middle Eastern oil disruption was far greater than the Russian one—and a lot more literal. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, oil infrastructure became a target for drone and missile strikes, and Gulf states had to shut wells down for lack of storage capacity. Yet they adapted. Saudi Arabia has managed to redirect oil flows from the East to the West and use the Red Sea port of Yanbu to ship the crude abroad. The UAE redirected flows as well, and Iraq is considering doing the same thing whenever it builds the capacity. The market, in other words, adapted. This kept a cap on futures prices along with a general hope for a peace deal despite precious little evidence that there is a real desire for peace on either of the warring sides. This hope has persisted in the face of broken ceasefire deals, inflammatory rhetoric, and a string of mutual threats and failed negotiations. The hope that adaptability will prevail over physical oil supply disruptions appears to be just as strong, again, despite mounting evidence that caution may be advisable. Reuters’ Clyde Russell summed up the sentiment in a column this week, writing that “In effect, it may be the case that the market is betting that crude and refined product traders will be able to mitigate the worst of the Iran crisis.” Unfortunately for those doing that betting, warning signs are flashing, especially in oil products. Crack spreads are at all-time highs, reflecting an increasingly tighter market, with some analysts suggesting this may only be the beginning. In fact, some analysts have been warning since the spring that if the war extended beyond June, all bets would be off, with global crude inventories depleted and shortages emerging in fuels. This is exactly what is happening, albeit perhaps more slowly than many would imagine given the dramatic nature of developments. Global oil inventories are not yet empty, but they are being drawn down considerably, with the U.S. SPR nearing a critical level. Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel supply is tightening because demand is outpacing supply, suggesting that the disruption in Middle Eastern energy exports has indeed been severe enough to warrant a closer look than just futures markets. Yet, optimism persists. Brent and WTI are down below $90 per barrel because the U.S. and Iran are not bombing each other across Hormuz at the moment. There is no solid evidence of efforts to reach peace, only this pause in hostilities. It is time for more attention to be paid to physical markets than to futures oil price charts.

Oil Prices Plunge Over 8% as US and Iran Pause Strikes, Reviving Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Shipping -- Oil prices tumbled sharply Monday, with the non-expiry crude contract dropping 8.21% to $82.24, as a weekend pause in hostilities between the United States and Iran raised hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough that could restore normal shipping traffic through one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints. Oil prices tumbled more than 5% Monday after the U.S. and Iran paused strikes over the weekend following two weeks of attacks, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution that would de-escalate the conflict and allow shipping to resume in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell $5.70, or around 5.9%, to $91.08 a barrel by early morning trading, briefly slipping under the key support level of $90 during the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $84.51 a barrel, down $4.80, or roughly 5.4%. Oil prices fell further after Iran reportedly indicated it would suspend its own attacks as long as the U.S. pause in hostilities remains in place, easing concerns after nearly two weeks of escalating conflict in the region. International benchmark Brent crude futures for September delivery fell 7.4% to around $89.58 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September delivery dropped 6.8% to $83.25 a barrel.Iran indicated it would stop carrying out attacks as long as the United States also refrains from striking, according to a senior Iranian official cited by Reuters on Sunday. The pause follows Washington's decision to suspend its bombing campaign after President Trump's advisers reportedly warned that the military was running low on viable targets and raised concerns about depleting U.S. munitions stockpiles. Even with the de-escalation, actual maritime traffic through the region's most critical waterway has yet to meaningfully recover. Fewer than 10 commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily during the weekend, according to shipping data from Kpler. MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic said any rebound in flows through the Strait is likely to prove slow and only partial, since many shippers remain cautious and will want greater confidence in vessel safety before sending more empty ships back into the waterway.In addition, ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait fell Sunday after Yemeni Houthi forces attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, though a third Chinese supertanker did manage to exit through the strait during the same period. Despite Monday's sharp price move, market analysts cautioned that a pause in fighting does not guarantee a swift return to normal oil flows from the region. One analyst noted that a stay of military strikes might look like an improvement on paper, but it comes with no guarantees that oil will soon resume flowing from the area, adding that prices are more likely to keep falling if elevated energy costs once again weigh on global demand rather than because of fragile, short-term ceasefires.The optimism driving Monday's selloff comes even as fighting has not fully stopped. Despite renewed prospects for peace, strikes continued in recent days, with Iranian forces firing ballistic missiles at Kuwait and sending attack drones toward the Strait of Hormuz. That continued military activity has left analysts wary of declaring the conflict fully resolved, even as headline oil prices react favorably to diplomatic signals.Monday's decline is only the latest swing in what has been an extraordinarily volatile period for crude prices this year, as the Middle East conflict has repeatedly pushed prices sharply higher during periods of active fighting, only to see them retreat just as quickly whenever ceasefire talks gain momentum. Both Brent and WTI contracts were trading at their lowest levels in nearly a week on Monday, following three consecutive weeks of price increases driven by the escalating conflict. Brent crude had climbed as high as $100 per barrel at the peak of the conflict, as fighting disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and spilled over into the Red Sea, hindering exports from Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The pullback in oil prices has had ripple effects across broader financial markets, easing inflation concerns and boosting risk appetite among investors. Major U.S. stock indices advanced Monday as falling energy costs reduced pressure on interest rate expectations, with the retreat in crude prices seen as a modestly positive development for consumers and businesses that had been bracing for a prolonged period of elevated energy costs tied to the conflict.With Iran's willingness to maintain the pause contingent on the U.S. continuing to refrain from strikes, the durability of Monday's price relief remains uncertain. Traders and analysts will be watching closely in the coming days for signs of whether shipping volumes through the Strait of Hormuz begin to meaningfully recover, or whether the current lull in fighting proves to be only a temporary reprieve in a conflict that has repeatedly flared back up after periods of apparent calm. For now, markets appear to be pricing in cautious optimism, even as the underlying security situation in the Gulf remains far from fully resolved.

Oil Plunges on Easing Supply Risks as US Pauses Attacks -- Crude oil futures tumbled more than 6% Monday morning after the U.S. on late Friday halted attacks on Iran after a 13-day bombing campaign. Iran in response announced that it will not carry out any further strikes for as long as the U.S. keeps the pause. By 8:30 a.m. ET, ICE Brent for September delivery was down $6.38 to trade near $90.40 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for September delivery fell $5.22 to $84.09 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for August delivery eased $0.0453 to $4.1353 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures retreated $0.0898 to $3.3061 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index edged lower by 0.087 points to 101.215 against a basket of foreign currencies. Oil prices have rocketed amid the war escalation over the past two weeks, which not only disrupted exports from the Persian Gulf, but also expanded to a new front, threatening oil flows in the Red Sea. While the two-day break in fighting over the weekend eased oil supply woes and raised hopes of a return to the negotiating table, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained muted. Signs of easing supply disruptions also came from the Black Sea, where ship tracking data showed empty tankers heading to Kazakh oil terminals. Operations have been suspended since early last week after several drone strikes on tankers loading at the terminal. The subsequent halt of the CPC pipeline transporting some 1.2 to 1.4 million bpd of crude oil from the Caspian Sea to Novorossiysk led to a backlog of crude forcing producers to throttle output. Oil supply, however, will be slow to return amid an uncertain quasi-truce between the U.S. and Iran and recent Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers. The four-month long supply squeeze has destroyed oil demand, and soaring prices have weighed on fuel demand and economic growth. Market participants will be parsing several key macroeconomic indicators scheduled for release this week to gauge demand developments. Preliminary readings for second quarter GDP growth in the U.S. and the Eurozone are set to be published Thursday, July 30. Several consumer sentiment reports for both economies, as well as manufacturing PMIs for China, are also on tap this week.

Oil prices tumble as US and Iran hold off on strikes over weekend --Oil prices tumbled on Monday as the US and Iran held off on strikes for the third day in a row, raising hopes that a diplomatic solution might emerge even as the physical oil market remains fundamentally tight. Futures on Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell by more than 6.5% on Monday to trade near $90 per barrel after recresting $100 only days ago. Those on US benchmark WTI crude shed roughly 5.8% to trade near $84. As the US and Iran had engaged in more than 10 days straight of military engagement, trading strikes that destroyed infrastructure and killed several US service members, oil prices had steadily ticked back up toward their wartime high levels. President Trump said to Axios on Thursday that he was considering a "massive strike … bigger than ever before," but ultimately ordered the US military to stand down on Friday, per the news outlet. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox News on Sunday that Trump had ordered the pause in US military engagement to allow breathing room for diplomacy. Pressuring oil prices upward through last week as well were attacks on Saudi Arabian crude tankers in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi militant group, threatening to cut off the roughly 5 million barrels per day of oil Saudi Arabia is sending by pipeline from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, circumventing the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks in the Red Sea appeared to slow over the weekend, however, allowing oil markets a bit more breathing room. Even so, traffic levels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, remain depressed, averaging 31 vessels per day over the weekend and marking a 50% drop in tonnage terms versus the second quarter's daily average, per Clarksons Research. In the Strait of Hormuz, the critical chokepoint at the center of the US-Iran war, traffic has also remained subdued, with only 13 crossings observed over the weekend, roughly 95% below prewar averages, per Clarksons. That dynamic has effectively left the US to struggle between the best of two poor options. While significant escalation threatens widespread retaliation by Iran and a wider regional war, any slowdown risks ceding even more control of the Strait of Hormuz to the Islamic Republic, which the US has described as unacceptable. "The US and Iran are at loggerheads still … The battle appears intractable and requires a major compromise from either the US or Iran to resolve," Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda said, noting that strikes have been put on hold as the US "rethink[s] their effectiveness." The hasty rise and fall in oil prices over the past two weeks complicates the picture for the Federal Reserve, set to announce its July interest rate decision on Wednesday. Volatility in oil markets, not just high prices, can drive inflation higher, according to Bank of America economists Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel, as the prices of other goods and services pushed higher by more expensive oil can be slower to come back down than oil prices. As the US searches for potential diplomatic off-ramps, the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June, which has all but died amid the past weeks of renewed conflict, will be central to those discussions. At the center of any negotiations will be control over the Strait of Hormuz, and the future of Iran's nuclear programs, negotiations over which had not fully begun when the deal began to crumble. News that the US would provide Saudi Arabia with the means to potentially enrich its own uranium in US-provided nuclear reactors is also likely to complicate negotiations. While the deal is intended to allow Saudi Arabia to develop a civilian nuclear program only, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has insisted that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, the kingdom will do so as well.

Oil Market Plunges as U.S. Pauses Iran Air Strikes - The crude oil market gapped lower on Monday and ended the session 7.5% lower after the U.S. suspended its air strike campaign against Iran over the weekend, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution. On Sunday, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, said U.S. President Donald Trump decided to pause U.S. attacks to allow more time for diplomacy. The market gapped lower from $87.68 to $86.12 on the opening. The market partially backfilled its gap as it posted a high of $86.20 and continued to trend lower to a low of $82.12. President Trump told Axios News that the U.S. is in “very deep talks with Iran” but threatened he is ready for “strong military action” if diplomacy fails. Meanwhile, Iran appeared to test the pause in the U.S. military campaign, with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq reporting drone attacks on Monday. Also, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen said they targeted the East-West Pipeline carrying oil to Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea port of Yanbu. The market later retraced some of its losses, only to trade back towards its low later in the session. The September WTI contract settled down $6.70 at $82.61 and the September Brent contract settled down $8.42 at $88.36. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 6.9 cents at $4.1116 and the RB market settling down 6.86 cents at $3.3273. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted a number of sensitive crude oil supply and transport sites linking eastern Saudi Arabia to the critical Red Sea oil export hub of Yanbu. Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the operation was in response to what he described as Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace. Saudi Arabia has re-routed its crude output to Yanbu via its east-west pipeline to get around Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which began after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Iran in February. Bloomberg reported that despite the conflict in the Middle East, China’s crude imports likely increased this month from the lowest level in more than a decade. According to Kpler data, flows from the Persian Gulf briefly increased following the U.S.-Iran interim peace agreement in June, and those cargoes have finally arrived in China. Baker Hughes said it expects annual global spending by oil and gas producers to decline modestly this year, with growth in Latin America, offshore Africa, and North America land offset by lower spending in Europe and the Middle East. In North America, it expects further seasonal recovery in the third quarter, with Brazil and Mexico driving growth in Latin America. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 221,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending July 31st, increasing available refining capacity by 23,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 94,000 bpd in the week ending August 7th. Phillips 66 reported a unit upset at its 345,000 bpd Wood River, Illinois refinery on Sunday due to a power outage. Separately, Phillips 66 reported that it experienced a unit upset resulting in flaring at its 277,000 bpd Sweeny refinery and petrochemical complex in Texas.

Oil Prices Extend Losses as U.S.-Iran Calm Holds for Another Night  - Oil prices continued to trend lower in early Asian trade on Tuesday as a fourth night passed without any attacks from either Iran or the United States.At the time of writing, WTI crude was trading at $80.98 per barrel, down 1.97% on the session, while Brent crude had slipped to $86.80 per barrel, a decline of 1.77%.On Monday, President Trump sought to boost hopes of a diplomatic resolution between Washington and Tehran by claiming that the U.S. was engaged in "good talks" with Iran. Iranian officials echoed that sentiment, although both parties have made it clear that they are ready to restart hostilities at any point should diplomacy fail.Despite the pullback, oil prices remain elevated as shipping disruptions continue to weigh on Middle East energy flows, with particular concerns over Red Sea traffic as the Houthis attempt to replicate Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait did drop on Sunday following a Houthi attack on Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, but the Yemeni group does not pose quite as large a threat as Iran does over Hormuz.Alongside a falling geopolitical risk premium, demand destruction is helping to drag prices lower, with $100 oil already hurting consumption. Last week, the EIA reported inventory builds across the board, which was perhaps one of the first signs of demand destruction kicking in. Markets will be closely watching the American Petroleum Institute inventory estimates due out later today to confirm that trend.For now, geopolitics remain front and center for oil markets, with any escalation in the Middle East sure to send prices soaring while signs of a diplomatic breakthrough will send prices even lower.

Oil prices fall 5% to two-week low on hopes for US-Iran conflict easing – CNA - Oil prices dropped 5 per cent on Tuesday to a two-week low, on cautious hopes for a resolution to the Iran war as traders assessed developments in the Middle East. Brent futures fell $4.61, or 5.2 per cent, to $83.75 a barrel at 12:01 p.m. EDT (1601 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $4.06, or 4.9 per cent, to $78.55. After dropping about 17 per cent over three days, both crude benchmarks were on track for their lowest closes since July 13. Oman has presented Iran with a plan backed by Gulf states to manage the Strait of Hormuz, including collecting voluntary fees for using it, a Gulf source and a Western diplomat told Reuters. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran had yet to respond to the Omani proposals, intended to serve as a basis to end the disruption to trade through the strait caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Before the war began on February 28, about a fifth of global oil supplies flowed through the strait. U.S. President Donald Trump, who abruptly called off a two-week bombing campaign over the weekend in his latest strategic U-turn, reported "good talks" underway with Iran but threatened to restart strikes unless negotiations deliver. Iran has denied seeking to resume talks with the U.S. In a move that would reduce crude demand, Saudi Aramco shut down its 400,000-barrel-per-day Jizan oil refinery in Saudi Arabia on July 27 following an attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen on Saturday, a note from consultancy IIR seen by Reuters showed. The Houthi conflict has disrupted shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, creating a second chokepoint for oil flows. Saudi Aramco has considered a new pricing mechanism for crude loading from Egypt's Sidi Kerir port for Asia to reflect higher shipping costs after re-routing exports through the Suez Mediterranean pipeline. On Monday, 28 vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb, a four-day high, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, according to Kpler shipping data. In Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he and Trump had discussed reinvigorating peace talks with Russia. A settlement in the Ukraine war could result in the lifting of some sanctions on Russia, which could allow Moscow to export more oil. 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. The U.S. dollar held near a four-week high against a basket of other currencies, as traders grew more concerned the Federal Reserve might raise U.S. interest rates this week. Most major brokerages expect the Fed to hold rates steady, though a growing number said elevated oil prices could prompt a rate hike. A stronger U.S. dollar makes oil more expensive for many global buyers. Central banks raise rates to fight inflation by boosting consumer borrowing costs, which can slow economic growth and dent demand for oil. The market awaited weekly storage reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) trade group on Tuesday and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday. Analysts estimated energy firms pulled 1.4 million barrels of crude from storage during the week ended July 24. If correct, that would be the second week of declines in three weeks, after an increase of 7.7 million barrels in the same week last year and an average decline of 1.0 million barrels over the past five years (2021 to 2025).

Oil Prices Fall 4% as Hopes for U.S.-Iran Diplomacy Ease Supply Disruption Fears - The oil market continued to sell off, breaching a support line and ending the session 4% lower on hopes for a resolution to the U.S.-Iran war. The market remained under pressure after U.S. President Donald Trump, who called off a two-week military campaign over the weekend, stated that “good talks” were underway with Iran, while also threatening to restart strikes if negotiations failed. Meanwhile, Oman gained support from Gulf countries for a plan that would let Iran collect voluntary fees to use the Strait of Hormuz. The crude market posted a high of $82.43 in overnight trading and continued on its downward trend, breaching a support line at $79.22 and retraced more than 50% of its move from a low of $67.12 to a high of $93.50 as it posted a low of $77.78 in afternoon trading. The market later settled in a sideways trading range ahead of the close. The September WTI contract ended the session down $3.35 at $79.26 and the September Brent contact settled down $4.27 at $84.09. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 3.93 cents at $4.1509 and the RB market settling up 72 points at $3.3345. Technical Analysis: The crude market will remain headline driven as the market waits to see if there can be a diplomatic solution to end the war with Iran and whether Oman agrees to Iran’s proposed temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries. The oil market is seen finding support at $77.78, $77.39, $77.20, $72.51 and $70.68. Meanwhile, resistance is seen at $82.43, $83.79, $85.64, $86.20 to $87.68 followed by $92.83 and $93.50. Fundamental News: Yemen’s Houthis said that they had fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, accusing the vessel of violating what they described as their maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and ignoring warning calls. The Iran-aligned group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the vessel was forced to turn back. According to Kpler shipping data, the number of vessels passing through Bab el-Mandeb increased to 28 on Monday, a four-day high, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, amid optimism about a potential resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict. Traffic was still below the month’s peak of 46 vessels recorded on July 14th. Out of 12 vessels that entered the Red Sea on Monday, four were oil tankers. The 16 vessels that exited the Red Sea on Monday included 10 oil tankers. Hong Kong-flagged VLCC New Pearl carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude exited the Red Sea for eastern China’s Zhoushan port, the fourth Chinese supertanker to leave since the Houthis declared a naval blockade. Meanwhile, traffic via the Strait of Hormuz remained low with six commodity-carrying vessels transiting the waterway on Monday, including one Iranian-linked Suezmax tanker and a VLCC which entered with its transponder off. Of those vessels, four entered the strait and two exited it. Seven vessels transited the strait on Sunday, including three Iranian-linked oil products tankers that exited the strait. Kpler and AXSMarine data showed that visible crude loadings from the Red Sea port of Yanbu fell by at least 30% last week after Yemen’s Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, while Vortexa estimated that exports remained broadly stable, citing a rise in so-called dark tanker loadings. Data from Kpler, Signal Ocean and AXSMarine shows average exports of crude and condensate fell to between 2.4 million and 3 million bpd in the week starting July 20th. Exports in the previous week had averaged 4.23 million bpd, according to Kpler. AXSMarine said loading voyages fell to 16 last week from 35 in the previous week. Data from Vortexa showed loadings at 3.8 million bpd last week, broadly stable from the previous week. The company said the use of dark loads had increased, with four VLCCs, one Suezmax and one Aframax loading with AIS transponders switched off, accounting for about a third of volumes lifted during the week.

Crude oil jumps 5% as US intercepts Iranian 'surprise attack’. Big rally ahead? -Oil prices climbed 5% after three straight days of losses as fighting resumed in the Middle East, ending several days of relative calm and reviving concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies. The move followed a report from the U.S. military that it had intercepted an Iranian "surprise attack" on its forces and responded with strikes against the Islamic Republic.Brent crude jumped 5% to around $88 a barrel, recovering after its biggest three-day decline since April 2020. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude advanced $.67, or .47%, to $83.The escalation has once again put the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of investor attention. Any disruption to oil supplies could add to inflationary pressures just days before the Federal Reserve's rate decision on Wednesday.Markets are already facing uncertainty as investors pull back from technology stocks amid growing doubts over whether the huge spending on artificial intelligence will generate adequate returns.Oil prices have swung sharply during the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, which has disrupted crude flows around the world, with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz adding to concerns.Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump ended a two-week U.S. bombing campaign over the weekend and said on Fox News on Tuesday that there had been "good talks" with Iran. He also warned that the U.S. could carry out further strikes if negotiations fail. Iran, however, has rejected the suggestion that it is seeking to resume talks with Washington. The direction of oil prices will depend heavily on how long the disruption lasts. JPMorgan estimates that every additional month of supply disruption could add around $7 to $8 a barrel to Brent prices. A three-month disruption could push monthly average Brent prices to about $114 a barrel. Goldman Sachs has similarly warned that Brent could climb to $120 a barrel if shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil transit route, continue. Its base case is still that tensions in the Middle East will eventually ease. Under that scenario, Goldman Sachs expects Brent to average $80 a barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 next year. However, the bank said the risks to those forecasts remain "tilted to the upside", pointing to the possibility that shipping disruptions could persist through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Oil prices spike AGAIN as Donald Trump threatens to 'hit Iran hard' - Oil prices have jumped by around seven per cent as the US-Iran war continues to rage on after President Donald Trump pledged to hit back at Iran amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The Islamic Republic's threats to shipping via the Bab el-Mandeb pushed WTI above $84 (£63.19) and brent closed to around $90 (£67.71). This comes hours before the US Federal Reserve's Federal Open Mark Committee (FOMC) announces any changes to the country's interest rates, with the likely rise in energy bills expected to cause a spike in inflation. Speaking to the press, President Trump asserted that the US will "hit Iran hard" after the regime targeting an American military base in Jordan. Oil prices have spiked again as President Trump promises to 'hit Iran hard' | GETTY / OIL PRICE At the same time, Iranian-backed Houthis have openly floated levying fees on commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Over recent months, oil prices and energy bills have shot up in response to Iran effectively closing off the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route used to transport 20 per cent of the world's reserves. As the conflict continues to spill over, US and Saudi-backed forces have issued strikes against Houthi militias in Yemen. Last week, the European Central Bank (ECB) opted to hold interest rates for the economic bloc at 2.25 per cent. With the Fed preparing to announce its latest decision later today, Britons are preparing for the Bank of England's announcement regarding the cost of borrowing tomorrow. The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has opted to hold the UK's base rate at 3.75 per cent over recent months. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, central banks across the world have chosen to raise interest rates in an effort to rein in inflationary concerns. Analysts warn the post-pandemic recovery could take longer if the cost of borrowing across developed economies remains elevated for much longer. Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis, said: "With nerves about the potential inflationary impact of the escalating conflict in the Middle East colliding with worries about soaring tech capex, it’s been tough to find the optimism, even if London markets enjoyed a continued boost from big oil and defence stocks as investors adjust to the changing political and geopolitical landscapes. "It’s worth remembering that at the start of the month the price was hovering around $70 a barrel and markets had dared to hope that central bankers might be able to seamlessly shift from a pause to further cuts. "Though the ECB held firm there’s little doubt that unless tensions de-escalate quickly, September’s rate story will be one of hikes. “And the fluctuations over the past months are having a significant impact on the airline sector, with American Airlines the latest to trim profit forecasts for the year as higher prices more than offset resilient demand from travellers."

WTI Holds Spike After Big Crude Draw, SPR Drain Continues As Cushing Stocks Stuck At 'Tank Bottoms' Oil prices are jumping higher after the U.S. military intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at American forces in Jordan. Shortly after the surprise attack, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia launched strikes in Iraq against Iran-backed groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps previously directed to attack American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure. As Barron's Patrick O'Donnell reports, the escalation in hostilities hit market hopes that the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway would reopen. More than a quarter of the world's crude usually passes through the shipping channel and tanker traffic remains essentially halted. "These developments throw cold water on the idea of a swift de-escalation in the Persian Gulf," analysts at ING said. "Clearly, with Saudi oil infrastructure increasingly targeted, the risk of more prolonged supply disruptions grows." President Trump this morning threatened to hit Iran “hard,” while the US and Saudi Arabia retaliated against militia and weapons sites in Iraq linked to Tehran. Overnight, we saw API report a sizable crude draw but product builds (as the crack spread has eased somewhat)... API:

• Crude -3.3mm
• Cushing -300k
• Gasoline +900k
• Distillates +400k

DOE:

• Crude -7.17mm
• Cushing -771k
• Gasoline +7k
• Distillates +1.06mm

The official DoE data shows a much larger crude drawdown than expected, and another drop in the stocks at the crucial Cushing Hub. Products saw small builds... The Trump administration continues to drain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Cushing stocks remain near 'tank bottoms'... US crude production remains just off record highs... WTI is holding back above $84.50... Finally, as Bloomberg's Michael Ball notes, the selloff earlier in the week was driven more by liquidation than normalization. Observable Hormuz traffic remains impaired, insurers and shipowners are cautious, not only through the Strait but now in the Red Sea. Trend-following funds cut Brent length sharply, while falling aggregate open interest shows positions were closed into heavy volume earlier in the week before the latest escalation. The curve and options markets tell a similar story. Brent and WTI backwardation narrowed as longer-dated spreads fell to their weakest since mid-July, reflecting less urgency around prompt supply. Brent implied volatility dropped this week before firming again overnight. However, call skew retained an upside bias, something be justified by oil prices on the rise again. The tighter market is in products. The European gasoil crack has surged above $70 a barrel as refiners run near capacity, with diesel and jet supplies constrained by outages, shipping risks and reduced Russian exports. Crude stocks can rebuild quickly; refining capacity cannot. Headline prices remain sensitive to kinetic and diplomatic developments, while product scarcity and impaired shipping mean the bottom of a developing trading range will be higher than the recent lows suggest for no

Oil jumps 7% on escalating Middle East airstrikes (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed about 7% on Wednesday as airstrikes resumed in the Middle East, adding to worries ‌about dwindling supply as U.S. government data showed domestic crude inventories fell to a multi-year low. Brent futures settled $6.65, or 7.91%, higher to $90.74 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $5.20, or 6.56%, to $84.46 a barrel.. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Iran-backed groups in Iraq on Wednesday, blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. A The ​strikes came hours after the U.S. military said it had averted a surprise Iranian attack on U.S. troops in the region. Iran ​said it had fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and at U.S. bases in Jordan. In Egypt, explosions hit ⁠a natural gas loading port on the Mediterranean Sea, and British maritime security company Ambrey said a U.S.-owned floating storage tanker there had ​been hit by a drone. "The market is rapidly pricing in the enhanced risk to supplies in the region once again," Prices surged even higher after President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, promised further strikes against Iran. The U.S. issued another round of Iran-related sanctions, taking aim at Tehran's efforts to "monetize the Strait of Hormuz" with designations of 10 entities and eight more tankers, the U.S. Treasury Department said. Tehran has ruled out ​Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the strait, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. "We believe Brent oil prices will continue to ​whipsaw in the $80-$100 per barrel range in the near term as the conflict ebbs and flows in the Middle East," have transited the strait this week. Five transited on Wednesday through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an alternative route for Saudi oil shipments to Asia, and 39 on Tuesday. That was the highest number since July 19, just before Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. The Houthis are also considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, regional sources with knowledge of the matter ​told Reuters. China has held direct talks ​with the group to enable ⁠its tankers to sail through the region without being attacked, six sources with knowledge of the matter said. "From what I can see, their success in stopping flows through the Bab el-Mandeb is nowhere near as effective ​as in the Strait of Hormuz, though it appears there are more ships entering than exiting," U.S. crude oil inventories fell last week as energy exports remained robust and domestic demand firm, analysts said. Crude stockpiles dropped by 7.2 million barrels to 404.5 million barrels last week, the lowest level since 2018, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Analysts had expected a 1.3-million-barrel draw. Further ⁠supporting prices, OPEC+ ​is likely to halt oil output increases for three months starting in October, sources ​told Reuters, after the producer group completes the scheduled return of barrels following voluntary cuts.

Oil Prices Surge as Middle East Tensions Raise Supply Concerns and Markets Monitor Strait of Hormuz – Global oil prices climbed sharply on Thursday as escalating military tensions in the Middle East heightened concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies, while investors also weighed the possibility that diplomatic efforts could eventually ease the conflict and restore stability to one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Brent crude futures rose $1.48, or 1.63%, to $92.22 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 43 cents, or 0.51%, to $84.89 per barrel during early trading. The gains followed one of the strongest daily rallies in recent months after both benchmark contracts surged between 7% and 8% in the previous session as geopolitical risks intensified. Energy markets have remained highly volatile as investors react to rapidly changing developments in the Middle East. Traders have been balancing fears of supply disruptions against hopes that diplomatic negotiations could eventually reduce tensions and prevent a broader regional conflict that might threaten global oil exports. The latest increase in prices came after the United States launched military strikes against targets in Iran following heightened hostilities between the two countries. The military action followed an Iranian missile attack earlier in the week on a U.S. military installation in Jordan, prompting a forceful response that further increased concerns about the possibility of a wider regional confrontation. Military operations expanded further after U.S. forces, alongside Saudi Arabia, carried out strikes against Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq. The action marked a significant development in the conflict and ended several days of relative calm in U.S. military operations against Iranian-linked targets. The renewed escalation has heightened uncertainty across global financial markets, particularly in the energy sector, where traders remain sensitive to any developments that could affect production or transportation of crude oil from the Middle East. Market analysts said European traders responded to news of the overnight military strikes by increasing purchases of crude oil futures, reflecting concerns that additional attacks could threaten supply routes or energy infrastructure across the region. Adding to supply concerns, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium temporarily suspended oil-loading operations after a drone attack targeted one of its tankers. The disruption raised fresh questions about the security of oil transportation infrastructure at a time when global energy markets are already facing elevated geopolitical risks. Despite the sharp rise in prices, many analysts believe investors are increasingly focusing on actual supply conditions rather than military headlines alone. They noted that while geopolitical events often trigger immediate spikes in oil prices, those gains can fade if crude exports continue without significant interruption. Attention remains centered on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf to international markets and carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil exports, making any disruption to shipping a major concern for global energy supplies. Traders are closely monitoring whether commercial vessels can continue moving safely through the strait. So far, shipping activity has continued despite the heightened military tensions, helping to limit even larger increases in crude prices. Analysts also said investors continue to watch for signs of renewed diplomatic engagement that could help de-escalate the conflict. Financial markets have repeatedly shown that while military developments can drive sudden price movements, sustained gains generally depend on whether the conflict materially affects oil production or transportation. One market strategist noted that recent trading has followed a familiar pattern in which geopolitical headlines trigger rapid price increases, only for markets to later reassess the situation based on actual disruptions to supply and progress toward diplomatic solutions. There were also indications that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has not come to a complete halt. Iranian media reported that a liquefied natural gas tanker carrying cargo from Qatar successfully transited the waterway after receiving authorization to use a designated shipping route. Shipping data indicated that the vessel, which had loaded liquefied natural gas at Qatar’s Ras Laffan export terminal earlier in the month, completed its passage through the strait overnight without reported incident. The successful transit offered some reassurance that commercial shipping remains possible despite heightened security concerns. The continued movement of oil and liquefied natural gas cargoes through the region remains one of the most closely watched indicators for global energy markets. Any prolonged disruption to exports from the Gulf could tighten global supplies, increase fuel costs and place additional inflationary pressure on economies around the world. For now, energy markets remain caught between two competing forces: fears that military escalation could threaten one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, and cautious optimism that diplomatic efforts may eventually prevent a broader conflict and allow oil exports to continue largely uninterrupted. Investors are expected to remain highly sensitive to developments in the coming days as geopolitical events continue to shape the outlook for global crude prices.

Oil Prices Slip as Iran, Oman Explore Hormuz Deal – Caspianpost - Oil prices moved lower as Iran and Oman exchanged proposals for an agreement on the management of the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures dropped by $1.42, or 1.56%, to $89.32 per barrel shortly before 13:30 GMT, after earlier climbing to an intraday high of $93.31, The Caspian Post reports, citing Al Jazeera.Meanwhile, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell by $1.14, or 1.35%, to $83.32 per barrel, having previously reached a session high of $85.94. "The fact that Oman is in talks with Iran could suggest that progress is being made on re-opening the Strait of Hormuz," said Hamad Hussain, a climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics.

Oil Prices Steady After Surging on US-Iran Escalation-- Oil prices edged lower Thursday morning, holding onto most of Wednesday's jump, which came on the back of escalating fighting in the Middle East, including the return of U.S. strikes on Iran. By 08:50 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for September delivery was down $0.52 to trade near $90.22 barrel (bbl) and NYMEX WTI for September delivery retreated $0.37 to $84.09 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for August delivery fell $0.1140 to $4.2561 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures slid $0.0518 to $3.3460 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.234 points to 100.495 against a basket of foreign currencies. An escalating and widening conflict in the Middle East supported prices. Early Wednesday, U.S. and Saudi Arabia launched a coordinated attack on Iran-aligned militias in Iraq which had earlier this week attacked Saudi oil infrastructure. This marked the first time since the start of the war five months ago that the kingdom officially and actively participated in military action. Later that day, a drone of yet unknown origin struck an LNG tanker in the Red Sea, amplifying concerns over potential disruptions to Saudi oil flows bypassing the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Fighting around the Persian Gulf also ramped up with the U.S. military saying it had carried out dozens of strikes on targets inside Iran in retaliation for an Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan, the first direct strikes on Iran since the 13-day U.S. bombing campaign was halted last Friday. Trackable tanker traffic through the strait remained depressed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in yet another blow to global oil supply, Kazakh oil loadings on Thursday had to again be halted after Ukrainian attacks on two tankers at Russia's main Black Sea port in Novorossiysk. This came just two days after operations resumed following a week-long suspension caused by drone attacks on several ships. The port is the main outlet for Russian crude exports from the Black Sea and houses CPC's main export terminal, with the latter alone supplying some 1.2 million to 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) to the market. A bullish U.S. oil inventory report also lent support Wednesday. The Energy Information Administration said commercial crude oil stocks last week fell by 7.2 million bbl to 404.5 million bbl, the seasonally lowest in more than a decade. Volumes stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve also continued to shrink, down 3.8 million bbl week-on-week to a 43-year low 307.7 million bbl.

Oil Market Eases as Hormuz Talks Offset Middle East Tensions -- The crude oil market ended lower amid talks between Oman and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and a proposed plan for a Saudi-led maritime coalition while the U.S. and Iran continued to trade strikes on each other’s military targets. The oil market remained supported in overnight trading and posted a high of $85.94 amid the reports of the U.S. striking Iranian targets. The U.S. military said it hit dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran in an operation launched after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East. However, the market later gave up some of its gains and posted a low of $82.97 by mid-morning on news that Iran and Oman were continuing their talks regarding management of the Strait of Hormuz. The market later settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session on news of Saudi Arabia’s plans for multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region. The September WTI contract settled down 87 cents at $83.59 and the September Brent contract settled down $1.71 at $89.03. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 16.07 cents at $4.2094 and the RB market settling down 11.31 cents at $3.2847. According to Kpler data, nineteen commodity ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Wednesday, down from the transit on Monday and Tuesday. LSEG put the number of transits at 26. Of the 19 ships passing through according to Kpler, eight entered the strait while 11 exited. Among those exiting, four were tankers carrying crude. Some ships could still be sailing with their transponders turned off, which are not considered in the counts. Two tankers carrying Saudi crude for Indian refiners have exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by sailing “dark” after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipments. The Suezmax tanker Amazon, chartered by Indian Oil Corp, loaded 1 million barrels of oil and Aframax Rodos lifted 700,000 barrels of crude for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port around July 20th and briefly turned north towards the Suez Canal. However, the Amazon and Rodos then switched off their Automatic Identification System transponders around July 22, preventing public tracking of their moves, and headed south to exit the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Rodos is expected to arrive at India’s Mangalore port on August 1st, while the Amazon is scheduled to reach Chennai in early August. London’s marine insurance market has widened the area in the Red Sea it deems as ​high risk after attacks on ships by Yemen’s Houthi movement but Egyptian waters were excluded. The extended high-risk zone takes in more of the Red Sea coast adjacent to Saudi Arabian ports and reaches close to the Saudi port of Jizan. Goldman Sachs stated that diesel is at the center of a supply squeeze in fuels as global refinery activity fell this month to its lowest seasonal level since the pandemic.

Oil prices fell as higher crude shipments despite Middle East tensions - Oil prices fell on Friday as increased crude shipments through key global shipping routes helped ease supply concerns, even as the conflict involving the United States and Iran continued without a diplomatic breakthrough. Brent crude futures declined by $1.03, or 1.2%, to $88 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped $1.50, or 1.8%, to $82.09 per barrel during early trading. Despite the latest decline, both benchmark contracts remain on course to post monthly gains of around 20%, reflecting the significant impact of geopolitical tensions on energy markets. Market analysts said improving oil flows through strategic maritime chokepoints have helped offset fears of severe supply disruptions. The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has remained at the centre of market attention since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict earlier this year. According to analysts, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea has continued, although shipping companies are facing higher freight costs and insurance premiums because of elevated security risks. Saudi Arabia is also leading efforts to strengthen maritime security by forming a multinational defence coalition to protect shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Saudi officials said 14 countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Sudan, and Djibouti, have expressed support for the initiative.Pakistan Travel Guide Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi movement has declared a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, raising concerns over the security of Red Sea shipping routes, which serve as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for regional oil exports. Analysts say the continued movement of oil tankers has prevented a sharper price rally despite ongoing regional instability. However, they caution that geopolitical developments remain the biggest driver of oil prices, with any disruption to shipping lanes or escalation in hostilities capable of triggering renewed volatility in global energy markets.

Oil Prices Jump After Iran Claims Attack on Tankers in Strait of Hormuz | Sada Elbalad   Oil prices climbed sharply on Friday after Iranian state media reported that the country had attacked two oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world's most critical energy shipping lanes. According to CNBC, U.S. crude futures rose 2.2% to $85.41 a barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude gained 1.5% to $90.36 a barrel. Iran's state-run Press TV reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had targeted the two tankers as they attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military escort. The broadcaster also said four additional tankers turned back following the reported attacks. However, U.S. and British maritime security organizations responsible for monitoring commercial shipping in the Middle East had not confirmed the reported incidents. Speaking to CNBC, Chevron Chief Executive Mike Wirth warned that risks to regional oil supplies now extend beyond the Strait of Hormuz. "The situation is tense, and I fear it will remain that way," Wirth said. "Time is running out. Every day that passes, the situation becomes more difficult." Wirth also noted that global oil inventories are declining, while highlighting growing disruptions following attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement after it announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia. ExxonMobil Chief Executive Darren Woods said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, stressing that global energy markets depend heavily on Middle Eastern oil exports. "It is the principal artery of global supply that supports economic growth everywhere," Woods told CNBC's Squawk Box. "Those barrels ultimately have to flow. The only question is how long it will take to reach a solution that reopens the strait and restores production in the Middle East." Elsewhere, additional oil tankers came under attack in the Black Sea this week as Ukraine continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure, threatening exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium route, a key outlet for Kazakh crude.Eastern Europeans The Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a research note that increasing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz had eased some market concerns after earlier U.S.-Iran strikes briefly pushed Brent crude above $93 per barrel earlier this week. The bank estimated that tanker traffic through the strategic waterway has recovered to roughly 30%–35% of pre-war levels, adding that a recovery to around 50%–60% of normal flows could be sufficient to restore expectations of a global oil supply surplus. Investors were also assessing U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to add tariffs on Iran to bipartisan sanctions legislation targeting both Iran and Russia. Although sanctions on the two countries enjoy broad bipartisan support in Congress, Trump's suggestion of using tariffs as an additional tool of economic pressure has sparked debate.

Oil prices settle more than 1% higher, log strongest month since March   (Reuters) - Oil prices closed more than $1 per barrel higher ​on Friday, ending July with their biggest monthly gains since March, as concerns over global crude flows mounted on Iranian reports that some tankers ‌were forced to turn back in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent futures settled up $1.09, or 1.2%, at $90.12 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures closed up $1.08, or 1.3%, at $84.67 a barrel. For July, Brent gained 24% and WTI rose 21%. The war in Iran, which began on February 28, has sharply curtailed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital ​chokepoint that previously carried about a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supplies, disrupting millions of barrels per day of Middle ​East output. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait since the conflict began, while its Houthi allies in ⁠Yemen this month threatened vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, jeopardizing an alternative export route used by ​Saudi Arabia and other regional producers. Iran's Revolutionary Guards stopped two tankers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while four others changed course, Fars News Agency reported. Two ​very large crude carriers carrying oil loaded from the Gulf exited the strait on Friday, although traffic through the waterway remained sparse, according to Kpler ship-tracking data. Twenty-nine commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday. "The market has stopped trading the war and started trading the shipping data," Talks between Iran and Oman ​on managing the strait continue, according to the Iranian Labour News Agency, despite Tehran's rejection of Oman's proposal for joint management of the waterway. Research firm Gelber & Associates wrote in a note that the "geopolitical risk premium (remains) firmly in place near chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic supply is reinforcing the move as well, ‌with U.S. ⁠crude stockpiles ... down to multi-year lows." The note was referring to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showing U.S. commercial crude stocks last week fell to their lowest levels since 2018. A drone strike that sparked fires on two gas vessels in Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta also raised threats to shipping through the Suez Canal. Saudi Arabia this week said it is seeking to lead a coalition to boost defense cooperation in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Ukraine's military said ​it hit Russia's Volgograd oil refinery overnight ​on Friday, causing a fire at ⁠the facility. In Kazakhstan, Tengizchevroil, the operator of the giant Tengiz field, has resumed oil exports via the Georgian port of Batumi for the first time since March, two sources told Reuters. Crude oil output in the U.S. fell about 2% in May ​from a record high in April, while exports hit a record high for the second consecutive month, according to EIA data on ​Friday. Higher oil prices, ⁠however, dented consumption, with demand for crude oil and petroleum products falling more than 3.5% in May to about 20.07 million barrels per day, the lowest level since March 2025, the data showed. A report from Baker Hughes on Friday showed that U.S. energy firms this week added rigs for a sixth time in seven weeks. The number ⁠of active ​rigs is an early indicator of future output. Separately, a Reuters survey of 31 economists and ​analysts showed that oil prices are expected to rise further this year. Brent crude is estimated to average $85.22 a barrel in 2026, up from June's forecast of $84.50, the survey showed.

Oil Up 20% in July, Diesel 27% on Fresh Mideast Fighting (DTN) -- Crude futures ended July trading more than 20% higher Friday as renewed escalation in the Iran war increased disruption to oil and gas shipments in key Middle East waters. NYMEX WTI for September delivery settled up $1.08, or 1.3%, at $84.67 bbl. For the month, it rose 22%. ICE Brent for September delivery finished its last trade date up $0.90, or 1.2%, at $90.12 bbl. For all of July, it gained 21%, Refined products bucked Friday's higher trend. In diesel, NYMEX ULSD futures for August delivery settled their last trade day down $0.0879, or 0.5%, at $4.1215 gallon. For the month, it rose 27%. On the gasoline front, RBOB for August and September delivery softened by $0.0631, or 0.4%, at $3.2216 a gallon. For the month, it was up 8%. The U.S. Dollar Index strengthened by 0.84 points to 99.8050 against a basket of currencies. Flows through Bab-el-Mandeb picked up throughout the week after plummeting on Houthi attacks on tankers and an announcement of their blockade of Saudi Arbian maritime traffic. Yet, oil flows through the chokepoint remained below typical levels, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued at little more than a trickle. On Thursday, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium again halted oil loadings at its Black Sea terminal after two tankers were struck by drones. This came just two days after operations resumed following a week-long suspension caused by drone attacks on several ships. Reports emerging Friday morning suggested that CPC was considering indefinitely pausing operations until receiving safety guarantees from other states, affecting some 1.2 to 1.4 million bpd of global crude oil supply. Amid escalating fighting in the Middle East, war-induced refinery outages in Russia and the Persian Gulf, and growing disruptions of vital oil shipping routes, oil prices found themselves on a steep upward trajectory in July. As of Friday morning, crude benchmarks Brent and WTI were trading more than 20% higher than at the beginning of the month, and ULSD futures were up more than 30%. On Friday morning, reports indicated CPC may halt loadings indefinitely until international security assurances are secured, placing roughly 1.2 million to 1.4 million bpd of global crude supply at risk.

Gulf Oil Exports Struggle to Recover Despite Higher Hormuz Traffic --Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slightly increased as US-Iran negotiations remained ongoing in an effort to restore peace after the memorandum of understanding collapsed amid two weeks of tit-for-tat strikes, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, who provided no further details. Still, the security situation in the Gulf deteriorated overnight after the US launched a new wave of strikes on Iran following attacks on US forces in Jordan. Additionally, reports emerged that a US-owned LNG vessel was struck at an Egyptian port. Bloomberg cited Kpler data showing that fourteen commodity vessels transited the Hormuz chokepoint in both directions on Wednesday, up from single digits the previous week. Kpler wrote on X:  A four-day pause in US strikes on Iran has done little to restore Middle East Gulf crude exports. Confirmed clearance remained close to recent lows, while Gulf loading activity fell by more than half for the first time in six weeks. The crude backlog has shifted between the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman rather than disappeared. Persistent maritime security risks, war risk insurance costs and Iranian interdiction now appear to be the main barriers. Offshore ship to ship transfers are helping manage inventories, but not expanding export capacity. For energy markets, physical shipping data remain a clearer measure of supply conditions than geopolitical headlines. Qatar's Al Areesh exited the Persian Gulf carrying the country's first LNG shipment in three weeks, while a supertanker was provisionally booked at nearly $500,000 a day to load Gulf crude for China.US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said about 6.5 million barrels of oil a day moved through the strait over the past week with US support. "We are using the United States military to escort out oil and gas out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Wright told Bloomberg Radio, saying about 6.5 million barrels of oil a day exited the Gulf via the strait over the past week. "We are restoring supplies of global oil and refined products to the world out of that region." Maritime Chokepoint Developments:

Strait of Hormuz:

• A Norwegian-flagged products tanker appears to be preparing to exit
• Two Iran-linked Suezmaxes, Chloe and Kariz, sailed into the strait and are now idling off Iran's Bandar Abbas
• Very large crude carrier Jamaica Prosperity was provisionally fixed by the shipping unit of a Chinese charterer to pick up a Persian Gulf cargo on Aug. 3 at 465 Worldscale points, or nearly $500,000 per day

Southern Red Sea:

• Twenty-one commodity vessels crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait in either direction on Wednesday, compared to 38 a day earlier: Kpler
• Only Russian crude left via the chokepoint, totaling about 3.5 million barrels, although some vessels may have transited with transponders off
• South Korean-controlled VLCC V Glory seen approaching Gulf of Aden recently before going dark; Saudi-flagged Samha seen doing so on Thursday
• On Wednesday, some ships were provisionally booked to load from Yanbu in August, with the option of exiting via Bab el- Mandeb to reach South Korea

Northern Red Sea:

• Two LNG carriers were struck late Wednesday at Egypt's Damietta port near the mouth of the Suez Canal; no one has claimed responsibility yet
• Japanese-flagged VLCC Takamatsu Maru is the latest to divert to Egypt's Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean coast as a destination from US previously; ship is currently southeast of Africa
• Bidbid and VL Prosperity have arrived at and loading from Sidi Kerir, with previously reported destinations in Asia
• Three VLCCs — Olympic Luck, DHT Gazelle and DHT Mustang — that departed Yanbu are currently idling off Sidi Kerir with no clear destination

Oil Tanker Explodes in Strait of Hormuz After Leaving Designated Route - (Tasnim) – An oil tanker violating Iran’s announced navigation route in the Strait of Hormuz exploded after striking a naval mine. The violating oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz exploded hours ago after striking a naval mine, following its departure from the route designated by Iran, Defa Press reported. The Islamic Republic of Iran had repeatedly warned earlier that if ships deviate from the route announced by Iran, they will be responsible for the consequences.

Tankers near Oman come under fire as Iran threatens to choke off shipping routes --A tanker near Oman reported being struck overnight, with another saying it saw an explosion nearby as Iran warned Washington that the U.S. military's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would result in the closure of key shipping routes.Separately, Kuwait said its air defenses confronted hostile drone attacks by Iran.The latest conflict comes amid U.S. media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing for a fresh round of strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, as hopes of a negotiated end to the war that began on Feb. 28 recede and energy prices climb.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) — an organization backed by the British Navy — said Saturday it received a report of a tanker being hit by an "unknown projectile which has caused damage to the engine room.""The tanker is not under command and the regional Coast Guard have been informed. There are no reported casualties or environmental impact," UKMTO said of the incident 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman.Another tanker in the waters off Oman reported "seeing a large splash and explosion in close proximity to the vessel," UKMTO said. A temporary ceasefire following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran on June 17 has effectively broken down. Neither side has given way on key sticking points, including Iran's nuclear program and control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies moved before the war broke out. Over the last week, the U.S. completed a "heavy wave" of strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets. In retaliation, Iran attacked U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.Egypt said Thursday that a drone hit two ships at its Mediterranean port of Damietta, triggering a fire. No one claimed responsibility for the strike, which marks the first attack on Egyptian soil since the war began and another sign that the conflict is expanding.  The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying Friday that Trump has ordered the military to launch a fresh attack on Iran that could begin as soon as this weekend. But Trump could call off the planned strikes, officials told the Journal, if there is progress on the diplomatic front.”We will be hitting them very hard," The Associated Press quoted Trump as saying Friday at a televised cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat. "And you know at some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'"Axios quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying that Trump is seriously considering attacking Iranian energy targets in the next few days, but hasn't given final orders to do so.An Iranian official warned that the U.S.'s actions would lead to Iran tightening its control over critical maritime passages."The continuation of the naval blockade and warmongering by the U.S. regime will not only lock the Strait of Hormuz tighter, but will also shut down other straits and chokepoints," Iran's WANA news agency quoted Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, as saying."The price for this will be paid by the global economy, the energy market, and American voters," Zolghadr reportedly said.The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ships on July 13, preventing its vessels from entering or leaving its ports.Recent strikes by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen and Friday's drone strike in Egypt have raised fears that the crucial Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea could become a second choke point for Iran to target as the two sides tussle over the Strait of Hormuz.On Friday, West Texas Intermediate futures rose more than 1% to close at $84.67 per barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, also gained more than 1% to settle at $90.12. Prices fell more than 5% for the week after selling off Monday on hopes the conflict in the Middle East would de-escalate.

Two Tankers Spill Oil off the Coast of Iran -- Two tankers off the coast of Larak Island are spilling oil into the waterway, according to maritime data consultancy WindWard. One of the leaks was identified previously, and comes from the Greek-owned tanker Kavomaleas. It was hit in an IRGC attack on the south side of the strait, then captured and towed into Iranian waters. The other leak is linked to an AIS-dark tanker, name unknown, which appears to have been in the same location since May, according to the consultancy. Both of the two oil slicks appear to be drifting towards Larak and Qeshm. The spills are among the first significant oil releases linked to shipboard sources in the Hormuz conflict. Though Iran and the U.S. have both launched multiple attacks since the start of active hostilities, there have been no sinkings of full-size, oceangoing merchant vessels in civilian service. Many of the attacks have struck the superstructure, stack or engine room, limiting the potential for a full-scale spill. Traffic continues to move at a low rate through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the risks. Windward identified 19 vessels moving without AIS in the waterway - a large cluster in the Iranian half of the strait, and a smaller number that SAR satellite imaging spotted in the southern, U.S.-protected lane along the Omani coast. More strikes on shipping appear likely in the days ahead, part of the pattern of retaliatory exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. The large-scale U.S. Air Force transport plane airbridge is back in motion between Europe and U.S.-linked air bases in the Mideast, typically a logistical step taken to prepare for escalating military operations. A larger series of American airstrikes could occur soon, President Donald Trump telegraphed in a conversation with Axios' Barak Ravid, who speaks frequently with the president. "I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump told Ravid.

Houthis claim Saudi drone downed over northwestern Yemen - video - Iran-backed Houthi forces claim they shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over northwestern Yemen. Footage released by the group appears to show the burning wreckage of the aircraft, a day after the Houthis said they attacked Saudi oil facilities.

Yemen's FM says Houthis using Bab al-Mandab to mirror Iran's pressure in Strait of Hormuz -- Yemen's Houthi Movement aims to replicate Iran's Hormuz Strait strategy in the Red Sea by disrupting shipping in the Bab al-Mandab and has been emboldened by an insufficient international response, Yemen's top diplomat said on Monday."The Houthis want to copy the Iranian model and this will shut down two main straits, the gateways into the Gulf and Red Sea," Yemeni Foreign Minister-designate Afrah Al-Zouba said, speaking to a small group of journalists at the Yemeni embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.The Red Sea has become a new front in the Iran war, with the Houthis taking an escalatory approach against Saudi Arabia by firing missiles and drones at the kingdom and declaring a blockade on Saudi shipping.Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes on what it said were Houthi military facilities and said it would protect commercial shipping, accusing the Houthis of serving foreign agendas. The escalation has also threatened to bring back conflict to Yemen, where war killed hundreds of thousands of people after the Houthis stormed the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia to intervene at the head of an Arab coalition.A truce was reached in 2022 but it has been pierced by the recent cross-border fire, and Saudi officials, Western diplomats and Yemeni officials see a return to full-scale war as more likely now than at any point since then.Zouba said Yemen's government, which enjoys strong Saudi backing, was prepared for an escalation and that firing was taking place along the frontline, spanning the country's northwest from the Red Sea up to the Saudi border, but neither side had yet mounted an offensive."We think that this conflict now needs to come to an end, either via peaceful means, or the other way," she said.

Iraq Says No Evidence Drone Attack on Saudi Oil Infrastructure Was Launched from Its Territory - A spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi told Rudaw on Thursday that there’s no evidence a drone attack against Saudi oil infrastructure was launched from Iraqi territory, a claim that was used to justify major US-Saudi strikes on Iraq.Sabah al-Numan said that despite the lack of evidence, Iraq was still looking into the claims. “Despite the absence of any evidence or proof to substantiate the Saudi claims regarding [drone] attacks against its territories originating from Iraq, technical committees were nonetheless formed by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to verify this matter,” he said. The Iraqi National Security Council said on Wednesday that US-Saudi strikes came as “the Iraqi government was communicating with the concerned parties to verify and address” Saudi Arabia’s claims “regarding the targeting of Saudi territories [from Iraq].” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who recently visited Trump in Washington, canceled a planned trip to Saudi Arabia over the attacks.The attacks killed at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of mostly Shia militias formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, and four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who, according to Iranian media, were working as security guards in Karbala, a holy city for Shia Muslims, as pilgrims traveling there for the upcoming Arbaeen holiday.A report from Reuters on Thursday said that Saudi Arabia assessed that Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, attacked Saudi territory from Iraq, but there’s been no verification of the claim. Ansar Allah did take credit for the attacks, but the group gave no indication that the strikes were launched from Iraq, as its missiles and drones fired from Yemen can reach deep inside Saudi Arabia.

Army spokesman: Yemeni forces target oil depots, pipelines deep inside Saudi Arabia –   The Yemeni armed forces have carried out a string of operations against strategic energy facilities deep inside Saudi Arabia, striking oil depots and pipelines in reprisal for the Riyadh regime’s ongoing military aggression and blockade against their homeland. “By the grace of God, a number of sensitive sites and installations related to the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to [the port city of] Yanbu were targeted by several drones in response to the Saudi enemy's drone incursions into Yemeni airspace,” Army spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced in a statement on Monday. He, however, did not provide any information about the extent of damage. Satellite images show thick plumes of black smoke and raging fire at the Abqaiq oil facility in southern Saudi Arabia. The installation had come under attack by kamikaze drones and missiles hours earlier. The Abqaiq oil processing plant, operated by the state-owned petroleum and natural gas company Saudi Aramco, reportedly bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and delivers oil to the Red Sea at the Yanbu terminal. The facility houses the world's largest oil processing and crude stabilization facility, and supplies approximately 5 percent of the world's oil. The development came only a few days after the Yemeni army claimed an attack on two Saudi oil tankers transiting through the Red Sea. “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces,” Saree said on Wednesday. He said the operation was carried out “within the context of breaking the unjust and oppressive siege imposed by the Saudi enemy on our dear people for 12 years.” Saree noted that it was intended to affirm “the equation of ‘siege for a siege’” and Yemen's right to confront “Saudi-American injustice and tyranny” and reclaim its wealth and legitimate rights. Yemen declared on Monday that it would impose “a maritime blockade” on Saudi Arabia, effective immediately. Saree announced in a televised statement that a ban on maritime navigation associated with Saudi Arabia “has taken effect from the time the statement was made.” Saree cautioned that any escalation from Saudi Arabia would provoke a “thorough and harsh response.”

Yemen's Ansar Allah Takes Credit for Attacks on Saudi Oil Infrastructure While Riyadh Blames Iraqi Militants -Yemen’s Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, took credit on Monday for attacks targeting oil infrastructure in eastern Saudi Arabia while Riyadh blamed the incident on Iraq’s Shia militias.Ansar Allah military spokesman Yahya Saree said that “a number of sensitive sites and points related to the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu were targeted by a number of drones in response to the Saudi enemy’s drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.”The statement came a day after Ansar Allah downed a Turkish-made Bayraktar drone that it said was being operated by Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s northern al-Jawf province. For its part, Saudi Arabia said that its forces intercepted and destroyed multiple drones launched from Iraq and hasn’t commented on the Ansar Allah statement. “These terrorist attempts were launched from Iraqi territory and executed by Iranian-affiliated terrorist militias,” the Saudi Defense Ministry said.The Saudi ministry said that there were attacks in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and in Riyadh Province. According to The New York Times, satellite images show smoke rising from an oil facility in Abqaiq, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, which is far from Yemen but not out of range of Ansar Allah’s missiles and drones. Israel and Jordan also reported shooting down drones on Monday, but it’s unclear where they were launched from.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Shia militias, released a statement denying the Saudi allegations. “The Saudi fabrications are an attempt to justify its inability to respond to the painful Yemeni strikes that reached deep into their infrastructure, out of fear of the nature of the impending Yemeni response,” the group said, according to Yemen’s Al Masirah TV. The flare-up between Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia began on July 13, when the Saudis bombed the Sanaa international airport in Yemen to prevent a plane from landing that took off from Iran and was carrying a Yemeni delegation who attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shattering a fragile truce that had held relatively well since April 2022. In response, Ansar Allah fired missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia and announced a maritime blockade on the country, calling it a “blockade for a blockade.”

Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted Saudi tanker in Red Sea | Middle East Eye - Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday that they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi Arabian oil tanker in the Red Sea for violating their maritime blockade and ignoring warning calls. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that the ship, which he identified as the NCC Ghazal, was "forced to turn back".

Yemeni Forces Target Another Saudi Tanker in the Red Sea -  Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, announced on Tuesday that its forces targeted another Saudi tanker as Yemeni forces continue to enforce a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.According to Yemen’s SABA news agency, Ansar Allah military spokesman Yahya Saree said the NCC Ghazar, a chemical/oil products tanker, was targeted for “violating the maritime ban imposed on Saudi Arabia and ignoring warning calls.”Saree added that the “vessel was struck with several ballistic missiles, forcing it to retreat and turn back.” A similar account was reported by The Maritime Executive, which cited Martin Kelly of EOS Risk Group, a global security company, who said the NCC Ghazar was struck in the Red Sea by a missile fired from Yemen and then returned to port.  Saree said the blockade would continue under what he has described as a “blockade for blockade” and “escalation for escalation” policy. The blockade began after Saudi Arabia bombed the Sanaa International Airport in Yemen to prevent a plane that came from Iran from landing at the airport, the first major Saudi strikes against Ansar Allah since a 2022 ceasefire, which held relatively well.Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah have traded strikes, and Yemeni missiles and drones have been able to hit Saudi oil infrastructure. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Saudi Aramco halted operations at its Jazan refinery on July 27 after the facility was damaged by a Houthi attack.On Monday, Saudi Arabia accused Iraqi Shia militias of targeting oil facilities in its Eastern Province, but Ansar Allah took credit for the attack, and the Islamic Resistance of Iraq denied it was responsible. After the attack, satellite images showed smoke rising from an oil facility in Abqaiq, in the Eastern Province.

Yemen’s Houthis: 16 Saudi ships returned since the blockade - Shafaq News - Yemen’s Houthis group (Ansarallah) has forced 16 vessels to turn back since announcing the “maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20,” the group’s leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi stated on Thursday, warning of further escalation. In a televised address, Al-Houthi said the group's actions had disrupted shipping linked to Saudi Arabia, adding, "All indications suggest that Saudi Arabia is moving toward broader escalation, and we will respond in kind.” Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the claim that 16 vessels had been turned back. Riyadh has previously rejected the group's accusations that it is imposing a blockade on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and has described the declared maritime blockade as a threat to international navigation. The Saudi-led coalition has also vowed measures to protect vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying it would respond to Houthi threats "with firmness and strength." Separately, Saudi Arabia announced, together with 13 other countries, the establishment of a multinational maritime defense alliance to protect freedom of navigation, international trade routes, and energy supplies in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.The Houthis were previously alleged to have collected fees from some shipping agencies transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the height of their maritime campaign in 2024 in exchange for safe passage, according ⁠to a ​2024 U.N. Panel of Experts report, which said it was unable to independently verify the information. Those ​fees were estimated to have reached $180 million a month, although those details were not verified. Sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb to Asia takes on average 16 days, versus 50 days if cargoes are rerouted through ​the northern Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and then via southern Africa.

EXCLUSIVE: Yemen's Houthis considering fees for ships sailing through Red Sea, sources say (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi group is considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, a week after declaring a naval blockade ​on Saudi Arabia, regional sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The Iran-aligned Houthis on July 20 declared a maritime embargo against Saudi ‌Arabia, opening a new front against the U.S. and its allies in the Iran war and expanding attacks on tankers carrying global energy and other supplies to waters beyond the Gulf. The Houthis were looking into imposing fees on most traffic through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb gateway, which links the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, the sources said. No timeframe was given ​at this stage for implementation, they added. Houthi officials travelled to Iran in ​July for the funeral ceremony of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where Iranian counterparts discussed with them the issue of ⁠imposing fees on Bab el-Mandeb transits, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters. The objectives of such a move would be to normalise the practice of ​imposing fees on international waterways and increase pressure on the United States, the sources said. Chinese ships would be exempted from such fees and the Houthis were ​supportive of the arrangement, they added. China has held direct talks with the Houthis to enable its tankers to sail through the southern Red Sea without being attacked, sources have told Reuters. China is the world's biggest buyer of Saudi Arabian oil. Houthi officials who returned by plane from Tehran were accompanied by Iranian advisers who were on the ground to ​guide them on setting up a potential authority that will regulate fees through the Bab el-Mandeb, an Arab official in the region said. "The Houthis will try ​to gain access over the Red Sea and they will try to charge ships if they do," Afrah al-Zouba, foreign minister-designate with Yemen's internationally recognised government, told Reuters. Such a move ‌would face ⁠strong opposition from Gulf and European countries, although overstretched international naval forces are currently unable to provide sufficient protection for merchant shipping and there is little political appetite to change that, two Western diplomats said. I mean, the first reaction was like, it's too far away from the conflict zone. It's far away from Iran. It's far away from Yemen. Tehran has ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz that would include voluntary fees from ships, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, scuppering hopes for a resolution to the impasse that has choked off Gulf trade in that chokepoint for months. Closure of the Bab ​el-Mandeb would deprive Saudi Arabia of ⁠a critical alternative to the Strait of Hormuz and heighten fears of oil supply shortages. Red Sea traffic has not fully recovered since Houthi attacks off Yemen's coast began in November 2023 in what the group said was an act of solidarity ​with Palestinians in the Gaza war. The group's attacks on merchant ships only ended with the Gaza ceasefire last ​October. At least one Saudi ⁠tanker has been attacked in the past week off the southern Saudi port of Jizan, near Yemen, and the Houthis claimed responsibility.

Report: Saudi Arabia To Announce New Red Sea Coalition To Counter Yemen's Ansar Allah - Saudi Arabia is seeking to form a new multinational coalition to pre-empt any effort by Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Al-Monitor reported on Wednesday. Following Saudi airstrikes on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport earlier this month, Ansar Allah has targeted oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia and has announced a maritime blockade on Saudi ports, attacking at least three tankers, a policy the group calls a “blockade for a blockade.”While the new blockade has disrupted shipping in the region, Ansar Allah hasn’t announced a blanket ban on shipping through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Some Chinese ships loaded with Saudi crude have also been able to pass through the strait, and Reuters reported that Beijing had cleared each passage with Sanaa.But as the US-Iran war and conflict across the region are escalating again, the chances of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait being completely closed are rising. The Al-Monitor report, which cited two diplomatic sources and an unnamed US official, said that Riyadh has invited around 50 nations to join the Red Sea coalition, but that US support was seen as vital for the initiative to take off, and it was unclear at this point if Washington would participate.So far, the Trump administration has strongly backed Saudi Arabia’s escalations in Yemen, with President Trump reportedly giving the green light for the strikes on the Sanaa airport, which were carried out to prevent a plane landing that took off from Iran and was carrying a Yemeni delegation that attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US has also recently advanced arms sales to the Kingdom, signed a nuclear deal with Riyadh, and carried out major joint strikes with Saudi Arabia targeting Shia militias in Iraq.Similar efforts to counter Ansar Allah attacks on shipping have failed in the past, including President Biden’s 2024 formation of a multinational coalition, dubbed Operation Prosperity Garden. The idea was to stop attacks targeting Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea, which were being carried out in response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Biden’s effort involved US and British airstrikes in Yemen, but it only escalated the situation, as Ansar Allah expanded its attacks to target US and British shipping in response.President Trump also tried and failed to get Ansar Allah to end a blockade on Israeli shipping, which began after Israel violated the January 2025 ceasefire deal. The US bombing campaign, which killed over 250 civilians, lasted from March 15, 2025, to May 6 of that year and ended with a ceasefire between the US and Ansar Allah, which technically remains in effectAnsar Allah also sustained a brutal seven-year war from 2015-2022, launched by a US-backed Saudi/UAE-led Gulf coalition. The goal was to oust the Houthis from Sanaa, which the group took control of in 2014, and reinstall the government of former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who died in Riyadh earlier this year, but it failed, and the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, which held relatively well until the Saudi strikes on the Sanaa airport.

Al-Houthi Says There Are Indications Saudi Arabia Is Planning Major Escalation in Yemen -- Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, said on Thursday that there were indications Saudi Arabia was planning a major escalation in Yemen, as the war between the two sides has been reignited following the July 13 Saudi strikes on the Sanaa International Airport.“We will work to establish the equation of siege with siege, especially since indicators reveal that the Saudis are heading toward comprehensive escalation, and we will seek God’s help against him and confront his comprehensive escalation with comprehensive escalation,” al-Houthi said, according to Yemen’s SABA news agency. The Guardian also reported on Thursday, citing Yemeni sources, that Saudi Arabia was preparing for a major escalation against Ansar Allah by sea and possibly by launching a ground offensive in central Yemen.Saudi Arabia is looking to launch a new Red Sea coalition to keep the Bab el-Mandeb Strait open, and the Saudi Defense Ministry announced that 14 countries backed the effort. The full coalition hasn’t been released, but according to Saudi officials, it includes Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan.Ansar Allah imposed a blockade on Saudi ports following the Saudi strikes on the Sanaa airport, which were meant to prevent the landing of a plane that took off from Iran and was carrying members of a Yemeni delegation that attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yemeni forces have also targeted oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi military has launched additional strikes on Yemen.Escalations against Ansar Allah are unlikely to achieve success since the group faced a brutal US-backed Saudi-UAE war from 2015 to 2022 and multiple US and Israeli bombing campaigns since then that failed to achieve their goals. President Trump has suggested that the US could restart bombing Yemen.Al-Houthi said in his comments on Thursday that the Yemeni people “are among the most suffering and targeted peoples by the Saudi regime within the framework of the American scheme, and in service of the Israeli enemy.”

Houthi strike on Jazan refinery signals the next fuel shock --Markets are good at pricing barrels. They are terrible at pricing the machinery that turns barrels into something you can actually burn. That gap is where the next fuel shock gets built. For five months, nearly every headline about Middle East oil has been a headline about crude. The Strait of Hormuz, tanker counts, and Brent ticking up or down on whether the shooting stops. Crude is the number that moves fastest and gets quoted most. It is also, right now, the number telling you the least. Your grocery bill does not run on crude. It runs on diesel. Your flight does not run on crude either. It runs on jet fuel. Both come out of refineries, and a refinery is a physical plant with power systems and storage tanks that a missile can take offline in an afternoon. That distinction stopped being an academic one over the weekend, and it happened on the Red Sea coast. Saudi Aramco (2222.SR) shut its 400,000 barrel per day Jazan refinery on July 27 after an attack by Yemen's Houthi militants on Saturday, a note from consultancy IIR seen by Reuters showed, according to the BOE Report. Crude oil is fungible and storable. A tanker can sit at anchor for months, and a barrel from Texas will substitute for a barrel from the Gulf without anyone at the pump noticing. Refined fuel does not work that way. Diesel has to move from a refinery to a truck stop on a schedule, and the world lost a large chunk of its spare refining capacity years ago. That is why the fuel market and the crude market have spent this month telling opposite stories. Refining margins for gasoline and diesel jumped to record highs in July after the Middle East re-escalation, Russia's ban on diesel exports, and falling global fuel inventories, according to OilPrice.com. European diesel margins topped $60 a barrel, and the prompt NYMEX 3-2-1 crack spread, a standard measure of U.S. refinery profitability, hit a record $64.58 a barrel on July 8, per Reuters data cited by the same outlet. Refiners such as Valero Energy (VLO) and Marathon Petroleum (MPC) have been the quiet winners of that split, while integrated majors including Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) sold off on July 27's peace headlines. The attack damaged the plant's Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle complex, which supplies the power and steam the refinery runs on, along with the tank farm area, according to the BOE Report. Aramco has tentatively targeted Aug. 15 for repairs and a restart. Jazan sits on the Red Sea coast roughly 70 kilometers, or about 43 miles, from the Yemeni border, and its terminal ships refined products to world markets without passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reported Türkiye Today. That geography made it one of the few Saudi assets still working normally while Hormuz stayed shut. It also made it reachable. What struck me when I looked at the export mix is that this was not a crude story at all. Jazan is a products plant, and the products it was shipping are the exact ones the market cannot spare. Here is what the outage removes, and what it removes it from:

• Jazan can process 400,000 barrels of crude a day and is targeted to restart by August 15, according to a consultancy IIR note reported by BOE Report.
• The refinery exported more than 200,000 barrels a day on average over the past three months, and diesel and gasoil made up more than half of June's exports of roughly 170,000 barrels a day, according to Kpler data cited by Zawya.
• Russia, normally the world's second-largest diesel exporter, shipped just 234,000 barrels a day of diesel and gasoil from July 1 to July 10, according to Kpler data reported by Hydrocarbon Processing.
• U.S. retail diesel averaged $5.313 a gallon in the week ended July 27, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Read those together and the scale becomes uncomfortable. Jazan's lost export volume is roughly the size of everything Russia managed to ship in the first 10 days of this month.

Jordan faces a dilemma in its growing role in the US.-Iran war - When Iranian ballistic missiles repeatedly struck Jordan last week, killing three American service members and wounding dozens of others, it brought the spotlight on a U.S. military presence the government of this desert kingdom has long worked to downplay. Jordan has been a decades-long military and counterterrorism partner with the United States, opening its territory over the years to U.S. and other Western troops in their engagements throughout the region. But faced with a population that is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian and suspicious of the U.S. for its all-out support of Israel, the government had kept those relationships at a low profile.  But now, Jordan’s growing role in the United States’ war with Iran — and the intensifying Iranian retaliation that role invites — is spurring uncomfortable conversations for the government. “Jordanians are trapped in a dilemma: They’re being dragged into a war they didn’t want, but the cause of that war is ironically the ally they bargained with to protect them in the first place,” said Sean Yom, a professor of political science and Jordan expert at Temple University who wrote the book “Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible.” “So they’re asking what’s the wisdom of having this geopolitical bargain with a patron like the U.S. when one of the sources of our instability is the relationship that’s supposed to guarantee our security.” Since the ceasefire broke down July 8 and the U.S. began launching near-daily waves of strikes on Iran, Jordan has been targeted on nine occasions, with ballistic missiles and drones hitting U.S. assets and facilities and endangering some 4,000 service members at a number of Jordanian military bases across the country. One of those salvos, on July 17, hit a housing unit in Muwaffaq Al-Salti, a Jordanian base in the country’s east, killing three U.S. service members and wounding at least four others. Also attacked were King Faisal Airbase, Prince Hassan Airbase and the airport in Aqaba. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the strikes not only killed and wounded dozens of U.S. military personnel, but also damaged drones, helicopters, F-15 preparation hangars, radar sites, missile defense systems and munitions depots. More worryingly for Jordan, the IRGC issued statements thanking “honorable people” in Jordan for providing “sincere cooperation and precise information,” which it said enabled it to target and kill “dozens of American terrorist forces.” “Seize every opportunity to dismantle American institutions and expel the American occupation army from Jordan,” one of the statements said.

Cheap, accurate and lethal: Iran’s best missile is getting more dangerous -- The Kheibar Shekan missile is the workhorse of Tehran’s arsenal—a cheap, mobile, accurate weapon with a range of at least 900 miles. And recently, Iran has been using it in complex attacks, proving itself to be an adaptable adversary for the U.S. Since the fighting picked back up this month, Iran has been firing the Kheibar Shekan at American bases, U.S. officials said. It is using a combination of different flight paths, maneuvers and speeds to try to confuse U.S. defenses, they say. The U.S. and its partners have shot down most Kheibar Shekans throughout the war, one of the U.S. officials said, but some have gotten through. Unlike Iran’s older missiles that require lengthy prelaunch fueling, military analysts say the Kheibar Shekans can be kept fueled and loaded quickly into trucks or other vehicles for launching in an attempt to evade U.S. and Israeli warplanes seeking to knock out Iranian missile sites. In some variants of the missile, the nose section, which carries the explosive warhead and detaches during the final phase of flight, is equipped with a small engine that makes it capable of adjusting its direction as it nears its target at 6,000 miles an hour, according to analysts and officials. Ballistic missiles travel into the upper atmosphere or space before plunging back down toward a target, but not all are capable of maneuvering. Military analysts who have studied the Kheibar Shekan said it can vary its trajectory more than some other ballistic missiles in an attempt to make it harder to detect and destroy. Iran is also launching high-speed attack drones and less sophisticated missiles at the same locations it is targeting with the satellite-guided Kheibar Shekans, adapting its tactics throughout the war, the U.S. officials said. Since the ceasefire collapsed, Iran has repeatedly targeted housing areas where U.S. troops stay at bases across the Middle East, officials say. Iran has also gone after the radars that underpin air defenses across the region, a strategy that puts American servicemembers at greater risk, they say. “I think what it tells us is Iran is paying attention, and they’re learning and they’re looking at ways that they can get at us,” said retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who has led U.S. Central Command. “This is a military that has a well-developed drone capability, it’s had a missile program, a rocket program for a long period of time. They’ve got a lot of expertise in this area.” Iran was believed to have 2,500 Kheibar Shekans and other medium-range missiles before the war began, according to U.S. and Israeli estimates. It might be assembling more from components stored in underground bases, but the production facilities where engines for the missiles were built have been destroyed, said Fabian Hinz, an independent missile expert. “The Iranians kind of figured out during the war that the Kheibar Shekans are great because it’s pretty cheap to produce, it’s flexible with launch systems, and it’s pretty effective,” said Nicole Grajewski, an expert on Iranian strategy at Sciences Po in Paris. Iran has fired Kheibar Shekans at Israel, which says it shot most of them down. Iran has also claimed that it targeted the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the headquarters of Israel’s air force commander using Kheibar Shekans. Last month, it announced another attack with the missiles, along with jet-powered drones. The results of those attacks couldn’t be determined. The missile is named after the Battle of Khaybar, the 628 campaign in which the Prophet Muhammad’s forces conquered the fortified oasis of Khaybar, then held by Arabian Jews. Iran hasn’t disclosed the cost of a Kheibar Shekan, but analysts said it is far cheaper than the U.S. and Israeli interceptors used to take them down at a cost of between $2 million and $15 million, depending on the system. Iran seems to have improved its missile attacks, likely by studying previous launches and figuring out how to maximize the possibility the weapons will get through, Hinz said. Iran “has seen what types of maneuvers are the most effective ones for overcoming missile defense,” Hinz said. “Every single combat use gives you some sort of data, so that’s very useful for the Iranians.” ​Iran has long said the Kheibar Shekan can maneuver in the final stage of its flight to evade air defenses, he added.

Iran foreign minister says Ukraine's attack on Iranian vessel 'cannot go unanswered' (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel "cannot go unanswered". Iran said the attack in the Caspian Sea resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another. Araqchi made the comments in calls with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Araqchi posted on X. Lavrov, in a statement posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, offered condolences in connection with the death of a sailor in the attack. Lavrov said Araqchi thanked local authorities in the Russian region of Astrakhan, where the vessel started its journey, for helping the crew "and stressed the need to put an end to such adventures by the Kyiv regime". The statement also said Araqchi informed Lavrov of "continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tension in the Middle East".

Araghchi Says Ukraine's Attack on an Iranian Ship in the Caspian Sea 'Cannot Go Unanswered' - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said that Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea “cannot go unanswered,” comments that came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took credit for the strike, which killed an Iranian crew member.Zelensky claimed that the ship that was struck was carrying military cargo. “We also achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship,” he wrote on X on Saturday, the day of the attack.In his statement on Sunday, Araghchi said that Zelensky “has attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor. A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.”The Iranian diplomat added that in calls with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top foreign policy official, he “made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.”The attack on the Iranian ship comes as Ukraine continues escalating its long-range drone attacks against Russia, which are carried out using intelligence provided by the US, and have been targeting Russian oil tankers and refineries, and have also been killing a significant number of civilians.

Ukraine's FM Claims Attack On Iranian Ship In Caspian Sea Was 'Unintentional' - The week started with a bizarre incident in the Caspian Sea involving an Iranian commercial vessel and the Iranian military, an episode which threatened to expand the war by merging two conflict theatres. Iran had accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel by long-range drone in the Caspian Sea on Saturday, which resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.Soon after, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to severely protest the "hostile and criminal" attack, IRNA reported.Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the "blatant UN Charter violation" which was "done at Israel's behest" could serve to "drag Europe into its war." Araghchi also denounced and attacked Zelensky personally, calling him the "freeloader in Kyiv".But on Tuesday, there was a rapid walk-back and climb-down of sorts regarding the whole murky incident.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi newly stated that Ukraine's foreign minister assured him that the Ukrainian drone attack on the Iranian commercial vessel was "unintentional"."Was assured by Ukrainian FM [Andrii Sybiha] that the attack on an Iranian ship was unintentional and Ukraine seeks no escalation," Araghchi wrote on X. "Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses."Ukraine's top diplomat Andrii Sybiha‎ in turn didn't exactly deny it was an intentional attack; however, he did acknowledge that a civilian vessel was struck, and not a military one."I reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people," Sybiha said after a call with Araghchi."This is also true with regard to Iran’s statements about their national who died and a civilian vessel that was targeted in a recent incident. Our goal is to counter Russian aggression, which is the root cause of all incidents, and it is Russia who bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties," he added.So it seems the two sides have agreed to downplay the attack incident and just move on. And yet what makes this bizarre and unexpected is that Ukraine seemed to initially be openly boasting of the escalation.President Zelensky himself announced soon after on X, "We also have very good results from long-range strikes in the waters of the Caspian Sea. In particular, these are vessels that were involved in transporting military cargo from Iran, and a warship."It is also perplexing how a long-range drone attack on a maritime vessel, presumably hundreds of miles away and which would require very precision targeting, could result in a direct hit and yet be 'unintentional'.

Ukrainian Drone Attacks in Russia Target Wildberries, Oil Refineries, and Kill at Least Three People - Ukrainian drone attacks were launched against multiple Russian regions overnight, targeting the Russian online retailer Wildberries, oil refineries, and killing at least three people. The operations, which are supported by US intelligence, came after President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. Photos from social media show a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast following a drone attack, and Russian officials said that the facility was evacuated. At least six people were wounded in the region, though it’s unclear if they were hurt during the attack on the Wildberries facility.Wildberries, which has been compared to the US online retailer Amazon, has become a frequent target of Ukrainian drones in recent weeks. A July 18 attack on a Wildberries warehouse in Russia’s Tambov Oblast killed six people. Ukrainian officials claimed that drone attacks on Wednesday hit an oil refinery in Ryazan and one in Russia’s Perm Oblast, more than 900 miles from Ukraine, but while attacks were reported in both regions, Russian officials haven’t confirmed that oil facilities were hit.Local officials said that a woman was killed in Taganrog, southern Russia, by drone debris and that one man was injured. In Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, officials said that two civilians were killed by Ukrainian drone attacks. As Ukraine has escalated its drone attacks in Russia, Russian forces have escalated missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, leading to a spike in civilian casualties on both sides. According to The Associated Press, Russian glide bombs targeted Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Wednesday, wounding at least 11 people.

Ukraine Strikes Lukoil's Volgograd Refinery as Drone Attacks Resume - Ukraine has struck one of Russia’s biggest refineries, Lukoil’s Volgograd processing facility, the Ukrainian forces said on Friday as they resumed attacks on Russian refining capacity. The Volgograd refinery, which has the capacity to process 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, produces gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. It was hit by Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s Security Service said in a Telegram post on Friday.The hit was “successful,” Ukraine said, without offering details as to the extent of damage. Andrei Bocharov, the governor of Russia’s Volgograd region, said on Friday that a fire broke out at an industrial facility in the fuel and energy complex in the region following a mass drone attack. Bocharov did not name the site.This is not the first strike on the Volgograd refinery, which early this year had to suspend crude oil processing after a Ukrainian drone attack triggered a fire at the plant. The renewed drone attacks on refineries from Ukraine come after several weeks of a lull, during which Ukrainian forces focused on hitting tankers in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.The brief respite in the attacks on refineries allowed some units to resume operations after repairs. This past weekend, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the fuel crisis in Russia had started to ease as some refineries have restarted operations.However, this week Russia extended the ban on gasoline and diesel exports from July 31 to the end of the year in a sign that the situation has not improved too much.Amid peak demand season, Russia has been suffering from gasoline and diesel shortages for nearly three months, as Ukraine’s drone campaign to strike Russian refineries forced many large processing sites offline in the spring and early summer.The overnight attack on the Volgograd refinery could now worsen the crisis.

Romania Starts Shooting Down Stray Drones From Ukraine War That Enter Its Airspace - Romanian officials on Sunday claimed one of their pilots shot down a Russian drone in Romanian airspace on Friday, July 24. They claimed two more Russian drones were shot down over the weekend. In response, Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded a Monday meeting with Russia’s ambassador to Romania, Vladimir Lipayev. They presented him with fragments of a “Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle commonly used by Russian forces.” They informed him that a Russian diplomat had been declared persona non grata and would have five days to leave Romania. Romanian officials claimed Russian drones have entered their airspace consistently since the war with Ukraine began. They said their policy had recently shifted from monitoring the incursions to shooting the drones down if this could be done safely, far enough away from civilians. In May, NATO and Romanian officials claimed a Russian drone hit a residential block in Galați, an eastern Romanian town near the border with Ukraine. Two people were injured; the first time stray Russian drones are claimed to have hurt anyone in the country. Ukrainian officials said the incident proved that Russia was “a real threat” to Europe. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the wreckage of the drone should be given to Russia so that it could investigate the matter fully. Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 24, 2022. During the past four years, each side has innovated and escalated its drone warfare. Each side attempts to hunt down the other’s drone operators and jam the other’s drones.In May, a NATO fighter jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia. The speculation at the time was that Russian electronic jamming had sent the drone off course. Ukraine apologized, claiming it was an “unintended incident,” but did not specify what happened.The Romanian claims of encountering Russian drones would be consistent with their drones being jammed by Ukraine or otherwise malfunctioning. Russia has been waging drone warfare on Ukrainian shipping in the Black Sea and Ukrainian ports.However, on Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the Romanian accusations “groundless” and vowed to respond to its diplomat’s expulsion. In a statement posted on its website, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said:“We reject these latest unfounded allegations. These orchestrated incidents and the accompanying propaganda campaign are evidence of the Romanian leadership’s attempt to cover up the disastrous consequences of their irresponsible policy of supporting the Kiev regime.”The statement seemed to suggest Russia was claiming Romania had engaged in false flag incidents or simply fabricated the entire narrative.

Gaza: Death Toll in Israeli Attacks Since 'Ceasefire Deal' Has Reached 1,200 - The death toll in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the so-called ceasefire deal was signed in October 2025, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as the IDF continues its constant violations of the agreement.The ministry said in its daily update on Sunday that Israeli attacks over the previous 24-hour period killed at least seven Palestinians, and two more died of wounds sustained by previous attacks, adding nine dead to the death toll to bring it to exactly 1,200. Thirty-six Palestinians were also injured over the past day, bringing the total number of wounded since the ceasefire deal was signed to 3,888. Israeli attacks continued on Sunday, with an Israeli airstrike hitting a vehicle in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, which, according to Al Jazeera, killed two senior Hamas security officials. A day earlier, an Israeli strike killed the head of police in northern Gaza, as the IDF has frequently targeted police and other security officials to disrupt Hamas’s control and further destabilize the small area of Gaza where Palestinian civilians live.Israeli attacks in recent months have also killed a significant number of children, including four who were killed last week with their mother and father when an Israeli missile hit their apartment as they slept. In June, a UN commission released a report that concluded the IDF has deliberately targeted children in Gaza and has continued to do so despite the ceasefire deal. According to the Israeli government’s official numbers, five Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza over the same period of time that the IDF has killed 1,200 Palestinians in the territory. The last Israeli soldier who was killed died after being shot by other Israeli troops in a friendly fire incident in February 2026. The other four died as a result of “combat” in southern Gaza in October 2025, when Hamas militants were trapped on the Israeli-occupied side of the Strip.

Lebanese Army Accuses Israel of Violating Ceasefire, Firing on Their Position - - The Lebanon “pilot zones” project finally got underway last week, following substantial delays and multiple rounds of negotiations. The Lebanese Army now says their deployment into those villages, as required by the deal, is being prevented by Israeli violations of the ceasefire.The pilot zones were meant to be symbolic, token pullouts from Israel after months of expanding their invasion and occupation. Indeed, the “pullout” included a village Israeli forces had attacked and largely destroyed, but weren’t even actively occupying anymore.Israel would only do that on the condition that their occupation would be replaced by a Lebanese military occupation, and while that began last week, the areas quickly came under Israeli attack. The Lebanese military after its own few days of limiting access to those areas, is trying to both deploy into the zones and to bring some of the villagers back to what were once their homes. They report that Israeli forces are continuing attacks around the area, blocking the civilians’ return, and in fact are causing so much danger it’s precluding a lot of the Lebanese military from even getting to the pilot zone they’re meant to occupy.The military also noted the destruction in Markaba, in the Marjayoun District, is continuing to worsen, with Israeli military bulldozers not only continuing to level homes, but confiscating the rubble after the fact. To make matters much worse for the future of the area, Israeli forces have also burned the ancient olive trees and other agricultural land that was the basis for the Markaba people’s living. Like most of southern Lebanon, this area was substantially reliant on agriculture before the invasion. What will be left by the time the Markabans are allowed back, assuming they ever are, is an open question.

Israel uses 700 tons of explosives in new attacks on Lebanon - The Israeli military has conducted new attacks near Shaqif Fortress (Beaufort Castle) in southern Lebanon, causing huge explosions in adjacent areas. Lebanese media reported Israeli bombings on the villages of Yohmor al-Shaqif, Haddatha, and Kfar Tebni. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and minister of military affairs Israel Katz announced late Thursday in a joint statement that the regime’s army had used 700 tons of explosives to target alleged tunnels of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement in the area. They said the assault was planned for an earlier date but had been postponed due to last month’s US-mediated framework deal between Israel and Lebanon. They also noted that the occupation’s military “will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and will continue to destroy all … infrastructure to prevent any attempt by Hezbollah to restore its capabilities.” The framework agreement, signed on June 26, calls for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from southern Lebanon alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army. Since its signing, however, Israel has continued its military aggression across southern Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes, demolitions and the burning of homes in border towns. According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,333 people, injured more than 12,236 others and displaced over one million since March 2. Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, including territories it has held for years as well as others it seized during the 2023-24 onslaught. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday that Israel has no intention of conducting a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory. In comments to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Berri said his Wednesday meeting with President Joseph Aoun was intended to convey that "all evidence indicates that Israel has no decision to withdraw from Lebanese territory before the elections". "The agreement was stillborn, and no one speaks of it anymore," Berri was quoted as saying. "Israel buried it through its non-compliance." The speaker, a senior figure who heads the Amal Movement, also said Netanyahu faces a "serious risk of collapse" . The June 26 framework agreement, signed by Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington, provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army and the dismantling of Hezbollah's military infrastructure. But Israel would be permitted to remain in an expanded security zone for the time being, according to reporting on the deal . Berri has consistently rejected the agreement, describing it in late June as "diktats" that "won't be implemented". He has also warned that the deal could incite internal divisions and draw Lebanese into confrontation among themselves.