Fed holds interest rates steady in 1st move since war with Iran spiked oil prices - The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday at its first meeting since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran drove up gasoline prices and risked a wider bout of inflation. The central bank's move marked the second consecutive time it has opted to maintain interest rates at current levels since the outset of 2026. Before that, the Fed cut interest rates a quarter-point three straight times. The decision on Wednesday matched market expectations. "The implications of developments in the Middle East for the U.S. economy are uncertain," the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, said in a statement on Wednesday. The FOMC issued a forecast projecting a one quarter-point interest rate cut over the remainder of 2026 and another quarter-point cut in 2027. The 12-member board voted 11-1 to maintain the current level of interest rates. Stephen Miran, a former Trump administration official who recently joined the board, cast the lone dissenting vote. He called for a rate cut. Elevated price increases have coincided with a slowdown of economic growth, threatening to intensify an economic double-whammy known as "stagflation," which poses difficulty for the Fed. Inflation stood at 2.8% in February, according to the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, the gauge preferred by the Fed. Price increases register nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed's target rate of 2%. "These elevated readings largely reflect inflation in the goods sector, which has been boosted by the effects of tariffs," Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. "Near-term measures of inflation expectations have risen in recent weeks, likely reflecting the substantial rise in oil prices caused by the supply disruptions in the Middle East," Powell added. If the Fed opts to lower borrowing costs, it could spur growth but risk higher inflation. On the other hand, the choice to raise interest rates may slow price increases but raises the likelihood of a cooldown in economic performance. The benchmark rate stands at a level between 3.5% and 3.75%. That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lackluster jobs report last week showed the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, which marked a reversal of fortunes for the labor market and erased most of the job gains recorded in 2026. The unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% in January to 4.4% in February, the BLS said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards. A revised government report last week on gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at a sluggish annualized pace of 0.7% over the final three months of 2025. Those economic headwinds helped set the conditions before the outbreak of war with Iran, which spiked oil prices and risked price increases for a host of diesel-fuel transported goods. U.S. crude oil prices rose to about $97 per barrel on Wednesday, marking a surge of more than 50% since a month earlier. Since the military conflict began, U.S. gas prices have gone up 86 cents to an average of $3.84 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA. The rate decision on Wednesday marked the first such move since a federal judge blocked Justice Department subpoenas to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors after determining the government "produced essentially zero evidence" to support a criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, according to an unsealed court opinion. "A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning," U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in his opinion on Friday. Acting U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro blasted Boasberg as an "activist" judge and pledged to appeal his ruling.
Fed Chair Powell complicating Warsh's plans for swift rate cuts -- Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh wants to lower interest rates. Fed officials signaled Wednesday that it may be even harder than expected for him to make that happen, should he be confirmed into that job any time soon. Fed officials raised their predictions for the path of inflation and interest rates in data the central bank released Wednesday. That was largely expected given the spike in oil prices due to the Iran war. But Chair Jerome Powell said oil wasn’t the only factor his colleagues were considering. Higher forecasts for inflation are also “a reflection of the slow progress we’ve seen on tariffs,” Powell said. The Fed publishes a survey of its top officials’ expectations for interest rates and the economy in a document known as the Summary of Economic Projections. The SEP released Wednesday showed the median official’s expectation for a closely watched measure of inflation, known as core personal consumption expenditure inflation, rising from 2.5% for 2026 in December to 2.7% for the year as of March. Meanwhile the SEP showed several Fed officials raising their expectations for interest rates in the so-called dot plot. It shows where the Fed’s members believe interest rates will go. The March dot plot showed several Fed officials ruling out the possibility of multiple cuts this year. Those projections are anonymous, but a Fed official who had previously voted publicly for rate cuts changed his position in March. Fed governor Christopher Waller had dissented in favor of lower interest rates in January, when the Fed also opted not to change interest rates. At the most recent meeting, Waller agreed with Powell not to change rates.President Donald Trump, who has not been shy about wanting lower interest rates, appointed Waller to his job and considered him for chair before opting for Warsh.All that means Warsh could face a tough crowd were he to be quickly confirmed. Warsh wants to cut interest rates, in line with what Trump has demanded of his nominee. But the chair has only one out of 12 votes on the Fed’s rate-setting committee. He will need to bring the rest of the Fed along with him, and it appears many of the Fed’s members are positioning themselves to make cuts difficult ahead of Warsh’s potential confirmation.Those officials are, in Powell’s telling, not only wary about what sustained oil-price increases could do to the economy, but also what effects Trump’s tariffs are having. That remains the case even though the Supreme Court recently ruled a swath of Trump’s tariffs illegal. The administration has moved to reimpose tariffs under alternate authorities.When Warsh could be confirmed is an open question. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he won’t vote to confirm Warsh until a criminal investigation into Powell involving office renovation cost overruns is resolved.Powell denies the accusations. A federal judge last week moved to quash subpoenas against the Fed. The Department of Justice said it will appeal. As long as that process continues, Powell will remain in his job. And Warsh’s confirmation remains on hold, likely delaying the moment when he will have to contend with inflationary pressures that may get in the way of delivering lower interest rates.
Powell says he will stay on as head of the Fed until Warsh is confirmed -- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he will keep serving as head of the central bank if his nominated successor, Kevin Warsh, is not confirmed by the time his term is up in May, as dictated by the law. Separately, Powell said he will not leave his Board of Governors position, which technically extends until early 2028, until the Department of Justice investigation of him is “well and truly over with transparency and finality.”Powell said during his Wednesday press conference that he would serve as “chair pro tem” if Warsh, President Donald Trump’s pick to take over the role, has not been greenlighted by the Senate. That follows precent done in several past scenarios, Powell said.The Fed chief’s position on the Board of Governors is separate from his chairmanship. Powell said he wouldn’t exit the board until the Justice Dept. probe has been resolved, and hasn’t decided if he would depart before his term as Fed governor ends in early 2028.“I have not made that decision yet,” Powell said. “I will make that decision based on what I think is best for the institution and for the people we serve.”The Federal Reserve Act says that if a chairman and vice chairman are absent, then the Board “shall elect a member to act as chairman pro tempore.”Powell wants to avoid any appearance that he was pushed off the board because of political pressure.A federal judge last week blocked grand jury subpoenas issued as part of Powell’s criminal investigation. The decision was viewed as a major win for Powell, whose probe has become a political lightning rod within Trump’s Republican party.Critics deemed the investigation as part of a broader, politically motivated pressure campaign on Powell and the institution, with the goal of having him lower interest rates or resign. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would block the confirmation of Warsh until the federal investigation ends.U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in his ruling that the Justice Department didn’t have proper purpose for the subpoenas. The government has shared “essentially zero evidence” that Powell committed a crime, the judge said.“A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the [Fed’s] Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning,” Boasberg wrote.U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the Justice Department would appeal Boasberg’s ruling, which she called “outrageous.” “Jerome Powell is now bathed in immunity,” she said in a news conference. “This is wrong, and it is without legal authority.”The Fed on Wednesday opted to keep interest rates unchanged, citing concern over higher-than-expected inflation and uncertainty around the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. Trump has been vocal, including comments as recent as this week, that the Fed should be cutting rates to aid the economy despite spiking oil prices.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell says he won’t leave bank until DOJ probe is over -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday he would not step down as leader of the central bank until his successor is confirmed and would not leave the bank’s board of governors until the Trump administration concludes its criminal investigation. During a Wednesday press conference, Powell confirmed that he would stay on the Fed board as chair pro tempore until the Senate confirms President Trump’s nominee to replace him, following the precedent by several past Fed chiefs. Powell also served a brief stint as acting Fed chair under former President Biden, who renominated him for another four-year term leading the central bank in 2021. Powell also said he would remain a member of the Fed board of governors until the Justice Department ends its criminal probe of his handling of renovations to the central bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., along with his June 2025 testimony about the matter before the Senate Banking Committee. “I have no intention of leaving the Board until the investigation is well and truly over with transparency and finality,” Powell said Wednesday, shortly after the Fed kept rates steady. Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in May, and Trump in January nominated former Fed board member Kevin Warsh to replace him. But Powell’s separate term as a member of the Fed board does not run out until 2028, giving him the ability to stay at the Fed in a non-leadership capacity through the remainder of that stint. While most Fed chairs who can remain at the bank choose to leave, none of Powell’s predecessors have faced a similar legal challenge from within the administration. Powell confirmed in January that the DOJ sent him and the Fed subpoenas as it pondered whether to file criminal charges. The DOJ is investigating whether Powell abused his office and lied to Congress regarding renovations to two buildings on the Fed’s Washington, D.C., campus. The intitial cost of the project was estimated to be $1.9 billion, but costs eclipsed $2.5 billion amid pandemic-related contruction delays and shortages, and due to discovery unexpected structural damage and hazardous substances within the early 20th century buildings. Trump, who has constantly berated Powell’s economic views, claimed that the Fed chair should be investigated and punished for gross incompetence and dishonesty. Powell dozens of lawmakers, and a broad coalition of economic and legal experts have dismissed the probe as a political ploy to push out the Fed chief or punish his refusal to heed the president’s orders. A federal judge sided with the Fed in an order unsealed last week, which quashed the DOJ subpoenas and accused the department of harassing Powell and the bank. But the DOJ has pledged to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, and Trump himself unloaded on Powell in a Sunday night social media post. “How is this absolutely terrible Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, not even allowed to be investigated for the horrible job he does?” Trump wrote in a Sunday night post on Truth Social. Trump claimed Powell “created an absolute disaster — A money pit, and embarrassment to our Country for the whole World to see!” “The Contractor on the job, along with Powell, should also be heavily investigated, in that it is impossible for a ‘professional’ to have such enormous Cost Overruns,” he continued.
Trump signals DOJ should continue Powell probe, complicating Warsh Fed nom - President Donald Trump on Thursday signaled his continued support for a Department of Justice investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell — a stance that could further delay the confirmation of Powell’s would-be successor, Kevin Warsh. “He’s under investigation because he’s building a building for hundreds of billions of dollars more than it’s supposed to cost,” Trump said of Powell in the Oval Office. He was referring to the ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters and another building in Washington, the purported focus of the federal criminal probe of the central bank chairman led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Trump repeatedly claimed that the construction projects cost up to $4 billion, though the actual total is roughly $2.5 billion. Powell has accused the government of launching the investigation in retaliation for his refusal to lower interest rates as much or as quickly as Trump has demanded. Powell “should be lowering rates immediately,” Trump said unprompted in his Oval Office remarks, “but he won’t do that because he’s a stubborn, incompetent person, and that’s a bad thing.” Trump spoke to reporters as he sat next to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi before a bilateral meeting. Returning to the subject of the Fed building, Trump claimed the multibillion-dollar price tag of the renovations shows “there is criminality, maybe it’s with the contractor.” “So all I want to do is bring out to the public that this guy is incompetent, he’s a very incompetent guy, and he may be a dishonest guy,” Trump said. The Fed declined to comment on Trump’s latest remarks about Powell. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, in a scathing ruling last week, blocked subpoenas issued by a Washington grand jury as part of the probe. “A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the [Fed’s] Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning,” the judge wrote. Pirro vowed to appeal the ruling, which she called “outrageous.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has repeatedly vowed to block Warsh’s nomination from advancing through the Senate Banking Committee until the DOJ drops its probe of Powell. Warsh must get the committee’s approval before the full Senate can confirm his nomination.
Analysis: Trump controls the economy's key levers, from oil to the Fed - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi embraced President Donald Trump on Thursday, and not just on policy grounds. The newly elected Japanese leader threw herself into the arms of the U.S. president when he greeted her at the White House. “It is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” Takaichi said later as the two met in front of reporters in the Oval Office. Beneath the flattery is an important truth. Trump is singlehandedly shaping the course of global events to a degree that far outstrips even the power he wielded in his first presidency. With his presidency unshackled, his military and other policy decisions are reshaping the economy in real time — and clouding the economic outlook.Trump’s predecessors weren’t willing to make the choice he did in Iran. President Barack Obama’s response to the risk that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon was to negotiate a multilateral arms deal. Trump scrapped it in his first term. President Joe Biden attempted to revive it, opting for negotiations and sanctions pressure even after Iran-backed Hamas massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.Trump’s decision to use his authority as the military’s commander-in-chief has essentially made him the lever that moves global energy prices up or down. Iran’s forces have attacked cargo ships and assailed its neighbors’ energy facilities. Traffic has stalled through the vital Strait of Hormuz. In normal times it carries 20% of the world’s crude oil. Gas prices in the U.S. have spiked by nearly a dollar, or 33%, over the past month, according to AAA. More economic turmoil is brewing. The strait is also a channel for fertilizer components that are rapidly becoming scarce. The possibility of fertilizer shortages has put U.S agriculture “in uncharted territory,” a Michigan farmer told CNBC this week.Trump says he predicted gas prices would rise when he went to war, and sees it as a necessary price for neutering the threat of further Iranian aggression, nuclear and otherwise. The White House says prices will fall sharply when hostilities end. At the war’s outset, Trump said it would last days. Then weeks. On Friday, he said he is not interested in a ceasefire. Prices may indeed fall after the war ends, but for now markets are pricing in a costly war. Futures markets show traders expecting the price of oil to stay above $80 a barrel through July 2027, according to FactSet data. The markets’ worry reflects the risk that for all his individual power Trump may no longer be able to quickly end the war. Iran can use cheap drones, boats and mines to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. It may take a ground invasion to stamp out that threat. Trump on Thursday said he wasn’t considering ground forces, but the U.S. military is moving more personnel and ships to the region. A bloody ground battle would add weeks or months to the time frame for oil prices to return to normal, while escalating conflict could further damage energy production facilities in the region. Whether that kind of operation goes ahead is largely up to Trump. Together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump gets to judge whether the potential national-security benefits of a defanged Iran are worth the hit to Americans’ wallets.
AP analysis: Two weeks into war with Iran, Trump has been knocked back on his political heels (AP) — In the two weeks since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump increasingly has been knocked on his political heels. He's grown more agitated with news coverage and has failed to find a way to explain why he started the war — or how he will end it — that resonates with a public concerned by American deaths in the conflict, surging oil prices and dropping financial markets. Even some of his supporters are questioning his plan and his overall poll numbers are declining. Meanwhile, Moscow is getting a boost from the war's early days after Trump eased sanctions on some Russian oil shipments. That, combined with rising oil prices, undercut the yearslong push to crimp President Vladimir Putin's ability to wage war in Ukraine. Then there are Democrats, who were left reeling after Trump won the 2024 election. With control of Congress at stake in November's midterms, the party has come together to oppose Trump's Iran policy and point to the economic turmoil as proof that Republicans haven't kept their promises to bring down everyday costs. "I think Democrats are well-positioned for this November and the midterms," said Kelly Dietrich, CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee, which trains party backers to run for office and staff campaigns. Dietrich said the past two weeks show the Trump administration has failed at long-term planning. "They're flying by the seat of their pants, and the rest of us are paying the price," he said. The president used both days of the weekend to spend hours at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He also attended a closed-door fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday night. Last weekend, Trump played golf at another of his South Florida properties a day after witnessing the dignified transfer for six U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war. That death toll rose this past week. Trump is increasingly complaining about media coverage of the conflict, on Saturday writing: "Media actually want us to lose the War." His broadcast regulator subsequently threatened to pull broadcast licenses unless they "correct course." The president — who kept allies other than Israel in the dark about his war plans for Iran — also for the first time suggested the U.S. would need to lean on the international community to help oil tankers move through the Strait of Hormuz, where transportation has been severely disrupted, throwing global energy markets into a tailspin. Iran has said it plans to keep up attacks on energy infrastructure and use its effective closure of the strait as leverage against the United States and Israel. A fifth of the world's traded oil flows through the waterway. "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote on Saturday, later adding, "this should have always been a team effort." It was not clear if that multination push was set to begin or if Trump only hoped it might, however. That's because he also wrote: "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected" will "send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer" be threatened by Iran. The White House has not provided further details on what Trump's post meant but other countries have reacted to it only cautiously so far. South Korea plans to "closely coordinate and carefully review" Trump's comments, while Japan is closely watching developments. Britain's defense ministry said it was "discussing with our allies and partners a range of options to ensure the security of shipping in the region." A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said keeping the strait "safe and stable serves the common interests of the international community" and that "as a sincere friend and strategic partner of Middle Eastern countries, China will continue to strengthen communication with relevant parties." Trump had pledged at the beginning of the war that U.S. naval ships would escort tankers through the waterway. But that hasn't happened yet. "It'll happen soon. Very soon," he said before boarding Air Force One to fly to Florida. Still, questions about the strait continue to undermine Trump's recent pronouncement during a Kentucky rally that, "We've won." "You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won," he said. "We won the, in the first hour, it was over." The U.S. Treasury Department also announced this past week a 30-day waiver on Russian sanctions aiming to free up Russian oil cargoes stranded at sea to help ease supply shortages caused by the Iran war. That's despite analysts saying that spiraling oil prices due to Persian Gulf production blockages are benefiting the Russian economy. Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its war on Ukraine, and sanctions were a growing handicap. Some of Washington's key allies have decried the move as empowering Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called easing sanctions "not the right decision" and "certainly does not help peace" because it leads to a "strengthening of Russia's position." With midterm races now starting to heat up, Trump was asked Friday night about his message to voters who believe gas is too expensive. "You're going to see a very big decrease in the prices of gasoline, gas, anything having to do with energy, as soon as this is ended," Trump said. Still, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday of higher energy prices: "Americans are feeling it right now" and would "for a few more weeks." The longer the conflict goes, the more pronounced questions about the midterms will become. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, recently suggested on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" that if gas and oil prices continue to stay high "you're going to see a disastrous election" for the GOP. Iran also has even divided Trump's "Make America Great Again" base, between those who support the action and others who say that Trump expressly campaigned on ending wars. Leading figures on the right, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have sharply criticized Trump. Trump, though, has continued to insist that he created the MAGA movement and that it will follow him anywhere, on any issue. The political turbulence has some Democrats predicting their party could see midterm gains rivaling 2018's "blue wave" election during Trump's first term. "Democrats just have to keep reminding people that he made a promise to bring prices down, and they're still going up," Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said of Trump. "And now they're going to go up even more because prices in gasoline can increase prices of everything else, including at the grocery store."
US- and Greek-owned tankers ablaze after Iran claims ‘underwater drone’ strike in Iraqi waters :: Lloyd's List -- IRAN has claimed responsibility for an attack on two oil tankers anchored in Iraqi territorial waters, as conflicts in the region continue to escalate and strikes on commercial shipping spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz.Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil identified the two vessels as the 73,976 dwt crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu (IMO: 9327009) and the 50,155 dwt combined chemical and oil tanker Zefyros (IMO: 9515917).According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data, Safesea Vishnu is beneficially owned by US-based Safesea Group, while Zefyros is beneficially owned by Greece’s George & Vassilis Michael family group of companies.Both were struck by what Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB described as an “underwater drone attack” on the evening of March 11, while anchored about five nautical miles south of Basrah.At least one crew member is confirmed dead. Iraqi authorities reported that 38 crew members of foreign nationalities were rescued from the two vessels, though details on injuries and the identity of the deceased have not been released.Verified footage shows both tankers ablaze, with flames spreading on to the surrounding water — likely the result of an oil spill, though no environmental impact had been officially confirmed at the time of writing.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received third-party reports of the incident and advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.An Iraqi security source in Basra initially reported that an Iranian boat rigged with explosives was believed to have struck the vessels, with an investigation ongoing. Iraqi officials described the incident as a violation of national sovereignty, noting it occurred within Iraqi territorial waters. Operations at nearby oil ports have been temporarily suspended following the attack. Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data showed both vessels anchored alongside each other near the Basrah Oil Terminal at the time of the incident. The attack follows strikes on three vessels in the Middle East Gulf on March 10, when two bulkers and a containership were hit, leaving three seafarers missing.Shortly after the attacks off Iraq, a containership was hit by an unidentified projectile on the same day off the coast of Jebel Ali, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.Liberia-flagged, Maersk operated containership Source Blessing (IMO: 9243198) was the target of the unknown projectile while it was sailing approximately 35 nm north of Jebel Ali, UAE, at 0219 hrs.The ship’s master reported a small fire on board in the engine room caused by the strike, but due to darkness, it was not immediately possible to assess the extent of the damage.All crew members were reported safe, and no environmental impact has been reported, according to the UKMTO.Source Blessing passed the Strait of Hormuz one day before the war started and loaded cargo at Hamad port in Qatar. Since then it was sailing between anchorages off Qatar and the UAE, presumably waiting for a safe passage from the chokepoint back to the Gulf of Oman.Since the conflict began on February 28, at least 13 cargo carrying vessels have now been attacked in the region, with casualties continuing to mount and the shipping industry increasingly exposed to the widening war.
US Tells Its Citizens To Leave Iraq as Drone and Missile Attacks on US Assets Continue Across the Country - The US Embassy in Baghdad on Saturday told all US citizens to leave Iraq due to drone and missile attacks launched by Iran and its Iraqi allies, which continue to target US assets across the country, as the US-Israeli war against Iran expands across the region.“Iran-aligned terrorist militias have encouraged and conducted indiscriminate attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR),” the embassy said. “US citizens should leave Iraq now.”The embassy told US citizens not to “attempt to come to the embassy in Baghdad or the consulate general in Erbil in light of the ongoing risk of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace.”The same day the advisory was issued, a missile reportedly struck the US embassy compound in Baghdad. Drone and missile attacks continued in Iraq on Sunday, with at least four civilians being injured in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Rudaw.The US has also launched a series of airstrikes against the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of mostly Shia militias formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, and is part of Iraq’s official security forces. Another group that calls itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), which includes some of the factions in the PMF, has been claiming attacks on US bases. US airstrikes were launched in Baghdad on Saturday and killed at least three PMF fighters. A few days earlier, more than 30 PMF fighters were reported killed by multiple US airstrikes near the Iraq-Syria border. US Central Command has said that on March 12, it lost a KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft over Iraq, an incident it claimed wasn’t the result of enemy fire despite the massive number of drone and missile attacks. CENTCOM has since confirmed that all six crewmembers were killed, bringing the total number of US troops who have been killed in the war to at least 13. A French soldier has also been killed in Iraq by a drone attack in Erbil.
U.S. is allowing Iranian oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz, says Bessent -The United States is allowing Iranian oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Monday. “The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we’ve let that happen to supply the rest of the world,” Bessent told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan in a “Squawk Box” interview in Paris. The Treasury secretary is in France for trade talks with China. Tanker traffic through the strait has plunged as Iran attacks commercial ships in the Persian Gulf. But the Islamic Republic has continued to export millions of barrels of oil through the narrow sea route despite the large U.S. Navy presence in the region. Iran exports about 1.5 million barrels per day. The Trump administration believes tanker traffic through the strait will increase before U.S. Navy and allied forces start escorting commercial ships, Bessent said. Tankers that supply India have transited the strait, he said. The U.S. believes some Chinese ships are also making it out of the gulf, he said. “We think that there will be a natural opening that the Iranians are letting out, and for now we’re fine with that. We want the world to be well supplied,” Bessent said. President Donald Trump is pressuring nations that rely on the strait for oil to help the U.S. protect tankers from attacks by Iran. A ship loaded with liquefied petroleum gas arrived Sunday in India, a spokesperson for New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs told CNBC’s Seema Mody. A second ship is expected to arrive Tuesday, the spokesperson said. Sources say India is currently waiting for confirmation from Iran that 22 other ships can sail through the Strait. Those vessels are carrying crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and liquefied natural gas. The strait, which connects the gulf to the global market, is the most important trade route for oil in the world. About 20% of global oil supplies passed through the narrow waterway before the war. Oil prices have surged about 40% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran two weeks ago. The war has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history as exports through the strait have collapsed, according to the International Energy Agency. Global oil supplies are expected to plunge by 8 million barrels per day this month, according to the IEA. Brent oil prices , the international benchmark, were hovering around $102 per barrel Monday. U.S. oil prices were trading around $95 per barrel. The Treasury secretary said oil prices should fall “much lower” than $80 per barrel after the war is over. Bessent said he does not know when the war will end but “the world will be safer and we will be better supplied.” Bessent threw cold water on market rumors that the administration might intervene in oil futures trading. “We haven’t done that,” the Treasury secretary said. It is not clear what authority the U.S. could use to take such an action, he said.
The Latest: Trump seeks help opening the Strait of Hormuz as Iran war chokes oil shipping - U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he has demanded about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as fears of a global energy crisis persist. Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait, and even just the threat of attacks, have slowed shipping there to a trickle.The U.S. and Israel have kept pummeling what they describe as military targets in Iran’s capital, and Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon. More than 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon — roughly 20% of the nation’s population — as U.N. peacekeepers say Israel is massing ground troops along the border.Iran has retaliated with persistent drone and missile attacks on neighboring countries, including oil fields in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, where a drone strike temporarily closed Dubai’s airport, a crucial travel hub.The war has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, at least 880 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The U.S. military says 13 U.S. service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.
Trump laments enthusiasm gap in call for Strait of Hormuz help - President Trump called on other countries to assist in dealing with the reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, even as he acknowledged several allies have declined. “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said at an event at the White House. “I have it from a number of them, and I would like to say their names, but frankly I don’t know if they want me to or not because maybe they don’t want to be targeted,” he continued. “But I say it wouldn’t matter if you’re being targeted or not because this is a paper tiger we’re dealing with.” “It wasn’t a paper tiger two weeks ago. It’s a paper tiger,” he added. Iran has severely limited traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows — in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli war in the country. The blockade has let to a global energy crisis and significantly raised oil prices. Trump has called for a coalition of countries, including the U.S., to assist in dealing with the situation in the vital waterway, but so far countries have had a tepid response to that ask in public. The president said on Sunday that he’s asked “about seven” countries to join with the U.S. in policing the Strait of Hormuz, but many longtime U.S. allies, including Australia and Japan, have expressed skepticism to joining such a coalition. “This is not our war, we have not started it,” Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin on Monday. Speaking from the Oval Office later, Trump said he would soon reveal which countries have offered to help. “There are a couple, we’ll be announcing some names soon,” he said. “There are some that really were right up front.” Trump also complained of the countries unwilling to aid in reopening the the strait. “What does surprise me is they’re not eager to help,” he said, arguing that nations that rely on the waterway for oil, including China and Japan, “should be thanking us.”
Donald Trump warns NATO faces ‘very bad future’ if allies fail to help US in Iran - US president tells the FT in an interview that China summit could be delayed. Donald Trump has warned that NATO faces a ‘very bad’ future if US allies fail to assist in opening up the Strait of Hormuz, sending a blunt message to European nations to join his war effort in Iran. ‘We’ve been very sweet. We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us . . . But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us,’ the US president said.
Trump Says NATO 'Making a Very Foolish Mistake' for Not Joining War Against Iran - President Trump on Tuesday criticized the US’s NATO allies, saying they were “making a very foolish mistake” for not entering the US-Israeli war against Iran, as his calls for other countries to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz have been rejected.“NATO is making a very foolish mistake. I’ve long said whether or not they’d be there for us, and this was a great test,” the president told reporters. Earlier in the day, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he had been “informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East.”While lamenting NATO’s unwillingness to join the war, the president insisted he doesn’t need them or any of the US allies in the Asia Pacific, claiming that the US-Israeli bombing campaign has “decimated” Iran’s military. “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump said.“In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.The Strait of Hormuz remains closed to virtually all ships except for a few that have made the transit with Iran’s permission. Oil prices jumped on Tuesday when a senior Iranian official said the strait would remain closed, and gas prices in the US continue to rise, with the nationwide average of gas in the US rising to $3.79 per gallon, a nearly 30% increase since March 1.
'Not Our War': US Allies Decline Trump's Request To Send Ships To Open Strait of Hormuz - Several US-allied nations have already publicly declined President Trump’s request for them to send warships to the Middle East to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which is now being tightly controlled by the Iranian military.“What does … Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US Navy cannot do?” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters on Monday. “This is not our war, we have not started it.”Japan, which is heavily reliant on oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz, also said it has no current plans to deploy warships to the region. “What is most important is to put our efforts, including our diplomatic efforts, into calming the situation,” said Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The Parnassos crude oil tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit TessierIn a post on Truth Social over the weekend, President Trump said that Japan, China, France, the UK, South Korea, and others affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should send ships to the region. He acknowledged on Monday that some countries aren’t “enthusiastic” about it while claiming that some are supportive of the idea.“Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” the president said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that the UK was in talks with allies on opening the Strait of Hormuz and suggested the possibility of using mine-hunting drones already deployed in the region, though he also stressed that London would “not be drawn into the wider war.”Starmer also rejected the idea that NATO would ever launch a mission to open the Strait of Hormuz. Greece, another NATO member, also ruled out participating in military operations to open the waterway.
Wary allies show there's no quick fix to Trump's Iran crisis - Throughout his two terms in office, US President Donald Trump has not been shy to criticise – even to attack – Washington's Nato allies. But his latest suggestion – that failing to secure the Strait of Hormuz would be "very bad for the future of Nato" – implies an understanding of the alliance's purpose that has already raised eyebrows. "Nato was created as a… defensive alliance," Gen Sir Nick Carter, former chief of the Defence Staff, told the BBC on Monday. "It was not an alliance that was designed for one of the allies to go on a war of choice and then oblige everybody else to follow," he said. "I'm not sure that's the sort of Nato that any of us wanted to belong to." Coming from a president who only two months ago was making strident claims to Greenland, the sovereign territory of a fellow Nato member, there is more than a little irony in the latest remarks. This perhaps helps to explain why some responses have been fairly blunt. In Germany, a government spokesman said the war with Iran had "nothing to do with Nato", while Defence Minister Boris Pistorius seemed to pour scorn on the idea that Europe's modest navies could make a difference. "What does Trump expect from a handful of European frigates that the powerful US navy cannot do?" he asked. "This is not our war. We have not started it." But none of this should hide the fact that there is now an urgent, and growing, need for a solution to the crisis in the Gulf. Iran's effective blocking of the Strait of Hormuz – except for a handful of vessels carrying its own oil to allies like India and China – has left Western governments scrambling to find a solution. It may be a crisis triggered by Trump's decision to go to war, but it is one that needs to be fixed quickly, before the impacts on the global economy get any worse. But it is already clear that there is no quick fix. At his news conference on Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said conversations aimed at working out a "viable plan" were ongoing with the US, European and Gulf partners, but that we are "not at the point of decisions yet".
Some Gulf States Egg On US Iran Strikes As EU, Russia, China Demand Ceasefire - Beijing Ignores Trump's Hormuz Plea -- Fresh reports suggest that at least some Gulf states are now egging on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, hoping that the Islamic Republic's significant ballistic missile can be blunted forever, after countries from Bahrain to UAE to Saudi Arabia have been target of literally thousands of drones and missiles since Operation Epic Fury began."This is not a military exchange. This is an attack on a peaceful nation, a nation that has been working diligently and very hard for diplomacy," Sultan al-Jaber, the U.A.E. minister of industry and advanced technology, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying. Jaber stressed, "Any long-term political settlement must address the full spectrum of threats, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and their network of regional proxies."And yet, Israel and the US now extending their aerial attacks to Iran's oil infrastructure has immediately resulted in Iran declaring that it will in turn target oil fields and infrastructure among America's Gulf allies.As these easily predictable steps on the escalation ladder continue to play out, China is ignoring President Trump's request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for vital global oil transit. What Beijing has made clear, however, is that it wants all parties to cease hostilities in an military engagement it believes should have never started.One analyst, Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for US-China relations at the International Crisis Group, has stated: "President Trump’s request to delay his long-awaited summit with President Xi Jinping underscores how significantly he underestimated the fallout from Operation Epic Fury.""A show of US force that was meant to intimidate Beijing has instead served to puncture the illusion of US omnipotence: Unable to reopen the Strait of Hormuz alone, Washington now needs its principal strategic competitor to help it manage a crisis of its own making," Wyne concludes. So as things stand: "Arab states are egging the US on to continue its strikes to cripple Tehran so it can never attack anyone again. Europe, with Russia and China, is calling for an immediate ceasefire." – Rabobank According to more from Rabobank: After Trump’s appeal for allies to help reopen Hormuz, and no one stepping up, the president was reportedly livid, launching public invective that the US can’t rely on its allies when needed and will proceed with them, also suggesting there’s little point to NATO.Ominously, the same was implied by the more moderate (in terms of US alliances) Senator Graham. Once this war is over, win or lose, there are likely to be serious geopolitical and geoeconomic consequences and realignments - indeed, that looks the deliberate target. However, there's another obvious overlooked angle here - and it's where Trump's own rhetorical style starts to have direct repercussions. NATO allies see him saying the US has already 'won' in Iran (which he's declared several times verbally and in Truth Social posts). Trump has also moved between berating these very NATO allies and proclaiming Washington doesn't actually need their help at all.
Zelensky: Russia providing Iran with Shahed drones used against US bases - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia provided Iran Shahed drones that were later used on U.S. bases. “First of all, Russia gave drones already, these Shaheds. They are using Iranian licenses. You know that they built and produced a lot of drones, they gave them. I have 100 percent facts that they — that Iranian regime used against American bases and against our Middle East — in Middle East, I mean, and Middle East neighbors of Iran, they used these drones,” Zelensky said in a recent interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. Russia has extensively used Shahed drones against Ukraine since its full-scale invasion four years ago. The U.S. recently temporarily removed sanctions against Russian oil stranded at sea, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying in a post on the social platform X that the “narrowly tailored” sanctions removal “will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government.” President Trump, in an interview that aired Thursday, said Russian President Vladimir Putin “might” be helping Iran with its military operations against the U.S. “I think he might be helping them a little bit, and he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?” Trump told Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade, stating later that “China would say the same thing.” “It’s like, hey, they do it and we do it, in all fairness,” he added. Trump’s comments came in the wake of a report that Russia gave Iran information that helped them in locating and striking U.S. bases in the Middle East.
US Has Lost About a Dozen MQ-9 Reaper Drones in Iran War - The US military has lost about a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The report said the MQ-9s had been lost both on the ground and in the air as Iranian missile and drone attacks have hit US bases across the region, and the drones have been used to launch airstrikes over Iran.Each MQ-9 Reaper drone costs at least $30 million to produce, meaning the US has lost about $360 million worth of the drones in less than three weeks. The US has also lost several manned aircraft, including three F-15 fighter jets and one KC-135 refueling tanker, which crashed in Iraq, killing all six crewmembers onboard.The US employed the MQ-9 frequently in its drone wars, but the large, low-flying drone is very vulnerable to air defenses. During US bombing campaigns in Yemen in 2024 and 2025, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, managed to shoot down around 20 MQ-9s. MQ-9s are flown remotely by drone pilots in the US, and, according to the Journal report, they have been firing 250-pound small diameter bombs, which have a longer range than the Hellfire missiles MQ-9s are usually equipped with. The report said that the US has been flying about 10 MQ-9s over Iran at a time.
Trump Says He May Bomb Iran's Kharg Island Again 'For Fun' - President Trump said on Saturday that the US may bomb Iran’s Kharg Island again “for fun” and urged other countries to help the US open the Strait of Hormuz.The president made the comments a day after the US military struck the Persian Gulf island, where most of Iran’s oil exports move through. So far, the US has spared the oil infrastructure on the island as it fears Iranian retaliatory attacks against oil infrastructure across the Gulf. “We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said. “We’ve totally decimated it. Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”In posts on Truth Social, Trump issued a contradictory message, claiming that other countries are sending ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz while also asking them to do so, as his administration scrambles to deal with rising oil and gas prices. He also claimed Iran’s military capability has been “100%” destroyed, but acknowledged it still has the ability to attack ships in the strait.“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” the president wrote. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump added.A few hours later, the president made a similar post. “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” he said. For its part, Iran has said that the strait is closed unless ships have permission from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the strait is “open to everyone, except American ships and those of its allies,” and two Indian-flagged ships safely passed through the waterway on Saturday.
'I'll knock the hell out of it.' Trump warns U.S. could attack Kharg Island again in call with PBS News | PBS News President Donald Trump threatened Monday to strike Iran's Kharg Island again following an attack last week that destroyed key military facilities, saying "I told them openly — I'll knock the hell out of it."The comments came during a three-minute phone call Monday morning with PBS News' Liz Landers, while the president was attending what he described as a "very important meeting" on the Iran war.Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that he had "totally obliterated every military target" on the island, home to a small oil terminal in the Persian Gulf that ships 90% of Iran's oil exports.U.S. military officials reported Saturday that a number of military and missile facilities were destroyed in the attack, but oil infrastructure was preserved. Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would retaliate if the country's oil or energy infrastructure was attacked. By phone Monday, Trump described the island as "out of commission except for the pipes, which I left." "I didn't want to hit the pipes because, you know, years of work to put them together," he added. "It's dead militarily now, totally. Every military area … they've fled." Trump said he "didn't even come close" to hitting oil infrastructure, indicating he "left 100 yards around it." "Because once you do that, you know, it's a long time. It's a long building process." Trump said he "left a lot of infrastructure" in the attacks on Tehran since the U.S. and Israel first attacked in late February, because "it's years of building." "I could knock out the electric plants in one hour. They'd be gone. But if I do that, that's years of rebuilding and it's trauma. So I'm trying to hold off on that kind of thing." A majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the war in Iran, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, and also oppose U.S. military action there.The Trump administration has provided varied and evolving goals for the war in Iran, ultimately saying that the president will determine when the mission has succeeded. At the beginning of March, Trump predicted the war would last "four to five weeks."When asked Monday whether he sees U.S. troops on the ground in Iran, he responded: "I don't wanna say that." When asked if his thinking has changed on the issue, he said, "No, it's not changed, but I just don't want to talk about that, because I'm not gonna talk about strategy with a reporter. O.K.?"
More Than 200 US Troops Have Been Injured in Iran War - -More than 200 US troops have been wounded in the Middle East since the US and Israel launched the war with Iran on February 28, a US Central Command spokesman said on Monday, as the conflict continues to rage across the region.CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told The Washington Post that US troops have been wounded in seven countries, including Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, as Iranian missiles and drones have hit targets across the region.Hawkins said that most injuries happened in the opening days of the war and that some injuries had been reported in the past few days. Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged at least 140 US troops had been wounded, an admission that came only after Reuters reported that the total number of US injuries was as high as 150. So far, CENTCOM has confirmed that 13 US troops have been killed in the war, including six killed by an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait, one killed by an attack in Saudi Arabia, and six who died when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq. One other US soldier died of an unspecified “medical emergency” in Kuwait.
Iran Says US-Israeli Strikes Have Killed More Than 400 Women and Children - -- Iran’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that US-Israeli strikes in the country have killed at least 223 women and 202 children since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.The ministry said that the toll includes three pregnant women and 12 children under the age of five. The majority of the children were killed in the opening hours of the war when a US strike hit an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing more than 100 students.The numbers from Iran’s Health Ministry align with figures from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a US-based, US-funded rights group that’s highly critical of the Iranian government. The group said on Sunday night that since the war started, 1,330 civilians had been killed in strikes, including 206 children.The HRANA has also said that 1,122 military personnel have been killed, putting its overall death toll significantly higher than anything the Iranian government has put out.US and Israeli strikes continued across Iran on Monday, and, according to Iranian state media, more women and children were killed. Iran’s PressTV reported that a strike hit a home in central Iran and killed a three-day-old baby boy, a two-year-old girl, and their mother and grandmother.The Iranian Red Crescent reported that strikes also hit residential areas in Tehran on Monday. “These photos show an airstrike on a residential area in Tehran and the efforts of Red Crescent aid workers to rescue the affected people and families,” the group said in a post on X showing photos of its rescue workers responding to the strikes.
Araghchi Says Iran Not Seeking a Ceasefire, Ready To Fight as Long as Necessary - -Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday denied claims from President Trump that Tehran is seeking negotiations and a ceasefire with the US and said that Iran is ready to fight for as long as needed.“No, we never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” Araghchi told CBS News host Margaret Brennan when asked if Tehran sought a truce. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.”Araghchi added that “people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun,” an apparent reference to Trump saying the US military was having “fun” sinking Iranian warships and suggesting he may launch more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf “for fun.”Brennan asked Arahgchi about a potential nuclear deal between the US and Iran, and Arahgchi said nothing was currently on the table. “Everything depends on the future. If at any time in the future we decide to enter into negotiations with the US or other interlocutors, you know, we may decide what to put on the table. For the time being, nothing is on the table,” he said.Iran’s message in the face of the US-Israeli bombing campaign, which has killed more than 1,200 Iranian civilians, has been one of defiance. Araghchi and other senior Iranian officials attended a Quds Day march in Tehran on Friday, the same day US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iranian leadership was hiding like “rats,” though Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to make a public appearance.
Kelly: Hegseth ‘no quarter,’ Trump ‘just for fun’ remarks show no ‘clear strategy’ for Iran war - Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) slammed President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing the duo lacks a strategy in the war against Iran as the conflict stretches into its third week. “The ‘no quarter’ comment by the SecDef and this ‘just for fun’ remark by the President tells me there was never a clear strategy for this war,” the Arizona senator wrote on the social platform X. “And at this point, three weeks in, they are just making up objectives as they stumble along all while our troops are put at risk and Americans are paying for it at the pump,” he added. Last week, Hegseth said the U.S. military “will keep pressing, we will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” in the operation against Iran. The phrase “no quarter” in military parlance means killing enemy combatants instead of accepting their surrender. Under Article 23 of the Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907, it is prohibited in war to “declare that no quarter will be given” to enemy forces. Trump also told NBC News on Saturday that the U.S. may hit Iran’s Kharg Island “a few more times just for fun” after striking the territory on Saturday. Kharg Island, located roughly 16 miles off the coast of Iran, is where the Middle Eastern country exports a significant majority of its oil.The president said Friday that the U.S. military totally “obliterated” every military target on the island. Seven U.S. service members have been killed since the war began on Feb. 28, according to U.S. Central Command (Centcom). All six U.S. service members on board a refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq last Thursday also died, with Centcom saying that the “loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”As of Friday, at least 1,298 Iranian civilians, including at least 205 children, have been killed since the war started, according to the Iran-based Human Rights Activist News Agency. The agency also said that at least 1,251 Iranian military and armed forces personnel have been killed.Kelly, a retired Navy captain who is embroiled in a legal fight with the Pentagon over remarks he directed to troops last year, has frequently criticized Trump and Hegseth during the war.He told MS NOW’s Jen Psaki earlier this month that a “random group of people” on the street in Washington, D.C., would do a better job carrying out the operation than the current administration.
Democrats push for limits on Pentagon's AI deployment - Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) moved ahead with efforts to limit the Pentagon’s use of AI, introducing a bill on Tuesday that would establish guardrails related to autonomous and nuclear weapons. The bill, titled the AI Guardrails Act, would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from using autonomous weapons to kill without human authorization, and using AI for domestic mass surveillance and nuclear weapons launch. It is the latest pushback from Democrats after the Pentagon cut ties with AI firm Anthropic earlier this month and took the unprecedented move to designate the company a supply chain risk. President Trump also directed federal civilian agencies to immediately stop using Anthropic’s products. Slotkin’s bill appears to touch on the assurances Anthropic pressed the Pentagon for, including specific restrictions on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons. The DOD insisted on using an “all lawful purposes” standard and negotiations fell apart as a result. “Congress is behind in putting left and right limits on the use of AI, and the first place to start should be at the Pentagon,” Slotkin said in a press release Tuesday, adding, “AI is going to shape the future of America’s national security and we must win the AI race against China. But to do that, we need action that puts limits on AI in the Department of Defense. This is just common sense.” Slotkin argued her bill is consistent with the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, which includes calls on the U.S. to “aggressively adopt” AI for the armed forces, while ensuring it is “secure and reliable.” “Militaries must also lay out which decisions must remain under human control regardless of the merits of AI-enabled decision-making,” Slotkin’s office said in a fact sheet about the bill. “Some military command decisions are too risky and too consequential for machines to decide.” Slotkin’s Democratic colleague, Sen. Adam Schiff (Calif.) told The Hill last week that he would introduce legislation in the coming weeks to codify protections around the use of AI in surveillance and warfare. HIs office has been in touch with industry leaders for the legislation and is also considering its inclusion in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act, according to the senator’s spokesperson. In the House, Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) introduced an amendment to the Defense Production Act to prohibit federal agencies from “retaliating” against high-risk technology vendors and developers that try to limit the deployment of their technology “in ways to mitigate the risk to United States citizens.” The amendment failed on a party line vote earlier this month. Anthropic has sued the Trump administration, asking the courts for a temporary halt on supply chain designation, which is typically reserved for companies of foreign adversaries.
'The Gravest Sin': Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Responds to Hegseth Invoking God at War Briefings - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has commented on US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth invoking God and reading scripture during his press briefings on the US and Israeli war against Iran.During one briefing last week, Hegseth read from Psalm 144. “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle,” he said. The US war chief, author of a book titled “American Crusade,” also said in an interview with CBS News that the “providence of our almighty God” was protecting US troops engaged in the war.Pizzaballa was asked about Hegseth’s behavior during a virtual event hosted by the International Oasis Foundation on the war raging across the Middle East. “The abuse and manipulation of God’s name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit at this time,” Pizzaballa said at the webinar, according to Vatican News.“War is first and foremost political and has very material interests, like most wars. We must do everything we can to leave no room for this pseudo-religious language, which speaks not of God, but of ourselves,” he added. Pizzaballa said that “as believers … we need to say that no, there are no new crusades. If God is present in this war, He is among those who are dying, who are suffering, who are in pain, who are oppressed in various ways, throughout the Middle East.”The Catholic leader added that he was “not saying that on one side or the other this conflict has religious connotations, but there are manipulations: those who wish to bring religion into it exploit the name of God.”Pope Leo XIV and Catholic leaders in the US have been outspoken in their opposition to the war and continue to call for peace in the region.
Pope Leo: Christian Leaders Responsible for Wars Should Make an Examination of Conscience and Confess - Pope Leo XIV on Friday suggested that Christian leaders responsible for wars should examine their conscience and make a confession, as the US-born pontiff continues to make appeals for peace following the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.“One might ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to undertake a serious examination of conscience and confess?” Leo said in remarks at the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.While the pope didn’t mention any leaders by name, his comments are seen as a reference to members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are both Catholics and have played a leading role in attempting to justify the president’s decision to launch the war. Senior Catholic clerics in the US have also been critical of the Trump administration’s decision to start the war and its conduct surrounding the conflict.Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington has said that the war is “not morally legitimate” because it fails to meet the tenets of the Catholic Church’s “Just War Theory” and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Leo’s hometown, has been harshly critical of the White House for posting social media videos that splice scenes from movies and video games with footage of US strikes on Iran. In his remarks on Friday, Leo lamented that too many Catholics have failed to go to confession and said that the Catholic sacrament is necessary for fostering reconciliation between people.“Only a reconciled person is capable of living in a way that is both unarmed and disarming,” Leo said. “Whoever lays down the weapons of pride and allows themselves to be continually renewed by God’s forgiveness becomes an agent of reconciliation in daily life.” On Sunday, Leo renewed his call for peace in an appeal on behalf of Christians in the Middle East. “In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill: Cease the fire! Let paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, the stability, and the peace that people are awaiting,” he said.
More on the Great Big Stinking Lies About Iran by David Stockman - What is going on in the Persian Gulf is rotten beyond words. The rogue madman in the Oval Office has detonated a conflagration there that could send the entire global economy and financial system spiraling into a catastrophe – and not just because or even mainly due to the 23 million barrels of oil per day at risk out of 105 million needed worldwide. What’s really at risk is the underlying global financial system. The latter is a veritable house of cards sitting upon a mountain of debt, leverage and speculative excess. So it may not have the capacity or resilience to withstand a sudden $200 per barrel oil shock. Yet and yet. The whole insanely reckless act of launching a sweeping military attack on a nation of 90 million people that had zero capacity to impose military harm on the home territory of the United States is predicated on one of the Great Big Stinking Lies of History. Namely, that the Iranian regime is a uniquely evil stain on the face of the earth and has spent 47 years bringing injury, mayhem and death to America and much of the region around it. The truth, however, is there’s nothing especially unique about Iran’s manifold sins at all. It’s just another run-0f-the-mill authoritarian state run by a medieval theocracy that has imposed one of the most benighted tyrannies of modern times. Accordingly, it has brought untold hardships and miseries to its people—especially via the brutal ruffians of the IRGC. But that’s mainly the unfortunate work of the clerics and their IRGC allies ruling inside its borders. When it comes to the outside world, Iran has invaded not a single neighboring country since 1979 (and indeed, not in the last 300 years before the mullahs). At the time time, it was savagely attacked by Saddam Hussein with US and European arms during the 1980s; has been brutally sanctioned by Washington trade embargoes and economic warfare for the past 30 years; and for decades has also been relentlessly assaulted via Israeli assassination squads, saboteurs and periodic missiles and bombs. In fact, the whole “leading state sponsor of terror” slogan has more validity as a Bibi Netanyahu campaign theme than it does as an accurate description of the real world. And, no, the “whadabout the proxies” canard doesn’t cut it, either. Not a single one of Iran’s so-called “proxies” in the region were confected out of whole cloth by the mullahs as some kind of mercenary force recruited, trained and financed by Tehran and artificially implanted in the soil of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Gaza. To the contrary, the first three of these represented Shiite populations, which aligned with their Shiite brethren in Iran out of confessional ties and due to the fact that they were imperiled in their home countries. After all, there was no Hezbollah until Israel invaded southern Lebanon in the early 1980s and imposed a harsh occupation that left tens of thousands dead, culminating in the genocidal atrocities at Sabra and Shatila. Likewise, the late Assad government in Syria was Alawite, which is a Shiite branch, and had been at war with Israel off and on since 1967 under Bashar Assad and his father before him. Whatever the merits of its half-century long struggle with the Israelis, the Assad regime didn’t need any new marching orders from Tehran to become a “proxy”. Even in the case of Yemen, the country has been divided and wracked by civil war conditions since the 1960s as regionally based Shiite and Sunni factions battled for power. The Houthi faction domiciled in the north and west of Yemen, of course, is Shiite and made an alliance with Tehran. Not surprisingly, the southern and eastern Sunni areas of the country were aligned with the Sunni monarchy of Saudi Arabia, which has waged war against the Houthi much of the time since 2015. Finally, however evil the Hamas forces surely are, they were not born, bred and raised by the mullahs. If anything, the Israeli sponsored open air prison in Gaza and five brutal episodes of “mowing the lawn” via vicious bombing campaigns since 2007 were more than enough to explain the rise of Hamas. In fact, Hamas was mainly Sunni, not Shiite, and was aligned with Iran only out of having a common enemy. Even then, most the the suitcases full of cash that Netanyahu permitted to come into Gaza year after year before October 7th was Sunni money from the Gulf states, not Iranian proxy finance. So, yes, there has been a goodly amount of conflict and violence in the region, but it was not robotically commanded by the Ayatollahs. It was deeply rooted in the indigenous conflicts of the region that long pre-dated the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The common thread, course, is that all four of these forces were indigenous to the region and had a beef with Israel separate and apart from anything happening in Tehran. That’s mainly because each of these groups were directly attacked or demonized by Bibi Netanyahu for deep reasons of Israeli politics. In any event, the gist for the 47-Years War on America Lie stems almost entirely from Israel’s on-going battle with the four mis-labeled “proxies” and Washington’s repeated interventions, funding and international political and diplomatic support for Israel. And even then, taking sides in this manner had no benefit whatsoever for the homeland security of America. Yet it was the unnecessary and avoidable fallout from consistently taking sides with Israel against these regional foes that gives rise to the hoary myth that Iran has murdered more than 1,000 Americans over the 47 years since the Revolution. Yet a simply fact check conducted by Grok 4 at our request debunks this endlessly chanted claim lock, stock and barrel. The table below lists every event between 1979 and the present that allegedly gave rise to Iranian murders of Americans—along with the numbers of purported victims and the circumstances of the attack. Some of these are far fetched, indeed, but to give benefit of the doubt we included each and everyone of them. But here are the key realities:
- Not one of the 1,050 American deaths during this period occurred on American soil.
- Exactly 1,041 of these deaths occurred at the hands of alleged Iranian proxies versus only 9 attributable to Iranian military or other government agencies.
- Fully 1,000 or 96% of the America deaths happened in the context of US military deployments to the region and the resulting active wars and peacekeeping activities in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and adjacent territories and coastal waters
That’s right. Not one of these US military deployments from the Beirut Marine barracks forward was necessary for America’s homeland security. To the contrary, all were elective wars undertaken pursuit to the imperatives of Empire. Accordingly, the resulting deaths are due to putting American military and civilian personal wrongfully in harms’s way – and most especially from taken sides in local and regional military conflicts that were none of Washington’s business. (This is part 4 in a series. Read part 1 and part 2 and part 3.)
Trump Says Israel 'Would Never' Use Nuclear Weapons - President Trump said on Monday that Israel “would never” use a nuclear weapon when asked about comments from David Sacks, the White House’s AI and crypto czar, who recently suggested that Israel might consider the nuclear option if the war with Iran continues to escalate.“Israel could get seriously destroyed,” Sacks said on an episode of the “All-In Podcast” that was posted on Friday, when discussing the potential scenarios if the US-Israeli war against Iran continues. “And then you have to worry about Israel escalating the war by contemplating using a nuclear weapon, which would truly be catastrophic.”Sacks’s comments are significant since he is an administration official, and for many decades, both the US and Israeli governments have maintained a policy of not acknowledging the existence of Israel’s nuclear arsenal.The ambiguity around Israel’s nuclear weapons program allows the US to provide military assistance without worrying about the Symington Amendment, a foreign assistance law that prohibits aid to countries that traffic in nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside of international safeguards. Israel is believed to have somewhere between 90 and 300 nuclear warheads, but the real figure is unknown. Last year, The Associated Press reported that satellite images showed construction work on a major new facility at the nuclear site near Dimona, Israel, the location of Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program.In his response to the question about Sacks’s comments, Trump said, “Israel wouldn’t do that. Israel would never do that.”
US F-35 Fighter Jet Damaged by Iranian Fire - The US military said on Thursday that a US F-35 fighter jet was damaged by suspected Iranian fire while operating over Iran and was forced to make an emergency landing. “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command. “This incident is under investigation.” Hawkins’ statement came after Iran said that its forces successfully struck an F-35 and released a video that purported to show the aircraft being hit. “The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement. The extent of the damage to the F-35 is unclear. Both the US and Israeli air forces have F-35s in their fleet, and each aircraft costs around $100 million.Since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, the US has lost at least three manned aircraft: three F-15 fighter jets and one KC-135 refueling tanker, which crashed in Iraq, killing all six crewmembers. The US claimed all three F-15s were mistakenly shot down by Kuwait and that the KC-135 crashed due to an accident, though the incident happened amid frequent drone and missile attacks on US assets in Iraq.The US has also lost about 12 MQ-9 Reaper drones, which cost at least $30 million apiece. US officials told The Wall Street Journal that MQ-9s had been lost both on the ground and in the air as Iranian missile and drone attacks have hit US bases across the region, and the drones have been used to launch airstrikes over Iran.
Iran Has Destroyed 10 US Radars, Hit Bases Dozens of Times - Iran has inflicted a heavy toll on the network of American radars across the Middle East. Advanced radar systems are crucial for identifying and shooting down missiles and drones.Imagery reviewed by ABC News shows that at least 10 American radars in the Middle East were destroyed in the first two weeks of the war with Iran. The strikes have hit four AN/TPY-2 systems, which are the primary radars used by the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system.The Department of War has started to move parts of the THAAD system out of South Korea to send to the Middle East. Additionally, radars for three major US bases in the region were hit in Iranian strikes, as well as the system for the US Embassy in Baghdad.ABC News also reported that Iranian missiles have hit US bases in the Middle East at least 25 times since the latest conflict erupted in February. However, the true impact remains unknown, as the Pentagon has refused to release damage assessments, and satellite imagery that is typically publicly available has been withheld. The war started on February 28 when Israel and the US launched an unprovoked attack on Iran that ignited a region-wide conflict. While President Trump was hoping for a quick victory, Iranian forces have continued to fire missiles at Israel, US bases in the region, and America’s Gulf Arab allies. Tehran now says it is unwilling to agree to a ceasefire or engage in talks with the United States. During the last two rounds of dialogue between Washington and Tehran, the US and Israel launched aggressive wars against Iran.
Ukraine Sends 200 Drone Experts to the Middle East to Aid War Against Iran - Volodymyr Zelensky said that he has sent hundreds of anti-drone experts to help the US take down Iranian UAVs. A statement posted by the Ukrainian President’s Office said, “There are currently 201 Ukrainians in the Middle East and the Gulf region, with another 34 experts ready to be deployed.”Zelensky said the deployment was part of a “Drone Deal” he proposed to President Donald Trump. “I sent these military experts at the request of our partners – including the United States. In fact, this is part of the Drone Deal we proposed to the United States, which we worked on together and which is still on the table.” He continued, “And we are ready to offer similar deals to all our reliable partners – from practical cooperation on drones to future defense alliances.”The head of state argued that Kiev was uniquely positioned to provide anti-drone assistance to its allies, as Russia has used Iranian drones throughout the war in Ukraine.“What is happening around Iran today is not a faraway war for us – because of the cooperation between Russia and Iran. And we do not believe we have the right to be indifferent,” Zelensky said. “In Ukraine, we stop one such drone with two or three interceptors, small interceptors costing less than 10,000 dollars in total. So our approach is far more cost-effective than anything our partners use today.”However, Ukraine is facing a manpower shortage and is struggling to maintain its air defenses. Kiev has relied on aid from NATO members to continue training and arming its conscripts for combat.Zelensky may see the move as a way to gain favor with Trump. The American president has lashed out at NATO allies who have refused to get involved in the Middle East war started by the US and Israel.
Trump Administration Goes After the Media for Negative Coverage of the Iran War - In recent days, senior Trump administration officials have increased their criticism and complaints about negative coverage of the US-Israeli war against Iran, with President Trump even suggesting certain media outlets could face “charges for treason.”Trump made the comments in a long post on Truth Social put out on Sunday night, where he claimed that Iran has been feeding “false information” to the “Fake News media” and said fake AI videos were being circulated. The president said there was a fake video that showed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on fire. “The story was knowingly FAKE and, in a certain way, you can say that those Media Outlets that generated it should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information!” Trump wrote. While a fake video of Abraham Lincoln was circulated on social media, there’s no indication that it was picked up by any major media outlets. The only media outlet President Trump named in his post was The Wall Street Journal, which he accused of “false reporting” over a report on five US Air Force refueling tankers being damaged by an Iranian missile strike in Saudi Arabia.However, Trump also acknowledged that one tanker was damaged and that the other four were back in service, which doesn’t refute the Journal report since it said the aircraft were not fully destroyed and were being repaired.“The five US Refueling Planes that were supposedly struck down and badly damaged, according to The Wall Street Journal’s false reporting, and others, are all in service, with the exception of one, which will soon be flying the skies,” Trump said.The president also pointed to comments from Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, who is threatening to revoke the licenses of news broadcasters for their coverage of the war in Iran. “I am so thrilled to see Brendan Carr … looking at the licenses of some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations,” he added.US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also complained that media outlets haven’t been “patriotic” enough in their coverage. “We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies,” Hegseth said at a press conference on Friday. “Yet some in this crew, in the press, just can’t stop. Allow me to make a few suggestions. People look up at the TV, and they see banners, they see headlines. I used to be in that business. And I know that everything is written intentionally.”The US war chief continued, “For example, a banner or a headline: ‘Mideast war intensifies,’ splashing on the screen the last couple of days, alongside visuals of civilian or energy targets that Iran has hit, because that’s what they do. What should the banner read instead? How about, ‘Iran increasingly desperate,’ because they are. They know it and so do you, if it can be admitted.”Hegseth described a headline that said the “war is widening” as fake despite the conflict spreading across the region. He suggested a “real headline” for an “actually patriotic press” could say “Iran shrinking, going underground,” though senior Iranian officials attended a public Quds Day march in Tehran that same day.Hegseth also accused CNN of disseminating “fake news” for reporting that the Trump administration “underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz” and said that he was looking forward to the network being taken over by David Ellison, who, along with his father Larry Ellison, recently acquired CBS News. Larry Ellison is known as a Trump donor and a major supporter of Israel, having donated millions to the Israeli military.
You Can't Make People Cheer For Your Wars After Committing A Live-Streamed Genocide, And Other Notes -Caitlin Johnstone -I saw a clip of Fox News war propagandist Sean Hannity solemnly reading a tweet by Atlantic Council fellow Jamie Metzl which said, “It is profoundly disturbing that a growing segment of the far left appears to be almost rooting for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime, and other forces fundamentally opposed to the US and our allies. This seems to reflect a corrosive strain of anti-Americanism dressed up in post-colonial theory that risks blinding us to the moral realities of our world and the nature of our adversaries.”These assholes really thought they could commit a genocide in full view of the entire world for years and then expect everyone cheer for them to win.Of course we’re seeing more “anti-Americanism”. You don’t get to commit horrific atrocities year after year and then cry when the world starts to hate you. Fox News is absolutely panicking. They are crying on air about how the American public is waking up and supporting the resistance. They call it 'anti-Americanism', but the truth is people are just sick of the US and Israel destroying the Middle East.CBS News reports the Pentagon has made detailed preparations to send US ground forces to Iran, while conscientious objector nonprofit Center on Conscience & War reports that they’re getting numerous calls from US service members who say they’ve received surprise deployment orders. I can’t get over how many leftists bought into the “we support the Iran protests” schtick. Where the fuck did you idiots think this was headed? What did you think you were promoting when you assisted the US empire’s regime change sloganeering throughout the west? Fucking morons.
Gabbard Showdown: DNI Scrubs "Obliterated" Iran Nuke Line from Testimony, Dodges Imminent Threat Question --Things are getting spicy on Capitol Hill - as DNI Tulsi Gabbard faced intense scrutiny from Democrats during a Senate hearing on worldwide threats, while Sen. Markwayne Mullin endured a fiery intra-GOP confrontation during his DHS confirmation, and the SAVE America Act debate dragged into its second day amid Republican divisions. Gabbard, joined by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on global threats. The session was dominated by fallout from the Iran war and yesterday's resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who protested that Iran posed "no imminent threat" and accused the conflict of Israeli-driven pressure. Gabbard notably deviated from her prepared written testimony, which included a strong line: Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was "obliterated" by prior 2025 strikes (Operation Midnight Hammer), with "no efforts" to rebuild since, and underground facilities "buried and shuttered with cement." She completely omitted this in her oral delivery, instead stating Iran was "trying to recover from severe damage" to its nuclear infrastructure pre-current operations.This shift drew immediate fire from Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), who accused her of skipping parts that "contradict the president" on imminent threats and rebuilding claims. Gabbard cited time constraints; Warner pressed on briefing Trump about escalation risks like closing the Strait of Hormuz or Gulf strikes - Gabbard refused to divulge internal conversations, calling aspects of the questioning inappropriate.
- Warner: "In your printed testimony: as a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There's been no efforts to try to rebuild their enrichment capability... You omitted that paragraph from your oral opening. Was that because the president said there was an imminent threat?"
- Gabbard: "I recognized that time was running long, and I skipped through some of the portions."
- Warner (pressing): "You chose to omit the parts that contradict the president."
- Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) repeatedly demanded if Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat; Gabbard refused to affirm, deferring: "It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat... The only person who can determine that is the President." Ossoff called it evasion of DNI duties in a "worldwide threats hearing."
Other tensions included Warner probing domestic intel overreach (Fulton County election office matter) and Russia potentially aiding Iran—Gabbard downplayed and deferred to closed sessions. Sen. Ron Wyden highlighted ignored prior IC warnings on escalation. The hearing amplified intel vs. administration rifts, with no new major blowups but persistent Dem grilling on justification gaps.As noted earlier, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an 'interview' to become the new DHS Secretary, emphasizing mass deportations, border overhaul, and fixing agency issues amid shutdown chaos post-Kristi Noem's firing.Drama erupted when Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) used his opening to blast Mullin's "anger issues" as disqualifying for leading an agency with aggressive tactics controversies. Paul brought up Mullin's past comments concerning a 2017 assault on Paul (broken ribs from neighbor dispute), quoting Mullin calling him a "freaking snake." Paul also brought up a 2023 Teamsters hearing where Mullin (ex-MMA fighter) challenged President Sean O'Brien to a fight ("Stand your butt up").Paul: "Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it," tying it to trust in setting force limits for ICE/Border Patrol.Mullin says he doesn't approve of violence, and accused Paul of anti-Republican fights and campaign opposition, and pivoting to qualifications/family/faith (tearful anecdote on Trump's hospital visit to his son).
Tulsi Gabbard, John Ratcliffe dodge questions about Trump's Iran war planning - Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe dodged questions about President Trump’s planning for the war with Iran and to what extent the president was briefed on the possible scenarios in the lead-up to the airstrikes against Tehran. Lawmakers attempted to utilize the rare hearing to extract answers from senior Trump officials on the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Several senators pressed both during the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on “Worldwide Threats” on Wednesday on whether Iran posed an imminent “nuclear” threat to the U.S., one of the justifications the president and other top Republicans referenced when asked why the decision was made to attack Iran. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) asked Gabbard if the assessment of the intelligence community (IC) was that there was an “imminent nuclear threat” posed by the Iranian regime. Gabbard said the IC assessment was that Iran “maintained the intention to rebuild and to continue to grow their nuclear enrichment capability.” When asked again, Gabbard said the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat to the country is the president. “Here’s the problem. It is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States,” the Georgia Democrat said. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) asked if either Gabbard or Ratcliffe were in the room with Trump when Trump was making the final decision to strike Iran on Feb. 28. Ratcliffe said he was in “dozens” of briefings with the president in the lead-up to the strikes and added that “I don’t know if there was a single meeting where there was a single time where a decision was made.” Gabbard confirmed she was present in those discussions. Earlier this week, Trump claimed that he was surprised that nobody briefed him ahead of time that Iran might retaliate against Gulf nations, although experts have publicly warned about the possibility in the past, including that Tehran could try to choke off the Strait of Hormuz. “Nobody, nobody, no, no, no. No, the greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit – they were – I wouldn’t say friendly countries, they were like neutral. They lived with them for years,” the president said on Monday. When King asked about Trump’s comments, Ratcliffe said he had not heard them and stated that Iran had “specific” plans to hit U.S. interests in “energy sites” across the Middle East region and that is why the Pentagon and State Department “took measures for force protection and personnel protection in advance” of Operation Epic Fury. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the committee, asked Gabbard if she briefed the president that if he started the war with Iran, Tehran would strike Gulf countries and close off the strait. “I have not and won’t divulge internal conversations,” Gabbard told Warner. “I will say that those of us within the intelligence community continue to provide the president with all of the best objective intelligence available to inform his decisions.”
DNI Gabbard Tells Congress Iran Was Not Rebuilding Its Nuclear Program - Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, where she faced several questions about President Donald Trump’s war on Iran. Gabbard told the committee that after two weeks of Israeli and US bombardment, Iran’s military projection capabilities had been “largely destroyed” and its strategic position “significantly degraded.” However, Tehran has achieved some important success in the conflict: the government remains intact and in control of the country, Iranian forces continue to fire missiles at US allies and bases in the Middle East, and Iran has been able to prevent US- and Israel-linked cargo from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. In her opening remarks, Gabbard attempted to hype the alleged threat that Iran poses to the US. “Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with conventional and nuclear payloads that put the United States at direct risk,” she told the committee. She later clarified that Iran does not currently have an intercontinental ballistic missile program, and would take nearly a decade to produce a functioning ICBM. “Iran has previously demonstrated space launch and other technology that it could use to develop an ICBM by 2035 if it chose to pursue the technology,” the DNI explained. During questioning from senators, Gabbard also admitted that Iran’s nuclear energy program was destroyed by the US and Israel during the war last June, and that Tehran had not begun the process of rebuilding its nuclear facilities. Gabbard’s statement may be problematic for President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly stated that Iran presents an imminent threat to the US which requires immediate military action. However, his top intelligence chief testified that Iran was not rebuilding its nuclear program nor attempting to build a missile capable of reaching the US. Gabbard is one of several members of the Trump administration who was strongly opposed to war with Iran before joining the White House. Joe Kent, who ran the National Counterterrorism Center and served as Gabbard’s deputy, resigned over the conflict on Tuesday, insisting that Tehran “posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
Department of War Seeks $200 Billion More to Fund Iran War - The Department of War says it needs $200 billion in additional funds for the war against Iran. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth suggested the number could go higher. According to a senior administration official speaking with The AP, the Department of War submitted the spending request to the White House. Congress will have to pass a supplemental military spending bill to authorize the funding. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna was quick to criticize the additional spending in a post on X. The Congressman argued that the money would be better spent on welfare programs. Several other Democrats came out against the proposal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not directly denounce the potential bill, but did say that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth must testify about the war. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson endorsed supplemental funding for the Pentagon. He said, “Obviously, it’s a dangerous time in the world and we have to adequately fund defense, and we have a commitment to do that.” Johnson added that the Department of War would need to present Congress with a detailed proposal. Trump’s war against Iran appears to have a slim majority of support in the House and Senate. A War Powers Resolution aimed at forcing the President to end the conflict narrowly failed in both houses. At a press conference on Thursday, Hegseth said the number requested by the Pentagon could change. “As far as $200 billion, that number could move, obviously. It takes money to kill bad guys,” he explained.
GOP grapples with $200B Iran funding request from Trump, Hegseth -Republicans are grappling with how to handle an expected $200 billion request for supplemental funding for the war in Iran, weighing their desire to support the president with demands from fiscal hawks, questions about the scope of the funding and the challenge of a super-slim majority in the House. Democrats are not expected to support such a Pentagon funding boost for a war they oppose, leading Republicans to eye fulfilling the request through the special budget reconciliation process, which bypasses the need for Democratic support to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. But to do that, Republicans must get near-unanimous support in a slim House GOP majority — a tall task for even the most populist GOP priorities — while contending with demands from their own members to offset the cost of such a funding boost with cuts elsewhere. “It needs to be paid for. We need to do the fiscally responsible thing,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), a member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus. The Washington Post first reported that the Pentagon had asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion supplemental request to Congress to fund the U.S. war in Iran. The U.S. must “adequately fund defense,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday when asked whether the supplemental sum was too much for a war that he himself has asserted is “all but complete.” “I’m sure it will be detailed and specified. I’m sure it’s not a random number, so we’ll look at that,” he told reporters, stressing that “it’s a dangerous time in the world.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday defended the request without confirming the official figure, saying “that number could move” and that “it takes money to kill bad guys.” “So we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition ––everything’s refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. President Trump later on Thursday said the administration is asking for the funds “for a lot of reasons beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran.” “This is a very volatile world. … We want to have vast amounts of ammunition,” Trump said at the White House. “It’s a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy-top.” The cost of the war in Iran continues to rapidly climb as the conflict nears the end of its third week, with the bombing campaign costing more than $1 billion a day, according to some accounts. Adding $200 billion more to the military’s budget would represent a major expenditure of federal dollars, considering the entire military budget for fiscal 2026 was $1 trillion. The White House Office of Management and Budget still must make a formal request to Congress, meaning the figure could be reduced. Several Democrats immediately rejected the Pentagon’s request, which they pointed to as a sign Trump is digging in for a longer war — even as he initially asserted it would only last four to five weeks. “At the height of combat the Iraq War cost around $140 Billion per year. If the Pentagon is asking for $200 billion they are asking for a long war. The answer is a simple no,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), an Iraq War veteran, said Thursday night on the social platform X. Asked about how Democrats might handle a $200 billion request Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said “the GOP, Republicans, are way off-base as it relates to their priorities,” calling for Congress to focus on bringing down the costs of housing, health care, groceries and child care. “It’s our responsibility right now to end this reckless war of choice,” Jeffries said.
Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could shift: ‘Takes money to kill bad guys’Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon’s reported $200 billion budget request for Iran war funding “could move.” “It takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said at a press briefing when asked to confirm the figure, which The Washington Post first reported Wednesday evening. “We’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded,” Hegseth said. The acknowledgment that a massive supplemental request is in the offing could signal that the U.S. — which has spent roughly $1 billion per day on the war so far, per some estimates — is preparing for a longer fight than the administration’s previously floated four-to-six-week timeline. Hegseth on Thursday declined to say when the U.S. expects to achieve its objectives in Iran. “It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to on behalf of the American people to ensure our security,’” he said. “So no time set on that, but we’re very much on track.” President Donald Trump, asked in the Oval Office later Thursday why the Pentagon is seeking so much money, said, “We’re asking for a lot of reasons.” He then boasted that the U.S. is well-stocked with “vast amounts of ammunition” and that defense companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are “building at a level they’ve never seen before.” “So we’re in very good shape, but we want to be in the best shape,” Trump said. He also told a reporter he would not send U.S. troops to the region. But he added, “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” MS Now, citing two congressional officials, reported earlier Thursday morning that a funding request of up to $200 billion has been informally raised by the Trump administration, though no official ask of Congress has yet been made. The figure “has been discussed informally by administration officials,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MS Now in a phone interview. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., responding to a CNBC question Thursday, said he has “not heard anything official from anybody” on the $200 billion number. But he said the figure could also include things that would otherwise be sought in the fiscal 2027 spending bill. U.S. military operations against Iran, which began Feb. 28, have already cost $12 billion as of Sunday, according to Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council. Hassett, speaking on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” said at that time that he did not think the U.S. needed to ask Congress for more money for the war effort “right now.” The Post’s report, citing an unnamed senior administration official, said the Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more-than-$200 billion request to Congress to fund the intensifying war effort. The massive figure would increase production of the critical munitions that the U.S. and Israel have used to strike thousands of targets since the conflict began, three other people familiar with the matter told the Post.
The Warmongers Will Never Admit They Were Wrong And Will Never Learn From Their Mistakes -Caitlin Johnstone -- Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton has a tweet that’s got me absolutely fuming right now. “In 2018–2019, I made the case for regime change in Iran as often as I could. Voices in Trump’s orbit often cited Iran’s capacity to close the Strait of Hormuz as a reason against regime change. Trump has been fully aware this is a possibility, and yet did not prepare,” Bolton posted. Can you believe this shit? Dude’s like “Hey, Trump should have known this war would be hard because people tried to warn him not to listen to me!” Motherfucker THIS WAS YOUR WAR. You were THE “bomb Iran” guy! You made it your entire personality for DECADES. Over the years I’ve used your name God knows how many times whenever I needed an example of a Beltway swamp monster who’s got a throbbing hard-on for war with Iran. Now you’ve finally got it and it’s going exactly as badly as everyone said it would, and you’re like “Yeah well he should’ve known better, people tried to warn him about the Strait of Hormuz”? Fuck you. These professional warmongers never, ever learn from their errors. Many years after the Iraq invasion turned out to be a disaster, John Bolton was still out there telling the media he believed it was a “resounding success,” conceding only “mistakes that were made subsequently” to the ousting of Saddam Hussein. They never admit they were wrong. They never admit that their war was a bad idea. They only ever acknowledge that it didn’t happen in exactly the way they imagined it happening in their minds. They live in this fantasy world where all their war agendas would unfold beautifully so long as they could personally control every molecule of matter involved in how it happens, completely ignoring that this is impossible and any war is always going to have an unfathomable number of moving parts you can’t control. In their eyes the wars are never wrong, they’re only ever executed incorrectly. US military interventionism can never fail, it can only be failed. Bolton doesn’t even seem to have any idea what Trump could have done differently to stop Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. I listened to an NPR interview the other day where he slammed Trump for not having “done the planning in advance” to prevent the Iranian blockade, but he never at any time outlined what Trump could have done to accomplish this. He just said there was “a huge hole in the planning” and that “they apparently didn’t take as seriously as they should have the potential to mine the Strait of Hormuz,” without ever saying what they could have done. He doesn’t know. He himself, Mister Iran War, had no plan for how to carry out this war without disastrous consequences for the US and its allies. He’s spent his entire blood-soaked career pushing for a war he never had any idea how to actually carry out.These are the kinds of minds they have spearheading the US empire’s wars.All the worst people are getting exactly what they want, and it turns out they don’t even want it, like Elon Musk tweeting “Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about” last month. They’re getting everything they asked for and it’s making everyone miserable, and it’s not even making THEM happy.The imperial status quo elevates the worst among us. The least wise. The least insightful. The least compassionate. The least deserving. The least qualified.We need drastic revolutionary change, and we need it now.
State Department Approves Arms Sales to UAE, Kuwait and Jordan - The State Department used emergency powers to rush through billions in arms sales to Middle Eastern countries that have come under attack because of the US-Israeli war against Iran.The State Department Bureau of Political and Military Affairs announced a series of arms deals totaling $16 billion on Thursday. The UAE will purchase an advanced radar for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system valued at $4.5 billion.Iran has targeted THAAD radars across the Middle East. ABC News reports that at least four radars have been destroyed. The US is moving parts of a THAAD system out of South Korea for the war against Iran.The UAE will also buy 400 AIM-120C-7 or AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), ten Fixed Site- Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) System of Systems, and thousands of bombs with guidance kits. Those sales will total $1.8 billion.Kuwait will purchase eight Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radars for $8 billion. Additionally, the US will also sell aircraft munitions and support equipment to Jordan. The deal is valued at $49 million. The State Department said all the sales were emergency action to bypass Congressional oversight.
Israeli Officials Say Attack on Iran's Pars Gas Field Was Coordinated With the US - Israeli officials told The New York Times on Thursday that the attack on Iranian facilities linked to the South Pars gas field was coordinated with the US, despite President Trump claiming the US “knew nothing” of the plans to strike the energy infrastructure.The South Pars gas field, shared by Iran and Qatar in the Persian Gulf, is said to be the world’s largest natural gas field. Following the Israeli strikes on Iran’s infrastructure, Iranian retaliatory strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.According to the CEO of QatarEnergy, strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas facility caused $20 billion in losses and wiped out 17% of Doha’s gas export capacity. Following the round of attacks, Trump attempted to distance the US from the bombing of Iran’s gas facilities.“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran. A relatively small section of the whole has been hit. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility,” Trump added.The US president said that there would be “no more Israeli attacks” on such facilities and threatened that if Iran attacks Qatar’s gas infrastructure again, the US “will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen orwitnessed before.”The Israeli officials speaking to the Times said that the US was notified of the plans to strike Iran’s gas facilities ahead of the attack. Axios also reported that Israeli officials said the Trump administration had approved the attack, and said the Israeli claims were confirmed by a Pentagon official.
Israel "acted independently" during the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field - Netanyahu | УНН --Netanyahu stated that the operation at the South Pars field was carried out without US involvement. Donald Trump urged Israel to refrain from similar attacks in the future. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel "acted alone" in striking Iran's South Pars gas field, adding that US President Donald Trump had urged Israel to refrain from such attacks, UNN reports. Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu stated that the operation was carried out solely by Israel without direct US involvement. He added that Trump had asked Israel to refrain from further such strikes. These statements come amid Israel's ongoing campaign against Iran-linked targets and growing concerns about escalation and potential disruptions to global energy markets.Iran Warns Gulf Oil Facilities Could Be Targeted “In Coming Hours” Iran has warned that key oil and gas facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar could be targeted in the coming hours, escalating risks to critical Gulf energy infrastructure. (Reuters) — Iran issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, saying they would be targeted by strikes "in the coming hours", Iranian state media reported on March 18. The warning was directed at Saudi Arabia's Samref Refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the United Arab Emirates' Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar's Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan Refinery. "These centers have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay," the warning said. It was issued shortly after Iranian oil facilities in South Pars and Asaluyeh came under attack. Those Israeli strikes were coordinated with the United States, Axios reported a senior Israeli official as saying.
Netanyahu: U.S., Israel winning but Iran revolution needs ground component -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said “Iran is being decimated” as the U.S. and Israel target its ballistic missile and nuclear programs from the air — but he added that meaningful regime change will require a “ground component.” “You don’t want to replace one ayatollah with another,” Netanyahu said at a press conference. “You don’t want to replace Hitler with Hitler.” He said that the Iranian people must ultimately “rise to the moment.” “We can create the conditions, but they have to, you know, they have to exploit those conditions at a certain point,” he said. A revolution cannot come “only from the air,” he went on. “You can do a lot of things from the air, and we’re doing [them,] but ... there has to be a ground component as well.” His remarks left open the possibility that such on-the-ground action may take many forms. “There are many possibilities for this ground component, and I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities.” The comments came hours after President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office, said that he would not send U.S. troops to the Middle East. Netanyahu also repeatedly denied accusations that Israel effectively dragged U.S. into the war. Trump needed no convincing of the nuclear threat posed by Iran — “he explained it to me, I didn’t explain it to him,” the prime minister said.
Lindsey Graham: Donald Trump should pull bases from nations refusing to assist in Iran operation -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Friday urged President Trump to consider removing U.S. military bases from countries “who won’t let us fly from them,” again lashing out at European allies over their refusal to assist the U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran.Graham reupped the suggestion after Trump told reporters earlier on Friday that the senator was “right about asking that.”“Mr. President, one of the things I like about you most is that, now, our allies take America for granted at their own peril,” the South Carolina Republican wrote in a post on social platform X.“As to my suggestion, I meant it then and I’ll repeat it now: We should consider removing U.S. bases from countries who won’t let us fly from them as we confront the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism who has been hellbent on developing a nuclear weapon and was extremely close to achieving that goal,” the senator added.Trump and Graham have slammed NATO allies in recent days for their reluctance to support U.S. military operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint that has been effectively closed to shipping traffic since the start of the conflict on Feb. 28. The continued Iranian blockade and escalating attacks on vessels and oil and gas facilities have rattled the global economy, sending fuel prices sharply higher. The president said last Sunday that he requested seven countries to send warships to help secure the strait, but so far none have agreed to lend military assets. The United Kingdom recently approved the use of U.K. military bases for “defensive” strikes against Iranian missile sites that target ships in the strait. Though Trump suggested the move was “a very late response.”
Trump: Don't want Iran war ceasefire, considering 'winding down' military. President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he is not interested in a ceasefire with Iran. “We could have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire,” Trump said from the White House South Lawn before departing for Florida. “You know you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.” “They don’t have a navy. They don’t have an air force. They don’t have any equipment,” Trump continued. In a Truth Social post later Friday afternoon, Trump claimed that the U.S. is “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.” He also asserted that the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping lane for much of the world’s oil trade, “will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” “If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated. Importantly, it will be an easy Military Operation for them,” Trump wrote in the post. Trump’s comments come nearly three weeks into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, which has turned into a broader regional conflict. They signal no quick end to the conflict, which sent stocks tumbling on Friday and has caused oil prices to soar . “I think we’ve won,” he later said on the South Lawn. “All they’re doing is blocking up the Strait. But from a military standpoint, they’re finished.” Iran has effectively blocked off the strait since the start of the war. Trump has blasted NATO allies in an attempt to recruit additional support to help open the strait, which he said again Friday doesn’t matter to the U.S. The bulk of the energy shipments through the strait are destined for Asian markets. But the Dallas Fed, in a report released Friday, said the economic effects of the closure will hit around the world, including in the U.S. Trump, speaking to reporters Friday, portrayed reopening the strait as simple, provided other countries come to the aid of the U.S. “It’s a simple military maneuver, it’s relatively safe,” he said. “But you need a lot of help in the sense of you need ships, you need volume. And NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so.” He also called on China and Japan to get involved a day after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with him at the White House. Trump said earlier this week that he would not put boots on the ground in Iran. Multiple news outlets reported Friday that the Pentagon is sending up to 2,500 Marines to the Middle East — the second such deployment in the last week.
Trump says US will ‘obliterate’ Iranian power plants if Strait of Hormuz not reopened -- President Trump on Saturday threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz within the next two days. Trump’s warning comes one day after he hinted that the U.S. was “winding down” its military operation in Iran, claiming the U.S. was “getting very close” to achieving its objective. “If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The president has said international allies needed to escort ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the start of the conflict. Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reaffirmed that the strait remain closed until the conflict ends. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a war hawk and Trump ally, urged Trump to consider removing U.S. military bases from countries “who won’t let us fly from them.” Both Republicans have slammed NATO allies for not supporting the U.S.’s attempts to reopen the strait. The strait’s closure has left vessels stranded. Some that have continued their transit through the waterway have faced Iranian retaliatory attacks. Closing the strait has resulted in a massive spike in oil and gas prices. The national average for gas reached $3.93 as of Saturday, according to data from AAA. The national average last month, prior to the conflict, was $2.94. Trump has suggested he would take over the strait and is weighing a mission to takeover Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports. Taking over the island would require boots on the ground, though the president has said he will not deploy ground troops to Iran.
US speeds up deployment of thousands more Marines, sailors to Middle East -The Pentagon is speeding up the deployment of thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East amid speculation that the Trump administration could send troops into Iranian territory. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), made up of at least 2,200 Marines, set off from San Diego aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer on Wednesday, sooner than expected, according to multiple reports. Reuters reportedthat the troops departed the U.S. about three weeks ahead of schedule. A Pentagon official told The Hill that due to operations security, it does not discuss “future or hypothetical movements.” U.S. Central Command, which manages forces in the Middle East, also declined to comment as it “will not speculate on future force posture, or discuss movements that are not in our [area of operation]. The additional Marines would head to the Gulf region less than a week after another unit of 2,200 Marines and sailors left for the area aboard the Japan-based USS Tripoli. Satellite images showed the Tripoli along with two escort ships were traveling southwest across the South China Sea on March 15. The ship carries personnel from the 31st MEU, which contains ground and aerial combat units. The movements come as President Trump has denied the United States is sending more troops to the Middle East.
The White House is struggling to bring oil prices down - Markets are still moving in step with oil-price swings caused by the war in Iran. Crude has been on a downward slope since yesterday afternoon, but its lows have an unfortunate habit of matching the highs of the previous sessions. In other words, the barrel remains perched at elevated levels and is driving much of the movement across financial assets, from the dollar and policy rates to equities and other commodities. Without some respite on that front, it is hard to see how markets can genuinely regain confidence. European equities wiped out their 2026 gains after a punishing session yesterday. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 2.4%, taking its performance since 1 January to -1.4%. In the United States, Wall Street clawed its way back after verbal interventions from Washington and Tel Aviv. Donald Trump said Israel would not strike the South Pars gas field again, after the earlier bombardment had sent oil surging 48 hours ago. Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, said the war with Iran would end "much faster than people think". Oil therefore remains the main market driver at present. It is an asset whose fluctuations have rapid and easily understood consequences across every part of the economy, from multinationals to the average individual. The United States knows this and is pulling out all the stops to try to halt the price spike, now that events have slipped beyond its control. After easing the embargo on Russian oil and gas, Washington could do the same for Iranian oil. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said yesterday that lifting sanctions was conceivable in order to bolster supply. The stance may look odd, but it is realpolitik: the United States sees containing the oil crisis as a priority in order to avert an economic crisis.Staying with the oil-market chaos, investors yesterday witnessed a spectacular widening in the spread between US light crude WTI and Brent. At one point during the session it came close to USD 20, before narrowing back to USD 13 currently (USD 93.30 for WTI versus USD 106.60 for Brent). My colleague specialising in commodities, Jordan Dufee, explained yesterday that Brent is heavily exposed to Middle Eastern production and global seaborne trade. It is therefore bearing the full force of the current crisis. WTI, by contrast, reflects the domestic US market. The central banks that spoke yesterday, notably the ECB and the Bank of England, all voiced concern over the levels reached by oil prices. The economies of the Old Continent are more exposed than the United States to the current turmoil. I am almost tempted to rework the aphorism of John Connally, Nixon's Treasury Secretary, who told European representatives worried about dollar volatility that "the dollar is our currency, but your problem". We could almost end up with something like: "we started this war in Iran, but energy prices are your problem". That is a little over the top: the United States has little to gain from the current situation, but it probably has less to lose than we do, hence the recent underperformance of European markets.
US May Lift Some Oil Sanctions on Iran as Oil Price Climbs - As the war in the Middle East escalates to attacks on energy infrastructure, the White House is taking extensive measures to put downward pressure on oil prices. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that the US had lifted some oil sanctions on Russia and could also remove some Iranian tankers from the American blacklist. “We had a break the glass plan across the administration, and at Treasury, we sanctioned Russian oil…we created supply that is beyond the Strait of Hormuz,” the Treasury Secretary continued, “In the coming days, we may sanction that Iranian oil that is on the water.”Bessent claimed that lifting sanctions on Iranian oil would actually hurt Tehran. “That’s about 10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out that would have all gone to China,” he said. “In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days as we continue this campaign.”Global oil prices began to climb following the surprise US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. Iran responded to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to oil priced in US dollars and launched retaliatory attacks. On Tuesday, Israel escalated the conflict by attacking Iranian facilities tied to the world’s largest natural gas field. Tehran said it would attack energy sites in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE in response. On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the US was unaware that Israel was going to attack the energy sites. “Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran,” he wrote. “The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen.”He went on to threaten that if Iran attacked Qatar, the US would destroy Iranian energy facilities. “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar.” He added, “In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”On Thursday, QatarEnergy’s CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters that Doha’s two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged. Kaabi said the repairs will take 12.8 million tons per year of LNG off the market for three to five years.
Iran Is Forcing The World To Care About US-Israeli Warmongering -- Caitlin Johnstone - Westerners are about to start paying a lot more attention to the war in Iran as massive US-Israeli escalations point to a coming energy crisis set to impact the whole world. Israel has bombed the world’s largest natural gas field in southwestern Iran, reportedly in coordination with the United States. Now that a major red line for Tehran has been crossed, retaliatory strikes have already begun pummeling the energy infrastructure of US allies in the region, with Qatar reporting that its primary gas facility has sustained “significant damage” from an attack after Iran issued evacuation warnings for energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Fuel prices are already surging. If middle eastern energy infrastructure starts taking extensive damage on top of the already hugely significant Iranian blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, this war could end up affecting virtually every corner of human civilization in one way or another. Westerners are largely apathetic about US military explosives landing on populations on other continents. But once it starts having a direct impact on their personal bank accounts, you can expect them to get a lot more interested in US foreign policy. This war has been a bit odd for me because as an anti-imperialist peacemonger I’m not yet entirely sure what my role is in my commentary here. Normally I’d be begging westerners to care about another horrific act by the US war machine, but as things stand it looks like westerners are going to be forced to care about this one whether they want to or not. Normally I’d be writing furiously about how people should not support this war, but the war has exceptionally low public support already. Normally I’d be writing about how the mass media are churning out war propaganda to manufacture consent for more US military butchery, but the mass media keep putting out stories about how the US government is lying about a war that should never have happened while Trump administration figures have public tantrums about how the media isn’t churning out war propaganda for them. President Trump is on social media babbling about how news outlets “should be brought up on Charges for TREASON” for not reporting on an embarrassing story about a US aircraft carrier fire the way he wants, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave one of his fire-and-brimstone podium sermons bitching about how “an actual patriotic press” would be framing this war in a more positive light. What am I supposed to do with this? Where does that leave dissident fringesters like myself? All I can do is clear my throat and sheepishly go “Uh, yeah, I uh… agree with CNN.” With Ukraine the mass media fell all over themselves to hide the west’s role in provoking the conflict, framing Putin as an evil maniacal Hitler figure who just spontaneously flipped out and invaded a country on Russia’s border because he hates freedom. With Gaza the western press gave nonstop narrative cover to Israel’s genocidal atrocities, constantly dragging public attention into an endless conversation about antisemitism and Jewish feelings whenever opposition to the slaughter got too hot. That’s just not happening with Iran. It’s the first US war I’ve ever seen where a big chunk of the imperial power structure just refuses to get on board. The media’s not playing along, US allies are telling Trump to get stuffed when he asks for military assistance with the Strait of Hormuz, and the public’s not buying the lies.This is a frightening time to be alive — but you can’t say we’re in a period of stasis. Things are moving faster and faster. They might get a whole lot worse. They might get a whole lot better. They might get a whole lot worse and then get a whole lot better. But it seems a safe bet that the situation won’t remain the same.
Report: US Presses Syria to Invade Lebanon to Fight Hezbollah - -The US-Israeli war against Iran is already expanding into Lebanon with an Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon, but Reuters is now reporting that the Trump Administration is keen to drag Syria into the conflict as well, encouraging its Islamist government to invade Lebanon and fight Hezbollah.Citing multiple Syrian officials familiar with the situation, as well as Western diplomats, the report is that the US began pushing this idea roughly when the Iran war began. US officials have been denouncing Lebanon as a “failed state” for months, and have cheered the Israeli invasion targeting Shi’ite Hezbollah as an Iranian ally. Given the Sunni Islamist Syrian Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government’s presumptive hostility toward Hezbollah as well, officials seemed to believe this would be a great chance to solicit Syria as an ally for their growing regional war. The HTS however, is said to be reluctant to get involved in an invasion of Lebanon, not wanting to see themselves dragged into the unpopular sectarian war that has set the region on fire in recent weeks.
US Bombs Somalia for 44th Time This Year - US Africa Command has announced that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia on March 11 as the Trump administration continues its bombing campaign in the country amid the US-Israeli war against Iran. The attack marks at least the 44th US airstrike in Somalia this year. AFRICOM said the strike targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Xawaadleey, a town about 37 miles north of Mogadishu. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” the command said without offering any other details about the attack.The US-backed Somali Defense Ministry said that it captured the town of Xawaadleey from al-Shabaab militants on the same day the US launched the strike. “The Somali National Armed Forces have successfully liberated the area of Xawaadleey in the Middle Shabelle region, which had previously been used as a hideout by Al-Shabaab terrorist militants,” the ministry said.The ministry added that its forces are “currently working to secure the area, while operations continue to pursue the remaining militants and conduct clearance activities in the newly liberated locations.”On Sunday, the Somali Defense Ministry announced more military operations against al-Shabaab in the village of Busley Daud to the south of Mogadishu, suggesting the US could have launched another airstrike. It said the operation in Busley Daud “neutralized” nine al-Shabaab fighters.The US has also been launching airstrikes in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, where it’s backing local forces against an ISIS affiliate. The last known US strike in that area was launched on March 8.There’s a chance that Somali territory may be used as a launchpad for attacks as part of the US-Israel war with Iran, as media reports say Israel may establish a base in Somaliland to launch operations against the Houthis in Yemen. Israel recently became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent state, a move that the US-backed Somali government based in Mogadishu strongly opposes.
US Launches Two More Airstrikes in Somalia - The US has launched two more airstrikes in Somalia, according to press releases from US Africa Command, as the Trump administration is keeping up the bombing campaign in the country amid the US-Israeli war against Iran.AFRICOM said that one strike was launched on March 15 and targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Mubaraak, a town in southern Somalia about 37 miles west of Mogadishu. The command offered no other details about the attack,The US-backed Somali Defense Ministry announced a military operation that same day, but in an area further south than where the US claimed the strike. The ministry said that the operation, which involved support from local clans, “neutralized” nine al-Shabaab militants. AFRICOM said in a second press release that its forces launched an airstrike on March 16 in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region against the local ISIS affiliate. It said the strike was launched about 28 miles southeast of the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso, and offered no other details.
Trump says he’s requested China visit to be delayed for a month - President Trump said on Monday that he has requested for his visit to China to be delayed for a month, saying he would rather be in the U.S. amid the ongoing war in Iran. “I don’t know. We’re working on that right now. We’re speaking to China. I’d love to, but because of the war, I want to be here,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to meeting with him. We have a very good relationship.” Trump was scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2. Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that he may push back the trip as he pushes to get major Asian and European powers to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane that Iran has shut down amid the war. Iran and China share strategic and economic ties.
Japan rejects U.S. intel assessment that Takaichi's Taiwan remarks represent 'significant shift' --Japan on Thursday rejected a U.S. intelligence assessment that said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan represented a “significant shift” for a sitting Japanese prime minister.Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters during a press briefing that Tokyo’s approach remains “quite consistent.”“A significant policy shift is not something that is happening right now,” Kihara said, according to a translation provided by the Prime Minister’s Office.The response came as Takaichi arrived in the U.S. for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, with the Iranian conflict expected to dominate the meeting. Takaichi had sparked a furious response from Beijing in November when she told parliament that a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan by force could prompt the intervention of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.China responded by suspending imports of seafood and issuing travel advisories for its nationals not to travel to Japan, resulting in a sharp decline in Chinese tourist numbers to the country. The intelligence report, issued on March 18, said that Takaichi’s characterization of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan — as a “survival threatening situation” for Japan — carried weight.The term could open the door for Japan to intervene under its 2015 reinterpretation of its Constitution, which allows Japan’s military to engage in “collective-self defence” to protect allied forces under certain scenarios.The U.S. report also said that “China is employing multidomain coercive pressure that probably will intensify through 2026, aimed both at punishing Japan and deterring other countries from making similar statements about their potential involvement in a Taiwan crisis.”However, the intelligence community also assessed that Chinese leaders do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027.Beijing regards democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory, and has not ruled out the use of force against the island. Taiwan, on its part, rejects those claims and says that only it can decide its future.
Top DoD Official Says Pentagon Planning to Intensify Operations in Latin America - -A high-level defense official told a House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the continuing operations against Latin American drug cartels were “just the beginning”, and left open the possibility of deploying ground forces.The official, acting assistant secretary of defense for the Department of Homeland Defense John Humire, told the committee that these operations–referred to as Operation Southern Spear–are “saving American lives.” So far, according to Defense Department statistics, over 157 people have been killed in the 45 strikes against alleged cartel boats since September. “Interdiction is necessary, but insufficient. Deterrence has a signaling effect on narco-terrorists and raises the risks with their movement.”Humire’s remarks raised alarm amongst congressional Democrats, who are concerned if the strikes have had any meaningful impact on the amount of narcotics entering the US; as well as the legality of the strikes and the possibility of another “forever war”, that is, another open-ended foreign conflict with no clear goals or stated end date.Humire claims that since the start of the operation, there has been a 20 percent reduction in drug vessels travelling the Caribbean, and a 25 percent reduction in East Pacific traffic. However, committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) questioned if these numbers reflect the fact that smugglers have simply moved to new shipping lanes or land routes.On the other hand, Republicans on the committee largely rebuked the Democratic criticism and praised the purported success of the operations. Committee Chair Mike Rodgers (R-Ala.) stated, “Defending the homeland does not stop at our border. It also requires confronting threats at their source. The president has made it clear that narco-terrorists and hostile foreign powers will find no sanctuary or foothold anywhere in our hemisphere.”Humire’s statements come in the wake of Trump’s announcement of an anti-cartel coalition, dubbed Shield of the Americas, which includes 11 South and Central American nations alongside the United States. The US has already engaged in joint operations with Ecuador earlier this month, in order to take down a drug-smuggling facility, and is currently providing logistical support for a criminal crackdown in three of its provinces.
Cuban officials report island-wide blackout - Cuban officials on Monday said that a blackout affecting the whole island had occurred, according to The Associated Press. The incident follows recent pressure on the island country’s energy resources from the U.S. According to the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines, a “complete disconnection” had affected the Cuban electrical system, the AP reported. On Sunday, President Trump told reporters that Cuba wanted to strike a deal with the U.S. after recent tension between the two countries. “Cuba also wants to make a deal. And I think we will pretty soon make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” Trump said on Air Force One. “We have a lot of great people that happened to vote for Trump, not that that matters. We have a lot of great people from Cuba that were violently and viciously thrown out of the country and worse, their families were killed,” he continued. Last week, Cuban President Manuel Díaz-Canel confirmed that the island’s government was having discussions with the Trump administration on “bilateral differences” and “areas of cooperation.” Trump earlier this year imposed an embargo against fuel imports to Cuba, stopping Venezuelan energy deliveries to the country after the U.S. toppled former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In major concession to Trump, Cuban government opens island to investment by Miami exile capitalists - The Cuban government is openly courting US corporations and Cuban-American exile capital, marking a decisive step toward transforming the island into a semi‑protectorate of American imperialism, with catastrophic consequences for Cuban workers. In an exclusive interview with NBC News published Monday, Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Trade Minister Oscar Pérez‑Oliva Fraga announced that “Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with US companies and also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants.” “This goes beyond the commercial sphere,” Pérez-Oliva, the grandnephew of Fidel and Raúl Castro added. “It also applies to investments—not only small investments, but also large investments, particularly in infrastructure.” This is the first time a Cuban official of Pérez‑Oliva’s stature—widely described as Cuba’s “economic czar”—has used a major US network to directly woo corporations and the Miami exile layer. Beyond the symbolism of a Castro relative inviting the exiled bourgeoisie, whom Fidel dubbed as “gusanos” or “worms,” to return as investors and potential owners, provides a base of support and operations for mafioso elements that are intent on radical regime change and a vindictive bloodbath. Fidel Castro repeatedly said barring Cuban‑American capital was a necessary defense against US imperialism and the blockade, denouncing the exiles as instruments of CIA‑backed terrorism who sought to restore the semi‑colonial order personified by the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. In January 1961, he mocked them: They have come to believe that someday their imperial masters will put them here again with a little flag that pretends to be a national standard … and with a little color on the map to sustain the fiction that the worms govern and command. And worms can only live off putrefaction. These fascistic forces, who organized bombings of airliners, schools and hotels and launched the Bay of Pigs invasion under CIA protection, are now being invited back as “strategic partners” in ports, tourism, energy, mining and infrastructure, as specified by Pérez-Oliva. The worms are now poised to fester in the corpse of the 1959 revolution, burrowing into its rotten nationalist foundations—which never truly abolished private property or capitalism. Pérez‑Oliva’s announcement comes as the Trump administration is implementing the so‑called “Trump corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine as a blueprint for direct US control over the hemisphere.
Trump on ‘taking’ Cuba: ‘I can do anything I want with it’ -President Trump on Monday said he believes he will have the “honor” of taking over Cuba, coming as the administration is choking the communist regime in Havana with a fuel blockade. Trump, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, would not rule out a military move, adding, “I think I can do anything I want with it.” “Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it,” he said. “You want to know the truth, they’re a very weakened nation now.” The island nation plunged into darkness on Monday, with a major blackout affecting 11 million people. Trump imposed an oil quarantine against the island at the end of January, cutting off its main supply of oil from Venezuela. Experts warned that the country only had enough fuel reserves to last until mid-March and that the quarantine exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis caused by decades of mismanagement and corruption by the communist regime in Havana. Trump is trying to pressure Cuba’s President Manuel Diaz-Canal into an agreement with the U.S., but has provided little detail on the potential terms of such an agreement. “It’s a failed nation,” Trump said Monday. “They have no money, no oil, no nothing, they have nice land, nice landscape, it’s a beautiful island.” Lawmakers hawkish on Cuba want to see a transition to Democracy and are cheering on the regime’s downfall. Protests on the island against the government are intensifying. But the administration is signaling that economic agreements could unlock relief for the island. Deals on ports, energy and tourism could unlock sanctions relief, USA Today reported earlier this month. The report also said the administration is looking to relax restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba, and an off-ramp for the communist leadership to remain on the island. Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, Cuba’s deputy prime minister, told NBC News on Monday that Cuba is “open to having a fluid commercial relationship with U.S. companies” and “also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants.”
US Scales Back Venezuela Oil Sanctions - The US Treasury Department has relaxed its sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, allowing American companies to engage in certain transactions with the country’s state-owned energy firm.In a general license issued on Wednesday, the Treasury outlined broad exemptions for the US oil sanctions, which had prohibited most trade with Caracas’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PdVSA).According to the Associated Press, Washington will still “control the cash flow” in such transactions, meaning payments will not go directly to any sanctioned entity in Venezuela and will instead pass through a special US-controlled account. The sanctions also continue to prohibit oil transactions with entities linked to the governments of Iran, Russia, North Korea or Cuba. The decision comes as the Donald Trump administration attempts to stabilize global oil markets following a major price-spike driven by the US-Israeli bombing campaign on Iran. In retaliation to ongoing airstrikes, Tehran has “effectively closed” the Strait of Hormuz – through which one-fifth of the world oil supply passes each year – to US and allied tankers.“Passage occurs only with our permission,” Iranian Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Jabari said earlier this month. “Allied ships, such as those from Russia, China, and select partner nations, may transit. Enemy-associated vessels are not allowed to pass, and not a single drop of oil or cubic meter of gas will be permitted through this corridor.”During a televised interview on Tuesday, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the strait could not “return to its previous conditions,” adding that “there is no longer any security” in the region thanks to the US and Israeli bombing raids.President Trump has demanded that the strait be reopened and urged US allies to help escort vessels through the strategic waterway, warning it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” should they refuse to join the effort. Several European states have been critical of the US strikes on Iran; however, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas stating that “Europe has no interest in an open-ended war” earlier this week. “This is not Europe’s war,” Kallas added.In addition to easing US sanctions on Venezuela, the Trump administration has also issued a 60-day waiver for the Jones Act in an effort to rein in oil prices. Enacted in the 1920s, the Act requires shippers to use American vessels to transport goods between US ports, but has been “criticized as a form of protectionism” that results in higher prices, according to CNBC. Venezuela’s longstanding president, Nicolas Maduro, was removed from power in a US military operation earlier this year, and is now held in American custody on dubious drug charges. Though Maduro’s successor, Delcy Rodríguez, has repeatedly condemned the former leader’s “kidnapping,” Trump recently described US-Venezuela ties as “fantastic,” and even suggested the South American country could someday become a US state. Further underscoring the shift in relations, Washington and Caracas also agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties earlier this month.
Judge rules Pentagon press policy under Hegseth unconstitutional -A federal judge ruled Friday that the Pentagon’s new policy restricting press access violates the First Amendment, siding with The New York Times.“The Court recognizes that national security must be protected, the security of our troops must be protected, and war plans must be protected,” U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman wrote in his 40-page ruling. “But especially in light of the country’s recent incursion into Venezuela and its ongoing war with Iran, it is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing,” he continued. Friedman is an appointee of former President Clinton. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to the ruling in an X post Friday night, writing, “We disagree with the decision and are pursuing an immediate appeal.”
Rep. Jim Jordan says he will back Trump extension of FISA 702 spy powers --Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said he plans to support a clean extension of the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers, a reversal after he voted against the bill when it last came before Congress. Jordan in 2024 voted against reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) after the House declined to add a measure he pushed for that would require intelligence officers to get a warrant before reviewing any information inadvertently collected on Americans.But on Wednesday he said everything from reforms to how the spy tool can be used to the conflict with Iran contributed to his shift in position, couching the 18-month renewal as “short-term.” Jordan is not alone in his reversal. While President Trump in 2024 called on lawmakers to “KILL FISA,” the president has now relayed to lawmakers that he would like to see the spy powers renewed for another 18 months without any changes. “I’m for it,” Jordan said in an interview with The Hill. “It’s a whole different context today — 2026, not 2024. And you know, we got something like 56 reforms in the legislation last year, and they’ve made a huge difference. … I think it’s a completely different framework.” Referencing the war in Iran, he added, “It’s just the reality of the situation today, that with all this going on, short term — after the reforms that we put in place — I don’t think it’s a problem.” The move comes as the White House has begun putting pressure on lawmakers to back renewal of Section 702. FBI Director Kash Patel, another frequent FISA critic, met with senators last week to push for its reauthorization. The news is a major reversal for Jordan, who previously was a champion for a warrant requirement, saying it was the only way he would vote to renew the spy powers. He’s frequently railed against the program, arguing it was too easily abused and risked surveillance of everyday Americans. One lawmaker told The Hill that as recently as this year Jordan was lobbying members of both parties to vote down reauthorization. Jordan, however, disputed that claim Wednesday. Section 702 only allows the government to spy on foreigners who are located overseas, but that surveillance can sweep up the communications of Americans who are speaking with any targets. It is set to expire on April 20 without intervention from Congress.
Palantir Is Leading a New Age of Empire | Common Dreams - A former Palantir executive recently confirmed what many have long suspected. In a public statement, the whistleblower said it plainly: Palantir intended to take over the US government, and many of his former colleagues are now installed inside the federal apparatus. He called it an occupied nation. He is not alone. Thirteen former Palantir employees—engineers, managers, and a member of the company’s own privacy team—signed a letter shared with NPR warning that guardrails meant to prevent discrimination, disinformation, and abuse of power have been violated and are being rapidly dismantled. What Palantir represents is something unprecedented: the convergence of American imperialism, Zionism, technofascism, and surveillance capitalism into a single instrument of control. Understanding how we got here requires looking at the machine Palantir has built, who built it, and what they believe. Palantir was founded in 2004 by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp. Its first major investor was In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital arm, which seeded the company with millions and opened the door to every major intelligence and defense agency. The logic was deliberate: The American ruling class recognized decades ago that the state’s coercive power—surveillance, targeting, data harvesting—could be run more effectively and more profitably through private contractors. When a government agency surveils its own citizens, there are hearings, FOIA requests, oversight committees. When a private company does it, it is a trade secret.That strategy has paid off enormously. Palantir now holds contracts worth over $10 billion with the US Army alone. The Trump regime tapped Palantir to build a master database on American citizens. The Pentagon expanded its Maven Smart System contract by $795 million to deploy AI-powered battlefield intelligence across the empire. In June, the military swore in four tech executives as Army Reserve lieutenant colonels—including Palantir’s CTO—in a program that embeds Silicon Valley directly into military planning. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed a $30 million contract for Palantir’s ImmigrationOS platform, which provides near real-time tracking of people targeted for deportation. Thousands of American police departments use Palantir’s Gotham platform for domestic surveillance.When academics define technofascism—what happens when tech executives encode their political beliefs into the architecture of technology and infrastructure to suppress dissent—they are describing Palantir with precision. Abroad, the consequences are even more devastating. Palantir’s AI platforms have been deployed by Israel’s military to systematically prosecute the assault on Gaza. AI targeting systems built on Palantir’s architecture—known by names like Lavender, The Gospel, and Where’s Daddy—have enabled the kind of automated killing that produces mass civilian casualties at scale. Palantir’s own executives have been recorded discussing how bombing densely populated areas generates the movement data their algorithms need to train on. When people flee, make phone calls, search for loved ones, rush to hospitals that no longer exist—that movement becomes fuel for the machine. Palantir’s platforms were deployed in the illegal capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Israel’s terrorist pager attack against Lebanon, and the US carpet bombing of Iran at the behest of Israel—the same campaign that destroyed a girls’ elementary school in Minab.The genocide in Gaza was also a business windfall. Palantir’s valuation surged hundreds of billions of dollars, making it o best-performing stock of 2024 and among the top in 2025. That financial momentum funded the next phase: political capture. Former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), the congressman who introduced the bill forcing TikTok’s sale, resigned from Congress and joined Palantir as head of defense. He later acknowledged that the legislation gained momentum not because of any Chinese national security threat, but because of pro-Palestinian content on the platform. Palantir’s senior adviser Jacob Helberg was instrumental in pushing the sale through Congress. The app was handed to Oracle’s Larry Ellison—one of Israel’s most prominent private benefactors. Silence the platform most critical of your technology enabling mass death, and the profits keep flowing.Then there is the Jeffrey Epstein connection. Department of Justice-released emails reveal hundreds of messages between Epstein and Thiel spanning years. Epstein invested approximately $40 million into Thiel’s Valar Ventures. He brokered introductions between Palantir and Israeli officials, including former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, in meetings where surveillance technology, AI warfare, and Israeli national security policy were all on the table.All of this is dangerous enough on its own. It becomes existential when you understand the ideology driving it. Thiel wrote in a 2009 essay for the Cato Institute that he no longer believes freedom and democracy are compatible. He is a devoted patron of Curtis Yarvin, the political theorist who argues democracy should be replaced by corporate monarchy—a CEO-king with absolute authority. Yarvin is not a fringe blogger anymore. He was a guest of honor at Trump’s inauguration ball. Vice President JD Vance—bankrolled and politically launched by Thiel—has cited Yarvin by name. Project 2025 follows Yarvin’s technofascist vision almost to the letter.When academics define technofascism—what happens when tech executives encode their political beliefs into the architecture of technology and infrastructure to suppress dissent—they are describing Palantir with precision. This is a project whose founders believe democracy was a mistake, whose software hunts human beings across borders, and whose executives now hold military rank and sit inside the federal government while enriching themselves. They are no longer serving the empire who created them. They have become the empire.This is the new age of empire—American imperialism, Zionism, technofascism, and surveillance capitalism fused into one architecture, operated by one class of people, accountable to no one.
Trump-Appointed Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent Resigns In Protest Over U.S. War With Iran - In a massive break from President Trump and MAGA, Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), announced his immediate resignation on Tuesday, citing irreconcilable opposition to the ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran. Kent declared he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” stating unequivocally that Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation” and that the conflict was initiated “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” The move comes weeks into active strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites, leadership, and infrastructure, with Iranian retaliation underway and global oil markets feeling the strain. Kent, a retired Green Beret with 11 combat deployments, former CIA paramilitary officer, and Gold Star husband who lost his wife Shannon in a 2019 ISIS-claimed suicide bombing in Syria, framed his exit as a defense of the "America First" principles Trump championed during his 2016, 2020, and 2024 campaigns. He praised Trump's first term for decisively striking Qasem Soleimani and defeating ISIS without escalating into endless wars, noting that until June 2025, Trump recognized Middle East conflicts as a "trap" draining American lives and wealth. However, Kent alleges that "early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign" that undermined Trump's platform, deceived him into believing Iran posed an imminent threat with a "clear path to a swift victory," and echoed tactics used to draw the U.S. into the "disastrous Iraq war." He explicitly compares the current situation to Iraq, warning against repeating the mistake that cost thousands of American lives. "As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people," Kent wrote. The resignation carries profound weight as Kent was a Senate-confirmed Trump loyalist installed in July 2025, not a career holdover. As head of the NCTC - tasked with assessing terrorist threats from Iranian proxies and beyond - Kent is directly challenging the administration’s justification for the conflict. The letter, addressed personally to the president and thanking DNI Tulsi Gabbard, signals deeper fractures in the MAGA coalition or prompts a policy pivot, Kent’s bombshell exit underscores the high personal and political stakes of America’s latest Middle East engagement. The resignation effectively places Kent within a growing bloc of Republicans who have opposed the Iran campaign from the outset, elevating what had been a vocal but limited faction into a more institutionally significant challenge to the administration’s approach. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), longtime advocates of non-interventionist “America First” foreign policy, were among the earliest critics of the strikes, warning they risk entangling the U.S. in another costly and open-ended Middle East conflict. Both have argued in recent weeks that the operation mirrors the strategic missteps that led to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, calling for de-escalation and greater congressional oversight. The most prominent political voice amplifying that message has been former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has emerged as one of the war’s fiercest critics within Trump’s base. Since the first strikes in late February, Greene has repeatedly denounced the operation in media appearances and on social platforms, calling it a betrayal of Trump’s campaign pledge to avoid new foreign entanglements. On Saturday, Greene told CNN that the Republican base is fractured "along generational lines." “Many of the older Americans from the Baby Boomer generation that watch Fox News all day long very much believe the talking points on Fox News, and they have spent decades of their lives convinced that fighting these wars is the right thing to do,” she explaineU.S. Waives Jones Act After Iran Gas Field Attack -- Shortly after Israeli fighter jets struck Iran's upstream oil and natural gas production assets for the first time in Operation Epic Fury, sending WTI futures to $98.5/bbl, the Trump administration appears to have pulled another emergency lever from JPMorgan's six-option playbook we recently outlined: a 60-day Jones Act waiver that allows foreign-flagged ships to transport oil, gas, refined products, fertilizer, and related energy cargoes between US ports to boost domestic energy flows and ensure shipping capacity does not become a bottleneck. Bloomberg reports that President Trump this morning authorized foreign-flagged tankers to transport crude and refined products, including gasoline and diesel, between US ports in a bid to move more Gulf Coast crude supplies to East Coast refineries, stabilize fuel availability, and keep shipping costs low."President Trump's decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, quoted by Bloomberg. Leavitt said, "The Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains."The US government can temporarily waive the Jones Act, but it cannot permanently lift it without Congress. The law requires that goods transported between US ports be carried on ships that are US-built, US-flagged, and US-crewed. However, under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, the administration can grant temporary waivers if it determines they are necessary for national defense or in response to emergencies, typically through coordination between the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Department of War.Such waivers have been issued several times, for example, after major hurricanes, to allow foreign tankers to move fuel between US ports. Combining a release from the SPR with a temporary waiver of the Jones Act would make the policy more effective. Without a waiver, limited US-flagged tanker capacity could constrain how quickly SPR barrels reach key refining centers or deficit regions.The US last issued a Jones Act waiver in October 2022 for a tanker bound for Puerto Rico to deliver supplies following Hurricane Fiona. The Biden administration temporarily eased the law in 2021 for refiner Valero Energy Corp. following a cyberattack on a major East Coast fuel pipeline.d.
Army general left classified maps on train; concussed after 'overindulgence' in alcohol: Inspector general report - U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto, who oversaw the command that coordinated, trained and equipped Ukraine’s military, left a tube of classified maps on a train to Poland for more than 24 hours and was concussed from falling after “overindulgence” in alcohol during a dinner in Ukraine, a recently released Pentagon inspector general report found. The 56-page report, which was published on Friday, found the now-retired two-star general, who led the Wiesbaden, Germany-based Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), brought the classified maps during a trip from Germany to Ukraine in late March 2024 and assigned control of them to his staff. “We found insufficient evidence to determine who had control of the classified maps once the travelers boarded the train for the return trip,” the watchdog said in the report, adding that travelers left the maps in the train when they arrived back in Poland on April 4, 2024, and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine recovered the unattended documents a day later. When he got back to Wiesbaden, Aguto was told by his executive officer that the tube was gone. Classified information is typically transported via courier; it was not ordered that time, the report said. “MG Aguto took responsibility for this incident,” the report said. The inspector general’s office interviewed Aguto and 33 witnesses as part of the investigation after receiving three anonymous complaints between May 20 and May 24, 2024. The office spoke with State Department personnel familiar with the events and reviewed classified and unclassified emails, medical records, official travel records and other documents. Aguto was the head of the SAG-U, which was established in November with about 300 personnel to “ensure America is postured to continue supporting Ukraine over the long term,” until August 2024, when he retired. The probe also included allegations of a “toxic” environment at SAG-U headquarters, although Aguto was not liable for the unit’s issues.
Hakeem Jeffries seeks to force vote on DHS funding without ICE and CBP House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is launching an effort to force a vote on legislation to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), minus funding for the immigration enforcement agencies at the center of controversy on Capitol Hill. In a letter delivered Monday to fellow Democrats, Jeffries said party leaders this week will unveil a discharge petition on legislation funding most of DHS — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — but not the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than 30 days because Donald Trump and Republican extremists refuse to get ICE under control,” Jeffries wrote. “Meanwhile, hardworking employees of the TSA, CISA, Coast Guard and FEMA have been forced to work without pay.” ICE and CBP have been under heavy scrutiny following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in January in Minneapolis, where officers from both agencies were conducting operations as a part of President Trump’s deportation surge. The killings prompted Democrats to demand tougher rules governing immigration enforcement officers as a condition of winning their support for funding DHS — a demand Trump and Republicans have so far refused. The impasse caused a partial shutdown of DHS beginning on Feb. 14, with no breakthroughs since then. Jeffries said Monday that Democrats have no plans to soften their demands, which include a ban on face masks, tougher warrant requirements preceding arrests, and new body camera mandates. “House Democrats will continue to demand changes to ICE that are bold, meaningful and transformational,” Jeffries wrote. “Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just and humane. That is not what is happening right now.” A discharge petition is a procedural tool designed to force legislation to the floor when leaders of the majority party refuse to consider it. To be successful, it requires the endorsement of half the House — 218 signatures — which means Democrats would need to find a small handful of Republicans willing to buck Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and sign on. The gambit has worked already on several occasions this year, forcing votes on legislation to extend ObamaCare subsidies, release the Jeffrey Epstein files and restore collective bargaining rights for federal workers. It’s unclear if the same will be true of the DHS petition.
Trump threatens to deploy ICE to airports if DHS shutdown doesn't end - President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to send federal immigration agents to U.S. airports unless congressional Democrats immediately agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security.“I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. The Trump administration has faced heavy criticism for aggressive deportation tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents.Trump claimed ICE agents handling airport security would arrest immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, specifically targeting individuals from Somalia.In a separate post later in the day, Trump said he plans to move ICE agents into airports as soon as Monday, telling them to “GET READY.”“I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” he wrote. When asked for comment, the White House referred to Trump’s social media. DHS did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.A bipartisan group of senators met with DHS border czar Tom Homan last night to discuss additional immigration enforcement concessions made by the White House on Friday in an attempt to end the partial government shutdown, POLITICO reported, citing lawmakers in attendance. The Senate is in session Saturday and Sunday, working on other legislative issues, but it is unclear whether further talks or a vote on the new DHS funding proposal will take place.
Shutdown Continues as DHS Funding Deal Eludes Senate Senate Democrats and Republicans appeared no closer to reaching a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday, following weeks of negotiations with the White House. President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has been meeting with centrist Democrats over the past few days to try to find a path forward on a DHS funding package. A meeting scheduled for Saturday evening between Homan and lawmakers was canceled that same afternoon. The Hill has reached out to Senate leadership and the White House for comment. Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) have participated in the talks, as has Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine), who caucuses with Democrats. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a Republican appropriator, said ahead of Saturday’s meeting that Republicans were “making some progress” with centrist Democrats following their Friday evening meeting with Homan. “I wasn’t in the meeting, but I got encouragement from it. Definitely not done yet, but we’re making some progress,” the South Dakota Republican said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) similarly expressed hope that the continuing White House talks could drive the two sides closer to a deal, telling reporters on Saturday afternoon that the shutdown “doesn’t reflect well on anybody.” “This is our job. This is what we should be doing here, and there being good faith efforts made to try and address the issues that Democrats are concerned about by the administration … and they’re working hard to get an outcome,” Thune said. “So at some point, like I said earlier, the Democrats are going to take yes for an answer.”
Cruz proposes splitting ICE from Homeland Security funding bill to end airport chaos - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a leading Senate conservative, is proposing to colleagues the idea of splitting off Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from the rest of funding for the Department of Homeland Security to end growing chaos at airports around the country. The proposal appeared to be gaining momentum within the Senate Republican conference on Saturday as GOP lawmakers grow increasingly pessimistic about reaching a deal with Democrats to reform federal immigration enforcement operations. “What I’ve suggested is that the Democrats have gotten so extreme and unreasonable that I don’t know that they will ever be willing to fund Department of Homeland Security,” Cruz told The Hill Saturday. “If that’s where the Democrats are, I’ve suggested let’s fund ICE and CBP through reconciliation. That Republicans can do with just 50 votes, we can do that relatively quickly and the Democrat lunacy on open borders can be put to an end,” he added. “I’m interested in any strategy to get the government open, to pay the Department of Homeland Security.” He argued that there have been four domestic attacks by radical Islamic terrorists in recent weeks and “the agency charged with preventing terror attacks has been defunded” because of the shutdown. “And millions of Americans right now are facing two-, three-, four-hour waits at airports. They’re missing their planes for spring break because the Democrats refuse to pay TSA,” he said. “TSA agents have now missed two paychecks in a row. Over 300 of them have resigned. They had to go get another job because they have to pay their rent and feed their kids,” he said. Security-line wait times at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport have stretched to more than three hours amid a high volume of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers calling in sick during the partial government shutdown.
ICE arrests dozens of Amazon Flex workers in southeast Michigan - At least 60 Amazon Flex delivery drivers have been detained by ICE across southeast Michigan, People’s Assembly Detroit is reporting. One person from the group has told the WSWS that while full‑scale workplace raids are not being carried out inside Amazon facilities, drivers are being pulled over as they arrive for their shifts. On several occasions, cars loaded with packages have been left in the street after workers were seized by ICE. Amazon Flex drivers are gig workers, similar to Uber and Lyft, who deliver Amazon packages from their private vehicles. According to data from the Pew Research Center and consulting firm McKinsey & Company, nearly half of gig workers are immigrants, although this number is even higher in some cities. The Independent Drivers Guild reports that up to 90 percent of gig workers in New York City are immigrants. It is believed that between 3.5 and 4.5 million immigrants are employed in app-based work such as Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, GrubHub, Instacart or Amazon Flex. The seizure of Flex drivers is a calculated attack on the entire working class, not just immigrants. Detroit, the historic center of the American car industry and home to large Arab and Muslim communities, is increasingly in the crosshairs of Trump’s immigration gestapo. Autoworkers at General Motors’ Factory Zero in the enclave of Hamtramck were outraged last month when masked ICE began pulling over motorists outside of the factory.On March 1, Amazon Flex driver Maria Zambrano was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Southeast Michigan. She is the partner of fellow Flex driver Edwin Vladimir Romero, who was also seized by ICE at Amazon’s Hazel Park facility on February 2, along with co‑worker Angel Junior Rincon‑Perez.On March 2, a GoFundMe was launched to support Maria Zambrano and Edwin Romero and their family. Veronica Rodriguez, who started the appeal, emphasized that both workers have lawful status in the US. “They have no criminal past and worked hard to pay their bills. They have lawful legal status in the US,” she says on the GoFundMe page. More than half of ICE’s approximately 70,000 detainees nationwide face no criminal charges at all.
Appeals court allows Trump to swiftly deport migrants to third countries -A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration may keep swiftly deporting migrants to countries where they have no ties as a legal challenge unfolds. The 2-1 vote on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit contained no explanation. The panel also expedited the schedule for the case’s next stage. The Trump administration as part of its aggressive immigration crackdown has ramped up sending migrants to places other than their home countries, known as third country removals. It has struck deals with Cameroon, South Sudan and Eswatini, among other countries, to take in deportees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the practice by saying it is aimed at removing some of the most “barbaric” individuals living illegally in the U.S. In court, the Trump administration has mainly argued that federal judges have no authority to intervene. The 1st Circuit majority comprised of Judge Jeffrey Howard, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, nominated by former President Biden. Fellow Biden nominee Lara Montecalvo was the sole dissenter. It lifts limits on the policy imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, another Biden nominee who oversees a class action lawsuit filed by four noncitizens a year ago. “While the order unfortunately delays implementation of the decision, we appreciate that the First Circuit ordered a swift resolution of the merits of the government’s appeal,” said Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which represents the migrants. Last year, the Trump administration went to the Supreme Court and won after Murphy limited third country removals at an earlier stage of the case. In his final ruling last month, Murphy said material differences had emerged and blocked the policy once again. “It is not fine, nor is it legal,” Murphy wrote. His ruling required the administration to first try to remove migrants to the normally designated country or where they have citizenship. If those fail, the judge said they have the right to a “meaningful opportunity” to contest their deportation once a third country is selected. Murphy had delayed implementation until the 1st Circuit could weigh in. The new ruling keeps his order halted until the appeal is resolved. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said its position has “once again been vindicated.” “The Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare,” the spokesperson said. “If these activists judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries won’t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets.”
Democrats demand DOJ investigation into Noem testimony on ad campaign, detentions - Judiciary Committee Democrats in both chambers on Monday urged the Justice Department to investigate whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lied under oath about several matters when appearing before Congress. The March 16 letter targets Noem’s comments about a $220 million ad campaign in which she urged migrants to leave the country, as well as her comments about whether the Department of Homeland Security has complied with judicial orders. The letter notes that Noem told the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3 that President Trump approved of the ad. She had previously told last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference that Trump had asked her to craft the ad to thank him for his work at the border. Shortly before he removed her from her post, Trump told Reuters that he “never knew” of the plans for the $220 million ad, contracts for which were funneled to allies of Noem. “These two statements are clearly inconsistent; one of them has to be false,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on each panel, wrote in the letter. It goes on to hammer Noem for claims that the contracts were awarded through the proper channels. “She flatly misrepresented that the contract had been subject to a competitive bid,” the lawmakers wrote. “New public reporting, however, indicates that those statements may have been false. It has been reported that not only did the Secretary ‘handpick’ four companies for the ad campaign, but procurement records show the ‘ad work was awarded using ‘other than full and open competition,’ and the four companies were politically connected to Noem and her allies.” The lawmakers also questioned Noem’s assertion that “we do comply with federal court orders.” “Those statements were false. DHS has repeatedly defied court orders to release individuals from ICE detention and has even failed to release individuals for days or weeks after a court-ordered date. DHS’s non-compliance is not isolated to one state or district court. As referenced above, on February 26, 2026, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz for the District Court of Minnesota found 210 instances of ICE violating court orders since December 2025 in Minnesota alone,” they wrote. “Any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically FALSE,” a DHS spokesperson said in response to the letter.
Testy Mullin confirmation hearing: DHS nominee Mullin says he would require judicial warrants to enter homes, businesses - Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said he would require judicial warrants for federal immigration agents to enter private homes or businesses, signaling a potential policy shift from his predecessor Kristi Noem.“We will not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial warrant, unless we’re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of business or a house,” Mullin, R-Okla., said at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday when asked about an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo that allowed for warrantless arrest and entry.He also told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that he doesn’t plan to send DHS law enforcement to polling places, following President Donald Trump’s call last month to “nationalize” elections.“The only reason why my officers would be there is if there was a specific threat for them to be there, not for intimidation,” Mullin said.Mullin’s appearance Wednesday was the first of two this week before the panel chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Trump tapped Mullin, a close congressional ally of the president, to lead DHS earlier this month after firing Noem, who was mired in controversy.The hearing got off to a tense start when Paul called Mullin out on comments he had made about Paul. In February, it was reported that Mullin called the Kentucky Republican a “freaking snake” and suggested he understands why a neighbor of Paul’s attacked him in 2017.“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said. “Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it,” Paul continued. “And while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.”Mullin, in response, did not strike a conciliatory tone.“We just don’t get along. However, sir, that doesn’t keep me at all from doing my job,” Mullin told Paul. “I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of Homeland, I’ll be protecting everybody.”“The record should show, and I think will show, a lack of contrition, no apology, and no regrets for your support, you completely understand the violence that was perpetrated on me,” Paul said.Republicans have an 8-7 edge on the committee and Mullin needs a simple majority to advance to the full Senate. Paul told reporters after the hearing that he would not vote for Mullin, according to MS Now. A “no” from Paul complicates his candidacy, though Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has said he would vote in support of Mullin. The committee is slated to vote on Mullin’s nomination on Thursday.Mullin is a hard-liner who has endorsed the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He is seeking to lead an agency currently shut down amid Democratic concerns about its immigration enforcement policies. Senate Democrats and the White House are continuing to negotiate a funding agreement for DHS.A former MMA fighter, rancher and owner of his own plumbing business, Mullin came to the House in 2013 riding an anti-establishment wave. He became a senator in 2023 and has become known on the Hill for building strong relationships with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.On Wednesday he was flanked by former Republican and Democratic House colleagues, including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the moderate New Jersey Democrat.Seated directly behind Mullin was Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, the union leader with whom Mullin nearly got into a physical altercation during a Senate hearing in 2023. The pair have since become friends, according to Mullin.
North Texas activists convicted of “material support for terrorism” in landmark case - Nine North Texas activists were convicted of “material support for terrorism” and a list of other offenses last Friday for their alleged roles in a shooting on July 4 of last year. The Department of Justice press release explicitly framed this as a conviction of “Antifa,” with the title reading “Antifa Cell Members Convicted in Prairieland ICE Detention Center Shooting.” The case relates to an incident on July 4, 2025 at the Prairieland ICE detention center in Alvarado, Texas, about 30 miles south of Fort Worth. There was a peaceful protest outside the center in the daytime, but a small group of activists came back late at night with the intention of setting off fireworks, hoping the noise would alert the detainees that they had support on the outside. This was not a peaceful protest, but was far from a conspiracy to commit murder or “terrorism.” Messages between the activists released during the trial showed plans for slashing police tires, firing fireworks at the detention center and engaging in other acts of vandalism, which they in fact did. The activists brought guns and a bulletproof vest, which are legal to own and purchase in Texas and most US states, but left all but one weapon in a van they used to carpool. The defendants clearly ascribed to some form of anarchist political viewpoint. Most of the protesters had left when two guards came out of the detention center and an Alvarado police officer, Lt. Thomas Gross, pulled up in front of the center in his squad car. There was an exchange of gunfire, in the course of which Gross was wounded and Benjamin Song, the protester who fired the shot, fled. He was arrested several weeks later. Song, 32, was convicted of three counts of attempted murder and three counts of discharging a firearm and faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. He served in the Marine Corps Reserves in 2011-2016 and was a Lance Corporal at the time of his other-than-honorable discharge. It is undisputed that Song was the only shooter in the group of protesters. Along with Song, Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto were convicted of “Providing Material Support to Terrorists.” This “support” supposedly consisted of the fact that they all wore black clothing to better conceal their identities. Seven of the eight, excluding Morris, were convicted of “Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot,” with the explosive in question being fireworks. The ninth defendant, Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada, was convicted on two lesser charges. The case against the nine defendants was built at least in part on the testimony of seven other activists—Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, Seth Sikes and John Thomas—who pleaded guilty to the charge of “Providing Material Support to Terrorists” last fall. All 16 defendants face sentencing on June 18.
Trump allies plan Senate floor takeover to pass SAVE America Act --President Trump’s allies are planning to take over the Senate floor this week in a bid to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, setting up a major test for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who is under pressure from Trump and the MAGA base to extend the debate over voting reform for as long as possible. GOP senators are playing their cards close to the vest ahead of this week’s marathon debate over the SAVE America Act, which would require people registering to vote to show documented proof of citizenship. But they’re bracing for long hours and possible late nights in a bid to build momentum for the bill, which already has broad public support. A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll of 1,999 registered voters found that 71 percent support the SAVE America Act. Trump allies, frustrated that they aren’t able to force Democrats to stage a talking filibuster to block the bill, are pressing Thune to keep the measure on the floor as long as possible to force Democrats to defend their opposition. “How long it goes is going to be instructive because the point of this is exhausting Democrats, the point of it is pain, the point of it is forcing a public and political process and seeing what comes out of it,” said a Republican strategist who favors a showdown with Democrats over the legislation. “Is this going to be a fist fight or not? How bloody is Thune going to make this?” the strategist said. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a leading proponent of the bill, says Trump wants to see Republicans go all out and is envisioning an epic floor fight, like the two-month battle that preceded the Senate’s passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. “What I want to do is try to maximize the period of time in which we debate it,” Lee said. Lee recalled that during the battle over the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Senate stayed in session for 60 days “and used an approach that is similar to what I think we ought to do here.” “They faced a 32-vote cloture deficit at the time it came over from the House in March of 64,” Lee said. “They were able to close a 32-vote cloture deficit. It took them 60 days, but they got there.” “Debating a bill that continues to get more popular even as people are trying to slow it down and stop it and obstruct it sometimes sharpens the minds of individual lawmakers and makes them more amenable in the end to negotiation,” Lee added. “That’s what we’re looking at here.”
How Donald Trump's SAVE America Act could reshape voting - President Trump’s push to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act is taking center stage this week in the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle amid unified Democratic opposition. The legislation — which is a top priority for the president — is unlikely to muster enough votes to pass the upper chamber, as Trump and some GOP allies warn of alleged election fraud ahead of the 2026 midterms.The bill, which would amend federal election law and impose new proof of citizenship requirements, has even divided the GOP conference, with some House Republicans vowing to oppose other legislation until the Senate votes on the bill. Supporters say the measure would strengthen election integrity and restore trust in the voting process. But critics argue there is little evidence of widespread fraud and warn the requirement could make it harder for eligible Americans to vote.The legislation would require people registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of citizenship that either includes a photo or is paired with government-issued photo identification. The bill lists several acceptable forms of proof, including a valid U.S. passport, a military ID paired with a record showing a U.S. birthplace, and a government-issued photo ID listing the person’s place of birth. REAL ID-compliant identification would also suffice in the handful of U.S. states that require proof of citizenship to obtain those IDs. Most states do not. Applicants could also pair a government-issued photo ID with additional documentation showing citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate, a hospital birth record, an adoption decree showing a U.S. birth, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship. The legislation also requires that states establish processes for resolving discrepancies in documentation. For example, people who have changed their name legally — after marriage or otherwise — could provide additional documentation or sign an affidavit to verify the name change. States would also be required to create a process allowing applicants who cannot provide documentary proof of citizenship to submit other evidence of citizenship and sign an attestation under penalty of perjury. A state or local official would then be required to determine whether the evidence provided was sufficient. As of now, applicants must attest to being a U.S. citizen, under penalty of perjury, but are not required to submit documentation in order to vote. Photo ID to vote The legislation would require voters to present valid photo identification to cast a ballot in federal elections. Acceptable forms of ID include state-issued driver’s licenses, valid U.S. passports, valid military IDs and valid tribal IDs with a photo and expiration date. Those who arrive at the polls without photo ID could still cast a provisional ballot but would need to present a valid ID within three days for the vote to count. Individuals may also sign an affidavit saying they have a religious objection to being photographed. The photo ID requirement would also change the way voters cast ballots by mail. Those who submit ballots by mail would be required to submit a copy of their valid photo ID. Otherwise, they must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number, along with a signed affidavit saying they could not obtain a copy of their ID despite making reasonable efforts. These requirements would not apply to certain military and overseas voters. Today, there is no national photo ID requirement to vote, though many states individually require some form of identification. The bill outlines new steps for states to take to ensure only citizens appear on their voter rolls. Within 30 days of the bill’s enactment, states would be required to submit their voter registration lists to the Department of Homeland Security, which would compare it against its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which is intended to track immigration and citizenship status. Individuals flagged as potential noncitizens would be notified by their states and would be required to present proof of citizenship. If they cannot verify their citizenship status, they will be removed from the voter rolls. States would also be permitted to use other sources of information, like state driver’s license databases and certain Social Security data, to identify potential noncitizens on their voter registration lists. The bill would impose new enforcement mechanisms related to citizenship requirements. Election officials who register an applicant to vote without the required proof of citizenship could face criminal penalties under the SAVE America Act. The legislation would also make it a crime for executive branch officials to knowingly provide material assistance to any noncitizens trying to register or vote in a federal election. The bill looks to hold officials accountable by giving individuals the ability to file lawsuits against election officials who register voters without the required documentary proof of citizenship. The federal government would also investigate people suspected of unlawfully registering to vote, and noncitizens found to have violated the law could face deportation proceedings.
Senate Democrats oppose SAVE America Act ahead of Republican vote -- As Senate Republicans prepare to vote on the SAVE America Act this week, Democrats remain opposed to the voter-ID legislation strongly backed by President Donald Trump. While House Republicans in February passed one version of the bill, mostly along party lines, they still need 60 votes in the Senate to bypass the filibuster. With only a 53-47 majority, Senate Republicans can’t advance the legislation without upper chamber Democratic support, unless lawmakers change the filibuster rule.Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Thursday said he would bring the legislation to the floor for a vote this week to “put Democrats on the record.”With multiple versions of the legislation circulating, it’s unclear which one Thune may bring to the Senate floor for a vote next week.“We don’t yet know what Thune is doing ... but we’re prepared for every possible scenario,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York told reporters Sunday afternoon during a press call. “My caucus really feels strongly that this would be a horror … one of the worst things that’s happened in the history of this country in terms of allowing people to vote,” he said. The recent House-passed bill would require Americans to show proof of citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate or passport, to register to vote for federal elections. The bill would also mandate photo identification rules to cast a ballot in person or by mail.If enacted, the legislation could cause a “large scale voter suppression” for those unable to comply, according to Marc Elias, founder of voter rights organization Democracy Docket, who also spoke to reporters during the Sunday call.“Most people don’t have a passport, and frankly, most people don’t have ready access to an original or a certified copy of a birth certificate,” he said.Some 21 million Americans don’t have easily accessibly documents to prove their citizenship, and 2.6 million Americans lack government-issued photo ID, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.During fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Department of the State issued roughly 27.3 million passports, which included about 4.5 million passport cards, according to the latest data.The bill passed in February would also require each state to regularly send a list of eligible voters to the Department of Homeland Security to identify non-citizens and remove them from the voter rolls.“It’s just appalling what they’re trying to do here, and it has my caucus really, really motivated to do everything we can to stop it,” Schumer said during the call on Sunday. “It’s just a cynical attempt by Donald Trump to steal the election.”
GOP tempers flare over how to pass SAVE America Act - Tempers are starting to boil within the Senate Republican Conference as disagreements arise over how to handle President Trump’s No. 1 legislative priority, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, which Trump wants to push through the Senate despite staunch Democratic opposition. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a leading proponent of the bill, angered some colleagues this week by suggesting on social media that Republican senators who don’t want to force Democrats to wage a “talking filibuster” to oppose the legislation should be ousted from the Senate. “If your senators don’t support using the talking filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, you might need to replace them,” Lee posted on the social platform X. That ticked off some Republican senators, according to Senate GOP sources. One Republican senator said the response to Lee’s post was “not very favorable.” The squabble reflects rising tensions over how to handle the bill amid intense pressure from Trump to add language to ban no-excuse mail-in voting and to ram it through the chamber even though no Democrats support it. The Senate voted 51-48 to advance the measure, despite the opposition of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), the only Republican to vote “no.” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who said last week he would vote against proceeding with the bill because he didn’t see a viable endgame for passing the legislation, missed Tuesday’s vote because of a travel delay. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted to begin debate on the legislation even though he has told GOP colleagues privately that he doesn’t support the measure. He voted to start the debate as a courtesy to the Senate GOP leadership. Republicans mainly agree on the core elements of the House-passed bill, such as the requirements that people registering to vote need to show documented proof of citizenship to register and that people need to show proper identification to vote. But there are deep disagreements among Republicans over what steps to take next after the Senate voted largely along party lines to proceed on the legislation. Trump has said he will not sign any legislation, except for funding that ends the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, until the SAVE America Act is passed. Conservatives, led by Lee, continue to push the idea of forcing Democrats to wage a talking filibuster, which would require them to hold the floor with continuous debate, to block the bill. Lee hopes that weeks of continued debate over the SAVE America Act will exhaust Democrats and open the path for Republicans to pass the measure with a simple-majority vote. Lee has talked about the need for a lengthy floor debate similar to the two-month Senate debate that preceded the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Other conservatives have endorsed the idea of a long and drawn-out debate on the legislation. “What I’ve been advising and recommending, and I think there’s a lot of support in the conference is get on the bill … and then use the Senate the way it’s intended to be used, use the amendment process to continue to improve the bill to help get more votes,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Tuesday floated the idea of attaching the SAVE America Act to a must-pass bill, such as reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) Section 702 surveillance authority. “I think what we have to do is we have to look at all the different ways we can pass it. The best would be we get 60 votes, right? Or is there some other must-pass bill we could do? We just got to keep working to try to get this passed,” he said.
GOP debate on SAVE America Act morphs into ‘circular firing squad’ - Senate Republicans say the debate within their conference over how hard to push for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a sweeping voting reform bill, is becoming a “circular firing squad” as President Trump’s allies ramp up pressure on their GOP colleagues to use extraordinary tactics to pass the bill. Trump and his allies are warning that if Senate Republicans don’t pull out all the stops to pass the bill, they will face the wrath of MAGA voters. That threat is angering Senate GOP critics of the bill, who think it’s poorly drafted and has no chance of passing. They say threats to punish them for not rallying behind the bill will only backfire as the party heads into a midterm election facing strong political headwinds, such as Trump’s low approval ratings and voter dissatisfaction over inflation and the economy. “Circular firing squads never end well,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who says the bill needs more work and has questioned the endgame for passing the bill when Democrats are vowing to block it with a filibuster. Tillis and several other Republican senators were outraged by Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) post on social media this week suggesting that Republican colleagues who don’t support forcing a talking filibuster to help pass the SAVE America Act should be replaced. “To me, it’s disingenuous to say we’re going to go out here and we’re going to bring the bill, make [its virtues] apparent to the American people, and then he’s out there the night before we’re about to go on the bill and threatening primaries for people who don’t get on board for something he knows he doesn’t have support for,” Tillis said. Trump added to the pressure Tuesday when he declared on Truth Social that the SAVE America Act is “one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress and America itself” and vowed to withhold support from any Republican who opposes it. Tillis circulated Lee’s post to Senate Republican colleagues so that they knew what their colleague was posting about them on social media, according to GOP senators who were alerted to the bombshell comment. A Republican senator who requested anonymity said the suggestion that Republicans who don’t support the talking filibuster should be ousted “doesn’t do much for camaraderie.” “I don’t have a great appreciation for that,” the lawmaker added. The GOP senator also questioned whether the Senate needs to debate the SAVE America Act beyond next week when it’s highly unlikely any Democrats will vote for it and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has announced there aren’t enough GOP votes to force Democrats to wage a talking filibuster by actively holding the floor for days or weeks to oppose it. “I don’t think we need a month on it, to be honest,” the senator said. “Does it go into week? I don’t know.” A second Republican senator who requested anonymity urged his colleagues to lower the temperature within the GOP conference. “The frustration should be focused on Democrats coming into the election year and not on Republicans,” said the senator. Some Republican senators think Lee, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and other Republicans who are making a full-court press to pass the SAVE America Act are holding Senate GOP leadership “hostage” by threatening to gin up Trump if they move off the bill too soon. But Lee, one of Trump’s closest Senate allies, is not backing down. He warned at a press conference Wednesday that Republicans face political suicide if they don’t do everything in their power to pass the bill, which would require people to show documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote, even if it requires weeks of debating it on the floor. Lee warned that if Republicans settle for a failed vote next week to end debate and advance the SAVE America Act it would be a “suicidal move.” “It would be a suicidal move for us as Senate Republicans or Republicans in general if we don’t put everything we’ve got into this,” he said. “I think we need to debate this as long as it takes to get done.” “Getting it teed up, getting debate and then immediately proceeding to cloture [to end debate] … on the bill would be, I think, a profound mistake,” he said.
Iran war-induced fertilizer shortage threatens farm state Republicans - The Strait of Hormuz shutdown caused by the war in Iran is jacking up fertilizer prices, hitting farmers in their pocketbooks and threatening to raise food prices. Now, Democrats trying to win the U.S. midterm elections in November see another new opportunity to pound the affordability crisis and turn the tide after years of losses in the states that produce crops and livestock. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical channel for fertilizer, including about 50% of global nitrogen-rich urea fertilizers, according to the Fertilizer Institute, the industry’s trade association. The strait has been effectively impassable since President Donald Trump launched the assault, which is now in its third week with no end in sight. The closure has spiked fertilizer prices just before planting season, potentially scrambling decision-making for farmers across the U.S. And it comes on top of already low commodity prices that have lingered for years and eaten into farmers’ margins. “We’re in uncharted territory,” Matt Frostic, a Michigan farmer who sits on the board of the National Corn Growers Association, said in an interview with CNBC. “It’s like a code red.” Frostic said he purchased nitrogen fertilizer, critical for corn crops , in January for around $350 per ton. That same product, he said, is now closing in on $600 per ton. The murky farm outlook also comes eight months before the midterm elections that could cost Trump control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats, who are trying to win competitive seats in farm-heavy states such as Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, are jumping on the high fertilizer prices as a new example of the affordability issue that continues to haunt Trump and Republicans. “There are tons of people just like me in our district who are like, I don’t get it. I don’t understand. It was already hard, and now they’re making it harder, and nobody knows why,” said Jake Johnson, a public school teacher who is running for Congress in Minnesota’s first District against incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Finstad. “Our number one job as a campaign and what we want to talk about to every single person we talk to is we need ways to make things cheaper,” Johnson said. The rural entreaties from Democrats come after years of bleeding support in the country’s rural, agrarian states in the middle of the country. Trump in 2024 won nearly every state in the Midwest, with exceptions in Minnesota and Illinois. He also dominated the county-by-county contest, according to the Center for Politics, winning 2,660 counties compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 451, which were centered in the most populated parts of the U.S.
Appeals court mulls whether GOP rescission has mooted climate grant dispute -- The judges appeared confused about whether the Trump administration’s termination made the grant money subject to rescission under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A panel of federal judges on Monday debated whether almost $3 billion in Biden-era climate grants had actually been rescinded by Republicans as part of the spending bill they passed last year. The judges gave no indications during oral arguments how they may rule, and all sides acknowledged other cases pending before the full court — including a dispute over the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund — will likely play a significant role in the outcome for these separate climate grants. The case highlights the tug-of-war on climate change policy and spending that creates confusion when power in Washington changes hands. Advertisement “I think there’s no doubt that [Congress] can rescind” funds, said Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. “But the question becomes, when did they become unobligated? Do they become unobligated?”
Meet the lawyers powering DOJ environment’s fight against states - -- Most joined DOJ last year as career environmental lawyers exited. Some have worked for Trump-aligned law firms and clerked for conservative Supreme Court justices. As the Justice Department’s environment division has hollowed out its career staff and ramped down enforcement, a small cadre of political lawyers are driving a new priority for the Trump administration — suing states to stop them from acting on climate change.While it’s not unheard of for the federal government to sue a state, the posture of the Trump administration’s cases is unusual, former staff within DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division say. Federal environmental laws generally set a floor for protection and allow states to take a more stringent approach if they see fit. “It really is the opposite of what we’ve historically seen,” said Tom Mariani, former head of enforcement at ENRD, who was part of a massive exodus of career staff at the start of the new Trump administration.Last May, DOJ launched legal challenges against Michigan and Hawaii to stop the states from suing the oil industry to pay up for climate change and against New York and Vermont to block “climate superfund” programs that force firms to pay for spewing greenhouse gas emissions. DOJ has also sued California over fuel economy rules that the Trump administration has said amount to a mandate for electric vehicles.
Judge temporarily halts Trump demand for race-based admissions data from universities - A judge ruled on Friday to temporarily stall efforts by the Trump administrations demanding race-based admissions data from universities. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor ruled in favor of the 17 blue states that challenged the administration’s new reporting requirements, arguing they were costly and burdensome to universities. The Trump administration wants to implement the “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” (ACTS), which would require years of admissions data based on race and other aspects to be given to the federal government. Saylor extended the deadline for the survey to be completed to March 25 while he considers the states’ case. “The Trump Administration is on a fishing expedition — demanding unprecedented amounts of data from our colleges and universities under the guise of enforcing civil rights law,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who represents one of the lead states in the lawsuit. “This is the same administration, I’ll remind you, that gutted the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, leaving thousands of civil rights complaints and investigations in limbo. This latest sham demand threatens to turn a reliable tool into a partisan bludgeon. California is committed to following the law — and we’re going to court to make sure the Trump Administration does the same,” Bonta added. The states also argue that the amount of data the department wants would make the information unusable. “American taxpayers invest over $100 billion into higher education each year and deserve transparency on how their dollars are being spent. The Department’s efforts will expand an existing transparency tool to show how universities are taking race into consideration in admissions. What exactly are State AGs trying to shield universities from?” said Ellen Keast, press secretary for higher education at the Education Department.
Kennedy Center board unanimously approves Trump’s shutdown plan --President Trump’s hand-picked Kennedy Center board voted unanimously Monday to go forward with his two-year closure and renovation plan, which is set to begin this summer.In a Monday release, the performing arts center said the board voted to “temporarily close the Center for a comprehensive revitalization project.” The center will close after a July 4 celebration for roughly two years, with a “Grand Re-Opening” to follow once the project is complete, the release added.The president last month revealed plans to renovate the center, over which he has exerted significant authority by appointing new board members and himself as chairman. The new board also voted to add Trump’s name to the center in December, a move met with backlash from congressional Democrats, who said that only an act of Congress can change the name. Trump urged the center’s board to approve the renovation project before Monday’s vote. The renovations, which the release said will be funded via $257 million allocated from Congress, will “allow for the most comprehensive and efficient renovation effort, setting the stage for a revitalized National Cultural and Entertainment Complex for all Americans to enjoy.”
Federal court blocks Kennedy’s vaccine changes, invalidates vaccine advisory panel -A federal judge on Monday blocked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to vaccine policy, including the reduction of the recommended childhood immunizations and his remaking of a key vaccine advisory panel. U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy, a Biden appointee, granted a motion by the American Academy of Pediatrics for preliminary injunction against the reduced childhood immunization schedule earlier this year, along with the remaking of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, invalidating all votes made by the committee since. Murphy found that the reconstitution of the ACIP last year failed to abide by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. He also found that the CDC bypassing the ACIP when changing the childhood immunization schedule was both a “technical, procedural failure” and “an abandonment of the technical knowledge and expertise embodied by that committee.” “The Court concludes that, in addition to being contrary to law, the issuance of the January 2026 Memo was arbitrary and capricious because it abandoned the agency’s longstanding practice of getting recommendations from ACIP before changing the immunization schedules without sufficient explanation,” Murphy wrote in his ruling, referring to the CDC’s announcement at the start of the year altering the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. Last June, Kennedy fired all 17 sitting members of the ACIP, claiming it was necessary to “re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.” He went on to appoint a slew of known vaccine skeptics and critics to the committee. Since this remaking, the new members of the ACIP went on to vote in favor of no longer recommending birth doses of the hepatitis B vaccine; to delay the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine; and to no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older but to leave it to “individual-based decision making.” When it came to the new members of the ACIP, Murphy acknowledged that many of them had “extensive expertise” in their fields. The federal judge determined, however, there are “glaring gaps” in the expertise “relevant to the functions and tasks performed by the committee.” “First, of the fifteen members currently on ACIP, even under the most generous reading, only six appear to have any meaningful experience in vaccines—the very focus of ACIP,” wrote Murphy. He specifically named current ACIP members Hillary Blackburn, Evelyn Griffin, Joseph Hibbeln, James Pagano, Raymond Pollak and chair of the committee Kirk Milhoan as appearing to “lack any expertise or professional qualifications related to vaccines or immunization as required by ACIP’s Charter.” Murphy further determined that while three other members of the committee — Retsef Levi, Robert Malone and Catherine Stein — may have experience relevant to the ACIP, they lack the qualifications to constitute “expertise” in vaccines and immunizations. HHS indicated the ruling would be appealed.
Federal judge blocks Kennedy’s changes to childhood vaccine policy - A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s changes to the US childhood immunization schedule. In a ruling issued this afternoon, Judge Brian E. Murphy said the changes made by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the childhood immunization schedule likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act, as did Kennedy’s reconstitution of a federal advisory board that makes recommendations on clinical use of vaccines. The preliminary injunction comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other leading medical groups against HHS in July 2025 over Kennedy’s unilateral changes to COVID vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. The suit was amended in January after HHS overhauled recommendations for childhood vaccines, reducing the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. The lawsuit argued that these moves, along with Kennedy’s appointment of vaccine skeptics to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after firing 17 previously appointed members, bypassed the scientific process and didn’t follow proper administrative procedures.Murphy said in his ruling that there is a method to how decisions about vaccine recommendations have historically been made, “a method scientific in nature and codified into law through procedural requirements.” “Unfortunately, the government has disregarded those methods and thereby undermined the integrity of its actions,” he wrote.Public health and infectious disease experts have widely criticized the attempts by Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, to overhaul of US vaccine policy. Though the Trump administration has been supportive of Kennedy, recent reporting suggests the administration wants Kennedy to focus on other issues. The ruling, which will likely be appealed by the Trump administration, also temporarily blocks all decisions made by the ACIP, whose current members have been hand-picked by Kennedy, and puts Kennedy’s appointments on hold. ACIP was scheduled to hold a two-day meeting this week, but that meeting has now been postponed.“ACIP as currently constituted cannot meet,” attorney Richard Hughes IV, JD, MPH, who represented the AAP, told the Associated Press.AAP, which released its own vaccine recommendations on January 26, called the ruling a “historic outcome for children, communities, and pediatricians everywhere.”“This decision effectively means that a science-based process for developing immunization recommendations is not to be trifled with and represents a critical step to restoring scientific decision-making to federal vaccine policy that has kept children healthy for years,” AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, said in a statement.
Vaccine lawsuit against Kennedy could reach Supreme Court - Although a federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s changes to the US childhood immunization schedule, the US Supreme Court could have two chances over the next year to weigh in on the decision, legal experts say.US District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy said the sweeping overhaul of federal vaccine recommendations by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated a law that governs how public policy changes are made, as did Kennedy’s firing of all 17 members of an influential immunization advisory panel. The ruling means that, at least for now, the federal government must restore vaccination recommendations in place when Kennedy took office, and that the advisory panel—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP)—cannot take any legal action.Murphy’s decision was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other leading medical groups, which claimed that the Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act, a law that forbids public officials from making policy changes that are “arbitrary and capricious.” The Trump administration has vowed to appeal the court’s decision.“We look forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon posted on X. If a federal appeals court rejects the Trump administration’s appeal, the administration “is likely to try to take it up to the Supreme Court on the emergency docket,” said attorney Richard Hughes IV, JD, MPH, who represented the medical groups.The Supreme Court would have until June or July, when its term ends, to keep the Trump administration’s vaccine policies on hold or to reinstate them, Hughes said at a webinar for journalists today. The Supreme Court could also decide to consider the merits of the case during its next term, which begins in October, and issue a final verdict on how much power Kennedy has to reshape health policy.The AAP filed suit against HHS in July 2025 over Kennedy’s unilateral changes to COVID vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. The suit was amended in January after HHS took a hatchet to the US pediatric immunization schedule, slashing the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. Murphy agreed with the medical groups that Kennedy bypassed the scientific process and didn’t follow proper administrative procedures. Thirteen of Kennedy’s handpicked ACIP appointees “appear distinctly unqualified,” Murphy wrote. In response to the ruling, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) canceled the ACIP meetings scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday.In series of posts on X, ACIP Vice Chair Robert Malone, MD claimed that Murphy defamed him and described Murphy as a “rogue judge” who should be impeached. He posted that he was disappointed that the ACIP was canceled because, “This week was to be an incredibly important ACIP meeting on vaccine injury, the first of its kind—ever.”Although Murphy’s ruling doesn’t bar Kennedy from seating additional members on the committee, Hughes said the medical groups are likely to challenge any appointment that doesn’t follow established procedure. “If we see additional appointments to ACIP, you can rest assured that we will act,” Hughes said.
HHS investigating 13 states for ‘coercing’ health care providers to provide abortions The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday it is launching investigations into 13 states for violating a federal health refusal clause and “coercing” health care entities into providing or performing abortion services. HHS officials said the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will launch investigations into 13 states for allegedly violating the Weldon Amendment, an appropriations provision that states any state or local government that receives federal funds cannot “discriminate” against any health care provider that refuses to cover, pay for, refer or provide an abortion. “OCR launches these investigations to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” Paula Stannard, director of the OCR, said in a statement. “Under the Weldon Amendment, health care entities, such as health insurance issuers and health plans, are protected from state discrimination for not paying for, or providing coverage of, abortion contrary to conscience. Period.” In a press call, an HHS official described the provision, put in place in 2005, as being necessary “because of concern over the fact that state and local governments were coercing health care entities … both providers as well as health plans and health insurance companies, into covering or providing abortion, despite religious or conscientious objections to those requirements.” The states the HHS will investigate are California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. States will have 20 days to respond to letters sent by the HHS. Officials said these investigations were not prompted by any complaints from these states, though they said this was “largely, I think, because the prior administration closed complaints.” The Biden administration in 2021 withdrew a notice of violation issued to California by the Trump administration the year prior. At the time, the HHS under the Biden administration stated in a letter that the scope of a “health care entity” under the Weldon Amendment was narrower than previously interpreted, finding that churches and religious organizations did not fall under this category. HHS officials said they are disavowing this interpretation. “We believe that it reflected an unduly narrow reading of the statute. We also disavowed downstream impacts of the legal position taken in 2021, which imposed certain requirements on complainants of protected parties that were not grounded in the state statute,” an HHS official said. “And by publicly repudiating that 2021 letter, we informed states and other entities, including those protected by this by the Weldon amendment, that they should no longer rely on this now repeated legal position.”
Judge skeptical over Trump ballroom project amid new bid to halt it - A federal judge seemed freshly skeptical of President Trump’s White House ballroom construction project as he weighed a new bid by preservationists to halt it. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday sharply pressed the Justice Department (DOJ) over the varying authorities it listed as reasons the president’s $400 million construction project should be allowed to proceed without congressional approval.“This has been a case where there have been shifting theories, shifting dynamics, I regret to say, from the beginning,” said the judge, an appointee of former President George W. Bush.Trump began demolishing the East Wing in October to clear the way for the site of the new ballroom, a 90,000-square-foot project where state dinners, galas and other events are expected to be held. The ballroom is slated for completion by 2028 and is being funded mostly by private donors. A panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose commissioners were appointed by Trump in January, approved the proposal last month.The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration in December to stop the project until the White House abides by federal law and other rules, such as obtaining congressional approval and going through multiple independent reviews and a public comment period. Lawyers for the preservationists said Tuesday that the government has put the court on a “monthslong merry-go-round ride” regarding who is in charge of the project, complicating legal review, but now claims that the project is too far along to stop. “What they can’t do here is have it both ways,” said lawyer Thaddeus Heuer. But DOJ lawyer Yaakov Roth said the ballroom construction project has always had a “dual source of funding and dual source of authority.”Leon called it a “brazen interpretation of the law’s vocabulary.” The judge noted several times that the White House isn’t just any national park. He called it an “iconic symbol of this nation” and described Trump as a “steward” of the building as president, not its owner. The East Wing demolition was met with swift backlash from preservationists, historians and Democratic lawmakers, who slammed the White House for bypassing the traditional process. “There is no track record of this ever being done,” Leon said. The judge previously declined to halt the construction of the ballroom. He ruled last month that the preservationists did not properly challenge the renovations, offering the organization a chance to amend its complaint, which he could reconsider. “To be fair, the President’s source of legal authority to construct the ballroom was not apparent before the National Trust brought its motion,” the judge wrote in his Feb. 26 ruling. “And to make things murkier, Defendants initially suggested that there was a dispute about the President’s constitutional authority. “But Defendants’ subsequent abandonment of any constitutional claims of authority places this case — as it now stands — squarely in” the territory of Supreme Court precedent regarding when courts can second-guess the president, he added. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a new complaint and asked Leon to block the project again, which is the matter now before him. Roth said Tuesday that, even if the judge sides with the preservationists, he should not order construction halted, citing national security and “practical reasons.”Leon said he would aim to rule by the end of the month.
Donald Trump’s takeover of DC landmarks reach legal apex -- President Trump’s government real estate projects in the nation’s capital are reaching an apex in court. Environmental groups, a Democratic congresswoman and even golfers have sued. Judges so far have largely declined to stop the president’s projects, from rebuilding the Kennedy Center to constructing a planned archway, from East Potomac Park to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. That may soon change. On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon heard the latest bid to halt construction of the new White House ballroom, planned for the site of the demolished East Wing. He’s twice before ruled for Trump. But on Tuesday, he seemed exceedingly skeptical of the project. “There is no track record of this ever being done,” Leon said, describing the White House as an “iconic symbol” of the nation and the president as a “steward” of the building, not its owner. The ballroom challengers have accused Trump of attempting to shield the project from judicial review. “What they can’t do here is have it both ways,” said Thaddeus Heuer, a lawyer for the preservationists. Many lawsuits seeking to stop government projects focus on the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to examine the environmental impacts of their projects. Previously, Leon ruled that the ballroom challengers couldn’t bring such a suit because Trump and the Office of the Executive Residence aren’t agencies. And the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), another law that could’ve posed a roadblock, has never been an option because it carves out the White House grounds as an exception. It leaves the ballroom challengers now hoping Leon will embrace their latest argument: the project simply isn’t authorized by any statute on the books. The appointee of former President George W. Bush said he would aim to rule by the end of the month. However, he signaled concern over the government’s shifting authorities for the project, suggesting it’s been an issue “from the beginning.” It’s not the only way the ballroom has landed in court. When Trump tore down the East Wing five months ago to make way for it, workers moved the rubble to East Potomac Park. The park is located on a man-made island along the Potomac River, and much of it is a public golf course. Trump wants to remake it so it can one day host championships. It would add to the growing list of first-time professional sporting events in D.C. already in the works: The president is preparing to host a UFC fight on the White House lawn in June, and he’s authorized an IndyCar race in downtown Washington in August. The D.C. Preservation League and two golfers claim the East Potomac plans violate various laws, including both NEPA and NHPA. The Justice Department’s strategy has emphasized that the project and others are still “concepts” that have yet to be turned into reality. “Plaintiffs have no right to be involved in any review that has not even begun,” the Justice Department wrote in response to the golfers.
"That Wasn't Public": Trump Stuns Johnson By Blurting Out GOP Rep.'s Dire Medical Condition -President Donald Trump casually revealed Monday that Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) was facing a terminal heart diagnosis and would have been “dead by June” without the president stepping in to connect him with top White House doctors. The stunning disclosure came during a White House lunch with Kennedy Center Board members, where Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) chatted with reporters about the brutal Republican math of holding onto power with just a couple-vote edge. "Death is very bad when you’re the speaker, and you have a majority of two or three. But we had it, and then we had another death," Trump said. "We had one man who was very ill. It looked like he wasn’t going to make it. I don’t know. I don’t I won’t mention his name." Then the president went straight for it: “He would be dead by June.” Johnson looked blindsided, quipping, "That wasn’t public, but, yeah, it was grim.” The speaker quickly identified the mystery lawmaker as Dunn, the Panhandle Republican who's a retired surgeon himself. "Congressman Neal Dunn of Florida had had some real health challenges, and it was very serious," Johnson explained. "And I mentioned it to the president, and I said, ‘Congressman Dunn is a real champion and a patriot, because he’s still coming to work, and if others got this diagnosis, they would be apt to go home and retire.’"Trump pressed: “What was the diagnosis?” "I think it was a terminal diagnosis," Johnson replied, prompting Trump's blunt follow-up, saying, “dead by June.” Trump then credited his fast action of hooking Dunn up with White House physicians and specialists for the dramatic turnaround, giving the congressman a "new lease on life" and sparing Republicans a devastating special-election headache. Dunn announced back in January he won't seek a sixth term and will retire at the end of this Congress.
Epstein files: AG Pam Bondi to sit for House deposition April 14 --The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday said it has subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi to sit for an April 14 deposition on the Department of Justice’s handling of matters related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Committee chairman James Comer, R-Ky., identified the deposition date in a new letter to Bondi sent nearly two weeks after the panel voted to issue the subpoena to the AG.The panel wants to question Bondi about the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed with overwhelming support in Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump in mid-November.Lawmakers also have questions about the department’s handling of its investigation into Epstein, who died in a jailhouse suicide in 2019 while facing federal sex-trafficking charges, and his associates, Comer’s letter said.Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of procuring young girls for Epstein, was interviewed by top DOJ official Todd Blanche in July. Maxwell, who is seeking clemency from Trump, said in that interview that she was unaware of any wrongdoing by the president, a former friend of Epstein’s.“This subpoena is completely unnecessary,” a DOJ spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.“Lawmakers have been invited to view the unredacted files for themselves at the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General has always made herself available to speak directly with members of Congress,” the spokesperson said.“She continues to have calls and meetings with members of Congress on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which is why the Department offered to brief the committee tomorrow. As always, we look forward to continuing to provide policymakers with the facts.”The subpoena for Bondi was revealed four days after the Oversight panel announced it was seeking the testimony of a prison guard who was on duty the night Epstein died.The committee has already conducted sworn interviews with former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton, as well as retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, over their ties to Epstein. All have denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities.Bondi last month appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for a public hearing that frequently devolved into succession of angry and combative exchanges with Democratic lawmakers.Pressed on her department’s handling of the Epstein files and related investigations, Bondi touted the stock market’s gains, praised Trump and at times insulted the panelists, often while referencing a binder stocked with opposition research.
Elon Musk Twitter verdict misled investors before $44 billion purchase --A jury in California found that Elon Musk defrauded Twitter shareholders during the runup to his $44 billion acquisition of the social media company, according to a verdict issued on Friday.Total damages could reach up to $2.6 billion, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.The class action lawsuit, Pampena v. Musk, was originally filed in October 2022, after Musk completed his purchase of Twitter for $54.20 per share. He later renamed the company X, before merging it with his artificial intelligence company xAI, and then with SpaceX, his reusable rocket manufacturer.“This is a great example of what you cannot do to the average investor -- people that have 401ks, kids, pension funds, teachers, firemen, nurses,” Joseph Cotchett, an attorney for the Twitter investors, told CNBC at the San Francisco courthouse. “That’s what this case was all about. This was not about Musk. It was about the whole operation.”In an emailed statement, Musk attorneys with Quinn Emanuel said, “We view today’s verdict, where the jury found both for and against the plaintiffs and found no fraud scheme, as a bump in the road. And we look forward to vindication on appeal.”After Musk bid to buy Twitter in April 2022, his sentiment towards the deal quickly soured as he cast doubt on the company’s claimed level of bots, spam and fake accounts on its platform. Musk wrote in a tweet the following month that his acquisition was “temporarily on hold” until Twitter’s CEO could prove its inauthentic account levels were around the 5% reported in the company’s SEC filings. Musk’s tweets and additional comments sent shares of Twitter sliding by almost 10% in a single session. The jury deliberated for four days and unanimously found that Musk’s tweets on May 13 and May 17 were materially false or misleading. Former Twitter shareholders, including retail investors and options traders, argued that Musk’s remarks amounted to a scheme to pressure the company’s board to sell to him for a lower price than his original offer. They claimed he was motivated by stock price declines at Tesla, which would require him to sell even more shares in the automaker than he’d intended in order to finance the buyout.The plaintiffs in the suit said they sold shares below $54.20 following and in response to Musk’s posts and comments during press interviews. The potential damages figure is based on expert estimates of how much Musk’s flip-flopping affected the share price during the class period. Attorneys for the Twitter investors said it will be about 90 days before claims administration is set up, and it will then take a couple of months for the government to process claims and for investors to begin to recoup some of their losses. Musk’s attorneys argued their client’s remarks were based on well-founded concerns about bots, spam and fake accounts on Twitter, and did not amount to securities fraud or a scheme to depress the company’s stock price.The jury said that though Musk had made false and misleading statements that harmed some Twitter shareholders, he did not engage in a specific scheme to defraud investors.While the verdict marks a stinging rebuke for Musk, the financial implications are minimal considering his net worth, which currently sits at about $650 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Iran-linked cyberattack prompts Microsoft Intune warnings - CISA and Microsoft urge organizations to secure endpoint management systems as threat actors increasingly seek to disrupt operations with wiper malware.
- Key insight: Microsoft's newly recommended security practices for Intune align with existing FFIEC regulations for access and authentication.
- What's at stake: Iranian-linked hackers are targeting administrative access not for financial extortion, but to launch pure disruption attacks that wipe servers.
- Expert quote: "More than one privileged user at the financial institution must approve access to certain critical systems," according to FFIEC guidance.
Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review
Trump admin unveils national AI policy framework to limit state power - The Trump administration on Friday issued a legislative framework for a single national policy on artificial intelligence, aiming to create uniform safety and security guardrails around the nascent technology while preempting states from enacting their own AI rules.The six-pronged outline broadly proposes a slew of regulations on AI products and infrastructure, ranging from implementing new child-safety rules to standardizing the permitting and energy use of AI data centers.It also calls on Congress to address thorny issues surrounding intellectual-property rights and craft rules “preventing AI systems from being used to silence or censor lawful political expression or dissent.”The administration said in an official release that it wants to work with Congress “in the coming months” to convert its framework into a bill that President Donald Trump can sign. The White House wants to codify the framework into law “this year” and believes it can generate bipartisan support, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday evening. That won’t be easy in a deeply divided Congress where Republicans hold thin and often fractious majorities, and where Trump has already urged GOP lawmakers to prioritize his controversial voter-ID bill above all else ahead of the November midterms. The Senate has spent much of this week debating the SAVE America Act even though it doesn’t have the votes to clear the chamber. Amid rapidly growing concerns about AI and its impacts, lawmakers in New York, California and elsewhere have pushed to enact their own state-level regulations. AI industry leaders have strongly opposed those efforts, arguing that a “patchwork” of laws would hobble innovation and give global competitors like China a major advantage in the race for AI dominance. Trump, whose administration has largely embraced AI, in December signed an executive order for a single national regulatory standard on the industry.“Congress should preempt state AI laws that impose undue burdens to ensure a minimally burdensome national standard consistent with these recommendations, not fifty discordant ones,” the White House framework argues.Kratsios, in a press release Friday morning said, ″The White House’s national AI legislative framework will unleash American ingenuity to win the global AI race, delivering breakthroughs that create jobs, lower costs, and improve lives for Americans across the country.”“At the same time, it tackles real concerns head-on — protecting our children online, shielding families from higher energy costs, respecting creators’ rights, and supporting American workers — so every citizen can trust and benefit from this incredible technology,” he said.
Justice Department urges court to reject Anthropic's First Amendment argument - The Trump administration is doubling down on its decision to cut ties with Anthropic, arguing in a new court filing that the move is “lawful and reasonable” and not a violation of free speech, as the artificial intelligence (AI) firm alleges. The Department of Justice (DOJ), in an expected court filing Tuesday, urged a federal judge in California to reject Anthropic’s request for a preliminary injunction on the Pentagon’s labeling of the AI company as a supply chain risk. DOJ attorneys said Anthropic’s terms of service “have become unacceptable to the executive branch,” after the AI firm pressed for specific restrictions on the use of its technology for autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance. The Pentagon maintains the federal government can use its AI services for “any lawful purpose.” “If it were any other way, an AI provider might gain influence over how DOW conducts operations and which missions it chooses,” the DOJ wrote, adding that throughout negotiations, “Anthropic’s behavior more generally caused the Department to question whether Anthropic represented a trusted partner with whom the department was willing to contract in this highly sensitive area.” The DOJ suggested Anthropic could try to disable its technology or “preemptively alter” the behavior of its model during warfighting, stating the Pentagon sees that as an “unacceptable risk to national security.” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said during negotiations that the company understands the DOD, “not private companies, makes military decisions.” “We have never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner,” Amodei said late last month. After negotiations fell apart earlier this month, Anthropic filed suit against the Trump administration for the supply chain risk designation, alleging the Pentagon retaliated against the company for its viewpoints on AI safety and the limitations of its AI models. The DOJ suggested Anthropic’s First Amendment claim is unlikely to succeed, arguing the company’s refusal to accept the government’s contractual term is conduct, not speech. “To conclude otherwise ‘would extend First Amendment protection to every commercial transaction on the ground that it communicates to the customer information about a product or service,’” the DOJ filing stated. The federal government also maintained Anthropic’s speech was not a “motivating factor” for the actions, as Anthropic argues.
Democrats push for limits on Pentagon's AI deployment - Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) moved ahead with efforts to limit the Pentagon’s use of AI, introducing a bill on Tuesday that would establish guardrails related to autonomous and nuclear weapons. The bill, titled the AI Guardrails Act, would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from using autonomous weapons to kill without human authorization, and using AI for domestic mass surveillance and nuclear weapons launch. It is the latest pushback from Democrats after the Pentagon cut ties with AI firm Anthropic earlier this month and took the unprecedented move to designate the company a supply chain risk. President Trump also directed federal civilian agencies to immediately stop using Anthropic’s products. Slotkin’s bill appears to touch on the assurances Anthropic pressed the Pentagon for, including specific restrictions on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons. The DOD insisted on using an “all lawful purposes” standard and negotiations fell apart as a result. “Congress is behind in putting left and right limits on the use of AI, and the first place to start should be at the Pentagon,” Slotkin said in a press release Tuesday, adding, “AI is going to shape the future of America’s national security and we must win the AI race against China. But to do that, we need action that puts limits on AI in the Department of Defense. This is just common sense.” Slotkin argued her bill is consistent with the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, which includes calls on the U.S. to “aggressively adopt” AI for the armed forces, while ensuring it is “secure and reliable.” “Militaries must also lay out which decisions must remain under human control regardless of the merits of AI-enabled decision-making,” Slotkin’s office said in a fact sheet about the bill. “Some military command decisions are too risky and too consequential for machines to decide.” Slotkin’s Democratic colleague, Sen. Adam Schiff (Calif.) told The Hill last week that he would introduce legislation in the coming weeks to codify protections around the use of AI in surveillance and warfare. HIs office has been in touch with industry leaders for the legislation and is also considering its inclusion in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act, according to the senator’s spokesperson. In the House, Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) introduced an amendment to the Defense Production Act to prohibit federal agencies from “retaliating” against high-risk technology vendors and developers that try to limit the deployment of their technology “in ways to mitigate the risk to United States citizens.” The amendment failed on a party line vote earlier this month. Anthropic has sued the Trump administration, asking the courts for a temporary halt on supply chain designation, which is typically reserved for companies of foreign adversaries.
Senators tell ByteDance to 'immediately shut down' Seedance AI video app - Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch are calling for a halt to the new version of ByteDance’s artificial intelligence app, Seedance, which generates videos of real people and licensed characters, raising copyright and intellectual property concerns. Seedance 2.0 “is the most glaring example of copyright infringement from a ByteDance product to date, and you must immediately shut down Seedance and implement meaningful safeguards to prevent further infringing outputs,” Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Welch, D-Vt., wrote in a letter to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo that was first obtained by CNBC.Their letter is a sign of growing concerns on Capitol Hill about how AI companies are developing and using their models and whether proper protections are in place for those who generate the materials the models train from.“Responsible global companies follow the law and respect core economic rights, including intellectual property and personal likeness protections,” Blackburn and Welch wrote. They cited examples of Seedance 2.0 creations, made after the platform went live Feb. 12, that included actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt and the Netflix show “Stranger Things.”A ByteDance spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC that “ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”Lawmakers aren’t the only ones concerned. Hollywood groups including the Motion Picture Association sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance. The Information reported that ByteDance has paused its global launch of Seedance 2.0. So far, Congress has largely taken a hands-off approach to regulating AI. Lawmakers say they do not want to create guardrails that would limit the ability of U.S. companies to innovate and remain ahead of foreign competitors. Several lawmakers said that because the industry is moving so quickly, legislation they were considering a few years ago would already be out of date and inadequate in covering advances such as agentic AI. Yet senators including Blackburn and Welch have introduced targeted bills on AI. In August, the duo unveiled a bill to help artists protect their copyrighted works from being used to train AI.
Publisher yanks horror novel 'Shy Girl' over AI claims – The Hachette Book Group has canceled the upcoming U.S. release of a horror novel and pulled it from U.K. shelves after investigating whether the book was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Mia Ballard's "Shy Girl" was scheduled to debut stateside on the Orbit imprint this spring. But following widespread allegations that passages appeared to be AI-generated, Hachette halted sales and yanked the book. In an e-mail to The New York Times, Ballard denied wrongdoing and blamed an editor who had worked on the self-published version. Jeffrey Trachtenberg got in touch with the author. She said the controversy “has changed my life in many ways and my mental health is at an all time low.” She also said she “did not personally use AI,” adding, “All I’m going to say is please do your research on editors before trusting them with your work.”
AI-Powered Scams Make Fraud Even Harder to Spot - Last September, Dr. David Amron watched a Facebook video of himself with growing horror. A recognized specialist in lipedema surgery, he saw and heard himself hawking a $50 “miracle” cream for this painful, incurable condition in which fat accumulates under the skin.But he had never made the video or endorsed the product. It was a deepfake scam, cooked up by criminals using artificial intelligence (AI). And it was so convincing that some of his own patients bought the cream. “The video was disturbingly realistic,” says Amron, director of the Roxbury Institute in Beverly Hills, California. “My reaction was disbelief, anger and genuine concern for my patients. What unsettled me most was how authentic it appeared.”Amron wasn’t the only one deepfaked; the video also featured Oprah Winfrey, Kelly Clarkson and the institute’s research director. Amron thinks criminals digitally altered legit online videos of his work, then used a photo of the researcher to create realistic audio and video. “This level of realism is exactly why these scams are so dangerous,” he says. “They are engineered to be believable, making it easy for vulnerable patients to trust them.” AI-enabled scams are skyrocketing, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns. They include deepfake videos on social media and cloned voices on the phone as well as impostor websites and phishing emails and text messages. These increasingly sophisticated AI scams often put older adults in the crosshairs, according to a December 2025 Microsoft study of fraud data from AARP and the Better Business Bureau.At risk: your money, your personal information and your health. “We’re getting deluged,” says Bob Sullivan, host of AARP’s The Perfect Scam podcast. “A couple of years ago, you might have encountered one or two AI-generated scams a year. Now scammer call centers are sending out tens of thousands of scam messages per minute.”Here’s what you can do to help protect people 50 and older from scams and fraud:
- Tell lawmakers to stop criminals from using crypto kiosks to steal from us.
- Sign up to become a digital fraud fighter to help raise awareness about the latest scams.
- Read more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.
- AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.
Nearly 9 in 10 older adults said in a recent AARP poll that they’re worried about AI-enabled scams, according to the 2025 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.For good reason: AI has transformed the business of fraud. Half of all spam emails are now generated with AI tools, according to a 2025 Columbia University study.“AI doesn’t sleep,” says Vijay Balasubramaniyan, CEO and cofounder of the cybersecurity company Pindrop. “It’s cheap. It works 24/7.” And it works well. Criminals are deploying free or low-cost AI tools like ChatGPT and Sora — the same ones the rest of us use for web searches and to turn photos into fun videos — as well as underworld versions with names like FraudGPT, SpamGPT and Xanthorox. “AI is accelerating how scams are created and scaled,” says Teresa Hutson, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Trusted Technology Group.Deepfake videos, cloned voices and chatbots that can hold realistic conversations via text, email or phone are a snap to produce. “Eight years ago, it took 20 hours of recordings to clone someone’s voice for a scam,” says Balasubramaniyan. “Now, with a photo from LinkedIn and three seconds of your voice, a scammer can create a deepfake video with audio.” Scammers like it so much, they’re replacing their employees at scammer call centers with AI systems, Balasubramaniyan discovered. His team had been eavesdropping on a West African scammer call center for years. In 2024, they stopped hearing the familiar voices of 12 call-center employees. AI-generated voices had taken over.When researchers in Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab analyzed 531,000 fraud reports from AARP ’s Fraud Watch Network Helpline and the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker, they found a disturbing trend: Scams that victims identified as AI-enabled — such as with realistic voices or videos — increased 20-fold from 2023 to 2025. The increase aligns with the arrival of AI, says Lisa Reppell, a report coauthor and senior program manager for information literacy at AI for Good.Impostor scams — including faked calls, texts and emails purporting to be from government agencies, businesses, employers with job openings and package delivery services — are on the rise in the era of AI-enabled fraud. Half of all scams reported to AARP’s Helpline in 2025 were impostor schemes, the Microsoft report found. Most — 20,400 — were business and government scams, and just 700 were family impersonation scams. “Most impostors pose as businesses or officials, not people you know,” the report notes.It’s a lucrative crime: Impostor scams involving fake unpaid bills and undelivered packages cost consumers $785 million in 2024, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. It’s getting harder to detect these fakes. “The old giveaways have changed,” says Hutson. “Bad grammar, poor spelling or clunky websites are less likely with AI.”
FBI warns of rapidly developing AI financial scams - FBI officials at the Seattle Field Office say there is a concerning trend among financial scams: artificial intelligence components. Seattle Special Agent in Charge Mark Harrington tells us that in Washington State, both the number of victims and dollar losses have tripled since 2020. They are asking people to get educated and be cautious of sophisticated artificial intelligence financial scams. “We are seeing this touch every single threat that we investigate,” Harrington said. The FBI says criminals are rapidly advancing the techniques and methods they use in ransom, romance, and other manipulative financial scams. “Frauds at their core are about building and exploiting trust, and AI makes it more effective in doing that in a variety of ways,” added Harrington. Since 2020, the FBI says 4.2 million people across the country have been targeted by a criminal using an AI-generated scam, resulting in $50.5 billion lost. “AI makes it more convincing to do that,” Harrington said. “They can create emails, chats, they can generate fake photos and even videos to convince a victim that this person (in need) actually does exist and does need their help.” In 2025, Harrington said 600 Washington residents were scammed out of $25 million. “These are frauds that have been around a long time, decades. What we are seeing is a change of scale and sophistication based on AI, but they’re still the same frauds; they work the same way,” he said. Data shows people over 60 years old are the most common targets, with people in their 40s coming in as the second-most scammed. If you suspect a scam via email, text, phone call, or even a FaceTime, you should verify the source and calmly investigate. If you do lose money in a scam, the FBI wants you to report it immediately. They tell us sometimes they are able to help get the money back to you, but not always. The sooner you report a scam, the better. “That hundred-dollar loss to you may turn to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in losses for someone else, so if we know about it, then we can connect it and open the case to go after the people doing this,” Harrington said. To report a scam or learn more about scams and how artificial intelligence plays a part, visit: www.ic3.gov Harrington tells us AI is constantly getting smarter, and being wary of anyone asking for money is the best way to stay safe.
Google’s AI Overviews Can Scam You. Here’s How to Stay Safe | WIRED -These days, rather than showing you the traditional list of links when you run a search query, Google is intent on throwing up AI Overviews instead: synthesized summaries of information scraped off the web, with some word-prediction magic added, and packaged together in a way to sound as accurate and reliable as possible. We've written before about some of the problems with these AI Overviews, which regularly contain mistakes or nonsense, and of course rip off the work of the human writers who actually know the answers to the questions you're putting into Google. There's another problem though—these AI answers can actually be dangerous.As with every other new technology through history, scams are now making their way into AI Overviews as well, apparently injecting Google's AI answers with fraudulent phone numbers that you shouldn't trust. Here's what's happening, and how you can make sure you stay safe.Both The Washington Post and Digital Trends have spotted instances of scam support numbers showing up in Google AI Overviews, reports of which appeared on Facebook and Reddit respectively. Credit unions and banks are also warning their customers about these scams. It doesn't seem to be a completely new problem, but the way Google Search works now, it's been given a new twist.Here's what happens: The unfortunate victim Googles a company name looking for a contact number, then calls the number thrown up by AI. This doesn't actually lead to the company in question, but rather to someone pretending to be that company, who then tries to take payment information or other sensitive details from the caller.It's not clear exactly how these fake numbers are being planted, but the best guess is that they're being published in multiple low-profile places online, alongside the names of major companies. AI Overviews then comes along and scoops them up, without running the proper checks to verify the information.The planting of misleading phone numbers by bad actors is not a completely new danger of course; misinformation has been a part of the web for a long, long time. But the design of AI Overviews, which picks out information from the web and presents it as fact rather than encouraging you to do the research yourself, is making people much more susceptible to this kind of con.
BankThink: Community and regional banks are sleepwalking into AI risk AI risk forming inside community and regional banks is no longer speculative. It is already reflected in their balance sheets.
- Key insight: By welcoming AI-driven vendor platforms into their banks, small and midsize institutions are introducing risks that are poorly understood and potentially interrelated. Boards of directors need to start paying attention.
- What's at stake: Institutions that treat governance as a check-the-box exercise may see short-term efficiency gains while quietly increasing fragility.
- Forward look: Institutions that integrate AI oversight into board-level risk and strategy discussions can adjust when models underperform or assumptions break.
By welcoming AI-driven vendor platforms into their banks, small and midsize institutions are introducing risks that are poorly understood and potentially interrelated. Boards of directors need to start paying attention.
AI, crypto industries dump millions into Illinois primaries to mixed results -- A major crypto PAC suffered a blow after the Illinois Senate Democratic candidate it spent millions opposing won the Tuesday primary and will likely be sworn into office next year.Fairshake, backed by Coinbase, Ripple Labs and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, spent more than $10 million on ads opposing Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in her Democratic primary race for Senate. Stratton has an “F” rating from Stand With Crypto, and took to social media to denounce the “MAGA-backed crypto bros” who were funding ads opposing her. Stratton is all but guaranteed to become the next Illinois senator in November, as the state leans heavily Democratic.Another candidate opposed by Fairshake, La Shawn Ford, also won his primary to become the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. The district heavily leans Democratic, putting Ford on the glide path to Congress. But Fairshake also notched a trio of lower-level wins in Illinois. The group backed Democrats Rep. Nikki Budzinski and Melissa Bean, who won their respective primaries in deep-blue congressional districts. Fairshake also weighed in on Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District, opposing Robert Peters who lost to Donna Miller.The results show the limits of pumping money into politics as a means of advancing an industry’s agenda. Fairshake is pressing for its favored regulatory structure of the nascent industry. Like Fairshake, an AI industry PAC walked away with some wins in congressional primaries, which may translate to new lawmakers friendly to the regulations — or lack thereof — that crypto and AI companies are seeking.AI PAC Leading the Future also backed Bean’s winning campaign. However, the group supported Jesse Jackson Jr., who lost the primary in Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. The group’s donors include Andreessen Horowitz, Open AI co-founder Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, SV Angel Founder Ron Conway and AI software company Perplexity.The Illinois primaries are not the first races AI-aligned super PACs have poured money into.Leading the Future backed Republican primary winner and former Department of Defense official Laurie Buckhout in a competitive race looking to flip North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. The group also spent $5 million in four GOP House primaries in Texas, with all of the preferred candidates either winning the primary or advancing to a runoff.Rival PAC network Public First Action, which counts Anthropic among its major donors, also jumped into the early primaries, supporting Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee in fending off a progressive challenger in North Carolina’s 4th District as well as multiple pro-regulation candidates across both parties in the Texas primaries.
Perry Township Police Department recovers funds for Bitcoin scam victim – YouTube The Perry Township Police Department in Stark County helped in recovering a majority of a man's money after he fell for a Bitcoin scam, according to a Facebook post. One officer from the department met with the man who was scammed, according to officials, and presented him with a check for "a significant portion of the funds that were taken from him.” “While we never want to see anyone become a victim, moments like this remind us why we do what we do,” police said in their post. “Scam cases — especially those involving cryptocurrency — are complex, time-consuming, and often very difficult to resolve. Unfortunately, in many cases, the money is gone for good. But this was different.”
Gold and silver sell off as inflation fears grip global markets -- Gold and silver joined a broad sell-off on Thursday, with the metals shedding 2% and 5.5%, respectively, as fears about the Iran war and inflation gripped global markets. The moves in gold and silver come amid broader risk-off sentiment, which has seen global equities and government bonds fall in tandem. European stocks moved sharply lower in early trade, while futures pricing also points to U.S. equity markets falling at the open. Investors are monitoring the ongoing U.S.-Iran war as the conflict heads towards its third week. The war is fueling concerns about an energy shock that will add inflationary pressure to economies across the globe. Oil and gas prices spiked on Tuesday after energy facilities in Iran and Qatar were hit by strikes. Central banks are also watching developments in the Middle East. The U.S. Federal Reserve held rates steady on Wednesday and cited “uncertain” impacts arising from the conflict. The Bank of Japan also held interest rates steady, noting that inflation risks now are tilted to the upside due to the Iran war.
Inside Coinbase Institutional's ambition to bring its tech stack to banks -Brett Tejpaul, co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional, discussed how the crypto exchange plans to bring its trading infrastructure to more financial institutions.
Custodia's tokenized deposit to be used in 600-bank network - Custodia Bank in Wyoming and Vantage Bank in Texas have reached an agreement with Participate, a network of 600 banks that digitizes loan participations, to use the two banks' tokenized deposits in their loan transactions. Participate, a loan participation network, has agreed to use tokenized dollars issued by Custodia Bank and Vantage Bank.
OCC needs input on proposed stablecoin implementation rule Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould encouraged the audience at a crypto conference Tuesday to weigh in on the agency's GENIUS Act implementation rule and said a separate anti-money laundering proposal from OCC and Treasury would be coming soon.
- Key insight: Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould told the audience at the DC Blockchain Summit to submit substantive comments on a proposal to implement last year's stablecoin law, saying the agency welcomes and requires diverse viewpoints. Gould made similar remarks to an American Bankers Association conference last week.
- Supporting data: The OCC's February proposal would prohibit yield-bearing stablecoins but gives stablecoin issuers an avenue to challenge whether that prohibition applies in their individual cases.
- Forward look: Gould said there are more GENIUS Act implementation rules to come, including one issued jointly with the Treasury Department on applying anti-money laundering requirements to stablecoins.
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould Tuesday called on the crypto industry to provide feedback to refine its proposed rule implementing the federal stablecoin framework established under the GENIUS Act.
Mastercard's $1.8 billion BVNK deal boosts its stablecoin agenda -- Mastercard is relying on partnerships to build a stablecoin network, a strategy that it is accelerating by a planned acquisition of stablecoin technology developer BVNK.The card network on Tuesday said it has agreed to acquire BVNK for as much as $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year, and is subject to regulatory approval. Stablecoins are still a very small part of the overall payments market, but they've become big business for payment companies as banks and merchants figure out how to tap the emerging digital asset. Fifty-four percent of national banks and 47% of all banks expect to issue a publicly available stablecoin in the next ten years, according to research from American Banker.
- Key insights: Mastercard agreed to acquire stablecoin tech firm BVNK for $1.8 billion.
- What's at stake: Banks and payment companies are building strategies for stablecoins, providing potential services revenue for Mastercard.
- Forward look: Mastercard and BVNK will team to build new payment functions for digital assets.
BVNK's technology enables traditional currency and stablecoins to work together, and will enable the card network to improve distribution for clients that use digital assets.The Value of On-Chain Survey 2026 • Base: Among FIs discussing, planning, or implementing On-Chain technology: n=105; Among National banks ($100B+ in assets): n=44, Midsized/Regional banks ($10B -<$100B in assets): n=20, Community banks (<$10B in assets): n=18, Credit Unions (of all asset sizes): n=11 (see graphic)
Market Intelligence Stablecoin use can help in the fight against illicit finance -The privacy debate has been thrust onto the main stage with a U.S. Treasury report published a couple of weeks ago on the threat posed by criminal use of digital assets, and how this can be countered.
- Key insight: Two recent reports come to very different conclusions as to the feasibility of public blockchains for finance; the differences matter for global stablecoin adoption.
- What's at stake: For those tasked with preventing crime, transaction privacy masks illicit activity and is a friend to criminals everywhere.
- Forward look: Most public blockchains are not private, but they can facilitate privacy. What's more, harnessing their transparency and flexibility can help regulators focused on crime prevention become comfortable with that.
A common misunderstanding about blockchain technology is that it has baked-in privacy. This is one of the reasons users appreciate it, but regulators hate it – for those tasked with preventing crime, transaction privacy masks illicit activity and is a friend to criminals everywhere. Therefore, the obvious conclusion is that on-chain transactions pose a risk to the integrity of the global financial system.
FDIC mulling guardrails for banks, public blockchains --Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Travis Hill said in remarks Wednesday that privacy and know-your-customer gaps remain for banks that work with public, permissionless blockchains, and that the agency may need to clarify how banks can interact with them.
The case for banks to offer digital asset custody - Digital assets are now a prominent element of many institutional portfolios, and with that reality comes questions about what role banks are currently equipped to fulfill for digital asset management.
- Key insight: Banks can play an important role in helping their customers safely manage and store digital asset "keys."
- What's at stake: Banks are at risk of losing relevance in the investment world if they're not involved in digital asset custody.
- Supporting data: Custodians currently hold about half ($300 trillion) out of the ~$600 trillion worth of global assets in the market today.
Financial institutions that delay or fail to take this leap risk losing customers and revenue, said speakers at the inaugural On-Chain Executive Summit.
Sen. Lummis tempers bank expectations on yield compromise — Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said that the banking industry's opposition to stablecoin yield rules has been the biggest obstacle to passing a crypto bill, and that the banking industry may ultimately need to accept a less-than-ideal outcome. “There will be sort of this oversight entity that will be created to look at new technologies that don't neatly fit within a certain regulatory framework that already exists," Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., says of fintech legislation she is drafting.
- Key insight: Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said the stablecoin yield dispute between the crypto and banking industries has been the central obstacle to a crypto market structure bill, and that banks may need to accept a compromise short of the comprehensive ban that they seek.
- Forward look: Lummis predicted the yield resolution will turn on barring platforms from using terms like "yield" or "APR" but stopping short of prohibiting any form of stablecoin rewards of any kind.
- What's at stake: Lummis accused a small group of large banks of driving opposition through community bank lobbying groups, while simultaneously building out their own proprietary digital asset products behind the scenes.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., one of the most pro-crypto lawmakers in Washington, said any compromise on stablecoin yield would have to be limited to prohibiting rewards for stablecoin holdings rather than a broader ban.
Regulatory Attempts To Ban Stablecoin Yields Cannot Compete With Economics – -- On January 14, Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong announced on X that his cryptocurrency exchange “unfortunately can’t support” the United States Senate’s proposed Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The draft’s language would prohibit crypto platforms from offering yield—essentially interest—on stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies like U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC) whose values are pegged to another asset like the U.S. dollar. At face value, the Clarity Act is supposed to help regulators maintain the legal distinction between cash and securities to protect investors. It received support from traditional banks, which oppose crypto platforms providing yield on stablecoin deposits because they create unregulated competition for traditional banks’ core deposit-taking role. This directly threatens their funding base, lending capacity, and financial stability.Within hours of Armstrong’s message, the Senate Banking Committee canceled its scheduled markup, a development reported by The New York Times as evidence of Coinbase’s growing influence in Washington. This decision highlights the cryptocurrency industry’s growing sway, a power amplified by the Trump administration’s appointment of crypto-friendly regulators that critics point to as evidence of regulatory capture.The episode is best understood not as a sudden display of political muscle or a competition between old and new financial firms to capture regulators, but as a revelation of unavoidable economic logic: crypto platforms like Circle that issue stablecoins (Circle issues USCD) invest the cash and other assets they hold in reserve, often in U.S. Treasuries, to support the stablecoin pegs to the dollar, generating revenue. By passing a portion of this investment yield back to stablecoin holders, they transform a static digital dollar into a dynamic, income-earning asset. The same logic applies to Crypto exchanges like Coinbase, which offer users accounts to hold and trade cryptocurrencies but do not issue the coins themselves.Yield programs are not ancillary to modern stablecoin platforms; they are central to their competitive positioning by encouraging deposits which might otherwise go to savings and money market accounts with traditional banks that can offer yields of their own. Attempts to prohibit stablecoin yields without addressing that reality do not induce compliance. They induce regulatory arbitrage.That dynamic has already played out under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (“GENIUS Act”), enacted in July 2025, which prohibits permitted stablecoin issuers from paying “interest or yield” to holders. While the GENIUS Act restricted the primary issuers themselves, the subsequent Clarity Act was introduced to close the “distributor loophole” by extending this prohibition to third-party exchanges and affiliates like Coinbase. As of now, issuers like Circle can essentially—if not technically—still pay interest or yield to holders by distributing “rewards” to exchanges like Coinbase, which does not hold the asset itself but can pass on these rewards to holders which keep the assets in Coinbase accounts. Circle still receives yield on the reserve cash of USDC holders which it passes on to holders minus a platform fee. Coinbase also receives a small cut as the intermediary. It’s a legal gray area.Indeed, seven months after enactment of the GENIUS Act, Coinbase continues to advertise U.S. dollar coin (USDC) “rewards” that closely track Treasury yields. By framing these payouts as “loyalty rewards” rather than “interest,” the platform attempts to offer users a competitive return on their holdings while navigating the unsettled regulatory boundary between a payment tool and a regulated security. The law changed. The economics has not.When properly implemented, the rules promulgated in the GENIUS and Clarity Act seek to preserve the line between transactional tools like cash and financial assets like securities that trigger consumer protection and disclosure requirements of federal securities law. It is the erasure of this legal gray area that Coinbase seeks to avoid.
CFTC requests public comment on prediction market rulemaking - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued a proposed rule for regulating prediction markets, as the platforms hosting these trades undergo scrutiny from lawmakers over insider trading and Kalshi faces criminal charges for illegal betting from the state of Arizona.
- Key insight: The CFTC is exercising its authority over prediction markets through proposed rulemaking amid insider trading concerns and state-level gambling charges.
- What's at stake: As investment companies like Goldman Sachs and Robinhood express interest in prediction markets, ongoing legal battles could indirectly expose them to increased regulatory risk.
- Expert quote: "The CFTC will exercise its exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets." - CFTC Chairman Michael Selig
The agency issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for prediction markets shortly before Arizona filed criminal charges against Kalshi on Tuesday.
BankThink Semiannual reporting? Hey, how about daily? --There has been a long-standing argument – not exactly a loud argument but it's been there – in favor of allowing companies to report earnings only twice a year rather than four times a year. This is already the standard in the EU and U.K.. The rationale usually is along the lines of changing to semiannual from quarterly would ease some of the pressure on executives to be focused on purely short-term goals in order to satisfy impatient shareholders, and it would reduce the time and money spent compiling all those reports every three months. The SEC appears to be serious about moving from quarterly reporting to semiannual, but what if technology could provide a path in the other direction?
BankThink Fincen's failure to write whistleblower rules damages its mission - Given Fincen's massive responsibilities and its effective enforcement of anti-money-laundering and Bank Secrecy Act violations, the agency should be a high priority for receiving backing from the current administration, writes Emily Stabile. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Treasury Department bureau with responsibilities that include disrupting terror and drug financing networks, plays an outsize role in defending U.S. national security interests. With only a few hundred full-time personnel, this relatively tiny agency has consistently punched above its weight, levying billions of dollars in civil penalties against offenders in recent years for money laundering and other violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Key insight: Fincen is charged with protecting the U.S. financial system, but its failure to implement a whistleblower program authorized in 2022 leaves the agency unable to capitalize on a key source of intelligence.
- What's at stake: Without adequate support, staffing and rules, Fincen's whistleblower program runs the risk of undermining whistleblowers' confidence.
- Forward look: The Treasury Department should pave the way for whistleblowers to help Fincen carry out its mandate by adding enforcement staff and issuing final rules implementing the whistleblower program.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is charged with protecting the U.S. financial system, but its failure to implement a whistleblower program authorized in 2022 leaves the agency unable to capitalize on a key source of intelligence.
Fed Basel rules offer upside for banks, but impact unclear - The banking industry is reviewing three proposals totaling more than 1,500 pages released Thursday by U.S. financial regulators aimed at streamlining the bank capital framework. While the full impact remains unclear, an initial review suggests the rules are more tailored than previous efforts.
- Key Insight: Parsing three proposals totaling more than 1,500 pages aimed at streamlining the bank capital framework will take time, but early industry reaction suggests the rules are more tailored than previous efforts.
- Expert quote: "A lot of the big-ticket items were addressed, but the devil is always in the details." — Chen Xu, attorney at Debevoise & Plimpton.
- Look ahead: Regulators are accepting public comment on the three proposals through June 18.
Early industry reaction to the Federal Reserve's Basel III proposals points to potential capital relief for banks, though stakeholders say the complexity of the changes makes their overall impact unclear.
BankThink Fincen's failure to write whistleblower rules damages its mission - Given Fincen's massive responsibilities and its effective enforcement of anti-money-laundering and Bank Secrecy Act violations, the agency should be a high priority for receiving backing from the current administration, writes Emily Stabile. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Treasury Department bureau with responsibilities that include disrupting terror and drug financing networks, plays an outsize role in defending U.S. national security interests. With only a few hundred full-time personnel, this relatively tiny agency has consistently punched above its weight, levying billions of dollars in civil penalties against offenders in recent years for money laundering and other violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Key insight: Fincen is charged with protecting the U.S. financial system, but its failure to implement a whistleblower program authorized in 2022 leaves the agency unable to capitalize on a key source of intelligence.
- What's at stake: Without adequate support, staffing and rules, Fincen's whistleblower program runs the risk of undermining whistleblowers' confidence.
- Forward look: The Treasury Department should pave the way for whistleblowers to help Fincen carry out its mandate by adding enforcement staff and issuing final rules implementing the whistleblower program.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is charged with protecting the U.S. financial system, but its failure to implement a whistleblower program authorized in 2022 leaves the agency unable to capitalize on a key source of intelligence.
Fed Basel rules offer upside for banks, but impact unclear - The banking industry is reviewing three proposals totaling more than 1,500 pages released Thursday by U.S. financial regulators aimed at streamlining the bank capital framework. While the full impact remains unclear, an initial review suggests the rules are more tailored than previous efforts.
- Key Insight: Parsing three proposals totaling more than 1,500 pages aimed at streamlining the bank capital framework will take time, but early industry reaction suggests the rules are more tailored than previous efforts.
- Expert quote: "A lot of the big-ticket items were addressed, but the devil is always in the details." — Chen Xu, attorney at Debevoise & Plimpton.
- Look ahead: Regulators are accepting public comment on the three proposals through June 18.
Early industry reaction to the Federal Reserve's Basel III proposals points to potential capital relief for banks, though stakeholders say the complexity of the changes makes their overall impact unclear.
Basel, G-SIB proposals lower bank capital across the board - Federal regulators issued proposals Thursday to implement the final elements of the Basel III accords, adjust the global systemically important bank surcharge and implement standardized approaches for risk-weighted assets. The changes would reduce capital requirements for banks of all sizes affected by the rules.
- Key insight: Federal regulators issued a suite of proposals that would reduce bank capital requirements for banks with more than $100 billion of assets.
- Supporting data: The Federal Reserve estimates that the proposals would reduce Common Equity Tier 1 capital requirements for Category I and II banks by 4.8%, for Category III and IV banks by 5.2%, and by 7.8% for smaller banks.
- Expert quote: "The result will be more efficient regulation and banks that are better positioned to support economic growth, while preserving safety and soundness and financial stability." — Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
FDIC opens failed bank auctions to private equity firms -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. rolled back a 2009 policy that banned nonbanks from buying failed banks, a move the agency says aims to widen the bidder pool and cut failure costs.
Fed inquiry into checks has bankers fearing 'disaster' - Community bankers are sounding the alarm about the Federal Reserve's request for information about the future of check servicing, saying the agency might substantially and quickly wind down its existing system for processing checks without considering the disruption the shift would cause, particularly for older Americans, small businesses and rural areas. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman opposed a request for information on the future of the Fed's check processing service in December, saying the request was "biased" against checks. Many community bankers echoed her concerns in their submitted comments.
- What's at stake: Millions of people still use checks and an abrupt exit would disproportionately harm elderly, rural and small businesses, as well as community banks.
- Expert quote: "An abrupt end to paper checks would be an unmitigated disaster." — Rose Oswald Poels, president and CEO, Wisconsin Bankers Association
- Key insight: Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman voted against the request when it was issued in December, saying the request is biased against continuing check services.
The Federal Reserve's recently published request for information on options for updating its check clearing apparatus has bankers fearing that it will opt to phase out paper checks entirely — an outcome that has community banks panicked.
Banks, OCC battle Illinois swipe fee law on taxes, tips --The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and 10 former officials filed amicus briefs that provide legal heft to banks battling the state of Illinois over a law that removes sales taxes and tips from interchange fees.
13 states sue OneMain for alleged consumer violations -A group of 13 U.S. state attorneys general sued OneMain Financial on Monday, alleging that the installment loan company charged unknowing subprime consumers hundreds or thousands of dollars for "add-on" products and policies. The coalition of AGs, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, claimed that OneMain unlawfully tacks on expensive products, such as insurance policies and home and auto membership clubs, to its loans.
- Key insight: OneMain is pushing back against claims that it pushed subprime borrowers into taking on more expensive loans.
- Supporting data: In 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau charged OneMain $20 million for violations related to the company's add-on practices.
- What's at stake: The lender is one of the largest installment loan companies in the country, with more than 1,300 branches across 44 states.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and 12 of her peers alleged Monday that the personal installment lender surreptitiously adds costs for unwanted products. OneMain denied the claims.
Experts celebrate White House reversal on bank citizenship EO - The Trump administration had proposed enlisting banks to collect citizenship information on its customers as part of its efforts to control illegal immigration. The reported reversal comes after the industry worried verifying citizenship would strain banks and push customers out of the system.
FHFA plan renews its effort to grow counterparty oversight -A Federal Housing Finance Agency report suggests it should have more authority over companies that work with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Housing Finance Agency's latest performance review plan emphasizes interest in having more power to review Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's business partners.
Housing bill backed by Senate GOP, Trump hits roadblocks with House Republicans --A sweeping bipartisan housing affordability package that overwhelmingly cleared the Senate faces a tough road in the House, where conservatives are signaling they plan to oppose the legislation. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, spearheaded by Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), would approve incentives to build new homes, establish a program to convert abandoned buildings into housing developments and authorize new grants to modernize existing homes, among other priorities. The Senate last week passed the bill, which would be the first major housing law enacted in more than 30 years, on an 89-10 vote. The White House has thrown its weight behind the Senate bill. But some Republicans in the House are balking at the scope of the legislation, warning it does not go far enough to address concerns around central bank digital currency (CBDC) or in safeguarding investors from government overreach. They’ve also fumed about being shut out of negotiations over the Senate’s bill. The housing package combines provisions from the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House last month, and the ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the Senate Banking Committee unanimously last year. One key sticking point among hard-liners has been a provision in the bill that would bar the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC through 2030, which the Senate included in the package. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and other House Republicans have called for a permanent ban instead. “CBDC’s are bad for everyone,” Luna said. “Like it doesn’t matter where you are on the political spectrum. You never want to have the government be able to just shut off your access to financials, et cetera.” More than 20 House Republicans, including Luna and members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) at the beginning of March arguing that CBDCs need to be prohibited. They said that if the bill includes the temporary ban, it will be dead on arrival in the House. “A Central Bank Digital Currency would expose Americans to unconstitutional financial surveillance and give the unelected Federal Reserve unprecedented power over Americans’ finances that would violate their civil liberties and financial freedom,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “A CBDC is inherently anti-American and a looming issue we must put an end to before it is too late.” The House-crafted bill cleared the chamber last month 390-9, so a few Republican defections might not affect final passage.
Trump building order targets supply-side constraints - A new federal executive order from President Trump related to "removing regulatory barriers to home construction" aims to increase affordable inventory through broad deregulation. The deregulatory executive order, which pairs with another targeting small players' home loan rules, impacts the FHFA, HUD and other agencies.
CFPB cuts dull impact of Trump's latest order, MBA exec says - While noting the upside to President Trump's new executive order to expand home lending among community financial institutions, the Mortgage Bankers Association's top executive added a note of caution, saying benefits won't appear immediately. In an interview at ICE Mortgage Technology's annual conference, Bob Broeksmit also expressed skepticism of market dominance among just a few large lenders.
Mortgage deregulation: praise and peril from Trump's EO -Mortgage industry professionals have raised some concerns amid the broader praise for President Trump's executive order signed Friday, which aims to loosen mortgage lending regulations. Trump's mortgage deregulation order drew cautious praise from lenders but alarm from consumer groups, who warn it could recreate pre-2008 financial crisis conditions.
How Trump is turning fair lending law on its head -The Trump administration's efforts to dismantle some of the central tenets of fair lending laws is leading to a profound and historic shift away from civil rights enforcement, according to several experts in the field. The most significant change is President Trump's executive order last year that sought to eliminate the legal theory of "disparate impact." Disparate impact is a legal concept by which firms can be held accountable for the discriminatory effects of policies and decisions, even if there is no proof that those policies were intended to be discriminatory.
- What's at stake: The Trump administration is trying to weaken the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the implementation of small-business lending data collection, known as section 1071 under the Dodd Frank Act.
- Key insight: Lenders have long complained that the federal government should not be looking for unintentional discrimination and its "disparate impact" on protected classes.
- Forward look: Despite the current retreat, federal fair lending laws have five-year statutes of limitations and the CFPB has a three year look-back review.
Over the course of its first year in office, the second Trump administration has neutralized the enforcement of key civil rights laws by reorienting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules and eliminating "disparate impact" that allows banks to be penalized for the discriminatory effects of policies without proving discriminatory intent.
Democratic AGs sue HUD over fair housing guidance A coalition of Democratic attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a September guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development narrowing the scope of the agency's fair housing enforcement mandate.
- Key insight: A group of 16 state attorneys general, all Democrats, have filed suit against the Department of Housing and Urban Development over a recent guidance limiting enforcement of equal housing laws.
- Supporting data: The attorneys general say the guidance, which affects how HUD funds state investigations of discrimination complaints, threatens $10.7M in Fair Housing Access Program funding.
- Forward look: The case could have serious implications for states' freedom to enact and enforce more expansive versions of federal fair housing laws.
A coalition of Democratic attorneys general, led by California and Illinois, have sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development over a guidance that they argue will scale back enforcement to strict federal standards and threaten state funding to enforce fair housing laws.
US Core Manufacturing Orders Up For 3rd Straight Month In January | After tumbling to end 2025, US Factory Orders were expected to rise very modestly in January and did so - up 0.1% MoM (as expected) with December's 0.7% decline revised up to a 0.4% decline... Core Factory orders (es Transports) rose 0.4% MoM - slightly better than expected - and December's 0.4% MoM shift was revised up to a 0.6% MoM rise. This led core manufacturing orders to rise 1.39% YoY - the highest since July... All the final data for Durable Goods orders were the same as the prliminary prints - unchanged MoM at the headline level. Finally, today's data also showed the value of core capital goods orders, a proxy for investment in equipment that excludes aircraft and military hardware, slipped lower by 0.1% MoM. Not a great sign for GDP (and with inflation on the rise, the s-word - stagflation - is starting to appear).
Judge permanently blocks Ten Commandments displays at several Arkansas school districtsA judge ruled Monday to permanently bar several school districts from following Arkansas’s law to display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled the law violates the Establishment Clause and the free exercise rights of the plaintiffs. “Act 573’s purpose is only to display a sacred, religious text in a prominent place in every public-school classroom. And the only reason to display a sacred, religious text in every classroom is to proselytize to children. The State has said the quiet part out loud,” the judge wrote. The ruling affects several Arkansas school districts but is not a statewide ban. “Today’s decision ensures that our clients’ classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed and can learn without worrying that they do not live up to the state’s preferred religious beliefs,” said Heather Weaver, senior counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. Jeff LeMaster, communications director for the office of state Attorney General Tim Griffin, said the office is “reviewing the opinion and will appeal.” The ruling comes after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Louisiana’s state law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms. Arkansas is under the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. A split in decisions could lead the case to the Supreme Court, which some proponents of the law are hoping for.
University of Florida moves to deactivate College Republicans after report of antisemitic behavior (AP) — The University of Florida says it’s deactivating the campus College Republicans as a registered student group after being notified that some members engaged in antisemitism. The deactivation effort at the University of Florida campus marks the second time this month that a public university in Florida has taken action against a Republican group accused of being involved in racist or antisemitic behavior. Earlier this month, Florida International University in Miami launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language. The chat involved students and several top conservative leaders at Florida International University. Officials at the University of Florida said over the weekend that they had been informed by the Florida Federation of College Republicans that the federation had disbanded the Gainesville campus’ chapter after determining that some members had “engaged in a pattern of conduct that violated its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture.” When the Florida Federation of College Republicans is ready, the university will assist with reactivating the campus chapter under new student leadership, UF officials said in a statement.
Judge temporarily halts Trump demand for race-based admissions data from universities - A judge ruled on Friday to temporarily stall efforts by the Trump administrations demanding race-based admissions data from universities. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor ruled in favor of the 17 blue states that challenged the administration’s new reporting requirements, arguing they were costly and burdensome to universities. The Trump administration wants to implement the “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” (ACTS), which would require years of admissions data based on race and other aspects to be given to the federal government. Saylor extended the deadline for the survey to be completed to March 25 while he considers the states’ case. “The Trump Administration is on a fishing expedition — demanding unprecedented amounts of data from our colleges and universities under the guise of enforcing civil rights law,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who represents one of the lead states in the lawsuit. “This is the same administration, I’ll remind you, that gutted the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, leaving thousands of civil rights complaints and investigations in limbo. This latest sham demand threatens to turn a reliable tool into a partisan bludgeon. California is committed to following the law — and we’re going to court to make sure the Trump Administration does the same,” Bonta added. The states also argue that the amount of data the department wants would make the information unusable. “American taxpayers invest over $100 billion into higher education each year and deserve transparency on how their dollars are being spent. The Department’s efforts will expand an existing transparency tool to show how universities are taking race into consideration in admissions. What exactly are State AGs trying to shield universities from?” said Ellen Keast, press secretary for higher education at the Education Department.
Trump administration sues Harvard alleging failure to protect Jewish students - U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration escalated its attacks on Harvard University on Friday, as it sued the Ivy League school to recover billions of dollars for allegedly failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students.Harvard has been a central focus of the president’s campaign to force changes at major U.S. universities, which Trump has derided for alleged antisemitic and “radical left” ideologies, by threatening to withhold or take back federal funding.In a complaint filed in Boston federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice said Harvard remains “deliberately indifferent” to harassment of Jewish and Israeli students, and has intentionally refused to enforce its campus rules when victims are Jews or Israelis.“This sent the clear message to Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli community that the indifference was not an accident; they were being intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities,” according to the complaint.Harvard will defend against the lawsuit, which a spokesperson called “yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.”The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based school also defended its efforts to address antisemitism on campus, which have included expanding training, improving disciplinary processes, and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.“Harvard cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on our campus,” the spokesperson said. “Harvard’s efforts demonstrate the very opposite of deliberate indifference.” Many schools have been accused by the Republican president’s administration, as well as in private lawsuits, of turning a blind eye to antisemitism on campus since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.Among them has been Columbia University, which last July agreed to pay $220 million to restore federal research money. The Justice Department sued the University of California system last month for allegedly subjecting Jewish and Israeli employees at the University of California, Los Angeles to rampant antisemitism.Most of Friday’s lawsuit recapitulates prior incidents and accusations involving Harvard, instead of offering new instances of alleged discrimination.According to the complaint, Harvard’s indifference to Jews and Israelis violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs receiving federal funding.It came less than two months after Trump said his administration was seeking $1 billion from Harvard to settle probes into school policies, after a published report said Trump dropped a demand for only $200 million.The administration also accused Harvard in a February 13 lawsuit of failing to produce documents for a probe into whether its admissions process was biased against white applicants.U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns, an appointee of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, was assigned to Friday’s lawsuit.
Missed opportunity: 12% of teens at health system weren’t HPV-vaccinated before being sexually active -A research letter published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that while most teens seen in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) primary care clinics completed the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series before becoming sexually active, 12% had not received any doses, representing a missed opportunity for cancer prevention. The researchers analyzed the electronic health records (EHR) from 9,491 patients aged 13 to 18 years seen at 31 CHOP-affiliated primary care practices from September 2023 to September 2025. The teens had reported sexual activity on the Adolescent Health Questionnaire. The average patient age was 17.0 years, 47% were girls, 40% were Black, 40% were White, 9% were Hispanic, 11% were another race, 44% were Medicaid-insured, and 33% lived in very low Child Opportunity Index neighborhoods. In total, 79% of teens had completed the HPV vaccine series before becoming sexually active, 12% hadn’t received any dose, and 9% had started but not completed the series. Of patients who were unvaccinated before starting sexual activity, 70% were never vaccinated, 23% later initiated the series, and 7% completed the series after becoming sexually active. Unvaccinated teens were disproportionately White (49%) and commercially insured (59%). Clinic-level pre-sex vaccination rates ranged from 5% to 47%. Greater neighborhood opportunity, commercial insurance, and longer distance from the main hospital were linked to an increased likelihood of not being vaccinated before initiation of sexual activity. Clinics that more often initiated HPV vaccination at age nine had lower unvaccination rates (−0.89%). “Given that all adolescents had recent primary care visits, family acceptance of vaccination, physician recommendation practices, and clinic workflows, rather than health care access, likely drive missed opportunities,” the study authors wrote. The finding of higher vaccine uptake in clinics that more often started HPV vaccination earlier in life supports offering HPV vaccination at age nine or 10.
Progress to reduce childhood deaths globally has slowed, report reveals -- A report yesterday from the World Health Organization (WHO) says progress to reduce childhood deaths slowed in 2024, as an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday. Of those, 2.3 million newborns died in their first month of life. Among the leading cause of deaths among newborns were complications from preterm birth (36%) and complications during labor and delivery (21%), in addition to sepsis and neonatal infections. Though deaths in children younger than five years globally have fallen by more than half since 2000, the pace of reductions since 2015 has slowed by more than 60%. Globally, the share deaths in this age-group caused by nine infectious diseases (malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, sepsis, meningitis/encephalitis, tuberculosis, measles, HIV/AIDS, and tetanus) dropped from 58% in 2000 to 43% in 2024. In sub-Saharan Africa, they declined from 73% to 54% in the same span. Malaria remained the single largest killer in children beyond the first month worldwide, linked to 17% of deaths in 2024, with most deaths occurring in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. From 2000 to 2015, the WHO said there were steep declines in malaria mortality, but progress has stalled in the past decade. Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Nigeria report most malaria deaths. Conflicts in those countries have been linked to an increase in preventable pediatric deaths, the WHO said. Pneumonia and diarrhea were also leading culprits of fatalities in children. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58% of all under-five deaths. Australia and New Zealand, in contrast, accounted for only 6% of deaths in that age-group. North American and Europe each account for 9% of such deaths. “The world has made remarkable progress in saving children’s lives, but many still die from preventable causes,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, WHO director-general. “Children living amid conflict and crisis are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. We must protect essential health and nutrition services and reach the most vulnerable families so every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.” Low-cost interventions, including vaccines and antibiotics, are the best interventions to prevent deatsh in young children, the WHO said. While infectious diseases account for a high percentage of deaths among those ages 0 to 5, the teen years see a shift, with self-harm as the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 and road traffic injuries as the leading cause among boys. The WHO said an estimated 2.1 million children, adolescents, and young adults aged 5 to 24 died in 2024. “These estimates demonstrate that many deaths among children under five—from causes such as preterm birth, lower respiratory infections, to injuries—are avoidable with proven, costeffective interventions,”2 AM
Shingles vaccine tied to half the risk of cardiac events in older adults with heart disease - Shingles vaccination may halve the one-year risk of serious cardiac events among older adults who have heart disease, adding to accumulating evidence that the vaccine may protect against health conditions in addition to shingles (herpes zoster), University of California researchers say. The study findings will be presented at the upcoming American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans. Previous studies have suggested that shingles can lead to the formation of blood clots around the brain and heart, posing a risk of heart attacks, strokes, and venous blood clots. Preventing shingles infection through vaccination is believed to prevent these clots. The investigators analyzed electronic health record data from 246,822 US adults aged 50 years and older diagnosed as having atherosclerotic heart disease (plaque buildup in the arteries) from 2018 to 2025. Participants were 123,411 people who had received at least one dose of either the Shingrix or Zostavax shingles vaccine and the same number of unvaccinated controls. From one month to one year after shingles vaccination (or the same period for unvaccinated adults), vaccinated participants were at lower risk for any major adverse cardiac event (46% lower risk), death from any cause (66%), heart attack (32%), stroke (25%), and heart failure (25%). The risk reductions were on par with what would be expected from quitting smoking. “This vaccine has been found over and over again to have cardioprotective effects for reducing heart attack, stroke and death,” lead author Robert Nguyen, MD, said in the news release. “Looking at the highest risk population, those with existing cardiovascular disease, these protective effects might be even greater than among the general public.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the shingles vaccine for all adults aged 50 and older and younger adults with weakened immune systems. Caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus, shingles is characterized by a painful rash and can lead to persistent nerve pain.
Study finds 155,000 uncounted COVID-19 deaths in US -A study published Wednesday shows that the early U.S. death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic was higher than previously recorded. The journal Science Advances found that more than 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths outside of hospitals between March 2020 and December 2021 likely went uncounted. This suggests that 15.6 percent of deaths went uncounted, as the official death toll during that time frame was more than 840,000. Researchers said the estimated total number of COVID-19 deaths between that timeline was More than 995,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established that the U.S. hit 1 million COVID-19 deaths in May 2022. The study suggests that possible geographic and sociodemographic inequities contributed to coronavirus deaths not being part of the official death count. “One prior study found that excess deaths attributed to non–COVID-19 causes were more common in counties with lower socioeconomic status, greater prevalence of preexisting health conditions, and a greater fraction of non-Hispanic Black residents,” researchers wrote. “Another study found that excess deaths attributed to non–COVID-19 natural causes were more common in rural areas, the South, and the West,” they continued. “While these studies did not examine unrecognized COVID-19 deaths directly, they suggest that the death investigation system may have performed unevenly during the pandemic.” One of the study’s authors, University of Minnesota associate professor Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, said that the number of reported COVID-19 deaths “was similar to the number of excess natural-cause deaths, suggesting that COVID-19 deaths were accurately identified here.” “Thus, in-hospital deaths, during this period of near-universal testing, provide a pool of high-quality training data for classification of whether a death was due to SARS-CoV-2 infection for use in predicting whether deaths in out-of-hospital settings were likely to be COVID-19 related,” Wrigley-Field added. Machine learning algorithms were used to incorporate people who died from COVID-19-related factors. People with medical conditions who did not have the virus died because they could not receive care from hospitals already handling a deluge of COVID-19 cases. Additionally, people died from drug overdoses while in social isolation. “Death reporting in the United States is a fragmented infrastructure that’s underresourced,” Mathew Kiang, an epidemiologist at Stanford University and a co-author of the study, told Scientific American. “During the pandemic, it was highly strained. We had more deaths than we’d ever had” in modern history.
Early official COVID death tolls may have undercounted by 19% - Nearly 156,000 more Americans may have died of COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic than officially reported, with disparities by race, education, and other factors, a machine-learning study estimates. For the study, published yesterday in Science Advances, a team led by a Stanford University investigator used machine learning (artificial intelligence) trained on US death certificates to predict unrecognized COVID-19 fatalities from March 2020 to December 2021. They estimated unrecognized COVID-19 deaths using the predicted number of such deaths in out-of-hospital settings and an adjusted reporting ratio (ARR) that estimated underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in all settings. They did so by weighting the estimated degree of misclassification of COVID-19 fatalities in non-hospital settings by the proportion of deaths that occurred in non-hospital settings. Most research on unrecognized US COVID-19 deaths has relied on excess-mortality models, which estimate deaths attributable to the pandemic by comparing observed all-cause deaths to those expected based on prepandemic trends, the researchers said. All-cause death data also include fatalities from external causes, such as injuries, unlikely to be caused by COVID-19 in the short term. A 2021 study by Boston University researchers reached a similar conclusion, estimating that COVID-19 killed 20% more Americans—particularly racial minorities—than officially reported. The authors of that study said the findings, published in PLOS Medicine, underscore the need to adapt policies to address deepening racial and sociodemographic disparities. Previous studies with different modeling specifications have estimated that excess deaths surpassed those of reported COVID-19 deaths in 2020 by 28%, 38%, and 14%. “Accurate and timely mortality statistics are critical for health system responses during public health emergencies,” the authors of the new study wrote. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US), official COVID-19 mortality reporting was often delayed or incomplete.” From March 2020 to December 2021, the estimated 995,787 US COVID-19 fatalities (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 990,313 to 1,001,363) exceeded the 840,251 officially reported COVID-19 deaths (those with COVID-19 listed anywhere on the death certificate) by 19%. This equals 155,536 predicted unrecognized COVID-19 deaths in out-of-hospital settings during this time. The number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in homes was 160% higher than officially reported, indicating 111,245 predicted unrecognized at-home COVID-19 deaths. In total, 17,346 misattributed fatalities occurred in hospices, 14,832 took place in outpatient settings and emergency departments, and 9,452 occurred in unclassified settings. The number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in homes was 160% higher than officially reported. COVID-19 deaths were most likely to go unrecognized in southern states. The estimated number of COVID-19 deaths was 31% higher than officially reported in the West South Central region, 26% higher in the Middle Atlantic, and 25% higher in the East South Central region. The states where COVID-19 deaths were most likely to be mischaracterized were Alabama (ARR, 1.67), Oklahoma (ARR, 1.51), and South Carolina (ARR, 1.47). The states with the largest estimates of unrecognized COVID-19 deaths were Texas (24,024 deaths), New York (23,005), California (11,613), Alabama (11,501), Florida (7,718), and South Carolina (7,224). COVID-19 fatalities were most likely to go unrecognized in the first pandemic wave (highest monthly ARR, 1.49), declining in likelihood in the second surge (highest monthly ARR, 1.19) and subsequent waves. The most predicted unrecognized COVID-19 deaths occurred in January 2021 (35,665 deaths) and April 2020 (32,110). Peaks in such deaths corresponded to monthly peaks in officially reported COVID-19 deaths, with the largest number occurring during the same months. “This correspondence supports the finding that the unrecognized COVID-19 deaths we predicted were COVID-19 deaths,” the authors wrote. The COVID-19 deaths of people aged 65 to 84 years were most likely to be miscategorized (ARR for 65 to 74 years, 1.21; ARR for 75 to 84 years, 1.22). Deaths in male patients were more likely to go unrecognized than in female patients (1.22 vs 1.14 ARR). COVID-19 fatalities were also more likely to be mischaracterized for people with less than a high school education (ARR, 1.29; ARR for high school diploma or equivalent, 1.18; ARR for some college, 1.15). COVID-19 deaths among Hispanic people were most likely to be unrecognized (ARR, 1.31). Relative to White people (ARR, 1.15), deaths were also more likely mischaracterized on certificates indicating American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN; ARR, 1.24), Asian (ARR excluding Indian, 1.24), (ARR for Indian, 1.23) and Black (ARR, 1.19). In absolute terms, 78,561 predicted unrecognized COVID-19 deaths occurred among White adults, 43,132 in Hispanic adults, 23,617 in Black adults, 5,772 deaths in Asian adults, and 2,318 in AIAN adults. The unrecognized fatalities were attributed to underlying causes such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Uneven effects on people of different races, backgrounds Deaths in counties in the lowest quintile of median household income (ARR, 1.34) and the lowest quintile of residents with some or more college (ARR, 1.37) were more likely to be miscategorized. Similarly, deaths were more likely to be unrecognized in counties with the greatest proportion of people reporting poor or fair health (ARR, 1.30) and diabetes (ARR, 1.33). The authors said COVID-19 fatalities may go unrecognized because of factors such as decedent and family attitudes and stigma, death investigators’ political roles and conflicts of interest, community testing rates, funding for death investigation offices, and racism, ableism, and classism.
Vitamin D supplements don’t cut COVID health care use, symptom severity, trial shows | While a randomized controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation in COVID-19 patients didn’t yield a significant reduction in monthly related health care use or disease severity, the authors say its role in reducing persistent symptoms warrants further study. Mass General Brigham (MGB) researchers led the parallel two-group trial in adults in the United States and Mongolia, publishing the findings last week in The Journal of Nutrition. The US trial was conducted from December 2020 to September 2022, and the Mongolia trial ran from September 2021 to April 2022. A total of 1,747 index patients with a new COVID-19 diagnosis were cluster-randomized with 277 household contacts to receive either oral vitamin D3 (loading dose of 9,600 international units per day [IU/d] for two days, followed by 3,200 IU/d for a month) or a placebo. Participants completed weekly questionnaires on health care use (hospitalization, emergency department visits, and in-person or virtual clinic visits), symptom severity, long-COVID symptoms (index patients), and any new household-contact infections. The primary outcome was at least one health care visit (including hospitalization) or death within a month among index patients. The median age of index patients was 38.0 years, 65.6% were women, 4.2% were Black, 4.8% were Hispanic, 43.2% were Asian, 44.3% were White, and 44.9% had vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (less than 20 nanograms per milliliter). The characteristics of the household contacts were comparable. The median time between a positive COVID-19 test and the start of vitamin D3 supplementation or placebo was three days. The monthly cumulative incidence of health care use in index patients didn’t differ significantly between the 863 vitamin D3 and 884 placebo recipients (cumulative incidence, 0.28 vs 0.29, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 0.97). Likewise, supplementation didn’t lower the household-contact infection rate. Per-protocol analyses, however, suggested a nonsignificant trend toward a lower prevalence of long COVID at two months (OR, 0.78). Among vitamin D recipients, 21% reported at least one lingering symptom at that time point, compared with 25% in the placebo group, a difference of borderline statistical significance. No safety concerns were reported. “Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have produced unclear findings, with some, but not all, suggesting clinical benefit from vitamin D.” Vitamin D may help mitigate COVID-19 infection and its outcomes by boosting the immune system or through anti-inflammatory effects, the authors said. “Vitamin D metabolites are known to regulate adaptive immune response and possess anti-inflammatory effects; the metabolites suppress the production of proinflammatory cytokines while promoting the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines,” they wrote.
Antibiotic used in COVID patients tied to increased signs of antibiotic resistance - In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 75% of hospitalized COVID patients received antibiotics on admission, primarily because of limited treatment options and concerns about bacterial coinfections. One of those antibiotics was azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic commonly used for respiratory infections. Use of azithromycin was driven in part by a study, now retracted, that suggested it could improve outcomes in COVID patients when used in combination with the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine. Although subsequent trials would find the combination had no benefit for COVID patients, widespread azithromycin use continued for several months. Early in the pandemic azithromycin was “routinely used despite the absence of data supporting a clinical benefit,” according to Michael Pulia, MD, PhD, an emergency physician and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. The use of an antibiotic to treat a viral infection reflected the desperation of “having so many ill patients and just wanting to give them something,” said Charles Lanegelier, MD, PhD, an infectious disease physician and professor at the University of California San Francisco. “People were scrambling for anything,” Langelier said. Now, in a new study this week in Nature Microbiology, Langelier and a team of US researchers show that, in addition to having no clinical benefit for COVID patients, use of azithromycin was associated with potentially harmful changes in the upper respiratory microbiome and increased expression of antibiotic-resistance genes after only one day of exposure. “I think it really tells us that inappropriate or unnecessary use of azithromycin has direct and fairly rapid biological consequences in terms of driving antimicrobial resistance,” Langelier told CIDRAP News. For the prospective observational study, the researchers analyzed nasal swabs of 1,164 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 who were enrolled in Immunophenotyping Assessment in COVID-19 Cohort (IMPACC), a longitudinal study conducted at more than 20 US hospitals from May 2020 to March 2021. The goal of IMPACC, which was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was to assess the clinical and immunologic manifestations of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Of the patients, 31.4% were treated empirically with azithromycin and other antibiotics, 40.7% received no antibiotics, and 27.8% received antibiotics other than azithromycin. Empiric azithromycin use was most common among patients with the highest COVID severity. Using RNA from the nasal swabs, Langelier and his colleagues analyzed the upper respiratory microbiome, resistome, and system immune response in the patients, comparing the findings from those treated with azithromycin with those who received no antibiotics or other antibiotics. What they found was that patients who received azithromycin had a different mix of bacteria in their upper airway, with a reduced presence of some harmless bacteria and an increased presence of pathogenic species, such as Staphylococcus and Klebsiella. More concerning, they found the patients exposed to azithromycin had more “detectably expressed,” or active, macrolide resistance genes than the other groups of patients had. “That was probably the most striking finding in the study,” Langelier said. In addition, the researchers were surprised to find that observed effect on macrolide resistance genes occurred after only one day of treatment and continued for at least a week after treatment was stopped. “Things did not go back to baseline and recover after a week,” Langelier said. “It really suggests that even a small amount of exposure has measurable biological consequences.” Less surprising was the finding that azithromycin was not associated with any changes in host inflammatory gene expression in the blood or airway, which means there was no effect on the inflammatory response in COVID patients who received the antibiotic. Wider impacts What concerns Langelier even more is the potential impact of widespread use of azithromycin for other respiratory infections, especially when those infections are caused by viruses. He noted that, as a parent of a three-year-old, he’s become even more aware of the widespread use of antibiotics for mild respiratory infections in children and adults. Research estimates that at least 30% of antibiotics prescribed in US outpatient settings are inappropriate or unnecessary. “I think it really does emphasize that there are a lot of harms that can come from unnecessarily prescribing this drug in patients who don't need it,” he said. “And azithromycin has many important use cases for treating a number of [bacterial] infections, so we really need to preserve the drug for those purposes.”
Up to 60% of health care workers may have long COVID 4 years after infection | CIDRAP - Four years after infection with the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 strain, up to 60% of health care workers (HCWs) in Switzerland still reported at least one COVID-19 symptom, although the number of participants dwindled over time, Swiss researchers write in Infection.From 2022 to 2024, the team tracked 24 COVID-19 symptoms among 456 HCWs who self-reported infection with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and 571 uninfected controls at 14 centers. Participants completed an online survey at baseline and every six months and underwent serologic testing to identify any asymptomatic infections. The median participant age was 44 years, and 80.6% were women. Long COVID is also called post-acute COVID-19 sequelae (PASC).“Comparative analyses show that the risk of developing PASC is highest after infection with ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (aSCV2) and decreases with subsequent variants,” the study authors noted. Participants completed a median of three of five surveys. A total of 72.0% of participants lacked complete data or were lost to follow-up during the study. Relative to controls, infected participants were younger (median age, 41 vs 47 years), more often employed as nurses (59.4% vs 37.5%), and had children younger than six years at home (13.6% vs 9.3%), while a smaller percentage smoked (13.6% vs 21.4%).At baseline, 40.8% of infected participants reported one or more long-COVID symptoms. Thirteen of 24 symptoms were more common in COVID-19 survivors than in controls, most commonly fatigue (22.8%), loss of smell or taste (11.4%), and brain fog (8.3%). The median number of symptoms declined from two at baseline to zero in the final survey and from two to one in the 52 participants with complete data. The decline was most pronounced from baseline to the first follow-up survey and stayed mostly stable thereafter.Most symptoms declined in prevalence up to the last survey (median, four years after infection), while 41 of 70 (58.6%) remaining participants continued to report at least one symptom. In total, 70 (37.6%) of 186 participants reported having subjective long COVID, which was tied to greater symptom burden. Nine of 70 participants (12.9%) reported resolution of symptoms at the first follow-up, after which there were no new reports of resolved symptoms.At the final follow-up, only 18 of the remaining 70 participants remained, with 14 (78%) indicating ongoing subjective long COVID. Scores on the Post-COVID Functional Status scale showed slight impairment in most participants, but moderate to severe limitations often lingered.
CDC reports 14 more pediatric flu deaths, 115 total --This week 14 US children were confirmed to have died of influenza, up from 11 in each of the previous two weeks, as overall flu activity remained elevated but declined in most parts of the country, with influenza A decreasing and influenza B trends varying by region, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today in its FluView update for the week ending March 14. The new flu-related deaths in children bring the season’s total to 115, compared with 293 for all of last season. Test positivity for flu was 12.7% last week, down from 15.3% the previous week and 15.8% the week before. Health care visits for respiratory illnesses dropped to 3.3% this week, down from 3.7% the previous week, and 7,348 people were hospitalized for flu, compared with 9,130 the week before. As a percentage of all deaths, flu deaths remained at 0.5% over the past two weeks. FluSurv-NET data show the cumulative influenza-associated hospitalization rate is the third highest since 2010-11, with children younger experiencing the second-highest rate for that age-group over the same period. Influenza A(H3N2) remains the predominant strain this season, with 92.7% of 1,754 collected virus samples that underwent additional genetic testing belonging to subclade K. The CDC estimates at least 28 million illnesses, 360,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths related to flu have occurred this season.Influenza severity is currently classified as high in children and moderate in adults, including older adults.In a separate respiratory virus update today, the CDC reports that rates of health care visits for acute respiratory illness are low overall.COVID-19 activity is decreasing in most areas across the country but remains elevated in some regions. Wastewater testing, which can be used to detect infectious diseases circulating in a community, shows very high levels in Michigan and Mississippi and high levels in the Upper Midwest and parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains elevated but has peaked in many areas, with national wastewater testing showing moderate levels across most of the country and very high levels in the Upper Midwest and Nevada.
South Carolina measles outbreak reaches 997 cases - The South Carolina measles outbreak stands at 997 cases after just one new case was reported in recent days, suggesting the outbreak may be nearing containment.The outbreak began in the Upstate region last October, and was linked to several private schools with low vaccination rates among the student body. Cases mounted and then soared over the holidays, with multiple exposures at churches noted.Officials said there are currently eight people in quarantine and none in isolation, the lowest numbers recorded since the outbreak began. The latest end of quarantine for these is April 2.Of the 997 cases, 639 are among children ages 5 to 17 years, and 263 and in those are under the age of 5 years. Only 87 infections have been in adults, and eight are unknown. The vast majority case-patients (932 [94%]) are unvaccinated, and 20 are partially vaccinated with one dose of measles-containing vaccine. Twenty are fully vaccinated, and 19 have unknown vaccination status.So far the United States has tracked 1,362 measles cases since January 1, putting the nation on track for a record-setting year.Measles cases are being reported in 30 states across the country. In Colorado, one new case raises the state total this year to 11, nine of which were confirmed this month. North Dakota is reporting 26 cases so far this year, including four requiring hospitalization. Three of the cases are new. Until last year, the state had not seen any measles activity since 2011. Eighteen of the 26 confirmed case-patients were unvaccinated, but six were fully vaccinated. Twenty-three cases have been confirmed in Pembina County, with one case each in Williams, Walsh and Traill counties.
US measles outbreak approaches 1,500 cases -- With 125 new measles cases confirmed today, the US total has reached 1,487 measles infections, and the outbreak is on track to surpass last year’s outbreak numbers—which reflected a 35-year high—before summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the new data in an update today.The CDC confirmed 2,285 measles cases for all of last year, the most since 1991. The United States will likely lose its measles elimination status—which it gained in 2000—in November, when officials assess the data.The CDC said all but nine of the 2026 cases are from 31 states and New York City, with the rest travel-related. Of all confirmed cases, 94% are associated with one of 14 outbreaks.Last year, the country saw 48 outbreaks, many of which are still ongoing. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases.Of the 1,487 cases, 21% are in children younger than five years, and 74% involve children and young adults up to 19 years old. CDC data show that 92% of case-patients are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status, with only 4% fully immunized with two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) doses.Seventy-four cases (5%) have required hospital care, compared with 11% last year. No deaths have yet been attributed to measles in 2026 after three deaths in 2025.With 38 new cases this week, Utah’s total now stands at 443 infections. Of those, 246 are 2026 cases (but the CDC measles map lists 275 cases for the year).Texas has 11 new cases and 147 so far this year, according to media reports and the CDC measles map. Among those cases, 108 are in a federal detention facility managed by a private company in Hudspeth County.Florida’s total increased by eight to 140, according to media reports, including 104 cases in Collier County, six of which are new. The CDC map lists 122 cases in Florida.Colorado has one new case, 12 for the year. Arizona’s 2025-26 total grew by two, to 278. Idaho now has 22 cases, one of which is new. Neighboring Washington has 28 infections so far this year after reporting two new illnesses in Grant County.
- The New York City Health Department has identified clade 1 mpox in a person who had recently traveled to Europe. This is the twelfth clade 1 case in the United States and the first identified in New York City. The city health department said the person was symptomatic, has received appropriate medical care, and has been isolating until full resolution of symptoms. Last year, the city recorded 398 cases of clade 2 monkeypox, a strain commonly transmitted between men who have sex with men. Clade 1 cases have been linked primarily to travel in Africa and are more severe than clade 2 infections.
- More than 150 passengers and crew members contracted norovirus aboard Princess Cruises’ Star Princess during a weeklong trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Princess Cruises said all illnesses were mild, and the staff practiced enhanced sanitation and isolation measures to protect passengers. Earlier this month, 76 passengers and crew aboard Holland America Line’s MS Westerdam experienced a suspected norovirus outbreak during an Asian trip.
- Cambodia reported its second human H5N1 avian influenza case of the year in a 45-year-old woman from Ropai village, according to the Substack Outbreak News Today. The woman raised chickens and other birds and reported coming into contact with sick birds three days before symptom onset. The patient received Tamiflu and is under medical care. Cambodia has reported 36 human H5 infections since 2023, and the case-fatality rates of these infections are high, at greater than 40%. Most recent cases in Cambodia have involved a reassortant (2.3.2.1e) between an older H5N1 clade that has circulated in Cambodia since 2014 and the newer clade 2.3.4.4b virus that is circulating globally.
University of Kent in UK reports meningitis outbreak, 2 dead - Two students are dead and 11 are hospitalized after an outbreak of a rare form of invasive meningitis at the University of Kent in England. The UK Health Security Agency(UKHSA) provided prophylactic antibiotics to students in the area after it detected 13 cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a combination of meningitis and septicemia, or blood poisoning. “Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly, so it’s essential that students and staff are alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, which can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet. Septicaemia can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed against a glass,” said Trish Mannes, MSc, UKHSA regional deputy director for the South East, in the news release. “Students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs of meningitis because they can be easily confused with other illnesses such as a bad cold, flu or even a hangover,” she added. The UKHSA said the strain of meningococcal bacteria in this outbreak has yet to be identified. College campuses and universities have historically been sites of meningitis outbreaks because of close living quarters.
- The University of Kent’s meningitis outbreak is growing quickly, with 20 confirmed or probable cases now reported. Six cases have been confirmed to be caused by the meningitis B strain, or MenB. “This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities. There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing,” said the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, Susan Hopkins. Thousands of students have been offered prophylactic antibiotics after the first cases were discovered over the weekend.
- The Texas Department of State Health Services said there have been at least 136 measles cases this year, many in immigration detention centers, with a single federal detention facility in Hudspeth County, accounting for 99 cases. The department said it has little jurisdiction over the federal centers and is not able to track outbreak response, vaccination status, or the number of hospitalizations originating in detention centers. Last year, a West Texas measles outbreak among Mennonite communities was the nation’s largest, with almost 800 cases.
- A Samoa dengue outbreak, which started in early 2025, continues, with 17,402 cumulative clinically diagnosed cases and 5,117 laboratory‑confirmed cases reported. Transmission remains widespread across the island, with 64% of cases reported from Upolu and 36% from Savaii, and children under 15 years accounting for 74% of all cases. So far, this outbreak has resulted in nine deaths.
CDC, FDA investigating multistate E coli outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese - At least seven people in three states have been sickened by an Escherichia coli outbreak linked to raw (unpasteurized) cheddar cheese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday. Four of the seven Shiga toxin–producing E coli (STEC) infections are in children under three years old. Two people have been hospitalized. Five of the case-patients are in California, with one each in Texas and Florida. The age of case-patients ranges from one to 28 years.STEC spreads primarily through contaminated food and water and can cause severe diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever. It’s the leading cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure and death. STEC is estimated to cause more than 265,000 infections in the United States each year.Known illness-onset dates range from September 1, 2025, to February 13, 2026. The CDC said the true number of sick people in the outbreak is likely higher.The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with state and local public health officials, are investigating the outbreak, which is linked to cheddar cheese from Raw Farm, a producer of raw dairy products based in Fresno, California. Of the three people who have been interviewed so far, all three reported eating Raw Farm cheddar, and whole-genome sequencing of E coli samples from case-patients shows the isolates are closely genetically related, which suggests a common source. The FDA said no Raw Farm cheddar cheese products have tested positive for E coli as of yet. State partners have initiated collection of product samples for testing and analysis, but results are not available. The FDA has recommended that Raw Farm pull the product from the market, but the company has declined. “They have found no pathogens in any of our products,” Raw Farm’s owner told the Associated Press. The CDC is recommending that people who have the affected cheese in their home “consider not eating” the product while the investigation is ongoing. The FDA says any consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who bought Raw Farm-brand cheddar cheese “may wish to carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched.”
Six in 10 US foodborne illnesses in 2024 linked to contaminated produce, annual report reveals - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Coordinated Outbreak Response, Evaluation, & Emergency Preparedness (CORE+EP) has released its annual report on 2024 foodborne illness investigations, showing that vegetables and fruits were responsible for 60% of illnesses, trailed by multi-ingredient foods (20%), dairy products (10%), and nuts and seeds and eggs (5% each). The multi-ingredient foods were frozen shakes, shrimp salad, bagged salad mix, chocolates, gummies, and cones, while the nuts were walnuts, and the cheese consisted of raw cheddar, queso fresco, and cotija. The produce included mangoes, romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, carrots, onions, sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, basil, and parsley. The CORE Signals and Surveillance team assessed 72 adverse events and potential and confirmed outbreaks, 26 responses to incidents involving an FDA-regulated food, and 10 advisories issued to give consumers information on how to stay well in an outbreak. Those numbers are comparable with those from recent years, including 2023, which saw 69 incidents, 25 responses, and 10 advisories (nine related to multistate outbreaks and one to a series of adverse events).In addition to the advisories, CORE investigations resulted in recalls, a warning letter, a consent decree of permanent injunction (court-approved agreement that settles a lawsuit without admitting liability), and the deployment of FDA prevention strategies.“When investigators find the food source of a multistate foodborne illness outbreak, they can take public health actions, such as issuing a public health advisory or recommending that companies voluntarily recall products confirmed to be associated with an outbreak,” the report said. “In some cases, FDA’s Office of Compliance & Enforcement can pursue additional compliance actions to further protect consumers from unsafe food, such as issuance of warning letters, seizure, injunction, and addition of firms to import alerts.”Notable 2024 outbreaks included an Escherichia coli outbreak tied to organic baby carrots, a Listeria outbreak dating back to 2015 related to cotija and queso fresco cheeses, and a series of adverse events traced to infused chocolate bars, cones, and gummies.
Antibiotic use linked to ‘persistent’ gut microbiome changes - It’s long been known that antibiotics can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut, typically causing short-term symptoms like diarrhea. Some research suggests the disruption can last for several months. But a new study led by researchers in Sweden indicates certain antibiotics may have a far longer impact on the gut microbiome. The study, based on drug registry data and genetic analysis of fecal samples from nearly 15,000 Swedish residents, found that people who took certain oral antibiotics had fewer bacterial species in their gut, and a lower abundance of individual species of gut bacteria, for four to eight years after taking them. The antibiotics most strongly associated with these long-lasting impacts were clindamycin, fluoroquinolones, and flucloxacillin.The findings were published last week in Nature Medicine.An author of the study says the findings provide strong evidence on the persistent effects that certain antibiotics can have on the taxonomy of the gut microbiome.“This is something we imagined already based on previous studies, but I think this is the strongest evidence that we have so far for this effect,” The researchers note that the findings aren’t generalizable, since it’s limited to the gut microbiome profiles of Swedish residents and to the antibiotics commonly used in the country, which has fairly restrictive policies on antibiotic use. The bigger question, which was beyond the scope of this study, is whether the long-term disruption of the gut microbiome has an impact on health. As the researchers note, previous observational studies have found associations between long-term antibiotic use and increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. And their analysis found that use of clindamycin, fluoroquinolones, and flucloxacillin was associated with an increased abundance of certain gut microbiome species that have previously been linked to higher body mass index, higher serum triglyceride levels, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Study finds rising resistance to a last-resort antibiotic in Africa - Resistance to a last-resort antibiotic is rising sharply in Africa to two multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens that pose major threats in health care settings, according to a study this week in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. Ina systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers from Ethiopia examined 35 studies on reported colistin resistance in clinical specimens of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Africa. A baumannii and P aeruginosa are already resistant to multiple antibiotic classes and are considered critical- and high-priority pathogens by the World Health Organization. Limited treatment options for MDR A baumannii and P aeruginosa in Africa have led to renewed use of colistin, which had been limited to veterinary use because of its toxicity in humans. While the emergence of colistin resistance in the two pathogens is being reported “with increasing frequency,” the study authors note, “a comprehensive study that analyses and synthesizes the available evidence on the prevalence of colistin resistance in A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolates in Africa is still lacking.” Of the included studies, 20 investigated A baumannii, 10 assessed P aeruginosa, and five evaluated both organisms. The pooled prevalence of colistin resistance in A baumannii was 13.75%, with variation among countries, ranging from 18.26% in Egypt to 10.89% in South Africa. For P aeruginosa, the pooled prevalence of colistin resistance after adjustments was 14.42%, ranging from 13.55% in Egypt to 1.07% in Ethiopia. Resistance rose dramatically over time, from 5.64% to 16.45% in A baumannii and from 2.26% to 30.54% in P aeruginosa between 2010–2017 and 2018–2023. The authors say the increasing prevalence of colistin resistance in Africa has serious implications for antimicrobial therapy strategies and major clinical consequences. “This threatens the role of colistin as a last-resort therapy and is associated with higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs,” the authors wrote. “Urgent action is therefore needed to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, implement standardized resistance surveillance and reinforce infection prevention and control measures across the region.”
Pet food recalled for salmonella, listeria, and E. coli– A recall has been issued for pet food after products tested positive for salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, according to the Food and Drug Administration The recalling firm, Raaw Energy, LLC, is based in Adelphia, N.J. Products also tested positive for Campylobacter jejuni, a pathogenic bacteria that can cause fever and diarrhea. The products were sold across the Northeast in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. The recall affects the following products:
Avian flu hits farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported avian flu detections in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, and Indiana this past week, and it said 15.2 million birds have been affected by outbreaks in the past 30 days. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a commercial table egg-layer farm had an outbreak among 870,000 birds. Cecil County, Maryland, also reported an outbreak of 354,100 among table egg pullets. Similar to last week, a commercial turkey farm in Kent County, Michigan, was struck, affecting 51,700 birds. And Elkhart County, Indiana was once again hit, with 7,600 birds at a commercial duck meat facility affected.APHIS also noted an outbreak in Portage County, Ohio, in a backyard flock.In the past 30 days, APHIS has confirmed 86 infected flocks, including 48 commercial and 38 backyard flocks.Wild-bird avian flu detections continue across the country, but like the previous week, detections have slowed down. Only 25 wild birds were confirmed to have highly pathogenic avian flu, including several Canada geese in the Bronx, New York.
More animals die from H5N1 avian flu at Ano Nuevo State Park in California - California officials have confirmed that nine more elephant seals, a sea lion, and an otter have died from avian flu H5N1 at Ano Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County.“As you probably imagine, this count reflects only the animals that have gone through sampling and confirmatory testing in multiple labs,” Christine Johnson, VMD, PhD, director of the Institute for Pandemic Insights at University of California, Davis told local media. “So there are likely more animals that we will be updating on in the coming weeks.”So far, 16 elephant seals have died due to H5N1, in addition to the otter and sea lion. The outbreak, which started at the end of last month, marked the first H5N1 detection in marine mammals in California and was discovered when seals at the state park were observed with abnormal respirations, tremors, and neurologic symptoms. The park has closed the sea-viewing areas to visitors, many of whom visit the area to see the 5,000 seals who migrate to Ano Neuvo State Park during the winter breeding season. Officials said they were encouraged because roughly 80% of the adult female seal population had migrated away from Ano Nuevo prior to the outbreak.Previously, H5N1 decimated large swaths of Argentina’s southern elephant seals in 2023. The virus also killed a number of northern fur seals on Tyuleniy Island in Russia's Sea of Okhotsk in 2023.
EPA seeks to scrap limits on cancer-causing compound - - EPA took a fresh step in its unrelenting deregulatory campaign with a proposal to toss stricter standards on releases of a powerful carcinogen from plants that sterilize medical equipment. In a draft rule released Friday, the agency seeks to repeal tightened limits on the plants’ emissions of ethylene oxide put in place two years ago under President Joe Biden. As grounds, EPA said that the strengthened regulations resulted from a review that was illegal under the Clean Air Act. In a news release, Administrator Lee Zeldin also cited concerns that the stronger rules could affect health care by cutting into supplies of safely sterilized medical equipment. The proposed rule “shows EPA’s strong commitment to protecting people’s health while maintaining a stable domestic medical supply chain,” Zeldin said.
Winter road salt is threatening Lake Simcoe and Ontario watersheds year-round --In February 2025, a small freshwater stream in Newmarket, Ont., was saltier than the ocean. The source? Winter road salt, washing off local parking lots and highways into the Lake Simcoe watershed.As a result, concentrations of chloride — one of two minerals that make up table salt — in Western Creek exceeded 26,000 milligrams per litre of water. Meanwhile seawater typically sits at 19,400 milligrams of chloride per litre of water, according to the local conservation authority. For Christopher Wellen, an environmental scientist focused on hydrology and associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, this finding was not surprising: the Simcoe region, and many others across southern Ontario, have big salt problems. “It washes away from the roads, but it doesn’t just disappear,” Wellen said. “It goes where the water goes — that’s our groundwater, it’s our lakes, it’s our rivers — and has effects there.” For decades, the concentration of road salt in Lake Simcoe has been on the rise: 120,000 tonnes of it are used by communities in the watershed annually, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority has reported. That amounts to roughly 227 kilograms of salt per person in the region every year.Heavy salting in winter is not unusual, but Lake Simcoe has been monitored for decades, so it can act as a case study of exactly what happens when this much road salt is being applied. And it illuminates the environmental impact across the province where high-traffic areas, surrounded by cities, towns and a dense network of roadways, are inundated with salt. But oversalting has widespread impacts on ecosystems, harming aquatic life and depleting biodiversity year-round.“Every organism that lives in streams and rivers and lakes … has tolerances for all sorts of things like temperature fluctuations and salt fluctuations,” Wellen said. “If the water becomes too salty, they can find it really difficult to reproduce and thrive and continue to exist, basically.”All this chloride does not break down, or simply wash away. It accumulates over time. “It’s quite possible that, if things don’t change, the food web could be quite affected,” Wellen added. The problem starts at the bottom of the food chain, he said, and makes its way up.Since fish are mobile, they can generally avoid areas with high salt concentrations. The pronounced impacts are on the more stationary species, like critters that live in riverbeds. They also make up the base of the food chain, so when they are unable to survive the salty water, organisms higher up lose their food supply.The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority says on its website that winter salt has become a topic of “great concern” in the watershed, particularly because there isn’t an effective way to remove it. And Lake Simcoe, the largest lake wholly in southern Ontario, supplies drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents — with hundreds of thousands more relying on groundwater aquifers in the watershed.In Canada, the federal government provides long- and short-term guidelines for exposure to chloride before aquatic life is affected. At a concentration of 640 milligrams of chloride per litre of water for as little as 24 hours, aquatic life could be severely affected. For longer-term exposure, concentrations beyond 120 milligrams of chloride per litre of water would see harm to aquatic life such as a fish species declining over time. “You’re going to have long-term impacts from that. There are some sensitive biota in the lake that will probably have reproductive, developmental, long-term impacts at those levels.” The authority produced a report more than a decade ago that already showed chloride concentrations were impacting these aquatic species in 64 per cent of the Lake Simcoe watershed. In the lake itself, the concentration in February was around 61 milligrams of chloride per litre of water, Lembcke said, which is about half of the long-term exposure guideline set by the province. But that level has been steadily increasing by 0.7 milligrams of chloride per litre of water annually, according to the conservation authority. Elsewhere in the watershed, especially in tributaries in urban areas like Hotchkiss Creek and West Holland River, concentrations regularly exceed both guidelines, Lembcke said, and long after winter ends.“We have this incredibly persistent, relentless increasing trend in lake [salt] concentrations,” Lembcke said. “Certainly the potential is there: if we don’t curb the amount of salt that we’re using, drinking water could be impacted.” For drinking water, the Ontario objective is 250 milligrams of chloride per litre of water, but this is based on taste, not health considerations. For people who need to limit their sodium intake for things like high blood pressure, or kidney or liver diseases, Health Canada recommends that salt in water shouldn’t exceed 20 milligrams per litre. In Waterloo, Ont., groundwater and consequently drinking water has already been impacted; given high concentrations in some areas, the city has to mix groundwater from different wells to average out chloride levels across the region. They’ve campaigned hard for curbing road salt use, since current water and wastewater treatment doesn’t remove salt, and the municipality explains on their website that removing it requires expensive, energy-intensive treatment. And that would mean higher water costs for the community.
Pesticides from flea treatments and sheep dips found at damaging levels in Welsh rivers - Pesticides used in pet flea treatments occur widely in Welsh rivers and were detected in over three quarters of river water samples, finds new research by Cardiff University and Natural Resources Wales. The study found that two pesticides from flea treatments, imidacloprid and fipronil, exceeded safe levels in almost half of the samples from urban locations. The research, "Occurrence, patterns and previously overlooked sources of three veterinary ectoparasiticides in rural and urban Welsh rivers," was published in Environmental Pollution. Professor Steve Ormerod, Cardiff University's Water Research Institute, said, "Wastewater is known to transport veterinary pesticides into rivers after pet owners wash treated animals, their contaminated bedding, or their own hands after handling externally applied insecticides. We wanted to see how these chemicals might be reaching Welsh waters, and at what levels, to assess their potential impacts." As well as the two pet-flea treatment compounds, the researchers also investigated a veterinary sheep dip chemical, diazinon, in nine Welsh rivers between 2021 and 2023. They analyzed 140 samples from rural and urban rivers, and also assessed fish and macroinvertebrate communities in the most contaminated river. They found imidacloprid in 77% of samples and fipronil in 44%. The highest levels occurred in a small Cardiff stream, Roath Brook. Concentrations in this stream were over 11–45 times above safe levels and were linked to adverse effects on aquatic insects, including mayflies. The team also found that both compounds increased downstream in urban areas, where waters received wastewater outfalls and sewer misconnections. "Sewer misconnections are relatively widespread in urban areas—such as in the Roath Brook catchment—but are often overlooked as pollution sources and might affect over 5-10% of properties," added Professor Ormerod. The team's research is the first study to show how sewer misconnections form a 'down-the-drain' pathway through which flea-treatment chemicals reach rivers. In contrast, diazinon occurred in local patches, reflecting its use in sheep-dips, and concentrations were at three to 17 times safe levels in some of the rural sheep-rearing areas of the Wye, Tywi and Ely systems. "These new data add to growing concern about the presence of veterinary pesticides in rivers. These are chemicals designed to prevent or remove unwanted insects on pets and livestock, but our evidence shows that current uses appear to cause levels in water that are sufficiently toxic to harm river wildlife."
Why swimmers still dive in: Research shows how UK communities navigate polluted waters -- More than 7.5 million people immerse themselves in lakes, rivers, seas and lidos every year in the UK. But getting in the water means getting in pollution too for most outdoor swimmers. Raw sewage was discharged into UK waters for 4.7 million hours during 2024. But sewage is only part of the water pollution problem. Rain washing into rivers and streams contains fertilizers, pesticides and animal waste from farmlands, forever chemicals from car tires, plus drugs from our own bodies. Industry deregulation and privatization have produced a water crisis.Dirty Business, a new Channel 4 docudrama highlighting this crisis, is a welcome call for action, though not a surprising one for anyone who swims outdoors regularly.Through our research, and in our own swimming, we have explored how outdoor swimming is not simply a recreational hazard to be avoided. Within outdoor swimming communities, negotiating risk, responsibility and vulnerability has always been central to this activity.As one swimmer shared with us: "I have followed [the environmental charity] Surfers Against Sewage for many years. My first glimpse of a condom was as a child, swimming near a sewage outlet." Through these experiences, swimmers learn to read the water around them, developing skills and knowledge that help them to keep swimming through it all.Feminist philosopher and social theorist Donna Haraway writes about "staying with the trouble": sitting with difficulty rather than looking away from it. For the swimmers we spoke to and swam with, this is exactly what getting in the water means. The swimmer's body becomes a site where ecological crisis is felt directly.One swimmer described how his understanding shifted: "My awareness of pollution massively increased as I started to swim. You realize [Lake] Windermere is polluted, Grasmere is polluted. Your eyes open to it. Your nose opens to it."Writing about surfing in the UK, cultural theorist Clifton Evers and health and well-being professor Cassandra Phoenix describe the sport as "polluted leisure." Swimmers encounter this contradiction directly. They feel pollution in the water against their skin, in the smells of their swim spots and in the residues left on their bodies, kit and memories.To swim with the trouble of polluted waters is not to accept their degradation. Our research has consistently shown that outdoor swimmers refuse to look away. To continue swimming alongside pollution, swimmers draw on situated, embodied knowledge of their swim spots. They monitor sewage outflow maps, keep their heads above water or decide to stay on shore if the water smells wrong. Through navigating pollution, outdoor swimmers are reminded that the health and well-being of our bodies is bound to the quality of our waters and is folded into wider relationships of cause and consequence. Swimmers, like everyone in modern society, are implicated in the agricultural systems, consumer habits and infrastructural demands that contribute to polluted waters.When we swim alongside microbial life, fish, algae, our waste and agricultural runoff, we experience what Haraway calls "response-ability": not just the capacity to respond, but the obligation to do so. Indeed, as feminist cultural studies researcher Rebecca Olive has argued, taking care of our waters must move beyond aspiration: it must be about action.
Proposing simple measures to prevent industry dumping plastic pellets into the sea - Every year, 1.7 million tons of plastic end up in the marine environment as waste. Due to their slow natural degradation, plastics accumulate in seas and oceans at a rate the long-term consequences of which remain uncertain. Microplastics (less than 5 mm in size) are a cause of great concern due to their ubiquity and their ability to enter the food chain. The Materials + Technologies Group (GMT) of the EHU-University of the Basque Country has focused its attention on microplastics of industrial origin. As part of the ItsasMikro project, the group observed "a significant presence of plastic pellets on the beaches of Donostia and Orio" over a two-year period. These are small plastic particles, about 2 or 3 mm in size, used in the manufacture of plastic products, which, "due to leaks, spills or industrial discharges, may end up in the sea through stormwater drains," said Dra. Amaia Mendoza, the group's researcher and lecturer. "The problem lies in the volume of rainwater that washes over the pavement of the facilities, because that is where a large proportion of these losses occur." "Until now, most of the analysis has concentrated on the marine origin of microplastics (from fishing nets, the disintegration of larger plastic objects that have been poorly managed, etc.). What is more, there is now increasing talk of microplastics originating in agriculture. However, there is a considerable lack of knowledge about the contribution to microplastic pollution from industries, for example, from their use as raw materials or from materials used in construction such as thermal insulation," explained Mendoza. Early warning sign Out of all the standard parameters used in stormwater discharge controls by water quality control authorities, the GMT group identified two: "Suspended solids and volatile suspended solids can provide an early warning sign in the event of a leak of pellets or any other type of industrial microplastic, such as textile fibers, microspheres, etc." The European Commission has recently approved (November 2025) an initial regulation to control this type of pellet pollution, which covers both the handling and transport of plastic pellets and, above all, obliges the largest plastic handling companies to take measures to contain this type of material. However, the researcher pointed out that "although this is an important first step, it does not go any further. Currently, there are no official, internationally accepted standardized analysis parameters. Furthermore, other types of microplastics that originate in industry are not included." So the two parameters identified by the EHU group could easily be incorporated into the discharge authorizations for the plastics industry. "If, in the first instance, an analysis of these parameters yields values higher than the reference levels in stormwater, it would be necessary to check in the second instance whether pellets are actually present or not," she explained. Monitoring these parameters at discharge control points within the plastic industry's stormwater networks "represents a technically, economically and environmentally advantageous strategy for preventing pellet spills, she added.
Major winter storm brings blizzard conditions to Northern Plains and Great Lakes - The Watchers -video - A major winter storm is affecting the Northern Plains and the western Great Lakes in the United States on March 15–16, 2026, bringing heavy snowfall, strong winds, and widespread blizzard conditions. Snowfall rates of up to 7.5 cm (3 inches) per hour and wind gusts of up to 95 km/h (60 mph) are forecast across parts of eastern South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan as a strengthening low-pressure system moves toward southeastern Canada. Travel conditions are expected to become extremely dangerous across the affected region. A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system over the central Plains is moving northeast toward Lower Michigan on March 15, producing heavy snow across the Northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the Great Lakes. The system is drawing cold Arctic air into the region while transporting moisture northward, creating conditions favorable for widespread snowfall and blizzard conditions. Blizzard Warnings are in effect from eastern South Dakota across the Upper Midwest and into the upper Great Lakes. The most severe conditions are forecast in northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where strong winds combined with heavy snowfall are expected to significantly reduce visibility. Snowfall rates of 2.5–7.5 cm (1–3 inches) per hour are forecast from eastern South Dakota into northern Michigan as the storm intensifies and spreads eastward. Snow accumulations of 30–90 cm (12–36 inches) are forecast across parts of the Northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the Great Lakes between March 15 and 16. Locally higher accumulations are forecast from Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where snowfall totals may exceed 60 cm (24 inches) in some areas and potentially break two-day accumulation records. Strong winds accompanying the storm are expected to reach up to 95 km/h (60 mph), producing widespread blowing and drifting snow. These conditions are likely to create blizzard and whiteout conditions across affected areas, making travel extremely hazardous. South of the storm’s center, warmer air is expected to produce mixed precipitation, including freezing rain. Forecasters indicate a greater than 60 percent probability of ice accumulation reaching 6 mm (0.25 inches) in parts of northern and Lower Michigan. Lake-effect snow is forecast to continue around portions of the Great Lakes through March 17 as cold air flows across the relatively warmer lake waters, prolonging snowfall across downwind areas.
Historic March blizzard buries parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula under up to 132 cm (52 inches) of snow - 4 YouTube videos - A late-season blizzard affected northern Michigan between March 15 and 17, 2026, dropping up to 132.1 cm (52 inches) of snow in parts of the Upper Peninsula and breaking snowfall records at the National Weather Service office in Marquette. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 17 for seven counties in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula as heavy snow, ice, and strong winds disrupted travel and power service. Storm-total snowfall reached 132.1 cm (52 inches) near Wetmore in Alger County, while several locations in Alger, Baraga, and Marquette counties recorded more than 100 cm (40 inches) of snow. The highest reported total was 132.1 cm (52 inches) at Wetmore 12.7 S in Alger County. Other major totals included 123.2 cm (48.5 inches) near Shingleton, 107.9 cm (42.5 inches) near Munising, 114.3 cm (45 inches) near Herman in Baraga County, and 98 cm (38.6 inches) near Ishpeming in Marquette County. At the National Weather Service office in Negaunee Township, 92.2 cm (36.3 inches) of snow was measured over March 15 and 16, setting a new two-day snowfall record for the site. The previous record was 81 cm (31.9 inches), set on March 13 and 14, 1997. The office also broke daily snowfall records on both March 15 and 16. Snowfall reached 37.1 cm (14.6 inches) on March 15, exceeding the previous record of 32.5 cm (12.8 inches) from 2002, and 55.1 cm (21.7 inches) on March 16, surpassing the previous record of 19.6 cm (7.7 inches) set in 2013. Across Marquette County, additional storm totals included 95.5 cm (37.6 inches) near Negaunee, 91.4 cm (36 inches) near Gwinn, 85.3 cm (33.6 inches) near Big Bay, and 69.9 cm (27.5 inches) at Clarksburg. Snowfall totals decreased sharply farther west, with Gogebic County generally reporting 15 to 36.8 cm (5.9 to 14.5 inches) and Houghton County mostly between 4.6 and 18 cm (1.8 and 7.1 inches). YouTube video Elsewhere in the Upper Peninsula, Delta County reported up to 85.1 cm (33.5 inches) near Escanaba, Dickinson County up to 61.2 cm (24.1 inches) near Iron Mountain, Iron County up to 61 cm (24 inches) at Crystal Falls, Menominee County up to 86.4 cm (34 inches), Luce County 72.1 cm (28.4 inches) near Newberry, and Schoolcraft County up to 68.3 cm (26.9 inches) near Manistique. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 17 for seven counties in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula after the storm caused widespread disruption, including road blockages, downed power lines, and prolonged outages. The declaration covered Alcona, Alpena, Delta, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Wexford counties. On March 15, Whitmer ordered the closure of nonessential state office buildings across all 15 Upper Peninsula counties and 13 northern Lower Michigan counties due to extreme winter conditions. The State Emergency Operations Center was activated the same day at 10:00 local time to coordinate response efforts.
Florida reports USD 3.17 billion in agricultural losses after early 2026 freeze - Over USD 3 billion worth of crop losses were reported across Florida due to freeze conditions triggered by severe winter storms between December 30, 2025, and February 4, 2026. The freeze affected 66 of the state’s 67 counties and impacted multiple agricultural sectors during peak production periods. Severe freeze events since late December 2025 caused widespread agricultural losses across Florida, with preliminary estimates of USD 3.17 billion, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The freezes occurred between December 30, 2025, and January 1, 2026, and again from January 26 to February 4, with subfreezing temperatures being reported across the state during the period for crop development and harvest. Local authorities described it as one of the most damaging freeze events in Florida’s history. A total of 66 out of Florida’s 67 counties saw freezing conditions for multiple hours, affecting nearly all major agricultural regions, with hard freeze thresholds at or below −3.3°C (26°F) reported in some areas. Sugarcane accounted for the largest share of losses, with total damages estimated at around USD 1.15 billion. Producers reported production losses of about 35% across roughly 162 280 ha (401 000 acres), resulting in approximately USD 576 million in losses for the current season and an additional USD 576 million in expected future production losses. Citrus losses were estimated at USD 674.66 million, including damage to fruit, trees, and protective infrastructure. About 80% of the state’s citrus acreage was significantly affected, and FDACS said future productivity may remain reduced for several years before recovery to pre-event levels. Vegetables and melons suffered combined losses of approximately USD 718.84 million. Sweet corn was among the worst-hit crops, with estimated production losses reaching 100% in impacted areas and total losses being estimated at USD 255.36 million. Tomato losses were estimated at USD 164.27 million, with production reductions of about 80%, while bell peppers, potatoes, and watermelons also recorded significant losses. Non-citrus fruits also suffered total losses of around USD 385 million. Strawberries sustained losses of about USD 306.9 million, accounting for 80% of the remaining harvest, while blueberries experienced losses of about USD 78.5 million, accounting for roughly 90% of the crop. Aquaculture facilities also reported significant losses, with some producers reporting losses of up to 75% per facility due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures. Cold stress and freezing water conditions contributed to high mortality rates in ornamental and tropical fish, as well as shellfish systems. The timing of the freeze significantly amplified the overall impact, as it coincided with peak production and harvesting periods for many of Florida’s key agricultural commodities. In several cases, crops were either not yet ready for harvest or could not be harvested due to operational constraints, including labor shortages, limited storage capacity, and adverse weather conditions during the freeze period. Freeze-related damage extended beyond immediate yield losses, affecting plant structures, including fruit, foliage, limbs, and developing blooms. These impacts are expected to contribute to reduced productivity in subsequent growing seasons, particularly in perennial crops such as citrus and sugarcane.
Kona low brings extreme rainfall to Maui and Oʻahu, causing flooding and landslides across Hawaiʻi - YouTube videos - A slow-moving Kona low brought extreme rainfall to the Hawaiian Islands between March 10–16, 2026, producing record-breaking totals at multiple long-term stations, particularly on Maui and Oʻahu. Honolulu and Kahului both set new daily rainfall records on March 13, while multi-day accumulations on Maui reached up to about 1 170 mm (46 inches), triggering flooding, landslides, and widespread disruption. A Kona low affected the Hawaiian Islands from March 10 to 16, producing prolonged heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds as it moved slowly near the state. Kona lows form when winds shift to a southwesterly or westerly direction, reversing the typical northeast trade wind pattern and allowing deep tropical moisture to spread across the islands. This reversal of the usual wind pattern often brings heavy rainfall to normally drier leeward areas. Honolulu, which averages about 417 mm (16.41 inches) of rainfall annually, received more than 200 mm (8 inches) during the event, underscoring the intensity of the system. Rainfall rates reached 25–50 mm/h (1–2 inches per hour) in parts of Maui, Molokaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island, according to the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency. The persistence of rain bands over several days led to exceptional accumulation totals, particularly on Maui and Oʻahu. Although Kona lows are typically associated with impacts on the leeward Kona side of Hawaiʻi Island, the most extreme rainfall and record-breaking totals during this event were concentrated on Maui and Oʻahu. Terrain-driven uplift over the West Maui Mountains and the Koʻolau Range, combined with repeated rain bands, produced significantly higher accumulations than those observed along the Kona coast. On Maui, multiple locations recorded extreme multi-day totals, with one location measuring approximately 1 170 mm (46 inches) of rainfall between March 10 and 15, according to National Weather Service (NWS) data. Additional high totals included 1 127 mm (44.37 inches) at Kula and 879 mm (34.59 inches) at Kamehamenui. Across the state, significant accumulations were also recorded, including 646 mm (25.45 inches) at Mauna Loa on Hawaiʻi Island, 492 mm (19.38 inches) at North Wailua Ditch on Kauaʻi, and 490 mm (19.27 inches) at Schofield Barracks on Oʻahu. Daily rainfall records were broken on March 13 at key long-term stations. In Honolulu, 140 mm (5.51 inches) fell within 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 83.8 mm (3.3 inches) set in 1951. At Kahului Airport on Maui, 188 mm (7.4 inches) was recorded, marking the highest daily total since record-keeping began in 1954 and exceeding the previous record of 163 mm (6.4 inches) set on December 20, 2017. The heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding across multiple islands, including Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island, with impacts reported from Hanalei to Kihei to Hilo. Flash flooding inundated roads and urban areas, while saturated ground conditions triggered landslides, debris flows, and sinkholes. Sections of Honoapiʻilani Highway in West Maui were closed due to flooding and debris near the Kuihelani intersection, stranding travelers and contributing to extended congestion. Airports across the state, including Kahului and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, experienced delays and cancellations, with disruption continuing for several days. Emergency response teams conducted multiple floodwater rescues as conditions deteriorated. Video released by Maui County showed washed-out roads, vehicles trapped in floodwaters, and widespread debris.
Dust storm triggers multi-vehicle crash on U.S. 287 in northern Texas - YouTube videos - A multi-vehicle crash occurred on U.S. 287 near Quanah, Hardeman County, Texas, on March 15, 2026, after strong winds generated blowing dust that rapidly reduced visibility and created dangerous driving conditions. . Video footage recorded in the area shows dense dust moving across the highway as vehicles traveled through the corridor. Visibility deteriorated rapidly as wind-driven dust swept across the roadway, making it difficult for drivers to see vehicles ahead. Multiple vehicles were involved in the crash during the period of reduced visibility. Authorities had not yet released confirmed information on the exact number of vehicles involved or whether injuries were reported at the time of reporting. Similar dense blowing dust was observed near Amarillo, Texas, approximately 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Quanah: The crash occurred as a strong weather system moved across the southern Plains, producing powerful winds across western and northern Texas. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that blowing dust could significantly reduce visibility and create hazardous driving conditions across the region. Forecast information for the Quanah area indicated strong winds with gusts potentially reaching 89–105 km/h (55–65 mph) during the event. Winds of this strength can easily lift loose soil and dust from dry fields and roadside surfaces, producing localized dust storms that sharply reduce visibility along highways. Dust storms across the southern Plains can develop rapidly when strong winds move across dry terrain with limited vegetation cover. Airborne dust can spread across roadways within seconds, producing sudden visibility drops that pose serious hazards to drivers. NWS cautions that visibility in blowing dust can fall to near zero in some locations during strong wind events, particularly in open rural areas where wind speeds are higher, and surface soils are more easily mobilized.
Kenya flood death toll rises to 71 as forecasters warn of renewed heavy rainfall - YouTube videos - At least 71 people have died in flood-related incidents across Kenya since March 6, 2026, with Nairobi the hardest-hit area, as the Kenya Meteorological Department issued a Heavy Rainfall Advisory on March 18, warning that rainfall will intensify again across most parts of the country through March 24. The death toll for ongoing floods across Kenya has risen to 71, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration confirmed on March 17. “Adult males account for the majority of the recorded fatalities following the tragic floods that have swept through our country,” the ministry said. The previous toll was 66, reported on March 15, and rose after three deaths were reported in Nairobi and one in the Eastern and Coast provinces of Kenya. Kenya Meteorological Department issued a Heavy Rainfall Advisory on March 18, forecasting 20 mm (0.8 inches) of rain in 24 hours on March 19 and continuing to intensify until March 24. Peak intensity is forecast from March 20 to 23. The rainfall totals, though small, will add to the ongoing flooding and increase the risk of landslides. YouTube video Moderate to heavy rainfall threat is forecast across the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, and both highland regions east and west of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi. Dozens of counties are at risk, including Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Garissa, among others, with a 33–66% probability of heavy rainfall. Residents were warned of flash floods, poor visibility, lightning hazards, and potential landslides, particularly over the Aberdare ranges and Mt. Kenya region. Officials also cautioned that flooding may occur downstream even in areas not experiencing heavy rainfall locally. Flash floods had begun affecting the region since March 6–7, when overnight rainfall caused the Nairobi River to burst its banks. Currently, a total of 36 fatalities have been confirmed in Nairobi, 19 in the Eastern Province, 8 in the Rift Valley, 4 in Nyanza, 3 in Coast, and 1 in the Central Province. Most of the fatalities were caused by the overflow of the Nairobi and Ngong Rivers. At least 2 622 people have been displaced and sheltered, and several homes and roads have been destroyed; damage to power lines and water infrastructure has also been reported.
Severe thunderstorms kill 19, injure over 50 in Karachi, Pakistan - Severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and gusty winds struck Karachi, Pakistan overnight on March 18–19, 2026, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 50. The deadliest incident occurred in Mawachh Goth, Baldia, where a wall collapse killed 13 people, while six others died in separate rain-related incidents across the city. Authorities launched rescue and medical response operations. At least 19 people were confirmed dead, and more than 50 were injured in rain-related incidents, according to official reports. Thirteen fatalities occurred when a wall collapsed in the Mawachh Goth Baldia area, while six others lost their lives in separate incidents reported in various parts of the city. The majority of casualties were linked to structural collapses triggered by the storm, including walls and roofs in vulnerable areas. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and ensure the evacuation of individuals trapped under debris. The storm uprooted roadside trees and disrupted traffic in several areas of the city. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, noting that municipal teams were working to clear roads affected by fallen trees and debris. Police Surgeon Summaiya Tariq confirmed that multiple injured individuals were receiving treatment in hospitals following the incidents. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), strong winds associated with the storm reached up to 90 km/h (56 mph) and persisted for several hours. The storm system developed as part of a westerly weather pattern affecting southern Pakistan. The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned that further thunderstorms were possible in the region, with a risk of isolated hailstorms.
Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle forecast to cross Far North Queensland on March 20 - YouTube video - Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle intensified into a Category 5 system on March 19, 2026, and is forecast to cross the Cape York Peninsula between Lockhart River and Cape Melville, Queensland, on the morning of March 20. Very destructive wind gusts of more than 250 km/h (155 mph), heavy rainfall of 100 to 350 mm (4 to 14 inches), and dangerous coastal conditions, including abnormally high tides and large waves, are forecast near and south of the landfall area, although slight weakening to a high-end Category 4 before crossing remains possible. Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle was located approximately 240 km (149 miles) northeast of Cooktown and 355 km (221 miles) east of Coen, moving west at 27 km/h (17 mph) while maintaining Category 5 intensity at 16:00 AEST (06:00 UTC) on March 19. 10-minute maximum sustained winds near the center reached 220 km/h (137 mph), along with 3-second gusts of 315 km/h (196 mph) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 926 hPa. Narelle is forecast to make landfall between Lockhart River and Cape Melville on the morning of March 20 as a Category 5 cyclone, although slight weakening to a high-end Category 4 remains possible immediately before landfall. Very destructive wind gusts of more than 250 km/h (155 mph) are forecast near the cyclone’s center at landfall, with damaging to destructive winds expected across parts of Cape York Peninsula away from the core. Damaging wind gusts of around 120 km/h (75 mph) are forecast across parts of the region between Lockhart River and Cooktown, with impacts potentially extending farther south toward Cape Tribulation depending on the cyclone’s track. The system is forecast to bring widespread rainfall totals of 100 to 350 mm (4 to 14 inches) within 24 hours along and near the track. This heavy rain could trigger flash flooding across affected areas, including locations west of Coen and across northern parts of the peninsula. Coastal hazards are expected to include abnormally high tides, large waves, and dangerous storm tides near the landfall area. Princess Charlotte Bay is a location of particular concern, where tides may rise significantly above normal levels and cause dangerous flooding in low-lying coastal areas. The warning zone includes coastal and inland communities between Lockhart River and Cape Tribulation, as well as areas between Mapoon and Pormpuraaw, including Cooktown, Coen, Weipa, and Aurukun. Residents have been advised to finalize preparations and secure property ahead of the cyclone’s arrival. Narelle is forecast to weaken after landfall as it tracks westward across the Cape York Peninsula on March 20 before emerging into the Gulf of Carpentaria later in the night into March 21. tropical cyclone narelle 0720 utc march 19 2026 satellite image jma himawari bg0 Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Narelle at 06:40 UTC on March 19, 2026. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers Environmental conditions over the Gulf of Carpentaria are expected to support re-intensification, with the system forecast to strengthen again before approaching the eastern Northern Territory during the weekend. Further westward movement is expected through the Northern Territory, where heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and elevated coastal water levels may develop from late March 21 into 22. Beyond the weekend, forecast guidance indicates the system could continue toward the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and possibly the Kimberley region early next week, although confidence in this longer-range track remains lower.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle weakens after Queensland landfall, forecast to re-intensify over Gulf of Carpentaria - Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall over the Queensland coast at 07:00 AEST on March 20, 2026, as a high-end Category 4 system after briefly reaching Category 5 intensity a day earlier. The cyclone crossed the coast approximately 75 km (47 miles) south of Lockhart River, weakened to Category 2 by the afternoon, and began moving offshore toward the Gulf of Carpentaria. Destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and coastal flooding were reported across affected areas. While the system briefly reached Category 5 strength on Thursday, it had weakened to a high-end Category 4 cyclone before making landfall approximately 75 km (47 miles) south of Lockhart River. The system then moved north of Coen and weakened further to Category 3 as it continued inland. Narelle weakened to a Category 2 system by Friday afternoon and was moving west toward the Gulf of Carpentaria. Early observed impacts included heavy rainfall across Cape York Peninsula, with 24-hour totals of 360 mm (14.2 inches) at Wenlock River and 348 mm (13.7 inches) at Pascoe River. Wenlock River also recorded more than 120 mm (4.7 inches) since 09:00 AEST on March 20. Satellite loop of Tropical Cyclone Narelle making landfall over Queensland, Australia, on March 20, 2026. The system was located about 55 km (34 miles) east of Aurukun and 630 km (391 miles) east of Alyangula as of 16:00 AEST (06:00 UTC) on Friday. 10-minute maximum sustained winds were 100 km/h (62 mph), with 3-second gusts reaching 140 km/h (87 mph). The system was moving west at 18 km/h (11 mph). In its 17:42 AEST advice, BoM said Narelle was impacting Aurukun, with a warning in effect for western Cape York Peninsula between Mapoon and Pormpuraaw, including Weipa and Aurukun. The warning for eastern Cape York, including Lockhart River and Coen, had been cancelled as the cyclone shifted westward. A watch was also in effect farther west across the Northern Territory, extending to Ramingining, Bulman, and Ngukurr, as Narelle was forecast to strengthen again over the Gulf of Carpentaria before approaching the eastern Top End. Narelle was expected to continue moving west into the Gulf of Carpentaria on Friday night, where BoM said it could re-intensify into a severe tropical cyclone before impacting the eastern Northern Territory from late Saturday. The system is then forecast to move across the Top End and may move offshore of the Kimberley coast early next week, where BoM indicated a high risk of redevelopment into a tropical cyclone.
Schools closed, ashfall reported after explosive eruption at Kanlaon volcano, Philippines - video - An explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon volcano on Negros Island, central Philippines, at 18:07 LT (10:07 UTC) on March 15, 2026, producing an ash plume rising more than 5 km (3.1 miles) above the summit and depositing ashfall across at least 54 barangays in 11 local government units. Monitoring data associated with the event recorded nine volcanic earthquakes and sulfur-dioxide emissions of about 1 085 tonnes per day. Authorities also reported vegetation fires on the volcano’s slopes and suspended classes in several municipalities on March 16 as a precaution. Monitoring by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) recorded one moderately explosive eruption lasting about one minute, accompanied by two ash emission events lasting between 3 minutes and 229 minutes. Seismic monitoring detected nine volcanic earthquakes, including two volcanic tremor episodes lasting between 3 and 229 minutes. Gas monitoring measured sulfur-dioxide emissions of approximately 1 085 tonnes per day on March 15. The ash plume drifted toward the southeast, west, and east sectors, depending on prevailing winds during the eruption and subsequent emission events. Ground deformation monitoring shows that the volcanic edifice remains inflated. Local governments implemented precautionary measures following the eruption as ashfall spread across parts of Negros Island. Classes were suspended on March 16 in Himamaylan City, Moises Padilla, La Castellana, and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental to reduce exposure to ashfall. Authorities also reported vegetation fires on the slopes of the volcano following the eruption. Emergency responders monitored several small fires believed to have been triggered by hot volcanic material or ashfall deposits, though no large wildfire spread was reported. Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 2, indicating increased volcanic unrest. Under this alert level, PHIVOLCS maintains a 4 km (2.5 miles) Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the summit where entry is prohibited due to the risk of sudden explosions, rockfalls, and ballistic ejecta. Volcanic ashfall can reduce visibility, contaminate water supplies, damage crops, and cause respiratory irritation. Local authorities advised residents in affected areas to limit outdoor exposure during ashfall events. Kanlaon is among the most active volcanoes in the Philippines and has been experiencing intermittent eruptive activity since June 3, 2024, with several explosive eruptions recorded through 2025 and early 2026. The eruptions have usually produced short-lived explosive events and ash plumes rising several kilometers above the summit.
Magma accumulation beneath Svartsengi now largest since eruption sequence began, Iceland - YouTube videos - More than 23 million m³ (812 million feet³) of magma have accumulated beneath the Svartsengi volcanic system on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula since the July 2025 eruption. Monitoring data released March 17, 2026, by the Icelandic Meteorological Office show this is the largest magma accumulation between eruptions since activity began on the Sundhnúksgígar crater row in December 2023. The official hazard assessment for the area remains unchanged and is valid until March 31. Deformation measurements show that magma inflow beneath Svartsengi has continued at a slow but steady rate in recent months. Model calculations place the magma accumulation zone at a depth of about 4 km (2.5 miles) below the surface. The current magma recharge phase has now lasted approximately 224 days since the end of the last eruption, making it the longest continuous accumulation period recorded during the present eruption sequence. YouTube video The volume of magma stored beneath Svartsengi now exceeds the levels measured before several previous eruptions in the sequence. If magma continues to accumulate and pressure increases within the system, the most likely development remains a magma intrusion from Svartsengi toward the Sundhnúksgígar crater row, potentially producing a new fissure eruption. The most probable location of a future fissure is between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell, where multiple eruptions have occurred since December 2023. However, the zone where fissures could open may extend across a wider area, from Grindavík in the south toward areas northwest of Keilir. Because the current magma volume is larger than that of earlier eruptions in this sequence, a future eruption could be more extensive if a significant portion of the stored magma reaches the surface. Seismic activity above the dyke intrusion remains low. Most earthquakes detected in the area are small events generally below M1.5. Microearthquake activity continues near Vík. These earthquakes are interpreted as trigger events caused by regional stress changes associated with magma movement beneath the Reykjanes Peninsula rather than direct magma intrusion beneath Vík. Ground deformation measurements show that land uplift at Svartsengi since the onset of volcanic unrest in late 2023 now exceeds about 1 m (3.3 feet). The uplift rate was highest early in the unrest but has gradually slowed during successive eruptive cycles. Monitoring data also show continued seismic activity and ground deformation near Krýsuvík and west of Lake Kleifarvatn. That area has experienced earthquake swarms and measurable subsidence since mid-2025. Current interpretations link this activity to regional stress adjustments associated with magma intrusions elsewhere on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Model calculations show that magma accumulation beneath Svartsengi between eruptions since March 2024 has generally ranged between about 17 million and 23 million m³ (600–812 million cubic feet) before a new magma intrusion or eruption begins. IMO is conducting additional analysis of possible scenarios for future volcanic activity in the area. Results of this work are expected later in March. Scientists note that the long pause since the last eruption does not indicate that the eruption sequence on the Sundhnúksgígar crater row has ended. Previous eruptions in the sequence were preceded by extended periods of magma accumulation. The official hazard assessment issued by IMO remains unchanged and valid until March 31, while monitoring of seismic activity, ground deformation, and magma movement continues across the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Bright daytime meteor produces sonic boom over Pennsylvania and Ohio on March 17 - The A bright daylight meteor accompanied by a loud boom was observed over parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio at around 13:01 UTC (09:01 local time) on March 17, 2026. The event was detected by satellite-based lightning mapping systems and reported widely by residents. No confirmed impacts have been reported. A meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere over the northeastern United States at approximately 13:01 UTC on March 17, producing a bright fireball visible in daylight conditions and a loud sonic boom reported across western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Reports of a loud explosion-like sound were received across a wide area, with observers describing a sharp boom and, in some cases, brief shaking consistent with an atmospheric shockwave. The geographic spread of reports suggests the event occurred at high altitude, allowing both visual and acoustic effects to propagate over multiple states. The fireball was recorded by Jared Rackley, one of the NWS Pittsburgh employees. The event was also confirmed using satellite-based Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) data, which recorded a short-duration optical flash consistent with a high-energy atmospheric entry. Daylight fireball over Cleveland on March 17, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers. GLM instruments, designed primarily to detect lightning activity, are capable of capturing transient optical emissions associated with meteors when the brightness exceeds detection thresholds. In this case, the recorded signal aligned temporally with public reports of the fireball and subsequent acoustic disturbance. Daytime fireballs are less frequently observed than nighttime events due to reduced contrast against the sky, but larger or faster meteoroids can produce sufficient luminosity to remain visible under daylight conditions. No confirmed reports of injuries, structural damage, or meteorite recovery have been issued as of the time of writing.
Where did fragments from 7-ton meteor over Ohio actually land? - What started as a normal St. Patrick's Day morning in Summit County turned into a more eventful Tuesday when a 7 ton asteroid came streaking over Lake Erie causing a sonic boom that made houses shake and dogs bark. NASA said a “very bright daylight fireball” was first visible shortly before 9 a.m. March 17. The meteor, which was about 6 feet in diameter, flew southeast through the atmosphere at about 45,000 mph before breaking apart over Valley City. Fragments from that explosion continued south, with some parts potentially landing in the vicinity of Medina County, areas near where residents reported hearing and feeling the boom. Wondering if some pieces of that 4.6 billion-year-old space rock might be sitting in your backyard? Here's what to look out for and what to do if you find a piece. NASA says meteors are visible when they burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, producing a bright streak of light often referred to as a fireball. Ralph Harvey, a geological sciences professor at Case Western Reserve University, said Tuesday the asteroid was moving so fast it couldn’t withstand the stress of entering the atmosphere. “Like most rocks, it’s not very compressible,” Harvey said. “Because this meteor traveled so high in the atmosphere, people for a hundred miles around were able to see it. As it hit the atmosphere at about 50 times the speed of sound, it was like hitting a brick wall – it just exploded. The resulting sonic boom is part of what you hear as the pieces slow down.” As the meteor breaks apart, most of the material burns up in the atmosphere, creating the bright fireball seen from the ground, though larger pieces can sometimes survive the journey and reach Earth as meteorites. Robert Polak, director of the Kent State Planetarium and associate professor of physics, said whether pieces make it to Earth depends on the meteor’s size and composition. “Most meteors burn up completely before reaching the ground, but some do,” Polak said. “It seems to depend on size of the meteor and what they are made out of.” Early indications suggest any potential meteorites could be found in Medina County, though the exact location – if anything reached the ground at all – continues to be unclear. Meteorologist Mark Johnson said on Facebook that radar data may help narrow the search area. “Scientists have already narrowed down where fragments from (Tuesday's) event likely landed,” Johnson wrote. “The debris area where a search for meteorites will likely commence is between Medina and Wadsworth along Wadsworth Road. There could also be some fragments between Chippewa Lake and Granger – all in Medina County.” Because the meteor likely broke apart high in the atmosphere, any surviving fragments would be small and scattered, making them difficult to locate. According to the American Museum of Natural History, meteorites can sometimes resemble ordinary rocks, but they often have a few distinguishing features tied to their fiery journey through Earth’s atmosphere. Many meteorites are coated in a thin, dark outer layer called a fusion crust, which forms when the surface melts during entry and quickly cools into a glassy coating before reaching the ground. However, experts caution that identifying a meteorite can be difficult, and many Earth rocks can appear similar without proper testing. According to NASA, meteorites are not dangerous to people, but proper handling is important to preserve them for scientific study. Experts recommend avoiding direct contact when possible and instead using clean materials such as gloves, tongs or even aluminum foil to pick up a suspected meteorite. This helps prevent contamination from skin oils and microbes that can damage the surface. NASA also advises keeping any potential meteorite clean and dry. Wrapping it in fresh foil and storing it in a sealed bag can help protect it from moisture, which can cause deterioration over time. Anyone who believes they’ve found a meteorite should document where it was discovered and contact a university, museum or other scientific organization for verification, as identification typically requires expert analysis.
Meteor explosion over Northeast Ohio sparks quest for fragments across Medina County — A meteor streaked across Northeast Ohio on Tuesday morning and exploded in the sky, rattling homes, turning heads, and sending people outside wondering if a piece landed nearby. NASA says the fireball, caused by a small asteroid, appeared around 9 a.m. Data shows it was nearly 6 feet wide, weighed about 7 tons, and traveled southeast at 45,000 mph before breaking apart. Officials believe the meteor broke up over Valley City and likely scattered fragments across the southern end of Medina County. Throughout the area, people heard it and felt it. "It sounded like the longest rumble of thunder you ever heard, and we like, 'What the heck was that?'" Valley City resident Debbie Malay said. The experience spread across the region. "It's a shared event — probably a million people around the Cleveland metropolitan area shared in that," said Ralph Harvey, a Case Western Reserve University professor of planetary materials. Now, the question on many minds is simple: What if you find a piece? "I hope everybody that lives in that area is looking," Harvey said. He says people should watch for anything unusual — a strange rock or something out of place — and not be afraid to pick it up. "I think you're much more likely to get bit by a radioactive spider than you are to be hurt by the meteorite," he explained. If you find something that looks like it fell from the sky, scientists want to hear from you. Local universities that study meteorites — including Case Western and Kent State — are asking people to report possible finds, saying each piece helps us better understand the vast universe we call home.
Earth-directed CME triggers G2 geomagnetic storm watch, aurora possible as low as New York – video - An Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by an M2.7 solar flare on March 16, 2026, is expected to impact Earth on March 19, producing G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storming and aurora at mid-latitudes. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm watch, forecasting the arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) at Earth on March 19. Geomagnetic activity is expected to remain below G1 levels on March 18, intensify to G2 on March 19, and weaken back to G1 conditions on March 20. The bulletin supersedes all previous watches and reflects updated modeling of the CME’s propagation through interplanetary space. The event is associated with an M2.7 solar flare that erupted at 12:15 UTC on March 16 from Active Region 4392. The flare was accompanied by a Type II radio emission with an estimated shock speed of 1 227 km/s, a Type IV radio emission, and a 10 cm radio burst peaking at 380 sfu. Coronagraph observations shortly after the eruption revealed an asymmetric halo CME, confirming that at least part of the ejecta is directed toward Earth. Subsequent modeling by SWPC placed the most likely arrival window on March 19. Impacts from G2 geomagnetic storm conditions are expected primarily poleward of 55° geomagnetic latitude. Under these conditions, power grid fluctuations can occur, and high-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms. Spacecraft operations may be affected by orientation irregularities, and increased atmospheric drag can impact low Earth orbit satellites. High-frequency (HF) radio propagation may degrade at higher latitudes during the storm period, affecting aviation and maritime communications. The effects are typically temporary and confined to geomagnetically active regions. Auroral activity is expected to intensify during the peak of the storm on March 19, with visibility potentially extending significantly equatorward. Under favorable conditions, aurora may be observed as far south as New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state.
Coastal ocean chemistry now substantially shaped by humans - A global analysis of more than 2,300 seawater samples from more than 20 field studies around the globe indicates that human-made chemicals make up a significant portion of organic matter in coastal oceans. The international study, led by biochemists Jarmo Kalinski and Daniel Petras at the University of California, Riverside, analyzed seawater samples collected over a decade from coastal regions from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. Reported in Nature Geoscience, the findings show that industrial chemicals, many of which are rarely monitored, are far more abundant and widespread than previously recognized. The title of the paper is "Widespread presence of anthropogenic compounds in marine dissolved organic matter." "For decades, scientists have tracked plastic debris floating on the ocean's surface and measured rising temperatures that signal climate change," said Petras, an assistant professor of biochemistry. "But another, largely invisible human footprint has been accumulating in the sea: thousands of synthetic chemicals. Even in places we consider relatively pristine, we found clear chemical fingerprints of human activity. The extent of this influence was surprising." According to Petras, even remote coral reef systems, often viewed as among the most pristine marine environments, showed clear chemical signatures of nearby human activity—from agricultural and coastal development to tourism. Daniel Petras (left) and Mingxun Wang, both assistant professors at UCR, replace a control board of the mass spectrometer used for the analysis of marine dissolved organic matter. Credit: Petras lab, UC Riverside. "There was virtually nowhere we sampled that showed no human chemical influence," said Kalinski, a postdoctoral researcher in Petras' group. The study found that in datasets from coastal environments, median signal levels of human-made organic molecules reached up to 20%, compared to lowest values of about 0.5% in the open ocean.
El Niño forecast in 2026 as La Niña weakens and Pacific subsurface heat increases - La Niña conditions persisted across the equatorial Pacific Ocean during February 2026, but forecasters expect the pattern to transition to ENSO-neutral within the next month. The Climate Prediction Center said on March 12, 2026, that El Niño is likely to emerge during June–August 2026 with a probability of 62% and could persist through at least the end of the year. The ENSO Alert System currently remains in a “La Niña Advisory / El Niño Watch” status. This means La Niña conditions are still present, while forecasters are monitoring signals that could lead to El Niño development in the coming month The latest weekly ENSO indices show a weakening but still active cold phase. The Niño-3.4 index measured −0.5°C (−0.9°F), while the Niño-4 region registered −0.2°C (−0.4°F) and the Niño-1+2 region reached +0.6°C (+1.1°F), indicating modest warming in the eastern Pacific near South America. Atmospheric conditions remain consistent with La Niña. Low-level wind anomalies across the east-central Pacific were easterly, while upper-level wind anomalies were westerly. Convection remained suppressed near the Date Line and enhanced over Indonesia, and both the traditional and equatorial Southern Oscillation Index values were positive. The observations indicate that the coupled ocean–atmosphere system continues to reflect La Niña conditions. At the same time, changes beneath the ocean surface indicate that the cold phase is weakening. The equatorial subsurface temperature index averaged across 180°–100°W has increased in recent months, reflecting strengthening warm anomalies beneath the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Subsurface warming is often an early signal of El Niño development. Warm water stored beneath the thermocline can move eastward along the equator through oceanic Kelvin waves, eventually reaching the surface and raising sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region. Meteorologist Andrej Flis of Severe Weather Europe notes that several recent westerly wind bursts across the equatorial Pacific may be contributing to this process. These wind anomalies weaken the trade wind circulation that maintains La Niña and can trigger Kelvin waves that transport warm water eastward beneath the surface. According to his analysis, the warm subsurface pool currently spans depths of roughly 100–250 m (328–820 feet) across parts of the western and central equatorial Pacific, gradually propagating eastward. Seasonal climate models monitored by CPC support a transition away from the current cold phase. The North American Multi-Model Ensemble, including the NCEP Climate Forecast System version 2, indicates that ENSO-neutral conditions are expected to develop within the next month and are favored through May–July 2026 with a probability of 55%. Following that transition, forecast models increasingly favor El Niño development. CPC estimates a 62% probability that El Niño will emerge during June–August 2026 and persist through at least the end of the year. The eventual strength of the event remains uncertain. Current probabilistic outlooks indicate roughly a one-in-three chance that El Niño could reach strong intensity during October–December 2026, defined as a three-month Niño-3.4 sea surface temperature anomaly of at least +1.5°C (+2.7°F). NOAA’s official outlook emphasizes uncertainty, while some independent long-range analyses suggest that the combination of subsurface warming and repeated westerly wind bursts could favor a stronger event later in 2026. Severe Weather Europe has pointed to Kelvin wave activity and rapid subsurface warming as signals that could support stronger warming if the ocean–atmosphere coupling continues to intensify.
Location of reforestation projects has greater effect on climate than number of trees planted, study shows - In the fight against the climate crisis, countries are pinning great hope in reforestation projects. In a new study, ETH Zurich researchers show that the location in which reforestation is taking place is usually more important than the number of trees planted. If forests are strategically positioned, the same cooling effect could be achieved using half the area of land. Trees are much beloved, and reforestation enjoys broad support in society, in the political sphere and, to some extent, within the scientific community. Widespread campaigns such as the Trillion Tree Campaign, launched by the United Nations Environment Program, promise climate protection through the planting of billions of trees. Such initiatives aim to increase the number of trees worldwide as quickly as possible to absorb climate-damaging carbon dioxide. How much land is available for reforestation globally remains a highly contested topic of debate to this day. Depending on the individual study, between 150 and 1,000 million hectares could absorb between 130 and 750 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. Previous studies have generally only examined individual, often highly idealized reforestation scenarios or have worked with simplified models. In an article recently published in Communications Earth & Environment, researchers led by Robert Jnglin Wills, professor of climate dynamics at ETH Zurich, simulated and compared the climate impact of three global reforestation scenarios in a complex Earth system model for the first time. In order to do this, they considered not only the biochemical effects of reforestation, i.e., the absorption of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis by trees, but also the biophysical effects. These include the changed albedo, i.e., the ability to reflect sunlight, as well as the effects on water evapotranspiration and the altered surface properties of reforested areas, caused, for example, by the presence of leaves rather than grasses. The greatest potential for a cooling effect on the local and global climate is in the tropics, especially in the Amazon basin and in West and South-East Africa. Trees there not only store carbon efficiently (biochemical cooling), but also cool their surroundings locally due to a high evapotranspiration rate (biophysical cooling). To a lesser extent, the same effects can be observed in South-East Asia.In high northern latitudes, however, such as in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and large parts of North America, large-scale reforestation does not usually have a cooling effect on the climate. These areas are often covered in snow and ice for months on end, which strongly reflect sunlight. When reforestation takes place, the dark tree crowns protruding from the snow cover cause more solar radiation to be absorbed.This albedo effect results in local warming, which, in combination with climate effects from other regions, partially or even completely negates the cooling effect of CO₂ absorption by trees. "By avoiding reforestation in northern regions and focusing instead on the tropics, reforestation becomes a far more efficient tool for climate protection," explains Fahrenbach.
Carbon removal hubs languish as DOE audits drag on - The world’s largest carbon dioxide removal project was scheduled to break ground in Louisiana in 2025 and begin pulling climate pollution from the sky next year. But preliminary work on the $1 billion development known as Project Cypress has stalled and the companies collaborating on it have gone quiet amid uncertainty about the status of up to $550 million that the Biden-era Department of Energy awarded to the initiative. It’s been over 500 days since an update has been posted about the project by direct air capture startups Climeworks and Heirloom Carbon Technology and the scientific nonprofit Battelle. The team’s last announcement came before the November 2024 election of President Donald Trump, who claims global warming is a “hoax” and rejects efforts to address the problem as a “scam.” Project Cypress is designed to pull 1 million metric tons of planet-warming CO2 from the skies each year and store it permanently underground in the congressional district of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Occidental Petroleum, which plans to build a similarly massive project with $500 million in DOE funding, has also been tight-lipped about its plans to build a DAC hub in South Texas. The last time company leaders briefed investors on the development was in August 2025, when CEO Vicki Hollub said the company hadn’t yet committed to building it. Both megaprojects now appear to be in limbo, according to two former Department of Energy officials who oversaw the agency’s direct air capture efforts under Trump and former President Joe Biden. The DOE awards, intended to reduce the financial risks of the first-of-their-kind projects, have been under review by the Trump administration since last May — with no end in sight. “DOE has not articulated a strategy for the DAC hubs” in the Trump era, said Noah Deich, the agency’s deputy assistant secretary for carbon management during the Biden administration. “The uncertainty leaves industry unable to make confident decisions about how to proceed with their projects.” DOE didn’t respond to a request for comment. The companies involved with the hubs are holding out hope for federal funding, even as private support shrinks for carbon dioxide removal and other technologies intended to limit climate change. The total amount of venture capital invested in climate technology dropped by $600 million to $42.2 billion last year, according to the financial data firm PitchBook. It was the fourth year in a row that clean tech investment declined and marked the lowest level of funding since 2020. The biggest question looming over the projects, according to the two former DOE officials, is how long the companies can afford to wait. The funding holdup is “not necessarily a death knell for the hubs, but it’s harder on Cypress than South Texas,” said Grant Faber, who served as DOE’s direct air capture hubs program manager until he was fired last March as part of Trump’s purge of probationary employees. “Project Cypress includes startups that need to demonstrate continuous traction [and] are not profitable yet,” explained Faber, who now works at the carbon removal standards company Absolute Climate. “Occidental is better capitalized, has more project development resources and expertise, and connections to the Trump administration.” Hollub, Occidental’s chief executive, has dined with and donated to the president. During his most recent presidential campaign, she was one of roughly two dozen oil CEOs who attended an April 2024 dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Hollub also co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump a month later and Occidental sent $1 million to his inaugural committee, according to Federal Election Commission data. Vicki Hollub, Occidental’s chief executive, has dined with and donated to the president. During his most recent presidential campaign, she was one of roughly two dozen oil CEOs who attended an April 2024 dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Hollub also co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump a month later and Occidental sent $1 million to his inaugural committee, according to Federal Election Commission data.She repeatedly indicated to investors that Trump wouldn’t block federal support for direct air capture technology.“I think the election of Trump to become our next president is going to be very positive for our industry, especially for our direct air capture,” Hollub said during an earnings call in late November 2024.“President Trump knows the business case for this. I’ve had several conversations with him,” she added in a February 2025 earnings call. “People around him understand the need for at least some initial subsidies to help advance this technology.”Occidental is “progressing design activities for the South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub,” spokesperson William Fitzgerald said in a statement. “We believe DAC technology is vital domestic energy infrastructure that can help strengthen energy security and provide new opportunities for economic growth.” Climeworks remains “strongly committed to Project Cypress in the US,” spokesperson Tristan Lebleu said in an email. He referred specific questions about the progress of the development to Battelle, which is coordinating the effort.
Apache residents vow to keep fighting Arizona mine after high court loss - The Supreme Court has rejected a bid to stop work on an Arizona mine that is slated to be built on lands the Apache people hold sacred.But the fight isn’t over, said Miles Coleman, an attorney for seven Apache women and girls who last week asked the nation’s high court to stop the federal government from handing over thousands of acres of public land to a company planning to build one of the largest underground copper mines in North America.“The transfer and exploitation of a sacred site in the most destructive way possible is contrary to the law, the Constitution, and our best ideals as a nation,” said Coleman. “We will not flag or falter in our efforts to prevent this injustice.”Coleman’s remarks came in response to a Thursday denial from Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan of his clients’ emergency bid to stop the land swap. Kagan oversees emergency applications that come up through litigation in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Growing Sideways – E15 Plays Role in Summer Gasoline Debate, But Does Little to Boost Ethanol Demand | RBN Energy - There’s no shortage of debate around ethanol and gasoline with the summer driving season just around the corner. Farm and biofuels groups are pushing hard for policies favoring expanded ethanol use, while refiners are lobbying for changes to improve the workings of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). With winter winding down and summer gasoline planning already underway, fuel industry groups are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to repeat the last-minute fuel rule changes it issued last year again in 2026. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll dive into the debate about ethanol blending and gasoline regulations. Let’s start with the basics. Most gasoline available at U.S. pumps today is E10, or gasoline blended with up to 10% ethanol, an alcohol typically produced from corn. E15 is gasoline blended with up to15% ethanol. It is approved by the EPA for use in flexible-fuel vehicles and all vehicles in model year 2001 and newer, although its consumer availability is far more limited. (Just 2%-3% of U.S. gasoline stations sell E15 today.) But E15’s use is prohibited in motorcycles, vehicles with heavy-duty engines (i.e., school buses and delivery trucks), off-road vehicles (boats and snowmobiles), equipment engines (chain saws and lawnmowers) and conventional vehicles older than model year 2001. We should note that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) did not approve E15 for use in their vehicles until much later, mostly in the 2012-18 timeframe, with five (Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jaguar-Land Rover, and Porsche) still not fully endorsing E15 in their vehicles. Also, several million “flex-fuel” vehicles can run on any blend of gasoline or ethanol up to E85, which is gasoline blended with between 51% and 83% ethanol. E15 supporters scored a meaningful political win last summer when the EPA approved petitions from eight Midwest states — Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — to remove the longstanding 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver for E10 gasoline starting with the 2025 summer driving season. (RVP is a measure of gasoline’s volatility — the higher the RVP, the more easily it evaporates at a given temperature.) Under the Clean Air Act, E10 was allowed to exceed the standard 9-psi summer RVP limit by 1 psi, while E15 never qualified for that break. When EPA pulled the RVP waiver in those eight states, it essentially placed E10 and E15 on the same footing for summer RVP, requiring both to meet the 9-psi limit, and thus potentially incentivizing more E15 use. As a practical matter, the removal of the waiver requires refiners and fuel suppliers in those states to produce or source a lower-RVP conventional blendstock that complies with the 9-psi limit, whether it is ultimately blended into E10 or E15. But that wasn’t the whole story. On top of the Midwest rule, the EPA also issued a nationwide emergency waiver allowing E15 sales during the 2025 summer driving season — similar to actions taken in prior years. So, E15’s availability last summer reflected both the structural Midwest RVP change and a broader, temporary nationwide waiver. For refiners, the RVP piece is where things get complicated. Every spring and fall, the industry executes a carefully choreographed shift between winter and summer gasoline. Summer gasoline requires a lower RVP to limit emissions in hot weather. But winter gasoline runs higher RVP to help engines start in the cold. Tweaking those specifications, especially in only part of the country, adds significant operational complexity and cost to an already tight transition window. Smaller refiners, in particular, feel that strain (more on this below).
EPA aims to loosen rules for turning tires into fuel - EPA is looking to make it easier to turn abandoned scrap tires into fuel as part of the Trump administration’s “unleashing American energy” agenda.The agency released a proposed rule Friday that would ensure all fuels made from scrap tires are subject to a uniform set of stringent air regulations.“Our latest proposal provides a commonsense approach to better clean up scrap tires and realize their full potential as fuel,” Thomas Croci, acting assistant administrator of the Office of Land and Emergency Management, said in a statement.
Data Centers Look To Liquid Cooling As AI Future Heats Up - Cooling is essential for electronics. Without it, today’s high-performance computer chips would literally melt down. “You can burn down the chip pretty easily if you don’t have an effective cooling solution,”. “What happens is the temperature of the chip rises to such high levels that you can effectively burn the chip.” According to Kazem, silicon processors operate reliably at junction temperatures of 194–212 degrees Fahrenheit (90–100 degrees Celsius). If they rise much higher than 248 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius), they burn. “The question comes down to, how can we cool them and keep them in that temperature range while spending as little energy as possible as we can,” he said. “So, there is a big push toward being able to use warm liquid for liquid cooling to cool this down.” Data centers currently support rack power requirements of about 20 kilowatts. Since the latest central processing units and graphics processing units have higher thermal density than previous generations, that requirement is projected to exceed 50 kilowatts in the future. But as high-performance AI computing becomes increasingly heat-intensive and energy-intensive, conventional air cooling—the traditional approach to heat management—cannot keep up. “When you go from air cooling to liquid cooling, you can save between 20 [percent] and 30 percent of the energy for the whole data center,” Kazem said. “The most important thing is the amount of energy they are required to use. So if you can reduce the energy required for cooling, that means that you can have a more sustainable data center.” Not only are air-cooling systems less effective at dissipating heat, but they also require more energy—sometimes more electricity than the servers themselves. And since water is up to 3,000 times more effective at heat transfer than air and uses less electricity, data center operators are exploring ways to switch to liquid. Operators have three liquid-cooling options for managing heat: rear-door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and immersion cooling. The first involves replacing the rear door of the IT equipment rack with a liquid heat exchanger. This option is used in tandem with air cooling. With direct-to-chip liquid cooling, cold plates are placed on the board’s heat-generating components to draw heat away with single-phase cold plates or two-phase evaporation units. This technology removes up to 75 percent of the heat produced within the racks, while the remaining heat is whisked away by air. In immersion cooling, servers and other components in the rack are submerged in a thermally conductive dielectric fluid. This system eliminates the need for air cooling and is the most energy-efficient of the three. According to recent market data, most existing data centers are currently air cooled, but liquid cooling is on the rise. A survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence of data center operators found that 45 percent use a fully air-cooled system, while 42 percent use a hybrid air-and-liquid-cooled system. Just 12 percent use liquid cooling only. However, when asked about their plans for the next five years, 59 percent of respondents said their organization expects to adopt liquid cooling.
Reducing Reliance on Diesel Power Generation for AI Data Centers -- At the PowerGen Conference in January in San Antonio, 573 exhibitors showed off their wares and did their best to connect their product specs to prospects. When I asked several people what was top-of-mind for their businesses, the universal answer was, “AI.” Many of the discussions focused on current and future uses of AI, but scant attention was paid to the issue of powering AI data centers themselves. I’ve been posting about the relationship between AI data centers and off-grid power, and the advantages on-site power generation offers, including grid independence and siting benefits. What always strikes me is that in the power generation game, nothing is free, including the subject rarely talked about at conferences like PowerGen: the environmental and social costs of AI data centers.Each ChatGPT query requires 2.9 watt-hours versus just 0.3 watt-hours for a traditional Google search—a tenfold increase in energy consumption. With demand surging, these facilities create a double environmental burden: harmful air emissions and significant noiseAs AI demand accelerates, hyper-scale data centers the size of small counties packed with power-hungry servers are proliferating around the country, and with them comes an air quality threat to the health of nearby communities. By 2028, the respiratory health consequences from data center emissions could cost up to $20 billion annually in the United States.To ensure 24/7 operation, data centers often deploy large fleets of diesel generators as backup power. While smaller facilities might use just a handful of generators, massive AI-focused projects require dozens—or even hundreds—of these pollution-producing machines. One proposed Maryland data center campus features plans to install 168 diesel generators capable of delivering 504 MW of power.These diesel behemoths, ranging from 1.5 MW to over 3 MW each, don’t sit idle waiting for emergencies. They’re turned on and tested monthly, and every time they start, a plume of toxic emissions enters the air. The health consequences are severe and well-documented. Diesel exhaust contains fine particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon dioxide (CO₂)—pollutants that degrade air quality, contribute to climate change, and pose serious health risks. When people inhale polluted air, particulates embed in their lungs and bloodstreams, causing heart and lung disease. Even short-term exposure can trigger breathing problems, particularly for those with existing respiratory conditions like asthma.From a greenhouse gas standpoint, training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars over their entire lifetimes. The International Energy Agency projects that approximately 2,700 data centers in the U.S. account for over 4% of the nation’s electricity use, a figure expected to rise to 6% in 2026. Goldman Sachs forecasts this will reach 8% by 2030—more than double current levels.Beyond air quality, diesel generators create substantial noise pollution. Large industrial diesel generators typically operate at 75-85 decibels (dB) at 23 feet—roughly equivalent to standing next to busy highway traffic. Some larger units can exceed 100 dB, comparable to a chainsaw or jackhammer. When data centers deploy dozens or hundreds of these units, the cumulative noise impact can be overwhelming.Chronic exposure to noise pollution can cause sleep deprivation, cardiovascular stress, cognitive impairment in children, mental health impacts including anxiety and depression, and reduced property values. For data centers that test generators monthly and run them during grid disruptions, the cumulative noise exposure for neighboring communities can be substantial.Communities near large data centers regularly experience respiratory issues and other health problems from this concentrated pollution. The social implications are clear: disadvantaged populations often bear the health burden while digital economy benefits flow elsewhere.
24-Mile Pipeline in Licking County, OH Planned to Feed Data Center - Marcellus Drilling News - - The Energy Cooperative (TEC) has proposed a 24-mile-long, 24-inch natural gas pipeline across Licking County, Ohio, stretching from Bennington Township to the New Albany International Business Park. Estimated at $150 million, the project is designed to supply energy to a specific, unnamed data center, which will fully fund the construction. (We think we’ve identified the “unnamed” data center, which we’ll do below.) While TEC maintains the pipeline will enhance system reliability and stabilize pressure for its 58,000 members, the project faces scrutiny from local landowners. Concerns involve the potential use of eminent domain and the environmental impact on agricultural land.
Enviros Seek to Ban Ohio Data Centers via Constitutional Amendment - Marcellus Drilling News -- A supposed “group of rural Ohioans” in Adams and Brown counties is seeking a constitutional amendment to ban data centers exceeding 25 megawatts, citing concerns over resource consumption and a lack of local control. The “rural Ohioans” argue these massive facilities drain electricity and water supplies while providing few permanent jobs, often facilitated by secretive non-disclosure agreements between tech companies and officials. After submitting initial signatures to the Ohio Attorney General, supporters must gather approximately 413,000 more by July to reach the November ballot. Because modern AI-driven facilities typically require over 200 megawatts of power, this amendment would effectively ban large-scale data center expansion across the state. In its reporting, the media left out an important part of the story.
PA Dems Tout “Virtual Power Plants” as Solution for Data Centers -- Marcellus Drilling News - Here’s a question: Do you want the government to be able to control your thermostat (turning it down in the winter, or up in the summer), controlling your water heater (making it cooler), or controlling your “smart” refrigerator (raising the ambient temp inside), or controlling other so-called smart appliances, bypassing *your* preferred settings? Would you like the government to be able to grab stored electricity from solar panels on your roof or from the battery in your charged-up EV during times of electric grid “stress”? That’s what Democrat members of the Pennsylvania state legislature want to do. It’s called a “virtual power plant,” and it’s being sold as a quick solution to power shortages without having to build new gas-fired power plants (or new windmills, solar farms, etc.). Creating a virtual power plant just takes a little software and a lot of apathy from citizens to make it work.
NEPA Landowner Sells Small Farm to Data Center for $17.8 Million -The tagline (remit) of Marcellus Drilling News is “Helping People & Businesses Profit from Northeast Shale Drilling.” Sometimes people can make money apart from leasing land and drilling. As we have pointed out many times, there is a direct connection between shale gas and the power generation market. Gas-fired power plants use (are HUGE customers for) natural gas extracted in the Marcellus and the Utica. AI data centers, which have burst on the scene over the past year or so, have an enormous appetite for electricity. Most of the electricity used to power data centers comes from gas-fired power plants, whether those plants are owned and operated by independent power operators, or (increasingly) owned and operated on-site by the data center itself. This is the story of one farmer in northeastern Pennsylvania who became a millionaire apart from shale drilling—by selling his small farm to a data center company.
Mason County, WV Data Center Project (Gas Powered) Sold to Nscale -- Marcellus Drilling News - In January, MDN reported that Fidelis New Energy and 8090 Industries together had launched a new company, American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPCorp), to develop the Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County, West Virginia (see Huge New Data Center Coming to Mason County, WV with 2 GW Gas Power). This 2,380-acre microgrid project provides behind-the-meter power for AI and hyperscale data centers, bypassing standard grid delays. Yesterday, AIPCorp announced it has sold itself to Nscale Global Holdings Limited, one of the fastest-growing hyperscalers in the world. Some of the details about the project’s gas-fired power plant changed in yesterday’s announcement. Nscale announced separately that it has secured its first customer for the Monarch Compute Campus: Microsoft
Egypt Valley Wildlife Area Could Become OH’s Biggest Fracking Site -- Marcellus Drilling News - An unidentified natural gas driller has applied to open over 8,300 additional acres of the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area for fracking, potentially making it Ohio’s largest fracking operation on public land. This request follows a January decision that already opened 4,400 acres of the 18,000-acre preserve, which is primarily used for conservation, hunting, and fishing. While the state’s Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) has historically favored industry requests despite significant public opposition, environmentalists and some Democratic lawmakers argue that the expansion exploits public resources and threatens local ecosystems. A public comment period remains open until April 27.
Tell your House Rep: Don’t speed up fracking our state parks!-- Cathy Cowan Becker, Save Ohio Parks - Yesterday the House Natural Resources Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 219, which purports to revise the law on oil and gas wells in Ohio. In reality, it’s 87 pages of favors for the oil and gas industry – starting with fracking of Ohio’s state parks and public lands. If SB 219 passes, every stage of the process to frack public lands would drastically speed up – putting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on tight deadlines to act quickly on fracking nominations, bids, leases, and permits. Tell your House Rep: Vote NO on Senate Bill 219. That’s not all. SB 219 also contains multiple provisions vetoed by Gov. DeWine when they were in the state budget bill. These include things like:
- Extending lease renewals to frack public lands from three to five years.
- Giving oil and gas companies more time to pay the state what they owe.
- Giving oil and gas companies. “surface use” of state land – meaning they could frack inside our parks.
Your quick action then helped get DeWine to veto these provisions from the budget bill – but now they are back in SB 219. Tell your House Rep: Vote NO on Senate Bill 219. As if all that is not enough, SB 219 would also curtail fracking regulations:
- ODNR would be required to expedite fracking permits up to 10 times per company per year.
- Oil and gas companies would no longer be required to get a road use agreement with local governments.
- Oil and gas companies would no longer need a special permit to put overweight trucks on the road.
Then there’s the provision requiring ODNR to prioritize plugging orphan or abandoned wells based on how close they are to frack waste injection wells – not how polluting or dangerous they are. Injection wells are known to leak into other nearby wells -- but that's a problem with injection wells, not orphan wells. SB 219 is a great deal for the oil and gas industry – and terrible for Ohio citizens. Tell your House Rep: Vote NO on Senate Bill 219. The links above will take you to a spreadsheet with the emails, phone numbers, and social media of all Ohio legislators. You can use that to contact your own House Representative in any of these ways. If you don't know who your House Representative is, you can:
- Enter your address here to find out: https://ohiohouse.gov/members/district-map
- Then go to the House Representatives Contact Information spreadsheet to find out how to reach them.
Below is a sample email you can send to your House Representative -- but don't forget to put it into your own words. Let them know why you care about Ohio's state parks and public lands. Tell a personal story if you have one. Our House Representatives will likely vote on Senate Bill 219 soon. We need to tell them to vote NO. Thank you for your tireless advocacy for Ohio state parks and public lands.
Infinity Natural Resources Stands Out - Infinity Natural Resources has amassed approximately 93,000 net surface acres with exposure to the core of the Utica Shale's volatile oil window in eastern Ohio and the emerging dry gas Utica Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania. The company's Marcellus Shale development overlays its deep dry gas Utica assets in Pennsylvania, providing highly economic stacked development inventory that leverages the same company-owned midstream infrastructure. As of December 31, 2024, Infinity Natural Resources had a total drilling inventory of 333 gross horizontal drilling locations, representing 4.6 million lateral feet and implying 19 years of inventory at its current drilling pace. Approximately 85% of the company's acreage is HBP, held by operations or held-by-storage, providing it with significant development flexibility.
- Infinity Natural Resources made its initial acquisition in southwestern Pennsylvania in March 2018.
- As of December 31, 2024, Infinity Natural Resources had drilled 47 wells and increased its operated horizontal well count from 2 to 131, with an additional two PDNP wells and seven DUCs.
- For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, Infinity Natural Resources had a net daily production of 25 Mboe/d (29% oil and 49% liquids).
- Since the end of the third quarter of 2024, Infinity Natural Resources has placed an additional seven operated Ohio Utica wells into sales, representing approximately 96,000 lateral feet.
- As of December 31, 2023, Infinity Natural Resources' total estimated proved reserves were 141,587 MBoe, with 48% proved developed and 22% oil, 18% NGLs and 60% natural gas.
17 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Mar 9 – 15 - - Marcellus Drilling News - The Marcellus/Utica region received a combined 17 new drilling permits last week, Mar. 9 – 15, down 4 from the 21 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 11 of the permits. Ohio issued 5. And, West Virginia issued 1 new permit last week. The drillers receiving new permits last week included: Arsenal Resources, BKV, CNX Resources, EOG Resources, Gulfport Energy, and Range Resources. Arsenal Resources | BKV/Banpu | Carroll County | CNX Resources | EOG Resources | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Marion County | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Westmoreland County | Wyoming County (PA)
Two Rivers, No Justice! It’s Time to Overturn the DRBC’s Frack Ban -- Marcellus Drilling News - Shale drilling in Wayne and Pike counties in the northeastern tip of Pennsylvania has been blocked since 2010 (16 looooong years), denying landowners in those counties the right to benefit from leasing and drilling on and under their land. Those counties (parts of them) are within the Delaware River Basin, and the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) implemented a moratorium in 2010 to block shale drilling. The moratorium became a full-blown, permanent ban on fracking in 2021. The DRBC added a prohibition on the disposal of oil and gas wastewater to the permanent ban in 2022. It’s time to overturn the ban. We have a petition for you to sign to show your support for overturning the ban.
Green Radicals Retreat on Enforcing NY State Climate Act Mandates -- Marcellus Drilling News - Governor Kathy Hochul warns that a recent court ruling requiring New York to meet strict 2030 greenhouse gas mandates could trigger a dramatic spike in energy costs. Justice Julian Schreibman ruled that state agencies must strictly adhere to the Climate Act’s deadlines, despite official concerns regarding feasibility. While state energy officials predict a “cap-and-invest” (better called a cap-and-tax) program could cost households thousands annually, environmental advocates are open to settling the case to avoid “draconian” economic impacts. To reach these goals affordably, Hochul is pushing to adjust emission accounting methods to a 100-year standard, extending the compliance timeline while maintaining the state’s commitment to clean energy
Iroquois Gas Asks FERC for Expedited Reissue of Constitution Link - Marcellus Drilling News - Just coming to light for us now is that Iroquois Gas Transmission System petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February to reissue authorization for the $152 million Wright Interconnect Project in New York State, aiming to revive a critical link for the previously canceled Constitution Pipeline. Originally approved in 2014, the project seeks to establish a new receipt interconnection and compression facilities at the Wright Compressor Station. By creating 650,000 dekatherms per day (650 MMcf/d) of transportation capacity, the initiative intends to alleviate persistent natural gas supply constraints in the Northeast and New England markets. If approved, the project targets a May 2028 in-service date, utilizing existing company-owned infrastructure to minimize environmental impacts.
Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity Must Grow 39% as LNG, Data Center Demand Surge, INGAA Says - North America needs nearly 40,000 miles of new natural gas pipeline and a 39% increase in transmission capacity to meet rising demand by 2052, part of a more than $1 trillion midstream buildout spanning natural gas, oil, natural gas liquids, hydrogen and carbon dioxide infrastructure, according to a new study.Bar chart titled “U.S., Canada Added NatGas Transmission Capacity Needed to Meet Demand” showing required additional natural gas pipeline capacity by study period from 2023–2027 through 2048–2052 under two scenarios. The Reference Case (blue) shows higher near-term needs around 16.5 Bcf/d in 2023–2027, declining to roughly 8 Bcf/d in 2038–2042 before rising again to about 10–10.5 Bcf/d by 2048–2052. The Low Carbon Scenario (green) shows about 10 Bcf/d needed in 2023–2027, falling to around 5 Bcf/d in 2028–2032, peaking near 16 Bcf/d in 2033–2037, then ranging from roughly 5–11 Bcf/d through 2052. Source: Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation. At A Glance:
LNG exports could triple by 2052
Study may understate capacity needs by 1.8x
2026 capacity additions exceed five-year target
Judge Tosses Premature Lawsuit to Block Iroquois CT Compressor - Marcellus Drilling News - - A Connecticut Superior Court judge told a Big Green puppet group, Save the Sound, along with the colluding Town of Brookfield, that their joint lawsuit to block a compressor station expansion was the equivalent of starting the parade before the band had arrived (our words). The two groups are trying to block a permit for a compressor station in the Town of Brookfield proposed by Iroquois Gas Transmission. The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has not yet issued a final permit for the project, so there’s nothing to object to. Yet. After DEEP issues the final permit, they can come back and try again.
President Trump Issues 60-Day Waiver of Jones Act, Includes LNG -- Marcellus Drilling News - -We lead with this story about a government regulatory action because of just how important we see this development. For *years* we have railed against the 106-year-old Jones Act and its requirement that any goods (like LNG) that are transported from one U.S. port to another be on a ship manufactured in the U.S., owned by a U.S. company, and crewed by a U.S. crew. The effect of this law in the modern age is to ban LNG (and other shipments, like gasoline, propane, coal, and other products manufactured in the U.S.) from being shipped cheaply from port to port. The U.S. foolishly allowed its ship manufacturing to slip away years ago to South Korea and other countries. We no longer make cargo carriers for LNG and other energy products. We haven’t made them in decades. Yesterday, President Trump signed a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, allowing certain goods (such as LNG, fertilizer, and coal) to be transported from U.S. port to U.S. port on foreign-owned, foreign-flagged and crewed ships.
What Does a 60-Day Suspension of the Jones Act Mean for U.S. LNG? As energy markets shift to adapt to extended supply disruptions in the Middle East, industry and economic experts are tempering expectations for a policy fix for rising fuel prices. U.S. Gulf Coast LNG netback prices chart showing 12-month strip as of March 19, 2026, with JKM, NBP, and TTF benchmarks, shipping costs, netbacks near $19–$20/MMBtu, Henry Hub around $3.13–$5.34/MMBtu, and margins up to $17/MMBtu. At A Glance:
Limited price relief expected for gas
Northeast LNG constraints unchanged
Algonquin winter strip signals tight market
VG Announces FID and Financial Close for “Phase 2” of CP2 LNG - Marcellus Drilling News - Last summer, Venture Global announced a final investment decision (FID) for “Phase 1” of its Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) LNG project (see Venture Global Makes FID to Build Massive Calcasieu Pass 2 LNG). Venture Global announced yesterday that it has now made an FID on Phase 2 of the CP2 project. When all is done, CP2 will be massive, with a peak production capacity of 29 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). The facility will use roughly 4.1 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of shale gas
U.S. LNG Development Pace Faces Stress Test as World Scrambles for New Supplies -The pace of new U.S. LNG capacity coming online in the years ahead is poised to slow as larger, complex projects advance in a crowded landscape, which could stagger the volume of supplies entering a global market upended by war in the Middle East. Global LNG export capacity is set to surge through the late 2020s, led by strong growth in U.S. projects. At A Glance:
More stickbuilt projects advancing
Industry faces supply chain, labor constraints
Four or five year construction timelines expected
Plaquemines Can Export Higher LNG Volumes to NFTA Countries After Long-Awaited DOE Order - Federal regulators have authorized Venture Global Inc. to export more LNG from its Plaquemines terminal in Louisiana to more end-users across the world. At A Glance:
- 3.85 Bcf/d authorized
- Another request pending to boost output further
- Third phase also under development
LNG Buildout Must Continue to Match Growing Demand Through 2050, Shell Says -- Even after record investments across the industry in recent years, more LNG export capacity will need to be built across the world in the 2030s and 2040s to keep pace with even the lowest demand forecasts, according to Shell plc’s latest market analysis. Global LNG supply versus demand forecast chart showing widening gap through 2050, with demand projected near 700 Mt/y by 2025 and beyond, while LNG supply in operation and under construction trails, indicating potential 150 Mt/y shortfall. At A Glance:
Demand seen growing by up to 85%
New supply needed to offset natural declines
LNG Shell’s biggest contribution to energy transition
Western Gas Basins Pitch Untapped Potential Amid Surge in Asian LNG Demand - NGI daily natural gas prices chart comparing Henry Hub and Rocky Mountains regional average, showing stable prices near $2–$4/MMBtu through 2025 and a sharp spike above $30/MMBtu at Henry Hub and $15/MMBtu in the Rockies in early 2026.As Asian allies and investors hone in on U.S. natural gas assets for increased supply opportunities, producers and local governments in the West believe basins in the Rockies are ready to show off their untapped potential. At A Glance:
Japan’s Jera Eyes $2B Investment in Hawaiian Power and LNG Infrastructure -- Jera Co. Inc., one of the world’s largest LNG buyers, has presented a $2 billion plan to develop LNG imports and power generation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. U.S. retail power prices vary widely by region, with Hawaii leading at about $430/MWh—more than three times the national average of $129/MWh—highlighting stark cost disparities across states. At A Glance:
Jera plans major Hawaii energy investment
LNG imports support new power capacity
500 MW facility anchors electricity supply
NFE Avoids Bankruptcy in Restructuring Deal to Split Company - New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE) has reached a deal with its creditors to restructure under an agreement that would split the company into two separate businesses.Table of Latin America DES LNG prices as of March 19, 2026, showing April, May, and June price benchmarks in $/MMBtu for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico East and West, and Panama, with month-over-month price changes across key regional import terminals.
At A Glance:
Brazilian assets to be spun off
Agreement wipes out 90% of debt
LNG-to-power assets to trade publicly
KMI Files for Texas Access Project, Taps Woodside as 1 Bcf/d Natural Gas Anchor Shipper - Woodside Energy Group Ltd. has emerged as the anchor customer behind Kinder Morgan Inc.'s (KMI) Texas Access Project (TAP), a natural gas pipeline linking East Texas supply to the southwest Louisiana LNG corridor, according to a FERC application. Map of Kinder Morgan’s Texas Access Project natural gas pipeline connecting the Trident Interstate Pipeline in Texas to the Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline near Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, expanding Gulf Coast gas supply to LNG export facilities. At A Glance:
20-year Woodside contract underpins project
FERC approval sought by February 2027
Pipeline full in-service targets April 2028
North Dakota Output Drop, Permian Pipeline Constraints Lift U.S. Gas Futures - U.S. natural gas futures rose as freezing conditions in North Dakota cut output, while ongoing pipeline constraints in the Permian Basin continue to trap supply and pressure regional markets. (Reuters) — U.S. natural gas futures edged up about 2% on March 17 on a drop in output over the past few days, likely due to freezing pipes in North Dakota. Front-month gas futures for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 5.3 cents, or 1.8%, to $3.076 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). That price increase came despite forecasts for milder weather and lower heating demand over the next couple of weeks that should allow energy firms to take the unusual step of injecting gas into storage during the normal winter heating season in March. RELATED: Permian Pipeline Constraints Push Waha Gas Prices Negative for 25th Straight Day In the U.S. cash market, average prices at the Waha Hub in West Texas remained in negative territory for a record 28 days in a row as pipeline constraints trapped gas in the Permian, the nation's biggest oil-producing shale basin. Average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states rose to 109.9 billion cubic feet per day so far in March, up from 109.2 billion cubic feet per day in February, according to data from financial firm LSEG. That compares with a monthly record high of 110.6 billion cubic feet per day in December 2025. On a daily basis, however, output was on track to drop by 3.2 billion cubic feet per day over the past four days to a preliminary six-week low of 107.5 billion cubic feet per day on March 17, due primarily to reductions in North Dakota, according to LSEG data. Preliminary data is often revised later in the day. That reduction was likely due to freezing pipes and wells with overnight lows in Bismarck, North Dakota, falling to minus six Fahrenheit (minus 21 Celsius) on March 16, according to AccuWeather. Those pipes will likely thaw soon with high temperatures expected to reach the 70s F in Bismarck on Thursday and Friday, according to the weather forecaster's projections. Meteorologists forecast heating demand would remain low across most of the country through April 1, but noted extreme heat in some parts of the country, like California, would boost demand for gas to fuel power generators needed to keep air conditioners humming. High temperatures in Los Angeles will reach record-breaking levels near 99 F on March 17, Wednesday and Thursday, according to AccuWeather. That compares with average highs of around 70 F in the City of Angels at this time of year. In the U.S. Northeast and Michigan, meanwhile, around 420,000 homes and businesses were still without power following a series of storms that have battered the region since late last week. Those outages reduce the amount of gas power generators need to burn to produce electricity. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would drop from 122.8 billion cubic feet per day this week to 114.1 billion cubic feet per day next. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on March 16. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants slid to 18.5 billion cubic feet per day so far in March, down from a record 18.7 billion cubic feet per day in February.
South Texas Gas Hub Sees Pricing Boost Amid Iran War –- Natural gas prices at Agua Dulce in South Texas have strengthened while narrowing their discount to Henry Hub since conflict began in the Middle East. NGI Agua Dulce daily natural gas price chart showing relatively stable pricing near $2–$3/MMBtu through 2025, with a sharp spike above $14/MMBtu in early 2026, reflecting Gulf Coast demand swings, LNG feed gas demand, and market volatility. At A Glance:
Discount narrows versus Henry Hub
Next winter strip nears $4
Corpus Christi LNG expansion boosts pull
Late-Winter U.S. Cold Meets Falling LNG Demand in Europe, Asia -While parts of the United States dip back into a late-winter freeze, natural gas demand in key LNG buying regions is expected to fall further ahead of the coming spring. Charts showing trailing 365-day mean temperatures for Northwest Europe, Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo compared with normal levels, illustrating weather trends influencing regional natural gas and LNG demand. At A Glance:
Global gas balances remain tight despite warmth
LNG exports trend slightly higher this week
Gulf Coast conditions favor strong liquefaction
Two Sides of the Coin – U.S. E&Ps Increasingly See LNG as Way to Get a Piece of the Arbitrage Pie | RBN Energy - Ever since U.S. LNG exports commenced in 2016 from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass facility, upstream gas producers have carefully followed price differentials between Henry Hub and the prices at which LNG can be sold in other markets, notably Asia and Europe. Initially, opportunities for shippers to realize a significant arbitrage were limited, as a high proportion of U.S.-produced LNG was lifted by Asian utility players to meet their baseload supply requirements rather than traded in the burgeoning spot market. Things changed dramatically in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which not only led to the demise of Russian pipeline gas supplies to Europe and caused prices to spike, but also created new arbitrage opportunities for LNG shippers. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the different approaches that the “natural born drillers” in the U.S. upstream have adopted in response, each of which has a different risk/reward profile.Gas prices at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF; green line in Figure 1 below) jumped to unprecedented levels after the Ukraine invasion, undoubtedly amplified by the fact that Russia’s state-owned Gazprom had depleted its holdings of gas in European Union (EU) storage, adding to fears of a major supply shortage. (In the year before the invasion, Russian supplies met nearly 40% of EU gas demand; see You Don’t Own Me.) That fear inevitably spilled over to other gas markets, notably Asia, causing prices — based on the JKM index (orange line) to spike — increasing the premium to the Henry Hub price in the U.S. (blue line).This not only reflected the fact that LNG markets had to increasingly compete for marginal supply but also the ability of destination-flexible U.S. cargoes to be delivered to the highest-paying market. With that change, U.S. upstream E&P companies, who had frequently been dealing with deeply discounting gas prices, began to get serious about finding a way to capture a piece of the arbitrage pie. Given the turbulent situation in the Middle East, and the fact that Qatar halted LNG production on March 2 after Iran struck two of its facilities in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, the kind of volatility that stimulated the trend initially, including an upturn in prices (right end of Figure 1), has become more pronounced. The simplest approach to allow producers to get in on the action, championed by LNG producer and seller Cheniere, is the Integrated Production and Marketing (IPM) contract structure. In its IPM deal with ARC Resources, for example, Cheniere agreed to purchase 140,000 MMBtu/d (about 138 MMcf/d) of natural gas over 15 years for its Sabine Pass facility, with the price of the gas based upon the Dutch TTF price, after deductions for a fixed regasification fee, fixed LNG shipping costs and a fixed liquefaction fee, including a margin. It’s effectively a netback contract. (In a netback contract, the seller’s net price for LNG is calculated by using the downstream market price and deducting agreed costs.) Cheniere also has an IPM deal with EOG Resources, in which the gas price is based on a netback from Asia’s JKM spot market index, and similar deals with APA, Tourmaline and Canadian Natural Resources. This is attractive to an LNG project developer, as the agreement not only provides part of its gas supply on a long-term basis but also allows the developer to lock in a margin by passing along any TTF price risk to the upstream producer. The upstream producer, in turn, obtains price diversification and potential upside when prices spike or markets tighten. The high liquidity of the TTF and Henry Hub futures markets also presents upstream suppliers with the ability to lock in a profit when the curves are suitably aligned. Other E&P companies have taken things further by teaming up with established midstream LNG players:
- Chesapeake Energy (now Expand Energy) agreed to purchase 0.5 million tons per annum (MMtpa; 0.07 Bcf/d) of LNG from Delfin LNG. The project, planned for offshore Louisiana, is currently approaching a final investment decision (FID). The LNG would be sold FOB (free-on-board) to trader Gunvor under a JKM-price-linked deal. (FOB means that ownership changes hands when it’s loaded onto the ship.) Gunvor itself will purchase 2 MMtpa (0.26 Bcf/d) from the Delfin project.
- Devon Energy has agreed to supply U.K. trader Centrica with gas equivalent to five LNG cargoes per year starting in 2028, with LNG likely to be sourced from the Delfin project, from which Centrica has a FOB contract for 15 years for 1 MMtpa (0.13 Bcf/d) of LNG.
- EOG has signed a deal with Vitol for pipeline gas supply of 180,000 MMBtu (equivalent to 1.25 MMtpa, or 0.16 Bcf/d), with 140,000 MMBtu priced on a Brent-linked formula and the remainder on a mixture of Brent or Gulf Coast gas prices for a 10-year period from 2027. As Vitol has also signed with Delfin for offtake of 1 MMtpa (0.13 Bcf/d) for 20 years, this is the likely processing facility to which the gas will be delivered.
Ovintiv has taken things one step further by taking liquefaction capacity at the Cedar LNG project under development in British Columbia. Ovintiv has booked 0.5 MMtpa (0.07 Bcf/d) of LNG production capacity for 12 years, with production from Cedar LNG projected to commence in late 2028.However, the prize for greatest involvement in LNG goes unequivocally to EQT Corp., which produces about 6% of U.S. natural gas. In the past two years, EQT has taken 2 MMtpa (0.26 Bcf/d) of capacity in Texas LNG, currently under development by Glenfarne; agreed to purchase 2 MMtpa (0.26 Bcf/d) from Sempra’s Port Arthur expansion project; 1.5 MMtpa (0.2 Bcf/d) from NextDecade’s Train 5 expansion at Rio Grande LNG; and 1 MMtpa (0.13 Bcf/d) on FOB terms from Commonwealth LNG. All contracts are 20 years duration, and EQT intends to ship its U.S. volumes to end users worldwide. EQT’s first LNG under these deals is expected in late 2028 or early 2029. EQT’s initiative is taking place at a time when market pundits are sounding alarms about U.S. LNG exports getting squeezed due to increasing U.S. natural gas costs and risk of a global LNG supply glut from 2027 onward, impacting prices in downstream markets. This is compounded by the risk of increasing U.S. gas demand for power generation, pushing Henry Hub prices to levels that could have a major impact on LNG trading margins and profitability. But while the prospect of global oversupply and tightening margins can be reasonably questioned, as we explained in Float On, we think it’s unlikely we’ll see material U.S. cargo cancellations. Although these assessments are plausible — we will have to wait and see — they do not take into consideration the optionality that LNG exports and sales provide to those willing to take the plunge. Consider an E&P company contemplating its production and market planning up to a year ahead. If the company is a pure upstream E&P play, then the commercial options that exist include the following:
- Drill more (or fewer) wells.
- Complete drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells or build DUC count to create a reserve of latent supply.
- Perform more (or fewer) workovers.
- Meet gas sales obligations via third-party purchases rather than one’s own production. (This is rarely viable due to supply-source commitments.)
- Inject (or withdraw) more gas into/from storage.
- Produce from (or shut in) existing wells.
However, if the company has the ability to export LNG, a number of downstream options are also available, each with their own economic implications, in addition to producing and selling LNG on a delivered (DES) basis. These include:
- Sell cargoes on a FOB basis (like EQT).
- If a buyer (a producer in this scenario) has its own shipping, it can sublet its ships.
- Sell the cargo in a product-plus-shipping deal.
- Perform a FOB/DES sale, whereby the cargo is sold to and shipped by a third party who redelivers and resells the cargo to the original seller at the agreed destination. In doing so, the seller avoids the need to charter a ship.
- Load a cargo on one’s ship and store it for several weeks. (Reliquefaction units on modern LNG carriers minimize boil-off.)
- Offer to produce a cargo for another upstream player and deliver it to that company FOB.
- Lock in a spread between U.S. and international gas markets, for example by buying Henry Hub futures and selling TTF futures for a sale and delivery to Europe.
- Generate and manage exposure across the Henry Hub, TTF, JKM and Brent markets, backed up/reinforced by the ability to deliver the physical product. Having physical control of the product allows a player to cash out a hedge at a profit and send the cargo to an alternative destination offering a better price. This is called a hedged diversion and can be very profitable.
- Divert cargoes to take advantage of near-term price movements. This is increasingly commonplace.
- Swap lifting dates (and possibly sources) with other offtakers of U.S. LNG to better match purchase and sale obligations, and to optimize shipping costs.
While the strategies employed will be highly dependent on the individual company and their goals, the list above indicates the breadth of options potentially on the table. All of these options have different financial consequences — what matters to the E&P company is that it has multiple means of placing its gas in the market, and LNG expands the choices available. These options come at the cost of liquefaction fees, currently in the range of $2.50-$2.90/MMBtu which will apply over 10-20 years, together with the charter-party costs of a dedicated fleet of ships (~$80,000/d for long-term charter), although the latter can be reduced through chartering out ships in the typically liquid LNG carrier market.
Crude Price Surge Outpaces Ethane, Propane and Other NGLs | RBN Energy --As shown in the graph below, crude oil prices have surged since early February, climbing roughly 60% as the war involving Iran injected a sizable risk premium into global oil markets. The gray line representing WTI moves sharply higher after the start of March. The green line (heavy NGLs — normal butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline) rises as well, but only to about the 40–45% range, capturing part — but not all — of crude’s rally. The blue line (propane) shows a more modest gain of roughly 20%. Ethane, shown in orange, stands out most clearly: despite the surge in crude prices, ethane prices remain essentially flat over the period and even spent much of February in negative territory relative to the Feb. 1 starting point. The separation among the lines in the graph reflects the different fundamentals driving each product. Heavier NGLs maintain some linkage to crude because they compete with petroleum-derived blendstocks in gasoline blending and petrochemical markets, which helps explain why the green line moves upward along with crude, though less dramatically. Propane participates in global LPG trade and therefore responds somewhat to higher oil prices, but ample supply and seasonal demand patterns have limited the increase, keeping the blue line well below crude. Ethane behaves differently. Ethane pricing in the U.S. tracks natural gas fundamentals and petrochemical demand far more closely than crude oil. Over this same six-week period natural gas prices slipped slightly, which helps explain why the orange line in the graph shows almost no sustained increase. The result is a widening gap between crude and the lighter end of the NGL barrel, illustrating how the oil market’s war-driven price spike has transmitted only weakly into NGL markets - so far!
750 Barrels of Crude Oil Spilled Near Grand Isle as Unified Command Leads Response Effort - A Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) and the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), continues its recovery and cleanup efforts in the Gulf and surrounding barrier islands. The response follows a crude oil discharge reported near the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port on February 26, 2026. The Unified Command was officially established on February 27, 2026, to manage the spill’s environmental impact. Multiple contractors have been engaged to assist in the cleanup effort. As of March 7, 2026, the response effort includes: ·
- · Approximately 464 responders
- · 60 vessels engaged in cleanup activities
- · Aerial surveillance support from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and drones
- · 28,300 feet of protective and collection boom deployed to mitigate environmental impacts
An estimated 31,500 gallons (750 barrels) of crude oil was discharged, of which an estimated 27,888 gallons (664 barrels) have been recovered. The source of the discharge has been secured. Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries and U.S. Fish & Wildlife are monitoring affected birds. Responders are on scene to conduct further environmental impact assessments. The original announcement can be found here.
Rose City Resources blamed for oil spill at Lone Star Lake, Texas officials report -- Drilling fluids containing oil have contaminated Ellison Creek Reservoir, also known as Lone Star Lake. The contamination comes after a spill from an oil well operation, according to the Texas Railroad Commission. The commission said Rose City Resources is responsible for the unpermitted disposal of oil and gas waste. The operator is responsible for the cleanup, and the Railroad Commission is overseeing the response. Local officials and state inspectors conducted an on-site inspection of the lake this week. And after more than three hours reviewing conditions along the shoreline, officials are urging that cleanup efforts be prioritized near Cook Circle after determining additional attention is needed there.The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the affected areas is encouraged to call the Morris County Sheriff's Office
Enbridge paid police to protect one pipeline. Now it wants to do it again in Wisconsin. - The Canadian oil pipeline giant Enbridge will pay Wisconsin law enforcement for riot suits, training, and hours spent policing protests, according to an agreement approved by two counties last week. The secretive arrangement offers an uncapped funding source to local sheriffs as the company prepares for disruptive, Indigenous-led resistance to the controversial Line 5 reroute.Last Tuesday, Enbridge began construction on a 41-mile segment of Line 5, which carries around 540,000 barrels of oil and natural gas liquids daily from a transfer point in Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The pipeline is designed to send fossil fuels from Canada’s tar sands region and the Bakken fracking fields to U.S. refineries before shipping much of the refined products back into Canada. The proposed reroute comes after the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa fought for years to force Enbridge to shut down an existing 12-mile segment of the pipeline that passes through the tribe’s reservation. After several of the pipeline’s easements expired in 2013, the Bad River Band declined to renew them over concerns about a potential oil spill. Enbridge continued operating, and in 2023, a federal judge ruled that the company was illegally trespassing and ordered it to shut down the reservation segment by June 2026. Enbridge appealed, and last Friday, the same judge that issued the trespass decision lifted the June deadline until the appeal is resolved. Bad River’s leaders want the pipeline stopped altogether, arguing that the reroute would surround the reservation and threaten the tribe’s treaty-protected watershed and wild rice beds. Tribal nations have also joined the state of Michigan in demanding that a separate section of corroding Line 5 pipeline be shut down under the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. However, under President Donald Trump, the federal government has repeatedly weighed in in favor of keeping Line 5 oil flowing. Shortly after taking office, Trump declared a national energy emergency to speed up the development of fossil fuel projects. Under this directive, the Army Corps of Engineers expedited a permit last spring to build a tunnel for Line 5 under the straits. The move prompted several tribal nations in the region to withdraw from pipeline talks in protest.Anticipating significant public pushback against the reroute construction, Enbridge and the Wisconsin Counties Association negotiated the Public Safety Expense Reimbursement Agreement. The agreement is designed specifically to address the cost of potential protests, allowing police and public safety agencies along Line 5 to submit invoices for an array of expenses. Eligible costs include daily patrols of the construction area, crowd control, police coordination with Enbridge, education programs, and Enbridge trainings on “human trafficking and cultural awareness” — an attempt to thwart transient construction workers who use trafficked women for sex. Firearms, tasers, K-9 units, and recording devices will not be reimbursed. An account manager appointed by the Wisconsin Counties Association will review the reimbursement requests before Enbridge pays the police via an escrow account. At Ashland County’s Board of Supervisors meeting last week, about a dozen people spoke out against the account. Riley Clave, a community member, told the board the agreement “would be turning our public service into private security.” Another commenter, Soren Bvennehe, called the agreement “a blatant conflict of interest,” arguing that paying the sheriff’s office incentivizes preferential treatment for the company.Wenipashtaabe Gokee, a citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, raised concerns about the disproportionate policing of Indigenous people in the area. She noted that the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, which would be tasked with policing Indigenous-led protests against Line 5, already has a presence on the Bad River Reservation — in 2017, her 14-year-old nephew, Jason Pero, was killed by an Ashland County sheriff’s deputy in front of his home. “We’re already targeted,” Gokee said during the hearing. She also pointed to a 2019 state law making it a felony to trespass on the property of oil pipeline companies, part of a wave of anti-protest legislation passed nationwide following the 2016 Dakota Access pipeline protests.
Oil flows again off California coast as Sable pipeline reopens - After nearly a decade of shutdown, oil is once again moving through a controversial pipeline along California's Santa Barbara County coast. The restart marks a major turning point for a project long tied to one of the state's worst recent oil spills, and it has reopened a fierce fight between federal officials, California leaders, and environmental groups. The pipeline is part of a larger network known as the Santa Ynez Unit. The system includes three offshore oil platforms, subsea pipelines, and an onshore processing plant at Las Flores Canyon. Together, they carry oil from wells located about 5 to 9 miles offshore to refineries on land. Before it shut down, the system was a significant producer. It once supported more than 100 wells and generated tens of thousands of barrels of oil each day. Today, Sable Offshore Corp., a Texas-based company, owns the operation after buying it from ExxonMobil in 2024. If fully restarted, the project could again produce roughly 45,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil per day, according to company estimates and federal officials. The Sable Offshore pipeline is a connected system that runs both offshore and on land along California's Central Coast, mainly in Santa Barbara County. The system begins in the Pacific Ocean at three oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel that sit about 5 to 9 miles offshore. Oil produced there is sent through subsea pipelines to the coast. Once it reaches land, it enters pipelines that come ashore along the Gaviota Coast, pass near places like Las Flores Canyon, where oil is processed, then continue inland across Santa Barbara County and beyond, and eventually connect toward facilities in Kern County. The full system runs more than 120 miles. The pipeline has been idle since May 2015, when a rupture near Refugio State Beach sent more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil spilling onto the coast. Oil spread across miles of shoreline, polluting beaches and harming wildlife. Some estimates say the spill affected over 100 miles of coastline and forced closures of fisheries and beaches. Investigators later found the cause: severe external corrosion that the pipeline's safety system failed to prevent. The incident shut down the entire offshore operation. It also led to criminal charges against the pipeline's former owner and triggered years of stricter oversight, legal battles, and public opposition. Restarting the pipeline has taken nearly ten years. During that time, regulators required extensive repairs and new safety measures. Sable says it has addressed corrosion problems by increasing inspections and repair work along the 124-mile pipeline. The company has also added new safety systems, including dozens of emergency shutoff devices and continuous leak detection. Even so, critics remain skeptical. Federal regulators previously identified at least 92 corrosion "anomalies" along the line. Local officials and environmental groups have repeatedly tried to block the restart. Santa Barbara County denied permits, citing safety concerns and a history of violations. The California Coastal Commission also fined the company millions of dollars for work it said was done without proper approval. At the same time, Sable pushed for federal oversight to bypass state-level resistance, setting the stage for a larger political clash. The restart followed direct action from the federal government. In March 2026, the Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act, a law that allows the government to direct private industry during national emergencies. Officials argued that boosting domestic oil supply was necessary due to rising global tensions and the war with Iran. The order allowed Sable to resume operations despite ongoing legal disputes in California. Oil began flowing again through the pipeline for the first time since the 2015 spill. Federal officials say the project could help stabilize fuel supplies for the West Coast, including military operations. But California leaders strongly disagree. Governor Gavin Newsom and other state officials argue the move ignores state authority and environmental law. Lawsuits are ongoing.The pipeline's return has quickly become one of the most heated energy disputes in the country. Supporters say the restart strengthens U.S. energy security and makes use of existing infrastructure instead of relying on imports. They also point to upgraded safety systems and stricter monitoring.Opponents see it very differently. They argue that the same pipeline that failed in 2015 still poses a risk, especially along a sensitive stretch of coastline known for its wildlife and tourism.Environmental groups warn that even with improvements, aging infrastructure and offshore drilling carry unavoidable dangers.Some also question whether the project will meaningfully affect oil prices, given its relatively modest output compared to global markets.
INGAA Report Sees Canada’s Natural Gas Exports Surging as Domestic Demand Gets Slashed -Canada’s natural gas sector is increasingly pivoting away from domestic consumption toward export markets, with pipeline flows to the United States and LNG shipments expected to drive long-term demand growth, according to a report issued by the Interstate Natural Gas Association’s (INGAA) research arm. Canada natural gas consumption by sector chart showing growth in LNG exports, industrial demand, pipeline exports to U.S., hydrogen and ammonia production through 2050 in Bcf. At A Glance:
Pipeline exports to U.S. rise 47%
Report ranks U.S. demand above LNG
Canada’s LNG capacity could exceed estimates
Study Signals $1 Trillion Pipeline Buildout Needed Across U.S., Canada by 2052 -- A new study outlines massive pipeline expansion needs across North America, signaling a trillion-dollar buildout to meet future energy demand and infrastructure gaps. (P&GJ) — A new analysis highlights the scale of pipeline infrastructure required across North America, estimating roughly $1 trillion in investment will be needed through 2052 to support growing energy demand, as reported by Forbes. The study, conducted by the INGAA Foundation in collaboration with the University of Houston and industry partners, evaluates long-term pipeline requirements across multiple fuel types, including natural gas, crude oil, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and natural gas liquids. According to the findings, North America will require tens of thousands of miles of additional pipeline capacity to meet future demand. This includes at least 37,000 miles of new natural gas transmission pipelines, along with approximately 103,000 miles of gathering lines to connect upstream production with processing and long-haul systems. The report models two scenarios — one based on current policy frameworks and another assuming more aggressive emissions reduction efforts — both of which point to significant infrastructure expansion needs. Annual capital requirements are estimated at roughly $40 billion to $48 billion over the next 25 years. Beyond infrastructure, the study also projects substantial economic impact, with millions of jobs tied to pipeline construction and related activity over the coming decades. As reported by Forbes, the findings reinforce ongoing concerns that without sufficient investment and permitting reform, North America could face challenges in moving energy supplies from production regions to key demand centers.In 2025, midstream activity showed renewed momentum, with natural gas infrastructure leading development as operators worked to relieve bottlenecks and support growing LNG export demand.. While large-scale crude oil pipeline projects remained limited, several major natural gas pipelines were under construction or nearing completion, particularly in the Permian and Haynesville basins. These regions continued to anchor U.S. pipeline expansion due to their proximity to Gulf Coast LNG markets. Among the most notable projects, the 3.5 billion cubic feet per day Black Fin pipeline and the 1.8 billion cubic feet per day Louisiana Energy Gateway were expected to enter service in the fourth quarter, adding significant takeaway capacity tied to export demand. Additional growth was projected from the Permian Basin, where the Matterhorn Express pipeline was set to deliver 2.5 billion cubic feet per day of new capacity to the Gulf Coast, helping ease constraints driven by rising associated gas production. In the Haynesville, new gathering and transmission systems were also advancing to connect supply with LNG facilities in Louisiana. Momentum Midstream’s NG3 project, including roughly 275 miles of pipeline, was designed to transport up to 2.2 billion cubic feet per day to coastal demand centers. Despite the positive outlook at the time, permitting challenges and legal risks remained key hurdles, particularly in regions with strong environmental opposition. Even then, LNG export growth was viewed as the primary driver behind continued pipeline development.
Woodfibre Lands Major Module as Canada’s Next LNG Export Project Advances The next Canadian LNG project anticipated to increase exports to Asia is entering a key development phase after the arrival of a liquefaction module to British Columbia (BC). At A Glance:
- Project moves closer to 2027 startup
- BC projects target growing Asian demand
- LNG Canada exports dip after operational event
Eni Eyes Venezuela Natural Gas Exports as Perla Pact Opens LNG Path -- Italy’s Eni SpA is eyeing natural gas exports from Venezuela now that the country is opening again to foreign investment. At A Glance:
- Perla field holds 17 Tcf
- New laws court foreign capital
- Floating LNG enters export discussion
LNG Seen Driving 25% of Canadian Gas Output by 2050 Amid Production Surge - The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) sees a shift to export markets for its growing natural gas production, with up to 25% of domestic molecules destined for global LNG trade by 2050. Line chart of Canadian natural gas production by scenario from 2020 to 2050, showing output in Bcf/d under lower, current measures, higher, and net-zero cases, with production rising to about 32 Bcf/d in the high case and declining after 2035 in the net-zero scenario. At A Glance:
Montney cements dominance by 2050
BC grabs top producer crown
LNG absorbs Canada’s growth molecules
Asian LNG Prices Outpacing European Gains as War Begins to Fully Strain Global Natural Gas Market - Asian demand for spot LNG cargoes is growing, particularly among buyers without alternative fuel sources that are increasingly seeking out prompt cargoes to shore up energy security as the conflict in the Middle East enters its third week. At A Glance:
- JKM-TTF spread narrowing
- Asian spot buying increasing
- More vessels diverted from Europe
Israel Strikes World’s Largest Natural Gas Field in Iran - Israel bombed facilities at the South Pars natural gas field in Iran. The world’s largest natural gas field is under the Persian Gulf and is split between Iran and Qatar.On Wednesday, strikes hit facilities in Iran’s Bushehr province tied to the gas field. Following the attack, Israeli officials told Axios that the operation was conducted in coordination and with the approval of the White House.A source speaking with the AP claimed that while Washington was aware Tel Aviv planned to strike the gas field, the US did not participate or give its approval.According to Iranian media, the strikes sparked a fire that emergency crews are working to extinguish. The Iranian military said it would respond to the attack by striking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.“These centres have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay,” Iran’s IRGC explained in a statement.Tehran’s threat caused a spike in global oil prices, with Brent Crude up five percent.While the White House has avoided targeting Iranian energy sites in previous operations, Israel bombed oil facilities near Tehran earlier this month. Axios reported that those strikes angered Washington. The White House may have sought to avoid strikes on Iranian energy facilities because Tehran is likely to respond by attacking oil infrastructure in Gulf Arab countries allied with the US.Following the attack, Baghdad announced a pause in gas flows from Iran to Iraq. Ahmed Moussa, the spokesman for Iraq’s Electricity Ministry, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “due to regional developments, Iranian gas supplies to Iraq completely halted an hour ago.” The spokesman added that this would result in a cut of about 3,100 megawatts of power, which he said would “certainly affect the grid.”
Qatar Evacuates Ras Laffan After Attack Linked to South Pars Incident - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers North America LNG export flow tracker showing daily U.S. LNG feed gas volumes in million Dth from March 9–18, 2026, with detailed facility-level deliveries, capacity utilization rates, and total export volumes mapped across major terminals including Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi, and Plaquemines.
- 42.4-45.9 Bcf/d: QatarEnergy has evacuated its Ras Laffan LNG terminal after confirmed missile strikes around the facility. The attacks came in response to targeted bombings in one of the region's largest natural gas fields. Earlier in the day, Iranian state-media reported damage to several key facilities in the South Pars field, which is separated into the North Dome field in Qatar’s maritime territory. Both fields have an average combined production of 42.4-45.9 Bcf/d, according to data from state oil companies.
- 695,000 MMBtu/d: Feed gas nominations to U.S. LNG terminals have pared from near-record highs last week after pipeline maintenance on the Creole Trail system and an outage at Freeport LNG Monday night. Work on the Creole Trail Pipeline, expected to last through Thursday, has cut around 695,000 MMBtu/d in flows to Sabine Pass LNG, according to an estimate from Wood Mackenzie. Combined with the brief outage at Freeport, LNG nominations averaged 19.3 Bcf/d over the last seven days. Nominations are still up roughly 3.4 Bcf/d over the same period a year ago.
- 2.86 Mt: U.S. LNG exports are anticipated to hit an all-time weekly high the week of March 16 as more Gulf Coast export capacity comes online. Volumes from the country are expected to hit 2.86 million tons (Mt) during the period, a 0.22 Mt increase over last week, according to Kpler predictive data. The week/week boost is driven by both Asian and European buyers, with volumes to both markets expected to grow week/week.
- 22.5 Mt/y: Eni SpA plans to significantly expand LNG supply to Asia before the end of the decade after sanctioning two massive natural gas production projects in Indonesia. The Italian firm reached final investment decisions for the Gendalo and Gandang gas project and the Geng North and Gehem fields, respectively dubbed the South Hub and North Hub. Both assets are anticipated to have reserves of 10 Tcf and reach a production plateau of 2 Bcf/d by 2029. Using the additional supply, Eni and partner Petronas also plan to reactivate a train at Bontang LNG that’s been idle for six years. Bontang LNG has a nameplate capacity of 22.5 Mt/y but exported 2.55 Mt last year, according to Kpler data.
Qatar Battles Blaze at Ras Laffan Industrial Complex After Iranian Attacks Further Jeopardizing LNG Infrastructure - QatarEnergy said Wednesday that Iran again attacked its Ras Laffan Industrial City, causing what it said was “extensive damage” to the massive hub of its natural gas infrastructure. At A Glance:
- Significant damage reported
- Attack could prolong LNG outage
- No fatalities reported
Iran attack on Qatar causes 'extensive damage' to massive energy hub - Qatar said Wednesday that Iranian missiles caused “extensive damage” at Ras Laffan Industrial City, home to the largest liquefied natural gas, or LNG, export facility in the world. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry denounced the attack as a “dangerous escalation, flagrant violation of state sovereignty, and a direct threat to its national security and regional stability.” Qatar reserves the right to respond in accordance with the right to self-defense guaranteed under international law, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Brent crude prices, the international benchmark, surged more than 7% to $111.23 by 4:52 p.m. ET. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up about 4% at $100.04. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had threatened to attack energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after Israel bombed a natural gas processing facility in Iran. Emergency teams were deployed to contain fires at Ras Laffan, according to a social media postfrom state-owned QatarEnergy. No casualties have been reported. Qatar’s Interior Ministry later said the fire at the facility had initially been brought under control. Qatar halted LNG production on March 2 due to Iranian drone strikes at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Industrial City. The Gulf state is the second-largest LNG exporter in the world, after the U.S. Qatar accounts for nearly 20% of global LNG exports, according to data from energy consulting firm Kpler. The escalating attacks on Middle East oil and gas infrastructure threaten to intensify the massive energy supply disruption triggered by the Iran war. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plunged due to Iranian attacks on commercial ships. The Strait is the most important trade choke point for oil, with about 20% of world supplies passing through it before the war.
North Field Expansion Project Delays Likely as Qatari LNG Output Crippled by Iranian Attacks -- QatarEnergy expects the Iranian missile attacks on its Ras Laffan Industrial City earlier this week to cost it roughly $20 billion in annual revenue until the damage is repaired.At A Glance:
- 17% of LNG production lost
- Attacks to cost $20B of annual revenue
- 5-year force majeure likely for 2 trains
QatarEnergy Says Damage at LNG Facilities Could Take Years to Repair, Upending Supply Outlook - QatarEnergy warned Thursday it would take up to five years to repair damage to its LNG facilities after two separate missile attacks by Iran hit its Ras Laffan Industrial City. At A Glance:
- Iran attacked Ras Laffan again
- Repairs could take 3–5 years
- Energy prices spike
Qatar Outage May Deliver Windfall for U.S. LNG Exporters Amid Price Surge, Supply Fears - Global natural gas markets were roiled after news of widespread damage and the possibility of a prolonged outage in Qatar, sparking long-term implications for demand from key LNG markets. Chart showing global natural gas futures prices through 2029, comparing Henry Hub, JPN/KOR LNG, and TTF benchmarks, with Henry Hub near $3.77/MMBtu for the 12-month strip while international LNG prices remain elevated above $17/MMBtu amid forward curve declines. At A Glance:
Asian LNG prices outpace European gains
TTF forward curve hits record highs
Prolonged outage risks demand destruction
Why Middle East gas field attacks could send energy prices soaring --Israel’s bombing of Iran’s South Pars gas field has sent shockwaves through global energy markets.The South Pars gas field is part of the world’s largest gas field, known as North Dome, shared by Iran and Qatar.Until now, nations on both sides of the conflict have confined their attacks to civilian infrastructure, where the damage is unlikely to affect critical services.But Israel’s attack on South Pars, and Iran’s retaliatory strike on Qatari gas infrastructure, represents a major escalation in the Middle East conflict. Israel has been vocal about its campaign to destroy critical infrastructure, such as electricity and water services, as a way to cripple Iran, both economically and militarily. Earlier this week, Israeli forces bombed the South Pars gas field, a crucial part of Iran’s domestic energy sector. South Pars accounts for about 70% of the country’s total gas production and 90% of its domestic energy use. It’s also a key processing site for Iranian gas exports, which mainly go to Turkey and Iraq.The bombing of the South Pars gas field is the first time either side of the US-Iran conflict has attacked energy infrastructure used to produce fossil fuels.Within hours of the South Pars attack, Iran launched a retaliatory missile strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City. Ras Laffan is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility, producing about 20% of global supplies. Qatar primarily exports reserves from Ras Laffan to China and Europe.According to QatarEnergy, the country’s state-owned petroleum company, the damage from Iran’s strike has reduced its processing capacity by about 17% and will potentially cut its revenue by US$20 billion. It will likely take between three and five years for the site to become fully operational again.In the days since, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apparently agreed not to attack any more Iranian energy infrastructure, at the request of US President Donald Trump. In a social media post, the president suggested he did not know Israel was planning to target Iranian gas infrastructure. On a regional level, the South Pars and Ras Laffan attacks have escalated already heightened tensions in the Gulf region. And it’s likely to trigger further retaliatory strikes on key energy infrastructure.Of particular concern is Saudi Arabia’s 1,200-kilometre Yanbu oil pipeline and Abu Dhabi’s Habshan–Fujairah pipeline. Both pipelines bypass the Strait of Hormuz, allowing countries to keep exporting oil even when this crucial shipping route is closed or disrupted. But as regional tensions rise, it is unlikely the Strait of Hormuz will be opened any time soon.From a global perspective, the impacts of the South Pars and Ras Laffan strikes are serious and far-reaching.Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Europe has increasingly sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas after relying on Russian supplies for more than 25 years. As a result, Europe has turned to Qatar as its main source of liquified natural gas. So, for an already energy insecure Europe, Iran’s attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility is calamitous.The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is affecting economies around the world. The closure has already cut an estimated 20% of global oil supplies, and this is reflected in surging oil prices. At the time of publication, the price of brent crude oil has surpassed US$106 a barrel.This 20% drop in global oil supplies, coupled now with the 17% loss of Qatari liquified natural gas exports, is driving this surge in oil prices. But perceived oil and gas shortages are also contributing. And the threat of further attacks on energy infrastructure will only reinforce this perception.These strikes will not only impact fuel prices. The International Monetary Fund has already warned if oil prices remain elevated for more than a year, this will boost global inflation and slow economic growth. This would also raise the price of crucial commodities such as food and fertiliser. When it comes to gas, the recent strikes on Middle East energy infrastructure may have little effect on Australia. This is because we produce the vast majority of the gas we consume.However, oil is a different story. Here in Australia, we import almost all our oil. So surging oil prices, exacerbated by Israel and Iran’s latest attacks, will likely increase the cost of almost every commodity.Australian farmers are already bearing the brunt of fertiliser shortages, with many struggling to sow or harvest their crops. And many people, in Australia and around the world, are facing higher fuel, food, energy, and transport costs.This raises the broader, but no less urgent, question of whether Australia has enough liquid fuel to survive such crises. Over the past decade, refinery closures, poor oil production and the transfer of our strategic oil reserve to the US have weakened our liquid fuel security.We currently have enough liquid fuel, which includes petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, to last just over a month. This may be adequate in peacetime. But that’s unlikely to be the case in times of disruption or, as we are now experiencing, war.
Natural gas prices soar as Iran, Israel strike Middle East energy infrastructure (Reuters) - Natural gas prices in Europe surged as much as 35% on Thursday as Iranian and Israeli strikes targeted some of the Middle East's most important gas infrastructure, doing damage that will likely take years to repair. The strikes on energy facilities since the onset of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran have brought to life some of the energy industry's worst fears - that a conflict in the region will leave long-term damage and shortages in global energy supplies. "We are now well on the road to the doomsday gas-crisis scenario," "Even once the war ends, the disruption to LNG supply could last for months or even years." Iran on Thursday struck the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility in Qatar, the world’s largest LNG complex, a day after Israel attacked Iran's huge South Pars gas facilities. The hit on Ras Laffan destroyed two LNG trains that could cause a reduction of around 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas exports for between three and five years. "I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be - Qatar and the region - in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way," QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters. He said the state-owned gas company may have to declare force majeure on long-term contracts to Belgium, China, Italy and South Korea. Gas prices in Europe rose by as much as 35% on Thursday and oil jumped as much as 10%, before paring gains. Analysts say Israel's attack on South Pars and the retaliatory strike on the Ras Laffan plant represent a sharp escalation in the conflict. Aerial attacks by Iran have already targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia, forced the United Arab Emirates to shut gas facilities, and started fires at two Kuwaiti refineries. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened retaliation if they persisted. "This latest escalation feels like a turning point for markets because the conflict is no longer just about military headlines or Strait of Hormuz closure," said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore, referring to the closure of a key waterway bordering Iran's coast through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows. "It is now hitting the plumbing of the global energy system. What is unsettling markets now is the growing stagflation risk," she added. The European Central Bank said on Thursday the war in Iran would have a "material impact" on near-term inflation, depending on its intensity and duration. Financial markets expect euro zone inflation to climb close to 4% over the next year, then take years to return to the ECB's 2% target. Traders are pricing in two or three rate hikes by December, betting that the ECB would not tolerate another war-fuelled spike in inflation after being stung by Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago. The yield on the 2-year U.S. Treasury note, a proxy for expectations of where the Federal Reserve is headed with interest rates, shot to the highest in nearly eight months, unwinding most of the three rate cuts the Fed delivered last year. An International Monetary Fund official on Thursday estimated that every 10% increase in oil prices, if sustained through the year-end, adds about 40 basis points to global inflation and cuts economic output by 0.1% to 0.2%. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands called for an immediate moratorium on attacks on oil and gas facilities and said they are working with energy-producing nations to stabilise markets, according to a joint statement. Trump earlier warned Iran on social media not to retaliate by attacking Qatari LNG facilities again and threatened to "massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field" if it did so. Qatar shares the South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, with Iran. Iran will show "zero restraint" if its infrastructure is attacked again, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X. Gas prices in Europe have doubled since late February before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Oil loadings by Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea port of Yanbu were disrupted briefly on Thursday, two sources told Reuters, after a drone fell on the nearby Aramco-Exxon refinery, SAMREF. The port is the only export outlet for the world's largest oil exporter after Iran effectively blocked tanker traffic leaving the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.
India's LPG consumption declines due to shortages in wake of Iran war - Indian state fuel retailers' sale of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) slowed in the first half of March, preliminary data showed, as the country reels from its worst LPG crisis in decades due to shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. India buys about 90% of its imports of LPG - mainly used for cooking - from the Middle East and its supplies have been disrupted after traffic through the strait ground to a near standstill in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. State fuel retailers Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp sell cooking gas in India. The three companies sold about 1.15 million metric tons of LPG in the first half of March, a decline of 17.3% from a year earlier and 26.3% from the same period in the previous month, the data showed. India has 22 tankers, including six LPG ships, four crude carriers and one liquefied natural gas vessel, stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the federal shipping ministry. The federal government has cut supplies of LPG for industries to shield households from any shortage of cooking gas. Sales of jet fuel by the three retailers totalled 327,900 tons in the first half of this month, a decline of about 12.3% from the previous month and a 4% fall from the same period a year ago, the data showed. Since the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran , Tehran has largely halted traffic through the strait, which runs past its coast and normally supplies around 20% of global oil and seaborne LNG. Iran has said it will not permit any supplies for the United States or its allies to leave the strait, but India has sought exemptions.
Coast Guard personnel clean up oil spillage in seas off Hikkaduwa -- The Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel have taken steps to swiftly clean the oil spillage reported in beach areas in Hikkaduwa. The Coast Guard personnel with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy, the Marine Environment Protection Authority and the Coastal Conservation Department commenced cleaning the oil contaminated beach areas in Narigama, Thotagamuwa and Hikkaduwa in order to prevent damages to the marine ecosystem, the Sri Lanka Coast Guard said in a statement. Oil patches were reported along the coastal areas of Hikkaduwa and Dodanduwa, according to the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). The oil spill was reported following the attack on an Iranian vessel in seas off Galle. On March 4, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the US sank “an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters” in the Indian Ocean. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” he said. The Sri Lankan Navy reported the Iranian vessel ‘IRIS Dena’ went down in the Indian Ocean, with around 180 people believed to be on board.
Navy vessel spills up to 300 litres of oil in Akaroa Harbour - An estimated 200 to 300 litres of lubricating oil has been spilt in Akaroa Harbour by the anchored Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Te Kaha. Environment Canterbury said it was notified of the incident immediately by the New Zealand Defence Force. "We’re now working alongside them to monitor and support clean up efforts." A New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson told 1News that immediate steps were taken to clean up the approximately 200-300 litres of lubrication oil from the 118m long vessel. An estimated 200 to 300 litres of persistent oil was spilt by the anchored Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Te Kaha. An estimated 200 to 300 litres of persistent oil was spilt by the anchored Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Te Kaha. (Source: 1News) Soaker pads were used to clean up surface oil and oil dispersed by crew on a RHIB following the leak, which was caused by a defect to an oil cooler on the starboard engine," they said in a statement. "The source of the leak has been isolated and no further oil is leaking." The ship remained anchored in Akaroa Harbour, NZDF said. The ship's company was working with Environment Canterbury staff who are monitoring and assisting with clean-up efforts. Environment Canterbury Regional on-scene commander Emma Parr told 1News the group's focus was on "minimising environmental impacts". "In this case, we're working with the New Zealand Defence Force, Maritime New Zealand, our local partners and stakeholders, to assess the impacts and coordinate the on-water response to contain and recover the oil," she said. She said the type of persistent oil — which was a thicker and heavier oil — would smother the environment rather than naturally disperse, and required a "physical intervention". "Many of our recent spills have been diesel oil, which is a lighter oil, and it disperses really well naturally with tidal changes and weather. "This persistent oil needs physical intervention. So it needs us to be out there using tools and equipment to contain it and recover it from the surface of the water," she explained. "It's not a large volume, but the type of the oil means that it will have a potentially higher environmental impact, because it is so thick. She said the containment and recovery method used had been "showing really good effectiveness throughout the day". She encouraged anyone who had seen wildlife impacted by oil to get in touch with Environment Canterbury on 0800 765 588, and avoid the area. Local resident Mark Robinson told 1News a visible oil slick was heading towards the Wainui side of the harbour. In late January, a tourist boat ran aground near the mouth of Akaroa Harbour, resulting in 2240 litres of marine diesel fuel and 120 litres of other oils being leaked into the sea.
EIA Ups WTI Price Forecast by $20 in Wake of Iran Conflict | Rigzone - In its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released on March 10, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) boosted its 2026 West Texas Intermediate (WTI) average spot price forecast by $20 per barrel. According to this STEO, the EIA now expects the WTI spot price to average $73.61 per barrel this year. In its previous STEO, which was released in February, the EIA projected that the WTI spot price would average $53.42 per barrel. The EIA’s latest STEO forecasts that the WTI spot price will come in at $60.81 per barrel in 2027. That marks an $11 jump from the 2027 average WTI spot price forecast in the EIA’s February STEO, which stood at $49.34 per barrel. Both STEOs showed that the WTI spot price averaged $65.40 per barrel in 2025. A quarterly breakdown included in the EIA’s latest STEO projected that the WTI spot price will come in at $72.60 per barrel in the first quarter of 2026, $84.56 per barrel in the second quarter, $71.45 per barrel in the third quarter, $66.00 per barrel in the fourth quarter, $62.00 per barrel in the first quarter of next year, $61.66 per barrel in the second quarter, $60.68 per barrel in the third quarter, and $59.00 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2027. In its previous STEO, the EIA projected that the WTI spot price would average $58.62 per barrel in the first quarter of this year, $53.65 per barrel in the second quarter, $51.69 per barrel in the third quarter, $50.00 per barrel in the fourth quarter, $49.00 per barrel in the first quarter of 2027, $49.66 per barrel in the second quarter, $49.68 per barrel in the third quarter, and $49.00 per barrel in the fourth quarter of next year. The EIA highlighted the “onset of military action in the Middle East that began on February 28” in its latest STEO.
IEA Expects Quick Release of Asia Pacific Oil Stocks - The International Energy Agency (IEA) said Sunday oil reserves held by members in Asia and Oceania could be released immediately as part of the group's pledge to make 400 million barrels available to the global market. Last Wednesday the IEA said its 32 member states unanimously agreed to draw from their emergency stocks to "address disruptions in oil markets stemming from the war in the Middle East". The organization represents over 1.2 billion barrels in government reserves and a further 600 million barrels in industry-held volumes stored under government obligation, the IEA said in an online statement Wednesday. The Paris-based body noted this is its sixth and biggest collective release in its half a century of existence. In an update on its website on Sunday the IEA said, "Individual implementation plans have been submitted to the IEA by member countries. These plans indicate that stocks will be made available by IEA member countries in Asia Oceania immediately while stocks from IEA member countries in the Americas and Europe will be made available starting from the end of March". Committed stocks from Asia and Oceania stood at 108.6 million barrels as of Sunday. That consisted of 66.8 million government-held barrels and 41.8 million industry-held barrels. Crude comprised 60 percent and oil products 40 percent. The Americas have so far pledged 172.2 million barrels of crude, according to the breakdown shown in the update. The IEA did not provide a by-country breakdown. Earlier the U.S. pledged 172 million barrels of petroleum. A statement from the Department of Energy (DOE) last Wednesday confirming the contribution, which would be drawn from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), said delivery would take about 120 days.
OPEC confirms big Saudi oil production hike ahead of Iran war, holds forecasts steady (Reuters) - OPEC said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia sharply increased oil production in February ahead of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and kept its forecasts for relatively strong global oil demand growth this year. Saudi Arabia increased its oil output and exports as part of a contingency plan in case any U.S. strike on Iran disrupts supplies from the Middle East, sources familiar with the plan had said in February. The attack came on February 28 and the resulting conflict has disrupted oil exports, forced production stoppages and sent prices soaring. OPEC, in a monthly report on its website, said that Saudi Arabia told OPEC its oil supply to the market in February was 10.111 million barrels per day while production was 10.882 million bpd. Saudi Arabia reported its production at 10.10 million bpd for January.
Iran war: What is happening on day 17 of US-Israel attacks? | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera - Israel launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran as the US-Israel war on Iran entered its 17th day on Monday. Escalations continue in the Gulf region, where authorities suspended flights at Dubai international airport after a drone incident sparked a fire nearby. Dubai-based Emirates announced later that it was resuming limited flights, with several planned routes cancelled for the day. Saudi Arabia also reported intercepting drones. Attacks also continued in Iraq and Lebanon.Meanwhile, in a social media post, United States President Donald Trump, without providing evidence, accused Iran of being a “master of media manipulation” by using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread disinformation about its war gains.Here is what we know about what happened in the past 24 hours:
- Israel announced that it launched a new wave of strikes in Tehran. After this, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that Iran was responding to “hostile targets in the skies” over Tehran.
- The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the latest Israeli raids damaged one of its clinics and an aid relief post.
- During an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed Trump’s claim that Tehran wants truce talks. “No, we never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” he said.
- The spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier-General Ali Mohammad Naini, told a local broadcaster that most of the IRGC’s weapons cache remains intact. He said the missiles used in the ongoing war are from a “decade ago” and that Iran has not yet fired the missiles produced since the 12-day war with Israel.
- Iranian authorities arrested 18 people accused of working for Iran International, the satellite news channel Tehran has accused of having ties to Israel, according to state-funded broadcaster Press TV.
- As of Sunday, 1,444 people were killed in Iran, while 18,551 have been injured.
- Authorities in Dubai reported that a fire erupted after a drone-related incident in the vicinity of the Dubai airport. Authorities said a fuel tank was affected, and the fire had been contained. Flights at the airport were temporarily suspended, but Dubai airport then resumed a limited schedule on Monday.
- A fire broke out at an industrial zone in the UAE’s Fujairah after a drone strike, the emirate’s media office said, also on Monday. And in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, a missile hit a car, killing a Palestinian resident.
- Saudi Arabia said it intercepted 37 drones in its east on Monday. Riyadh did not say where the drones came from.
- Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar also reported drone interceptions on Sunday.
- Saudi state media reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the latest regional developments during a phone call, affirming that the GCC countries will continue to exert all their efforts to defend their territories.Trump, on board Air Force One, said the US was hitting Iran’s drone factories. “Iran has very little firepower left. We have decimated their manufacturing capability,” he said.
- In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote Iran is “Militarily ineffective and weak” and that they are using AI as a “disinformation weapon”. He added: “They showed phony ‘Kamikaze Boats’, shooting at various Ships at Sea, which looks wonderful, powerful, and vicious, but these Boats don’t exist.”
- Local media reported that air raid sirens were activated in central Israel early on Monday as a missile was fired from Iran, but the projectiles landed in an open area, and no casualties were reported. Later, sirens blared in the south of Israel.
- An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that an air raid hit the headquarters of the pro-Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in the Jurf al-Sakhar area. Three people were injured in the attack.
- Iraqi security sources told Al Jazeera that the country’s air defences responded to drones near the US Embassy in Baghdad and the Balad airbase in the Salah al-Din governorate.
- Israel launched new waves of raids on southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it was launching limited ground operations against Hezbollah. The death toll in Lebanon has risen to 850, including more than 100 children.
- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said non-state armed groups fired upon three of its patrols on Sunday afternoon.
Crude Oil Prices Surge: WTI Hits USD 102.44, Brent USD 104.79 as US Strikes Iran’s Kharg Island Amid Persian Gulf Tensions -- Global oil prices rose on Monday after the United States launched strikes on military assets on Kharg Island over the weekend, escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf as the conflict entered its third week. At around 9:45 am, Crude oil futures -- specifically the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) -- surged by 3.77 per cent to $102.44, while Brent crude -- the international benchmark -- traded at $104.79, up 1.59 per cent from the previous close. The surge in oil prices followed retaliatory attacks by Iran on Israel and several Arab states after US strikes targeted military facilities on Kharg Island, which handles the bulk of Iran’s crude shipments. US President Donald Trump warned that Iran’s energy infrastructure on the island -- responsible for roughly 90 per cent of the country’s oil exports -- could face further attacks if Tehran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he was “demanding” that other nations help secure the key maritime passage that connects the oil and gas supplies of the Persian Gulf to global markets. Washington has reportedly urged major oil-importing partners such as China and Japan to deploy naval vessels to the Strait to ensure the safe movement of tankers. Around one-fifth of global oil shipments and significant volumes of seaborne liquefied natural gas pass through the waterway. The US has also ordered the Navy’s Fifth Fleet to escort commercial vessels in the region in an effort to deter potential Iranian attacks. The strike on Kharg Island marks a further escalation in the conflict, which, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), has already triggered the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled since hostilities intensified. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates resumed loading operations at the key export hub of Port of Fujairah on Sunday, a day after a drone strike temporarily halted shipments from the country’s primary export route while the strait remained blocked. Brent crude surged about 11 per cent last week, touching a high of $119.50 per barrel -- levels last seen following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine -- before settling just above $103 per barrel.
Oil prices ease as US says fine for some ships going through Hormuz - Oil prices eased about one per cent on Monday after the United States said it would be fine with some Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz and talk of possible additional releases from emergency reserves as part of global efforts to reduce consumer energy prices during the Iran war.Brent futures fell $1.46, or 1.4 per cent, to $101.68 a barrel by 10:37 EDT (14:37 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $3.95, or 4%, to $94.76. On Friday, Brent closed at its highest since August 2022 and WTI at its highest since July 2022, putting both crude benchmarks up more than 40 per cent since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.The United States is "fine" with some Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships going through the Strait of Hormuz for now, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday, adding that any action to mitigate higher prices would depend on how long the war lasts. The Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea is a critical waterway for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks seeking the safe passage of Indian-flagged or India-bound vessels through the strait, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.US allies, meanwhile, said they had no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request by US President Donald Trump for military support to keep the vital waterway open.Denmark's foreign minister, however, said Europe should keep an open mind on helping to ensure freedom of navigation for ship traffic in the strait even if the currently bureaucracy-controlled continent did not support the US-Israeli decision to go to war with Iran. Governments worldwide are trying to shield consumers from soaring energy costs as the disruption to global oil and gas supplies caused by the war ripples through economies, stokes inflation and squeezes household budgets.Member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) could release more emergency oil stocks later "as and if needed" as there will still be over 1.4 billion barrels remaining in their emergency oil stocks despite the largest release of reserves in history already agreed, Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday.On Sunday, the IEA said more than 400 million barrels of oil reserves will begin flowing to the market soon, a record draw aimed at combating price spikes caused by the war.Israel said it has detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war as its military pounded sites across Iran overnight. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday he expected an end to the war within "the next few weeks," with oil supplies rebounding and energy costs falling afterwards.Over the weekend, Trump threatened further strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, which handles about 90 per cent of the country's exports, after hitting military targets there and spurring further retaliation from Tehran. The US is in contact with Iran, Trump said, though he doubted Tehran was prepared for serious talks to end the conflict.
Oil Rally Halts on Steady Hormuz Situation, Iran Supply (DTN) -- Crude prices fell as much as 5% Monday after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said oil tankers were beginning to get through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran's pledge to block the waterway for most of the Middle East's oil. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said on Monday that U.S. and Israeli bombers had deliberately spared energy pipelines and infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island, which houses a crude export system with a loading capacity of 7 million bpd and storage exceeding 34 million bbl. "We are seeing more and more of the fuel ships start to go through," Bessent told a media interview, referring to the Hormuz, where 21 million bpd of petroleum liquids used to pass prior to the Feb. 27 start of the Iran war. "The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we've let that happen to supply the rest of the world. We've seen Indian ships go out now ... we believe some Chinese ships have gone out. That should start ramping up." Trump, who has asked NATO, China, Japan and other major oil consumers to help defend tankers on the Hormuz from Iranian attacks, told reporters that he wanted Iran's oil production estimated at 3 million bpd by OPEC to be preserved to aid the country's post-war reconstruction. Those remarks -- and news that the UAE's Fujairah port had commenced oil loading again after a drone strike that briefly disrupted the port's handling of approximately 1 million bpd of crude -- calmed an oil market that had rallied roughly 40% over the past 10 sessions on supply fears. At Monday's close, NYMEX WTI crude futures for April delivery settled down $5.21, or 5.3%, at $93.50 bbl. ICE Brent crude for May delivery finished down $2.93, or 2.8%, at $100.21 bbl. NYMEX RBOB futures for April closed down $0.0411 at $3.0003 gallon. ULSD for April retreated by $0.1772 to $3.8375 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.362 points to stand at a rounded up 100 against a basket of currencies. Oil traders' attention could shift partly towards the U.S. Federal Reserve later in the week as its policymakers convene for a decision on interest rates on Wednesday, March 18, that comes amid similar action scheduled at the European Central Bank and a host of other central banks. The Fed is, however, expected to keep rates unchanged in a 3.5%-3.75% range. After 16 days of fighting that initially sent both WTI and Brent to nearly $120 bbl, conflicting outlooks on the duration of the Iran conflict have stalled the market's momentum. While Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday, March 15, that he anticipates a conclusion within the coming weeks, President Trump has emphasized that the campaign will proceed for as long as necessary to achieve total victory. Tehran, meanwhile, remains defiant, with new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei determined to use the Hormuz blockade as a strategic lever. To counter supply gaps, the Trump administration is weighing a temporary waiver of the U.S. Jones Act for shipping to boost domestic vessel availability for energy transport. Complementing these efforts, Bessent last week authorized a 30-day sanctions waiver to unlock Russian crude currently trapped at sea. Meanwhile, the U.S. and its international partners are moving to stabilize prices by releasing over 500 million bbl of oil from strategic reserves.
Tankers Moving Through Hormuz Trigger Sharp Pullback in the Oil Market - The oil market ended the session lower on news that some vessels sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. allies, including Germany, Spain, and Italy, declined U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for help in unblocking the waterway and as the head of the IEA suggested more reserves could be released to stem the increasing costs caused by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The crude market gapped higher on the opening in overnight trading on Sunday after President Trump threatened further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles about 90% of Iran’s exports, after hitting military targets there that caused further retaliation from Iran. Abu Dhabi suspended crude loading operations at the Fujairah port. The crude market rallied to a high of $100.93 before it began to retrace its sharp gains. The market gave up its gains on reports that some oil tankers were proceeding through the Strait of Hormuz and as President Trump called for help in escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The market sold off to a low of $92.97 ahead of the close. The April WTI contract settled down $5.21 at $93.50 and continued to trade lower in the post settlement period and posted a low of $92.93. The May Brent contract settled down $2.93 at $100.21. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 17.72 cents at $3.8375 and the RB market settling down 4.11 cents at $3.0003. According to fuel markets tracker GasBuddy, the U.S. average retail diesel prices crossed $5/gallon for only the second time ever on Monday as the war in the Middle East squeezes supplies. GasBuddy data also showed that the U.S. national average gasoline prices stood at $3.76/gallon, the highest level since October 2023. Axios reported a direct communications channel between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days. The IEA’s Executive Director, Fatih Birol, said the IEA’s member countries could release more oil into the market from strategic stockpiles “as and if needed” after they agreed to the largest ever reserves release last week to offset shortages and a spike in prices. Oil from the International Energy Agency emergency reserves will begin flowing to global markets soon, with member countries pledging to make available 411.9 million barrels. The IEA said governments have committed to make available 271.7 million barrels of oil from government stocks, 116.6 million barrels from obligated industry stocks and 23.6 million barrels from other sources. It added that 72% of planned releases are in the form of crude oil and 28% are oil products. Stocks from Asia Oceania countries will be available immediately and stocks from Europe and the Americas will be available at the end of March. The emirate’s media office said a fire broke out in the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates following a drone attack on Tuesday. It stated that civil defense crews were working to bring the fire under control. This followed reports on Monday that ADNOC suspended crude loading operations at the UAE port of Fujairah after a drone attack triggered fires at the key export terminal. Operations at Fujairah had resumed on Sunday following a separate drone strike over the weekend. The UAE’s daily oil output is down by more than half.
Crude oil prices shoot above $103 per barrel as Iran war supply disruption continues -- Oil prices rose sharply on Tuesday as tensions in the Middle East continued to raise concerns over supply disruptions. Brent crude jumped over 3 US Dollars to hover above $103 a barrel by on Tuesday afternoon, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) also gained over 3 USD to surge above $97. The volatility in the global market has, however, not led to any destabilisation of fuel prices in India. Crude oil prices have remained above or around the $100 per barrel mark over the last few days as supply has been disrupted due to the conflict in West Asia. Concerns have also increased over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran continues to control the passage. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial shipping route that carries nearly 20 per cent or one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade. “The risks remain stark: It only takes one Iranian militia to fire a missile or plant a mine on a passing tanker to reignite the entire situation,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore told Reuters in a note. Although fuel petrol and diesel prices in India have not increased substantially, there LPG cylinder prices have increased and there is a shortage as well. Indian markets, meanwhile, opened on a flat note. The Nifty 50 was down 0.06 per cent at 23,393.10, while the BSE Sensex slipped 0.08 per cent to 75,435.94 as of 9:17 am IST. India’s diplomatic engagement with Iran has given it an advantage in times like these. On Monday, Shipping Corporation of India’s (SCI) LPG tanker Shivalik—with over 46,000 tonnes of LPG, arrived at the Mundra port in Gujarat. Another one of SCI’s LPG tankers—Nanda Devi—and Great Eastern Shipping Company’s crude oil tanker Jag Laadki are expected to arrive at Kandla and Mundra ports, respectively, today (Tuesday). US President Donald Trump has also called on countries that benefit from the vital oil shipping route to deploy warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. His statement also included China – as it gets 90% of its oil from the Straits. He said that cooperation from countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz was important to ensure safe passage for energy supplies. Petrol and diesel prices in India have remained stable, with only a few cities registering marginal fluctuation.
Fuel, Crude Prices Rise as Supply Disruptions Deepened - Crude futures rose 2% and ULSD more than 5% Tuesday morning as the supply disruption of Middle Eastern crude and oil products deepened amid new attacks launched by Iran on neighboring oil infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates were again forced to suspend loadings at the port of Fujairah after Iran struck an export terminal. As most tankers continued to avoid traversing the Strait of Hormuz, Middle Eastern crude production has been throttled by more than a third so far, with countries that depend on the Persian Gulf for exports like the UAE shutting more than half, and Iraq around three quarters, of oil production. Threats of Iranian attacks on tankers are keeping 20 million bpd of crude and product flows off the global market, although a handful of tankers from countries not hostile to Iran have started to traverse the chokepoint. Iraq's Oil Minister on Tuesday said he was in contact with the Iranian government to allow some Iraqi oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian oil exports, meanwhile, continued unabated. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran looks set to drag on. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the war will be "wrapped up soon, but not this week." Iranian officials, meanwhile, have in recent days repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals, and have denied reports of recent direct contact with the U.S. The tightening fuel supply in Asia, meanwhile, is set to worsen as more countries curb oil product exports. Last week, China, the region's largest fuel supplier, banned exports until the end of the month. Some refiners in the region had to drastically reduce operations amid a shortage of crude deliveries from the Persian Gulf. Global middle distillate supply, in particular, tightened amid the sudden loss of 4 million bpd of flows from the Middle East, exports from Asia and refining cutbacks in the hundreds of thousands of bpd. Near 9:05 a.m. EDT, NYMEX-traded ULSD futures for April delivery were up $0.1934, or 5%, to $4.0309 gallon, and ULSD for May delivery rose 5.75% to $3.7916 gallon. Front-month RBOB futures advanced $0.0710 to $3.0713 gallon. WTI for April delivery rose $1.36 to $94.86 bbl, and ICE Brent for May delivery added $1.76 to trade near $101.97 bbl. The U.S. Dollar Index remained flat at 99.470 points against a basket of foreign currencies.
Oil prices top $103 as U.S. allies reluctant to escort tankers in Strait of Hormuz -- Oil prices rose more than 2% on Tuesday, as doubts grow that President Donald Trump will organize a meaningful coalition to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent prices, the international benchmark, gained 3.2%, or $3.21, to close at $103.42 per barrel. U.S. oil prices rose 2.9%, or $2.71, to settle at $96.21 per barrel. Trump said in a social media post that NATO allies do not want to participate in the U.S. war against Iran. The president said the U.S. does not need the help of its allies. The U.S. has been urging allies to send military forces to protect tanker traffic through the strait. Ship movements through the vital shipping route have plunged after Iranian attacks, fueling one of the largest disruptions to global oil supply in history. “The sheer scale of the oil supply disruption makes it difficult for the market to find an adequate solution,” said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING. “While the U.S. administration has touted the idea of insurance guarantees and naval escorts, neither has materialized yet,” Patterson noted. He added that escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz would leave naval ships vulnerable to attack, so the U.S. may hold off from such action until it feels that Iran’s ability to launch attacks on vessels has been eroded. Located between Oman and Iran, the strait functions as a vital artery for the global oil trade. Roughly 13 million barrels per day passed through it in 2025, representing about 31% of all seaborne crude flows, according to energy consulting firm Kpler.
Ongoing Iran Conflict and Regional Strikes Lift the Oil Market - The crude oil market posted an inside trading day and ended the session higher as Iran continued to show its defiance after more than two weeks of war. Iran renewed its strikes on oil facilities in the UAE, while a senior Iranian official said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had rejected de-escalation offers conveyed by intermediary countries. Meanwhile, Israel announced that it had killed Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, the most senior official targeted since the war’s first day. The oil market traded higher in overnight trading, posting a high of $98.42. However, the market erased its gains and sold off to a low of $93.83 by mid-morning. It later bounced off its low and traded back over the $95 level ahead of the close. The April WTI contract settled up $2.71 at $96.21 and the May Brent contract settled up $3.21 at $103.42. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 17.83 cents at $4.0158 and the RB market settling up 12.31 cents at $3.1234. White House economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, said oil tankers are crossing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s actions to choke traffic through the shipping route have not hurt the U.S. economy, reiterating the Trump administration’s position that the war should be over in weeks, not months. He said there is concern that Asia may not be exporting as much refined oil to the U.S. to handle a decrease in supply from the Middle East. Bloomberg News reported that the Trump administration intends to take additional steps to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector in an effort to increase crude production amid the ongoing Iran war. The moves, which could be announced as early as this week, include issuing more individual licenses allowing foreign companies to work in Venezuela without violating US sanctions. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be addressed independently of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. He also called upon states and institutions concerned with global peace and security to condemn U.S.-Israeli attacks on his country. A spokesperson for the Iranian parliamentary energy commission said Iran’s oil production and exports continue without interruption, adding that daily life is going on as usual on Kharg Island. Iraq’s Oil Minister said Baghdad is talking to Iran about allowing some of the country’s oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iraq seeks to ease disruptions to crude exports following recent attacks on tankers in its own waters. Iraq’s Oil Minister, Hayan Abdel-Ghani, said the country is also working to restore an unused pipeline that would allow oil to be pumped directly to Turkey’s Ceyhan port without passing through the Kurdistan region. He said Iraq will complete an inspection of a 62-mile section of the pipeline within a week to enable direct exports from Kirkuk.
Oil Falls After Iraq Resumes Oil Exports via Turkey’s Ceyhan Port - (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Wednesday after Iraq resumed crude exports via pipeline to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, providing hopes for some relief amid disrupted supply from Gulf producers. With no signs of de-escalation in the Iran conflict, benchmark Brent futures prices have settled above $100 per barrel for the past four sessions. After rising more than 3% on Tuesday, Brent futures were down 31 cents, or 0.3%, to $103.12 a barrel by 0902 GMT on Wednesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped $1.56, or 1.6%, to $94.65. In Iraq, North Oil Company sources said exports had resumed via pipeline after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) agreed on Tuesday to restart flows. Two oil officials said last week that Iraq was seeking to pump at least 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) through the port. “Despite this development, supply relief remains limited, with Iraq’s production at roughly one-third of pre-crisis levels and tanker traffic through Hormuz still largely restricted,” MUFG analyst Soojin Kim said. Oil production from Iraq’s main southern oilfields, where most of its crude is produced and exported, had plunged by 70% to just 1.3 million bpd, sources said on March 8, as the Iran conflict effectively shut the vital Strait of Hormuz through which some 20% of global oil passes. Iran confirmed on Tuesday that its security chief Ali Larijani had been killed in an Israeli attack. He is the most senior figure targeted since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war at the end of February. A senior Iranian official said Iran’s new supreme leader had rejected de-escalation offers conveyed by intermediary countries. The U.S. military said on Tuesday it had targeted sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian anti-ship missiles posed a risk to international shipping there. Larijani’s death and the U.S. military’s strikes on Iranian coastal positions near the strait raised some hopes that the conflict could end sooner, said Mingyu Gao, chief researcher for energy and chemicals at China Futures. Meanwhile, Libya’s National Oil Corporation said early on Wednesday that flows from the Sharara oilfield were being gradually redirected through alternative pipelines after a fire broke out. U.S. crude stocks rose by 6.56 million barrels in the week ended March 13, market sources said, citing API figures on Tuesday, well above a rise of about 380,000 barrels seen in a Reuters poll.
US Crude Stockpile Hits Highest Since June 2024, Exports Surge - Summary:
- US crude stockpiles surged for the fourth consecutive week. The build takes inventories to the highest level since June 2024. The increase is likely to reinforce perceptions of ample supply in US markets, and though prices are significantly higher, WTI continues to lag global benchmark, Brent.
- US oil imports rose to the highest level since November 2024 driven by Gulf Coast imports which rose to the highest level since 2020. Flows to the US are not significantly disrupted despite the conflict in Iran. Flows from Venezuela nearly doubled on a weekly basis and are sitting at the highest level since 2024, the data shows.
- Crude exports jumped by 1.5 million barrels a day to the highest level since September. That’s likely due to global markets drawing on US barrels as the conflict in Iran curtails Middle Eastern flows.
Oil prices are ripping higher this morning (rebounding aggressively of overnight lows) after US and Israel attacked upstream Iranian energy assets for the first time since the war (While the US struck oil export hub Kharg Island late last week, it limited that attack to military targets began). Iran’s IRGC responded by publishing a list of Gulf energy sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar that “have become direct and legitimate targets” following the attack on South Pars, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. “New attacks bring the attention back to the physical supply reality of the war - curtailments in energy tighten every day,” said Rabobank’s energy strategist Florence Schmit. Trump has waived The Jones Act in the hopes of easing domestic prices. Of course, geopolitical chaos is driving the price of oil more than domestic supply and demand. Nevertheless, overnight saw API report crude stocks rising while refined product inventories declined. API
- Crude +6.56mm
- Cushing
- Gasoline -4.56mm
- Distillates -1.39mm
DOE:
- Crude +6.16mm
- Cushing +944k
- Gasoline -5.44mm - biggest draw since Oct
- Distillates -2.53mm
The official data confirmed API's reporting overnight with a big crude build and big refined product draws. This is the 4th weekly build in US crude, pushing the total stockpile had surged to its highest since June 2024 headed into the war. There was no draw or addition to the SPR last week, according to the official data (the fourth week of no change). Exports for oil and fuels remain the key factors to watch to see if the US is backstopping global markets that have seen millions of barrels of supply curtailed by the conflict in Iran. On the fuels side, distillates and jet fuel will be the most important ones to keep an eye on given how prices for those two products have rocketed. US crude production remains just off record highs. WTI was trading just above $98 ahead of the official data (up dramatically from the $91 handle at the lows overnight) and held those gains after... Finally, what really matters to the average American is the price of gas , which is rising at a record pace and looks set to keep rising... ...and even if we see some 'end' to all this Mideast chaos soon, the ramifications are set in motion and Memorial Day is not that far off
Iran Warns Gulf Oil Facilities Could Be Targeted “In Coming Hours”- Iran has warned that key oil and gas facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar could be targeted in the coming hours, escalating risks to critical Gulf energy infrastructure. (Reuters) — Iran issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, saying they would be targeted by strikes "in the coming hours", Iranian state media reported on March 18. Map of Iran. (Map Source: Global Energy Infrastructure.) The warning was directed at Saudi Arabia's Samref Refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the United Arab Emirates' Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar's Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan Refinery. SEE ALSO: Macquarie Exits $7 Billion Kuwait Oil Pipeline Deal as Iran Conflict Escalates "These centers have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay," the warning said. It was issued shortly after Iranian oil facilities in South Pars and Asaluyeh came under attack. Those Israeli strikes were coordinated with the United States, Axios reported a senior Israeli official as saying.
Oil Market Rallies as Iran Attacks Energy Facilities Across the Middle East - The oil market posted an outside trading day on Wednesday after it posted an inside trading day on Tuesday, as the market remained headline driven. The oil market settled higher and continued to rally in extended trading after Iran attacked several energy facilities across the Middle East. In overnight trading, the crude market was pressured amid the news that Iraq resumed its crude oil exports via a pipeline to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to restart flows. Officials stated that Iraq was seeking to pump at least 100,000 bpd through the port. The crude market breached its previous low and sold off to a low of $91.96. However, the market bounced off that level and retraced its overnight losses amid the lack of signs of any de-escalation in the conflict. The market was later well supported after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to attack several energy facilities across the Middle East in retaliation after gas-processing and petrochemical facilities tied to the South Pars gas field was struck on Wednesday. The oil market breached its previous high and extended its gains to $3.20 as it posted a high of $99.41 by mid-morning. The market later erased some of its gains in light of the EIA weekly petroleum stocks report showing a build in crude stocks of 6.2 million barrels on the week. The April WTI contract once again retraced its losses and settled up 11 cents at $96.32. However, in the post settlement period, the WTI contract rallied sharply higher, posting a high of $100.55 in light of the news that Iran attacked Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City. The WTI futures settled at the widest discount to Brent in 11 years. The May Brent contract settled up $3.96 at $107.38. The product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling up 18.2 cents at $4.1978 and the RB market down 2.49 cents at $3.0985. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 824,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending March 20th, increasing available refining capacity by 69,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 731,000 bpd in the week ending March 27th. According to sources, the Trump administration is expected to announce soon that it will temporarily lift federal smog-cutting restrictions on summer-blend gasoline to curb rising energy prices stemming from the Iran conflict. BP said it will lock out approximately 800 United Steelworkers members from its 440,000 bpd Whiting, Indiana, refinery starting at 12:00 a.m. on March 19th. The British oil major ended its 24-hour rolling contract extension and issued a lockout notice after the union rejected proposals that BP considers essential for the facility’s long-term sustainability. The company noted it would continue bargaining in good faith, but lifting the lockout would require the union’s acceptance of its March 17th proposal. The discount for U.S. crude futures versus Brent on Wednesday hit the widest level in 11 years, as attacks on Middle Eastern oil infrastructure drove the global benchmark higher while rising supply in the U.S. set the stage for an increase in oil exports.Oil and Gas Prices Soar After Strikes on South Pars - Following Israeli attacks on Iran’s largest gas facilities and a major oil hub, Brent crude prices have jumped sharply, rising 20% from the start of Wednesday’s trading to reach $116 per barrel, while natural gas prices have surged by 35%. On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 18, Brent crude climbed to $110 per barrel after part of the South Pars gas field, Iran’s largest gas facility, and the Asaluyeh oil complex were targeted in Israeli strikes. In less than 12 hours, the price rose by more than $15. Oil prices became even more volatile after the military response by the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), reaching $116 per barrel at the time of this report. South Pars/Asaluyeh is the crown jewel of Iran’s economy. It is the world’s largest natural gas field (shared with Qatar). An attack here is the economic equivalent of a “nuclear strike” on Iran’s financial survival. The IRGC’s “military response” refers to the retaliatory strikes against neighboring Gulf states, which have turned a localized conflict into a global energy crisis. At the same time, the U.S. oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), also moved higher and was trading at $98 per barrel at the time of this report. Gas prices also recorded a sharp rise in Thursday’s trading, with European gas prices climbing 35% to 74 euros. After the Israeli attack on the South Pars facilities in Iran, the IRGC launched retaliatory strikes on refineries in several Persian Gulf countries, causing major damage to the Ras Laffan facilities in Qatar, the world’s largest hub for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). These attacks have raised fresh concerns over global energy supplies and have become a double catalyst for the spike in global energy prices. Context: Ras Laffan is to gas what Silicon Valley is to tech. By damaging this hub, Iran is effectively cutting off the primary heating and electricity source for millions of people in Europe and Asia. This is a classic “Scorched Earth” tactic: if Iran’s energy sector is destroyed, the IRGC ensures the rest of the world suffers the same fate. This jump in prices came despite positive news the previous day about increased oil production from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which had briefly brought Brent prices down to $95 per barrel. In addition, the Trump administration officially announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a century-old maritime law that restricts the transport of cargo between U.S. ports to ships that are built, registered, and owned by Americans, and crewed by U.S. citizens. The Jones Act waiver is a rare and desperate move by Washington to lower domestic gas prices. By allowing foreign-flagged ships to move oil and gas between American ports, the U.S. hopes to increase the speed of supply. However, as the text notes, even this “emergency lever” has been ignored by the markets due to the sheer scale of the fire at South Pars and Ras Laffan. However, as tensions continue to escalate and attacks on oil infrastructure intensify, these developments, which could have helped ease the crisis, have had no effect on slowing the rise in prices.
Oil extends gains to rise 5.6% after Iran attacks Gulf energy facilities (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday and climbed further in extended trade after Iran attacked several energy facilities across the Middle East following a strike on its South Pars gas field, a major escalation in its war with the U.S. and Israel. Brent futures were up 5.6% in post-settlement trading, extending gains after settling up 3.8% at $107.38. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude extended gains to 4% after closing up 11 cents, or 0.1%, at $96.32. . WTI futures had settled at their widest discount to Brent in 11 years, as the U.S. benchmark was pressured by higher supply through a release from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve and rising freight costs. Brent futures, meanwhile, were buoyed by fresh attacks on Middle Eastern energy facilities. Qatar's state oil and gas company said the Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub, had suffered "extensive damage" after it was hit by Iranian missiles. Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed multiple ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in the east of the country. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Iran has issued an evacuation warning for several energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, saying they would be targeted by strikes "in the coming hours," Iranian state media reported on Wednesday. The warning followed an attack on Iran's South Pars gas field, which Israeli media reported was carried out by Israel with U.S. consent. Neither country acknowledged immediate responsibility. The war has halted shipments via the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20% of global oil and LNG supply. Total oil output cuts in the Middle East are estimated at 7 million to 10 million barrels per day or 7% to 10% of global demand. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act shipping law, temporarily allowing foreign-flagged vessels to move fuel, fertilizer and other goods between U.S. ports. It will also temporarily lift federal smog-cutting restrictions on summer-blend gasoline, three sources told Reuters, though the moves only marginally impacted gasoline futures contracts. Traders and analysts said the measures could help slow the surge in fuel prices in the U.S., but are unlikely to have much of an effect on global energy prices. Despite the announcements, U.S. diesel futures surged to a nearly $85 per barrel premium to WTI crude, the highest since October 2022. The U.S. also issued a general license authorizing certain deals involving Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, while a report said Vice President JD Vance and other key Trump administration officials plan to meet on Thursday with the American Petroleum Institute, the nation’s largest oil trade group. In Iraq, the North Oil Company said crude exports from Iraq's Kirkuk fields to Turkey's Ceyhan port have resumed via pipeline, after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to restart flows on Tuesday. Kirkuk crude exports would resume with an initial capacity of 250,000 bpd, the company said. Separately, Iraq's state oil company SOMO signed contracts with international carriers and buyers to export crude oil via Turkey, Jordan and Syria, the Iraqi state news agency said on Wednesday. "Iraq turning the taps back on comes at just the right time, when the world really needs more oil supplies. It also ramps up the pressure on Iran, making it harder for them to use oil as a bargaining chip," In the U.S., crude stocks rose while gasoline and distillate inventories fell last week, the Energy Information Administration said. Crude inventories rose by 6.2 million barrels to 449.3 million barrels in the week ended March 13, compared with market expectations for a rise of 383,000 barrels.
Oil surges 4% as Iran-Qatar energy hubs hit, fears of wider supply shock rise -- Crude oil prices surged over 4% on Thursday morning after fresh attacks on key energy infrastructure in West Asia heightened fears of a broader supply shock. The conflict’s shift toward targeting energy infrastructure has amplified fears of a prolonged supply shock, pushing oil prices higher and exposing import-dependent economies like India to fresh risks. At 6:20 AM, the April contract of Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange was trading at $111.78 per barrel, up 4.10% from its previous close. The April contract of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on NYMEX rose 3.37% to $99.57 per barrel. The spike follows Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field—the world’s largest—followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial city, a major global gas hub. South Pars is shared by Iran and Qatar (where it is known as the North Field), and any disruption there has immediate global implications. After Israel's strikes on the South Pars gas field, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said that attacks on energy infrastructure “constitutes a threat to global energy security”. Retaliation risk After threatening to target oil and gas facilities in the region, Iran later struck Ras Laffan, Qatar’s main gas facility. In a post on X, QatarEnergy said: “QatarEnergy confirms that Ras Laffan Industrial City this evening has been the subject of missile attacks. Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting fires, as extensive damage has been caused. All personnel have been accounted for and no casualties have been reported at this time.” Concerns remain that the conflict could now escalate further, with more energy infrastructure across West Asia likely to be targeted. QatarEnergy, which produces about 20% of the world’s gas, had already halted production earlier in the month after the Ras Laffan complex was hit initially in the war. In a bid to ease supply concerns and contain prices, the US on Wednesday issued a general licence authorizing certain transactions involving Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. However, analysts say such measures may offer only limited relief if disruptions in the Gulf intensify. The surge in oil prices carries significant implications for India, which imports nearly 90% of its crude oil requirements. Analysts estimate that every $1 per barrel increase in crude prices raises India’s import bill by roughly ₹16,000 crore annually, underscoring the macroeconomic risks of sustained high prices. The pressure is already visible in the ongoing LPG supply crunch, where disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz have tightened availability, forcing the government to prioritize household consumption and curb commercial usage.
Oil Prices Briefly Touch $120 as Energy Infrastructure Becomes a Target in Iran War - Brent crude spiked to nearly $120 a barrel Thursday morning before retreating, as the Iran conflict expanded to threaten major energy hubs across the Middle East. A drone struck a Saudi refinery, and President Trump issued a stark warning that the U.S. would destroy Iran’s South Pars gas field if Iran attacks Qatar. By late morning, Brent futures had pulled back to around $112, while West Texas Intermediate was trading near $98. The rally built on Wednesday’s gains, which came after Israeli warplanes struck gas-processing and petrochemical facilities connected to South Pars — the world’s largest natural gas reservoir. The strikes marked the first time Iran’s energy infrastructure has been directly hit in the conflict, a significant escalation. Trump took to Truth Social late Wednesday to distance the U.S. from the Israeli strikes, saying Washington had no advance knowledge of the attack. But he coupled that denial with an extraordinary threat, declaring that the U.S. would, with or without Israel’s participation, destroy the entirety of the South Pars field if Iran retaliates against Qatar. Iran responded by launching missiles at infrastructure across the region. QatarEnergy reported that multiple liquefied natural gas facilities were hit, with significant fires breaking out. The company said missile strikes had caused extensive damage at Ras Laffan Industrial City, one of the world’s most important LNG processing hubs. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry disclosed that a drone had struck the Samref refinery and that damage assessment was underway. Dutch TTF natural gas futures surged 17 percent on the Qatar strikes. Crude prices trimmed some of their gains after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that the administration was considering lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already in transit — roughly 140 million barrels — and could tap the strategic petroleum reserve as well. The WTI-Brent spread blew out to nearly $20 at one point in early trading, the widest gap since 2013 outside of the anomalous April 2020 session when WTI went negative. The divergence reflects traders pricing in far greater disruption risk for internationally-benchmarked crude, while American domestic supplies and potential export restrictions are capping WTI’s upside. The oil shock is compounding investor anxiety. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled Wednesday that the central bank is not inclined to treat the crude surge as a transitory supply-side event — a break from the traditional central-bank playbook on energy shocks. Stocks sold off hard on his remarks, and futures were lower again in Thursday’s premarket. Gasoline prices in the U.S. have soared, hitting an average national price of $3.88 a gallon on Thursday, a 32 percent increase from a month ago and 25 percent higher than one year ago. The highest state average is in California, where prices hit $5.64 on Thursday. Although West Texas Intermediate is the U.S. domestic benchmark for oil prices, U.S. gasoline prices more closely track Brent Crude.
Oil Slips From Near $120; US Mulls Iran Sanctions Waiver (DTN) -- Crude futures raced to nearly $120 bbl Thursday before retreating after the White House signaled it may ease sanctions on Iranian oil trade, and consider additional releases from U.S. strategic reserves to bolster global supplies affected by the Middle East conflict. Energy markets were on the edge earlier in the day from renewed drone attacks by Iran on the oil and gas infrastructure of its neighbors. Tehran struck the world's largest LNG complex, Ras Laffan, in Qatar; a gas field and oil production site in the UAE, two Kuwait refineries and another gas plant in Saudi Arabia. Those attacks came in response to Israel's strikes on Wednesday, March 18, on Iran's South Pars gas hub, which provides up to 80% of Iranian gas production. While none of the facilities targeted by Iran were destroyed, they added to the global strain on energy supplies, already in deficit from Iran's virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of world petroleum cargoes used to pass. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House had ways to tamp down oil prices that had risen at least 40% since U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Israel on Feb. 27 triggered a regional contagion. "The U.S. may unsanction Iranian oil on water in coming days," Bessent said, adding that another option would be more reserves release, on top of the 172 million bbl announced from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve last week. If confirmed, the sanctions waiver would be the first since 2018, when U.S. President Donald President Trump reintroduced an embargo on Iranian oil previously lifted by the Obama administration. Upon returning to office last year, Trump intensified targeting of Iranian energy to pressure Tehran into a new nuclear deal. A sanctions reprieve would also be a radical pivot by Washington to contain fallout from the three-week U.S.-Israel war against Iran. The White House already surprised energy markets last week by announcing a 60-day sanctions suspension for Russian oil already on water. Trump also issued a social media post late on Wednesday, telling Israel to cease attacks on Iranian gas and cautioning Tehran not to target Qatar's LNG. At Thursday's close, NYMEX WTI for April settled down $0.18 at $96.14 bbl, after a session high at $101.48 bbl. May Brent climbed $1.27 to $108.65 bbl, following an intraday peak at $119.11 bbl. The Iran war has boosted Brent's standing as global benchmark, pushing its premium over WTI to more than $16 bbl at one point during the session. Such a difference had not been seen since 2019. WTI has also lagged as data from U.S. Energy Information Administration showed domestic crude inventories rising 6.2 million bbl during the week ended March 13 to a near two-year high of 449.3 million bbl. Among refined products, April ULSD jumped $0.0917 to $4.2895 gallon by 3:00 p.m. EDT. RBOB gasoline dipped by $0.0326 to $3.0659 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index fell by 0.818 points to 99.055.
Ongoing Iran Conflict and Regional Strikes Lift the Oil Market -The oil market erased some of its sharp gains on Thursday and ended the session lower after President Donald Trump said he would not put troops anywhere when asked about moving forces toward Iran. He also added that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack oil and gas fields in Iran, a day after Israel struck facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars gas field. In overnight trading, the crude market was well supported by Iran’s retaliatory strikes against energy facilities across the Middle East. On Wednesday, QatarEnergy said Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan, the site of the country’s LNG plans caused extensive damage, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility. Saudi Arabia’s SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port of Yanbu was also targeted on Thursday. The crude market traded within Wednesday’s late session trading range and posted a high of $101.48 by mid-day. However, the market later erased some of its gains as President Trump made his comments about not putting troops on the ground. The oil market sold off to a low of $92.80 ahead of the close. The April WTI contract settled down 18 cents at $96.14, while the May Brent contract settled up $1.27 at $108.65. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 14.42 cents at $4.342 and the RB market settling up 2.86 cents at $3.1271. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of U.S.-Israeli air attacks. He said Israel acted alone in its strike against Iran’s South Pars gas field and added that President Donald Trump asked Israel to hold off on future such attacks.U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said the U.S. may soon remove sanctions from Iranian oil that is stranded on tankers to help lift global supplies and reduce prices. He said it’s about 140 million barrels of oil. He also stated that the U.S. could do another SPR release to keep oil prices down. He added that the U.S. Treasury is not intervening in the futures market. Later on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department, the United States has issued a new general license allowing the delivery and sale of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products loaded on tankers as of March 12th. The license, which expires on April 11th, replaces and supersedes a similar 30-day sanctions waiver issued on March 12th. The waiver excludes transactions involving North Korea, Cuba and Crimea.U.S. gasoline pump prices have increased more than 30% this month, moving toward $4/gallon despite efforts by President Donald Trump to curb price increases and contain supply disruptions stemming from the Middle East war. According to data from the American Automobile Association or AAA, U.S. national average retail gasoline prices have increased about 90 cents a gallon or more than 30%, since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February. The average pump price on Thursday was $3.88/gallon. GasBuddy analyst, Patrick De Haan, said “It now looks like gasoline will hit $4/gal next week and could head toward $4.10/gal and beyond.”The Environmental Protection Agency showed that the U.S. generated 1.14 billion ethanol blending credits in February, compared with about 1.22 billion in January. Credits generated from biodiesel blending increased to 480 million in February from 439 million in the prior month.
Oil prices fall amid discussions between the US and allies on efforts to increase supplies and open the Strait of Hormuz | УНН -- Oil prices fell by more than 1% on Friday, as the US outlined steps to resolve the oil supply crisis, while leading European countries, Japan, and Canada proposed joining forces to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, UNN reports with reference to Reuters. Brent crude futures for May delivery fell by $1.58, or 1.45%, to $107.07 per barrel at 12:20 GMT (14:20 Kyiv time). US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for April delivery, which expire on Friday, fell by $1.30, or 1.35%, to $94.84. The more liquid WTI crude futures contract for May delivery was $94.30, down $1.25, or 1.31%. At these levels, Brent crude was heading for a weekly gain of 3.8%, while next-month WTI crude was down about 3.9% from last Friday's close. On Wednesday, the WTI discount to Brent reached its largest level in 11 years. On Friday, Israel and Iran exchanged new attacks after an attack on an oil refinery in Kuwait. On Friday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that lifting oil sanctions on stranded Iranian cargoes transported by water would allow oil to be delivered to Asia within three to four days. He added that more oil is needed in Asia and the US is playing a role in a coordinated release from strategic reserves. The release will take place over the next few months, Wright said. His comments came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the US could soon lift sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers, and said that further releases of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve were possible. Also on Thursday, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan, in a joint statement, expressed their "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait." Analysts continue to believe that prices will remain high as long as movement through the strait, through which 20% of the world's oil and LNG passes, is disrupted. "The possibility of a quick reversal in energy prices is unlikely, as production has already been damaged," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. "In fact, tensions remain in the market." "As long as oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz remain constrained, the path of least resistance for oil prices, in my opinion, remains upward," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. International Energy Agency (IEA) head Fatih Birol warned that the restoration of oil and gas supplies from the Persian Gulf could take up to six months, and that policymakers and markets are underestimating the scale of the disruptions, he said in an interview with the Financial Times on Friday. Further supply disruptions are possible, as the Trump administration considers plans to occupy or blockade the Iranian island of Kharg to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Friday. On Thursday, Brent crude jumped above $119 a barrel, nearing its March 9 peak, after Iran responded to an Israeli attack on a major gas field by disabling 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas production capacity, causing damage that will take up to five years to repair. US President Donald Trump said he urged Israel not to repeat attacks on Iranian gas infrastructure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country acted alone in the attack, and that Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles.
WTI Eyes Weekly Loss, Brent Up Amid Iran War Volatility (DTN) -- Crude and fuel futures were mixed in choppy trading Friday morning, with WTI headed for its first weekly loss since February on U.S. efforts to boost domestic supplies even as global oil shipments remained in a flux from the three-week long Iran war. By 8:25 a.m. EDT, NYMEX WTI for April delivery slid $0.34 to $95.54 bbl, for a 0.2% decline on the day. For the week, the U.S. crude benchmark fell almost 2% for its first prospective decline in five weeks. ICE Brent for May delivery retreated $0.36 to $108.29 bbl for a dip of 0.2% on the day as well. For the week, the global crude benchmark remained up 5%. NYMEX ULSD futures for April delivery were up $0.0076 to $4.3496 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures advanced $0.0187 to $3.1458 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index strengthened by 0.165 points to 99.225 against a basket of foreign currencies. The Iran conflict has expanded to energy infrastructure previously spared after Israel on Wednesday attacked Iran's largest natural gas field. Iran has since in retaliation struck some of the largest gas production and processing facilities in the region. Front-month Brent had seen price fluctuations between $99.54 bbl and $119.13 bbl. The Brent-WTI spread jumped 40% in the initial days of the war when tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz came to a virtual standstill. The U.S. announcement to release 172 million bbl of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve sent the differential soaring, with WTI now trading at its largest discount to Brent since the western embargo on Russian oil imports in 2022. In an effort to rein in the rapid rise in oil prices, the U.S. last week temporarily waived sanctions on Russian oil and earlier this week suspended the Jones Act for 60 days, effectively opening the door to domestic fuel shipments via tankers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday even floated the idea of suspending sanctions on Iranian oil trade which were instated during President Trump's first term. IEA member nations are set to release hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from their strategic reserves in the coming weeks, and major naval powers on Thursday issued a joint statement expressing their readiness to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. For now, Iran remains in control over the globe's largest oil chokepoint amid an expanding war in the world's largest oil producing region.
Oil tops $112 after Iraq declares force majeure due to Iran war - Crude prices topped $112 on Friday after Iraq declared a force majeure at all oilfields operated by foreign companies and drones struck two refineries in Kuwait. International benchmark Brent crude futures rose 3.26%, or $3.54, to close at $112.19 per barrel. U.S. crude oil gained 2.27%, or $2.18, to settle at $98.32 per barrel. Iraq oil ministry sources told Reuters that Baghdad had declared the force majeure because it cannot ship crude through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait has plunged due to attacks by Iran. Drones also struck the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries in Kuwait on Thursday. The attack on the Mina Al Ahmadi refinery resulted in a fire in several units, prompting a precautionary shutdown of some parts of the facility, according to the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Saudi oil officials expect crude prices could climb above $180 a barrel if Iran war disruptions last through late April, the Wall Street Journal reported. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington may soon lift sanctions on Iranian crude stored aboard tankers — a move aimed at easing price pressures following Iran’s closure of the Strait. “In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that’s on the water, about 140 million barrels,” Bessent told Fox Business Network. He said bringing the sanctioned Iranian crude back into global markets would help cap prices over the next 10 to 14 days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told reporters that Israel is assisting U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to wire reports. He added that Iran no longer has the capability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles, adding that the war could end sooner than many expect. Citi said the Iran conflict has driven a sharp rally across oil and related commodities, prompting it to lift its near-term price outlook. The bank now expects Brent and WTI to climb to $120 per barrel over the next one to three months, and to $150 per barrel in a bull-case scenario if disruptions intensify. Still, its base case assumes de-escalation within four to six weeks, which would allow Brent to ease back to $70–$80 by year-end. At the same time, key crude spreads have widened sharply, with Citi raising its Brent-WTI forecasts to reflect elevated freight costs and strong U.S. Gulf Coast demand for inland barrels.
U.S. allows 30-day sale of Iran oil at sea in bid to tame prices - The Trump administration waived sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil at sea for 30 days on Friday in its latest attempt to ease oil prices that have been driven up by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The waiver will bring some 140 million barrels of oil to global markets and help relieve pressure on energy supply, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X. The move reflects White House worries that the surge in oil prices after nearly three weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran will hurt U.S. businesses and consumers ahead of the November midterm elections, when President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans hope to retain control of Congress. Third sanctions waiver during Iran war The license, posted to the Treasury Department’s website after market hours, says Iranian oil can be imported into the United States under the waiver when necessary to complete its sale or delivery. The U.S. has not meaningfully imported Iranian oil since Washington imposed measures after the 1979 revolution. It was unclear whether any Iranian oil would enter the country as a result of the waiver. Cuba, North Korea, and Crimea are among the regions excluded from the license, which will remain in effect until April 19. The move is expected to benefit China, the top buyer of Iranian oil. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said supplies could reach Asia within three or four days and hit the market after being refined over the next month and a half. It was the third time the Treasury Department had temporarily waived sanctions on oil from U.S. adversaries in just over two weeks. The moves are part of the administration’s attempts to tame energy prices, which have soared above $100 a barrel to their highest levels since 2022. The U.S. previously eased sanctions on Russian oil and on Friday issued a general license allowing the sale of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels by Friday. “In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep the price down as we continue Operation Epic Fury,” Bessent said. Bessent had telegraphed the move in an interview with Fox Business on Thursday, saying that the release of sanctioned Iranian oil into global supplies would help keep oil prices down for 10 to 14 days. He said on Friday that Iran will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated by the move and Washington will maintain maximum pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system. ‘Running out of options’ Oil prices have jumped about 50% since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Feb. 28. Tehran has responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases. Vital energy infrastructure in Iran and neighboring Gulf states has been attacked, and Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. In its effort to tame oil prices, the Trump administration on Wednesday announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act shipping law, temporarily allowing foreign-flagged vessels to move fuel, fertilizer and other goods between U.S. ports. Energy analysts, including Brent Erickson, a managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, have said the administration’s efforts to control prices will not have a meaningful impact until the strait is opened to vessels. “The easing of sanctions raises concerns about the rapid depletion of Washington’s economic toolkit,” to dampen oil prices, Erickson said. “If we’ve reached the point of loosening sanctions on the country we are at war with, we’re really running out of options.” The U.S. issued a 30-day waiver for countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil stranded at sea, effective March 5, specifically for India to buy Russian oil. Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a nonprofit research institute considered hawkish on Iran, praised the decision. “We’ve worked on sanctioning Iran’s oil industry for years. This is a smart move ... to help win the fight against the regime,” Dubowitz said on X.
Iran Is Forcing The World To Care About US-Israeli Warmongering -- Caitlin Johnstone - Westerners are about to start paying a lot more attention to the war in Iran as massive US-Israeli escalations point to a coming energy crisis set to impact the whole world. Israel has bombed the world’s largest natural gas field in southwestern Iran, reportedly in coordination with the United States. Now that a major red line for Tehran has been crossed, retaliatory strikes have already begun pummeling the energy infrastructure of US allies in the region, with Qatar reporting that its primary gas facility has sustained “significant damage” from an attack after Iran issued evacuation warnings for energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Fuel prices are already surging. If middle eastern energy infrastructure starts taking extensive damage on top of the already hugely significant Iranian blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, this war could end up affecting virtually every corner of human civilization in one way or another. Westerners are largely apathetic about US military explosives landing on populations on other continents. But once it starts having a direct impact on their personal bank accounts, you can expect them to get a lot more interested in US foreign policy. This war has been a bit odd for me because as an anti-imperialist peacemonger I’m not yet entirely sure what my role is in my commentary here. Normally I’d be begging westerners to care about another horrific act by the US war machine, but as things stand it looks like westerners are going to be forced to care about this one whether they want to or not. Normally I’d be writing furiously about how people should not support this war, but the war has exceptionally low public support already. Normally I’d be writing about how the mass media are churning out war propaganda to manufacture consent for more US military butchery, but the mass media keep putting out stories about how the US government is lying about a war that should never have happened while Trump administration figures have public tantrums about how the media isn’t churning out war propaganda for them. President Trump is on social media babbling about how news outlets “should be brought up on Charges for TREASON” for not reporting on an embarrassing story about a US aircraft carrier fire the way he wants, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave one of his fire-and-brimstone podium sermons bitching about how “an actual patriotic press” would be framing this war in a more positive light. What am I supposed to do with this? Where does that leave dissident fringesters like myself? All I can do is clear my throat and sheepishly go “Uh, yeah, I uh… agree with CNN.” With Ukraine the mass media fell all over themselves to hide the west’s role in provoking the conflict, framing Putin as an evil maniacal Hitler figure who just spontaneously flipped out and invaded a country on Russia’s border because he hates freedom. With Gaza the western press gave nonstop narrative cover to Israel’s genocidal atrocities, constantly dragging public attention into an endless conversation about antisemitism and Jewish feelings whenever opposition to the slaughter got too hot. That’s just not happening with Iran. It’s the first US war I’ve ever seen where a big chunk of the imperial power structure just refuses to get on board. The media’s not playing along, US allies are telling Trump to get stuffed when he asks for military assistance with the Strait of Hormuz, and the public’s not buying the lies.This is a frightening time to be alive — but you can’t say we’re in a period of stasis. Things are moving faster and faster. They might get a whole lot worse. They might get a whole lot better. They might get a whole lot worse and then get a whole lot better. But it seems a safe bet that the situation won’t remain the same.
Saudi Arabia predicts oil prices to reach up to $180 past April - Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, petroleum executives in Saudi Arabia are desperate to determine the upper limit of oil prices. Prices might reach a level that triggers a recession or a change in consumer behavior, whichever the situation demands.According to reports from the NY Posts, the oil officials in the Gulf region are not in much pleasure with what they are seeing in matters related to energy supplies that are not ending soon. The oil officials in Saudi Arabia predict that the prices could soar past $180 a barrel following the continued disruptions that might persist until late April.Such a hike would be a massive profit for oil-exporting countries, and increasing oil revenues would give a boost to such countries’ economies. However, such devastating disparity could also lead global consumers to reduce the use of oil and trigger a recession. Officials told the Wall Street Journal that they predict that Saudi Arabia will be the profiteer of the war it didn’t start.Brent crude reached $111 on March 19 due to the continuation of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockage disrupted the supply of millions of barrels. Pursued attacks on major energy infrastructures in the Middle East are threatening to keep prices soaring for a longer period of time, possibly even if the conflict ends soon.Although the US is termed to be the largest oil producer worldwide, it is at risk of a global energy shock. Goldman Sachs analysts warned the prolonged attacks on the Middle East oil fields could push the Atlantic basic benchmark, Brent Crude, above its benchmark of $147 set in 2008.“The persistence of several prior large supply shocks underscores the risk that oil prices may stay above $100 for longer in risk scenarios with lengthier disruptions and large persistent supply losses,” the analysts highlighted.After the strike at Iran’s South Pars gas field on March 18, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted President Trump’s idea of not repeating attacks. However, Tehran retaliated with air strikes on key energy facilities of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, including attacks on ships in the Gulf. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said there is “a very good chance” that gasoline prices will be back below $3 by the summer, and oil experts suggest oil prices will quickly revert to previous levels after temporary supply interruptions. Nevertheless, Wright also warned there are “no guarantees in wars at all,” as analysts have proposed on extended supply disruptions, citing the longer conflict and severe damage from attacks on energy hubs.As it stands, there is no clear sight of the end to the war. The Strait of Hormuz has been completely closed for 20 days, marking the largest-ever energy supply disruption. The International Energy Agency has requested households, businesses and governments to shift to working from home, vehicle sharing and flying less often to restrain soaring prices.According to the Financial Times, the head of the International Energy Agency highlighted that it could take six months or longer to fully restore oil and gas flows through the Gulf. “The market isn’t acting like this is an end-of-March thing anymore,” Rebecca Babin, senior energy trader for CIBC Private Wealth, said.“I don’t think $150 is out of the question in another month…You start talking about June, I’ll give you $180.” An Iranian military spokesperson reportedly warned that the price of oil could reach up to $200 a barrel. Wright has clarified that Americans need not “pay no attention to what Iran says.”US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that rising energy costs could result in higher inflation. “The net of the oil shock will still be some downward pressure on spending and employment and upward pressure on inflation,” Powell said. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%, citing uncertainty on the ongoing war.
US- and Greek-owned tankers ablaze after Iran claims ‘underwater drone’ strike in Iraqi waters :: Lloyd's List -- IRAN has claimed responsibility for an attack on two oil tankers anchored in Iraqi territorial waters, as conflicts in the region continue to escalate and strikes on commercial shipping spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz.Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil identified the two vessels as the 73,976 dwt crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu (IMO: 9327009) and the 50,155 dwt combined chemical and oil tanker Zefyros (IMO: 9515917).According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data, Safesea Vishnu is beneficially owned by US-based Safesea Group, while Zefyros is beneficially owned by Greece’s George & Vassilis Michael family group of companies.Both were struck by what Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB described as an “underwater drone attack” on the evening of March 11, while anchored about five nautical miles south of Basrah.At least one crew member is confirmed dead. Iraqi authorities reported that 38 crew members of foreign nationalities were rescued from the two vessels, though details on injuries and the identity of the deceased have not been released.Verified footage shows both tankers ablaze, with flames spreading on to the surrounding water — likely the result of an oil spill, though no environmental impact had been officially confirmed at the time of writing.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received third-party reports of the incident and advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.An Iraqi security source in Basra initially reported that an Iranian boat rigged with explosives was believed to have struck the vessels, with an investigation ongoing. Iraqi officials described the incident as a violation of national sovereignty, noting it occurred within Iraqi territorial waters. Operations at nearby oil ports have been temporarily suspended following the attack. Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data showed both vessels anchored alongside each other near the Basrah Oil Terminal at the time of the incident. The attack follows strikes on three vessels in the Middle East Gulf on March 10, when two bulkers and a containership were hit, leaving three seafarers missing.Shortly after the attacks off Iraq, a containership was hit by an unidentified projectile on the same day off the coast of Jebel Ali, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.Liberia-flagged, Maersk operated containership Source Blessing (IMO: 9243198) was the target of the unknown projectile while it was sailing approximately 35 nm north of Jebel Ali, UAE, at 0219 hrs.The ship’s master reported a small fire on board in the engine room caused by the strike, but due to darkness, it was not immediately possible to assess the extent of the damage.All crew members were reported safe, and no environmental impact has been reported, according to the UKMTO.Source Blessing passed the Strait of Hormuz one day before the war started and loaded cargo at Hamad port in Qatar. Since then it was sailing between anchorages off Qatar and the UAE, presumably waiting for a safe passage from the chokepoint back to the Gulf of Oman.Since the conflict began on February 28, at least 13 cargo carrying vessels have now been attacked in the region, with casualties continuing to mount and the shipping industry increasingly exposed to the widening war.
UK Allows US To Use British Bases for Strikes on Iran - The UK government is allowing American forces to use British air bases for attacks on Iran, with officials saying the bases could now be used for operations in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.On Friday, Downing Street said officials had “approved an expansion of the targets to help protect ships in the strait,” according to the BBC, adding that the decision was an act of “collective self-defence.”While London had previously allowed Washington to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for “defensive operations” that stopped Iranian missiles from striking British interests, the latest move is aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the global oil supply passes each year. Tehran has effectively closed the strait to US and allied vessels in retaliation for the American-Israeli bombing campaign launched late last month.Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi slammed the decision, saying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “putting British lives in danger.”“[The] vast majority of the British People do not want any part in the Israel-US war of choice on Iran,” the FM wrote on X. “Ignoring his own People, Mr. Starmer is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran. Iran will exercise its right to self-defense.”US President Donald Trump was also critical of London for failing to grant permission sooner, saying “they should have acted a lot faster.”
US military drops 5,000-pound deep-penetrator bombs near Strait of Hormuz -The U.S. military dropped multiple 5,000-pound deep-penetrator bombs on “hardened” Iranian anti-ship missile sites on Tuesday along the country’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. “The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said. The employment of the munitions, known as Coastal Defense Cruise Missiles, comes as the Iranian military has attacked ships in the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply flows. Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, previously said the strait would remain closed off in response to the airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel, a joint operation that kicked off on Feb. 28. Since the war began, gas prices have gone up in the U.S. and around the world due to disruptions in oil markets. Iran’s ability to launch low-cost drones, lay sea mines and fire anti-ship cruise missiles are some of the reasons why U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere are hesitant to attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an Iran hawk and a close ally of President Trump, hammered European allies over their reluctance to send military assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening “wide and deep” repercussions for alliances. Trump said Wednesday morning that wonders what would happen if the U.S. military “finished off what is “left of the Iranian Terror State and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called “Strait?’ “That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast,” the president wrote on Truth Social. The bombs used were GBU-72 Advanced Penetrators, an U.S. official told CNN, munitions that were utilized by U.S. aircraft in 2021. “The GBU-72 was developed to overcome hardened, deeply buried target challenges and designed for both fighter and bomber aircraft,” the Air Force said in 2021.
Pakistan Oil Tanker Transits Hormuz - A tanker laden with crude oil appears to have cleared the Strait of Hormuz and is now sailing to Pakistan, according to ship-tracking data, making it the latest in just a trickle of vessels that have left the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began. The Karachi, controlled by Pakistan’s National Shipping Corp., made the perilous journey over the course of Sunday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. By Monday morning, the Pakistan-flagged Aframax was seen in the waters off Oman’s Sohar. The ship sailed from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates last month and picked up a cargo from inside the Persian Gulf a few days later, the data show. A spokesperson for Pakistan National Shipping Corp. said Karachi left the port of Fujairah on Feb. 25 and is in the open seas. It will arrive in Pakistan on March 18, they added. The Karachi made the journey to exit the Strait of Hormuz over Sunday. The straight lines in the left of this image suggest that its geolocation signals have been affected by electronic interference. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been all but halted since the war in the Middle East began last month. Traders have been closely watching vessels that make their way through the waterway as they try to gauge how many barrels can still make their way through the chokepoint, which typically handles about a fifth of the world’s oil. The 2022-built Karachi made its way across Hormuz and around Iran’s Larak Island, the vessel-tracking data show. It then proceeded eastbound close to Iran’s coastline, before leaving the strait Sunday evening. Other ships leaving the strait also appear to have taken a route on the Iranian side of Hormuz. The Karachi most recently loaded crude at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, according to ship-tracking data. Draft readings indicate that the ship isn’t fully laden.
Russia Evacuates Hundreds Of Its Specialists From Iran's Nuclear Bushehr Complex After Missile Strike - Russia has lodged formal protest with Israel following its reported strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility, angrily warning that the attacks directly endangered Russian personnel on the ground. Israeli and Russian media have confirmed that Moscow issued a sharp condemnation and warnings of a red line after Israeli forces reportedly hit the grounds of the nuclear power plant where Russian specialists are stationed. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had also earlier provided independent verification that a missile struck the Bushehr complex on Tuesday evening, although no damage to the plant or injuries to staff were reported. The Kremlin made clear to Israel that Russian nationals working in and around the facility were put at risk. Russian state media described the communication delivered to Israel via the Russian embassy "official demands" - which indicates a formal escalation in diplomatic pressure. Even more provocative is that reports indicate Israeli strikes may have directly targeted residential quarters housing a Russian nuclear expert. According to TASS: "Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev specified that the strike had hit the area near the office of the facility’s meteorological service, in close proximity to an operating power unit, at 3:11 p.m. GMT on March 17." It was the first such known strike on an Iranian nuclear plant since Trump's Operation Epic Fury began. The Rosatom chief has indicated that several rounds of personnel evaluation from the Bushehr NPP are underway. There were many hundreds of Russian scientists, personnel, and technicians at the site. He indicated about 480 Russian nationals remain at the site. "Attacks on nuclear facilities blatantly violate the key rules and principles of international security," Likhachev emphasized.
Iran's foreign minister condemns latest Israeli strikes, vows retaliation - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned recent Israeli strikes that killed several Iranian leaders on Wednesday. “What is unfolding before our eyes is not hypocrisy,” the Iranian official wrote in a statement posted on the social platform X. “Hypocrisy implies shame,” he continued. “This is something colder: a calculated moral collapse—where rules exist only for adversaries, and impunity is reserved for allies.” The Iranian regime vowed retaliation after Israeli strikes this week killed Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib and the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani. Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, expressed “deep sorrow” for the death of Larijani and threatened a military response. “Let the adversaries of Islam know that shedding the blood of such people at the foot of the mighty tree of the Islamic system will only make it stronger,” he wrote on X. “And surely, every drop of blood has its due retribution that the criminal murderers of these martyrs will soon have to pay.” The Iranian military has launched retaliatory strikes on military bases and oil refineries in the Gulf states after the U.S. and Israel initiated a joint attack on the country at the end of February. Araghchi called on foreign leaders to hold Israel accountable for its actions, accusing the country’s leadership of having “no regard for the repercussions of the normalization of its heinous methods of terror.”
Iran "Starts New Phase Of Oil War" After Energy Production Hit -Crude oil futures rose in overnight trading, with Brent nearly reaching $105 per barrel and WTI climbing as high as $98.42 per barrel, as Iran intensified drone strikes on energy infrastructure across the Gulf. "Further ominous developments today. For the first time, Iran successfully targeted oil and gas production facilities, rather than refining, terminals, and storage," Bloomberg Opinion and commodities columnist Javier Blas wrote on X. Blas listed the IRGC's attacks on Gulf oil and gas facilities:
- Oil and gas field in the UAE (Shah) hit
- Oil field in Iraq (Majnoon) attacked
- Plus Saudi Arabia saw large drone swarms
He explained that these attacks suggest "Iran has started a new phase of its oil war" against Gulf states aligned with the US. "Tehran is clearly going after the Strait of Hormuz bypass route, with Fujairah (UAE) coming under attack. But so far, the Saudi pipeline bypass hasn't been attacked, and neither the Yemeni Houthis have tried to close the Red Sea," Blas said. The continued bombardment of Gulf energy infrastructure by IRGC forces entered its third week, with the Strait of Hormuz mostly paralyzed. Brent crude has jumped more than 40% since the start of Operation Epic Fury in late February, but out-of-control spikes in crude markets have largely been capped so far by the IEA's 32-nation "historic" emergency SPR release. To begin the week, the Trump administration showed urgency to reopen the critical maritime chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC's Squawk Box on Monday morning that the US is deliberately "allowing Iranian oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz" and is "fine" with some Indian and Chinese ships moving through "for now… to supply the rest of the world." Bessent highlighted "more and more of the fuel ships start[ing] to go through" and a possible "natural opening" the Iranians are permitting, a tactical concession to stabilize global supply while full escorts remain "militarily" off the table for now.
Iran's Top National Security Official Killed by Israeli Strike - News From Antiwar.com Iran on Tuesday confirmed that Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was killed by an overnight Israeli strike, the most significant Iranian leader to be assassinated since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the war. “After a lifetime of striving for the elevation of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, he finally reached his long-cherished wish, answered the call of truth, and proudly attained the blessed rank of martyrdom in the service front,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement carried by Iran’s Mehr news agency.Iran’s PressTV reported that Larijani was killed alongside his son, Morteza Larijani, and the head of his office, Alireza Bayat, as well as several bodyguards.Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Larijani and Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps volunteer Basij force, were “eliminated” by overnight Israeli strikes. Iran has also confirmed that Soleimani was killed. The killing of two senior Iranian officials has not slowed Iran’s military operations, as drone and missile attacks continued across the region following the assassinations.
UN Rights Office Warns Israeli Attacks on Lebanon May Amount to War Crimes - - The UN Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights is warning that Israel’s deliberate attacks on civilian targets across Lebanon may amount to war crimes, because international law demands a distinction between military and civilian targets. Since Israel started its new war against Lebanon on March 2, at least 912 people have been killed, including 111 children. Thousands more have been wounded and well over a million civilians have been displaced by various Israeli evacuation orders. While Israel has made much of targeting “Hezbollah” sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, a lot of the strikes are aiming for residential areas, or targeting hospitals and ambulances. Displaced civilians have also found themselves targets in strikes, with Israeli planes attacking the tents of civilians who relocated to Beirut’s coastline. Israeli officials have been indicating that an increasing grim humanitarian crisis will be unfolding with their new war, with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz suggesting Shi’ites won’t be allowed to return to their homes in southern Lebanon until Israel is satisfied the situation in northern Israel is entirely secure. That’s illegal displacement of populations and religious discrimination, but relatively tame compared to a week prior when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed to see the suburbs of Beirut looking like the Gaza Strip, which UN officials similarly said was an “unacceptable” threat. Since Israel notoriously is facing war crimes charges related to its ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, threatening to replicate those crimes in Lebanon is a particularly sensitive issue. Conspicuous targeting of civilians within Lebanon only compounds those concerns.
Israel Launches Ground Invasion of Lebanon - While Israel never actually ended the occupation that they launched in 2024, they’ve expanded their attacks in southern Lebanon today to the point that they are declaring it a new “limited” ground invasion of the neighboring country. Airstrikes and ground clashes were reported around the city of Khiam, and Israeli ground troops have reportedly been expelling civilians from more areas in the new theater of operations. The IDF has a standing evacuation order for the entire south of Lebanon south of the Litani River, which encompasses multiple cities and hundreds of thousands of residents. Khiam is located on a hilltop overlooking Upper Galilee in southern Lebanon, and was a major hub for the Israeli occupation in the past, as well as a common site of resistance against Israeli presence in the country in decades past. Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that the military operation was aimed at Lebanon’s Shi’ite minority, declaring that Shi’ites displaced south of the Litani River as well as those displaced in Beirut would not be allowed to return to their homes until he is confident that the safety of people in northern Israel is assured. Former IDF chief and opposition MP Benny Gantz endorsed Katz’s position, albeit without sectarian limitations. Gantz argued that all of Lebanon should be forcibly evacuated “until there is an alternative option.” While broad, open-ended evacuation orders were already of dubious legality under international law the specific prohibition on Shi’ites being allowed to return to their homes is a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and likely multiple crimes under the Rome Statute.Since the Israeli War on Lebanon began two weeks ago, at least 886 people have been killed, including 111 children. 38 of the slain were also health workers. The number of wounded is at 2,141. Over a million people are believed to have been displaced so far, though exact figures are difficult to reckon.
Israel begins its long-planned ground invasion of Lebanon - Israel’s US-backed war against Lebanon has entered a new and bloody stage with the start of a long-prepared ground invasion conducted under the umbrella of the widening imperialist war against Iran. Humanitarian and press reports confirm that Israel has moved from intensive air and artillery strikes into ground operations across southern Lebanon, expanding beyond the cross-border attacks it has conducted since late 2024. A humanitarian briefing from Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS) on March 4 reports that Israel “initiated a military operation within Lebanese borders” on March 1, 2026, concentrating on southern Lebanon and deploying ground troops beyond at least five positions it has occupied since November 2024. TRT World, citing Reuters and Lebanese sources, has reported that Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly authorized incursions into Lebanon and stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the army “to advance and take control of additional strategic positions in Lebanon in order to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities.” As the offensive escalated, Axios reported that Israeli officials are planning a large-scale invasion to seize the entire area south of the Litani River—roughly the southern third of Lebanon—based on the claim that it intends to “dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.” Axios described the incursion as the largest operation in Lebanon since 2006. However, one senior Israeli official, quoted in that report, bluntly stated, “We are going to do what we did in Gaza,” explaining that the goal is “to take over territory, push Hezbollah’s forces north and away from the border, and dismantle its military positions and weapons depots in the villages.” This statement makes clear that the invasion of Lebanon is not a limited border security action but a planned occupation of Lebanese territory combined with the systematic destruction of entire towns and villages and the murder of civilians modeled on the genocidal campaign in Gaza over the past 29 months. The same propaganda used during the barbaric destruction of Gaza—claims that “terror tunnels,” “human shields” and the “violence” of Hamas was the reason for the Israeli slaughter of more 70,000 Palestinians—is now being reproduced almost verbatim to justify the onslaught against Lebanon with Hezbollah being held responsible this time. Israeli political and military leaders are presenting the offensive as a defensive necessity to protect “border communities” and assure the “safe return” of Israelis to the north, just like they invoked “security” and “returning residents to the south” to justify the leveling of Gaza. The Axios account makes explicit that the objective is to transform the region south of the Litani into a demilitarized cordon under Israeli control. The Zionist regime is tearing up the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war and required Israel’s withdrawal while placing limits on Hezbollah’s presence in the south. For years, Israeli officials, think-tank strategists and retired generals have argued for a renewed “security zone” in Lebanon, closely resembling the occupation regime Israel maintained through its proxy South Lebanon Army from 1978 until its formal withdrawal in 2000. The declared strategy of “what we did in Gaza” exposes the propaganda about “precision” targeting of “terror infrastructure” as a fraud. Israel is using mass bombardment and the depopulation of broad swaths of Lebanese territory to create a buffer zone for Israel and a strategic staging ground in the broader war against Iran.
WHO Condemns Israeli Attacks on Lebanese Health Care Workers That Have Killed at Least 31 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a statement condemning the trend of Israeli forces deliberately targeting Lebanese health care workers in the ongoing war against southern Lebanon, calling it a “tragic development” in the escalating crisis.A late Friday attack on a hospital in the border village of Burj Qalawiyeh left at least 17 medical staff dead and a number of others wounded. This was one of the most flagrant incidents, but is part of a growing trend, with the Lebanese Health Ministry reporting that 37 distinct Israeli strikes on health care workers in the country had left at least 31 workers killed and 51 others wounded. The Israeli narrative is, as ever, “Hezbollah.” Though they offered no evidence to support the assertion, the IDF is claiming that Hezbollah is in some way using ambulances for military operations in resistance of the ongoing Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee threatened to see Israel act “in accordance with international law,” by which he meant attacking ambulances and killing health care workers. The threats, of course, are largely just narrative because Israel already was attacking ambulances and killing healthcare workers, and is just trying to manufacture a pretext whereby it isn’t a gross violation of international law.Though no evidence is available of Hezbollah using ambulances to carry out military attacks, there is actually substantial evidence of the IDF using ambulances themselves to carry out ground raids against Hezbollah, with a large raid against Hezbollah in Nabi Chit involving IDF commandos in Lebanese ambulances.Attacking ambulances and killing health care workers is, of course, illegal under international humanitarian law. Though there are some situations whereby specific ambulances can lose protected status, the blanket targeting of an entire nations ambulance stock on the notion that some of them might secretly be in league with Hezbollah is plainly not allowed. Moreover, the use of ambulances to disguise military forces, as Israel specifically did in Nabi Chit, is itself a violation of international law.
Lebanon Death Toll Passes 1,000, Amnesty Says Israel Must Stop Attacking Hospitals - Since Israel started its “new” war against Lebanon at the beginning of the month, over 1,000 people have been killed. The formal numbers from the Lebanese Health Ministry say that includes 79 women, 118 children, and at least 40 healthcare workers.The healthcare workers are a growing problem, as Amnesty International issued a new report today calling on Israel to stop deliberately attacking hospitals and ambulances, noting that the IDF claims them to be used for military purposes but provides no evidence that this is actually the case.“Israel is deploying the same deadly playbook it used in 2024 in Lebanon to kill dozens of health workers and devastate healthcare services,” noted Amnesty’s Kristine Beckerle, adding that Israel never properly investigated such violations during the previous war, and now is right back to doing the same thing in the current conflict. The WHO had similarly issued a statement a few days ago faulting Israel for deliberate attacks on hospitals and ambulances, after a Friday attack on a hospital in Burj Qalawiyeh left 17 staff members dead. While that remains the largest single incident against a hospital of the current war, it is by no means the only one, and there is no indication that the strikes are slowing down. With well over a million civilians now displaced by the Israeli invasion, key humanitarian organizer Marwan Sehnaoui warns that Lebanon is facing an increasingly catastrophic situation, noting that 20% of the population is now displaced but there isn’t a clear answer for where to put them all since the attacks are hitting effectively the whole country. The IDF has ordered the entire population out of the area south of the Litani River, and subsequently urged evacuation north of the Zahrani River, indicating yesterday that they intended to start blowing up bridges across the Litani. Further evacuation orders are in place in several other areas, including suburbs of Beirut.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says that the plan is they are satisfied the situation in northern Israel is fully secure. Open-ended displacement of a civilian population and discrimination based on religion for who is allowed to return both amount to significant crimes under international law. Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam says the country didn’t seek to get dragged into the regional war and that they are ready for negotiations at any time, believing the US to be the key to getting such talks going. Israel, however, has reportedly refused negotiations, and the US is reportedly trying to convince Syria to invade Lebanon as well.
Zelenskyy decries ‘blackmail’ by Europe over Druzhba oil pipeline - - Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described European allies’ attitude over the Druzhba oil pipeline as “blackmail.” In remarks made public Sunday, the Ukrainian leader criticized European pressure to allow oil to flow through the pipeline, which connects producer country Russia to Europe by way of Ukraine. The pipeline has been offline since January after a Russian attack and has been at the center of a bitter row between Ukraine and Hungary. Advertisement Budapest has accused Kyiv of deliberately blocking progress on repairing the infrastructure in order to engineer an energy crisis in the Hungary. In response, Hungarian Prime Viktor Orbán has been blocking the release of a €90 billion tranche of EU funding for Ukraine needed to keep the war-torn country financially afloat.
Stocks tumble, bond yields jump as Iran war fuels central bank reassessment (Reuters) - Global shares slumped for a third straight session and were poised for a third consecutive weekly decline on Friday, while bond yields climbed on fears the Iran war would keep upward pressure on oil prices and spark inflation. Iran attacked an oil refinery in Kuwait on Friday and Israel killed a spokesman of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, while three U.S. officials told Reuters that thousands of additional U.S. troops will be deployed to the Middle East. Iraq declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies, as military operations in the region have disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, preventing most of the country's crude exports from moving, oil ministry sources said. On Wall Street, U.S. stocks closed sharply lower, with the S&P 500 energy index and financials the only sectors in positive territory. The S&P 500 energy index closed up 2.8% on the week, its 13th straight weekly gain and longest since at least the late 1980s, according to LSEG data. Global bond yields have moved higher, after policy announcements from multiple central banks this week indicated that interest rates were likely to either be on hold, or could potentially move higher should the war keep pressure on prices. Shows rates The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes shot up 10.1 basis points to 4.384% and was set for its third straight weekly gain. The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Fed, gained 6.1 basis points to 3.894%, and was on pace for its largest three-session jump since April as markets begin to price in the possibility of rate hikes from the central bank this year. Markets are now pricing in an increase in rates of about 4 basis points this year, after pricing in about 50 basis points worth of cuts in recent weeks. "There is some belief that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates this year due to rising inflationary pressures, although I think that would be quite asinine because this is not a demand issue," "This is a supply issue ... you need to get the Strait of Hormuz opened up and you need to get oil flowing, and that would relieve the pressure on oil prices." MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe tumbled 13.79 points, or 1.39%, to 981.37 and is down more than 7% over the past three weeks, its biggest three-week drop in nearly a year. The pan-European STOXX 600 dropped 1.78% and suffered its third straight week of declines. Major global brokerages see a higher likelihood of the European Central Bank and Bank of England delivering rate hikes, potentially as early as April, after policymakers warned that the Middle East war is driving renewed inflation risks. Euro zone government bond yields rose for a third day in a row, while the British 10-year gilt yield soared to its highest since July 2008 at 5.022%. It was last up 14.7 basis points to 4.995%. Germany's two-year yield , which is up around 55 basis points for the month, was last up 10.2 bps at 2.668%. U.S. crude rose 2.27% to settle at $98.84 a barrel and Brent rose to settle at $112.19 per barrel, up 3.26% in choppy trade, their highest settlement prices since July 2022. Crude was lower earlier in the day after the U.S. outlined moves to manage the oil supply crisis, while leading European nations, Japan and Canada offered to join efforts to secure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Natural gas prices have also surged, with those in Europe rocketing as much as 35% on Thursday, as Iranian and Israeli strikes hit some of the Middle East's most important gas infrastructure. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, gained 0.29% to 99.58, with the euro down 0.26% at $1.1558. The greenback was still poised for its first weekly decline in three, down about 0.9% on the week. Two Fed officials said the war and its impact on energy markets were clouding the outlook for the economy and monetary policy, as one policymaker laid out an outlook calling for notably more interest rate cuts than most U.S. central bank officials currently support.
German Chancellor Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Carney attend massive NATO exercise for war with Russia in Arctic -Over 32,000 troops from 14 NATO member states are currently exercising in Norway and Finland to create the conditions for the opening of a northern front in a war with Russia. The biennial military operation was visited Friday by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, underscoring the importance attached by the imperialist powers to war readiness in the Arctic.The “Cold Response” exercise includes land, sea and air operations across northern Norway, Finland, and Sweden. About 25,000 troops are engaged in operations on Norwegian territory and off the coast from March 9 to 19. A further 7,500 troops are operating in northern Finland, while air operations take place across all three Nordic countries. The largest contingent of troops, at close to 4,000, comes from the US, but all of the major European powers have also sent substantial numbers.The region is on the frontline of NATO’s aggressive military pressure on Russia. Finland has a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia, while Norway has a shorter 200-kilometre frontier. Moreover, Norway’s coastline provides direct access to key naval passages for Russian commercial and military shipping to reach the open ocean.The exercise occurs amid a massive militarisation across the entire Arctic region, as the imperialist powers and smaller states jostle for advantage in a strategically crucial region for trade, energy resources and waging war. While Cold Response and other exercises are ostensibly aimed at Russia, tensions are sharpening among the European and North American imperialists. This is reflected in the fact that Cold Response is part of NATO’s larger Arctic Sentry, an operation launched in January in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to use military force to seize control of Greenland from Denmark. Trump and his fascist advisers view control over Greenland as essential within the framework of their “America First” agenda, which demands complete US dominance over the entire Western Hemisphere as a platform for waging global wars against China and other rivals.Merz emphasised the need for European imperialism to strengthen its military independence from the US in remarks to the media during his visit to Norway, where he met the military leadership of the contingent of more than 1,200 German soldiers participating in the exercise. “We have relied on other launch systems and other countries for too long,” he said while visiting the Andøya Space Port in northern Norway, where a Munich-based start-up is attempting to produce a European rocket capable of transporting satellites into orbit. “Europe’s time is now.”The next test launch of a rocket from the Space Port is due between 19 March and 19 April, depending on the weather. The mission aims to transport five European satellites into Earth’s orbit. The European imperialists view this endeavour predominantly from a military standpoint, since independent satellite technology is crucial for selecting targets during a war and maintaining secure communication channels.
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