Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh touts ‘sea change’ in thinking at first hearing - Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Tuesday touted his efforts to overhaul the central bank’s approach to inflation and the economy at his first congressional hearing as its leader. In testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, Warsh laid out the significant changes underway at the Fed meant to address the bank’s handling of inflation and the mistakes he believes his predecessors made. “In six weeks, we have caused, I think, a sea change in new thinking, the beginning of a set of reforms that are going to be put in place across at least five dimensions in monetary policy,” he told Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), referring to his brief tenure in charge of the central bank. Throughout his three hours of testimony, Warsh stressed the central bank’s congressionally mandated independence and dismissed the impact President Trump’s views will have on his decision-making. “The Fed will remain independent on my watch,” Warsh told GOP Rep. Mike Flood (Neb.). “Fed independence is essential to the proper conduct of monetary policy, and I expect and will ensure that monetary policy is independent over the four years of my term. “And like you, I think it provides extraordinary benefits in everything we do and strengthens the role of the United States and the U.S. dollar and the global economy.” Trump frequently took aim at Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, for not backing interest rate cuts sooner last year. After the Federal Open Market Committee held rates steady at Warsh’s first meeting in charge last month, Trump expressed confidence in his hand-picked chair but said future rate hikes would be “hard to believe.” Later in the hearing, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) pressed Warsh on his commitment to remaining independent from political pressure amid the war with Iran — which has spurred energy price hikes amid Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. When Meeks asked Warsh if he is committed to adhering to the data, even in the wake of criticism from Trump, the central bank chair responded affirmatively. “I’m ready to follow the law. I’m ready for the Fed to deliver on the expansive remit that you gave us,” he remarked. Warsh added, “We’re interested in what’s happening in the war. We’re interested in what’s happening in military conflicts around. We have to take that all in, but then we have to shut the door and make our very best decision.” Warsh says central bank will not be in ‘bailout business’ on his watch During questioning by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Warsh indicated his preference for the Fed to avoid bailing out major financial institutions. “We do not want to be in the bailout business wholesale,” Warsh told Sherman, when the California Democrat asked him whether the central bank would back cryptocurrency or stablecoins if those assets face a run by investors. In response to the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, the Federal Reserve took multiple measures to stabilize markets. Its open market committee slashed the federal funds rate to zero in order to boost consumer activity, while the central bank itself purchased more than $1.7 trillion in Treasury securities, mortgage-backed securities and agency debt obligations. Deborah Lucas, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, noted in a 2019 paper the Fed’s actions accounted for just $21 billion of the $498 billion the federal government’s crisis-response actions cost taxpayers. Warsh said Tuesday the central bank will “do everything we can to mitigate” risks in the crypto market. Yet if such risks rear their head during his four-term, the central bank chair said he wants “to be in a position where we’re not bailing out anybody,” including the Fed itself.
Warsh pledges Fed policy ‘regime change’ to rid inflation ‘tax’ on American people -- Calling inflation an “unfair burden,” Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh on Tuesday reiterated his call for “regime change” at the central bank. “It has been a tax on the American people and businesses. We plan on getting rid of that tax,” he said. “That means we need a regime change in policy, and we need new consideration of practices, some of which have been working, some of which haven’t.” In remarks for delivery to separate congressional panels this week, Warsh ramped up his recent tough talk on inflation, while also touting the strength of the U.S. economy and benefits coming from business investment, particularly involving artificial intelligence. He highlighted the five task forces he has created to look at all aspects of how the Fed conducts business. The panels will examine the communications, technology, the balance sheet, economic data the Fed employs and the way it looks at inflation. Taken together, Warsh said they will further his goals to remake the central bank. “In six weeks, we have caused, I think, a sea change in new thinking-the beginning of a set of reforms that are going to be put in place across at least five dimensions in monetary policy,” he said. “We made a lot of progress in six weeks, but I think it’s important to use this opportunity wisely.” The remarks come just two months into Warsh’s term. Fed chairs are mandated to appear twice a year before Congress to deliver a monetary policy report then take legislators’ questions. “Today we are at a hinge point in history. It’s up to all of us to meet this moment,” said Warsh, who spoke Tuesday to the House Financial Services Committee then heads to the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday. “The Fed’s number one objective is to get monetary policy right — or as near to it as we possibly can. That is our clear and constant aim, the star we steer by,” he added. “And if we get policy right — and we will — the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past.” Warsh takes over a Fed that has seen inflation exceed its 2% mandate since 2021. During his confirmation hearing earlier this year, the chairman called inflation “a choice,” and emphasized repeatedly the importance of bringing down the cost of living during his first news conference. He first made the pledge about “regime change” during an interview last summer with CNBC. Warsh further criticized past practices of the Fed, specifically a policy adopted in 2020 that allowed for above-target inflation after periods of lower prices. The policy, known as flexible average inflation targeting, specifically sought to address imbalances in employment, the type of thing that Warsh has argued is outside the Fed’s scope. “That central bank wasn’t the first central bank to ask for a little more inflation and end up with a lot more. It was a mistake,” he said. “The framework did not succeed in its objectives, and I am pleased that before my arrival, that my predecessors took that and cast it aside.” Similar to his predecessor, Jerome Powell, Warsh noted that the persistently high inflation levels have “been an undue burden on American households and businesses” who have faced higher costs across the board, with the latest surge coming in good part from soaring energy prices. “While monthly price fluctuations are inevitable — especially in an unsettled world — underlying inflation over longer time horizons is determined largely by monetary policy,” he said. “The members of our Committee have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation. And we share a resolute commitment to restoring price stability.” On broader conditions, Warsh said the economy “is expanding at a solid pace, showing resilience in the face of recent developments.” He pointed to business investment that he called “the most striking feature” of the current climate. “The rapid pace — which appears to be accelerating — reflects, in large part, the construction of data centers and the immense demand for the AI-related equipment and software that fill them,” he said. “We don’t know the extent to which the economy will benefit from the AI buildout,” he added. “Yet it seems inevitable that what is now called ‘AI investment’ will soon be called just ‘investment.’” Warsh previously has said he expects an AI productivity boom will prove disinflationary — a premise challenged by some economists as well as his fellow Fed policymakers. Elsewhere, Warsh further fleshed out the five task forces he has created to conduct a comprehensive review of the Fed’s operations. Together, he said the groups are part of “a new chapter at the Federal Reserve.” However, whereas Warsh previously faulted “incumbents” at the Fed for institutional problems, he has taken a more conciliatory tone since he’s been in office. “It’s been a privilege to return to the Fed and to work again with so many talented and dedicated people I’m fortunate to call my colleague,” he said.
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh’s testimony to Senate banking committee hits on economy, interest rates – (CNBC video) Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh testified Wednesday before the Senate banking committee, facing questions over the economy and how various factors might impact interest rates.As part of congressionally mandated Capitol Hill appearances for the central bank leader, Warsh spoke Tuesday to the House financial services committee. During his remarks, he reaffirmed the Fed’s commitment to fighting inflation though he gave few clues about the direction of monetary policy. Legislators tried baiting Warsh into commenting on fiscal and political matters, but he largely avoided the topics, stressing the importance of the Fed staying focused on its assigned responsibilities.
Waller says Fed shouldn't 'fight the last war' on inflation but warns hikes still possible - Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Monday expressed concern about inflation but cautioned against “fighting the last war,” saying the central bank should wait for more data before raising interest rates. In remarks delivered for a speech in New York, Waller said inflation has expanded beyond the often-cited drivers such as the energy price spike in tariffs. Rather, he cited other factors, particularly artificial intelligence, as root causes for why price increases have held stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target. Waller warned that “the desire to avoid past mistakes is often the author of new ones.” “I am cognizant of the mistake we made in 2021 by not responding sooner to the high inflation we observed, and I am determined to avoid repeating it,” he said. However, he said that doesn’t reflexively mean raising interest rates to head off the current spate of price increases. Waller said there is still “a credible case for inflation to begin to fall back” but noted there is an “equally plausible” scenario where inflation could stay elevated or increase, “requiring tighter monetary policy in the near term.” The policymaker emphasized a deliberate approach as policymakers evaluate the root causes of inflation, which he listed as tariffs implemented in 2025, the rising energy prices associated with fighting in the Middle East – and “spillovers from demand” from artificial intelligence. “As always, we need to avoid making the mistake of fighting the last war and reacting too soon to tighten inflation, merely because we waited too long last time,” he said. “But we also must avoid repeating the same mistake we made in 2021 and 2022 by waiting too long to respond.” Waller cited two factors working in the Fed’s favor this time around: a stronger labor market that isn’t a meaningful source of inflation, and well-anchored inflation expectations, at least by market-based measures. He cautioned, though, against becoming complacent. “I often hear people say that because inflation expectations are anchored, central bankers do not have to respond to above-target inflation. This view is wrong,” he said. “Sternly staring at inflation until it melts before our withering gaze is not an option.” Waller’s remarks come the day before the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its June reading on the consumer price index. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect the gauge to show a decline of 0.2% for the month on the all-items headline reading, owing to a sharp drop in oil, and a 0.2% core increase excluding food and energy. On an annual basis, that would take the headline reading down to 3.8%, from 4.2% in May, and core to 2.8%, from 2.9%. “I would be very pleased to see a lower reading on core inflation, but after its escalation over the first half of this year, I will need to see several months of lower readings to feel that inflation is moving in the right direction,” Waller said. “For the reasons I have laid out today, I think that is still a reasonable outcome, and I would then continue to hold the policy rate at its current target range.”
Fed Gov. Cook: 'inflation is simply too high' - Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook on Wednesday reiterated her concerns about inflation, saying she is prepared "to act" if price pressures do not ease.
- Key takeaway: Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said the Iran war and the rapid buildout of AI data centers reinforce her view that inflation will remain persistent.
- Expert quote: "If we do not see signs of disinflation soon, I am prepared to act. I am fully committed to reaching our inflation target, and this commitment is unwavering." — Fed Gov. Lisa Cook
- What's at stake: The ongoing Iran war and its effect on energy prices could continue to fuel inflation, further complicating the Federal Reserve's path for monetary policy.
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said risks, including geopolitical tensions, are tilted toward higher inflation in the near term.
July Rate-Hike Off The Table After Producer Price Inflation Drops Most Since COVID - Following yesterday's much cooler than expected, Goldman's Rich Privorotsky notes that today’s PPI print matters more for the core PCE read-through (Fed's favorite inflation indicator), particularly healthcare and financial services. While May's headline PPI print was hot, core was cooler than expected, and June's data release today was expected to show no change in headline producer prices. In fact, like with CPI, headline Producer prices actually saw deflation (-0.3% MoM), equaling the biggest monthly decline since April 2020. The annual pace of producer price gains slowed to 5.5% (well below the 6.2% expected) and May's big jump was revised notably lower also... While Services remain with modest inflation, Goods are in significant deflation now... Core PPI (ex Food and Energy) printed +0.2% MoM, cooler than the +0.3% MoM expected, and May's rise was revised notably lower leaving Core prices up 4.7% YoY (vs +54.1% YoY exp)... Energy was the biggest driver of the headline deflation, but Food and Transportation also saw MoM price declines... PPI MoM dropped -0.3%, below est of 0.0%, and down from a 0.6% increase in May (revised from +1.1%). PPI rose 5.5% for the 12 months ended in June. Core PPI rose 0.1% MoM in June, a drop from the 0.8% in May; On a YoY basis, core PPI rose 5.5%, a drop from 6.0% in May. The June PPI decline can be attributed to prices for final demand goods, which fell 1.4%. In contrast, the index for final demand services moved up 0.2%.
Warsh doesn't want more bailouts, but won't commit to no bailouts - Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh told lawmakers that he wants to avoid more bailouts but, especially when it comes to crypto, he wouldn't declare the central bank out of the bailout business.
- Key insight: Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh told the House Financial Services Committee he wants the central bank out of the bailout business.
- Expert quote: "we're going to do everything we can to mitigate those kinds of extraordinary risks." —Fed Chair Kevin Warsh
- What's at stake: Warsh also said he's still optimistic on the artificial intelligence buildout's long-term impact on the U.S. economy, although he said the central bank is monitoring short-term hits to employment.
In his first congressional appearance as Fed chair, Warsh criticized past bailouts and voiced concern over stablecoin risks, without ruling out future intervention. Warsh said policymakers at the central bank have no tolerance for high inflation, reiterating a vow to tame price growth that has been elevated for five years.
Fed's Warsh says he meets 'often' with Trump administration - Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh on Wednesday declined to say in a Senate banking committee hearing whether he has spoken with President Donald Trump since becoming chairman, but confirmed he is in regular communication with the Trump administration. That doesn’t affect his independence, Warsh said. Warsh is in a delicate position seven weeks into his term as Fed chairman. Investors are trying to suss out where the Fed will take interest rates, as Warsh pulls back on how the Fed talks about its plans. He was appointed by a president who said lower interest rates were a litmus test for his choice of chair and has continued to call for cuts since Warsh was confirmed. Any suggestion that Warsh didn’t come by his views honestly could threaten his ability to bring a divided Federal Open Market Committee to consensus on interest rates. The White House declined to comment on any conversations between the president and the Fed chairman, saying it doesn’t discuss any of the president’s private conversations that might or might not have occurred. A Fed spokesperson declined to comment. Warsh repeatedly defended his independence and the credibility that flows from it during two days of appearances before Congress, starting with the House on Tuesday and moving to the Senate on Wednesday. “The independence of the Federal Reserve is sacrosanct,” Warsh said Tuesday. “Part of the reason for the Fed’s power comes not just from a printing press, though it can be useful from time to time. It comes from our credibility, credibility to make the best choices we can consistent with the law that you’ve written for us.” As Warsh noted in his testimony both days, inflation has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for the past 63 months. Inflation fell in June, according to consumer and producer price index data released this week, but Warsh was careful not to take a victory lap. “Any central bank would be happy to have the data going in the right direction. My view is these are all imperfect measures of the state of underlying inflation,” he said. That view of inflation is up for debate within the Fed. Warsh has created a task force to review how the Fed thinks about inflation. But it isn’t a given that the Fed will accept the task force’s — and Warsh’s — views on the matter. The FOMC appears divided on the course of interest rates. Fed Governor Christopher Waller and New York Federal Reserve President John Williams have said in recent days it may be necessary to raise interest rates this year. But if Warsh still needs allies on the Fed, he has one in the Trump administration. The White House has said the president defers to Warsh’s views about how to manage the Fed, even though Trump still generally wants interest rates down. The Fed chairman and the Treasury secretary meet for a weekly breakfast by longstanding tradition. Warsh has kept up that tradition with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and gone beyond it, he said Wednesday. “I do meet with the Treasury Secretary weekly. I talk to him often between that.” He added he will make his own decisions about interest rates. A spokesperson for Bessent declined to comment. Warsh and Bessent share a mentor in investor Stanley Druckenmiller, who employed Warsh for more than a decade until he became Fed chairman. Bessent worked for Druckenmiller earlier in his career as a hedge fund manager. Warsh and Bessent didn’t overlap in working for Druckenmiller, but the two knew each other well before taking their current jobs.
Warren grills Warsh over Bowman dinner, personal investments - The ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee pressed the Federal Reserve chair for details on a Bank of America dinner that Gov. Michelle Bowman attended.
Elizabeth Warren blasts Kevin Warsh, saying he ‘seems to invite corruption’ - Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh faced intense grilling Wednesday from Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who demanded to know whether he had questied a colleague about reports that she attended a meeting with bankers last month that may have violated Fed rules, fueling a heated exchange about ethics.The senator asked Warsh repeatedly during his second day of monetary policy testimony on Capitol Hill if he had asked Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman whether she had attended the meeting. “Did you ask?” Warren asked Warsh several times. “The tone that you are setting is one that seems to invite corruption.”In the days leading up to every Fed policy meeting, central bank officials are barred from speaking publicly or privately about monetary policy during what is known as the “blackout period,” which also stretches through the day after each meeting. The Wall Street Journal reported that Bowman on June 17, just hours after the Fed’s meeting that month, attended a private gathering of bankers hosted by Bank of America, in which she talked about interest rates. CNN has not verified independently. The blackout period is intended to prevent Fed officials from influencing financial markets or creating the appearance that some investors have advance access to information that could move markets. It ensures that everyone receives that information simultaneously. If a Fed policymaker is found to have violated the blackout period, which is a rare occurrence in the central bank’s history, they could be asked to recuse themselves from policy decisions or face pressure to resign.Warsh refused to answer whether he had addressed the issue with Bowman, saying the matter is being investigated by the Fed’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, who operates independently from the central bank. Warsh said that he acknowledged a letter Warren sent to the inspector general about the matter. “I’m aware of the letter you sent to the inspector general. Out of an enormous respect for him, his investigation, what he chooses to do with it” Warsh said, adding he is not “trying to micromanage that.”Warren also pressed Warsh if anyone “gave you $100 million right before you were sworn in,” equal to the amount he was required to divest within a specified period after becoming Fed chair. Warsh also declined to answer that question. “Who gave you $100 million right before you were sworn in? Was it a billionaire who has business with the Fed? Was it Stanley Druckenmiller, who’s made billions of dollars betting on what the Fed does? Or was it a different billionaire who gave you the money?” Warren said. Warsh’s ties with Druckenmiller, a high-profile investor, span a decade. He joined Druckenmiller’s Duquesne Family Office after resigning from the Fed in 2011. Warsh also invested tens of millions in the Juggernaut Fund, which is associated with Druckenmiller’s firm.
Johnson plans first move on GOP budget bill - Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said House Republicans plan to advance the framework for another party-line bill as soon as Wednesday. Johnson made the announcement on a private leadership call, according to four people granted anonymity to speak about the discussion. The budget resolution markup, in the Budget Committee, would be the first step in what has traditionally been a monthslong process of reconciliation, where the party hopes to enact a slew of priorities before the midterm elections. The Senate has not created its own resolution. Johnson made the call after meeting with House Budget Committee Republicans at Camp David on Sunday night and Monday as they tried to hash out plans for another GOP-only bill. The speaker is now focused on trying to muscle the budget resolution through the Budget panel this week.
Luna signals she will end revolt, vote to allow the House to debate legislation - Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is signaling she will vote to reopen the House floor Tuesday after a weekslong power struggle with Speaker Mike Johnson over a partisan election security bill known as the SAVE America Act. In an X post Monday night, the Florida Republican suggested she would support a procedural rule that will finally allow the chamber to consider legislation, including a bill to fund the State Department and a measure to make daylight saving time permanent — a major priority for her home state as well as for President Donald Trump. Luna said she would do so now “on the condition that Speaker Johnson attaches the SAVE America Act and all appropriation bills and all must-pass bills here in the House and ensures it is sent to the Senate in one bill.” Johnson has, in fact, committed to facilitating a process this week that would attach the GOP election bill to the State Department funding package, which Luna and other Republicans believe will force the Senate into submission. GET
House Republicans break impasse, advance appropriations and daylight savings time bills House Republicans on Tuesday broke a weeks-long impasse that had brought much of the chamber’s legislative business to a standstill, passing a rule that sets up floor debate and final votes on several measures. The 215-211 vote delivers a key win for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who had spent weeks trying to unify his conference as conservative hardliners pressed leadership to take more aggressive action on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act and legislation to codify President Trump’s border policies. Johnson ultimately won over Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), both of whom had opposed the rule before the July 4 recess, by advancing a plan to merge the SAVE America Act with a fiscal 2027 appropriations bill funding the State Department and national security programs — a legislative maneuver known on Capitol Hill as “MIRVing.” “If SAVE America is stripped out in the Senate, the blame will fall solely on John Thune,” Luna wrote on the social platform X, referring to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D). Luna said that her vote was conditioned on Johnson merging the SAVE America Act on all appropriations bills and must-pass bills. Asked Tuesday about the plan for using the MIRV maneuver liberally, Johnson said: “Be watching for lots of MIRVs.” Burchett said after the vote that GOP leaders attached the SAVE America Act “in a manner” that he thought was sufficient. “And that’s what we need. We need to just keep pounding the Senate and forcing them to take the right stand,” Burchett said. Burchett said President Trump “has been very engaged” in negotiations between hardliners and GOP leaders. Several members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), had also been frustrated over inaction on a border bill, which they had wanted a vote on before July 4. Freedom Caucus members appeared to relent after getting a commitment for a committee markup on the border and immigration bill they had been demanding. Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) said that the bill, which was known as H.R. 2 in the last Congress, will be marked up the House Judiciary Committee next week.
Senate Democrats block $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill -Senate Democrats on Tuesday defeated a motion to proceed to the $1.15 trillion annual defense authorization bill, legislation that usually enjoys strong bipartisan support but this year has become snarled in a partisan fight over defense spending levels. The motion to advance the annual defense bill failed by a vote of 50 to 46. It needed 60 votes to succeed. Senators voted strictly along party lines except for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) who changed his vote from “yes” to “no” to allow him to bring the motion back to the floor at a later time. Four senators missed the vote: Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). The legislation advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 11 with a bipartisan 18-9 vote, but the partisan battle lines have hardened since then as Republican and Democratic negotiators have failed to reach agreement on top-line defense and non-defense spending levels. Democrats also cited the resumption of the military conflict with Iran and Trump’s failure to ask Congress to authorize the war, which started on Feb. 28, as a big reason behind their opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “Now the White House has formally notified Congress that hostilities have resumed, that American strikes are under way again and our forces remain positioned for more. Yet Republicans want the Senate to take up the NDAA, the defense bill, as though none of this is happening,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said on the floor before the vote. The legislation would provide $1.1 trillion to the Department of Defense, $41 billion to the Department of Energy to manage the nation’s nuclear arsenal and $11 billion to other defense-related activities.
Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War - - Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked the advancement of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, citing President Trump’s war with Iran, which continues to rage following the collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding. The NDAA would provide the Pentagon with over $1.1 trillion in funding as part of the White House’s plan for a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027, a nearly 50% increase from this year. The bill also includes an amendment, Section 1217, to further merge the US and Israeli militaries under a plan being pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.A procedural vote of 50-46 fell well short of the 60 votes that it needed to advance the NDAA. Every Democrat, except two who weren’t present for the vote — Senators Jon Fetterman (PA) and Alex Padilla (CA) — voted against advancing the sprawling military spending bill.“The NDAA cannot become a permission slip for that recklessness that we see occurring in Iran,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to POLITICO. “Donald Trump does not get to drag the American people deeper into a war he cannot explain and does not know how to end, and then demand Congress look the other way.”Schumer also noted in a post on X that “bipartisan majorities in Congress passed legislation to end this war that Trump is ignoring,” referring to the War Powers Resolution that both the House and the Senate passed last month, directing President Trump to end the war with Iran.The vote in June marked the first time Congress ever passed a concurrent War Powers Resolution, which doesn’t require the president’s signature and is the specific type of legislation designated by the 1973 War Powers Act to compel the Executive Branch to end a war launched without congressional authorization in violation of the Constitution.Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act states that “at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.” The Trump administration has deemed the War Powers Act “unconstitutional” but has still tried to work within its confines. The law, which doesn’t supersede the Constitution, includes a 60-day deadline with a potential 30-day extension for the president to end any unauthorized military action or obtain authorization from Congress, a deadline that has been falsely reinterpreted to allow the president 60 days to wage war without congressional authorization.
Business declares war on DoD stock buyback ban moving in Senate -- Business is declaring war on a provision tucked into a must-pass defense bill that would restrict Pentagon contractors from executing stock buybacks and paying dividends unless they have the Defense Department’s approval, and asking Congress to kill the provision before it reaches the president’s desk.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with 40 other business groups, sent a letter Tuesday to Senate leaders urging them to strip the measure from the bill — an annual defense policy package called the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate is due to begin considering the measure this week.The provision, known as Section 815, would amount to an unprecedented incursion from the government into tens of thousands of companies that do business with the Pentagon, the groups wrote. It would also apply broadly, making no explicit distinction between a prime defense contractor manufacturing missiles and a food vendor. “By prohibiting dividends, share repurchases, and other capital distributions absent a government waiver, Section 815 would shift responsibility for ordinary capital allocation decisions from corporate leadership to Washington,” the letter reads. ”[W]e urge the Senate to strike Section 815 and oppose future efforts to use federal procurement policy to control otherwise lawful corporate governance and capital.”The push from the Chamber and the other groups, all representing Pentagon contractors, exemplifies the threat the provision poses to business. Section 815′s inclusion in the bill, which has already been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, also greatly increases its chance of becoming law and severely reduces the likelihood it will be stripped before a Senate vote.The provision was pushed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and was included in the NDAA on a bipartisan basis, according to members of the committee who spoke to CNBC after their closed-door vote. Warren had led a similar bill with Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Mike Lee, R-Utah.Proponents say it is meant to crack down on underperforming contractors and codify President Donald Trump’s January executive order to bar buybacks and dividends for contractors who underperform DOD expectations. Warren, in an interview last month, described the policy as intended to “bring a small amount of discipline to these defense contractors who have been running wild for years.”Warren, in a statement, said it is “time to stop these contractors from putting Wall Street over our national security.”“Giant military contractors are cheating our government out of billions in taxpayer dollars and lining their executives’ and shareholders’ pockets instead of investing in our national defense,” she said.
Johnson eyes spending stopgap lasting past midterms - Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday he plans to hold a House vote next on a stopgap spending measure, one that would likely fund the government through the November midterm elections. The move is an opening bid in what could become a contentious partisan fight ahead of the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. Johnson (R-La.) has been privately trying to convince President Donald Trump to back the stopgap in a bid to provoke a confrontation with Democrats, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Democrats spurred a record-long governmentwide shutdown last fall and an even longer shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security this spring. Republican believe another shutdown fight could work to their benefit ahead of the midterms, the people said. But Republicans face internal complications passing any funding bill. Many GOP lawmakers are demanding any must-pass bill that emerges from the House needs to also include the SAVE America Act, the Republican elections bill that has languished in the Senate for months, and leaders have yet to decide what to do.
Trump formally informs Congress of Iran war resumption, starting 60-day clock –- President Trump formally notified Congress last week that the U.S. has resumed military strikes against Iran, providing the Pentagon an extra 60 days to utilize U.S. forces in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) theater absent congressional approval. Trump told lawmakers in a 2-page letter on Friday that U.S. strikes resumed against Iran on July 7, alerting legislators in line with the War Powers Act, which stipulates the commander-in-chief has to inform Congress within two days of the military conducting kinetic action abroad. “United States ground forces are not involved in these strikes. These strikes are limited, measured, planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties,” the president wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Hill. After the president notifies Congress, the U.S. military can be in the region for 60 days and the commander-in-chief can extend their stay for another 30 days, under the War Powers Act. But deployment that exceeds that timeframe requires congressional approval. On May 1, Trump argued in a letter to Congress that the fragile ceasefire with Tehran effectively stopped the 60-day clock on April 7, about five weeks after the war began on Feb. 28. The latest notification comes as the two countries fight over control of the Strait of Hormuz — a key international passageway through which around 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas typically flows. Trump moved to turn up the pressure on Iran Monday, announcing the reinstatement of the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which will formally begin Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, and demanding the U.S. be “reimbursed” 20 percent on all cargo shipped through the waterway. “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Iran's IRGC Claims Its Forces Destroyed US HIMARS Missile Launchers in Kuwait - - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a statement on Sunday that its forces destroyed US HIMARS rocket systems in a drone attack on Kuwait as the US and Iran continue to trade strikes. The US used HIMARS rocket systems stationed in Gulf Arab countries for strikes on Iran throughout the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, and the IRGC said that they were also used in recent attacks on the Islamic Republic. The IRGC added that the launchers it allegedly destroyed were “ready to fire from Iran.”The IRGC also referenced unconfirmed reports about three US soldiers being killed in the attack, a claim US Central Command later denied. “Iranian propaganda claimed today that three American service members were killed in Kuwait by strikes from Iran. FALSE,” CENTCOM said.“There are zero reports of U.S. service member deaths or injuries in the region. All personnel are accounted for,” the command added. Notably, CENTCOM didn’t deny that HIMARS launchers were destroyed by Iranian attacks, and videos posted on social media purport to show smoke rising from a US base in Kuwait.Iranian forces also claimed attacks on US bases in Qatar, Jordan, and Oman, in response to the third round of US airstrikes against Iran that began on Saturday. Later on Sunday, CENTCOM announced that its forces were conducting yet another round of bombings against southern Iran as the conflict continues to escalate following the collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.
Iran submits detailed complaint to UN over US violations of Islamabad MoU -Iran has formally submitted a detailed complaint to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), slamming the United States for systematically violating the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed just last month. In a letter addressed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council President Zenon Ngay Mukongo on Monday, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said that the US has “actively and systematically undermined the very foundations of the Memorandum” almost immediately after its signing. On June 17, Iran and the United States signed the MoU, which calls for a permanent end to wars across all fronts and includes a commitment from both sides to hold further talks on a final agreement within 60 days. Article 5 places responsibility for reopening and managing the Strait of Hormuz squarely in Iran’s hands. The letter detailed 42 separate breaches of the agreement since its signing on June 17, 2026. Iravani noted that US actions—including repeated military strikes against Iranian territory, the revocation of oil sale licenses, the establishment of a parallel maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz, and continued support for Israeli military aggression in Lebanon—constitute “fundamental and unequivocal breaches” of the agreement. The Iranian ambassador highlighted US violations of Paragraph 5 of the Memorandum, which explicitly affirms Iran’s responsibility for determining safe passage arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. He asserted that Washington has unilaterally challenged this arrangement and imposed a parallel maritime route in a “material breach” of the agreed framework. Iravani pointed out that US Central Command has conducted strikes on over 300 targets in Iran during a single week, resulting in civilian casualties, including 17 deaths and 115 injuries from strikes on July 8 alone. “The United States bears full and unequivocal responsibility for all consequences arising from its unlawful use of force,” the Iranian government declared in its submission. The letter urgently called upon the Security Council to discharge its Charter-mandated responsibilities “without delay” by taking “immediate, effective, and decisive measures” to compel the United States to cease its aggression, prevent further escalation, and ensure accountability for “grave violations of international law” and “serious crimes.” The letter expressed regret that the Security Council’s failure to take timely action has “emboldened the United States to continue and further escalate its unlawful use of force,” thereby undermining the council’s authority and jeopardizing international peace and security. Iravani reiterated Iran’s determination to “resolutely safeguard its national interests, protect its sovereignty, and defend its territorial integrity against any aggression,” while emphasizing that each violation was formally conveyed to mediators with requests for immediate cessation and assurances of non-repetition.
Iranian Authority Says Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed as US Continues Strikes - Iran has reaffirmed that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to all traffic despite US claims to the contrary and US airstrikes against the country, which continued on Sunday.“Due to recent unlawful movements by United States military forces in the region, transit through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible,” said Iran’s recently created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA).“As soon as stability and calm are restored, all requests will be reviewed according to scheduling and the necessary permits will be issued,” the agency added. Also on Sunday, US Central Command insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was open and said that US forces are “positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations. Iran does not control the strait.” Iranian media reported that Iran’s Qeshm Island was targeted with up to 11 “enemy projectiles,” and a US official told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that the US had conducted “a few strikes on missile and air defense systems as well as IRGC small boats at a couple of locations around the Strait of Hormuz.”Later on Sunday, CENTCOM announced it was launching yet another round of strikes against Iran, and a US official told The New York Times that it would be a “bigger” round of attacks than those conducted earlier in the day. The strikes came after Iranian forces launched retaliatory attacks targeting US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman following US bombings that hit Iran on Saturday.Iran warned last week that it would close the strait to all traffic if the US continued bombing the country. The US framed its airstrikes as a response to drone attacks on commercial ships attempting to cross the strait without coordinating with Iran, as Iranian officials have maintained that the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established that Tehran is solely responsible for traffic through the waterway and that any other arrangements violate the agreement.Now that the MoU and ceasefire between the US and Iran have collapsed, the US goal appears to be to force Iran to open the strait by bombing the country. On Friday, US officials told The Associated Press that the US was demanding Iran publicly declare the strait was open, a demand Tehran has clearly rejected. US officials are trying to portray the attacks on ships and stance on the strait as the work of “rogue” factions within the Iranian government, but an Iranian official speaking to Drop Site News reporter Jeremy Scahill said the narrative was a disinformation campaign.“This wasn’t random—it was a very deliberate and coordinated media campaign designed to pressure us into changing our decision,” the official said. “We had already clearly told the Qataris and Omanis about our firm and final decision: Iran will not allow anyone to disrupt our security and oversight management of the Strait of Hormuz.”Publicly, Iranian officials have maintained a unified front and continue to make clear that Iran will control the strait. “The era of one-sided deals is OVER,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohhamad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X on Sunday, sharing a photo of the MoU text stating that Iran will “make arrangements” for transits through the strait. “We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” he added.
China urges reopening of Strait of Hormuz as Iran and US exchange strikes - Beijing has renewed its call for safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared the key trade route effectively closed after the Islamic Republic and the U.S. carried out their most intense attacks since reaching a memorandum of understanding in June. Restoring security and free passage as soon as possible is in the interests of all parties, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters during Monday’s regular press briefing. The waterway is a conduit for roughly one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade and around 40 percent of China’s oil imports. “Issues related to navigation through the strait should be properly handled, and there should be a prudent response to the widespread concerns of the international community,” Lin said, adding that China stands ready to engage further on the matter with the parties involved and the international community. The U.S. Central Command claimed to have hit some 140 military targets in Iran with precision strikes launched by drones, aircraft, and naval vessels. Iranian forces claimed responsibility for attacks against U.S.-associated military sites in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman—a key mediator in the peace talks. Due to the U.S.’s “illegal movements,” commercial passage—already at a trickle compared to prewar volumes—is no longer possible save for approved companies that apply through the Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority website, the agency said Sunday. The tit-for-tat attacks threaten the fragile MoU, which established a 60-day window for talks toward a lasting peace agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened a “big” attack on Iran and a new naval blockade, just weeks after the Central Command wound down its siege of the Persian and Oman Gulfs. Meanwhile, Tehran and Washington remain at odds over whether Iran should be permitted to charge fees for ships transiting the strait. In March, it was reported that some internationally flagged vessels, including Chinese ships, had begun paying Iran what was characterized as a “toll” in exchange for safe passage through. Iran has previously discussed introducing a service fee but had never implemented one or formally required it. U.S. officials, however, have ruled out any such fee in any postwar arrangement, arguing it would be inconsistent with international law. Iran made no claim to transit fees before the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on February 28, which led to Iranian reprisals across the region and a near-halt to shipping as the threat of Iranian attacks, mines and soaring insurance premiums deterred crews. As the buyer of nearly all Iran’s oil and a key financial lifeline despite international sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program, Beijing holds significant sway in Tehran, and the two sides have held several high-level exchanges since the conflict began. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing in May. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and newly appointed envoy for China affairs, is also planning his own trip to China soon, state media reported earlier this month. China played a behind-the-scenes role in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire reached April 8, according to Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Yet the East Asian country has publicly signaled it has little appetite for more direct involvement, with analysts suggesting Beijing sees little benefit in being drawn into the Gulf conflict.
Trump demands Strait of Hormuz 'protection' fees from Persian Gulf allies - President Trump name-dropped several Persian Gulf countries Monday that he said should be reimbursing the United States for protection of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. “Yeah, I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world, we’re spending money, and so what we’ve done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection,” Trump said in the Oval Office. He named U.S. allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, and said there are others. “They will do very well,” he said. “But we think it’s appropriate.” He went on to say the U.S. doesn’t “need” those countries because “we have more oil than any other country in the world.” “We’re protecting all of them, and we’ve done a very effective job,” he said. Trump announced earlier Monday that the U.S. would become the “guardian” of the strait and would reinstate the naval blockade against Iran. He said a 20 percent fee would be collected as a way for the U.S. to be “reimbursed” for the secure passage. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, pushed back on Trump’s announcement and said Iran has been the guardian of the strait and is who should be reimbursed. “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service,” Araghchi wrote on social media. “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER.” The Iranian foreign minister said Iran would be “fair” and that 20 percent is too much. U.S. Central Command said Monday that that blockade will go into effect at 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The president is looking to ramp up pressure on Tehran after several rounds of strikes were launched in retaliation for Iran’s targeting of commercial vessels in the strait.
Republicans question Trump’s Hormuz plan - President Donald Trump’s plan to impose a toll on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz drew a cool response from some GOP lawmakers on Monday — and left others bewildered. Trump said the waterway, which provides passage for 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies, was open despite the ongoing hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, and he pledged to exact tolls amounting to 20 percent of the value of cargoes that pass through it to pay for securing the movement of goods. The president’s escalation follows the collapse of a ceasefire with Iran that was supposed to — at least in the U.S. perspective — refrain from interfering in traffic though the strait. Instead, Iran continued trying to assert control. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) expressed opposition to any fees for crossing the strait. “I think they’re international waters, and there shouldn’t be a toll put on ships by anyone,” said Kennedy, who has otherwise defended the administration’s Iran strategy. Others sought to interpret Trump’s latest move as a fee for keeping the peace. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) didn’t think Trump was proposing a toll. “If a country’s ships are providing safe passage and protection against military strikes, that’s a bit different than a toll,” said Wicker, who added that the issue “bears clearing up.” Oil industry analysts said a fee, were it to be implemented, would cost consumers at the pump. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Monday on how the fee would work or how it could affect prices. The divisions on Trump’s latest plan mirror the GOP’s split on Iran generally. Some Republicans were happy for the ceasefire to send oil prices down ahead of the midterms. Others wanted to keep fighting. “I think it’s all a means to an end to get prices overall lower and more oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said of the fee: “I think there have to be consequences for the fact that Iran won’t abide by agreements that they make and memorandums of understanding. So I’m fully supportive of the president on that.” But gasoline prices remain “a big concern,” she said, adding that bringing the war to a close will be difficult “if you don’t have an honest broker on the other side.” Sen. Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), a former oil and gas CEO, refuted predictions that a 20 percent fee would have a hefty impact on American energy prices. It wouldn’t have “a very material impact” in the U.S., he said, though he acknowledged there would be global effects. “People have been saying ‘Oh my gosh, that’s going to be a 20 percent increase on pricing.’ That’s not the way the math works,” Armstrong said. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), another member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he would “reserve judgment” until hearing more details.The U.S. benchmark crude price was trading at around $78 as of Monday evening — up by more than 9 percent — after Trump formally informed Congress the U.S. was once again at war with Iran.
Iran will never allow US to interfere in Hormuz, warns central military command - Iran's highest operational command unit says the Islamic Republic will never allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz following repeated warnings to Washington. The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari made the remarks on Monday following comments by US President Donald Trump that Washington could take control of the strategic waterway. "Following previous warnings, we will under no circumstances allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz," he said. He said the US “repeated adventurism and mischief” to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz have “seriously endangered regional security, international trade, and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels”. He criticized certain regional states for cooperating with the United States, warning that such collaboration "increased the danger of war spreading across the entire region." Zolfaqari emphasized that Iran's armed forces would “firmly confront any disruption and insecurity" created by the "aggressor and pirate US military" for the passage of commercial ships and oil tankers outside the routes designated by Iran and without authorization from the armed forces. "The powerful actions of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army in recent days are proof of this claim," the spokesman said. In a direct warning to regional leaders, he emphasized, “Any cooperation with the United States and logistical support for that country’s aggressor army will be regarded as war against Iran's sovereignty and national security.” “If war expands in the region, the flames of fire will engulf all regional countries,” he warned. Zolfaqari said responsibility for any insecurity or expansion of war in the region lies with the United States and countries cooperating with its “criminal army”. The spokesman’s remark came after Trump said on Monday that the United States would probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling the vital waterway. "We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait. Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that," he said in a phone interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. Iran shut down the chokepoint to enemies and their allies shortly after the US and the Israeli regime launched their unprovoked aggression against the Islamic Republic on February 28. It began exercising far stricter controls after Donald Trump announced continuation of an illegal naval blockade of Iranian vessels and ports despite a ceasefire that the US president, himself, had declared on April 7. In a brief announcement on its X account on Sunday, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all transit following recent "illegal movements" by US military forces in the region. "Due to recent unlawful movements by United States military forces in the region, transit through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible," it added.
IRGC Navy strikes two rogue super tankers misled by US into crossing mined waters of Strait of Hormuz - The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has confirmed that two super oil tankers, misled by American provocations, were struck and disabled after deliberately ignoring repeated warnings and attempting to navigate through a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC statement on Monday night, the child-killing US regime, which has repeatedly failed to learn from its defeats, once again tried to create chaos by inciting vessels to violate legal shipping lanes. The two rogue super tankers fell for the American deception, switched off their navigation systems, and disregarded multiple warnings issued by the Hormuz Strait Security Control Center, the statement added. By choosing to cross the restricted and mined waters instead of complying with safety regulations, the tankers endangered international maritime traffic and deliberately violated the security protocols of the strategic waterway, it said. The IRGC Navy said that the two vessels were hit and put out of operation. The IRGC Navy stated that any cooperation with the aggressor enemy, which has traveled thousands of kilometers to violate the rights of the people of the region, and any attempt to cross the mined route will bring nothing but regret, heavy damage, delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the risk of triggering a global energy crisis. The IRGC emphasized that such reckless actions serve only the interests of those seeking to destabilize the region and will be firmly confronted. earlier on Monday, Iran's highest operational command unit said the Islamic Republic will never allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz following repeated warnings to Washington. The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, made the remarks following comments by US President Donald Trump that Washington could take control of the strategic waterway. "Following previous warnings, we will under no circumstances allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Trump Says US 'Reinstating' Blockade of Iranian Ports, Will Charge 20% Fee for Hormuz Strait Transit - President Trump on Monday said that the US was “reinstating” the blockade of Iranian ports and would also charge a 20% fee for all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, a declaration that came after US officials had repeatedly said it would be illegal for Iran to charge fees for ships passing through the waterway.“The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. US Central Command later announced that its forces would begin the blockade on Tuesday, July 14, at 4 pm EST. Trump continued in his post, “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately.”Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute, noted in a post on X that Trump’s proposed 20% fee is significantly higher than Iran’s reported plan, which would amount to about 1% to 2% of an oil tanker’s cargo.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also noted the difference in his response to Trump’s post, where he mocked the US president. “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service,” he wrote on X. “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair.” Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, also responded to Trump’s declaration that the US will take over the strait, saying that Iran “will under no circumstances allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.”Zolfaqari said that the US’s “repeated adventurism and mischief” in the Strait of Hormuz have and “seriously endangered regional security, international trade, and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels” and warned regional countries against cooperating with the US.“Any cooperation with the United States and logistical support for that country’s aggressor army will be regarded as war against Iran’s sovereignty and national security,” he said. “If war expands in the region, the flames of fire will engulf all regional countries.”Trump’s post came after the US launched another round of heavy airstrikes against Iran, killing at least four people, according to Iranian media reports, and more Iranian retaliation against US bases in the region is expected.
Trump says US reinstates blockade of Iranian shipping in Strait of Hormuz after new clashes (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open — for a fee — after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks. The latest hostilities followed Iran's announcement at the weekend that it was closing the vital waterway, casting further doubt on an interim deal to halt the war and driving oil prices higher. "The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE," Trump said on Truth Social. "The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT', but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped." Iran's top joint military command said the U.S. had no role in determining the future of Hormuz and would not be allowed to intervene. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X that Tehran was the guardian of the strait and would remain so "forever", adding in response to Trump's comments that: "20% is of course too much. We will be fair." The UN's shipping agency pushed back against Trump's proposal, saying it opposes any fees for straits used in international navigation and stressing that there is no legal basis for introducing mandatory tolls on strait transits. Trump has previously suggested the U.S. could charge tolls on shipping through the strait, but it has so far not done so and it was unclear if it would follow through on Trump's declaration this time. Related video: Trump says the US Hormuz blockade has been resumed, as Iran does the same amid war restarting (WMAZ-TV Macon) The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center said the blockade would take effect at 2000 GMT on Tuesday and apply to all vessel traffic regardless of flag, covering the entire Iranian coastline including ports and oil terminals. It said the measure would not impede neutral transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations, and that humanitarian shipments would be permitted subject to inspection. Before the conflict began in February, around a fifth of the world's oil and gas traffic passed through Hormuz daily, delivering more than 15 million barrels of fuel to global markets worth at least $1.2 billion. If the U.S. were to impose a 20% fee, it could generate around $250 million a day.
US Military Publishes Video of US Drone Boats Bombing Iranian Port of Bandar Abbas - US Central Command on Monday published a video that it said showed “multiple one-way attack surface drones” bombing the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, marking the first known time that the US has used kamikaze drone boats in combat.“Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran,” CENTCOM wrote on X.“Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations,” the command wrote.Video released by CENTCOM. The attack was part of a series of strikes that the US launched against Iran starting on Sunday and overnight into Monday, as the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding and ceasefire between the two nations has collapsed.When announcing the completion of the overnight strikes, CENTCOM claimed it targeted “Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using U.S. fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time.” According to Iranian media, US strikes also hit civilian infrastructure, including two water pumping stations in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan and southern Bushehr provinces, and at least one employee of an irrigation company was killed in the strike in Khuzestan. A total of four people were reported killed by US strikes in Iran on Monday.
Trump eyes new Iranian strike target amid threats to charge Hormuz fees -- President Donald Trump said the U.S. is considering Pickaxe Mountain as a target for “a nice, big, fat shot through the front door” as military action ramps up in Iran following attacks between the two countries over the weekend. “We’re gonna hit them very hard tonight, we’re gonna hit them tomorrow. There’s not a damn thing they can do about it. They have nothing,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt in a live phone interview Monday on Salem News Channel. Trump said he had attempted to reach a deal Sunday, but the representatives for Iran “got a phone call and they ran out of the room.” “I got to know them, and they’re stone-cold crazy people,” Trump continued, noting the difficulties in reaching a deal with Iran’s leadership. Tehran said its actions were in response to the U.S. attacks on sites in Iran on Sunday, including on air defense systems, radar sites, missile and drone equipment and small boats. Washington is aiming to degrade Iran’s ability to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz which U.S. Central Command said, “Iran does not control.” Earlier in the day, Trump said he would reinstate the “Iranian Blockade” after a wave of retaliatory missiles and drone attacks were launched against U.S. military naval assets. Pickaxe Mountain, also known by its Persian name Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is a heavily fortified underground complex in central Iran near the country’s Natanz nuclear facility. The site has drawn international attention because Western analysts and nuclear experts believe it could play an important role in Iran’s nuclear program, although Iranian authorities have not publicly detailed its purpose. Located in Iran’s Zagros mountain range, the facility is being constructed deep inside a mountain and is believed to contain multiple tunnel entrances. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a nuclear watchdog, said in a report last week that there is evidence that work continues at the site despite the MOU based on analysis of the satellite images. Analysts monitoring satellite imagery have reported ongoing construction, security enhancements and excavation work at the site since at least 2020. Its depth has fueled speculation that the complex was designed to withstand airstrikes and bunker-buster bombs. Nuclear watchdog officials have never publicly confirmed the exact activities taking place inside the facility, and international inspectors have not been granted access to the site. As a result, much of what is known about Pickaxe Mountain comes from satellite imagery and assessments by outside experts.
Trump's Iran strategy on Strait of Hormuz, military action faces scrutiny -- President Trump is ramping up hostilities with Iran again, but critics question whether renewed U.S. military action can change the fundamental shape of the conflict. If it fails to do so, Trump could end up even more deeply entangled in an issue that is unpopular with the American people as the clock ticks down to November’s midterm elections. Trump announced in a Monday morning social media post that he was “reinstating” the U.S.-led naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which was first enacted to curb Iranian exports and force Tehran to lift its own de facto block of the vital shipping channel. Trump wrote in his post that the U.S. should be viewed as the “guardian” of the strait, adding, “as a matter of FAIRNESS, [we] will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped.” A toll would be massively controversial. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just last month railed against the concept when it looked like the Iranians would be the beneficiaries. “No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” Rubio said in June. “That’s existing international law. That’s the way it is in international waterways all over the world.” The president will address the nation at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, the White House announced, and Iran could certainly be the topic. It also emerged on Monday that Trump formally notified Congress last week that the U.S. had resumed military strikes against Iran. The move gives him another 60 days of leeway to continue such action without explicit congressional approval. Trump’s actions were sparked in part by Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the strait in recent days. But his broader objection is to continued Iranian control over the narrow body of water, through which, under normal circumstances, around 20 percent of the world’s oil transits. The president faces the same problem now as he did when the war was in full effect, however. “Trump is trying to return to military pressure in order to extract more concessions from Iran by force. But that is unlikely to work,” Iranian American commentator Negar Mortazavi told this column. “Iran has already shown that it is willing to fight, escalate, and absorb significant costs, but not capitulate under pressure,” added Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. In the meantime, tensions in the strait and the threat of continued conflict are elevating oil prices, which ultimately hurt Americans at the gas pump and exacerbate existing inflationary pressures. Oil prices spiked by more than 9 percent at one point on Monday. The price of oil is significantly above the level seen before the war started in late February, though it is also much lower than the peaks it hit later in the spring.
The U.S. is maxing out its strategic oil reserves as Trump vows to control the Strait of Hormuz - President Donald Trump made a new push Monday to exert more control over the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil chokepoint that is over 7,000 miles from the U.S.The tensions come as a fragile U.S.-Iran cease-fire deal has been unraveling, and as another crisis brews closer to home: U.S. emergency crude-oil reserves now sit at their lowest levels since the 1980s, and are plagued by aging infrastructure.Following failed attempts to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said Monday that the U.S. should run the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway located between Iran and Oman, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean.“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it,” Trump said in a morning interview with Fox News. “And we should be reimbursed for that.” Later in the day, Trump made threats to strike Iran on Monday evening and potentially Tuesday in an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” Soon after, the U.S. Central Command announced it had launched strikes against Iran for the third consecutive night.The president’s comments come as the U.S.-Iran conflict has dragged on far longer than the White House initially outlined, at more than four months and counting. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been racing to offset a global oil shock it helped instigate by yanking supplies from the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or SPR.With the strait seeing only limited maritime traffic in recent days, and with the U.S. economy still going strong and in the middle of travel season, “we might witness a further collapse in strategic and commercial reserves,” which could lead to even higher prices for oil, said Samer Hasn, senior market analyst at XS.com.Crude-oil stocks in the SPR — a program created in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s to deal with shortages of crude — fell to 319.5 million barrels as of the week ended July 3. That’s the lowest since 1983, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Releases of oil from the SPR helped offset supply lost to transportation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February. Back in March, the U.S. authorized the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the SPR over a period of about 120 days, as part of the International Energy Agency’s agreement to release 400 million barrels of oil from its members’ emergency reserves.In a review of the U.S. Energy Department’s management of the SPR, released to the public in late June, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said Congress and the Energy Department lacked a unified long-term plan for the SPR, while pointing to aging infrastructure, leaks, structural problems and spills. The GAO said the SPR experienced 16 major equipment failures since 2013. In January of this year, nearly 170 barrels of crude spilled at one facility in Texas due to a split in a crude pipe. The GAO recommended that Congress temporarily limit nonemergency sales from the reserve and authorize a funding mechanism to help the Energy Department cover ongoing or periodic costs for maintaining the SPR. But the global oil market remains in an emergency situation, with the Strait of Hormuz now only seeing the passage of a small number of ships. Before the war, about 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade transited through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz was supposed to be reopened following the latest U.S.-Iran cease-fire signed in mid-June, but maritime traffic through the waterway never fully returned to normal operations.Six tankers crossed through the strait Sunday without their automatic identification systems on, according to data from Kpler — with two entering and four exiting the waterway. That compares with an average of 25 over the seven days prior to that, Kpler said. Sizing studies done on the SPR in the 1970s recommended an inventory minimum of 250 million barrels. The reserve can hold up to 727 million barrels. So, if the congressionally mandated minimum is at about 250 million barrels and there are just over 300 million barrels left in the SPR, the U.S. possibly could release 1 million barrels per day for 60 days, or 2 million barrels a day for 30 days, noted Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. “Then what?” Lynch asked. “Trump could ignore the law,” he told MarketWatch — but operationally, going below 250 million barrels can create technical problems. “Trump appears to have trouble parsing the complex nature of the oil market.”
The US oil reserve is at a 40-year low — but the government says there’s still plenty of breathing room - Commodity experts on Wall Street have long been fixated on the risks associated with U.S. emergency crude-oil supplies running too low. The Department of Energy says they’ve got it all wrong.The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest publicly known supply of emergency crude oil, has fallen to a more-than-40-year low. That’s set off alarm bells on Wall Street.With U.S. commercial crude inventories and supplies in the SPR falling again last week, there’s “less breathing room” in terms of supplies at a time of “intense global uncertainty,” said David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation, in emailed commentary. “The SPR draws can’t continue forever.”The SPR was authorized by Congress to hold up to 714 million barrels and it’s down to less than half that, at 316.5 million barrels as of the week ended July 10, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration released Wednesday.Stockpiles were down 3 million barrels from a week earlier and at the lowest level since 1983 for the SPR, which was established in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s to deal with crude shortages. A slowdown in oil imports from China and a rapid initial drawdown in U.S. emergency reserves have been credited with keeping global crude prices below $100 a barrel, but America’s crude stockpiles have been dwindling since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February. The U.S. in March authorized the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the reserve over a period of about 120 days. Even so, today’s lower reserve levels may not as tight as market experts think. The oil industry has generally accepted that the operational minimum for oil in the SPR, a point at which it would be more difficult to pump out the oil, is somewhere between 250 million and 300 million barrels. Meanwhile, sizing studies done on the SPR in the 1970s recommended an inventory minimum of 250 million barrels. An Energy Department statement to MarketWatch on Wednesday indicated that the industry assertion of a “minimum operating level” of 250 million barrels is incorrect. This comes as the U.S.-Iran cease-fire agreement from June has collapsed in recent days. President Donald Trump wants to exert more control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and on Wednesday evening another round of U.S. military strikes took place against Iran. Meanwhile, the Energy Department said the SPR’s minimum inventory is determined by “cavern mechanics” that when applied across the full system translates to a “conservative operational minimum of about 70 million barrels,” the DOE spokesperson said. That may leave more to spare for emergencies — around 246 million barrels, according to the DOE’s latest estimates. That 70 million barrels might be the minimum operation levels based on technical considerations, but the DOE seems to “assume optimal operations,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. He thinks it’s likely to become more difficult to extract the remaining oil in the reserve as the market gets closer to the minimums. And the lower the SPR gets, the more traders are going to “worry that oil will not be available, even if the technical minimum hasn’t been reached,” said Lynch.
US refiner margins hit new records as fuel shortage concerns grow (Reuters) - U.S. refiner margins registered a fresh record high for the third consecutive session on Thursday, as low stockpiles and worsening tensions in the Middle East threaten potential supply shortfalls in the world's largest fuel consuming nation. U.S. refiners have been the biggest beneficiaries of the Iran war as international buyers have clamored for their supplies, pushing the country's fuel exports to record highs. As a result, however, domestic fuel stockpiles have dropped and lifted fuel prices sharply, weighing on consumer budgets in the peak summer driving season and posing potential problems for farmers in the country's Midwest. The 3-2-1 crack spread, the most widely used benchmark for U.S. refiner profitability, rose over 2% to close at $69.66 a barrel, a record high. The spread, traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, is used by refiners as a hedging instrument to lock in their profit margins. Diesel, the biggest portion of global oil consumption, has been the primary driver of U.S. refiner economics in recent months. Inventories of the industrial fuel had been tight for years due to refinery closures in the West, and disruptions to Middle Eastern exports from the Iran war made the market tighter before a temporary ban to Russian exports announced this month exacerbated the global diesel shortage even more. U.S. diesel stockpiles rose 4.5 million barrels last week to over 102 million barrels, but were still nearly 11 million barrels below the level recorded on February 27 and about 8 million barrels below the five-year seasonal average, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday. [EIA/S] Gasoline supplies, meanwhile, are becoming a growing cause of concern as U.S. and global refiners have lowered output of the motor fuel in favor of higher diesel and jet fuel yields. The supply-demand imbalance has pulled U.S. gasoline stockpiles down more sharply than diesel since the start of the Iran war at the end of February, slapping U.S. motorists with sticker shocks. U.S. gasoline inventories fell over 1.5 million barrels to 210.5 million barrels in the week ended July 10, down over 42 million barrels since the week ended February 27 and some 14 million barrels below the five-year seasonal average, EIA data showed. The motor fuel stockpile is the lowest for this time of year since 2012, the EIA data showed. U.S. national average retail gasoline prices stood at $3.95 a gallon on Thursday, up nearly 80 cents from the same time last year, data from GasBuddy showed. Prices had surged to as high as $4.56 per gallon in May due to disruptions to Middle East oil exports resulting from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the data showed. Gasoline prices are among the most visible inflationary indicators for U.S. consumers, making the price surge a political anathema for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused oil companies of price-gouging, without providing evidence. Analysts say even more pain may be in store for U.S. motorists before refiners turn their attention to gasoline. "Encouraging refiners to revert to max-gasoline mode will require higher gasoline prices at retail and wholesale levels as well as increased margins relative to other fuels," London-based independent oil analyst John Kemp wrote to subscribers on Thursday. U.S. gasoline crack spread settled at about $59 a barrel on Thursday, a level last reached in June 2022. The diesel crack spread settled at over $91 a barrel, a record high.
Economist Hanke warns oil markets ignoring supply problems --Oil markets are showing a dangerous level of complacency despite growing geopolitical risks in the Middle East, shrinking petroleum inventories, and significant disruptions to Russian fuel exports, according to economist Steve Hanke. Speaking with Mario Nawfal on his YouTube show, Hanke argued that current oil prices are failing to reflect mounting risks surrounding the Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and tightening supplies of refined petroleum products. He warned that while futures markets remain relatively calm, underlying conditions suggest the world could face significant energy disruptions if hostilities continue. Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, is widely known for his work on inflation, currency crises, monetary policy, and commodity markets. A former senior economist on President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers, he has advised governments around the world and is a frequent commentator on global financial markets. During the interview, Hanke pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal report warning that U.S. oil inventories have become "dangerously low." "We know that when inventories are low, the spot price of any commodity exceeds the futures prices," Hanke said, noting that the current pricing structure has changed very little over the past week despite worsening geopolitical developments. Oil prices have been hovering around $70 per barrel for WTI crude — not far from prices before the recent Iran war began in late February. "The markets are asleep at the wheel,” he said, adding, “Something is wrong." One of Hanke's principal concerns is the disruption of global refined fuel supplies stemming from Russia. According to Hanke, Russia traditionally accounted for roughly 8% to 10% of internationally traded refined petroleum products — including gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel — but Ukrainian strikes have significantly damaged Russian refining capacity. "Refining capacity has been hit very hard in Russia," Hanke said after speaking with a colleague in Moscow. He added that even motorists in Moscow are reportedly waiting hours to fill their vehicles because Russia has shifted from exporting refined fuels to importing them. "Russia's out now," Hanke said of the refined products market. "They're importing refined products. They're not exporting." That loss, he argued, should be placing far greater upward pressure on international fuel markets. "If you've got Russia supplying 8 to 10% of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in the international traded market, and all of a sudden you take 10% out of the market, well, that's not trivial," Hanke said. Despite these shortages, crude oil prices have remained relatively subdued, something Hanke acknowledged he cannot fully explain. "It is a little bit of a mystery," he admitted. Rather than pointing to a single cause, Hanke said numerous competing forces are simultaneously influencing oil prices. "We have lots of cross currents going on," he said. "You end up with a very difficult situation to start predicting anything." He also dismissed speculation that oil companies are secretly paying significantly higher physical prices for crude than are reflected in futures markets. Although refining margins — or "crack spreads" — remain elevated, Hanke said strong profits reported by refiners suggest companies are benefiting from the current market rather than absorbing hidden costs. "The refineries are making a lot of money," he said, adding that earlier reports of a large disconnect between physical oil prices and paper futures markets have narrowed considerably. Another reason oil prices have remained restrained, Hanke suggested, is that traders may be looking beyond current disruptions to expectations of increased global oil supplies in 2027. However, he argued that current futures prices do not fully support that explanation either. "If everyone is anticipating a lot of surplus in '27, you would end up with a much steeper forward curve and much more backwardation than we actually have," Hanke said. Beyond energy markets, Hanke expressed deep skepticism that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will ease anytime soon. Using what he described as a "joint probability" exercise, Hanke estimated only a very small likelihood that several key developments — including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, disarming Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, and Israeli withdrawals from disputed territories — would all occur simultaneously. "You're going to end up any way you cut it with a very low percentage — an infinitesimal amount — of a 1% probability of things being settled in the region," he said. "There's virtually no chance that things are going to work out and you'll have peace in the region." Hanke suggested markets have yet to fully recognize those geopolitical realities. "I think there's tremendous complacency in the markets," he said, extending that concern beyond commodities to stocks and other financial assets. While Hanke stopped short of forecasting an immediate oil price spike, he cautioned that markets could eventually be "mugged by reality" if military tensions intensify or supply disruptions worsen. For now, he believes investors are underestimating the cumulative impact of shrinking inventories, lost Russian refining output, and the continuing instability surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC launches missile strikes on US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, airbase in Jordan - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has struck multiple US military facilities in Bahrain, including the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, as well as American targets in Jordan with missiles in follow-up retaliation against continued American violations. The Corps announced the latest stages of its reprisal in three consecutive statements on Tuesday. The first statement reported retaliatory strikes by the IRGC Navy against several weapons support depots, a satellite communications center, accommodation used by US troops, and several military radar systems in Bahrain. The strikes, it added, “destroyed” the targets. In a subsequent statement, the Corps said its Aerospace Force had conducted “coordinated missile and drone strikes” against the US Fifth Fleet’s headquarters, setting its fuel storage facilities “ablaze.” “They also struck and destroyed a Patriot radar system, the Fifth Fleet's air-control radar, and a C-RAM early warning radar system." And yet another statement reported “ballistic missile” strikes by the Aerospace Force against “a key facility and the location where the American enemy was stationed at an airbase” in Jordan. “This base had been used to launch attacks against us, and the American criminals have now been made to pay for their actions,” the Corps said, noting that the same outpost was used back in February to launch a massacre against a school in southern Iran. The IRGC, meanwhile, underlined that its reprisal is, by no means, directed against the Jordanian nation. The United States has perpetrated numerous violations against Iranian territory since April 7, when US President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire in the latest bout of American-Israeli aggression targeting the Islamic Republic. The violations continued even after Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month, whose first clause clearly mandates cessation of aggression on all fronts. The US has also been trying to help vessels evade the maritime route designated by the Islamic Republic for safe and legal passage through the Strait of Hormuz by seeking to escort trespassing vessels through an illegal passageway. Iran's Armed Forces have staged uncompromising retaliation in the face of each instance of violation, including those in support of illegal vessel movement in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. strikes Iranian missile sites, defense systems and reinstates port blockade - U.S. forces completed another round of strikes against Iranian targets, the Central Command said late Tuesday, as the order to resume its naval blockade of Iranian ports in and around the Strait of Hormuz took effect. The seven-hour strikes, which had started at 3 p.m. ET, hit dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas, Centcom said in an X post. American fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval facilities, and coastal defense systems, further devastating Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the critical waterway, according to Centcom. The strikes took place as the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman resumed at 4 p.m. ET. In a statement posted on social media later in the day, Brad Cooper, Centcom Commander, said that Iran had “intentionally” targeted civilians and attacked seven commercial ships over the past seven days, resulting in about a dozen crew members killed, missing or injured. The warring countries have escalated military hostilities in recent days, with Tehran expanding attacks to several Gulf countries. Jordan’s Army reportedly said that their air defense system had struck down three missiles from Iran earlier on Wednesday. In an interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday, President Donald Trump renewed his threats to target Iranian power plants and bridges, unless the Iranians “get to the table and negotiate.” The American blockade of Iranian ports was lifted after the U.S. and Iran struck a temporary ceasefire deal as part of a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last month. But Trump last week declared the ceasefire was “over” after multiple flare-ups of hostilities in the region and as each side accused the other of violating the terms of the deal. Trump announced Monday that the U.S. would reimpose the blockade against Iran, as Tehran’s efforts to forcefully take control of the strait appear to have ramped back up as the ceasefire falls to the wayside. To increase pressure on the Iranian regime, the U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday it had imposed new sanctions to dismantle the “illicit shipping empire” of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, describing the network as “a major enabler behind Iran’s oil exports.” Commercial shipping traffic through the waterway, which was far below prewar levels even as the ceasefire was in effect, sharply dropped in recent days, ship tracking firms found. Before the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February, the strait saw 20% of the world’s oil pass through it. “The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump insisted in a Truth Social post announcing the blockade was back on. In the same post, Trump said that the U.S. will start demanding reimbursement “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped” through the strait. The policy proposal met with deep skepticism from energy experts and swift opposition from shipping industry groups, including the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization. Critics quickly resurrected recent clips of Trump administration officials declaring that it would be illegal for a country to impose tolls in an international waterway. One day after announcing the 20% fee plan, Trump reversed course. He claimed on Truth Social on Tuesday morning that he would “replace” the proposed toll with “Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.” At the White House later Tuesday, Trump said that he had fielded calls from world leaders who told him “we’d love to do it a different way.” “I like that, actually, because I don’t think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait,” Trump said. “I don’t think anybody should be really in that position, but we were doing it as a reimbursement.” He said that he spoke with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and others. None of those countries has yet revealed plans this week to boost investment in the U.S.
CENTCOM Reimposes Blockade of Iranian Ports, Bombs Iran for Fourth Straight Day - US Central Command said on Tuesday that its forces have reimposed the blockade of Iranian ports after it announced another round of strikes against Iran, marking the fourth consecutive day that the US has bombed Iran. CENTCOM said that at 3 pm EST, it began “launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” and Iranian media has reported strikes and blasts across southern Iran. An hour later, CENTCOM said the blockade was back in effect. “US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas today at 4 pm ET,” the command said.“There are currently more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” the command added.Also on Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that it launched a third wave of attacks against US bases in the region as part of what it has dubbed “Operation Nasr 2.”The IRGC said it targeted US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait and claimed to have destroyed an MQ-9 Reaper drone deployment ramp at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base. It said the attacks were launched “in response to the aggression carried out this afternoon by the child-killing US army” against several Iranian coastal bases.The IRGC warned that its retaliation would continue in the face of further US attacks and that “as long as US mischief continues in the region, not a single drop of oil or gas will be exported from the region,” and that US strikes “will only delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
US hits ‘dozens’ of military targets in additional round of strikes --U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced on Tuesday night that it completed an additional round of strikes on “dozens” of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s coastal region at 10 p.m. EDT. The strikes came after the U.S. resumed a naval blockade at 4 p.m. EDT, with over 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating in the Middle East. “U.S. fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,” according to Centcom in a statement. The initial blockade ended on June 18. On Monday, President Trump announced that the U.S. would be “reimbursed” 20 percent of all cargo shipped through the strait. He announced the next day, however, that he had “decided to replace” it with “Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.” Tuesday marked the fourth day of U.S. strikes against Iran. The U.S. struck Iranian military targets across the country on Monday, including in Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas. “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, we’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night, we’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’s Trey Yingst on Tuesday night. “Because next week comes the power plants, next week comes the bridges.”
US military boards oil tanker in Gulf of Oman - U.S. Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a forward-deployed, rapid-response unit based in California, boarded the M/T Wen Yao, marking the first boarding of a vessel since the naval blockade resumed Tuesday evening, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said. So far, U.S. forces in Centcom theater have redirected three commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabled one ship that didn’t comply and now boarded its first to ensure full compliance with the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. “The Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding waters remain free and open, except for vessels attempting to violate America’s steel wall blockade,” Centcom said. M/T Wen Yao was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2024 for purportedly transporting Iranian crude oil and for its assistance to the National Iranian Oil Company. Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. military began conducting another wave of airstrikes against Iran, marking the sixth consecutive day the U.S. has waged attacks against Tehran. White House said that despite the strikes, Iranian officials are still talking to the Trump administration. “Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and express that they want to make a deal with us because they are suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a Thursday White House briefing.
Trump Backtracks on 20% Hormuz Strait Fee, Says He Wants 'Trade and Investment Deals' From Gulf States - - President Trump on Tuesday backtracked on his demand for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to pay the US a 20% fee, saying instead that he wants “trade and investment deals” from the Gulf Arab states.“Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” the president wrote on Truth Social.“Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” he added.Iran responded to Trump’s call for the US to be the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz and receive a 20% fee by mocking him and pointing out that Iran’s plan would require a much smaller payment. “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araghchi. In his post on Tuesday, Trump insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was “open” despite Iran’s continued attacks on ships attempting to cross the waterway. Iran’s IRGC took credit for the Monday attack on two tankers, which killed at least one Indian mariner, saying the ships were “misled by the US” and ignored repeated Iranian warnings.Trump also repeated that the US would reimpose the blockade of Iranian ports, which US Central Command said would begin on Tuesday at 4 pm EST. “We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo,” he said.
Majority of Iranian MPs Say Trump's 'Termination' of MoU Shows Talks With US Won't Solve Problems - The majority of members of Iran’s parliament have issued a statement saying that President Trump’s “termination” of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding shows that Iran’s problems with the US cannot be solved through negotiations.The statement, signed by 180 of the 290 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, called for action to be taken in the wake of the end of the MoU and for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be avenged.“Now that the foolish US president has declared this Memorandum of Understanding to be over, the decisive and revolutionary positions of the heads of state on this issue are urgently expected,” the lawmakers said, according to a Google translation of the full text of the statement published by the Iranian daily Hamshari. “This experience has once again proven the words of our martyred Imam that resolving the issues between Iran and America through negotiations is not possible,” they added. According to PressTV’s translation, the lawmakers said they “pledge in the parliamentary trench not to neglect for a moment the efforts, planning and practical measures in the path of blood revenge.”The statement came as the US launched days of heavy airstrikes across southern Iran, which the lawmakers called the “Third Imposed War.” They said that they would “not hesitate to provide any support and assistance at all levels to meet the needs of the armed forces and will support the children of the nation’s sacrificed lives with all our might.”
Trump Still Won't Admit the US Is Responsible for the Minab School Massacre - - President Trump is still refusing to acknowledge that the US was responsible for the strikes that hit an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, an attack that massacred over 100 school children, claiming in a Fox News interview that it’s possible no one will ever know what happened.“I don’t think anybody will ever be able to say what happened there. While things like that happen in war, there were missiles flying all over the place. And I don’t know how anybody could say that we shot it,” Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst when asked if he would commit to releasing the findings of the investigation into the attack.US officials have told several media outlets that the Pentagon’s investigation found that the US was responsible for the strike and that it was carried out due to old intelligence, with CNN recently reporting that US military commanders bypassed warnings in critical databases that intelligence about potential targets in Iran was severely out of date and approved the strike. Sources told CNN that US military officials “knew within days (of the strike on the school) how the mistake happened,” yet the administration continues to claim it’s unclear what happened.Yingst asked Trump about the fact that photos show remnants of US Tomahawk missiles at the school, and the president claimed they could be “AI-generated” images. He previously made the false claim that Iran has Tomahawk missiles, a weapon that is only used by the US and a few of its allies.“I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around is … sold and used by other countries. You know that. And whether it’s Iran, (which) also has some Tomahawks. They wish they had more. But whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk — a Tomahawk is very generic. It’s sold to other countries,” Trump told reporters in May.While the death toll in the attack on the school in Minab varies, with some reports saying 168 people were killed and others putting the number at 175, the general prosecutor in Minab said in early April that the final death toll was 156, including 120 students — 73 boys, 47 girls — 26 female teachers, seven parents, a school bus driver, and a technician at a nearby clinic.
Iran Says More Than 30 Civilians Killed in Recent US Strikes on Southern Iran --An Iranian government spokeswoman on Wednesday alleged that recent US attacks on southern Iran have killed over 30 civilians, as US strikes have been pounding Iran for five consecutive days. “In the recent attacks on the southern part of the country, more than 30 civilians were martyred,” Fatemeh Mohajerani wrote on X.“While expressing condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families, we honor the memory of the fallen. The government will stand by the people with all its might. The south of Iran is the beating heart of this land. The south of Iran is the soul of Iran,” she added.Iranian media has reported several US strikes on civilian infrastructure over the past day, including an attack that hit a bottled water factory and a wheat silo. US Central Command responded to the allegations about its forces bombing a wheat storage facility, calling it “false.” CENTCOM announced two rounds of strikes against Iran on Wednesday that it said targeted “Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels freely transiting through the Strait of Hormuz,” and it also said that its forces bombed an oil tanker attempting to sail to Kharg Island, as it has reimposed the blockade of Iran.Iranian media reported that US strikes on Wednesday hit an army barracks in southeastern Iran, killing seven soldiers and wounding 13. The Iranian military condemned the strike and vowed a “decisive response.”Iranian forces have continued to target US bases across the region, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced attacks on US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan on Wednesday. Footage published by Iranian media purportedly shows missiles impacting US military bases.
IRGC unleashes new wave of retaliatory strikes on US military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced a new series of retaliatory strikes against US military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, targeting key logistics, command, and military infrastructure following renewed US attacks on Iranian territory. The Corps announced the fresh reprisal in three separate statements on Wednesday, saying the strikes formed the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of its Operation Nasr- (Victory) 2. In the first statement in the series, the IRGC denounced the United States for attacking “a number of coastal bases and locations in Iran's southern provinces with cruise missiles and aerial bombs” overnight. It noted that the American aggression had come after “no vessel dared violate regulations or cooperate with the United States” due to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to unprovoked American attacks and violations. The statement said the US attacks were intended “to conceal its defeat and incapability,” hailing that the Corps’ forces "responded with crushing blows, punishing and suppressing the aggressors." According to the IRGC, the fourth wave of Operation Nasr 2 targeted “KJL,” which it described as, “the US army's principal logistics and support center in West Asia at Mina Abdullah, Kuwait.” The statement said the facility “was set ablaze and destroyed” as a result of the strikes. The IRGC added, “The retaliatory operations of our fighters will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ends its acts of aggression.” In the next statement in the series, the IRGC said the fifth wave of Operation Nasr 2 was launched at dawn by the Corps’ Navy, hitting “the NSI Management Center, the Command and Control Center, major warehouses containing military parts and equipment, and fuel depots belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.” The IRGC likewise stated that those facilities too “were struck and destroyed.” The statement, meanwhile, condemned the United States for deploying naval forces across the Indian Ocean "under the claim of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oceanic routes to shipping and depriving the world of the region's oil and gas." “The enemy should know that since its sea pirates have blocked the Indian Ocean route for the export of oil and gas to the world,” under the pretext of blockading the strait, “it must now expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies,” it went on. “The region's oil and gas exports will be available either to everyone or to no one.” In another statement, the IRGC said the sixth wave of the operation targeted the US base at al-Azraq in Jordan. The Corps said the strikes were carried out by its Aerospace Force, which targeted shelters housing US F-15, F-16, and F-35 warplanes at the outpost and “eliminated a number of US MQ-9 strategic drones stationed at the base,” destroying the shelters and the unmanned aircraft. The United States has perpetrated numerous violations against Iranian territory since April 7, when US President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire in the latest bout of American-Israeli aggression targeting the Islamic Republic. The violations continued even after Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month, whose first clause clearly mandates cessation of aggression on all fronts. The US has also been trying to help vessels evade the maritime route designated by the Islamic Republic for safe and legal passage through the Strait of Hormuz by seeking to escort trespassing vessels through an illegal passageway.
Report: Shipping Companies Refusing US-Guided Transit Scheme Through Hormuz Strait After Iranian Attacks - Shipping companies are avoiding using the US military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after several Iranian attacks on vessels in the area, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing shipping and maritime industry sources.The report said that Iran had mines in shipping lanes that go through the middle of the strait, requiring ships to either use a route close to Oman or one close to Iran. Since July 7, multiple ships have been attacked near Oman while attempting to transit under the US scheme, yet President Trump and US Central Command continue to claim that the strait is open.“They have stated that the Strait of Hormuz is ‘not closed’ and remains available to use,” a maritime security source told Reuters. “This is making operators nervous and uncertain. Whilst they all have to make their own risk assessments, this is clearly not safe, so why say it is open?”A shipping source told the outlet that the US “doesn’t seem to have any control over the situation” and that their shipping company has opted not to transit the strait due to safety concerns.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that, over the previous 24 hours, its forces fired “warning shots” at two ships it said attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorization from Iran. Earlier this week, the IRGC struck two tankers, killing at least one Indian crew member.The US may also begin attacks on commercial ships again as it has reimposed the blockade of Iranian ports. During the previous blockade, the US bombed multiple civilian vessels, and one attack killed three Indian mariners.CENTCOM said on Wednesday that since reimposing the blockade, US forces “have redirected two commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade.”
As US Bombs Pound Iran, JD Vance Says the US Is Engaged in a 'Delicate Diplomatic Dance' - Vice President JD Vance appeared on an episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast that came out on Wednesday and was asked why President Trump keeps claiming that a deal has been reached with Iran but then goes back to bombing the country. The interview, recorded on Tuesday, comes as the US has intensified its airstrikes against Iran and Iranian forces have been launching heavy retaliation against US bases and continue targeting ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, as both sides have said the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was effectively over. Vance insisted that the US was “on the right trajectory, it’s just going to be really messy, and there’s going to be a lot of starts and stops.” He claimed that the deal had been imperiled by a split among Iranian officials and that recent attacks on ships were due to hardliners who opposed the MoU, a narrative that Iranian officials have rejected and have called a disinformation campaign. He said that the hardliners “freaked out” over the amount of oil that exited the Strait of Hormuz and worried that Iran was giving up its “leverage,” though Iran’s most senior diplomatic officials have maintained a unified front on their stance that they view any transits through the strait that aren’t authorized by Tehran as a violation of the deal. “So they shot at a couple of ships we responded, and I think that’s entirely appropriate, of course, if they’re going to shoot at ships, we are going to shoot at the people who are shooting at the ships, or we’re going to destroy the facilities that they’re using to shoot at ships,” Vance said. “So that happens, okay, and then the Iranians are like, “Oh no, no, fine, you’re right, we shouldn’t have been shooting at ships.” So then they come back to the table, and there’s a few more days of negotiation, and then the phase they’re in right now is that the hardliners have really, really reacted strongly to all the oil that’s coming out of the Strait of Hormuz, and they’ve basically said we’re going to try to shut this thing down,” he added. The US vice president went on to describe the current US policy, which appears to be an attempt to bomb Iran into submission, as a “diplomatic dance.” “Again, do I know how this is ultimately going to shake out? Of course I don’t. But what we’re doing is a delicate diplomatic dance where we’re using economic leverage points. We’re using carrots and sticks. We’re trying to talk to the pragmatists. And then, of course, when they commit acts of violence, we’re responding to it. And all those things are happening simultaneously to get us on a better trajectory,” he said. “Now that said, yes, right now there’s shooting right now. Last night they shot at some ships. But with all that said, is their nuclear program still destroyed? Yes. Are the straits not necessarily fully pre-war traffic, but are we getting enough oil and gas out of the Strait of Hormuz to prevent a worldwide energy crisis? Yes. And all of these things are happening in the context of the broader negotiation,” he added. In this interview, Vance also criticized hawks who he said wanted the US to bomb Iran “into oblivion” and didn’t have a real solution, though that appears to be President Trump’s current strategy as he is threatening to escalate airstrikes into bombing power plants and bridges.
Iran Says 'Barbaric' US Attack Forced the Evacuation of Children's Cancer Hospital in City of Ahvaz - Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a “barbaric” US attack near a cancer hospital in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz forced the evacuation of the medical facility.“Shahid Baqaei Hospital, a children’s cancer treatment center in Ahvaz, was evacuated last night after the US attacked a nearby location,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on X.“This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the hospitalized children, and forced the emergency evacuation of 211 patients undergoing chemotherapy,” he added. Baghaei said that the attack “constitutes a cowardly war crime against the most innocent of human beings — children who are bravely fighting for their lives.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also released a statement on Thursday accusing the US of committing war crimes against Iran, in which he urged Gulf countries to stop allowing the US to launch attacks from their territory, as Iran has continued launching retaliatory attacks on US bases across the region.Araghchi wrote on Telegram that Tehran was calling on regional countries to “prevent the continuation and spread of the fire of war in the region by immediately preventing the aggressors from using their land, sea, and air facilities and territory to attack Iran, and not to allow the sinister American-Zionist conspiracy to create hostility and suspicion between the countries of the region to be realized.” US strikes against Iran on Thursday hit near the capital city of Tehran for the first time during this round of the war, marking an escalation of US attacks. The US has also begun reinforcing the blockade against Iran, and bombed a ship on Wednesday that it said was attempting to reach Kharg Island. Another US attack on Wednesday struck an Iranian army barracks, killing at least seven soldiers.
Iran warns of Hormuz ‘red line,’ retaliation to Trump’s strike threats - Iran warned Thursday that it would “crush” key targets in the Middle East if U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to target the country’s infrastructure in the coming days are carried out. Trump said in a Tuesday evening interview with Fox News that U.S. forces would target key Iranian infrastructure next week if a diplomatic breakthrough is not achieved. “Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” he said. “Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.” In a statement published on Telegram on Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Iran’s top military command said that if Trump’s threats were implemented “everything that is still intact … that is, all the infrastructure in the region – will be crushed under the steel blows of the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; so that no trace of them remains and it is as if they never existed in the first place.” They added that “under no circumstances and in no way will we allow America, as a foreign and extra-regional country, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz.” “This is Iran’s invincible red line,” the spokesperson said. The strait, a waterway in the Middle East that’s critical to the shipping of oil and other key commodities, has become the focal point of fighting between American and Iranian forces. Reuters reported on Thursday that Iran may also be looking to expand its grip on global shipping. Citing anonymous sources, the news agency said the Iranian government had asked Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route should U.S. forces carry out Trump’s threatened attacks. Armed conflict has escalated in recent days after the U.S. launched strikes against Iran earlier this week in retaliation for commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz coming under attack. Tehran, meanwhile, has launched attacks on multiple Gulf countries. U.S. Central Command carried out a fresh wave of attacks on Iran overnight that concluded at 9 p.m. ET. “U.S. forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Centcom said in a statement posted on X. “CENTCOM used precision munitions to hit targets in multiple locations including Bandar Abbas.” A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry also warned of retaliation on Wednesday. “Our hands are not tied,” he said at an event in Tehran, according to state-affiliated media. “Our fighters will respond with full force and power to US aggressions, and in other clauses of the memorandum, wherever we had reciprocal commitments, we have not implemented them.” Last week, Trump said the ceasefire agreed between the two sides last month was “over.” On Wednesday, he told Fox Business News that Iranian officials wanted to meet with American delegates for fresh negotiations.
US strikes hit bridges near Hormuz as Iran responds with new attacks - -The U.S. launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran overnight Thursday, including what Iran described as strikes on bridges and one of the country’s major ports, while Iran has targeted multiple countries across the Middle East. This includes a civilian water desalination plant that Kuwait said was set on fire by an Iranian strike. Across the Gulf, desalination facilities are a critical source of drinking water, with some countries relying on them for most of their supply.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) which oversees all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said it had struck “dozens” of Iranian targets, including air defense systems, on the sixth consecutive night of attacks on Iran.President Donald Trump has threatened to strike critical infrastructure, like power plants and bridges, in Iran if Tehran refuses to come back to the negotiating table after talks to secure a permanent peace deal and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane stalled.Airstrikes on both sides resumed nearly a week ago after the ceasefire agreed upon in June disintegrated, with attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz continuing to wreak havoc. Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply has typically flowed, has become its main bargaining chip in talks with a U.S. desperate to fully reopen the narrow waterway to commercial shipping.The U.K.’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre, backed by the British military, said on Friday a tanker was attacked close to the Omani coast, but no injuries were reported and the vessel was carrying on its journey after sustaining “minor” damage.CENTCOM said U.S. Marines conducted a verification boarding of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of Washington’s effort to enforce its blockade of Iranian shipping. Armed men also seized a vessel off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, Reuters reported, raising new concerns about disruptions stretching from Hormuz to the Red Sea.Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency later reported that the Revolutionary Guards navy had “targeted” a Thai-flagged ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, although no further details were immediately provided.In a post to X on Friday night, CENTCOM also said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that two oil tankers exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after striking naval mines in the international waterway. However, the U.S. military said the report is “false.”A screen grab from a video posted by U.S. Central Command on Thursday night, as the U.S. military announced it had launched fresh strikes on “dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.”“Full control of the Strait of Hormuz remains in the hands of our brave warriors, and as long as America’s evil deeds continue, not a single drop of oil or gas will be exported from this region,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Friday.Iran does not control the SoH [Strait of Hormuz],” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday. Trump said in his primetime address on Thursday the U.S. was “winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”U.S. airstrikes on southern Iran’s Hormozgan province killed at least seven people and damaged seven bridges, state media reported.
U.S. strikes bridges around key port in Iran, expanding campaign in battle over Hormuz - The United States attacked bridges and other key infrastructure in southern Iran overnight into Friday, capping nearly a week of strikes aimed at intensifying pressure on Tehran to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz. The latest expansion of this campaign appeared targeted at cutting off the main port city of Bandar Abbas from the heart of the Islamic Republic. Tehran hit back with new attacks on U.S. allies in the Middle East, including a first direct attack on Syria. The collapse of the ceasefire and interim agreement has led to days of strikes and counterstrikes across the region, with traffic in the crucial waterway once again largely halted as the two sides battle over the strait. Despite mounting fears for the global economy, President Donald Trump insisted the war was going well as he delivered a primetime address to the American public ahead of the Midterm elections. “We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly,” Trump said. The U.S. military targeted “military logistics infrastructure” and “maritime capabilities” in Iran during a sixth consecutive night of strikes, U.S. Central Command said late Thursday. Iranian officials and state media said the attacks hit civilian infrastructure. At least 8 people were killed and 20 others were injured in the strikes, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. It said early Friday that at least six bridges were hit, including one that was still under construction. A railway junction station just west of Bandar Abbas was also hit, the state-owned IRIB news agency said. The highway and railway bridge strikes appeared aimed at cutting off Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port, from roads leading toward Tehran, the capital. While other routes still are open, the U.S. strikes could expand further, potentially disrupting both the movement of military materiel and goods needed for Iran’s 90 million people. Iran also acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrike campaign for the first time Friday, with the energy ministry asking people in southern provinces to use less electricity, according to the state news agency ISNA. The latest wave of U.S. strikes also damaged a maritime control tower in Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, which lies outside the Strait of Hormuz yet is nonetheless a major port operated jointly with India. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a picture on X late Thursday showing the tower collapsing as plumes of smoke rose around it. Attacks on the tower — the third time in recent days — could impact port operations, Mehr news agency said. Trump had threatened to target Iranian infrastructure as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz erupted in the past week into the daily exchange of strikes and the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday it responded by launching missiles and drones toward several U.S. military bases in neighboring countries, including Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar, which has played a key mediating role in the conflict. A child was injured from falling shrapnel in Qatar during interception operations, the country’s interior ministry said on X. Air sirens were sounded in Bahrain, where authorities advised Friday morning citizens to head to safety. The Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted radar facilities and two HIMARS missile launch platforms in Kuwait, U.S. fighter jets and refueling aircraft in Jordan. It also targeted the Al-Tanf base in Syria, claiming to have targeted a U.S. Special Operations command center. NBC News could not verify the claims, and there was no immediate comment from the Pentagon. The U.S. military announced the handover of the base to Syrian forces in February.
US Launches Attacks on Iran for Sixth Consecutive Night - US Central Command on Thursday announced it was bombing Iran for the sixth consecutive night as the US continues to escalate its attacks on the country. “At 2 pm ET today, US forces began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night to further degrade Iranian military capabilities,” CENTCOM wrote on X. Iranian media reported several attacks on bridges and other infrastructure in Iran, suggesting President Trump was beginning to make good on his threat to destroy the country’s bridges and power plants.According to Drop Site News, at least three bridges were targeted by the US strikes, and Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that at least three people were killed and nine were wounded by a strike on one of the bridges in Bandar Khamir, a port city in the Hormozgan province. Iranian media also reported a strike on a railway station in the port city of Bandar Abbas, and an attack on an airport in Iranshahr, a city in Iran’s southeast. CENTCOM also announced that US Marines conducted what it called a “verification boarding” of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman as it is once again enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s military warned that it would target infrastructure across the region if the US began bombing Iranian infrastructure.Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, said that if Trump’s threats were carried out “then everything that, owing to Iran’s restraint, still remains — meaning all infrastructure in the region — will be crushed under the steel blows of the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, such that no trace of it shall remain, as if it never existed.”Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also announced that it launched attacks on US bases in the region on Thursday, claiming to hit an early warning radar and a gathering of US troops in Kuwait. So far, there’s been no confirmation or denial from the US of any US casualties.
IRGC strikes US command center in Syria, radars in Oman, depots in Kuwait - The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched a sweeping wave of retaliatory strikes across West Asia, targeting a US special operations command center in Syria, American radar sites in Oman, and weapons depots and launchers in Kuwait. In a statement on Friday, the IRGC’s Public Relations Department said that during the operation conducted by the Aerospace Force, a radar system and several special operations helicopters were destroyed while a large number of criminal US troops were killed. It added that the strike came in revenge for the blood of the seven innocent Iranian soldiers who were martyred on Wednesday in the American aerial assault on the Army's 388th Brigade garrison in Bampur, near the southeastern city of Iranshahr. “Our brave fighters remain in full control of the Strait of Hormuz. As long as the United States persists in its acts of mischief, not a single drop of oil or gas will be permitted to be exported from the region,” it emphasized. Over the past few days, the terrorist US military has conducted waves of deadly strikes on Iran and reinstated a blockade of Iranian ports in flagrant violation of a war-termination deal. In response, Iranian armed forces have launched heavy reprisal attacks against strategic American targets across the region, declaring the strategic waterway closed “until further notice” and at least until “the end of US interference in the region.” Late Thursday and into Friday, the US hit Iranian infrastructure, including several bridges in southern Hormozgan Province. The attacks occurred while vehicles were crossing the bridges, causing them to be thrown off the structures. In a separate statement on Friday, the IRGC’s Public Relations Department said that Iranian forces began retaliatory operations, the first of which targeted a missile defense surveillance radar, several US weapons depots, and two HIMARS launchers, and a number of missiles, resulting in a large fire at a base hosting US terrorist forces in Kuwait. "The Great Satan, once again acting on the mistaken belief that we had been weakened, resumed the war in the middle of negotiations—as it has repeatedly done by violating its commitments. Now desperate, regretful of its actions, and having lost hope of succeeding against the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, it turned once again last night to war crimes in an attempt to change the course of the conflict," it noted. "By attacking civilian facilities, including telecommunications and railway infrastructure, as well as passing vehicles, it killed or wounded a number of civilians." The US acts of malevolence have led to a sharp decline in production and the complete suspension of oil and gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz, it said, warning that Iran’s retaliatory operations are continuing. In another statement later, the IRGC said its forces targeted and destroyed a naval surveillance radar at the Salmah Plateau and a US air surveillance radar stationed in the Ghanam area of Oman. The US and the Israeli regime waged their illegal war of aggression against Iran on February 28. However, forty days later, on April 8, the enemies were forced to accept a ceasefire amid Iran’s brave resistance, successful retaliatory attacks, and powerful grip on the Strait of Hormuz. On June 17, Tehran and Washington signed the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts and includes a commitment from both sides to hold further talks on a final agreement in the next 60 days. However, Washington violated several provisions of the understanding, resulting in Iran's firm response.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed a new series of strikes targeting U.S. military facilities across the Middle East on Friday, alleging attacks on bases in Syria, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan. There was no confirmation from U.S. officials of any impacts, and Iranian forces have often exaggerated their claims.
- Ship crews around the Strait of Hormuz are unwilling to make the risky trip through the Strait of Hormuz because of the breakdown of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, according to the CEO of a Greek maritime risk management company, who said, "we've gone back to the worst case scenario. Nobody is willing to move."
- The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes early Friday, hitting "dozens of Iranian military targets." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump would not allow ongoing attacks on ships and Gulf states "without ensuring Iran pays consequences."
Oil prices were up again Friday, with international benchmark Brent crude powering above $85 a barrel, as the United States and Iran traded fresh attacks. "Developments in the Middle East are getting worse by the hour," noted Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote bank. Asian and European stock markets took their cue from Wall Street, where sharp falls in Nvidia and Amazon helped drag down the Nasdaq by more than one percent Thursday. There were steep losses also in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney, though Bangkok, Manila and Mumbai rose. Europe's main stock markets were all in the red, though London held up reasonably well as the U.K. prepared for its new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. Shares in British energy giants Shell and BP climbed thanks to rising oil prices.
US launches 7th night of strikes as Iran attacks military sites - Bombing intensified in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive night, with Iran reporting three deaths from US strikes and retaliating with attacks on several US military sites in Kuwait and Jordan. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that two oil tankers directed by "deceptive American intelligence agencies" exploded after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which the US military quickly denied. The Revolutionary Guards also said on state television they "stopped" four ships trying to transit the critical waterway. US forces, meanwhile, reported striking Iran with attacks designed to "continue degrading Iranian military capabilities," according to a statement by US Central Command shared on X. In the biggest escalation since the foes resumed hostilities, Iran accused US forces of targeting civilian infrastructure, including an airport, a railway station and two bridges, and said it had struck US assets across the region. US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to hit Iranian infrastructure, but there was no confirmation from the US side on Friday that US forces have begun to do so. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military advisor to Iran's supreme leader, said Tehran will resume "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes against it continue for another two or three days. "Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses...and no political border will be safe," Rezaei said, according to the Iranian news agency IRIB. The war began on February 28 with deadly US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel for much of the world's oil, and launching attacks on Israel and American interests across the Gulf. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday that US attacks killed three people and wounded eight in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan. Iran's army said it struck US military targets in Kuwait and Jordan in response to American attacks, according to a statement carried by the Iranian state broadcaster on Saturday. In Kuwait, Iranian forces targeted an ammunition depot in the Al-Adiri camp, the headquarters buildings and ammunition depots in the Ali Al-Salem base and several communication bridges. In Jordan, fuel tanks at the Al-Azraq base were also targeted, the state broadcaster said on Telegram. David Khalfa, a Middle East specialist at the Jean-Jaures Foundation, a Paris-based think-tank, noted that a "widening range of strategic infrastructure" is now being drawn into the conflict. "The paradox is that, while the conflict continues to escalate, neither side has a strategic interest in allowing this dynamic to continue. Yet both perceive any compromise as a form of capitulation," Khalfa told AFP. Iran's energy ministry urged citizens to reduce their electricity use and switch off air conditioners in peak hours -- even as temperatures in some areas soared -- after the power grid came under strain from what it said were US strikes on energy facilities. Iran's military had threatened infrastructure across the region in the event of any attacks on its own, and on Friday launched widespread strikes. In Kuwait, where Tehran said it targeted US military sites, the electricity ministry said an Iranian attack damaged a power and water plant and urged users to ration electricity. The Kuwaiti military said several troops had been wounded when Iranian drones targeted a number of its bases and camps. Iran's Guards said they had targeted US radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar to "punish the aggressor", with Doha saying it had intercepted a missile attack. Iran's Guards said they had attacked two US radar sites in Oman and the Al-Tanf military base in Syria. A Syrian military source denied there had been an attack and US forces said they had withdrawn from the base earlier this year. In Iraq's Kurdistan region, drone and rocket strikes killed nine members of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group on Friday, the exiled Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan said, blaming the attack on Iran. Iran's health ministry said at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 wounded in the country since fighting resumed. Mediators have attempted to bring both sides back to the negotiating table and China and Pakistan called for the US and Iran to stop fighting and resume talks. As part of the wider escalation, the US has also reimposed its blockade of Iran's ports, and attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have continued with the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency on Friday saying a tanker was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman overnight.
From Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandeb: Iran’s blueprint for new regional order after US breaks MoU -- The Persian Gulf today stands at a precipice unseen since the Tanker War of the 1980s. This crisis is not of Iran's making but the direct and well-documented consequence of sustained American military escalation and unprovoked acts of aggression, which have emerged as the principal drivers of regional instability. It is characterised by the flagrant and continuing violation of the war-ending memorandum of understanding (MoU), breached through repeated US military strikes on Iranian territory, covert naval incursions, and acts of maritime banditry and piracy. Washington has systematically dismantled every diplomatic off-ramp, leaving Tehran with no recourse but decisive and powerful retaliation. Every American provocation and act of aggression has been met by Iran with swift, decisive and fully lawful retaliation. These responses are not acts of escalation but the inherent, non-negotiable right of a sovereign nation to defend itself under international law, specifically Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. To brand Iran as the aggressor is to invert reality entirely. The US war machine chose this path and Iran is not the one to surrender. Having exhausted the diplomatic track – repeatedly sabotaged by an American regime notoriously known for its lack of good faith – Iran has transitioned from a defensive posture to a strategically offensive one. The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a mere geographical chokepoint but a decisive lever of Iranian power and statecraft, capable of permanently rewiring the geopolitical architecture of a region long defined by unchecked US naval overreach. Iran will not compromise or offer any concessions on the Strait. It will continue to manage the waterway according to its sovereign rights and the new realities on the ground, because the United States, through its continued violations and aggression, has left no other path. To understand Iran's current posture, one must first acknowledge the contractual foundation that the United States systematically dismantled under the Israeli lobby pressure. The MoU, signed by the presidents of Iran and the United States, though informal in its later iterations, represented a fragile but functional framework for de-escalation after a war the US-Israeli axis imposed on Iran. It included tacit understandings on naval conduct in the Persian Gulf, restrictions on certain categories of military activity near Iranian territorial waters, and mutual recognition of each other's red lines. The United States violated this framework repeatedly and with impunity from day one. Airstrikes on southern Iranian provinces have only become recurrent in the past week. Naval incursions into Iran's exclusive economic zone, cyber attacks targeting Iranian infrastructure, and the fresh deployment of carrier strike groups within striking distance of Iranian shores all constitute breaches of the understanding. With the enemy's systematic abandonment of the understanding, Iran's constraint has been understandably and entirely removed. The diplomatic track is not merely stalled but it is dead, buried by American adventurism. Tehran now feels fully empowered to deploy its full spectrum of military, asymmetric, and economic options. This explicit linkage between diplomatic collapse and military escalation is not a choice but a necessity, to show the enemy its place. Washington lit the fuse and Iran is now deciding where the explosion lands. The Iranian strategic narrative is unapologetically self-assured, and for good reason. The initial US war objective was publicly framed as the destruction of the Islamic Republic and the unconditional surrender of its government, which completely collapsed under its own weight. Washington's current objective, after facing a disgraceful defeat on the battlefield, is described by analysts as a desperate bid to "return to the pre-war status quo" in the Strait of Hormuz, which represents the strategic exhaustion and cognitive failure of the American war machine. This recalibration represents a fundamental success of Iranian resistance and deterrence in the face of full-scale and illegal US-Israeli military aggression. The world's sole military superpower has been forced to abandon maximalist ambitions – “regime change,” nuclear rollback, and the dismantling of Iran's regional influence network – and now scrambles to unlawfully exert its control over a narrow waterway that is being legally administered by Iran. This is clearly observable in the contracting scope of US demands over the past decade. From "Iran must cease all uranium enrichment" to "Iran must not close the Strait" – the trajectory is one of humiliating retreat and decisive defeat. This interpretation is grounded in material reality. The United States has oscillated between sanctions, covert action, limited military strikes, and diplomatic engagement for over forty years and none achieving desirable results. The narrowing of focus to the Strait of Hormuz, while dramatic in imagery, represents a contraction of ambitions. This is a battle of wills – a protracted, high-stakes standoff where attrition, resolve, and the willingness to absorb pain, rather than sheer military superiority, will determine the outcome. Iran holds the asymmetric advantage in this domain: geographic proximity, low-cost naval assets including swarms of fast-attack craft and mines, asymmetric tactics such as helicopter-borne special operations, and a considerably higher tolerance for economic disruption and human cost. The US, by contrast, operates at the end of a long logistical chain, with domestic political constituencies that grow restless with each month of open-ended military commitment. Crucially, Iran exercised demonstrable restraint during the earlier "ceasefire" period and the interim understanding with Washington. That constraint is now gone. With the US abandoning its commitments under the memorandum, Iran is fully empowered to deploy its entire arsenal of military and asymmetric options. The collapse of the political track is not a setback for diplomacy but a catalyst for accelerated action on the battlefield. For Tehran, diplomacy was never an alternative to confrontation but a parallel track that, once betrayed, unleashes forces Washington cannot control. The significance of the Strait of Hormuz goes beyond economics or military logistics. It is a powerful national symbol for the Iran, an undeniable right of the Iranian nation, and a representation of territorial integrity in the waterway known historically and legally as the Persian Gulf. Iran rightly maintains that the management of the Strait is a sovereign right, a position it has reinforced by introducing legislation to formally regulate the waterway and designate security zones. Persian Gulf Arab states' cooperation with the US military occupation represents a violation of Iran's territorial integrity. These Arab states – whether they actively cooperate with US forces or are merely incapable of expelling the terrorist U.S. military – are direct accomplices in war crimes against the Iranian nation. Iran's position is clear: it will not compromise on the Strait of Hormuz. It will continue to manage the waterway according to its sovereign rights and the new realities on the ground, because the United States, through its continued violations and aggression, has left no other path.
Report: Trump Gave Saudi Crown Prince Green Light for Attack on Yemen's Sanaa Airport -- Axios reported on Monday that President Trump gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman his support for an attack on Yemen ahead of Saudi Arabia’s bombing of the Sanaa International Airport, which shattered a years-long truce between Riyadh and the Houthis. US officials told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that Riyadh sought support for the attack during conversations with US officials last week, which included a Friday conversation between Trump and MbS. The report said MbS “asked Trump for his backing for a military action against the Houthis and received it.” The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE-led war against the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, from 2015 to 2022, throughout the entire first Trump administration. The US provided significant military and intelligence support to the Saudis, meaning the US could have provided support for Monday’s attack on the Sanaa airport. Ravid noted that the fact that MbS sought support from Trump before launching the strike suggested he’s preparing for the potential of it leading to a wider conflict with the Houthis and that Riyadh will need US military and diplomatic support.In response to the Saudi strikes on the Sanaa airport, Ansar Allah launched missile and drone attacks against a Saudi airport and warned aircraft to stay out of Saudi airspace until the blockade on the Sanaa airport is lifted.The Saudis bombed the Sanaa airport to prevent the landing of a flight from Iran that was carrying a Yemeni delegation that attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. After the strikes, the plane was able to land in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The tensions began when a plane from Iran picked up the delegation from Sanaa earlier in the month, marking the first known Iranian flight to the airport in more than 10 years, as the Saudis have maintained a partial blockade on the airport despite the 2022 ceasefire. Yemeni officials are warning that the next move could be the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. “If the current situation aggravates, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz will be closed in an operational alliance. Oil prices would then skyrocket to $200 a barrel in a dreadful shock,” said Mohammed al-Farah, a member of Ansar Allah’s political bureau.
US Approves Nearly $2 Billion Arms Sale for Saudi Arabia After Escalation in Yemen - - The State Department announced on Wednesday that it approved a potential $1.96 billion weapons sale for Saudi Arabia, just days after Riyadh bombed the Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, shattering a fragile truce with Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, that had held relatively well since 2022.The arms sale includes up to 20,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS), kits that turn unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions, and their warheads. The deal includes 10,000 air-to-air guidance sections and 10,000 air-to-ground guidance sections. The principal contractor for the massive deal is the US subsidiary of BAE Systems, the British multinational weapons company. The State Department said the potential sale requires the assignment of 15 additional US contractors and 15 US government representatives to “Saudi Arabia for an extended period to support program and technical reviews plus training and maintenance support in-country.”The arms sale is a strong show of support for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Sanaa airport bombing, which, according to a report from Axios, President Trump greenlit in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a few days before the attack.The strikes on the airport in Sanaa provoked missile and drone fire from Yemen, and Ansar Allah officials have declared that the “de-escalation” with Saudi Arabia is over, and both sides appear to be preparing for more strikes.The deal’s announcement also comes as the US has been pounding Iran with airstrikes and Iranian forces have been targeting US bases across the region. The State Department also announced a $484 million deal for Kuwait that will provide sustainment of its C-17 fleet.
West Bank Settlers Held Rep. Ro Khanna at Gunpoint at Destroyed School - US Representative Ro Khanna (D – CA) reports that he was held at gunpoint for more than an hour earlier this week during his visit to the occupied West Bank when Israeli settlers confronted his entourage as he toured a destroyed Palestinian village.“We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed, they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” Khanna said. “And these hoodlums come in with machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us. They block off the road.” The incident took place at the destroyed village of Khirbet Zanuta, a village near Hebron that was reported “ethnically cleansed” by settlers in 2023. Khanna reported that the settler group summoned the IDF and that the IDF sided with the settlers over the Americans. Rep. Khanna’s aide, Cameron Kasky, said the group was held for more than an hour and called the US Embassy in Jerusalem for help. Eventually, police arrived at the scene and dispersed the settlers, ending the incident. The IDF said their troops and police officers arrived on the scene and “dispersed the Israeli civilians” but doesn’t address Khanna’s report that the initial troops that arrived sided with the settlers over the matter. Israeli officials said Khanna had not coordinated the visit with them, so that’s why they weren’t provided with a security escort, which would be normal for an official visit to the West Bank.
State Dept. Touts ‘Positive’ Rome Talks, But Israel and Lebanon Leave Without Timetable - State Department hosted talks between Israel and Lebanon were once again cheered by the State Department today as “productive and positive,” which might explain why the US has cheerfully hosted no less than six rounds worth of such talks despite very little of consequence ever coming out of them. A deal was reached, naturally, though the indications are that the pilot zone framework agreed upon was the exact thing Israel had agreed to three weeks ago in the last deal and postponed immediately thereafter. There is once again, Israeli officials say, no timetable for actually starting the zones.The pilot zones were initially presented as “symbolic,” and primarily something the Lebanese government could use to defend the increasingly unpopular deals, and Israeli officials could present as proof they’re giving Lebanon something in these talks. Two zones were initially announced in the previous deal, though it was postponed, according to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, because the US and Lebanon weren’t meeting unspecified obligations from a “secret annex” of the deal. The pilot zones were never meant to be functionally relevant, but they’ve become narratively so. The Rome Embassy talks were indeed entirely about the pilot zones, with Israel initially trying to shrink the two zones into just one. In the end, the two zones remained, though reportedly only one of the zones is one that Israel is actually currently occupying, with the other “pilot zone” simply one that’s sort of adjacent to Israeli-occupied parts of Lebanon.So those talks ended with basically the same “deal” the last talks did with respect to the pilot zones, and while some officials are suggesting something unspecified could happen with respect to them in a matter of days, the focus seems to be demolition in the far south.Blasts continued to rock down in Marjayoun District, while more explosions were reported in and around Bint Jbeil. Near Majdal Zoun, Israeli troops opened fire on civilians attempting to reach their groves which are on the town’s outskirts, and roads were reportedly being bulldozed across the area.While Israeli officials are continuing to frame themselves as having no territorial ambitions on southern Lebanon and trying to sell this deployment as temporary. IDF veterans, however, who served in the last protracted occupation of southern Lebanon, see this as a remarkably familiar situation. Gil Shely was one of several veterans quoted by Reuters, who said that occupation, which spanned 1982-2000, was also presented as necessary to protect northern Israel. “Looking back, it was all fairy tales,”
Netanyahu Pushes Back US Trip as Graham Funeral Delayed - -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing back plans to visit the US until the end of the month as the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, which he will attend, has been pushed back, Israeli media reported on Thursday. The reports came after Israeli officials said Netanyahu would fly to the US this Saturday to attend the funeral and meet with President Trump, though the White House never confirmed the meeting.Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu’s visit would be centered around Graham’s funeral since the late senator was a staunch supporter of Israel and the US-Israel relationship. “Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Graham’s death.It remains unclear if Netanyahu will get a meeting with Trump during his trip. His last visit to the White House occurred on February 11, 17 days before the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. According to a report from The New York Times, Netanyahu provided Trump with an intelligence briefing at the time to sell the idea of attacking the Islamic Republic. The report said Netanyahu made a series of predictions about the war that proved to be wrong, including the idea that Iran was ripe for regime change, that its ballistic missile program could be destroyed within weeks, and that it would be too weak to close the Strait of Hormuz.Netanyahu has traveled to the US for meetings with Trump seven times since the US president was inaugurated for his second term. If Netanyahu does get his meeting this time, the discussions are expected to revolve around Iran and Israel’s continued wars and occupations in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
Over 100 Democrats Join Thomas Massie in Voting To Cut $3.3 Billion in Military Aid to Israel - -Over 100 House Democrats on Wednesday voted in favor of an amendment put forward by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to cut $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, marking a major shift as congressional Democrats grapple with growing skepticism of the US-Israel relationship among their voter base. The amendment would have removed $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing, a State Department program that provides foreign governments with funding to purchase US weapons, from the 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. Massie’s amendment was defeated in a 104-314 vote, but more Democrats supported the effort than voted against it. A total of 103 Democrats voted yes, 98 voted no, 10 voted present, and four didn’t vote. Massie was the lone Republican to support the amendment. Ahead of the vote, there was a split among Democratic leadership, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) saying that he would oppose it and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (MA), the number 2 Democrat in the House, coming out in support of Massie’s amendment. Clark appeared to criticize Massie’s effort, suggesting it was a “cynical effort” to “divide people,” but added that it was a “chance to say clearly that the status quo is not acceptable.” “There is no country that should be given a blank check for military aid that is not in line with our interests and values as Americans,” Clark said.The vote is a stark contrast to an amendment last year offered by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to strip $500 million in military aid for Israel from the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which overwhelmingly failed in a vote of 6-422. Wednesday’s vote comes as the US continues to support Israel’s wars and occupations in Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, and as the IDF continues killing Palestinians and taking control of more territory in Gaza in violation of the US-backed ceasefire deal signed in October 2025. Ahead of the vote, Massie said he would “vote against using American tax dollars to fund genocide.”
Katz Tells Hegseth That Israel Won't Withdraw From Gaza, Syria, or Lebanon -Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a call on Thursday that Israel won’t withdraw from Gaza, Syria, or Lebanon, according to a statement from the Israeli minister’s office.According to The Jerusalem Post, Katz “emphasized Israel’s determination to remain in security zones in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon to protect Israel’s borders and nearby communities from ‘threats posed by jihadist forces.'”Katz added that Israel has “never asked the US to act in our place along our borders. We are committed to protecting the residents of Israel from every threat, and that is what we intend to do.”The conversation came a few days after Katz said that Israel won’t leave Gaza even if Hamas disarms and that it would establish three “Nahala outposts,” a type of Jewish settlement that starts as a community for IDF soldiers with the goal of turning it into a permanent civilian community.Axios recently reported that President Trump had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to start “redeploying” forces from parts of Syria and Lebanon, though there’s no sign the US is concerned about Israel’s expanding occupation and continued attacks in Gaza despite the operations being a blatant violation of the US-backed ceasefire deal.After the Trump-Netanyahu call, Netanyahu’s office said that the Israeli leader “raised the need for security zones along Israel’s borders,” and there’s no sign that Israel is planning to pull back or that the US is putting real pressure on Israel to do so. The Axios report noted that senior Israeli ministers want to establish settlements in southern Lebanon and southwest Syria.In their call on Thursday, Katz and Hegseth also discussed Iran as the war between the US and the Islamic Republic continues to rage. So far, there’s no sign that Israel has joined in on the US attacks, though Katz and other Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that the IDF is ready to do so.
US Bombs Somalia for 74th Time This Year - -- US Africa Command announced on Tuesday that its forces launched an airstrike in Somalia on July 13 as the Trump administration continues its record-breaking bombing campaign in the country, a war that is ignored by US media.AFRICOM said that its forces targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Sablaale, a town about 120 miles southwest of Mogadishu. As usual, the command offered no further details about the strike, having stopped sharing casualty estimates and assessments of potential civilian harm last year.The US-backed Somali Defense Ministry announced that its forces conducted an operation in Sablaale the same day as the US airstrike. It said that the Danab, a US-trained and armed special operations force of the Somali military, participated in the operation and claimed that seven al-Shabaab fighters were “neutralized.”The Somali Defense Ministry also announced another operation in the Hiraan region, north of Mogadishu, that it said involved airstrikes with the support of “international partners,” suggesting there was yet another US bombing. The ministry claimed that the airstrikes “neutralized” 42 al-Shabaab militants, but the numbers aren’t verified, and the US-backed Somali military is known for hiding civilian casualties.The July 13 US airstrike marked at least the 74th US airstrike in Somalia this year, according to AFRICOM’s numbers, putting the command on track to break its annual record, which it set at 124 in 2025. Besides the bombing campaign against al-Shabaab, the US has also been launching airstrikes against an ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeast Puntland region.
US Bombs Somalia for 75th Time This Year - - US Africa Command announced on Thursday that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia as the Trump administration continues a record-shattering bombing campaign in the country.AFRICOM said the strike was launched on July 13 and that it targeted al-Shabaab in the vicinity of Qumbi, a village about 55 miles northwest of the port city of Kismayo in Somalia’s Lower Juba region. The command offered no other details about the attack as it stopped sharing casualty estimates and assessments on potential civilian harm last year. The attack marked the second strike AFRICOM announced that it said was launched on July 13. The other strike was conducted about 120 miles southwest of Mogadishu and also allegedly targeted al-Shabaab. The US has also been targeting an ISIS affiliate in northeast Somalia’s Puntland region, though according to AFRICOM, it hasn’t conducted attacks in the area since early May. Despite the major escalation in US airstrikes in Somalia, the war is ignored by US media and receives virtually no coverage.The US has been involved in Somalia for decades and has been fighting al-Shabaab since the George W. Bush administration backed an Ethiopian invasion in 2006 that ousted the Islamic Courts Union, a Muslim coalition that briefly held power in Mogadishu after taking the city from CIA-backed warlords.Al-Shabaab was the radical offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union, and its first recorded attack was a suicide bombing in 2007 that targeted Ethiopian troops occupying Mogadishu. It wasn’t until 2012 that the group pledged loyalty to al-Qaeda. The ISIS affiliate in Puntland started as an offshoot of al-Shabaab and first emerged in 2015.
Senators Unveil Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill To 'Honor' Lindsey Graham - A group of senators on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping Russia sanctions bill and urged its passing to “honor” Senator Lindsey Graham, who died over the weekend after a visit to Ukraine, where he announced that the White House and Congress reached an agreement to advance the legislation.“It is truly a tribute to Senator Graham that we are at this point,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who made frequent visits to Ukraine along with Graham.The bill would impose sanctions on Russian officials, Russian state-owned companies, and foreign firms that support Russia’s military industry. The bill would also give President Trump the ability to impose a 100% tariff on countries that purchase Russian energy, down from the 500% tariffs that were part of a bill Graham and Blumenthal were pushing last year.Congressional aides told Reuters that the top five purchasers of Russian oil are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan, and the top five buyers of Russian natural gas are China, France, Japan, Hungary, and Belgium.The bill includes a provision to spare US allies from the tariffs if they import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and are taking steps to reduce reliance on Russian energy. The Reuters report said that the bill also allows Trump to waive the sanctions if he deems it in the interest of US national security.The bill currently has 26 bipartisan co-sponsors, as Senate Democrats and Republicans were united on Tuesday in their calls to pass it for the sake of Graham, who leaves behind a legacy as one of the most hawkish members of Congress in recent decades.“There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, or the causes he fought for, than to pass this legislation and realize his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
Mystery surrounds 'Freedom Fuel' gas stations touted by Trump - -In recent days, President Trump has touted 25 “Freedom Fuel” gas stations, but little is publicly known about the stations or who is running them. The gas stations, located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are selling fuel at relatively low prices, and Trump’s admiration comes as he’s trying to pressure other gas retailers to cut their prices as well. A White House official has described the Freedom Fuel Network as a private company and said that the administration is not involved with it. It also is not receiving federal funding, and there is no other entity or person subsidizing the cost, per the White House.The Freedom Fuel Network’s website touts 25 locations but does not contain much other information.The Hill attempted to reach the network through its website but did not immediately receive a response. State records indicate that a Freedom Fuel Network LLC was incorporated in Delaware on June 23, but they also didn’t provide much other information. While the White House official emphasized the administration is not involved with the effort, President Trump did tout the initiative last week, and officials have subsequently promoted the effort.Trump in a July 1 social media post wrote that “the Freedom Fuel Network will be lowering gas prices at 25 ‘FREEDOM FUEL’ Stations across the Greater Philadelphia Area. This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow.”Nearly a week later, the White House said in a social media post that “the FIRST Freedom Fuel Network gas station has LANDED in Philadelphia, lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th President.”“Freedom Fuel is a patriotic company doing a good thing for drivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey by lowering their gas prices,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Hill. “They are doing their part to answer the President’s call to lower prices at the pump. This retailer is taking the lead, and we hope to see others follow,” Rogers added.The “Freedom Fuel” price is significantly lower than the average gasoline prices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which were $4 and $3.92 per gallon, respectively, on Friday, according to AAA.However, data from price tracker GasBuddy indicates that prices at these stations have gone up to at least $3.57 per gallon, according to a report by Nexstar.
US companies to lose thousands of migrant workers within weeks - U.S. employers are bracing for the loss of hundreds of thousands of workers after the Trump administration signaled that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Haiti and six other nations will lose their legal authorization to work in a matter of weeks. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday temporarily extended work authorization for Haitians and other migrants covered by TPS just hours before permits were due to expire, averting an immediate employment cliff for tens of thousands of workers. The reprieve, however, is only temporary and comes as employers across industries continue dismissing workers whose legal status has lapsed or is expected to end. The work permits of Haitians with TPS will now expire on July 24, while status holders from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen will lose their work permits on July 17, according to notices from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The developments have sparked panic for businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor, particularly in healthcare, hospitality, construction, manufacturing and food processing. The Washington Post reported that the administration’s decision to extend work permissions only hours before they were set to expire came too late for some businesses, which had already begun laying off employees in anticipation of the deadline. Companies have expressed frustration over the lack of advance guidance, saying rapidly changing federal policies have made workforce planning increasingly difficult. The latest developments follow a significant Supreme Court decision that allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of migrants while legal challenges continue in lower courts. While the Supreme Court did not decide whether ending TPS is lawful, the justices granted the administration’s emergency request to pause a lower-court order that had temporarily blocked the policy from taking effect. That means the administration can implement its decision while litigation continues—a procedural ruling that could have immediate real-world consequences for migrants and employers alike. The administration has argued that TPS was intended to be temporary and that conditions in several countries no longer justify continued protections. Immigrant advocacy groups, several states and affected migrants have challenged those determinations, arguing that the administration failed to follow federal administrative law and ignored ongoing humanitarian crises. The legal challenge continues in the federal courts. TPS is a humanitarian immigration program created by Congress in 1990 that allows nationals of designated countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for a limited period. The program does not provide a pathway to permanent residency or U.S. citizenship. Instead, it grants eligible people protection from deportation and authorization to work while their home countries are considered unsafe for return. DHS determines which countries qualify for TPS and periodically reviews whether those protections should be extended or terminated based on conditions in each nation. More than 1 million people have been granted TPS or related humanitarian protections over the past several decades. Many recipients have lived in the United States for years, raising families, paying taxes and working in industries facing chronic labor shortages, including healthcare, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and food services.
ICE suspends vehicle stops for U.S. immigration enforcement: Reuters - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday suspended vehicle stops related to immigration enforcement, two sources briefed on the matter said told Reuters, after agents fatally shot two men in separate incidents six days apart following stops in Texas and Maine. The policy shift came one day after an ICE officer killed a driver in the coastal Maine town of Biddeford, about 15 miles south of Portland. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement nearly 12 hours after the shooting asserting that the officer, “fearing for public safety,” opened fire on the driver when he attempted to flee agents trying to pull him over. Officials did not explain how the driver might have posed a threat. While some video footage of the incident’s aftermath has emerged, there is not yet any public video showing the moment of the shooting itself. Maine Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, told reporters that the agents involved were not wearing body cameras, leaving questions unanswered about the circumstances surrounding the shooting. There were multiple protests on Monday, and further demonstrations were scheduled for Tuesday. Immigration advocates said the person shot was a 26-year-old Colombian man who was authorized to work in the U.S. Since the beginning of June, ICE arrests in Maine have more than quadrupled to around 70 per day in early July, according to internal ICE data shared with Reuters by a source. Monday’s killing, along with another that occurred last week in Houston, brought to at least seven the number of people shot dead during immigration enforcement operations since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to office and launched a campaign of mass deportations.
Trump overturns pause of ICE vehicle stops implemented after deadly shootings - President Trump overturned a suspension of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stops that multiple law enforcement sources said had been implemented after fatal shootings in Texas and Maine over the last week. ICE agents had been instructed to immediately suspend most vehicle stops during immigration enforcement operations nationwide, except in cases involving serious criminal targets. In a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, however, Mr. Trump wrote that "we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.'s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP! Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal's hands." But he told ICE to "be judicious, fair and smart." The White House confirmed to CBS News that the president's Truth Social post was intended to overturn Tuesday's memo from DHS temporarily suspending vehicle stops by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, or ERO. Later Wednesday, ICE sources confirmed to CBS News the agency's deportation officers can again make vehicle stops. A law enforcement official and a DHS official said that ICE field offices issued verbal clarifications to personnel, and agents were told that traffic stops are "not off the table" and remain "a tool in the toolkit." DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote on X that he and the president are "on the same page." "We want our [ICE] officers to have all options available to keep them safe while executing our mission of deporting as many illegal alien criminals from our country as possible," Mullin said. While the DHS directive pausing vehicle stops applied to ICE ERO, the division responsible for civil immigration arrests and removals, it did not include Homeland Security Investigations, which primarily handles criminal investigations, according to sources with visibility on the memo. The directive was intended to be a temporary pause while Enforcement and Removal Operations officers received additional training on vehicle-stop tactics, the sources said. "It's not a policy change. It's a temporary pause," Trump administration border czar Tom Homan said later Tuesday on Fox News. Homan said ICE leadership and DHS "want to look at these last couple of incidents. And look, is there something that could have been done better?" He added, "I'm confident that ICE is well trained in vehicle stops and you're going to see us keep moving forward." Under the now-overturned directive, ERO officers were still permitted to conduct vehicle stops when working with partner law enforcement agencies to target criminal suspects with judicial warrants, sources said. Vehicle stops have been a common tactic in ICE enforcement operations under the Trump administration, allowing officers to identify, follow and arrest targeted individuals away from homes or workplaces. In the most recent incident, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, 25, a Colombian national who was in the country illegally, was shot when he "attempted to flee the scene" Monday when ICE tried to stop him at around 7 a.m. ET in Biddeford, Maine, according to the Department of Homeland Security. "Fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon," DHS said in a statement. While Durán Guerrero was not the target of the operation, ICE agents attempted to pull over the man's car while "conducting targeted surveillance on the last known address of an illegal alien with a final order of removal," DHS said. Durán Guerrero's father, Omar Duran, told CBS News partner Noticias Caracol that his son leaves behind a wife and 3-year-old daughter, adding that he had "left the country to build a future for his family." "I only ask God ... that this be resolved in the best way, and that there be justice," Duran said, translated from Spanish. Durán Guerrero had previously been given an order to leave the country, independent Maine Sen. Angus King said Monday. Speaking to CBS News on Tuesday, King called for an independent investigation. "I want a full, fair, open, transparent investigation of this, not strictly run by the feds," said King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. "Unfortunately, the feds don't have the credibility today. The people of Maine are not going to accept an investigation that's run by ICE or at the FBI."
Man Fleeing ICE Agents Struck, Killed By Semi-Truck In Florida - Florida Highway Patrol Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan said the sequence of events started in the parking lot of a convenience store just before 7 a.m. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were at the scene when four people ran off. One of them ran across the road straight into oncoming traffic when he was hit by a semi-truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was uninjured. State troopers are handling the investigation. The man’s name hasn’t been released. Authorities have not shared much information about the four people who tried to flee on Tuesday morning or exactly why agents contacted them in the first place. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It was the third death in a week during ICE incidents, following fatal shootings in Texas and Maine In Texas, an ICE officer fatally shot an illegal immigrant from Mexico during a targeted enforcement operation in Houston after the man used his vehicle to try to run over an agent. In Maine, an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Biddeford after he attempted to flee in his vehicle during a traffic stop. A day later, border czar Tom Homan told Fox News on Tuesday that ICE is temporarily suspending most vehicle stops nationwide. “It’s not a policy change. It’s a temporary pause,” Homan said. “ICE leadership along with DHS believes they want to look at these last couple incidents and look: Is there something that could have been done better? Is there any training that can be improved? Or is it simply ICE doing a job, and bad things happen when people don’t comply with law enforcement officers?” Homan stressed that the pause on most vehicle stops will not reduce the frequency of arrests ICE agents make of illegal immigrants. Officers can still apprehend individuals as they exit their homes before getting into a vehicle, or after they arrive at their destination, the border czar said. He cited a surge in vehicle assaults on federal agents since President Donald Trump returned to the White House as the reason for the change. “If we can arrest that alien outside that vehicle and take that two-ton weapon away from them, that’s good in some instances,” Homan said. “Other instances, we’re still going to need to do vehicle stops for a significant criminal.”
White House revives rule to deny green cards to migrants who use safety net programs -- The Trump administration is reviving a policy that would allow immigration officers to deny green cards to applicants who use public benefits like Medicaid, housing assistance or food stamps. The policy governs how officials can apply the “public charge” test, which is used to determine whether applicants are likely to rely on government support. A final rule issued Thursday reverses the 2022 Biden-era policy that only allowed authorities to consider a green-card applicant’s use of cash benefits. The new version provides no limits. Any use of a public benefit, as well as applicant metrics such as age, education, skills and health, can be considered for legal permanent residence as well as for immigrants seeking to enter the country. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin applying the new public charge framework in 60 days. “The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well-being of Americans,” USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said in a statement. The final rule stated the Biden administration’s policy put a “straightjacket” on Department of Homeland Security officers by hampering their ability to make public charge inadmissibility determinations. Rescinding the Biden rule “aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration,” the final rule stated. Critics say the lack of guidance opens the door to immigration officers arbitrarily rejecting applicants while discouraging immigrants from asking for assistance. “The reach of this rule extends far beyond immigrants coming into the United States. It is designed to punish the citizens this administration dislikes: those in mixed-status families,” American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Executive Director Benjamin Johnson said in a statement. “U.S. citizens who are fully eligible for benefits will forgo health care, nutrition assistance, and other basic supports out of fear that using them could jeopardize a loved one’s immigration status. That is short-sighted, and the consequences for public health and economic stability will be felt in communities across the country,” Johnson added. Roughly 1 in 5 Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, while about 12 percent receive food stamps. The programs are available only to those who are lawfully present in the United States, and with Medicaid, migrants are only able to receive care if their state has agreed to cover the cost. “The Trump administration is once again weaponizing the federal government to make immigrants afraid to go to the doctor, buy food at the grocery store, and even file taxes,” Sarah Krieger, the senior policy counsel at the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement. “With this new rule, they are sowing fear and chaos to ultimately reshape America into a country where only the few who are white and ultra-wealthy are welcome.”
U.S. slaps 25% tariff on Brazilian goods over unfair trade practices - The U.S. has levied 25% tariffs on most imports from Brazil effective next week, concluding a yearlong investigation into what Washington calls unfair trade practices, and reigniting tensions with the Latin American nation after negotiation fell apart. The action, taken under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, targets Brazilian practices, such as orders directing American technology firms — including X, Meta, and Google — to remove certain political content and suspend accounts belonging to U.S. residents, preferential tariffs for Mexico and India, weak intellectual property enforcement, and ethanol market barriers. The 25% levy, set to take effect on July 22, will apply to most imports from Brazil, with exemptions for certain goods such as beef, orange juice, aircraft and parts, and energy products. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a statement posted on X rejected the tariff decision as groundless, and vowed to initiate countermeasures while raise the issue within the framework of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. There was “no justification for unilateral measures,” given that Washington has run a cumulative $424.5 billion goods and services surplus with Brazil over 15 years, the president said, citing U.S. government data. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Brazil was $14.4 billion last year, more than doubled from the year prior. The fresh U.S. tariffs come after the Supreme Court in February struck down President Donald Trump’s previous 50% levies on Brazilian goods, keeping in place only a 10% global tariff. Trump has sought to reinstate his tariff power by launching Section 301 probes, which allows him to impose levies on countries found to have engaged in unfair trade practices, without additional congressional authorization. The extra tariffs are necessary to level the playing field for American workers and companies, the office of U.S. trade representative said in a statement.World Trade Organization’s Chief Economist Robert Staiger told CNBC on Thursday that the U.S. keeps changing the legal mechanism by which it can impose tariffs. Still, the overall tariffs it’s imposing have stayed broadly similar to when they were first imposed in 2025.“That doesn’t mean that different countries aren’t being hit in different ways, but at a broad level for world trade, we don’t see the tariffs in the U.S. — the tariff actions — as creating a large shock the way they did in 2025,” Staiger said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”“The shock is more to the Middle East conflict,” he added.In a post on X shortly after the official announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Lula’s government had “not negotiated in good faith” and that the tariffs were the price of Lula “putting his own ego ahead of making a deal.”The move followed months of engagement, including several high-level meetings between Brazilian officials and USTR representatives in recent weeks. Lula reportedly said last month that Brazil would not accept the treatment his country had received, referring to Trump’s proposal of 25% extra tariffs then. A separate U.S. probe into forced-labor enforcement could see an additional 12.5% duty on Brazilian goods on top of the 25%, with the decision due next week.The dispute has also spilled into Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October. Lula has accused Senator Flavio Bolsonaro of helping trigger the tariffs after his Washington visit, although the senator denied and said he planned to persuade the Trump administration to delay the tariff imposition until after the election.
Jay Clayton, DNI pick, won't say if Biden beat Trump in 2020 election - Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, refused to say Joe Biden won the 2020 election, claimed not to know his predecessor Tulsi Gabbard took part in a raid of a Georgia election office earlier this year and defended subpoenaing New York Times journalists in a contentious Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. Clayton, the former Securities and Exchange Commission chair and current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence more than a month after Trump announced his nomination and weeks after the president then abruptly sabotaged a planned confirmation hearing in June.While it appeared a month ago that Clayton would have a relatively smooth path to confirmation, Democrats challenged Clayton’s election comments and time as U.S. attorney. He is still likely to be confirmed in the Republican-controlled Senate.Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who spoke with MS NOW on Tuesday ahead of a Thursday night speech Trump is scheduled to deliver on foreign attempts to subvert the 2020 election, grilled Clayton on whether he was aware of Gabbard’s presence earlier this year at a raid of a Fulton County, Georgia, election office. Clayton said he only learned of Gabbard’s involvement, which was widely reported, from Ossoff during a private meeting earlier this week.“Is it appropriate for the director of national intelligence to oversee the execution of domestic search warrants at sensitive election facilities? Yes or no?” Ossoff asked. Clayton did not answer.“Your answers lack credibility. Your testimony lacks credibility,” Ossoff said.On multiple occasions during the roughly two-hour hearing, Clayton declined to answer who won the 2020 election, instead saying: “I am not an election denier. Joe Biden was certified.”Ossoff, at one point, called Clayton’s responses “disqualifying.”The committee is expected to vote on Clayton’s nomination next week. If the nomination is advanced by the committee, the full Senate will weigh in.The process of Clayton’s nomination as DNI, a role that would grant him access to the country’s most sensitive secrets and authority over 18 intelligence agencies, has been marred by controversy, thanks to Trump’s actions and the interim appointment of Bill Pulte, a close Trump ally and director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Bipartisan lawmakers have questioned whether Pulte — who from his perch atop the FHFA launched mortgage-related inquiries into Trump opponents — was fit for the job. “I can’t think of any other instance in history of this committee where a president sends a nominee up, and then in a bipartisan way, we say we really want to move heaven and earth to get this nominee moving quickly because of the importance of the position, and then the president decided that the Senate was moving too fast on his own nominee, and holds that nominee,” Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., said Wednesday at Clayton’s hearing.
Supreme Court Justice Barrett calls threat level against judges really high --Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a House subcommittee on Tuesday that “the threat level” against her and other federal judges “is really high” as she testified about the high court’s 2027 budget request.“Those statistics sound abstract, but being on the receiving end of them is not,” Barrett told the House Appropriations subcommittee on financial services and general government, before she shared several anecdotes about threats affecting her and her family. The Supreme Court is asking Congress to appropriate $228.4 million for fiscal 2027, a nearly 10% rise since the $207.8 million appropriated for 2026. The increase reflects higher spending on security-related measures, both for the protection of justices and for cybersecurity. Justice Elena Kagan, who was testifying with Barrett, noted that the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police recently testified that threats against Congress are up 50% this year compared with 2025. “The Supreme Court Police expect a smaller but still very substantial 38% annual increase in threats this year, which follows a 25% increase last year” in threats to the court and its justices, Kagan said. “For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize,” she said. According to data from the U.S. Marshals Service, since the beginning of 2026, there have been a total of 512 investigations of threats to federal judges, of which there are 2,600 active judges. That compares wish 807 investigations of threats for all of 2025. Barrett and Kagan are the first Supreme Court justices to testify to Congress since 2019. That year, Kagan and Justice Samuel Alito testified about the court’s budget request. The two justices are scheduled to testify on Tuesday afternoon to the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on financial services and general government. Barrett said the increased threats “have required my children to think about and see things that children should not have to see or think about.” She told the panel that in the spring of 2022, “My security detail sent me home with a bulletproof vest” when threats to her life escalated after the leak to a media outlet of a draft Supreme Court opinion that more than a month later reversed a 1973 decision that had said there was a constitutional right to abortion. “I carried it into my house, put it into my bedroom, dropped it down on a table, turned around, and my 12-year-old son was standing in the doorway of my bedroom, and he wanted to know what it was and why I had it,” Barrett said. “I didn’t know how to respond because maybe I lack imagination, but I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one.”
Where the permitting talks stand - Advocates and lobbyists are sounding the alarm that senators are running out of time to reach a bipartisan permitting reform overhaul by the August recess — a goalpost identified by negotiators — as they struggle to overcome daunting political hurdles in a midterm election year. “The window of opportunity there is starting to close this Congress,” Jason Grumet, CEO of the Clean Power Association, told reporters last week, adding the group had hoped that negotiators would have released text already on a deal to ease federal permitting rules for energy projects — from solar and wind farms to long-distance power lines to oil and gas pipelines — in a bid to respond to spiking electricity and gasoline prices. Democratic and Republican staffers from the Energy and Natural Resources and Environment and Public Works committees — the two panels involved in negotiations — held regular meetings during last week’s recess, said people close to the talks and granted anonymity to speak candidly. Negotiators are aligned on the broad contours of a potential deal but are haggling over the details that could make or break a potential agreement, the people told POLITICO. Republicans made a broad offer to Democrats ahead of the recess that included proposals to streamline environmental and historical preservation reviews, ease some transmission permitting and codify many GOP priorities, according to a Democrat close to the situation. Democrats are reviewing that offer, and continue to press for significant measures to boost transmission and restrain the president’s power to cancel approved energy project permits. Democrats have shown openness to negotiating changes to bedrock environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy and Clean Water acts, while limiting lawsuits that often stall or kill projects — key demands of Republicans and the Trump administration. But the biggest hurdle remains the administration’s persistent attacks on solar and wind projects that have shown only small signs of abating after Democrats had previously cut off talks over the issue. “Everybody is running out of time on the legislative calendar and of keeping the administration at bay on no more cancellations of projects,” said an energy industry executive close to negotiations. “If there is no deal, we will see a restart of cancellations.” And it’s unclear whether the White House — and its allies on Capitol Hill — would accept any permitting deal that would restrain the president’s powers. “It’s always the question of what will the administration take on that front, something that they have to actually be able to sell to the president, and what do they get in return?” said an energy lobbyist close to negotiations. Democrats are skeptical that President Donald Trump’s agencies would faithfully implement changes to environmental laws, a reality that has led to senators — including Republicans — to make moves to rein in the administration’s actions. Senate leaders this week are planning to take the first procedural vote on their version of the National Defense Authorization Act. which includes language to expedite Pentagon reviewss of wind energy projects that the Department of Defense has been stonewalling. “We’re seeing a pretty solid Republican legislative alignment against improper executive interference,” Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) recently told POLITICO. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee’s push to change the National Historic Preservation Act also remains a major sticking point and is dividing Democrats, some of whom are wary of taking on a law that is important to tribes and the preservation community.“NHPA is the consistent area where they are farthest apart. And that needs to change,” said a Democratic source close to negotiations.Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing for measures to boost transmission that go beyond those included in a bill proposed last Congress by now retired-Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).That bill — the Energy Permitting Reform Act — easily cleared committee, but House Republicans rejected it, in part because of their resistance to provisions that would make it easier to build new large power lines to accommodate renewable energy.Lawmakers also faced pressure from co-ops and public power providers, who warned against expanding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s jurisdiction over them.The bill would have tasked FERC with creating a cost allocation model that would require customers to pay only if they benefit from a given transmission line.“The Democrats feel like [the Manchin-Barrasso bill] is the starting point on transmission,” said a second energy industry lobbyist. “Maybe they want a little more on interconnection, but they still have a public power problem and a big one.”Some Republicans say the party is becoming more open to transmission action, noting how the context has changed since the last negotiations around the urgency to build and connect more power to serve electricity-hungry data centers.“In general, the right of center is getting much more comfortable with transmission. Cost allocation will always be tricky, but different regions can tailor their approach to fit their needs,”
He sued the oil industry for $51B. Now he faces Republicans in a private grilling. - It’s a rare occurrence for a private lawyer to be hauled before a congressional committee and be deposed. But in the sharply political world of climate and energy litigation, Roger Worthington is no ordinary lawyer. A champion among environmental activists and a villain to the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, the ambitious attorney’s latest gambit — representing Multnomah County, Oregon, in a $51 billion lawsuit that accuses the oil and gas industry of contributing to a heat wave that killed 69 people in 2021 — has landed him in the hot seat before the House Judiciary Committee. The 65-year-old, who made his name taking asbestos manufacturers to court, will be questioned Wednesday by Republicans who are investigating what they say are efforts to influence judges overseeing climate lawsuits, like the one brought by Worthington’s firm and two others on behalf of the county that includes Portland. Advertisement His appearance — ordered by congressional subpoena — is the latest flash point in a high-stakes legal and political battle over a swath of lawsuits brought by more than two dozen city and state governments seeking to hold oil and gas producers financially accountable for climate change. The industry has warned that the lawsuits could cost it tens of billions of dollars. House and Senate Republicans have filed legislation to wipe out the litigation. Blocking the lawsuits has emerged as one priority for the Trump administration amid its broader effort to stifle climate initiatives. The Department of Justice has filed unsuccessful lawsuits to block climate cases brought by Hawaii and Michigan, as well as derail a lawsuit by Minnesota. And the Supreme Court this fall is poised to hold oral arguments on the industry’s bid to quash the cases. Worthington took center stage from the moment Multnomah County commissioners announced the launch of the landmark climate lawsuit in June 2023 in front of a Portland courthouse. “They’re in the business of extracting carbon from the earth, converting it into a gas form and polluting our sky, and we have to pay the price,” Worthington thundered as he joined — and out-talked — the elected officials. “No more, not here, not now.” It’s not the first time he’s taken on corporate polluters. He dragged asbestos manufacturers into court for over 20 years, earning more than $1 billion for clients who were dying of cancer. That shaped his outlook for the climate case, which he warned “wasn’t going to be easy.” The fossil fuel industry, he predicted, would “fight like the dickens” to protect itself. Three years later, as he arrives in Washington for the closed-door grilling, his words are prescient in ways he and the team of attorneys — which includes veterans of tobacco and opioid litigation — say they never imagined: With lawmakers scrutinizing an attorney in an active case that Republicans have opposed politically. It prompted Worthington to accuse lawmakers of “throwing Big Oil a bone they can chew on” by demanding he appear before them. GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who chairs the Judiciary subcommittee with jurisdiction over courts, said people who assert that the committee is doing the oil industry’s bidding are “full of shit, and you can quote that.” Lawmakers “want to hear the truth,” Issa said. “It’ll be under oath, and we expect that we’ll either have a ‘Take the Fifth’ or we’ll get, we hope, the truth.”
House OKs State Department spending bill with climate cuts - The House passed its funding bill for the State Department and overseas programs Wednesday, approving legislation that would withdraw United States support for international climate and environment initiatives.Lawmakers passed the Republican-drafted fiscal 2027 State-Foreign Operations bill on a 217-209 vote but rejected an amendment to strike a $139.6 million contribution to the Global Environment Facility.The legislation proposes roughly $47 billion in overall funding — a reduction of about $2.7 billion, or 6 percent, relative to the current level. It is still billions of dollars above the White House’s request. Am “Just as critical as what the bill funds … is what this bill does not fund, and how it demands accountability for every single tax dollar,” said Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), chair of the Appropriations National Security and State Department Subcommittee.
Disaster bill becoming law without Trump’s signature - Legislation meant to help farmers and forest landowners after natural disasters will become law without President Donald Trump’s signature. The House last month passed S. 629, the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act, from Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), which would change the Agriculture Department’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program to speed payments to agricultural producers and forest landowners following natural disasters.The legislation cleared the House 368-19 after passing the Senate in March by unanimous consent. Co-sponsors include Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).“Nebraska farmers and ranchers will directly benefit from this law, and I am proud to have gotten it across the finish line,” Fischer said in a statement this week.
Senate releases bipartisan water projects bill - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released bipartisan legislation Monday that seeks to address major water infrastructure priorities and bar the Trump administration from canceling congressionally authorized projects. The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 would authorize eight new Army Corps of Engineers projects to reduce flood risk, restore ecosystems, and improve ports and navigation. The new Senate bill addresses a broader suite of issues when compared to companion legislation released in the House last month and up for markup in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday.In addition to directing the Army Corps to begin new water infrastructure studies, the Senate bill would reauthorize federal funds for drinking water and sewer systems and for EPA ecosystem programs in the Great Lakes, Long Island Sound and other regions.It would also direct EPA to revise its regulations on carbon capture wells to exempt aquifers that are not used for drinking supplies, according to a detailed summary. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said the legislation would ensure the Army Corps has resources to “continue its critical work nationwide.” Her committee is set to mark up the bill Wednesday. “This bill includes key wins for West Virginia and all fifty states. I hope to see it move forward with strong bipartisan support during Wednesday’s business meeting,” Capito said in a statement. Ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said the legislation shows bipartisan support for bolstering water infrastructure. “The Ocean State stands to benefit much from this bill, which supports investments in safe drinking water and wastewater systems as well as flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, and navigation,” Whitehouse said. The legislation includes some provisions that may be at odds with Trump administration priorities. Most notably, the bill explicitly bars the corps from pausing, terminating or deferring work on projects or studies. During the government shutdown last fall, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought ordered the agency to pause and cancel billions of dollars’ worth of authorized projects in blue states. The legislation would also require briefings 180 days after the bill’s passage and every 90 days thereafter until leaders “determine that the bill and prior WRDAs have been fully implemented.” “Those briefings must include updates on the Corps’ implementation plan and on any provisions from current or prior WRDAs that remain unimplemented, including revised timelines and explanations for delays,” the bill states. Other provisions seek to expand the agency’s focus on nonstructural solutions to flooding, such as home elevations and buyouts, and to create an EPA pilot program to provide filters to communities with high levels of “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
GOP lawmakers want to allow guns in federal park buildings - A pair of Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday to end the ban on carrying firearms into buildings on federal lands, to allow people to take guns into some park facilities. Reps. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.) and Pat Fallon (R-Texas) said the legislation closes a “loophole” that bans gun owners from carrying firearms into buildings on public lands where the practice is lawful just outside. “Hoosiers who can lawfully carry shouldn’t lose that right when they step into a federal park building,” said Yakym in a press release. Currently, there is a ban on carrying firearms in buildings owned or leased by the federal government and where federal employees work. The proposed amendment would carve out exemptions for facilities that are open to visitors and are owned or leased by certain agencies, including the National Park System, the Bureau of Land Management and NOAA.
Natural Resources set to pass bill delaying whale protections - The House Natural Resources Committee will vote on bipartisan legislation this week to delay protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, a priority for the White House.H.R. 9436, from Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), would extend a Biden-era freeze on new rules for the lobster and Jonah crab industries beyond 2028 until 2035.Golden had already introduced a version of the bill, which the White House backed in May in a statement of administration policy. The statement said it “strongly supports” the bill and that it lined up with President Donald Trump’s executive order on “American Seafood Competitiveness.”Golden said in response, “I’m grateful for the President’s support for Maine’s lobstermen and hopeful that my colleagues in the House will join me in quickly passing this bill into law.”US Restricts Direct Return Of US Citizens From Congo Over Ebola Outbreak - Non-citizens had already been prohibited from entering the United States within 21 days of being in Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, and now, the Trump administration has begun using federal authority to bar U.S. citizens who have been in Congo from entering the United States until they spend at least three weeks in another country, an official said on July 14. The administration on Monday started using authorities under a transportation statute called Title 49 to place U.S. citizens who have been in Congo on a “do-not-board” list for commercial flights heading to America, an official told The Epoch Times in an email on condition of anonymity. Americans who are in Congo or have recently been there “will only be allowed to board a commercial flight to the United States if they have spent at least 21 days outside of the” central African country, the official said. As Zachary Steiber reports for The Epoch Times, around 24 Americans had been set to board flights to the United States after having been in Congo before the prohibition began. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, states on its website that American citizens may enter the United States even if they have recently been in Congo or nearby countries. In a May order, the administration began requiring non-citizens who have recently been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan to spend 21 days outside those countries before entering the United States. The new restrictions are based on an updated order from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that “highlights the new risk patterns” emerging in Congo for Ebola, the administration official said. That updated order has not been made public but will be in effect for 30 days, according to the CDC’s website. The State Department will assist those people during the new 21-day waiting period, the official said. The State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The State Department on July 11 told Americans not to travel to Congo for any reason because of the Ebola outbreak, which as of was up to 1,926 confirmed cases, 702 deaths, and 318 recoveries. Two Americans have tested positive after working in Congo. One, working with the nonprofit Serge, was transported to a hospital in Berlin for treatment and later discharged. Another person who recently tested positive for Ebola works for Samaritan’s Purse, an aid group, the organization’s CEO Franklin Graham told The Epoch Times. That individual was also flown to a hospital in Germany for treatment.
HHS watchdog expects $5.56 billion in recoveries and savings - The federal watchdog for the Department of Health and Human Services generated $5.56 billion in expected recoveries and projected savings over a six-month period, according to a report issued Monday, and barred just over 1,200 individuals and companies from federal programs. The HHS Office of Inspector General, in a semiannual report to Congress, said it returned $12.70 for every dollar it spent between October 2025 through March 2026. The Trump administration often cites rampant waste, fraud and abuse as justification for deep program cuts. Vice President JD Vance, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Medicare chief Mehmet Oz have launched what the administration describes as an unprecedented crackdown on health care fraud, though much of their effort has focused only on Democratic-run states. According to the OIG report, much of the monetary impact came from a handful of cases. In one instance, the CEO of a healthcare software company was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay $452 million in restitution after being convicted of conspiracy for a telemedicine and durable medical equipment fraud scheme worth more than $1 billion. The report also cited hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution from the owners of wound graft companies, as well as $674 million in settlements with Kaiser Permanente affiliates and Aetna over inflated Medicare Advantage billing. OIG said it had excluded 1,212 individuals or entities from the Medicare program as the result of its investigations. That continues a downward trend of exclusions from about 1,500 during the same period in 2025, and nearly 1,800 in spring 2024. Criminal referrals also dropped to 1,168 from 1,451 during the Biden administration. The “total monetary impact” measure is a relatively new term introduced in early 2025 at the beginning of the Trump administration. There has been wide variation, from $16.61 billion to $2.43 billion to the current $5.56 billion. The term includes projected savings alongside money actually repaid. Before 2025, OIG only reported expected recoveries and receivables. The addition of potential cost savings illustrates all the funds that HHS could use more efficiently if it took action to implement OIG’s recommendations. But OIG stressed in a statement to The Hill that much of the final figure for each semiannual reporting period depends on when certain civil settlements or criminal judgements are finalized, so the overall monetary impact as a whole is a more important figure, rather than numbers divided by reporting periods.
‘Why would you repeat the damn lies?’ Cassidy asks health security nominee about vaccines - Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, appeared exasperated, at times even livid, during today's confirmation hearing for Sean Kaufman, MPH. Kaufman, a senior adviser in global affairs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kaufman has a track record of vaccine-skeptic positions. Because ASPR is the federal government's leading health security agency, senators on both sides of the aisle seemed concerned about how he would approach vaccine research and emergency response efforts. He and CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, JD, (see related CIDRAP story today) are the first HHS nominees to come before the HELP committee since Cassidy lost his primary to a Trump-endorsed candidate this spring. Now freed from the pressures of an upcoming election, Cassidy has taken a more confrontational stance with the president and his administration, including on policies that run contrary to established medical science.Without the senator's support, it is unlikely Kaufman's nomination can advance.The most pointed exchange came when Cassidy brought up a now-deleted May 2025 LinkedIn post in which Kaufman questioned whether newborns should receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Kaufman implied that the vaccine might be contributing to increasing rates of autism in the United States. There is no scientific basis linking autism to any type of vaccine, and the senator told Kaufman that he knows people who have died from vaccine-preventable illnesses, including hepatitis B. "Why would you repeat the damn lies?" asked Cassidy, pounding his fist. Kaufman said the LinkedIn post has been "mischaracterized," and told the senators that he's not anti-vaccine, though he does want greater scrutiny around vaccine safety. Some on the committee seemed to agree with the latter sentiment, including Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas. Kaufman also said that, as a member of Generation X, he's unskilled with social media, and removed the LinkedIn post because it was “dividing people." Cassidy seemed unconvinced and told Kaufman that he's contributing to the public's mistrust in life-saving vaccines.ASPR is charged with preparing for and responding to public health emergencies, including emerging infectious diseases and biological attacks. The agency oversees the national stockpile, which includes reserves of emergency medicine and vaccines, as well as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).Last year, BARDA canceled 22 mRNA vaccine projects worth some $500 million. Kaufman said he supports the decision, as he believes there's not enough research into how people have been affected by the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. He wants a better scientific understanding of this technology before investing in new projects."It's about being efficient and fiscally responsible," said Kaufman. "Why would we invest in new vaccines that we could actually make better by simply asking questions of the population today?”
Trump Says FBI Wasting Time If It Probes Conspiracy Theories About Graham's Death - President Donald Trump said on July 14 that he was aware of the conspiracy theories surrounding Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C) sudden death but said that any FBI investigation into them would be a waste of time. Trump was responding to a reporter’s question at the Oval Office about why FBI agents were at the senator’s residence and whether there were any updates on the possible probe into his death. “Well, I don’t know why because I think he had a problem. His father had a very similar problem, as you know. It’s very unique,” the president said, referring to Graham’s health issues. “I don’t see a lot of evil there. I know there’s all sorts of conspiracy theories going on and I think the FBI is wasting their time if they’re doing that.” Graham passed away on July 11 after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” Preliminary findings by the medical examiner suggest that Graham died from an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is considered an aorta rupture stemming from hardening of his arteries, according to his office. Trump said that Graham’s condition was difficult to detect, although he noted that the late senator had previously complained about having a “bad back.” “I wish he took better care of himself,” the president told reporters. “What happened is actually something that’s very hard to detect. It was not related to any blockage. It was a totally different thing. “I’ve watched all the medical reports. I’ve had the doctors from the White House come in and explain what happened. And this is something that is very, almost undetectable. And if it happens, there’s not much you can do about it.”
US House Republicans take ‘first step’ toward dismantling Department of Education — A major legislative package that would put into law President Donald Trump’s push to greatly reduce the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education advanced out of a U.S. House panel on Wednesday. The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce approved — nearly along party lines — each of the package’s 10 bills that would permanently transfer several of Education’s functions to other departments. The measure, largely reflecting many of the interagency agreements, or IAAs, Education has signed with other agencies, signifies a sweeping effort from Republicans in Congress to carry out the Trump administration’s plan to do away with the 46-year-old department as part of the president’s quest to return education “back to the states.” That drive continues, though much of the oversight and funding of schools already occurs at the state and local levels. But the legislation faces an uncertain fate. Even if passed in the full U.S. House down the line, it would face steep odds in the narrowly GOP-controlled Senate. The upper chamber requires at least 60 senators to advance a bill past the filibuster, and Republicans hold just 53 seats. Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the House panel, lauded the package as the “first step toward ending the Department of Education’s reign over our nation’s education system,” during his panel’s markup. The Michigan Republican added that the legislation advances Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s “vision for an education system that empowers families, students, workers and local communities.” McMahon said “today marks a major step by Congressional leaders to cement the Trump Administration’s historic reforms to right-size the federal role in education,” in a statement after the package advanced out of the committee. Under multiple bills, the Department of Labor would manage Education’s programs surrounding elementary and secondary education; postsecondary education; and career, technical and adult education — mirroring earlier IAAs. In another piece of legislation, the Treasury Department would manage Education’s federal student aid functions, a nod to a March agreement Education signed with Treasury to take over its responsibility for collecting on defaulted federal student loan debt. That agreement marked the first step in a multiphase process toward Treasury taking on Education’s entire roughly $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio. Under other bills in the package, the State Department would manage Education’s international education and foreign language studies programs, as well as its foreign gift and contract reporting — also mirroring earlier agreements. Reflecting additional IAAs, the Department of Health and Human Services would manage Education’s accreditation for foreign medical schools; functions regarding child care access for low-income parents in postsecondary education; and family engagement programs for elementary and secondary education. The Interior Department would also manage tribal education and job training programs under the package. Notably, the 10-bill package does not include any efforts to transfer Education’s responsibilities regarding special education programs and civil rights enforcement to other agencies. In perhaps the Trump administration’s most far-reaching attempts yet to dismantle the Education Department, the agency in June said HHS will administer programs under the Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, while civil rights enforcement under its Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, will be transferred to the Department of Justice. Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the panel, said that the committee’s move to not consider either of the two actions in the package was possibly because “even my colleagues recognize how politically unpalatable such transfers would be.”
Labor nominee defends transfer of programs to agency from Education Department — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Labor Department on Thursday defended the agency’s major role in a broader drive by the administration to dismantle the Education Department. Grilled by U.S. Senate Democrats, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling stood behind the multiple interagency agreements, or IAAs, Education has so far signed with Labor, likening his agency’s functions in the transfer to a “firm that’s just consulting and helping them move these programs’ money, but not the actual programs themselves.” The agreements — also made with the departments of Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Interior and Justice — are a main part of the plan by the Trump administration to axe the 46-year-old Education Department. Sonderling appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in his bid to serve as the next Labor secretary, where he touted his extensive DOL experience. “Few people have had the opportunity to experience the department from so many different perspectives, from the outside in private practice, as a policy adviser, as an agency head, as an adjunct professor, as deputy secretary, as acting secretary, and now as the nominee for Labor secretary,” he said. “These experiences have prepared me to lead this department with a deep understanding of its mission, its people, and most importantly, the Americans we serve.” The Floridian took on the role as acting secretary in April, after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid misconduct allegations. Sonderling was also named by the president in June to serve as acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and confirmed by the Senate in March 2025 as deputy Labor secretary. The committee will vote July 23 on whether to advance Sonderling’s nomination to the full Senate. At the hearing, a handful of Democrats dug into the Trump administration’s continued dismantling of the Education Department and Labor’s role regarding several of Education’s programs. “Right now, you are working with (Education) Secretary (Linda) McMahon to take over the Department of Education programs to help Trump abolish that department,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who noted that Sonderling has built his “own anti-worker record at DOL.” Murray pointed out that “it makes zero sense that DOL, an agency whose expertise is in supporting wage earners and job seekers, is being tasked now with taking over complex education programs from the Department of Education to help kindergartners and elementary school students.” Through multiple IAAs, the Department of Labor is taking on expanded roles in administering Education’s programs surrounding elementary and secondary education; postsecondary education; and career, technical and adult education.
Standard time could become permanent in US under new bill, with some exceptions – A new bill introduced in Congress could drastically change how we observe the twice-a-year practice of changing the clocks, even as a move to make daylight saving time permanent gains traction. For the last few years, there have been several attempts to make daylight saving time — the time we are currently observing — permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act passed through the Senate in 2022, but subsequent versions of the legislation haven’t been as lucky. The House could vote on its version of the Sunshine Protection Act this week in a move that could end the twice-a-year changing of the clocks. The U.S. has long had a back-and-forth relationship with daylight saving time, with each attempt at making it permanent being rolled back a short time later. But a bill introduced in the House last week could take a largely different approach. The bipartisan “Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026” was introduced by Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Penn.) and Pat Harrigan (R-NC). It calls for permanent standard time — the time we observe from November through March — in the U.S., with some exceptions. While health experts agree that standard time is better for our health, most efforts in Congress and throughout the U.S. have focused on making daylight saving time permanent. Nearly 20 states have passed legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round, should Congress approve it. Only Hawaii and parts of Arizona observe standard time year-round. The Sunshine for Our Kids Act would make standard time permanent throughout the U.S., should it take effect. However, the bill would allow states to make daylight saving time permanent if they choose to do so. At present, states are only permitted to observe standard time year-round. Nearly two dozen states considered bills this year that would make standard time permanent. Nearly all stalled out because the state’s legislative session ended. Standard time legislation remains alive in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Meanwhile, there were roughly 20 state-level bills introduced this year pursuing permanent daylight saving time. Nineteen states have already passed legislation to do just that.
House passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent - The House on Tuesday passed with broad bipartisan support legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The lower chamber voted 308-117 for the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which would make daylight saving time the permanent standard time. Twenty-two Republicans and 95 Democrats voted against the measure. The legislation now heads to the Senate. President Trump has backed the legislation, arguing in a Truth Social post that the bill “is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks.” “I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!” Trump added. The House measure was introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and has long been popular in Florida, where supporters say the extended evening daylight could boost tourism and outdoor recreation. “Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity. Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,” Buchanan previously said in a statement. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, has also backed the bill.
Reflecting pool drained for repairs. Trump pledges work will be done soon. - The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool sat completely drained of water Tuesday, three weeks after a massive algae bloom and reports of a peeling pool liner focused national attention on the renovation project championed by President Donald Trump. Contract workers on Tuesday morning draped black mesh onto the wire fences surrounding the pool, blocking visitors from getting a close-up view of the pool from the walkways. Trump addressed the draining of the pool and repairs in a Truth Social post Monday, reiterating his assertion that damage to the dark blue liner he had applied to the floor of the pool was done by “vandals.” “The slashes were 300 yards long, and the floor of the pool was cut and then pulled upward, with great force, by these thugs,” Trump said. The National Park Service emptied the water to fix the watertight basin, which will be “refilled and put back into service soon,” according to the post. GE
Judge finds Trump, DOJ colluded with settlement behind ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - A federal judge Monday blasted President Trump’s settlement with the IRS, finding that the lawsuit that served as the hook for the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund amounted to collusion as the two parties were never truly averse. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams also sanctions Trump’s attorneys on the case while suggesting Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche should also be disciplined. Trump, who sued his own administration in January over the leak of his tax returns, struck an agreement with the IRS in late May to create an “anti-weaponization” fund to provide payments to those who claim to have been wronged by the government. In a later move related to the case, Blanche signed a memo to “forever bar and preclude” the government from taking any action related to Trump’s past tax returns, a protection that also extended to his businesses and family members. “In sum, the facts before this Court demonstrate there was never adverseness between the Parties; there was never a case or controversy; and there was never a question as to who would prevail,” Williams wrote in a 56-page filing. “The Court determines that Plaintiffs improperly employed this lawsuit to justify a particular award in this matter—access to taxpayer funds and exemption from audits and other investigations—which was accomplished by leveraging control over Defendants,” she wrote later, adding that the suit was “brought to manipulate the judicial process.” Williams found that Trump’s $10 billion case against the IRS was “brought for an improper purpose—to gain the imprimatur of judicial legitimacy for a ‘settlement’ that had no viable basis in law or fact.” As part of the order, the judge also referred Trump’s lawyer Alejandro Brito to the Florida bar for consideration of disciplinary action after finding that sanctions were warranted. It also asks the clerk to alert the New York bar to the matter, citing ongoing disciplinary proceedings for Blanche, as well as the D.C. bar, where Associated Attorney General Stanley Woodward is admitted. The Department of Justice (DOJ) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The decision comes after Williams was asked to reopen the case by intervenors who said a settlement to create an “anti-weaponization” fund tainted the case. The decision is a significant one from Williams, who was effectively sidestepped by Trump and the DOJ, which moved to settle the case before it was fully reviewed. Williams had asked the parties to explain how they are adversaries — a requirement in lawsuits along with courts being asked to weigh in only when there is a true controversy. Williams suggested if Trump had brought the lawsuit “in a timely fashion while he was a private citizen,” the case might have been resolved within the span of months. “But that is not what happened,” she wrote. “Instead, President Trump did not pursue his claims until he once again occupied the White House and had appointed his former lawyer, and the former lawyer of persons who are putative beneficiaries of the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ to prominent positions in the DOJ.” It’s unclear to what extent Williams’s order will block the “anti-weaponization” fund. Though the DOJ pointed to the settlement as a rationale for establishing the fund, the department had the power to do so without outside suits.
White House teleprompter operator on unpaid leave after alleged bets on Trump speeches - President Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the prediction market Kalshi flagged suspicious trades on Trump’s speeches, the White House confirmed Thursday. Shortly before Thursday’s White House press briefing, ABC News reported that Gabriel Perez, who was first hired by Trump in 2016, is in settlement talks with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over allegations that he used inside knowledge about the president’s remarks to place wagers on Kalshi. “The individual that was cited in that report is complying with the CFTC and has been placed on administrative leave,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporter. Leavitt said Trump had been made aware of the situation, adding that another teleprompter operator will handle Trump’s primetime address to the nation later Thursday. “He believes it is deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace,” she said. It comes as prediction markets face intense scrutiny over insider trading, including by government and military officials. “There are very strict ethical guidelines that explicitly state not to do this,” she added. “And the White House counsel’s office makes that clear to all of us who sign up to work in government on behalf of the president.” A source familiar confirmed to The Hill earlier Thursday that Perez is cooperating with the CFTC, which oversees prediction markets. Kalshi said its surveillance, as well as some market makers, flagged trades in mention markets related to public statements by Trump that didn’t follow the normal pattern of buying and selling. Mention markets allow users to place wagers on whether someone will say a particular word or phrase. The markets in this case involved common words, such as country names, economic words, general political topics, campaign phrases and social issues, according to Kalshi.
Hunter Biden lost Secret Service detail after Loomer post - Hunter Biden said he had his Secret Service protection pulled after right-wing influencer Laura Loomer shared a picture online of him with his family in South Africa. On July 7, Biden appeared on the podcast series “Friends Keep Secrets” with producer Benny Blanco, rapper Lil Dicky and his wife Kristin Batalucco. He said that he and his wife Melissa Biden went to South Africa “because we couldn’t go back to our house” in Malibu, as this was while the Palisades fire burned through Los Angeles in early 2025. “And we were there for a day and Laura Loomer put out on her X [social platform] picture of me and my son and Melissa in Cape Town and said, ‘This is ridiculous, this criminal still has Secret Service and they’re on vacation and we’re paying for it,’ and the next day, the president canceled the Secret Service, which is fine,” Biden said. Biden said his parents will have Secret Service protection “forever.” Blanco asked Biden if he was the first person to have his Secret Service protection cancelled. “I think so,” Biden replied. The Hill has reached out to the Secret Service for comment. Loomer shared the video of Biden’s remarks about having his protection detail removed, which she captioned with “LOOMERED.” “How is me getting Hunter Biden’s Secret Service protection removed a bad thing when it was paid for by taxpayers?” she wrote in a separate post on Monday, taking credit for having the Bidens’ Secret Service protection removed. “… It was a total scam of the American people and I stopped it. Honestly, I deserve a medal. But all I get is s––– talk.” Loomer posted on X on March 13 that Biden was in South Africa and accused him of having “fled the country” after telling a judge that he was unable to pay for his legal fees. “I can also confirm that Hunter Biden has Secret Service detail with him right now on the ground in South Africa,” Loomer wrote in a comment to her post. The following week, President Trump said the Secret Service detail for Biden and his sister Ashley Biden was pulled. Trump had previously revoked the protective details for former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Dr. Anthony Fauci and former envoy to Iran Brian Hook.
Trump fires new Seattle prosecutor less than an hour after appointment -- President Trump on Wednesday fired U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff less than an hour after he was appointed as the top federal prosecutor in the Western District of Washington state.Rogoff was sworn in shortly before 8 a.m. PDT in downtown Seattle, but he told The Associated Press that he received an email from the Trump administration informing him of his termination while waiting in the lobby of the U.S. attorney’s office. Trump in October named Charles Neil Floyd, a former immigration judge, as the interim U.S. attorney for the district. The president then altered Floyd’s title to first assistant U.S. attorney when his 120-day tenure in the role ended in February. After a U.S. appeals court panel expressed doubt the move by Trump was legal, a group of 17 active and former federal judges in the district unanimously appointed Rogoff — a former King County Superior Court judge who previously served as the assistant U.S. attorney in the district.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday defended the president’s move to fire Rogoff, saying the group of judges in the Evergreen State “abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.”But Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) scolded the Justice Department for Rogoff’s dismissal, calling the former superior court judge “eminently qualified” and labeling Floyd as an “out-of-touch extremist.” The six-term senator added in statement, “This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent — they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda. The people of Washington state deserve someone in this role who will enforce the law fairly and responsibly — not some Trump administration sock puppet.”Rogoff, meanwhile, told the AP on Wednesday that he is “really proud” of his career despite the setback. The experienced judge and prosecutor also noted he is consulting with other lawyers about taking legal action against the administration. “The fact that the judges of this district — most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of, or trying cases against, or working with — believed that I was the right person to do this work is just really humbling and amazing,” he added.
Wisconsin Panel Finds Elon Musk Likely Broke The Law With $1 Million Voter Checks - A bipartisan Wisconsin elections panel has determined there is probable cause that Elon Musk broke state law by offering two $1 million checks to voters during last year’s hotly contested Supreme Court race. The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 last week to file two complaints against the billionaire with Brown County District Attorney David Lasee. Prosecutors have 40 days to decide whether to file criminal charges under the state’s election bribery statute. That law blocks offering anything of value to entice someone to vote.The complaints arose from Musk’s actions in the days before the April 1, 2025, election. He posted on X promising $1 million prizes and gave out two oversized checks at a Green Bay rally to supporters who signed a petition against “activist judges.” The recipients were Nicholas Jacobs and Ekaterina Diestler.The commission said Musk’s social media promise and the public giveaway were meant to induce individuals to vote in that Supreme Court contest. Musk donated and backed groups in the race to help conservative candidate Brad Schimel flip the court’s liberal majority. Musk’s spokespeople did not immediately return a request for comment.Democrat-backed Susan Crawford defeated Schimel by approximately 10 percentage points. The loss came despite Musk-connected efforts spending tens of millions. Total spending in the race broke records, surpassing $100 million and rendering it the most expensive judicial contest in American history.On March 30, 2025, Musk hosted a town hall in Green Bay, donning a cheesehead hat, and made a show of awarding the prizes. He told the crowd the race could impact the future of the state, the House of Representatives, and even “Western civilization.” The Wisconsin Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts,” he said at the event.“They will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side.”Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, tried to prevent the payouts. He filed emergency lawsuits arguing they violated laws against using money to influence votes. Lower courts turned him down. The state Supreme Court itself, with its liberal majority, refused to hear the last-minute appeal without explanation.Kaul’s office had said it was committed to “safe, secure, free and fair” elections. But the payments were made anyway.Crawford’s victory maintained the 4-3 liberal sway on the court. Conservatives had hoped a new majority could help redraw congressional maps and bolster Republican influence in Washington. Musk later signaled he'd slow down political spending, and his side framed the checks as rewards for petition signers and publicity, not direct vote-buying. Similar complaints were lodged around Musk’s $100 offers for petition signatures in other states.
Trump Humiliated by Instant Fact Check After Crackpot Speech-- President Donald Trump’s underwhelming Thursday night address was immediately undercut by experts who fact-checked his claims. Ben Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins immediately following the speech that, despite the president’s claims and references to declassified documents uploaded online, there was still no evidence of any election result being incorrect. “What stood out to me is that there’s still no evidence of a result of any election being incorrect,” Ginsberg told Collins. “There still was not the documents, there still was not the evidence, although we’ll see what’s produced,” Ginsberg said, before responding to a number of specific claims Trump made. The 74-year-old, who has worked for the RNC, George Bush’s presidential campaign and the Republican Governors Association, also discussed the president’s claims about Chinese interference in the 2020 election. “The administration has cut back on the cybersecurity agency, CISA, and the Department of Justice outfit that helps states so that, in fact, if there is a problem with the 2026 election, it will be in large part because the defenses that are provided by the federal government to the states to stop that activity have been drastically cut back,” he said. Others fact-checked the president’s claims online, including former national security expert Miles Taylor, who served as the Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term before making waves for questioning his fitness for office and campaigning against his re-election. “Trump suggested the ‘Deep State’ hid from him that China was trying to interfere in our elections... maybe he forgot that we personally briefed him on the threat throughout 2018,” Taylor wrote on X. “Big mistake to make claims living humans can refute.” Taylor also broadcast a livestream offering a real-time fact-check of the president’s claims, telling his viewers, “If he wants to thank anyone for protecting the elections during his administration, he can thank folks like me... we’re not going to let him get away with these lies about the 2020 election.” In addition, CNN’s Zachary Cohen noted that the documents published by the White House discussed issues that were already widely known. “The documents Trump is referring to right now, and CNN has reviewed all of them, largely discuss vulnerabilities that have been known for years and/or are reflected in the 2021 US intel community assessment,” Cohen wrote. “None of the declassified information supports the claim that any previous election results — including the 2020 presidential contest that Trump lost — were manipulated by foreign interference or fraud in a way that would’ve changed the outcome.” CNN’s Laura Coates Live featured a segment calling out Trump’s claims with senior CNN reporter Marshall Cohen, who noted that voter files like the ones supposedly accessed by China can be bought online, that the CIA found Venezuela did not have the capability to interfere with foreign elections, and that the source of the president’s claim about 250,000 non-citizens being found on voting rolls was unreliable.“When you look at the better source, the government sources that assess who’s a citizen, who’s not, it was a much smaller number, only about 28,000,” Cohen explained.
Former Obama counsel Kathryn Ruemmler to testify in Epstein probe (AP) — Kathryn Ruemmler, the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs who was White House counsel to President Barack Obama, is set to face questioning before a House committee Wednesday about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Ruemmler is the latest prominent figure called before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers investigate the network of powerful people connected with Epstein. The bipartisan inquiry has already included testimony from more than a dozen high-profile witnesses, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton, as lawmakers examine how Epstein's wealth and influence may have helped shield him from scrutiny.Thousands of documents released by the Justice Department showed that Ruemmler and Epstein had an extensive relationship. The files included personal emails, social plans and gifts that extended beyond formal legal work.Ruemmler served as White House counsel under Obama from 2011 to 2014 and was briefly considered for attorney general. She served as Goldman Sachs’ general counsel for the past six years before announcing in February that she would step down amid backlash over her correspondence with Epstein.The released documents showed that the two were close years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on sex crimes, when he became a registered sex offender. She tried to downplay her relationship in more recent statements, calling him a “monster.” But documents showed she had called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and said she adored him.Although she said she would step down on June 30, she remains employed by Goldman Sachs. Ruemmler is the 17th person to testify as part of their broader investigation. Billionaire investor Leon Black was subpoenaed last month after lawmakers said he refused to answer some questions about his yearslong relationship with Epstein.A spokesperson for the committee said that Black's attorneys have confirmed his appearance for a formal deposition on Sept. 3 and that they will produce Black's nondisclosure agreements by the end of next week.The committee has also expressed interest in questioning acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department is pending before the Senate. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi identified Blanche as the department’s point person on the release of the Epstein documents, a process that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny.
Goldman Sachs’ former top lawyer tells House Epstein was a ‘masterful liar’ who used her to bolster his standing - Goldman Sachs’ former top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler told the House oversight committee on Wednesday that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein lied to her about his conduct and used his relationships with prominent people to legitimize himself. Ruemmler said in an opening statement that she never saw evidence of ongoing criminal conduct by Epstein and would have reported him to law enforcement if she had seen signs that he was abusing women or girls. She called her decision to deal with him a mistake and said she regretted ever knowing him. “Epstein was a masterful liar, and he clearly lied to me,” Ruemmler said. She added that she now believes he used her and other “respectable people” to bolster his standing.Before entering the closed-door, transcribed interview, Ruemmler told CNBC she was “happy” to answer lawmakers’ questions about her relationship with the convicted sex offender.“You know what, I’m happy to answer any question that they have that they think will help their inquiry,” Ruemmler said. “So again, I’m looking forward to being with the committee members today.”The interview comes weeks after Ruemmler stepped down as Goldman’s top lawyer following renewed scrutiny of her friendly emails with Epstein. But instead of leaving the investment bank, she remained in an advisory role while it seeks a permanent successor to her. Lawmakers are expected to question Ruemmler about her dealings with Epstein between 2014 and 2019, including gifts he sent her, advice she offered him about responding to media scrutiny and a phone call he placed to her after his July 2019 arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges.“I do think we have some on Goldman Sachs later in the afternoon — some questions about Goldman Sachs,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat, told CNBC. Ruemmler met Epstein in 2014 while working as a white-collar defense lawyer at Latham & Watkins. Her spokeswoman has said Ruemmler never represented Epstein but shared a client with him. nmDocuments released by Congress and the Justice Department show Epstein sent Ruemmler luxury gifts and called her after the arrest. In a March 2019 email, she also suggested language he could use to rebut criticism of the lenient plea deal he received in 2008.Ruemmler has said she regrets knowing Epstein. She has not been accused of participating in his crimes.Goldman CEO David Solomon told CNBC in February that the media scrutiny had made it “hard for her to execute on her job and her responsibilities,” leading her to conclude “it was time to step away.” In an interview on CNBC’s “Halftime Report” on Tuesday, Solomon defended Ruemmler staying on past the end-of-June resignation she’d announced.“Why wouldn’t we take advantage of that as we try to do its best for Goldman Sachs?” he said. “That’s an obligation to do its best for Goldman Sachs. And Kathy is ... helping us do that.”
AG pick Blanche to meet with Epstein survivors after 2 GOP senators hedge on nomination - Two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday said they remained undecided about voting to confirm Todd Blanche for U.S. attorney general, endangering President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the nation’s top law enforcement official.“I am still considering it,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told MS NOW when asked where he stood on Blanche a day after he and other Judiciary panel members questioned the nominee at the first day of his confirmation hearing about a controversial and now-defunct $1.8 billion Department of Justice fund.“Yeah,” Cornyn said when asked if he was undecided. “Like, I’ve said that several times.”Cornyn is one of 11 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, which also includes 10 Democrats. Republicans lost a member when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died unexpectedly last weekend. Cornyn is set to leave the Senate in early January, having lost his state’s Republican Senate primary in May.Another Republican on the committee, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said during the second day of hearings on Thursday that he wants Blanche to meet with victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before voting on his confirmation.After Tillis’ comments, Blanche scheduled a meeting with Epstein victims at the Department of Justice for 4:30 p.m. ET. A group of four victims, along with the brother and sister-in-law of the late Virginia Giuffre, another Epstein victim, were seen entering the DOJ building.The resistance to Blanche, who is Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, is the latest example of Republicans who are leaving office erecting a roadblock to Trump’s agenda while raising concerns about some of the president’s actions. Tillis is not seeking reelection this year.
Apple sues OpenAI alleging trade secret theft, says scheme was ‘at every level’-- Apple on Friday sued OpenAI in federal court in Northern California, alleging trade secret theft, saying that the artificial intelligence lab took the iPhone maker’s intellectual property in order to develop its own consumer hardware.“This much is clear, however: at every level, from members of its Technical Staff to its Chief Hardware Officer, and in coordination with business partners, OpenAI has been stealing Apple’s trade secrets and confidential information,” the company said in a legal filing.It’s a shocking reversal for the two companies, which entered into a high-profile partnership in 2024, when ChatGPT was integrated into the iPhone’s operating system. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Apple’s headquarters for the announcement.But relations between the two companies have chilled since OpenAI announced plans to enter the hardware industry last year, when it bought former Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup, called IO Products, for $6.4 billion. Apple’s updated version of its Siri assistant, which is coming out this fall, is based on Google’s Gemini AI models instead of OpenAI’s technology. Most of Apple’s allegations involve former employees who have interviewed with or joined OpenAI.Apple alleged that OpenAI’s hardware chief, Tang Tan, who is a former Apple vice president, has directed Apple employees interviewing at OpenAI to share Apple secrets as part of the interviewing process. Tan is named as a defendant in the suit.“He has directed job candidates still working for Apple to bring ‘actual parts’ from Apple to their interviews for ‘show and tell’ sessions in which he and his team at OpenAI can elicit still more Apple confidential information,” Apple said in the filing.Apple alleged that OpenAI coached departing Apple employees in how to evade security processes when leaving the iPhone maker, and that Chang Liu, a former employee who joined OpenAI, stole an Apple laptop. Liu is named as a defendant in the suit.It also said that Apple believes OpenAI is asking hardware firms to carry out a metal finishing technique that Apple invented, while “misleading the partner to believe they had Apple’s permission to do so.”“Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple’s secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products,” an Apple representative told CNBC in a statement.“We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere,” a representative for OpenAI said in a statement.OpenAI hasn’t announced when or what its hardware products will be, but Altman said in November that it had finished its first prototypes.Apple didn’t comment on whether the lawsuit will affect the partnership with OpenAI, which includes the integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence.Mounting legal woes present another risk to OpenAI as it gears up for what’s expected to be a historic IPO.Apple’s complaint comes two months after OpenAI won a high-profile trial against Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. A federal jury found that Musk, who helped start OpenAI, had waited too long to sue the AI lab over claims that Altman, co-founder Greg Brockman and the company reneged on agreements to run it as a nonprofit. Musk said he would appeal.Apple is seeking damages, injunctions, and an order to force OpenAI to stop using its trade secrets.
Over 200 experts call for urgent action to tackle AI's economic impact (Reuters) - More than 200 researchers and economists, including 15 Nobel laureates and researchers at OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, have called for governments and technology leaders to urgently create policies and institutions to address the economic impact of AI. They issued the jointly signed statement on Monday, warning that AI could drive a larger economic transformation than the Industrial Revolution but one that is "vastly shorter" in time frame, raising questions for workers, companies and public institutions. The statement has called for deeper research on AI's economic impacts and to start building policies and institutions required to ensure the technology benefits society and to navigate risks such as large-scale job displacement. "Steam, electricity, and computers each gave societies decades to adapt. AI may give us only a few years," said Anton Korinek, professor at the University of Virginia. "We cannot improvise our strategy and institutions in the middle of the transformation; waiting for certainty means arriving too late." Korinek, who joined Anthropic's economic research team in March, organized the initiative with fellow economists Erik Brynjolfsson, Ajay Agrawal and Tom Cunningham. Its signatories include OpenAI finance chief Sarah Friar, Google DeepMind Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark and people on the economics research team at the Claude chatbot maker. Nobel laureates Michael Spence, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, among others, also signed the statement.
Virginia woman learns Dominion can seize one third of her land for 185-foot power pole - A Virginia homeowner says the cost of the data center boom may soon be measured in her own backyard. State regulators have approved a Dominion Energy transmission plan that would use about one-third of her land, according to NBC Washington. On June 29, Virginia's State Corporation Commission approved transmission-line route 3A for Dominion Energy's Golden to Mars project. Ashburn resident Vicky Hu told NBC Washington that the route goes directly through her land. For more than a year, she has been trying to put a stop to the plan. She said that the route would create a 100- to 150-foot-wide corridor through her backyard, remove around 400 trees from her property, and take about one-third of the land. "Last year, we were living in hell," Hu told the outlet. The full transmission line in Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley would run for more than eight miles, and the pole slated for Hu's yard would reportedly be taller than the Statue of Liberty. In addition to broader concerns about private property rights, residents say the region's data center wealth is coming with direct costs for communities. Although data centers have brought billions of dollars into Loudoun County, Dominion recently warned customers to expect electric bill increases of about $8 per month, per NBC Washington. "People are angry with data centers, because we've been sacrificed. Our rights have been sacrificed," Hu told the outlet. The project is also expected to affect nearby schools, even though the State Corporation Commission turned down another proposal that would have cut closer to schools than route 3A. "It's going to have a great deal of impact on everybody in this community, and it is very difficult to stand here and realize how close it is to the schools and where the students are all day," Loudoun County School Board Chair April Chandler said, per NBC Washington.
Family says they're forced to sell home to help power data centers -- Sell your home, or the state will take it — that's the ultimatum some homeowners in Georgia say they are facing amid the AI boom. Utility giant Georgia Power is planning to build a new transmission line to in part help power new data centers. It estimates 70-80% of the power on the new line will help serve data centers and the remaining 20-30% of power will serve the state's growing residential and commercial demand. Georgia homeowners are being forced from their homes to help power AI data centers the state will take it utility giant Georgia power is According to the company, increasing demand has outpaced the capacity of its existing grid and building a new transmission line requires acquiring more than 300 parcels of land, including residential properties. Ansley Brown's childhood home that she said was built when she was 5 or 6 years old is just one of the properties impacted. "It's ours," she told CBS News. "It's our family. We belong here." Her mother wanted the property to serve as "true generational wealth," Brown said, adding that now "it's being stripped from us." "It's theft" Brown's mother recently came to an agreement with Georgia Power to sell. If she didn't, Brown said the utility could have sought to acquire the property through eminent domain — which is a legal process that allows private property to be taken, with compensation, for projects determined to serve a public purpose. "To us it's theft. It's literally a billion-dollar company stealing land from smaller people, people who can't fight back. We don't have the money to fight Georgia Power," Brown said. Holly Lovett, a spokesperson for Georgia Power, said eminent domain "is always … a last resort for us and it's something we never want to do." The company said it feels as if it's done the process responsibly, but Brown disagrees. "You can't tear down 35 miles of rural Georgia and it not hurt something or somebody. And to say that you're doing it in the name of data centers is a slap in the face to us, our community, our animals," she said. A few months ago Brown took her story to TikTok and began sharing stories of others in similar situations. She said that while she knows it's too late to save her home, she doesn't want to see this happen to others. "My mom wants an apology. She wants an apology from Georgia Power. That's it," Brown said. "For an entire year, they have bullied her and there is no sorry. So that's what we want. We want an apology from Georgia Power. " When asked if the utility company is willing to apologize, Georgia Power told CBS News they "have worked hard to be transparent, negotiate in good faith" and "make the process as easy as possible." As for who is behind the data centers, the company said it doesn't publish lists of customers to protect safety and security.
New York becomes first state to halt AI data centers—will others follow? New York has become the first U.S. state to stop the construction of large new data centers, over concerns about their impact on energy use, the environment, and communities. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a one-year pause on the building of new large-scale data center facilities, citing concerns about rising electricity demand, utility costs, environmental impacts, and pressure on local communities. “As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said, according to Reuters. The pause will apply to major projects while state regulators conduct a comprehensive review and develop new standards for future development. Officials will examine issues including energy use, water consumption, and impacts on local communities before determining how future data center projects should proceed. The move places New York at the forefront of efforts to balance AI-driven economic growth with concerns about energy demand, water consumption and grid reliability. The one-year moratorium applies to large data centers using 50 megawatts or more of electricity, according to officials in Hochul’s office, as reported by Reuters. During the pause, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation will not issue new discretionary permits for covered projects that have not already completed the approval process. At the same time, state officials will undertake a broad environmental review intended to establish statewide standards for future developments. The review will examine the impact data centers have on electricity grids, water resources, land use, pollution, and nearby communities. Hochul also plans to pursue legislation that would repeal certain sales tax exemptions for large-scale data centers, signaling a broader reassessment of how New York regulates and incentivizes the industry. The announcement follows the passage of the Responsible Data Center Development Act in the New York Legislature, which seeks to establish new guardrails around large data center projects and require greater scrutiny of their environmental and economic impact. The rapid growth of AI has sparked an unprecedented demand for data centers, which house the servers needed to process and store vast amounts of information. Supporters argue the facilities are essential for technological innovation, but critics warn that they can place significant strain on local infrastructure. For New York residents, the state’s concerns focus on whether large data centers could:
New York's data center freeze misses the credit markets - The order stops New York projects at the door. It does not reach the loans and bonds already financing the buildout.
- Key insight: New York's executive order freezes state environmental permits for data centers of 50 megawatts or more. The governor says the pause will last up to a year, but the order sets no end date and the environmental review behind it carries no deadline.
- Supporting data: Banks lent an estimated $14.9 billion against data centers in the four quarters through September, and large banks "are not materially concentrated" in the property type as a share of their core capital, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
- Forward look: Northern Virginia, Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth dwarf New York as data center markets, and a moratorium in Virginia, Georgia or Texas would reach a scale of collateral that New York's does not.
Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.
Data centers heat up Ohio Senate race - -- Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown is seizing on data center concerns as he looks to defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted in one of November’s most watched races.Brown started running a new television advertisement last week, labeling Husted as a chief ally to the data center industry and tying him to projects that are being blamed for energy price increases.The new ad — in a contest that could decide control of the Senate next year — shows how data centers have become a top priority for local and national politicians. While initially a sleeper issue in the midterms, data centers could be critical in a number of key races as Democrats look to take the majority in the House and Senate.
Largest US Power Grid Is 6.8 Gigawatts Short To Ensure Reliability On Historic Data Center Boom The largest US power grid failed for a third straight year to secure enough future supply commitments to ensure reliability for the future amid a historic boom in data center demand. PJM Interconnection, the largest US power grid (Regional Transmission Organization), which serves 67 million customers in 13 states and Washington, DC, said its auction to procure power for the year starting June 2028 fell 6.8 gigawatts short of what it will need to guarantee system reliability during demand spikes, in a statement released Tuesday. The shortfall is equivalent to almost seven traditional nuclear reactors. The result ramps up pressure on a grid that’s home to Virginia’s Data Center Alley, the biggest concentration of data centers in the US, and has borne the brunt of criticism for the struggle to manage the AI boom and sufficiently protect customers from soaring costs. Attention now shifts to an emergency procurement mechanism later this year that aims to shift the burden of ramping up power generation to hyperscalers. PJM Interconnection today announced the results of its 2028/2029 Base Residual Auction (BRA), which secured 138,318 MW of unforced capacity generation (UCAP) and demand response to meet projected electricity needs for the more than 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia, which fall under the RTO's umbrella. Regions under the Fixed Resource Requirement (FRR) acquired an additional 10,864 MW in UCAP, for a total of 149,182 MW in UCAP available to serve forecasted peak electricity demand, plus a reserve margin. UCAP represents a generation resource’s maximum output adjusted for its estimated ability to reliably perform at times of highest system risk. The capacity of the resources procured in the auction, plus FRR resources, is short of PJM’s reliability requirement by 6,831 MW, meaning that the committed supply is less than what would be required to meet the one-event-in-10-year reliability standard (and with electricity-guzzling data centers popping up almost daily these days, the one-event-in-10-year has become a daily occurrence). This shortfall was not unexpected given the conditions PJM has been observing, including a shortfall of approximately 6,500 MW in the previous capacity auction (for the 2027/2028 Delivery Year). These most recent auctions were the first in PJM history in which the entire RTO fell short of the reliability requirement. PJM plans to seek FERC approval to hold a special “Backstop Procurement” in September to help address the near-term shortfall in electricity supply. In coordination with the governors of all 13 PJM states and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, PJM established a price cap and floor, or collar, for four capacity auctions to protect both consumers and investors from market volatility. This was the third consecutive auction with the price collar. The clearing price came in at the FERC-approved price ceiling of $325 per megawatt-day which will show up in users’ monthly utility bills; the price was a 2.5% decrease from the 2027/2028 Base Residual Auction cap of $333.44 per megawatt day. Costs would be even higher if not for the price cap first negotiated in 2024. While that has helped keep a (loose) lid on costs, PJM has been among those to say that the system also means there isn’t a sufficient price signal for producers to build new power generation. The table below from the PJM statement shows what prices would have been without a price cap. For 2028/2029, all prices cleared at $554.72 except the COMED LDA, which cleared at $776.69. In other words, absent a regulatory cap, the price of electricity would be 70% higher ($554.72 vs $325).
OpenAI gives warning about potentially disastrous ChatGPT behaviour --OpenAI has admitted that ChatGPT can go rogue and delete people’s files without telling them. In recent days, numerous users of Codex – the programming platform built into the AI assistant – reported that the tool appeared to have deleted their files without being asked to and without getting permission. One engineer, Bruno Lemos, said that it had “deleted my whole production database”. Another AI investor called Matt Shumer said it had “accidentally deleted almost ALL of my Mac’s files”. “Multiple such incidents have been reported,” said Gary Marcus, an artificial intelligence expert who has repeatedly warned about the dangers of current products. “A clear reminder that current AI cannot be trusted. In racing these techniques ahead, we are asking for trouble” The problem appeared to be a result of a new version of the model that powers Codex, known as GPT-5.6 Sol. Before the release of the update, OpenAI had warned that the system was liable to make potentially dangerous decisions on its own. Now OpenAI has confirmed that the behaviour is happening. It appears to happen “most commonly” when users give the system control over their computer and does not have protections enabled, which then leads it to make “an honest mistake and mistakenly” and delete people’s files, said Thibault Sottiaux, one of OpenAI’s product leaders. “This is of course not how we want the system to behave, even when a user operates the model in full-access mode without the safeguards of our sandbox or without using auto review which checks for these kinds of high risk actions and rejects them,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said that OpenAI would take steps to limit the behaviour including showing a different message to developers, advising them to turn on protections, and adding safeguards to ChatGPT. “Even though this happens extremely rarely, we’ll share a detailed post-mortem in the coming days that goes into more details and what we are doing to minimise risks further,” he wrote.
Meta’s AI bots drain publisher pockets while returning zero traffic -- If you run a website, every crawl costs bandwidth, resources, logging, and creates CDN transactions, and while search engine crawlers offered the promise of sending visitors, AI bots do not. Analysis in a report from cybersecurity firm DataDome has shown that while bots from Meta AI have increased activity, they’re not delivering any significant returns to websites. Conversely, ChatGPT crawlers have reduced in traffic, but are sending more referrals. While Meta AI is usually considered to be the “chatbot within Facebook” it seems that it is becoming something more – and the emergence of the Meta-WebIndexer bot (which grew 163% on Q1) suggests that Meta may be indexing a library of websites, in much the same way Google has done for the past few decades. The growth of Meta AI as an active crawler is only part of the story, as is ChatGPT’s comparative efficiency. The OpenAI tool seems to know enough about websites, so can provide the answers it already “knows.” Conversely, Meta AI’s activity indexing the web seems to explain its heavy impact in Q2 2026. But also emerging is the Model Context Protocol (MCP) signal, which connects AI agents with external tools, and differs from standard crawler traffic. “Q2 showed us that the ground is shifting faster than most organizations realize. Meta now dominates AI traffic on our network, MCP traffic has emerged as a real signal, and ChatGPT is driving more referral value with fewer crawls," noted Jérôme Segura, VP of Threat Research at DataDome. The differences in the way the AI agents are interacting with websites – some behaving like users, others scraping content – means that organizations need to act accordingly. “What the data makes clear is that not all agents are created equal. The organizations building policy around these distinctions are the ones gaining an edge, and that's exactly why agent trust adoption is accelerating." Unfortunately, MCP’s existence and growth into a significant, measurable quantity, means that it should also be treated as part of an organization’s attack surface.
Buffett says AI giants are 'playing a game they don't want to play' in the AI race, reveals he was behind Berkshire's $31 billion bet on Google -- The Oracle of Omaha is finally investing in tech stocks, and that’s purely because they’ve changed their capex spending model to stay competitive in the AI race. “The real question with Google and all of its competitors now, because they’re all laying out hundreds of billions, and… that’s real money,” Warren Buffett told CNBC. “That’s the game they’re playing now. They weren’t playing that game with computer software.” Buffett, who has long steered clear of technology companies because he didn’t understand them, revealed that he was the one behind Berkshire’s $31 billion investment in Alphabet, not incoming Berkshire CEO Greg Abel.. “I initiated it,” Buffett said. “He’s not doing anything I don’t approve of. We talk all the time.” Buffett, who admitted, “I made a mistake” when asked why he passed on Google for years, said he finally became attracted to Google and its hyperscaler rivals when they began spending like railroads and utilities—pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers and chips, the kind of capital-intensive buildout Buffett understands because it looks like the businesses he’s owned for decades. This is decidedly different from how they spent their capex in the past, and it’s primarily because they’re trying to stay competitive in the ever-changing AI race. Asked why he’d picked Alphabet over Amazon, Microsoft or the rest of the Magnificent Seven, Buffett demurred—”I don’t want to sit around knocking the others”—before framing the AI spending race between the hyperscalers as something closer to a trap than a clear victory. “They’re now playing a game, in many cases, or in some cases, where they’re playing a game they don’t want to play,” Buffett said, while referring to IBM’s historic revenue miss this week. “IBM would have loved it if they just kept playing the game that IBM was playing in the 30s or the 40s or the 50s or the 60s.” Alphabet shares surged nearly 4% on Wednesday, pushing Google co-founder Larry Page’s net worth above $300 billion for just the second time ever, according to Forbes—and the stock was still climbing Thursday. Berkshire now holds a $31 billion stake in Alphabet after it began building it up in the third quarter of 2025. The buying accelerated this year with an additional $10 billion spent just last month. Buffett said Alphabet was “number five or six” in Berkshire’s holdings, and his CNBC comments added $8 billion to Page’s fortune. Still, Buffett explained Google is “more likely to be a winner based on the record than probably 90% or 95% of what gets merchandised through Wall Street”—a rare vote of confidence in a company doubling its AI spending up to $185 billion on AI, a spending spree that even keeps CEO Sundar Pichai up at night. On Google’s Q4 earnings call in February, Pichai reflected on the AI capex surge and his concern about converting those billions of dollars of investment into data centers and overcoming compute bottlenecks, but struck an optimistic tone nonetheless. “We are in a very, very relentless innovation cadence, and I think we are confident about keeping that momentum as we go through 2026,” Pichai said on the call.
US companies are realizing that Chinese AI models are way cheaper, ditch American ones --As corporate AI bills spiral out of control, many companies are beginning to ask themselves a simple question: why pay a pretty penny for the US’s leading AI models when Chinese ones are far cheaper? Major companies like DoorDash, Airbnb, and Siemens are adopting Chinese AI tools, the Financial Times reports, attracted not only by their lower costs but their “open-weight” approach that allows them to be molded to each company’s particular needs. xAccording to data from OpenRouter, a platform that provides all-in-one access to major AI models and tracks their usage, leading Chinese models from DeepSeek and Z.ai have overtaken US equivalents like Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Cost-cutting, it seems, trumps all geopolitical rivalries. Chinese models are “the elephant in the room,” Eugene Cheah, CEO of the AI platform Featherless AI, told the FT. “Enterprises are starting to realize, ‘Hey, we don’t need the best model, we can use the faster, cheaper models.'” US-based AI models have frequently been seen as the most advanced, but that perception is shifting. The release of GLM-5.2 from the Chinese startup Z.ai last month caused a stir in Western tech circles, as major Silicon Valley figures hailed it as capable or nearly as capable as US systems despite being significantly cheaper to use. Cheap Chinese AI couldn’t be coming at a more opportune moment. The corporate world, wooed by AI companies’ promises of supercharging their productivity, has spent the past year deploying AI across its workforces, and many are being put off by the costs. One organization reportedly blew through $500 million in a month on Claude usage fees. That’s an extreme outlier, but recent research from the Ramp AI Index found that the businesses most dedicated to AI are spending around $7,500 per employee every month on AI. Considering the culture around AI, it’s no surprise why: some companies like Meta mandate their employees use AI systems as much as possible, factoring it into their performance reviews. Software engineers, now expected to produce more work than ever, often run multiple AI agents at the same time to complete tasks in the background. If companies are unwilling to crank back the AI knob, then the next best choice is to look for cheaper models. DoorDash cofounder Andy Fang said on X last week that it was saving a lot of money by having “lower-level work” performed by a model from the Chinese startup Moonshot AI. San Francisco startup Lindy has completely ditched Anthropic’s AI tools in favor of DeepSeek’s latest V4 models. “Enterprises have an incentive to shift some of their workload to cheaper models. Why would you pay a premium for Anthropic, OpenAI models when for a lot of the workloads you need, the Chinese models are generally workable?” Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told the FT. But cost isn’t the only consideration: many Chinese models are “open-weight,” meaning their parameters or values are entirely visible to the user. That allows an organization to mold a model to its specific needs — and from a cybersecurity perspective, have more control and insight into how it might process sensitive company data. For foreign companies disillusioned by US leadership, the choice is even easier to make. There’s less faith in the US as stewards of AI, especially after the Trump administration suspended access to Anthropic’s Mythos model overseas. “The Mythos ban was certainly the most tangible event, and people having their access revoked,” Aidan Gomez, CEO of the Canadian AI group Cohere, told the FT. “It exposes the risk of relying on any one single entity for any of your workloads.”Chinese AI model takes US tech industry by surprise with abilities rivaling Claude and ChatGPT -- Another powerful new artificial intelligence model from China took the U.S. tech industry by surprise Friday, the latest sign that Chinese startups that publicly release their “open-source” AI technology are making the California titans of AI sweat. The newest Kimi K3 model from Beijing-based startup Moonshot, run by a Pink Floyd-loving entrepreneur who earned his doctorate in Pittsburgh, appears to be catching up to the best versions of Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT. “This may be the single biggest release of the year,” and marks a moment when open-source Chinese models are surpassing closed U.S. models, said Anastasios Angelopoulos, co-founder and CEO of Arena, a platform for evaluating AI systems. Kimi K3 topped the charts in Arena's ranking of what it calls “front-end coding capability,” a measure of an AI large language model's performance. “More results are rolling in that are likely to continue to show it is at the top of the pack,” Angelopoulos said on social media. It was not likely a coincidence that K3's unveiling came shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping's opening address Friday to the nation's annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world’s most advanced technologies, spurring China’s efforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the rivalry between the world’s two biggest economies. “The development of artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by any single country but rather a symphony of global cooperation,” Xi said at the event. K3 follows another major AI model release last month from the Chinese startup Zhipu, or Z.ai. Its new flagship GLM-5.2 model is already widely used by software developers around the world who say it can perform work almost as well as top U.S. models at a lower price. The hype over the new Chinese model resembles the market-shaking panic that followed Chinese startup DeepSeek 's new model release in early 2025, though not everyone finds it justified. The response to K3 is an “overreaction shockingly similar” to DeepSeek's release last year, said tech analyst Patrick Moorhead on social media. He said it could be good for parts of the broader AI industry but poses a revenue challenge to Anthropic and OpenAI. During the conference, which runs until Monday, tech giant Huawei has also been showcasing a new AI computing system called the Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a signal that China increasingly is amassing the domestic hardware it needs despite U.S. restrictions on imports from chipmakers like Nvidia. Moonshot hasn’t said what hardware it used to build K3, but the startup is a partner with Huawei. The price to use K3 is the highest yet for a Chinese AI model, but is still half as expensive as OpenAI’s high-performing GPT-5.6 Sol model, according to a Friday report by Bank of America research analysts. U.S. politicians and several major U.S. AI companies including Anthropic and OpenAI have accused Chinese AI models of illicit “distillation” of their models to extract their technologies, a claim that Beijing says is “groundless.” Anthropic in February accused DeepSeek, Moonshot and a third China-based AI lab, MiniMax, of engaging in campaigns to “illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models” using the distillation technique that “involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one.” Anthropic said that distillation can be a legitimate way to train AI systems but it’s a problem when competitors “use it to acquire powerful capabilities from other labs in a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the cost, that it would take to develop them independently.” But it can go both ways. San Francisco-based startup Anysphere, maker of the popular coding tool Cursor, has acknowledged that one of its top products was based on Moonshot’s K2.5 model. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning to close a deal to buy Cursor for $60 billion later this year.
Wall Street plunges in AI 'bloodbath' -- The US stock market sank on Friday in a “bloodbath” for companies linked to the AI boom. Shares on Wall Street fell heavily in the wake of sharp downturns in Japan and Taiwan as investors raised questions about the soaring valuations of companies tied to the technology. Chip manufacturers were hit hardest after a blistering rally earlier in the year driven by surging demand. The Nasdaq Composite, which is dominated by tech companies, plunged by 1.9pc in its sharpest fall in a month. Kei Okamura, portfolio manager at financial adviser Neuberger Berman, said: “The word ‘bloodbath’ is accurate because it is across the board.” Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 4pc on Friday, having declined more than 10pc since its record high on June 25. Taiwan’s Taiex index had shed 6.5pc after $2tn chip giant TSMC fell by 7.3pc a day after announcing record second-quarter profit but higher than expected spending plans. Jim Reid, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, said: “Global equities are continuing to slump, as fresh doubts about the AI trade have driven a pronounced sell-off in tech stocks.” Mr Reid said there had been no single trigger for the downturn, which came as the world’s biggest technology companies prepared to report their second quarter results. Tech stocks in Hong Kong were hit hard by Chinese AI start-up Moonshot, which on Friday unveiled a new large language model able to perform close to the levels of tools from US giant Anthropic. The Beijing-based company unveiled Kimi K3, which it described as the world’s largest open AI model by parameter count, an indicator of its complexity. Lian Jye Su, an industry analyst, said Chinese models were gaining traction because they could be deployed far more cheaply than leading US systems. “They can be run at a fraction of the cost that OpenAI charges its clients,” he said. Markets have also come under pressure from the renewed hostilities in the Middle East, which have sent oil prices soaring more than 15pc this month to over $85 a barrel.
AI knows what you did online. Now your employer does, too - Leaving the wrong kind of digital footprint can sabotage your career. Maybe you thought you already knew this, but artificial intelligence is making it easier to trace your online history and efforts to cover your tracks can backfire. Employers that once performed cursory internet searches for red flags on job candidates now use AI to dig deeper, more quickly. And, as adult-content platforms like OnlyFans and prediction markets surge in popularity, people are often unwittingly dropping more compromising breadcrumbs on the internet. At the same time, companies are increasingly focused on employees’ character in a labor market where they often can choose from a slew of qualified candidates. I’ve told you about their use of backdoor references and personality tests.. Scouring digital histories is another part of businesses’ quest to identify people who do or don’t fit their cultures. Recent events underscore the growing number of ways online activities, even from the distant past, can haunt people. Before a rape allegation ended Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign last week, his reputation was damaged by the emergence of racist, sexist and antigay Reddit posts; a video that revealed a Nazi-linked tattoo on his chest; and sexually-explicit text messages that the married Platner had sent to other women. Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has had to address deleted tweets in which she described using the American flag like a napkin and called for abolishing police, prisons and borders. Applying for most jobs is less invasive than running for public office, but the gap is closing. Every month brings new headlines about a teacher, nurse, cop or someone else getting fired for posting racy images online. How thorough are digital-background checks today? The answer varies by company and role, but they can involve cross-referencing information from dozens of platforms. Businesses traditionally reserved extensive online screenings for senior roles because of the potential for public embarrassment. Some now vet candidates for every customer-facing position, says Darrin Lipscomb, chief executive of Ferretly, a screening firm whose clients include Deloitte, Ally Financial and BBDO. This is partly because the checks are cheaper and easier than they used to be, before AI. Also, people tend to look each other up before meeting for the first time, and employers don’t want customers to stumble on anything unseemly. The good news is companies won’t necessarily refuse to hire you if they don’t like what they find. They might ask you to remove those Instagram pics from your bachelor party, though. While services like Ferretly that follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act limit their searches to public posts, private content isn’t always as private as you think. For example, someone with an OnlyFans account may use a screen name and keep explicit photos and videos behind a paywall. But if facial-recognition software can match the profile pic on that account to another image on the internet, Ferretly will flag it. Similarly, prediction-market bettors can place wagers anonymously but sometimes unmask themselves inadvertently by reusing screen names from social media or by using crypto wallets linked to their identities elsewhere. In general, Ferretly reports to employers when it is at least 70% confident about who is responsible for online content. It’s up to companies to decide what to do next. Some pay Lipscomb’s firm for continuous monitoring of employees, not just pre-hire screenings. “After the Oct. 7 (2023) Hamas attack, quite a few companies came to us and wanted to know, ‘Do we have pro-Hamas people in our ranks or antisemitic people?’ ” he says.
Influencer Whose Exotic Cars Exposed His $8M AI Scam on Elderly Americans Extradited to the US Before His Lawyer Could Stop It -- If someone thinks they can commit fraud from another country, steal millions of dollars from Americans, and avoid punishment, they could be wrong. An influencer from Ghana in West Africa has been extradited to the U.S. after he defrauded elderly Americans and others of millions of dollars. Exotic cars showcased on his social media profile, such as a Lamborghini Urus, a BMW i8, and a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, raised questions about the source of his wealth. Despite living on another continent, he was arrested in a joint Ghana-U.S. operation last year and was flown to the U.S. on Thursday. According to a report by the BBC, Ghanaian social media influencer Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, used artificial intelligence tools to create fake identities online and targeted his victims through dating sites and social media. He allegedly ran a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8 million after luring them through frequent and intimate conversations. The conversations would then evolve into requests for money, under the guise of travel expenses, medical bills, or investment opportunities. The money and valuables were then sent to other people pretending to be third parties. Kumi shared the proceeds with his associates in the U.S. and Ghana. Kumi was fond of flaunting his wealth on social media and has close to 100,000 followers on Instagram. His latest post is him standing next to a white Urus, which has been featured in several other posts. The BBC report states that Kumi's lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, reached the court on Thursday to stop his extradition to the U.S. However, he soon learned that Kumi had already been extradited on board a Delta Airlines flight. He was flown to the U.S. on Thursday and faces up to twenty years in prison if found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He has denied all charges. Kumi's age, however, has been a topic of disagreement because his lawyer says he is 28, while U.S. prosecutors say he is 31. With the Instagram influencer already having been flown out of Ghana, Barker-Vormawor has accused the Ghanaian government of not following due process and extraditing Kumi before the court issued its verdict. This "raises profound constitutional questions," said the lawyer. However, the government has replied to his accusation. Justice Minister and Attorney General Dominic Ayeni said: "Last week the court dismissed the habeas corpus application as having no basis. So I had to proceed to apply for a surrender warrant from the ministry of interior, and the minister signed it [Wednesday] and we took him out [Thursday]. So what due process is he talking about?" The case is being prosecuted under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA).
AI scams in Georgia and South Florida: How scammers use deepfakes to steal millions - CBS Atlanta Artificial intelligence is no longer just helping people write emails or generate images. Investigators say it's also helping scammers steal money by making fake voices, photos and phone calls look and sound frighteningly real. For one South Florida immigration attorney, that meant discovering criminals had cloned his voice and identity to target immigrants seeking legal help. In metro Atlanta, it meant a Cobb County couple losing roughly $800,000 in a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam.Those cases illustrate what federal investigators say is a rapidly growing trend.According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported nearly $893 million in AI-enabled scam losses last year as criminals increasingly turned to artificial intelligence to impersonate trusted people and manipulate victims. Overall, the FBI received more than 1 million internet crime complaints totaling more than $20 billion in reported losses. The data suggests the technology is making familiar scams, from romance schemes to fake investment opportunities and emergency phone calls, even harder to recognize.State officials say those cases aren't isolated."I talk with citizens throughout Georgia at speaking engagements and hear of AI being used in scams such as the grandparent scam," Shawn McCroy, communications and outreach coordinator for the Georgia Department of Law, told CBS News. The AI grandparent scam is a type of fraud where scammers use artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of a victim's grandchild or other relative. Using audio samples found online or through social media, criminals generate convincing phone calls claiming the grandchild is in trouble and urgently needs money.While AI-related complaints remain a fraction of all reported internet crimes, the financial impact continues to grow.Authorities say generative AI is allowing criminals to make old scams far more believable by:
- Cloning voices from social media videos.
- Spoofing legitimate phone numbers.
- Creating convincing fake photographs.
- Researching family members and personal relationships to make emergency requests seem authentic.
The FBI says AI also played a growing role in romance and confidence scams, which resulted in more than $19 million in reported losses nationwide last year. Victims also reported more than $5 million lost in AI-assisted distress scams, including voice-cloning schemes.
Trump Media launches paid data service to help Wall Street track Trump’s posts - The company behind social-media network Truth Social is launching a service that will give paying customers interested in market-moving information “licensed, real-time access” to posts from President Donald Trump and other top accounts, the company said Thursday.Trump’s family is the largest shareholder Trump Media & Technology Group, the public company that operates Truth Social. The president’s @realDonaldTrump account is the largest account on Truth Social, according to a 2025 survey by SEO.ai. His account had 12.9 million followers on Thursday morning. Trump regularly posts official communications first on Truth Social, making his account a must-follow for Wall Street firms and news organizations that track the presidency. Trump Media didn’t mention the president in its press release announcing the service, known as an API, or Application Programming Interface. But it nodded to potential interest by Wall Street firms. “Markets already move on Truth Social posts,” Kevin McGurn, Trump Media’s interim chief executive officer, said in the release. The White House didn’t respond to an email about the announcement but forwarded CNBC’s message to the Trump Organization, which declined to comment.Trump Media didn’t respond to an email with follow-up questions.The API will launch Aug. 1 and already has signed up some institutional customers, Trump Media’s release said.“It’s a huge conflict of interest,” said Virginia Canter, an ethics attorney with Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit organization that has been critical of the Trump administration. The president “has an obligation to the American people to convey information to them publicly, and he’s now funneling it through a private channel in which he has a private interest as one of its largest shareholders.” Truth Social has “become the de facto presidential press room,” Canter said. The social network has other large users besides the president, but few who can provide consistent market-moving information. Many are conservative personalities who are close to the president. Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. has 7.4 million followers, while Eric Trump has 3.3 million. Devin Nunes, who left Congress to run Trump Media but has since left the company, has 4.5 million followers. Former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino has 3.5 million.Trump Media is following a path blazed by other social networks, which also provide APIs to paying customers. Hedge funds and other Wall Street firms use low-latency feeds to gain an edge on market-moving information posted on social networks. They can use access to post archives to create algorithms that respond to sentiment and emerging trends. But none of those other social networks are the primary outlet for official posts by the president of the U.S. Trump regularly posts updates on his decisions about the war with Iran and tariffs on Truth Social, among other issues. On Monday, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would reinstate a naval blockade against Iran and would impose a 20% fee on commercial traffic. On Wednesday, Trump cancelled the plan to impose a fee. In another post this week, he reversed a brief halt on traffic stops by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after the fatal shootings of two people. None of those posts was shared on Trump’s verified X account, where he has 112 million followers..
Wall Street traders can soon pay for early looks at Truth Social posts - President Trump’s social media platform announced plans Thursday to sell Wall Street firms early access to its “most market-moving” posts. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Truth Social, said it would launch “Truth API” — a direct data feed that would give investment firms “real-time access to posts from the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts.” Trump launched Truth Social in February 2022 and has used it as his primary method of direct written communication. During his second presidential term, Trump has announced dozens of significant changes to administration policy or military operations, often swaying the stock market along the way. Application programming interfaces (APIs) are data streams commonly offered by a wide range of companies and organizations that are meant to provide immediate and secure access to information. Both amateur and professional investors use APIs of key financial or economic data, including one offered by the Labor Department, to craft their trades. Truth API, which TMTG aims to launch Aug. 1, would give the nation’s top investment firms the earliest access to market-moving posts on Truth Social, allowing algorithmic trading programs to act even quicker on the news. “Markets already move on Truth Social posts,” said TMTG interim CEO Kevin McGurn. “Truth API delivers a direct, licensed, real-time feed of the platform’s most market-moving Truths while advancing our strategy to monetize proprietary assets through a high-margin, recurring revenue stream. “As adoption grows, we expect Truth API to become a meaningful, ongoing source of revenue for the company, creating lasting value for shareholders,” he continued. Truth API could create another venue through which Trump could personally profit through a connection to his presidency. Trump indirectly owns roughly 53 percent of TMTG through shares he transferred to a trust in December 2024, one month before he took office, amid growing concerns about potential conflicts of interest.Earlier this month, the president disclosed making more than $2 billion in income during his first year back in office, including more than $1 billion in income linked to World Liberty Financial, his family’s cryptocurrency company. Despite his skepticism of the technology during his first presidential term, Trump embraced cryptocurrency ahead of his 2024 presidential campaign. Soon after, his family crypto company launched several products, including a stablecoin. After taking office, Trump pushed for bills that would advance the cryptocurrency industry and signed a measure to set clear regulations for stablecoins. Trump has also called on the Senate to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a major bipartisan cryptocurrency regulation bill that is the industry’s top legislative priority. When pressed on his presidential profits earlier this month, Trump said he has no involvement with the management of his money. “I don’t get involved in my personal. We have funds that run my money,” Trump told reporters during a July 1 gaggle. “They invest my money. I don’t talk to them. I don’t even speak to them,” he said. “So, I have many people, I don’t know what they call them, closed accounts or something, you put their money and that’s it. I don’t talk to them. They’re big institutions, and they run it.” In an interview with CNBC the next day, Trump insisted there was “nothing illegal” about his cryptocurrency profits and that his interest in the industry is driven by competition with China. “I could know about it. I didn’t. There’s nothing illegal. There’s nothing wrong with it I could know,” Trump said. “The way I view crypto is a little differently: We have to be at the top,“ he said. “Like, for instance, AI. We’re leading substantially in AI over China and everybody else.”
Trump calls for Congress to pass Clarity Act crypto bill to honor Graham -- President Donald Trump on Monday said he’s calling on the Senate to pass cryptocurrency legislation known as the Clarity Act to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who died at 71 over the weekend.“In honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, a big supporter, the U.S. Senate should pass the Clarity Act,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “China, and many other countries, would like to take complete and total control of this major financial ‘happening,’ as well as A.I., where we are now leading, but where they are fighting hard. Don’t let China win on either subject!!!”The Clarity Act is one of the first wide-ranging pieces of legislation to regulate cryptocurrencies, and is backed by the crypto industry and the White House. It has hit some snags in the Senate, with Democrats pushing for increased ethics guardrails for elected officials like Trump, who has made billions of dollars on digital currencies.The Senate Banking Committee approved the bill 15-9 in May, with two Democrats joining Republicans to advance the legislation. Graham did not serve on the Banking Committee, so he didn’t cast one of the votes.Graham was also not a particularly key figure in crypto policy debates and was not a primary player in the Clarity Act. The bill has primarily been led in the Senate by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. Other senators have proposed passing a Russia sanctions package in honor of Graham, which he and his colleagues got White House approval to move forward with last week. Graham was heavily involved in national security issues and international affairs and had just returned from a trip to Ukraine the day he died. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said there “can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, or the causes he fought for, than to pass this legislation and realize his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine.” Crypto players including Coinbase, Circle and Ripple have supported the Clarity Act, hoping regulation of the industry will encourage investors. Banks, however, opposed the bill, warning it could allow crypto groups to offer interest-like payments to stablecoin holders and lead to decreased bank deposits and a lack of capital for loans. Law enforcement and some labor groups also have opposed the measure.
Trump reports over $1.4 billion in income from crypto ventures -(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump reported more than $1.4 billion in income from his family’s crypto ventures last year, showing how Trump now derives most of his income from digital assets that have benefited from his policies, according to a review of his latest financial disclosures on Tuesday.The filings, his annual disclosure for 2025 with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, disclosed that his companies received almost $800 million from World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture he and his sons co-founded. That income, which the president splits with family members, included more than $520 million from sales of crypto tokens and more than $250 million from the sale of interests in the World Liberty business. Trump reported another $635 million from the sale of his Trump meme coins. The news underlines how crypto has transformed the president's fortunes. In his disclosure a year ago, for example, the president reported $57.35 million from token sales at World Liberty, which then leaped nine-fold in this year’s filing. Reuters recently estimated the Trump family has made at least $2.3 billion from crypto-related projects since Trump returned to the White House in 2025.On taking office, Trump began to put in place policies and initiatives that the industry saw as beneficial, from implementing federal rules for stablecoins to dialing back policing of the industry by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.For 2025, the president also reported over $80 million in income from settlements with various media companies and $52 million in income from his company licensing his name to overseas property developers, driven principally by deals with Middle Eastern partners.White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, “Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged — or will ever engage — in conflicts of interest. President Trump proudly made the United States the crypto capital of the world through executive actions.”Kelly added: “All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people – and any so-called ‘reporters’ pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade.”While the White House has previously said the president's business interests are currently overseen by his children, the president remains the beneficiary of the assets in the trust that ultimately receives the income.Although crypto is by far the largest driver of income for Trump, his traditional businesses — in particular golf courses and resorts — continued to bring in millions.Trump reported a 15% rise in revenue at his golf and resort facilities to just over $500 million in 2025. The strongest increases were at clubs where the president has spent considerable time since his 2025 inauguration. Revenue at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which Trump dubbed the Winter White House, soared to $77 million from $50 million in 2024, while revenue at his golf club in nearby West Palm Beach jumped 27%. Revenue fell at Trump’s Los Angeles course last year. Trump also secured a more than $50 million loan last year from Charles Schwab Bank, the filings showed. They did not say what the loan was for. Trump hosted winners of his second annual meme coin contest at Mar-a-Lago in April.Trump’s income from his real estate interests – the business in which he made his name – had less spectacular growth. He reported income from a dozen significant commercial real estate ventures, mainly interests in buildings he built or acquired decades ago. The filing doesn’t give specific rent figures for properties like Trump Tower in New York but rather income ranges. For most, the income range in 2025 was the same or lower than Trump reported a decade prior.A spokesperson for the Trump family business, The Trump Organization, said in a statement that "the breadth and depth of this filing further underscores our commitment to transparency. At nearly 1,000 pages, it represents one of the most comprehensive financial disclosure reports ever submitted and demonstrates a level of financial transparency unmatched in presidential history.”A spokesperson for World Liberty Financial declined to comment.Don Fox, a former acting head of the federal ethics office, which oversees ethics regulations for federal workers and reviews financial disclosures, including Trump's, said presidents and vice presidents are exempted from the ethics laws that prohibit conflicts of interest among executive branch employees."Every president in the post-Watergate era has managed his finances as though he were subject to conflicts of interest," said Fox. "With Trump, those norms are just totally out the window.""He makes the case better than anyone that it's time for additional ethics reforms. I think in terms of legislation, one thing that could be done would be to limit the types of investments he and the vice president ... can hold."
Warren seeks Trump crypto disclosures after $1.4 billion haul - Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is asking President Donald Trump for an additional six months of disclosures on his crypto holdings following revelations in a June filing that the president and his family earned some $1.4 billion from digital currencies in 2025.
Trump invested crypto gains in stocks and bonds, filings show (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s financial disclosures show that even as he and his two eldest sons were encouraging investors to plow their money into crypto projects — which resulted in steep losses for retail buyers — his money managers were investing a significant portion of the proceeds into safer harbors.Trump received more than $1.4 billion last year from his family’s crypto projects, including World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin, his latest financial disclosures filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics show. A Reuters analysis of his holdings over the past two years shows that his portfolios of stocks and bonds increased at least fourfold as the crypto money flooded in. The president held between $703 million and $2.6 billion in such traditional financial instruments at the end of 2025, compared with between $225 million and $608 million at the end of 2024. The filings report holdings with ranges instead of exact figures. Reuters was unable to determine exactly how the money he reported earning from crypto was allocated to less risky assets. While Trump has held on to some of his crypto proceeds, nine digital asset experts who reviewed the Reuters analysis said the Republican president’s filings show the personal economic activity of a man who does not trust crypto as a primary store of his personal wealth. In addition to the meme coin and World Liberty, Trump did not report having bought shares in two publicly listed crypto firms that are backed by his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. “Although the President talks about digital assets as the frontier of finance and making the United States the crypto capital of the world, the disclosure form suggests his personal strategy is to make a quick buck from crypto — through the sale of his meme coin and World Liberty tokens — but then invest his profits in traditional assets like stocks and bonds,” said Timothy Massad, director of the Digital Assets Policy Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. A Reuters report last month found that retail investors in the four main Trump-backed crypto projects had lost $2.3 billion as of April. Trump’s filing shows he still has large numbers of digital tokens issued by World Liberty Financial, which the president and his sons co-founded, and has increased his overall exposure to digital currencies. As of the end of last year, Trump held 15.75 billion World Liberty crypto governance tokens, listed at a value of more than $50 million. He received the tokens in return for his involvement in the company. As a co-founder of the company, he is committed to a longer vesting schedule than the general public for selling those personal holdings. The Trump companies responsible for managing the president's interest in World Liberty Financial and the Trump meme coin project held at least $160 million in bitcoin and ether, the two most popular cryptocurrencies, and up to $6 million in other tokens at the end of 2025, according to the president’s disclosure. That amount represented a large increase over the $1 million to $5 million in ether tokens Trump reported having at the end of 2024. In a statement, a spokesperson for the family business said the president’s financial disclosure “demonstrates that The Trump Organization continues to maintain a strong financial position, supported by world class, valuable assets, substantial liquidity and a conservative balance sheet.” The spokesperson did not comment on why the president had invested crypto proceeds in traditional financial assets like stocks and bonds. The White House said in a statement to Reuters that the president’s assets are held in “fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions.” A spokesman for World Liberty, David Wachsman, said, "World Liberty has been built for the long-term and we strongly believe the future of financial services will be architected with digital asset technology." Trump’s children oversee the trust that manages the president’s money and have served as leading advocates of the investment prospects of the Trump-backed crypto projects. Since November 2024, Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization, the umbrella organization that sits atop the president’s business operations, has repeatedly said in media interviews and at conferences that bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, is “the greatest asset” of modern times and that it would hit $1 million in value, up from around $64,000 at current prices. Eric Trump said last year that his father, the president, also “believed in digital assets in a big way.” Neither Eric Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. responded to requests for comment about the president’s investments.
Trump made $1.4bn from crypto in one year. Is Justin Sun the man who helped him do it? --The most infamous financial scandal in US presidential history – the 1920s Teapot Dome affair – involved then president Warren G Harding’s interior secretary, Albert Fall, taking roughly $400,000 in bribes. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $6m today. Last year, Donald Trump made at least $2.2bn; his single year of income is on the order of 200 to 300 times larger than the bribe that defined “presidential corruption” in the American imagination for a century. It’s taken for granted that Trump flogs items like Bibles and gold sneakers as a way to wring more money from his loyal base. But of the president’s $2.2bn, at least $1.4bn came from his crypto businesses. That’s an extraordinary achievement, even for an unscrupulous sitting president. How exactly did he do it without any prior background in crypto? Many believe the answer is that he had help from a Chinese crypto billionaire called Justin Sun. Sun is perhaps most famous for buying an artwork called Comedian – consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall – for more than $6m, and then eating it. But the maverick entrepreneur, who refers to himself as “Crypto’s billionaire barker”, is better known in Washington as the real financial power behind the Trump family’s crypto fortune – investing nearly $200m of his own fortune into Trump’s digital asset ventures. Recently, Sun and the Trumps’ crypto love-in has curdled into dueling lawsuits – with Sun accusing Trump’s crypto company, World Liberty Financial, of illegally freezing his assets, and World Liberty countersuing him for defamation. Born in Qinghai in north-western China, Sun has made billions from crypto. His first big win came in 2017 with his crypto coin called TRX, which he offered on his Tron blockchain, a global, decentralized software network on which people can buy and sell cryptocurrencies. He told me it was supposed to be like “using blockchain technology to send money like you send emails on the internet”. It was also an appealing platform for criminals and terrorists to store their money. “The marquee names are Hezbollah and Hamas,” said Chris Harland-Dunaway, the Verge’s investigative journalist who reported on much of Sun’s crypto dealing, “but North Korean hackers also are active users on the Tron blockchain.” Some estimate that in some years almost half of all illicit crypto transactions (such as criminals laundering illegal proceeds) happened on Tron. “He became a sort of serial entrepreneur in the tech space, and he was always prepared to bend the rules or push technology as far as it could go in terms of what the authorities were willing to accept or tolerate,” says Harland-Dunaway. When presented with claims about Tron’s illicit use, Sun said through a spokesperson: “Bad actors exist. The blockchain is just the latest in a long history of agnostic technologies to be misused – you don’t blame the internet for cybercrime, or cash for drug trafficking.” The spokesperson said that since Tron helped launch the T3 Financial Crime Unit to combat illicit activities in September 2024, it has helped freeze more than $450m in illicit assets and been praised by crypto regulators. But in March 2023, Sun’s large fortune was threatened by regulators. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), under the Biden administration, alleged Sun ran more than 600,000 fake trades between accounts he controlled in order to artificially inflate the trading volume of TRX, and that he personally pocketed $31m from illegal, unregistered sales of TRX. They also charged him with hiding payments to celebrities who promoted his tokens to the public. They pointed to a period in February 2021 when a series of surprising names began tweeting about TRX, the crypto token associated with Tron. Lindsay Lohan, who had previously displayed no interest in crypto, posted: “Exploring #DeFi and already liking $JST, $SUN on $TRX. Super fast and 0 fee. Good job @justinsuntron.” Ne-Yo, Akon, Jake Paul and Lil Yachty all posted similar tweets. It is against section 17(b) of the Securities Act for a celebrity to tout a security without disclosing they are being financially compensated to do so. All five celebrities have settled with the SEC for amounts between $40,000 and $200,000 without admitting or denying allegations. None have publicly commented except Lohan, whose spokesperson clarified she was unaware of the disclosure requirement. During the investigation, Sun avoided the US out of fear of arrest, the Wall Street Journal reported. Then Trump entered the White House. The majority of Trump’s new wealth comes from his family’s crypto ventures, World Liberty Financial and the $Trump memecoin. Both ventures are dressed up with the language of decentralization and financial innovation. The highly technical and esoteric nature of crypto is intentionally opaque, but World Liberty Financial basically sells what it calls a “governance token”, $WLFI, which the company says allows investors who purchase it to have a say in how the company is run. In decentralized finance models, the funds earned through purchase of governance tokens are supposed to be reinvested into the token’s ecosystem. But with $WLFI, 75% of all profits from token sales go directly to the Trump family trust. It’s an ambitious, brazen proposal – one that very few traditional investors would be likely to go for. For it to work, it needed a large injection of cash and support from someone with legitimacy in the crypto world. Despite the profile of its founders, at the time of $WLFI’s launch it struggled to get investment. The founders drastically cut their fundraising target from $300m to $30m. Then Sun entered the picture. Shortly after Trump was elected, Sun bought $75m worth of $WLFI tokens. Sun’s crypto pedigree gave the venture the legitimacy it needed to gain further investment, and they soon generated $550m in token sales. Forbes called Sun’s investment a “bailout”. “For the Trump family to get money from this project, they needed to raise more than $20m,” Harland-Dunaway told me. “Justin just knocked it out of the park – way over that threshold.” With Sun involved, perception of the company had shifted from probable wheeze to serious potential player. “The Trump family is a very important US business family,” Sun said. “So we want to be their important long-term partners. It’s not only about policy and decision-making – the Trump family has its own brand. The Trump Tower is everywhere … Collaborating with Trump tokens will benefit crypto as a whole.” The summer after his investment, Sun posted a selfie with Donald Jr on Instagram. He also bought more than $100m worth of Trump’s memecoin, $Trump, and launched it on the Tron platform so it could be bought and sold there. “$TRUMP on TRON is the currency of #MAGA,” Sun tweeted. His initial purchases of the memecoin won him a private dinner with the president at his golf course in Washington DC and a $100,000 golden Trump watch. It could be argued that Sun simply saw his stake in $WLFI as a shrewd investment with the bonus of influence with the White House, but the $WLFI tokens were non-transferable at the time, so Sun couldn’t cash out a cent. The Trumps, meanwhile, walked away with an estimated $400m. So why pour so much money into the Trumps’ crypto schemes when the returns were being hamstrung? Some have pointed to the timing of his investment, questioning whether it could be related to an investigation by the SEC into Sun. Harland-Dunaway said that a couple months after Sun invested $75m into $WLFI, “Justin Sun and the SEC together filed a motion to the judge who’s overseeing the SEC case against Justin to put a stay on the case … This is a new SEC at this point. One appointed by Trump.” Several months after that, Tron was launched on the Nasdaq stock exchange via a reverse merger deal that was brokered by Dominari Securities, a firm that names Donald Jr and Eric among its board of advisers. In March of this year, the court dismissed all allegations brought by the SEC against Sun and Tron Foundation Limited with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled. The Trumps and Sun have firmly denied any connection between the investigation being paused and the investment. At the time, the SEC also paused several other civil cases into crypto companies. The case against Sun was eventually settled, with the SEC agreeing to dismiss remaining claims against Sun and the Tron and BitTorrent foundations in exchange for a $10m penalty paid by Rainberry Inc, the company behind Sun’s BTT token.I tried to ask Sun about the relationship between the SEC investigation and his Trump investments in an interview last December in Hong Kong. I pointed specifically to the timing of the SEC investigation being paused, around the time that he invested heavily in the Trump family crypto projects. His PR team wouldn’t let him answer these questions: “No comment on the current case, Matt.” I tried to redirect the conversation to Sun, but he repeated the “no comment” response.
BankThink: OpenUSD has its work cut out if it hopes to challenge incumbent stablecoins -If the newly announced OpenUSD wants to compete in Asia, where stablecoins use is high, its founders are going to need to build partnerships on the ground, writes Darren Wang.
- Key insight: The recently announced consortium of crypto companies behind OpenUSD, a new dollar-denominated stablecoin, will have to demonstrate that it can build partnerships with banks and intermediaries before it can challenge USDC and Tether.
- What's at stake: Consortiums are easy to establish, but a lot of work is needed to make it a credible challenger to the incumbents, especially when regulators and licensed institutions are involved.
Foward look: None of this means OpenUSD fails. The economics may well be better, and the partner list is real. What the consortium hasn't shown is a ground game — and Circle has a yearslong head start.
The recently announced consortium of crypto companies behind OpenUSD, a new dollar-denominated stablecoin, will have to demonstrate that it can build partnerships with banks and intermediaries before it can challenge USDC and Tether.
State AGs sound alarm over Enova, OppFi buying banks - A coalition of 20 state attorneys general, most of them Democrats, is opposing efforts by the high-cost lenders Enova International and Opportunity Finance to acquire banks. The state AGs warn that the companies are trying to dodge state interest-rate caps.
- Key insight: A coalition of state attorneys general is asking federal banking regulators to reject Enova's proposed acquisition of Grasshopper Bank and OppFi's proposed purchase of BNC National Bank's holding company.
- What's at stake: The attorneys general warn that if the nonbank lenders are able to buy banks, they could bypass state usury laws and offer predatory, triple-digit interest rate loans nationwide.
- Expert quote: "Approval of these charters would mark an undeniable shift in the types of entities that enter our national banking system, and it should be cause for alarm," — letter from 20 state attorneys general, including Illinois' Kwame Raoul
UPDATE: This story includes responses from Enova and OppFi to the state AGs' letter.
Regulators answered half of banks' data-security asks | American Banker
- Key insight: The Fed, FDIC and OCC promised banks notice within 72 hours of a compromise of their confidential supervisory information.
- Expert quote: Julie Andersen Hill, dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law, said banks "will not be able to sue to enforce the document," and that the pledge's only real force is the trust the agencies build by honoring it.
- What's at stake: The categories in play are the records banks least want loose: network diagrams, penetration test results, specific IT control weaknesses and succession plans.
Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.
Kansas bank becomes second in a week to fail, fourth this year | American Banker - A Kansas community bank failed Friday, marking the fourth failure this year, just a week after what was previously the nation's smallest standalone bank failed, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
- Key insight: Small Business Bank in Kansas, with $73 million in assets, failed Friday, the fourth failure this year.
- Supporting data: The failure will cost the Deposit Insurance Fund roughly $5.7 million, about 8% of the firm's total assets at the time of failure.
- Forward look: The fourth failure makes 2026 the worst year for bank failures since 2023, but bank failures have become exceedingly rare in recent years.
Big banks get second-quarter rocket fuel from SpaceX IPO - Big banks' investment banking income soared in the second quarter, powered in part by SpaceX's historic IPO. In the three months that ended on June 30, Bank of America's investment banking fees jumped 50% year-over-year. JPMorganChase's investment banking revenue shot up 45% from last year. And Goldman Sachs said its investment banking backlog reached its highest level in five years.
- Key insight: Goldman Sachs, JPMorganChase and Bank of America all posted outsized investment banking gains this quarter largely on the strength of shared underwriting roles in SpaceX's record-breaking IPO.
- Expert quote: "Clearly, the large deals contributed meaningfully to this quarter's results." — Jamie Dimon, JPMorganChase CEO
- Forward look: Bank executives cautioned that this quarter's results may not be repeatable, with further "recalibrations" expected in the tech financing boom over the next six to 18 months.
For the banks involved in the record-shattering IPO, this year's second quarter was marked by a spike in investment banking income.
BankThink: The AI prompt that could wipe out banks' net interest income - When JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon speaks, the industry listens. His comments on competition at this year's World Economic Forum were telling.It won't be long before bank customers can ask an AI agent to optimize their returns on idle cash. When it happens, banks' net interest income is going to come under direct threat, warns Michael Abbott, of Accenture.
Dimon says JPMorgan CEO transition remains years away -JPMorganChase's succession plan and the timing of CEO Jamie Dimon's eventual departure dominated the bank's second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.
- Key insight: During JPMorganChase's second-quarter earnings call, CEO Jamie Dimon addressed the executive reshuffle announced in June and said the timing of his departure remains up to the board of directors.
- Expert quote: "The timetable is essentially the same — several years. You can use a few years. You can use plus or minus. Obviously, it's totally up to the board, not up to me." — JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon
- Supporting data: Excluding several one-time items, JPMorgan's revenue increased 15% year over year, fueled by stronger markets revenue, higher investment banking fees and growth in deposits and loans.
JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon declined to give specifics on when he will step down, saying the decision ultimately rests with the board of directors.
Citizens will stop lending to firms linked to ICE detention - The regional bank faced months of pressure to end its relationship with CoreCivic and The Geo Group, two of the country's largest private prison operators. On Friday, it said it would "exit the credit facilities" it has in place for those companies, attributing the decision to business factors, not pressure from activists.
Bessent doubles down on 'antifa' crackdown, with stakes for banks -The Treasury's leader said the administration is not letting up on its efforts against alleged political violence, a campaign likely to raise the stakes of banks' relationships with politically sensitive nonprofits.
San Francisco to vote on whether to set up public bank - San Francisco voters will decide this November whether the city becomes the first municipality in the country to launch a public bank.
- Key insight: San Francisco voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to approve a governance framework that would make the city the first municipality in the country to establish a public bank.
- Expert quote: "San Francisco has every ability in the world to do a safe, successful public bank. But they need laws that are attuned to the differences between private banks and public banks." — Earl Staelin, legal advisor to the Public Banking Institute
- Forward look: California's authorization for municipal public banks sunsets in 2028, which is pushing supervisors to move now rather than wait for a proposal that includes a funding source. Even if voters approve the measure, separate legislation will be needed to actually capitalize the bank.
A November ballot measure will ask voters whether to establish the nation's first municipal public bank. The harder question of how to capitalize such a bank is being left for later.
Inflation cooled off in June as energy prices slid -Growth in consumer prices cooled more than expected in June — albeit from an already high level — as drivers saw some relief at the pump. The Consumer Price Index, released Tuesday, showed inflation declined 0.4% on a monthly basis in June, the largest single-month decline since April 2020. Annual inflation also eased to 3.5%, the government said, in the lowest yearly reading since March. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected inflation to fall just 0.1% from May and rise 3.8% from a year ago, a moderation from May's bruising report as gas prices eased thanks to a now-disintegrating ceasefire in the war with Iran.Indeed, the index for energy prices tumbled 5.7% in June, while the gasoline index fell 9.7%, though both remain much hotter than a year ago. Food prices, meanwhile, ticked up 0.2%, with lettuce and fish costs driving higher."The renewed war in Iran will almost certainly push inflation back up. Relief could be short-lived. But this should give the Federal Reserve some time to see wait and see for awhile," Heather Long, chief economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union, posted on X.On a "core" basis, stripping out volatile energy and food categories, price growth slid to 2.6% on an annual basis, and was flat for the month. Economists had seen inflation rising 0.2% from May and 2.8% from last year. The CPI report comes just before Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh is set to face questioning for the first time on Capitol Hill Tuesday, with inflation a key focus. The data also dropped alongside a slew of blowout earnings reports from JPMorgan, Bank of America, and other banks, with results pointing to a resilient economy.
Wholesale prices unexpectedly declined 0.3% in June on big drop in gasoline - Wholesale prices unexpectedly fell in June as sliding energy costs helped brighten the inflation picture, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.The produce price index posted a seasonally adjusted 0.3% decline for the month, compared with the Dow Jones consensus estimate for the final demand cost measure to be unchanged. On an annual basis, the index indicated a 5.5% inflation rate. The May reading was revised sharply lower, from an initially reported increase of 1.1% to 0.6%.Excluding food and energy, the core PPI rose 0.2%, against the outlook for a 0.3% increase. The core PPI less trade services rose 0.1% and was up 5.1% from a year ago.As with consumer prices, the index benefited from easing energy costs, particularly as oil fell due to the brief pause in tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Goods prices posted a 1.4% monthly decline, the biggest drop since July 2022 as energy slumped 6.4% and final demand food prices were off 0.6%. Within the goods category, gasoline tumbled 12%, accounting for about two-thirds of the monthly decrease.At the same time, services prices rose 0.2%, boosted by a 0.4% increase in trade services.The release comes the day after the BLS reported that the consumer price index, a broad measure of inflation at the cash register, posted an unexpectedly sharp decline of 0.4% in June, bringing the annual inflation rate down to 3.5%. That was the biggest monthly drop since April 2020, just after the Covid pandemic declaration.Core consumer inflation slipped to 2.6% after prices were unchanged for the month. While the inflation measures are still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, they do represent progress in the central bank’s five-year battle to get back to target.
Second suspect arrested in South Boston lemonade stand armed robbery after month long search - CBS Boston - The second suspect accused of robbing a South Boston lemonade stand has been arrested. The robbery happened on June 10 around 4:45 p.m. on West Ninth Street. The two alleged teen robbers approached the lemonade stand run by 11-year-old Juliette Byrne and her brother, 12-year-old David Byrne, and asked to buy a drink, but said they did not have money. One of the teens then flashed a gun at the kids from his waistband before they stole the cash box and ran off, according to the children's father Dave Byrne. One of the suspects was arrested 2 days after the incident. The search for the second suspect continued for a month, with Boston Police releasing new surveillance photos in the hopes of catching him. The second suspect was arrested on Friday just after 9:30 a.m. after his mom accompanied him to turn himself in to the police. Both of the suspects are 14-years-old and charged with two counts of armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Boston Police. Neither of their names will be released due to their ages. The South Boston community rallied around the Byrne children in the days following the robbery. A large crowd and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu showed up to support the lemonade stand when it reopened.
16 children rescued in Ohio: Second gag order requested — A second gag order has been requested in the case against four adults accused of child endangerment after 16 children were rescued from a Vinton County home.Days after a gag order was approved by Judge Laina Fetheroff Rogers in the case against Gary Siders Sr., Assistant State Public Defender Kandra Roberts filed a motion for a gag order in the case against Christina Siders. For a previous report on this story view the video player above. It is the first movement within the case against Christina, who is facing 16 counts of child endangerment, along with Siders Sr., Gary Siders II and Elizabeth Siders. Christina is the presumed grandmother of the children. The adults are facing charges after law enforcement entered their home in Hamden, a village of about 700 people about 80 miles from Columbus. Seven of the children were taken to hospitals, including two who were flown to Columbus trauma centers. The motion requests the order to prohibiting all parties from releasing, “information regarding the merits, facts, evidence, materials in discovery or information otherwise collected by the parties in preparation for trial, or any opinion regarding the character, reputation or credibility of the defendant, witnesses or alleged victims to the public, the media or any persons for the purpose of public dissemination.” The motion filed on behalf of Gary Siders Sr. cited “inflammatory” statements made, in particular by Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who said during a news conference that the victims, ages 18 months to 18 years, were forced to endure in “unimaginable conditions” and “what the investigators found was pure evil and the evidence uncovered since only reinforces that assessment.”Elizabeth Sider’s attorney, Thomas Stolly, told NBC4 that the language used by Wilson and others have complicated the case for his client and that it encourages “bad speculation.” Siders Sr., 73, is scheduled for a competency hearing to determine if he is fit for a possible trial. Stolly said they are evaluating possible competency concerns for Elizabeth but will need more information. Separately, Siders II faces four charges of indecent exposure unrelated to the child endangerment allegations. Court records alleged Siders II exposed himself outside of his home to people other than those in his household four times in May. He is scheduled to appear in Vinton County Court on July 23 in McArthur.
Ohio ‘House of Horrors’ County Records Reveal New Details -What began as a response to an alleged unrelated investigation quickly turned into a nightmare. When Vinton County investigators entered 182 Ohmer St. on June 30, they allegedly found 16 children living in deplorable conditions, triggering what has since become one of Ohio’s most shocking child endangerment prosecutions. The discovery led to the arrests of Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina “Lynn” Siders, who each face 16 felony counts of child endangering. Prosecutors allege the children, whose ages range from 18 months to 18 years old, were subjected to prolonged neglect and abuse. Law Enforcement previously went into sordid detail describing the conditions, while essentially stating the children were confined to a single room, resulting in a subsequent gag order for several defendants. The investigation is ongoing, and the case has been sent to a grand jury. Property records publicly available through the Vinton County Auditor’s website, reviewed by Los Angeles Magazine, provide new insight into the home that has become dubbed by the media as Ohio’s so-called “House of Horrors.” A single bathroom for twenty people is truly shocking. According to the county’s online property records, the home was built in 1900 and is 1,336 square feet with a 518-square-foot basement beneath part of the structure. The residence is classified as a single-family home with five total rooms and again, only one full bathroom. There have been allegations and rumors that all 16 children lived in the basement, however, this is not the case. Neighbors and investigators previously said a strong odor of human waste, garbage, and animal feces rose from the lower level and permeated the home, but the children were allegedly kept upstairs. Investigators have also warned to be wary of photographs and videos circulating from inside the home, stating that they haven’t verified or authorized the footage. The property sketch paints a picture of a modest residence, with the primary living area measuring about 1,036 square feet. The records show there were two first-floor additions adding another 300 square feet, plus a 243-square-foot open porch, and a 192-square-foot wood deck. The open porch is in the front of the home (pictured above), with the deck in the back. It’s truly difficult to imagine how a home with just over 1,300 square feet of living space and only one bathroom could accommodate 20 people. The home and land it sits on carry an appraised value of $68,670, with the structure itself valued at just over $42,000. Annual property taxes total less than $1,000. Los Angeles Magazine has also submitted a public records request to the Vinton County Auditor’s Office seeking inspection reports, citations, violations, photographs, complaints and any correspondence concerning the address from over the past five years. Los Angeles also contacted several businesses within walking distance of the home, including Gas N Stuff, Hamden Food Mart, and Hammond Hardware, to ask whether employees recognized the Siders family or remembered seeing the children over the years. Representatives at all three businesses declined to discuss either the family or the ongoing criminal case. Local reporters from WBNS 10 described speaking with employees at a Dollar General who had come into contact with members of the Siders family. They said the family mostly came in at night and would buy items such as chips and diapers. Employees recalled that they sometimes didn't have enough money and appeared to have poor hygiene, but noted that this was not uncommon given the area's poverty. The outlet also aired drone footage of the home, showing that it was relatively secluded and surrounded by few neighboring houses. Including the 2022 conjoined twins, Elizabeth Siders has given birth to 4 sets of twins in 3 years. She has given birth basically every year since 2008. While the county’s online property records provide only a technical snapshot of the structure, they offer important context in a case that has shocked the nation. A century-old home with just over 1,300 square feet of living space now sits at the center of one of Ohio’s most closely watched criminal investigations, raising difficult questions about how so many children could allegedly remain hidden in such a small space for so long. 182 Ohmer St. is just another address on a map… but for investigators, it’s the place where one of Ohio’s most shocking child endangerment cases allegedly unfolded, and where many questions remain unanswered.
Records reveal 3 teen marriages in family charged with abuse - Three members of the Siders family married as young teens, records show. It's adding to calls for Ohio to change its marriage law. At least three members of the Siders family married as young teenagers, including the woman who bore at least 18 children in 17 years, according to state birth and marriage records.
68% of Ohio fourth graders are not proficient in reading, according to new study • Despite Ohio ranking 12th in education overall, 68% of Ohio fourth graders were not proficient in reading and 68% of Ohio eighth graders were not proficient in math, according to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book. The study shows the percentage of Ohio students not proficient in reading has increased 4% from 2019 and Ohio students not proficient in math has jumped 6% since 2019. Despite those increases, Ohio fared better than the rest of the country — 70% of American fourth graders were not proficient in reading and 73% of American eighth graders were not proficient in math, according to the report.Ohio ranked 27th in the nation overall, 12th in the nation for education, 26th for health, 27th for economic well-being, 27th for child well-being, and 33rd for family and community, according to the study released last month. This is the 37th edition of the foundation’s data book. “Our current rankings reveal the urgent need for policies that reduce child poverty, improve educational outcomes, and expand health coverage,” Ohio’s Children’s Defense Fund Director John Stanford said in a statement. “We cannot afford to wait—our children’s futures depend on it.” Ohio school districts were required to teach the science of reading curriculum starting with the 2024-25 school year, one year after the law was enacted through the 2023 state budget.The science of reading is based on decades of research that shows how the human brain learns to read and incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine often touts the science of reading and lists it among some of the most important work he has done for Ohio’s children.Ohio’s literacy scores were down from last year, with 61.3% of third graders reading at or above grade level in the 2024-25 school year compared to 64.5% from the 2023-24 school year, according to the most recent state report cards that were released in September.DeWine recently signed an academic interventions bill into law which requires school districts or individual schools to provide academic interventions for free to students who scored at a limited skill level in a state assessment test in math or English language arts, or both.Ohio high school students not graduating on time declined — going from 18% in 2018-19 to 12% in 2023-24, according to the report. Nationally, 13% of high school students did not graduate on time. There were 165,000 Ohio children ages 3 and 4 not in school from 2020-24 — going from 55% from 2015-19 to 59% from 2020-24, the study said. The national rate was 54%. The study showed Ohio’s child poverty rate decreased since 2019 — dropping from 18% to 16% in 2024. There were 417,000 Ohio children living in poverty in 2024; 661,000 children whose parents lack secure employment, 632,000 children living in households with a high housing cost burden; and 38,000 teenagers not in school and not working, according to the report. Nationally, 15% of children were living in poverty.
Book bans, censorship, and funding fears challenge Ohio public school librarians - - Public school librarians in Ohio are raising alarms about book bans and funding cuts.School librarians have been navigating challenges in their work as long as they’ve been among the stacks in their local districts.Proposed legislation to filter the reading choices students can make has brought concern, and budget reductions make some worry about the future of public school librarians as a mainstay in schools.“Right now, a lot of administrators and school boards look at having school librarians as a luxury,” said Gayle Schmuhl, president of the Ohio Educational Library Media Association. “I think a lot of school librarians (in Ohio) are just hoping to stay employed.”Schmuhl said many members of the association were wondering about the future of their jobs with cuts to public school funding in Ohio and debate over property taxes that go to education.Cuts to state public education has been talked about for decades, especially after multiple Ohio Supreme Court decisions that said the state was not paying its constitutional fair share.In 2022, a model called the Fair School Funding Plan came about with bipartisan sponsorship, and was passed in what some saw as a new era for Ohio. The plan was to fund schools based on actual need from school district to school district.The model almost made it through the six-year phase-in as planned, but Ohio Republican lawmakers abandoned it in the last operating budget.While the most recent state operating budget included a $226 million increase in school funding, the Fair School Funding Plan model needed at least triple that amount to maintain its initial calculations and keep up with inflation.Lawmakers, however, increased private school voucher funding into the billions. Courtney Johnson was a school librarian in Columbus for 10 years, and seeing funding plans decrease for public schools played a part in her move back to teaching English.She worried that though the funding priorities for schools hadn’t been spelled out, the cuts might mean she’d be splitting her time as the librarian in multiple district buildings.“I’m a person who likes to have roots in a place and go to my ‘work home’ every day,” Johnson told the Capital Journal.Johnson said returning to the classroom also means following an entire class through their year-long experience, and still means helping kids with reading and writing, two things that are among the passions that brought her to the profession.“Every kid has a story, even if they don’t trust that they do at first, and I love making space for them to tell their stories,” Johnson said.As a librarian, she saw the importance of parents reading to their kids, students receiving the context of other subjects in school for “full background knowledge” to help them decode the words they’re reading, and encouraging the connection between kids and books.“We’ve known this, that when kids see themselves represented in books, they feel more connected to the books, they’re going to like reading better,” Johnson said. “Likewise, kids can see how other people live in books, and develop empathy that way.”
15 states sue Trump administration to block school mental health funding cuts - Fifteen states on Friday sued the Trump administration to prevent millions of dollars in cuts to school-based mental health funding.The new lawsuit is part of an ongoing legal battle between Democratic-led states and the U.S. Department of Education over a mental health grant program that Congress established following the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.At stake is a $1 billion program that offers grants to school districts across the country to help them hire and train more mental health professionals to work in schools.Democratic attorneys general in 15 states say the Trump administration, in defiance of a December 2025 court order, plans to unlawfully terminate the grants at the end of this month, resulting in millions in lost funding.“Our children deal with a unique set of problems which arise from growing up in 2026 — from loneliness to substance use disorder to the ever-present fear of violence — and the programs funded through these grants are designed to help them cope and hopefully thrive,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, a Democrat, in a statement announcing the lawsuit.In 2022, after a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers, Congress allocated $1 billion to the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program to increase the number of school-based mental health professionals.That funding effort was bipartisan; at the time Republican U.S. senators including John Cornyn of Texas, Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina publicly supported it. And within a year, the grants had funded mental and behavioral health services to nearly 775,000 students nationwide.But in April 2025, under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Education told grantees the funding would be halted because their programs conflicted with Trump administration priorities. At that time, the grants were supporting efforts in 49 states to prepare thousands of mental health professionals to work in K-12 schools.Trump administration officials told the media that the grants were cut over what the administration saw as connections to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general sued last July, and a court ruled in their favor, ordering the Trump administration to stop the grant discontinuation. In the months since the order, the education department has threatened to withhold funding or terminate the grants altogether.The Democratic attorneys general said they filed the new lawsuit to cover gaps in the previous court order that could allow the Trump administration to follow through on its desire to halt the funding.“The courts have repeatedly ruled that the Trump Administration does not have the power to arbitrarily revoke grant funding that provides critical mental health services to our students,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, a Democrat, in a statement about joining the lawsuit.“Still, the federal government continues its attempts to terminate funding.”Stateline reached out to the U.S. Department of Education for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
US House Republicans take ‘first step’ toward dismantling Department of Education — A major legislative package that would put into law President Donald Trump’s push to greatly reduce the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education advanced out of a U.S. House panel on Wednesday. The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce approved — nearly along party lines — each of the package’s 10 bills that would permanently transfer several of Education’s functions to other departments. The measure, largely reflecting many of the interagency agreements, or IAAs, Education has signed with other agencies, signifies a sweeping effort from Republicans in Congress to carry out the Trump administration’s plan to do away with the 46-year-old department as part of the president’s quest to return education “back to the states.” That drive continues, though much of the oversight and funding of schools already occurs at the state and local levels. But the legislation faces an uncertain fate. Even if passed in the full U.S. House down the line, it would face steep odds in the narrowly GOP-controlled Senate. The upper chamber requires at least 60 senators to advance a bill past the filibuster, and Republicans hold just 53 seats. Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the House panel, lauded the package as the “first step toward ending the Department of Education’s reign over our nation’s education system,” during his panel’s markup. The Michigan Republican added that the legislation advances Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s “vision for an education system that empowers families, students, workers and local communities.” McMahon said “today marks a major step by Congressional leaders to cement the Trump Administration’s historic reforms to right-size the federal role in education,” in a statement after the package advanced out of the committee. Under multiple bills, the Department of Labor would manage Education’s programs surrounding elementary and secondary education; postsecondary education; and career, technical and adult education — mirroring earlier IAAs. In another piece of legislation, the Treasury Department would manage Education’s federal student aid functions, a nod to a March agreement Education signed with Treasury to take over its responsibility for collecting on defaulted federal student loan debt. That agreement marked the first step in a multiphase process toward Treasury taking on Education’s entire roughly $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio. Under other bills in the package, the State Department would manage Education’s international education and foreign language studies programs, as well as its foreign gift and contract reporting — also mirroring earlier agreements. Reflecting additional IAAs, the Department of Health and Human Services would manage Education’s accreditation for foreign medical schools; functions regarding child care access for low-income parents in postsecondary education; and family engagement programs for elementary and secondary education. The Interior Department would also manage tribal education and job training programs under the package. Notably, the 10-bill package does not include any efforts to transfer Education’s responsibilities regarding special education programs and civil rights enforcement to other agencies. In perhaps the Trump administration’s most far-reaching attempts yet to dismantle the Education Department, the agency in June said HHS will administer programs under the Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, while civil rights enforcement under its Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, will be transferred to the Department of Justice. Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the panel, said that the committee’s move to not consider either of the two actions in the package was possibly because “even my colleagues recognize how politically unpalatable such transfers would be.”
Labor nominee defends transfer of programs to agency from Education Department — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Labor Department on Thursday defended the agency’s major role in a broader drive by the administration to dismantle the Education Department. Grilled by U.S. Senate Democrats, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling stood behind the multiple interagency agreements, or IAAs, Education has so far signed with Labor, likening his agency’s functions in the transfer to a “firm that’s just consulting and helping them move these programs’ money, but not the actual programs themselves.” The agreements — also made with the departments of Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Interior and Justice — are a main part of the plan by the Trump administration to axe the 46-year-old Education Department. Sonderling appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in his bid to serve as the next Labor secretary, where he touted his extensive DOL experience. “Few people have had the opportunity to experience the department from so many different perspectives, from the outside in private practice, as a policy adviser, as an agency head, as an adjunct professor, as deputy secretary, as acting secretary, and now as the nominee for Labor secretary,” he said. “These experiences have prepared me to lead this department with a deep understanding of its mission, its people, and most importantly, the Americans we serve.” The Floridian took on the role as acting secretary in April, after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid misconduct allegations. Sonderling was also named by the president in June to serve as acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and confirmed by the Senate in March 2025 as deputy Labor secretary. The committee will vote July 23 on whether to advance Sonderling’s nomination to the full Senate. At the hearing, a handful of Democrats dug into the Trump administration’s continued dismantling of the Education Department and Labor’s role regarding several of Education’s programs. “Right now, you are working with (Education) Secretary (Linda) McMahon to take over the Department of Education programs to help Trump abolish that department,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who noted that Sonderling has built his “own anti-worker record at DOL.” Murray pointed out that “it makes zero sense that DOL, an agency whose expertise is in supporting wage earners and job seekers, is being tasked now with taking over complex education programs from the Department of Education to help kindergartners and elementary school students.” Through multiple IAAs, the Department of Labor is taking on expanded roles in administering Education’s programs surrounding elementary and secondary education; postsecondary education; and career, technical and adult education.
One student enrolled in WVU Washington Center after GOP lawmakers mandate creation of program - Only one student has registered for courses at West Virginia University’s new Washington Center, an academic program mandated by Republican lawmakers for the campus. State lawmakers have allocated $3 million in state dollars to the “Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship” in the last two years ahead of it officially opening this fall. “I do think that it’s important for the Legislature and for the governor to reflect on this… there is a question about whether or not this is the best use of public funds,” said Erik Herron, a professor of political science at WVU. “I think the Washington Center, ironically, seems to be exactly what it complains that higher education has become. It was created in Charleston, and it was imposed on the university, so it’s a big government mandate.”House Speaker Roger Hanshaw was a co-sponsor of the 2025 legislation creating the Washington Center at WVU.He said the low enrollment was expected as the university hasn’t yet approved Washington Center courses to be counted toward credits for already existing academic majors at WVU.“I’m not necessarily surprised that enrollment hasn’t begun to tick up … it’s not part of what a student is majoring in or minoring in, then the students have to take courses that do fit those approved parameters,” said Hahshaw, R-Clay.He continued, “There’s a process by which those courses get approved and integrated into the academic structure to officially become part of a major … I think what we have here is an administrative process where the program just isn’t stood up yet.” Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, opposed lawmakers mandating the Washington Center at his alma mater, WVU.“I’m not happy about it,” he said. “Now we’re in a position where we’ve allocated so much money towards this program, and only one person is taking advantage of it.”
Trump administration expands list of graduate degrees subject to higher borrowing limits - Some graduate students will be able to borrow more in federal student loans than previously expected after a recent court order.Under President Donald Trump’s “one big beautiful bill act,” starting July 1, new graduate students will be subject to an annual federal student loan cap of $20,500 a year, while so-called professional students can take out up to $50,000. But a federal judge in Washington froze last week the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a “professional degree.” Judge Beryl A. Howell, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said that the agency, during its regulatory process, had narrowed the scope of those degrees beyond what Congress intended. “This latest federal ruling changes the picture quite a bit,” said Kathleen Boyd, a certified financial planner and founder of Student Loan Savvy in San Diego, California, because it “opens the door for more graduate programs to qualify for the higher annual federal loan limits.” While it worked to implement the “big beautiful bill” changes, the Education Department narrowed the definition of a professional degree from the government’s long-standing interpretation of the word, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. In the end, the Trump administration identified just 11 degrees, including medicine, dentistry and theology, that fit under the label. Women were expected to be especially hard-hit by the change, as they account for more than 70% of graduates in programs excluded from the higher borrowing limits, according to a report by EdTrust, a research and advocacy organization. On Monday, the Education Department published an updated and longer list of over 20 professional degrees that will be subject to the larger loan caps, at least during the court’s stay. Those include registered nursing, physician associates and speech-language pathology. Valerie Fuller, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, applauded the ruling. “This preliminary ruling is an important step for nurse practitioner students, the future healthcare workforce and the patients who depend on NPs for access to high-quality care,” Fuller said. It’s possible the Trump administration will still change the list or appeal the court’s decision, Boyd said. For now, she is telling her clients “not to assume their program is limited to the lower borrowing cap just yet.” “I encourage folks to stay connected with their financial aid offices and wait for additional guidance from them,” Boyd said. Importantly, the court’s ruling did not eliminate the “big beautiful bill act’s” loan caps, said Nancy Nierman, assistant director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program in New York, a nonprofit that helps borrowers navigate repayment. Previously, many graduate students were able to borrow up to the cost of attendance.
Family outraged after teen left to discover her HIV diagnosis through online portal | The Independent -- A Georgia family says an urgent care clinic failed to notify their teenage daughter after an HIV screening came back positive, leaving the teen to discover the result on her own through an online patient portal.The family later learned the test result was a false positive, but they say the experience nearly ended in tragedy after the teenager attempted to take her own life.The family, who asked not to be identified to protect the teenager's privacy, said the incident began in June after the girl visited Pickens Urgent Care in Decatur. According to the mother, she woke up to her daughter’s screams after the teen had checked her MyChart account around 2 a.m. and found a positive HIV test result.“I just didn’t feel good at that moment,” the teenager told Channel 2 Action News. The mother said she forced her way into the teen’s locked bedroom to find that she had attempted to take her life after the diagnosis. “I was just crying. I felt like my life was over,” the teenager said. Her mother said the clinic never contacted the family, and after four additional tests at different facilities, all came back negative, a nurse at an HIV clinic urged her to investigate further.“She said, ‘Mom, this is a false positive. Do your research on that clinic. Do your due diligence,’” the mother recalled.The family found numerous poor Google reviews of the clinic, many of which allege long wait times and “negligent” and seemingly unqualified providers.“What if I didn’t go to another clinic to get tested? I would have just gone on thinking that I had it,” the teenager said of her false positive.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says patients with positive HIV test results should be notified confidentially and promptly connected to follow-up care. Timely notification is critical because early treatment improves health outcomes, reduces the risk of transmission and ensures patients receive the support and care they need, according to the CDC.That never happened in the Georgia teen’s case, the family claimed. The mother alleges she was only contacted by the clinic after Channel 2 Action News visited the facility in-person.Clinic officials reportedly told the outlet that HIV patients are typically scheduled for a follow-up appointment within five days.
More babies having uncontrolled bleeding tied to reduced vitamin K shots at birth - Bleeding episodes among infants of 6 months of age or younger in Sweden doubled from 2003 through 2021.This concerning trend seems driven by more Swedish parents declining vitamin K shots for their newborns, according to an analysis of 2 million infants published today in JAMA Pediatrics.Swedish babies with no record of intramuscular vitamin K administration were 50% more likely to have bleeding compared with babies who received the shot. Intracranial bleeding was even higher in babies who didn't receive the shot, at more than 300%.The study's authors, all affiliated with the Stockholm-based Karolinska Institutet, argue their findings show an ongoing need for clinicians to discuss with parents how vitamin K prophylaxis is vital in preventing potentially deadly bleeding among infants. Newborns have low levels of vitamin K because only small amounts of it cross the placenta. The vitamin is essential for the body to form blood clots to stop bleeding, so it's standard practice to administer an intramuscular shot of it into a baby's thigh muscle within six hours of birth.The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that newborns receive vitamin K shots since 1961 to prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). The intervention profoundly reduces the risk of this rare but life-threatening condition that can cause uncontrolled internal bleeding, including in the brain. Refusal of the prophylaxis is an international issue, including in the United States: An analysis of electronic health records published in JAMA in January found that the rate of refusal by US parents grew from 2.92% in 2017 to 5.18% in 2024. In contrast, the Swedish researchers found that in 2021, the final year of their analysis, just 1.5% of babies went without a vitamin K shot. Breast milk has low levels of vitamin K, so babies who are exclusively breastfed remain at risk of VKDB until they begin eating solid foods. The growing refusal of vitamin K shots for newborns seems to be driven by similar fears that undermine trust in vaccines. As CIDRAP News recently reported, suspicions of the pharmaceutical industry and traditional medicine are among the reasons parents reject this well-studied intervention.
Contagious cuteness: Children’s birthday parties spread COVID-19 to grandparents during pandemic --Anyone who has lived with a toddler or preschooler knows that youngsters are avid collectors of germs. And they can’t help sharing them. During the pandemic, a new study suggests, many older adults were infected with COVID-19 around the time of their grandchildren’s birthdays, probably during parties or family gatherings.In a study of more than 1.1 million older Danish adults, researchers found that grandparents were 10% more likely to test positive for the coronavirus in the week after a grandchild’s birthday than during other times. The study included almost 1 million grandchildren, whose medical records were linked to those of their grandparents. The study was made possible because of Denmark’s comprehensive national healthcare system, which records every medical or pharmacy visit, as well as the country’s population registry. “You couldn't do this study anywhere except in Denmark,” said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the new study. “It's absolutely fascinating."A grandparent’s risk of infection was greater if the child celebrating a birthday was in preschool than if the grandchild was older. Grandparents were also at higher risk of developing COVID-19 if they were older than 67, the study showed.Older people tend to have weaker immune systems than younger adults, Schaffner said. Older adults are also more likely than younger people to have chronic diseases that put them at higher risk of being severely ill with COVID-19.“If you think of grandparents and grandchildren, there's a lot of hugging and kissing and sitting in the lap,” Schaffner told CIDRAP News.Like other respiratory diseases, COVID-19 spreads best in crowded environments where people are in close contact, especially indoors, said Jennifer Shu, MD, an Atlanta pediatrician not involved in the new study.Although most children infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic do not become seriously ill, youngsters were a significant source of infection within households during the pandemic, especially when school was in session, according to a 2023 study. Children at a party can transmit COVID-19 even if they appear healthy, Shu notes. Youngsters under age 4 years are more likely to have asymptomatic COVID-19 infections than adults, even when their noses are full of viruses.Studies have long shown that children are adept at spreading germs, from colds and flus to pneumococcal disease, which can cause everything from ear aches to pneumonia. A 2024 study found that the biggest risk factor for pneumococcal infection in older adults was contact with children.Pneumococcal infections in older adults often spike during the holidays, possibly because people are infected at family gatherings. In a bit of good news, though, the release of a pneumococcal vaccine for children has broken that pattern, protecting both kids and their grandparents.Research shows that adults who live with children are more likely to develop a respiratory illness. But children’s underdeveloped handwashing and nose-blowing skills aren’t the only reason. Babies and children have immature immune systems in the first few years of life, Schaffner said. That leaves them vulnerable to germs they encounter at daycare and preschool, he said. Scientists have especially robust data on how children react to the flu.“When they get those first infections, the virus really multiplies abundantly,” Schaffner said. With flu, “children shed more virus for longer periods of time than do adults. And so that really makes them excellent transmitters, in addition to the fact that they're not very hygienic.”Parents won’t be surprised to learn that research shows toddlers and pre-school-aged children can have eight to 12 colds, other respiratory infections, or stomach bugs a year. Meanwhile, school-age children and preteens average five or six illnesses annually. In comparison, teens and adults develop two to three colds or other infectious illnesses per year, according to Rady Children’s Health. But that doesn’t mean that kids were responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. “In general, children were not major drivers of spread, the way they are for other respiratory viruses,” said Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Adalja notes that adults, including parents’ friends and neighbors, often attend children’s birthday parties, too, especially when babies and toddlers are too young to have their own close friends. The new study analyzed COVID-10 infections from February 19, 2020, to February 28, 2022. During that time, 27.5% of grandparents tested positive for the coronavirus. Grandparents in the study ranged from 60 to 73 years old, with a median age of 67. More than 54% of grandparents were women, and 58% had one or two grandchildren. Schaffner notes that researchers had no information about whether grandparents actually attended any parties. Study authors simply assumed that a family gathering had taken place around the time of a grandchild’s birthday. “If you read the methods section for the study carefully, these authors haven't been to a single birthday party,” Schaffner said. “They don’t even know for sure.” Nevertheless, Schaffner said the study authors are “undoubtedly correct,” given the size of the Danish database and social customs in that country. One bright spot in the study: Celebrating a birthday with a grandchild did not increase an older adult’s risk of death.
New study offers clues about long COVID’s brain symptoms | CIDRAP - For years, patients with long COVID have described neurologic symptoms like brain fog, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and lack of motivation, but scientists have struggled to identify the biology behind these symptoms. Now, a new study suggests they may be tied to measurable changes in the brain's dopamine system. For the study, published in eBioMedicine, researchers led by a team from the Brain Health Imaging Centre in Toronto and the University of Toronto used positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging to measure vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a marker of dopamine neuron integrity, in 24 adults with long COVID and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms and in 24 healthy controls. The team found lower levels of VMAT2, which indicates reduced dopamine nerve terminal density, in the brains of people with long COVID and neuropsychiatric symptoms compared with the control group. The lower levels of VMAT2 were identified in a region of the brain called the striatum, which plays key roles in reward and motivation, movement and motor control, and cognition—the brain’s ability to think and process information.“Our findings provide compelling evidence that long COVID involves the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons,” senior scientist at the Brain Health Imaging Centre and senior study author, Jeffrey Meyer, MD, PhD, said in a news release from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which houses the Brain Health Imaging Centre. “This kind of injury is well known to produce symptoms like lack of motivation and motor slowing, and may contribute to memory difficulties in other neurological conditions. Our results suggest a similar process is occurring in long COVID.”Compared with healthy controls, participants with long COVID had 16% to 20% lower VMAT2 across three regions in the striatum. The largest differences were observed in the dorsal putamen, which is involved in movement, and the dorsal caudate, which is associated with memory. The smallest difference was observed in the ventral striatum, which is involved with motivation and reward. The findings help shine a light on some of the biological processes that may be involved in long COVID, note Eric Guedj, MD, PhD, of Aix Marseille University in France, and Danielle Beckman, PhD, PharmD, of Helmholtz Munich, in an accompanying commentary. “This work shifts the discussion from symptom description to mechanistic stratification,” they write. “By linking neuropsychiatric symptoms to a presynaptic dopaminergic marker, it reframes part of the long COVID spectrum as a measurable brain-network phenotype.”Guedj and Beckman also note that these changes are not necessarily permanent, and more longitudinal studies are needed to determine their clinical significance.
‘Why would you repeat the damn lies?’ Cassidy asks health security nominee about vaccines - Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, appeared exasperated, at times even livid, during today's confirmation hearing for Sean Kaufman, MPH. Kaufman, a senior adviser in global affairs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kaufman has a track record of vaccine-skeptic positions. Because ASPR is the federal government's leading health security agency, senators on both sides of the aisle seemed concerned about how he would approach vaccine research and emergency response efforts. He and CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, JD, (see related CIDRAP story today) are the first HHS nominees to come before the HELP committee since Cassidy lost his primary to a Trump-endorsed candidate this spring. Now freed from the pressures of an upcoming election, Cassidy has taken a more confrontational stance with the president and his administration, including on policies that run contrary to established medical science.Without the senator's support, it is unlikely Kaufman's nomination can advance.The most pointed exchange came when Cassidy brought up a now-deleted May 2025 LinkedIn post in which Kaufman questioned whether newborns should receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Kaufman implied that the vaccine might be contributing to increasing rates of autism in the United States. There is no scientific basis linking autism to any type of vaccine, and the senator told Kaufman that he knows people who have died from vaccine-preventable illnesses, including hepatitis B. "Why would you repeat the damn lies?" asked Cassidy, pounding his fist. Kaufman said the LinkedIn post has been "mischaracterized," and told the senators that he's not anti-vaccine, though he does want greater scrutiny around vaccine safety. Some on the committee seemed to agree with the latter sentiment, including Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas. Kaufman also said that, as a member of Generation X, he's unskilled with social media, and removed the LinkedIn post because it was “dividing people." Cassidy seemed unconvinced and told Kaufman that he's contributing to the public's mistrust in life-saving vaccines.ASPR is charged with preparing for and responding to public health emergencies, including emerging infectious diseases and biological attacks. The agency oversees the national stockpile, which includes reserves of emergency medicine and vaccines, as well as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).Last year, BARDA canceled 22 mRNA vaccine projects worth some $500 million. Kaufman said he supports the decision, as he believes there's not enough research into how people have been affected by the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. He wants a better scientific understanding of this technology before investing in new projects."It's about being efficient and fiscally responsible," said Kaufman. "Why would we invest in new vaccines that we could actually make better by simply asking questions of the population today?”
Paper highlights how nagging flu symptoms can linger for weeks - Influenza is often thought of as a miserable, short-lived illness. But a new study suggests that while the most severe symptoms may fade within days, many people experience lingering effects for up to a month after infection. The study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, tracked 724 US adults with confirmed influenza during the severe 2024-25 flu season. Researchers from Pfizer and CVS Health followed up with participants for four weeks after diagnosis, asking them to report the presence and severity of 12 common flu symptoms, including fatigue, fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, and gastrointestinal (gut) symptoms. Participants completed symptom surveys daily during the first week after the onset of symptoms, then again on days 10 and 14, and at the four-week mark. The average participant was 42 years old, nearly three-quarters were female, and about half had received a flu vaccine. Roughly 28% had at least one underlying medical condition. The findings suggest that, during the first week, symptom burden was substantial. On the first day of illness, participants reported an average of nearly nine symptoms, including roughly six that were moderate-to-severe and two to three that were severe. The most common symptoms were runny or stuffy nose, cough, fatigue, headache, body aches, fever, chills, and sore throat. Nearly 40% of participants reported severe fatigue on the first day of symptoms, and roughly 37% noted severe cough. Approximately 80% reported moderate-to-severe cough and moderate-to-severe fatigue on the first day. Prevalence of both severe and moderate-to-severe symptoms dropped sharply over time, with roughly 17% reporting moderate-to-severe cough and just under 8% reporting moderate-to-severe fatigue on the seventh day. Two weeks after the onset of symptoms, less than 6% reported moderate-to-severe symptoms. Participants reporting severe symptoms dropped to under 1.5% by the seventh day and approached zero by the two-week mark. While severe and moderate-to-severe symptoms declined rapidly, milder symptoms persisted longer. Four weeks after infection, 32% of participants still reported a runny or stuffy nose, roughly 27% continued to have a cough, and around 19% reported lingering fatigue. Smaller numbers of participants reported headaches (15.0%), body aches (13.6%), and sore throat (8.6%) at the four-week mark. Adults at higher risk for flu complications, including adults over 65 years and those with chronic health conditions, experienced a greater overall symptom burden than other participants, but their trajectory of recovery closely mirrored that of the general study population, with severe symptoms tapering off within days and milder symptoms lingering for weeks. Using clinical indicators, like hospitalization rates, “which primarily reflect complications rather than day-to-day symptom experience,” to assess symptom severity may underestimate the true symptom burden of influenza, write the researchers. The new findings help capture the condition’s full impact on daily life.
US measles cases approach last year’s record-setting total -With 29 newly confirmed cases, the the US measles total is just 29 cases short of last year’s sobering total, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update today. The CDC announced 2,260 confirmed cases so far in 2026, all but 15 of them locally acquired. The total for all of last year was 2,289 infections, which was the most since 1991. The country could lose its measles elimination status this fall, which it gained in 2000.Of the 2,260 cases for the year, 20% of infections are in children age 5 and under, and 70% involve kids and young adults to age 19. Six percent of patients have been hospitalized, compared with 10% in 2025. Among all measles patients, 93% are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccine status. Pennsylvania confirmed eight new measles cases this week, and 109 total. Utah, the state with the largest active outbreak, lists three new cases, for a 2026 total of 510. The CDC measles map, however, shows 110 cases in Pennsylvania and 518 in Utah. In promising news, Virginia reported no new cases this week, after notching 22 new cases last week, 177 total. Idaho this week recorded on new case, raising its 2026 total to 24.
New York officials find Legionella in 76 cooling towers as cases hit 63 -- Yesterday New York City’s Department of Health (NYC Health) said 76 cooling towers on the Upper East Side have tested positive for the Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease.The department provided a list of cleaned towers and towers that are awaiting treatment to eliminate bacteria. So far, 63 people in the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville have been sickened with Legionnaires’ disease, a severe lung infection that can be deadly, especially in older adults.“This is not an issue with any building's plumbing system. Residents in these ZIP codes can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook, and use your air conditioner at home,” NYC Health said in a statement.Of the 63 case-patients, 12 are currently hospitalized, 11 are not hospitalized, and 40 have been discharged from the hospital. No deaths have been recorded with this outbreak.Early treatment with antibiotics can be helpful in preventing severe progression of the disease, officials said. They urged anyone who lives or works in this area, or people who have visited the area since late June, to visit a healthcare provider if they begin to experience flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, or difficulty breathing.
Africa CDC calls for more protection for health workers as deadly Ebola outbreak shows no sign of slowing | CIDRAP - The leader of the Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC), is calling for stronger protections for first responders, including more gear and enhanced safety protocols in light of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is officially entering its second month and showing little signs of slowed transmission. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, said that, as of July 9, 112 healthcare workers have been infected with Ebola since the outbreak began, including 35 who died. The outbreak now stands at 1,947 cases, and 704 deaths, with the vast majority of those in the DRC.“Reliable protective equipment, strong infection prevention systems, continuous training, psychosocial support, and safe working conditions are essential for every person delivering this response,” said Kaseya in a statement. “We thank the governments and partners that have committed financial and operational support. Rapid disbursement of these commitments, together with additional resources, will strengthen protection for responders, expand essential operations and help teams stop every transmission chain.”Unpaid salaries and inadequate protective equipment were cited as to why dozens of additional healthcare workers and responders in Ituri province went on strike today. Among the professionals who went on strike today at Rwampara General Hospital are epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers, and gravediggers who said the government has not yet paid them for their work.The DRC’s health minister told the Associated Press that any delays in payment are because officials are verifying the identities of health workers. The Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which has caused only three confirmed outbreaks in history and has no targeted treatments or vaccines.On June 10, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a US citizen who was conducting humanitarian aid work in the DRC was infected with Ebola and transferred to Germany for treatment.This is the second-known American who has been infected during this outbreak, following Peter Stafford, MD, a medical doctor working in the DRC who was treated at Charite in Berlin and has made a full recovery.
US Restricts Direct Return Of US Citizens From Congo Over Ebola Outbreak - Non-citizens had already been prohibited from entering the United States within 21 days of being in Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, and now, the Trump administration has begun using federal authority to bar U.S. citizens who have been in Congo from entering the United States until they spend at least three weeks in another country, an official said on July 14. The administration on Monday started using authorities under a transportation statute called Title 49 to place U.S. citizens who have been in Congo on a “do-not-board” list for commercial flights heading to America, an official told The Epoch Times in an email on condition of anonymity. Americans who are in Congo or have recently been there “will only be allowed to board a commercial flight to the United States if they have spent at least 21 days outside of the” central African country, the official said. As Zachary Steiber reports for The Epoch Times, around 24 Americans had been set to board flights to the United States after having been in Congo before the prohibition began. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, states on its website that American citizens may enter the United States even if they have recently been in Congo or nearby countries. In a May order, the administration began requiring non-citizens who have recently been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan to spend 21 days outside those countries before entering the United States. The new restrictions are based on an updated order from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that “highlights the new risk patterns” emerging in Congo for Ebola, the administration official said. That updated order has not been made public but will be in effect for 30 days, according to the CDC’s website. The State Department will assist those people during the new 21-day waiting period, the official said. The State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The State Department on July 11 told Americans not to travel to Congo for any reason because of the Ebola outbreak, which as of was up to 1,926 confirmed cases, 702 deaths, and 318 recoveries. Two Americans have tested positive after working in Congo. One, working with the nonprofit Serge, was transported to a hospital in Berlin for treatment and later discharged. Another person who recently tested positive for Ebola works for Samaritan’s Purse, an aid group, the organization’s CEO Franklin Graham told The Epoch Times. That individual was also flown to a hospital in Germany for treatment.
Last Ebola patient in Uganda discharged as outbreak surges in DR Congo - The last person being treated for Ebola Bundibugyo virus in Uganda has been discharged, meaning the active outbreak is now solely in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the latest case count stands at 2,073 confirmed infections and 796 deaths. The outbreak in Uganda involved 20 people and two deaths. Fifteen of the cases were in Congolese nationals, four in healthcare workers, and one in a driver. No transmission chains were ever established in Uganda, and the case-fatality rate was 10%, far lower than what is typically seen in Ebola outbreaks. Officials said the low number of deaths was because of preparedness.Now the country must wait 42 days, two Ebola transmission cycles, with no new cases before the outbreak can officially be declared over. But Ugandan officials are saying travel restrictions on the country should be lifted now. Fifteen countries have strict restrictions on traveling to and from Uganda, including the United States, restrictions that the Ugandan government said are seriously hindering the nation’s economy.“As we make progress in managing this disease, we are engaging and asking those countries with a view to opening up so that the economy does not get injured,” said Uganda’s health minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi yesterday in a statement to the press. Meanwhile in the DRC yesterday, the Nyakunde Hospital in Ituri province was attacked by protesters and several patients fled the building, according to Reuters. The attack came after a woman gave birth at the facility and died shortly after of severe anemia. The hospital said it could not take blood donations offered by family members because of the risk of Ebola.
Ebola cases surge past 2,000, now fastest-growing outbreak in history | CIDRAP --The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is now the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, with 2,011 cases, including 754 deaths recorded in the past two months, officials said yesterday.And now workers at the Bunia General Hospital have gone on strike, joining other health professionals in Ituri province who said Congolese officials have not paid them during the outbreak. At least 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, Chikwe Ihekweazu, MD, the WHO health emergencies chief, told the United Nations after returning from Bunia yesterday. “We've seen the fastest growth in a single month since the outbreak started and of all the Ebola outbreaks that we have managed,” he said. “You have to imagine that this is a fire. There’s something driving the fire in its heart, and it's also expanding at the same time.” Ihekweazu said most of the deaths reported in the last week are occurring within the community, meaning transmission is likely to increase among family members and friends who may have contacted Ebola patients while they were actively dying and contagious.“We must find the cases earlier, bring them into care as soon as possible,” he said.
Nigeria’s Lassa fever death count surpasses 2025 as outbreak worsens - Nigeria has recorded 221 deaths from Lassa fever since the beginning of the year, now surpassing the 190 fatalities recorded last year, officials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced yesterday. The Lassa fever outbreak has spread to 23 of the nation’s 36 states, with 31 new cases recorded in the past week alone. The case-fatally rate (CFR) of this outbreak is now 24%, the NCDC said, with young adults ages 21 to 30 the most affected. During the same period last year, the CFR was only 19%. The NCDC has confirmed 922 Lassa fever cases so far this year, up from 790 infections in the same period in 2025. Nigerian officials declared the outbreak a national public health emergency in January 2019. The viral hemorrhagic illness is transmitted to humans primarily through contact with the urine or feces of infected rats.
Study: Antibiotic-resistant UTIs are an increasing threat in Africa --A study of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in six African countries found high and increasing levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), researchers reported last week in JAMA Network Open. In an analysis of 44,367 urinary isolates from clinical labs in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Morocco, and Senegal, a team of investigators assessed drug-resistance trends in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae—two of the primary causative pathogens of UTIs. Data collection spanned from 2008 through 2023, with a shared observation period from October 2014 to December 2021. Resistance was analyzed for seven antibiotic classes in E coli and six in K pneumoniae. The researchers note that resistance data on E coli and K pneumoniae in Africa “remain scarce or fragmented.” “Monitoring resistance trends is essential to understanding AMR evolution and intercountry differences and forecasting resistance trajectories,” the study authors wrote. “Such insights are critical for informing health policy, guiding empirical treatment, and supporting strategies to contain multidrug-resistant organisms.” Stronger measures needed Resistance to first-line antibiotics was widespread, with amoxicillin resistance in E coli exceeding 85% across sites and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid resistance exceeding 50% in for both pathogens in all countries except Madagascar and Cameroon. Resistance to broader-spectrum antibiotics was also high, with fluoroquinolone resistance exceeding 40% for both pathogens in all sites and resistance to third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins surpassing 45% in all countries except Morocco. While resistance to carbapenems—a last-resort antibiotic class—remained below 18% for both pathogens, a modeling projection estimated that carbapenem and third-generation cephalosporin resistance could exceed 90% in all six countries by 2050. The authors say the findings indicate that stronger measures against AMR are urgently needed in Africa.
US emergency departments seeing fewer C difficile cases, study finds -- Fewer patients went to US emergency departments (EDs) because of infections with a dangerous bacterium called Clostridioides difficile, or C difficile, from 2014 to 2024, according to a study last week in the American Journal of Infection Control. C difficile infection (CDI), which causes severe, watery diarrhea and inflammation of the colon, can be deadly. Doctors diagnose almost half a million cases a year. Most infections occur while or after taking antibiotics. Researchers found that the overall incidence of CDI declined from 2.94 per 1,000 ED visits to 2.07 per 1,000 visits, a relative decline of 30%. Although cases decreased among older adults, C difficile incidence jumped 59% among people aged 18 to 24, according to an analysis of 38 million ED visits and nearly 150,000 cases. Although many patients become infected with C difficile while in the hospital, a growing number of people in recent years have developed the infection outside the hospital. Prescriptions for an antibiotic called metronidazole fell from 66% to 30%, reflecting changes in recommendations from the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. In 2017, those groups suggested that clinicians prescribe oral vancomycin, rather than metronidazole, the traditional choice. In 2021, the groups updated their guidelines to recommend an antibiotic called fidaxomicin when available.Vancomycin use increased by more than 80% over the 10-year period of the study. Use of fidaxomicin accelerated after 2021. The continuing use of metronidazole suggests that emergency department staff aren’t following medical guidelines closely enough, according to the study, conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, and Denver Health Medical Center.
Quick takes: More Michigan Cyclospora, UK measles death, H5N1 avian flu in Cambodian baby | CIDRAP
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services today reported 2,640 cases of cyclosporiasis, including 44 people who required hospitalization. Case counts are rising at a rate of 20% to 30% per day, according to the Detroit Free Press, with cases still concentrated in southeastern counties. No source has been identified. Several other states are reporting a spike in cases of the diarrhea-causing parasite as well, including Ohio (364 infections) and New York (470). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 states have reported Cyclospora cases this year, with 86-associated hospitalizations, but its total lags far behind what states are cumulatively reporting.
- A third person in England has died from a measles, following the deaths of two children last month. The most recent fatality occurred in an adult with an underlying immunological problem. As of July 6, the UK Health Security Agency reported 883 confirmed measles cases in England so far this year. More than half (52%) of this year’s cases have been reported in London. Nationwide, vaccination rates hover around 84%, too low to provide herd immunity.
- Cambodian health officials said a 9-month-old girl represents the country’s fifth case of H5N1 avian flu in a person so far this year. The girl is from Preaek Ta Kong village in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital, and is currently hospitalized. Last year Cambodia reported 19 human cases of H5N1, eight of which were fatal.
Map: Cases of ‘explosive’ diarrhea illness continue to climb - – More than 800 people have tested positive for cyclosporiasis, the parasite capable of causing serious gastrointestinal symptoms, including “explosive” diarrhea. While it continues to assist in investigating the cause (or causes) of these cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention admits that the true case count could be even higher. As of Friday, the CDC has received 843 confirmed reports of cyclosporiasis across 31 states. Of those, 86 required hospitalization. The agency said that it is “aware of more than 1,500 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness is domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.”“CDC is aware that states are likely to report higher case counts of cyclosporiasis than reflected in CDC data and is working closely with states to update numbers as additional cases are confirmed,” the agency noted. Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayatenensis, a parasite that is rare in the U.S. It can be spread through food and water that have been contaminated with feces. Those who become ill may have picked up the parasite while traveling to a country where it is commonly found. In the U.S., cases are more frequently tied to contaminated fresh produce, like romaine lettuce, basil, cilantro, snow peas, and raspberries. The CDC is still working to determine the cause of the cases reported in the U.S. A review of local reports and data from state health agencies by Nexstar found that, as of July 13, 39 states have reported at least one case of cyclosporiasis this year. How states are reporting case counts varies. For some, health officials have released year-to-date data. For others, publicly released case counts cover the last month or two. As the CDC notes, some states report probable and confirmed cases – it only reports the latter. The map below shows where cases have been confirmed so far: Michigan continues to report the most cases of any state. A Monday update lists 2,640 total cases in the state, with 44 reporting that they were hospitalized. Case counts in each state could be even higher, as some who become sick with cyclosporiasis are able to recover on their own and are never tested for it. While cyclosporiasis can be acquired while traveling outside of the U.S., the 843 cases reported to the CDC were among people who became ill without any travel in the two weeks prior. Those who tested positive for cyclosporiasis range in age from 5 to 88 years old. Another 343 cases across 32 states reported to the CDC are among those who ate food or drank water outside of the U.S. in the 14 days before becoming sick. Eighteen of these patients required hospitalization. The age range among this group is 15 to 89 years old, according to the CDC. Not everyone who becomes ill has symptoms. Among those who do, as the CDC and Cleveland Clinic explain, the main symptom is frequent, watery diarrhea that can be loud and “sometimes explosive.” Other symptoms can include a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, “bloating, including burping and farting,” low-grade fever, and extreme tiredness. These symptoms can set in between two days and two weeks after infection. For some people, illness will “self-resolve after a few days,” Dr. Katie Theoktisto of Baylor Scott & White told Nexstar’s KXAN. ‘Super’ El Niño now predicted to be even stronger and longer. How will it impact you? “If you’re having a diarrheal illness that’s lasting over a week or two, it’s probably something unusual,” she warned, saying that “those with prolonged symptoms should seek care from their health care providers.”
What we truly know about the huge US Cyclospora outbreak—and what we don’t - As the number of cases of cyclosporiasis—infection with Cyclospora—grows across the country and stories about explosive diarrhea spread, many people don’t know what to do to avoid the illness. There’s a lot of uncertainty, leaving them with many questions and few good answers. Should you skip eating leafy greens? What about washing produce? Where is this microscopic parasite called Cyclospora coming from?Lagging communication from public health leaders has contributed to the confusion many are experiencing. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finally issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory about the outbreak, although it had been receiving reports of cases by May 1, if not earlier. “That’s terribly unfortunate,” said Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, which publishes CIDRAP News. “We’re so late to the game to get information out to the public. By the time we get any recommendations for reducing risk, the outbreak’s over.” People typically contract Cyclospora after eating contaminated food. It doesn’t spread from person-to-person, and the incubation period—the time from exposure to the parasite to first symptoms—is about one to two weeks. That makes it harder to trace what contaminated food item or items might have caused the illness.“When people are infected with this parasite, they will be excreting the cysts, the organisms, in their stool,” Craig Hedberg, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. “The feces of infected people is the original source of contamination for the environment.” But when the cysts first leave the body, they’re not infectious. They need time to mature before they can taint the environment. “If contaminated water were to have contact with the produce, then that could be a source,” Hedberg said. “In the field in which the produce is being grown, [contamination] could happen.” Michigan is experiencing a large cyclosporiasis outbreak, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reporting 3,309 cases and 44 hospitalizations as of today. Ohio is also seeing high numbers, with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department reporting 1,119 cases with 46 people hospitalized in northwestern Ohio. Combined, the two states represent more than 4,000 cyclosporiasis illnesses, making it one of the worst years for the infection. So far, 31 states have reported cases, with some noting higher numbers than usual. The source of the outbreak remains unknown. Cyclospora tends to spread more in the summer and has been found on “a variety of fresh produce items, both fruits and vegetables,” said Hedberg. In its HAN today, the CDC reports only 1,645 confirmed cases, with 141 people requiring hospitalization. The agency noted there are an additional 5,100 cases that need to be confirmed. As of yesterday, more than 400 cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virgina, and Kentucky might represent one cluster, the CDC said, meaning the infections could be related to a common source. When public health experts investigate foodborne illnesses, such as that caused by Salmonella, Listeria, or Escherichia coli O157, a lab can create a culture, grow the bacterium, and subtype it using whole-genome sequencing, explained Hedberg. The CDC then can trace the pathogen with a lab-based monitoring system known as PulseNet. “If there’s a multi-state outbreak of E coli O157 or Salmonella, many of those will be recognized by the CDC monitoring coming in through PulseNet,” said Hedberg. “If the CDC recognizes that there’s a multistate outbreak going on, they will coordinate investigations with all the states that have cases.” But Cyclospora, he says, “is a little bit different.” “Cyclospora is not an organism that we have the ability to grow in laboratories,” Hedberg said. “The subtyping that we might see to be able to identify what cases are related to each other is not readily available.” The CDC is relying on partial genotyping to connect cases of cyclosporiasis, because the “genome of the parasite is a lot more complicated,” There’s often a lag in reporting from the state to the CDC, which can complicate investigations.“As we’ve seen with this outbreak of Cyclospora, in many instances those increases will be recognized at a state level before the data gets compiled nationally to allow our federal officials to have a clear picture of what’s going on,” Hedberg said. Last year, the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) reduced the number of pathogens it tracked to two, Salmonella and Shiga toxin–producing E coli (STEC). It’s now optional for participating states to report illnesses occurring from Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia via FoodNet. The network covers 10 sites, in which about 16% of the US population lives. Some have speculated that this change at the federal level is contributing to the severity of the outbreak. But FoodNet was never used to spot emerging food borne illnesses. “FoodNet has no role, really, to play in routinely identifying outbreaks of reportable diseases on the national level,” Hedberg said. “It’s really intended to help over time monitor trends in occurrence of these diseases so we can see from year to year whether illnesses are increasing or decreasing—so we can have better estimates for what the burden of illness associated with these pathogens might be.” Cyclospora is an illness reportable to the CDC. When a foodborne illness outbreak occurs, the CDC’s foodborne and waterborne disease group typically investigates it. “They are really quite good,” Osterholm said. Because Cyclospora is a parasite, however, a different unit at the CDC is investigating it. “This outbreak is being handled by the parasitic disease branch with people who are really quite inexperienced in this kind of outbreak investigation,” Osterholm added. “We really need to put more effort into figuring out what is actually the source,” Hedberg said. “When you have an outbreak like this, it really represents something of a public health emergency, and the response from the state and local public health agencies and the federal agencies really need to follow.”
Four states, including Ohio, linked to cyclosporiasis outbreak; CDC warns more could be involved – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now confirmed the presence of a multistate outbreak of the parasite-based sickness cyclosporiasis impacting “at least four midwestern states.”Since confirming it was investigating a spike in cases of the condition, which can cause “explosive” diarrhea, the CDC has said there was “no evidence of a single, multistate” outbreak. On Tuesday, the CDC acknowledged that hundreds of cases appear to be linked to the same common source that’s spreading the cyclospora parasite.However, that exact source has not yet been confirmed, Gwen Biggerstaff, the deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said during a call with reporters on Tuesday. Investigations into cyclospora “take a significant amount of time,” Biggerstaff said, because it can take anywhere from two days to two weeks for people to begin experiencing symptoms. It’s also difficult to track.Whole genome sequencing, or the process of analyzing an organism’s DNA, isn’t available for cyclospora, preventing investigators from connecting the outbreak to a specific product. Instead, Biggerstaff explained, they have to use targeted genotyping, “which is useful for detection but not as fast and precise as whole genome sequencing.”“This is why cyclosporiasis investigations generally take longer to link cases to each other and identify a potential source,” Biggerstaff said. “And in some cases, a specific source may never be identified.”Despite this, health officials in Michigan, which has reported more than 3,700 cases of the parasite-linked illness, believe lettuce or salad greens may be to blame. Dr. Donald Prater, the FDA’s Acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, said they are continuing to investigate “multiple produce items, including lettuce.” Michigan is one of four states in which the CDC has confirmed a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis. Nearby Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky are also in that group.While the CDC has linked more than 400 cases of cyclosporiasis to the outbreak, the agency acknowledged the true number of cases is likely higher and may impact more states.
Lettuce or salad greens may be culprit in Michigan cyclosporiasis outbreak, health officials say — Michigan’s outbreak of a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive” diarrhea may be linked to lettuce or salad greens, health officials say. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Monday said while other food items cannot be completely ruled out, results of an ongoing investigation “point to” lettuce or salad greens. Health officials have not identified a specific produce, grower or supplier causing the cyclosporiasis outbreak. “Although we do not have a definite product identified as the source of the outbreak, we want to let Michiganders know what we have learned so far so they can take steps to protect their families,” MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said in a release. “Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.” Instead of buying pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits, officials are recommending buying whole heads of lettuce. Throw away the outer two to three layers of leaves and wash the inner leaves thoroughly. For greens that can be cooked, cook them at a temperature of at least 158 degrees, health officials say. Michigan typically has around 50 cases cyclosporiasis annually. But an outbreak that started near the end of June has grown to 2,640 cases statewide, including more than 40 hospitalizations, MDHHS says. Health officials are also reporting cases across the country, including in other Midwest states. Dr. Ambreen Malik, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Michigan Health Sparrow, said the prolonged incubation period — it typically takes one to two weeks to develop symptoms — and the country’s vast food distribution network made it a challenge for officials to determine a cause. “We get food produced from all over the United States, including outside of the United States. So it’s really challenging to pinpoint which fresh produce is causing the disease,” she said. Health officials say cyclosporiasis is caused by infection with the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which is typically spread by food or water contaminated with feces and does not usually spread from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links American foodborne outbreaks to different types of fresh produce, including basil, cilantro and raspberries. According to the CDC, those infected may or may not experience symptoms, which usually cause watery diarrhea with “frequent and sometimes explosive” bowel movements. Health officials say other symptoms include loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever. If you experience any of these symptoms, see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Diagnosis requires a stool sample, and treatment is possible via antibiotics. Officials say it’s important to wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables with a clean produce brush, and cut away any damaged or bruised areas on produce before preparing and eating. Any cut, peeled or cooked produce should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
FDA officially links lettuce sold at Taco Bell to cyclosporiasis outbreak -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have linked lettuce sourced from Mexico to the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across five states. Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that can enter the body through infected food and water. CDC and FDA officials issued a statement late Thursday night warning consumers to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Though the official reports did not name a supplier, anonymous sources who were briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press and The New York Times it was Taylor Farms of Salinas, California.In a statement posted to its social media accounts on Friday, the company announced, “Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.”No Taylor Farms branded salads or salad kits are associated with this outbreak, according to the statement. Food exposure investigations were conducted for 190 infected people who reported eating at Taco Bell. Of those cases, 90 percent reported eating iceberg lettuce. Taco Bell announced it would immediately remove and replace the impacted lettuce in the affected states.At this time, the FDA and CDC are working with state partners to continue testing of brands, restaurants, stores, and distributors associated with the grower. Additionally, it has increased border screening of new products entering the U.S.Aside from avoiding the affected product, the CDC suggests rinsing produce and cooking it to at least 158 degrees F (70 degrees C) to reduce risk. Additionally, consumers can avoid cross-contamination by cleaning countertops, cutting boards, utensils, and any kitchenware that may have come into contact with produce using hot, soapy water.According to the CDC, symptoms may appear as soon as two days after consuming the affected food, but may take up to two weeks to appear. If you or a loved one experiences symptoms of cyclosporiasis, such as explosive diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, cramping, bloating, and fatigue, it’s advised to contact your healthcare provider immediately.
Taylor Farms recalls iceberg lettuce in 27 states due to cyclosporiasis outbreak - Taylor Farms is voluntarily recalling iceberg lettuce in 27 states because the greens potentially could be contaminated with cyclosporiasis. The fruit and vegetable producer announced the move late Friday evening, saying in a media statement that it is “voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.” The tainted lettuce has been at the center of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has traced to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in 5 states, including Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan. The Food and Drug Administration has said that people who are infected by the cyclospora parasite may experience flu-like symptoms and “watery diarrhea, with frequent bowel movements.” Taylor Farms said that the potentially tainted “shredded iceberg product” was distributed June 29 through July 16 in states including Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts and Texas. California and New York were among the states not included in the recall notice. “Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market,” the company said in a statement. “While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.” Before Taylor Farms issued the recall, Yum Brands’ Taco Bell said it had removed the potentially contaminated lettuce from its restaurants. Walmart on Saturday posted a message on its website about the FDA’s latest announcement on the Taylor Farms recall, noting that the greens may have been sold at its stores in states including Alabama, Indiana, and West Virginia. “The health and safety of our customers is a top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC in an emailed statement. “Although there is no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations, we have removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution after receiving notice from our supplier.“ The spokesperson added: “There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products at this time,” and that the company is “working closely with our supplier and took immediate steps to remove the products from sale.”
Nitrate in drinking water may be linked to preterm births in New Zealand - A new Aotearoa New Zealand study has found that nitrate concentrations in drinking water are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, even at levels well below the current drinking water standard. The study, published in Environmental Research, analyzed 735,831 singleton births between 2008 and 2021, linking gestational age with estimated nitrate concentrations in drinking water at the mother's usual residence. About 1 in 15 babies in Aotearoa New Zealand are born preterm, before 37 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth increases the risk of health problems at birth and later in life. In a new Public Health Communication Center Briefing, lead author Associate Professor Tim Chambers of the University of Canterbury says the study found a small but consistent increase in risk as nitrate concentrations increased. "Our study found that the risk of preterm birth increased by about 1% for every 1 mg/L increase in nitrate concentration in drinking water," Chambers says. The researchers note that the study was observational and does not prove that nitrate causes preterm birth. However, the findings are consistent with several previous large cohort studies that have reported similar associations. The Briefing notes that the current New Zealand drinking water standard of 11.3 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen was established to protect against infant methemoglobinemia (Blue baby syndrome) rather than preterm birth. Denmark recently decided to lower its drinking water standard for nitrate to 1.3 mg/L based on an international expert assessment of increased risk of colorectal cancer. Most public drinking water supplies in New Zealand have low nitrate concentrations, with the majority below 1 mg/L. However, contamination is more common in private shallow groundwater bores, with a national survey finding that 20.8% exceeded half the current drinking water standard and 3.7% exceeded the standard. Two municipal supplies, Gore and Waimate, have also breached the existing standard. The researchers found that higher nitrate concentrations were associated with small but consistent increased risks of preterm birth and that the findings remained consistent across a range of sensitivity analyses, including sibling cohort models.Chambers says the results strengthen the case for reviewing current drinking water standards."While the increase in risk is likely to be small for the great majority of communities supplied by public water systems, this study adds further urgency to reassessing regulatory limits for nitrate in drinking water."
Florida AG calls for ban on flour additive used to make dough, beer - — State Attorney General James Uthmeier wants Florida’s Legislature to take another look at a proposed ban on a flour additive that he called a shortcut used by bread bakers at the expense of people consuming the goods. Uthmeier held a Monday news conference at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine to call for a ban on potassium bromate, which is added to products used by bakers to make dough faster, and by beer brewers to malt barley. Canada and countries across Europe banned companies from using the additive in products more than 30 years ago, while American federal regulators have only asked bakers to stop using the additive. Uthmeier pointed to studies showing potassium bromate could be considered a carcinogen, with data within his cited studies linking it to cancer. Some of those same studies prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn bakeries against using flour with the additive, but the agency stopped short of an actual ban. Uthmeier said his staff will send subpoenas to companies using potassium bromate for documents related to use of the additive. “There’s a reason why the rest of the world has banned the use of potassium bromate,” Uthmeier said. “It’s not something to risk when it comes to our kids.”
West Nile virus cases hit 22-year spike. Here’s where activity is highest in US - You may be gearing up for a long weekend of outdoor activities, but between the increased tick activity and a new mosquito warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you may want to prepare for unfortunate bug encounters as well. Typically, through the end of June, the CDC receives about 10 reports of human West Nile virus cases.Through June this year, there have been at least 48 cases of West Nile virus reported. Of those, nearly 40 have been severe neuroinvasive disease, considered the most severe form of the infection. Data from the agency shows 12 states have reported human cases of West Nile virus so far this year, though the tally of cases may be underreported, as most people who become infected recover on their own. “This surge is driven by early circulation of the virus, with 23 states reporting West Nile virus activity – also the highest number recorded over the last 10 years,” the CDC said. Data from the agency shows 12 states have reported human cases of West Nile virus so far this year, though the tally of cases may be underreported, as most people who become infected recover on their own. It’s among residents of Arizona that cases are the highest. Through June, the state has seen 32 cases of West Nile virus, eight times as many as the next state, Texas, with four cases. At least one resident from 10 other states – Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Tennessee – has been diagnosed with West Nile. (The CDC’s tracking reports cases based on state of residence.) Mississippi reported its first human case of West Nile of the year on Wednesday, according to Nexstar’s WJTV. Non-human West Nile virus activity has also been reported in Washington, Utah, Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia. Mosquito pools in Nevada, Texas, and Tennessee have tested positive for the virus, local health officials announced this week. Several samples collected throughout southern California have also tested positive. West Nile virus, spread by infected mosquitoes, is not uncommon. You could be bitten by an infected mosquito and not even experience symptoms. However, for about one in five people, symptoms develop, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That includes fever, rash, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and pain behind your eyes. Symptoms often set in within two to six days of being bitten, but may take 14 days or longer to appear. Those who are older, have a comorbidity (cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease), or have received an organ transplant may be at higher risk of becoming severely ill, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In serious cases, patients can develop severe neuroinvasive disease like encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord). Symptoms of these conditions include a high fever, a headache, and a stiff neck, as well as confusion and disorientation, tremors, convulsions, weak muscles, vision loss, numbness, paralysis, and coma, the CDC explains. Fewer than 1 percent of people who get West Nile virus develop these serious conditions. However, among those patients, about 10 percent die
The ticks you may find in your state, and the diseases they can carry - — It’s been a gnarly year for ticks already in the U.S., with hospital visits spurred by tick bites reaching highs we haven’t seen in years. What that tick may spread to you, however, can vary based on where you live.Lyme disease is likely the tick-borne disease you’re most familiar with, and rightfully so. There were more than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the CDC in 2023 alone, though health officials say recent estimates put that number as high as 476,000. The CDC cautions that some patients included in the higher estimates may have been treated for suspected lyme disease, but may not have actually had it. Nearly every state has reported at least one case of Lyme disease, though the majority have been detected in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and throughout New England. The disease is primarily spread by the blacklegged tick (otherwise known as the deer tick) and the Western blacklegged tick.Blacklegged ticks are capable of spreading multiple diseases, including Powassan virus, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and hard tick relapsing fever.Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacteria A. phagocytophilum, can be deadly if left untreated, according to the CDC. Babesiosis causes flu-like symptoms in some people. While the blacklegged ticks can be found in many states, cases of both are more commonly reported in the Northeast and upper Midwest.Powassan virus, which is on the rise in the U.S., has been reported in at least one resident in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Three states have reported more than 80 total cases of Powassan: Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. Receiving more attention as of late is alpha-gal syndrome, which can make you allergic to red meat and other animal products. The tick responsible for spreading the condition, the lone star tick, has been expanding its range. Every state in the continental U.S. has had at least one suspected case of alpha-gal syndrome, a study published in 2023 determined. The lone star tick can also spread Heartland virus, with symptoms including fever, headache, nausea, muscle and joint pain, and diarrhea. While not a nationally notifiable disease, cases of Heartland virus have been reported from Nebraska and Oklahoma east to Virginia and North Carolina, as well as New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Bourbon virus, a rare condition first detected in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 2014, is also believed to be caused by the lone star tick. Cases have been reported in the Midwest, the East Coast, and the South, according to the CDC. The lone star tick and the blacklegged tick can spread ehrlichiosis, which can become severe if left untreated. Early symptoms, setting in during the first five days of illness, include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a loss of appetite, confusion, and, commonly among children, a rash. While some tick-borne diseases are spread only by one tick species, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be spread by three: the American dog tick, the brown dog tick, and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Because every state in the continental U.S. is known to have at least one of those tick species (brown dog ticks have also been found in Hawaii), Rocky Mountain spotted fever can – and does – occur throughout the country. Also reported in all states is tularemia, which, when spread by a tick, typically causes skin ulcers and swelling of the lymph glands. However, the disease can be transmitted by deer flies, contaminated water, contact with infected animals, laboratory exposure, and by breathing in contaminated aerosols or agricultural and landscaping dust, according to the CDC. (see 7 photographs) Two regional species, the Gulf Coast tick and the Pacific Coast tick, are known to spread Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis and Pacific Coast tick fever, respectively. Both conditions are considered to be less severe than Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Despite its name, Colorado tick fever – spread by the Rocky Mountain wood tick – has been detected in several Western states. Cases believed to be acquired locally have been reported in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, CDC data through 2022 show.
Cambodia confirms human H5N1 avian flu case as H5N1 hits more Utah egg farms | CIDRAP --Earlier this week Cambodian officials announced the country’s fifth human H5N1 avian flu case this year, this one involving a 9-month-old girl. The girl has been hospitalized and is receiving intensive care. So far no source of infection or exposure has been found, but the child’s close contacts are being given oseltamivir (Tamiflu) as a precaution.Cambodia reported 19 human cases of H5N1 in 2025, eight of which were fatal. 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. In US news, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported for the second week in a row an egg farm H5N1 outbreak in Cache County, Utah, affecting 275,100 birds. In the past 30 days, 1.49 million birds have been hit with H5N1 in the United States. APHIS also noted several new detections of avian flu in cattle in Utah and Idaho, with each state reporting four confirmed cases this week. Twenty-six cattle in the past 30 days have been confirmed to be infected with H5N1, raising the year’s total to 81 cases.
Black bear hit and killed by car on I-480 in Macedonia (WJW) — A black bear was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 480 early Wednesday, leaving a car badly damaged but its driver unharmed. It happened near Interstate 271 in Macedonia. The driver called 911 moments after the crash, unsure of what he had hit. The driver said he was traveling westbound on I-480 in a Kia Forte when the impact deployed the airbags and crushed the driver’s side of the vehicle. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources later confirmed the animal was a black bear. “It was 244 pounds. It was a male black bear. They believe it’s the one that was in Cuyahoga County, near Bedford, and it just dropped south,” said Zach Hillman, Summit County wildlife officer. The crash is another reminder that black bear sightings are becoming more common across Ohio. “Bear-versus-vehicle crashes aren’t new, but they are happening more often,” said Hillman. Missing boater found dead on Portage Lakes after Summit County rescue effort Fortunately, no one was injured in Wednesday’s crash. Hillman is reminding drivers to be careful, especially overnight, when wildlife is most active. “Just be alert when you’re driving and know what’s around. If you do see a black bear out in the wild, keep your distance from it. They’re generally just as scared of you as you are of them,” said Hillman.
Trump admin proposes to hand states control over grizzlies - The Trump administration proposed Tuesday to hand over management of grizzly bears to Western states, a win for advocates of local control that did not change the underlying imperiled status of the bears. In front of a mountain backdrop in Montana and flanked by three governors, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that state wildlife agencies would be able to manage the bears within their borders. The bears would continue to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and hunting would not be allowed. “Decisions should be made close to the people affected by them,” said Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, who joined Burgum on Tuesday along with Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to open a monthlong public comment period about the proposed management plan, which was not yet available Tuesday night. “Grizzly bear conservation has steadily advanced over the decades in many portions of the species’ range,” Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik said in a statement. “This proposal recognizes these successes and right-sizes management where the greatest conservation success has taken place.” Ranchers and Republican leaders of Western states have for years pushed to remove the bear species from the ESA list, arguing its population has sufficiently recovered and should be managed at the state level. As bear populations have grown in recent years and sometimes frequent more populated areas, there have been more conflicts with local residents, the governors said. “When you have bears showing up in corn mazes, it means that they are recovered,” Gordon said. Conservationists have challenged the idea that grizzlies have rebounded, saying they remain threatened by activities like logging that disrupts their habitats and that their populations are not interconnected. “This is a decision being made for political reasons, it is not based on science, in the best interest of the survival of the species, or in compliance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act,” Greg LeDonne, Idaho director of Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement. The grizzlies that live in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming are designated as a distinct subpopulation. The bears are not federally protected in Alaska. Idaho officials previously sued FWS over the bear’s listing, which led to a 2024 settlement that set a deadline for a final rule to modify or remove the protections. That deadline was extended until December earlier this year. “The next logical step is to turn a species that was originally listed as endangered into one that we can manage better,” Little said.At the end of the Biden administration, federal wildlife officials proposed to keep in place protections for grizzly bears while allowing for exceptions to kill individual bears, including when they threaten livestock. FWS has been reevaluating that plan since Trump returned to office.. More than 200,000 people left comments on the January 2025 proposal, which FWS released shortly before former President Joe Biden left office. While there were an estimated 50,000 grizzlies across the Western U.S. before European settlement, the bears were wiped out from all but 2 percent of their range by the 1930s, according to FWS. With their numbers at around 700 to 800 individuals in 1975, officials began efforts to recover the species. They later established six recovery zones. The bear’s numbers in the continental U.S. are now estimated at around 1,900, which environmentalists argue is not sufficient to ensure their continued survival.
Natural Resources set to pass bill delaying whale protections - The House Natural Resources Committee will vote on bipartisan legislation this week to delay protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, a priority for the White House.H.R. 9436, from Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), would extend a Biden-era freeze on new rules for the lobster and Jonah crab industries beyond 2028 until 2035.Golden had already introduced a version of the bill, which the White House backed in May in a statement of administration policy. The statement said it “strongly supports” the bill and that it lined up with President Donald Trump’s executive order on “American Seafood Competitiveness.”Golden said in response, “I’m grateful for the President’s support for Maine’s lobstermen and hopeful that my colleagues in the House will join me in quickly passing this bill into law.”
Asian Copperleaf Spreading in Iowa and Illinois: Tips for Scouting - Despite the dynamic nature of weed communities, the discovery of new species is uncommon and can spell trouble for growers. This year, farmers in Iowa and Illinois should keep their eyes peeled for an emerging weed threat: Asian copperleaf. Discovered in the Midwest in 2016, Asian copperleaf has since been found in corn and soybean fields in at least 11 counties in Iowa and Illinois. It’s unclear how the plant was introduced, but farmers have seen it emerge in dense patches late in the season. While other weed species typically stop growing once corn and soybeans reach canopy closure, Asian copperleaf is shade tolerant and thrives under the canopy. A USDA Risk Analysis found that Asian copperleaf shows no strong invasive or weediness characteristics, but researchers still classified 57% of simulations as high risk due to a high amount of uncertainty — in other words, there is still a lot to learn about this weed. We do know that Asian copperleaf threatens row crop yields in its native range, with high densities of the weed leading to yield losses of nearly 30%. To make matters worse, it has developed resistance to several herbicide groups, raising concerns that it could quickly do the same in the U.S.As with any weed, we would expect some yield loss if it’s left unchecked. This particular species has definitely caused yield loss in its native range and is certainly something that we want to keep an eye out for. “As with any weed, we would expect some yield loss if it’s left unchecked,” “This particular species has definitely caused yield loss in its native range and is certainly something that we want to keep an eye out for.”“Here in Iowa, growers primarily notice it at harvest since it stays below the canopy,” says Grote. “If you’re harvesting your field and come up on a weedy patch that you weren’t expecting, hop out and see if you can identify it as Asian copperleaf.” To determine if a weed is Asian copperleaf, first rule out other spurges by breaking the stems of suspicious weeds. Unlike other common spurge species, Asian copperleaf does not have milky sap inside the stem. From there, rule out native species like Virginia and rhombic copperleaf by examining the bracts, or leafy tissue beneath the flowers. “It really comes down to the bracts,” says Grote. “If you’re going to look for anything, the heart-shaped bracts are the one characteristic that distinguishes this from other species.”
New heat wave blasts US, could break records - Some 44 million Americans were under a heat wave warning Saturday as temperatures in the Rocky Mountains and northern Plains of the United States were expected to hit 43°C (110°F) over the weekend. The temperatures, well above seasonal averages, could break records, the National Weather Service warned. Salt Lake City, in particular, was expected to experience unprecedented heat. "Dangerous heat is expected to unfold through the weekend with triple-digit highs and potential for daily maximum temperature records both days," the service's Weather Prediction Center said Saturday. .The weather was also broiling the southeastern United States, including Miami, which was hosting Saturday's England–Norway World Cup quarterfinal match.Just a week ago, the eastern United States was gripped by another heat wave that pushed temperatures to around 40°C (104°F) in New York and Philadelphia.Around the world, heat waves are becoming more common and intense due to climate change, primarily caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas and emissions of greenhouse gases.Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record. The heat wave left more than 1,300 people dead across the region, according to the World Health Organization. In France this weekend, the Eiffel Tower and other Paris landmarks announced early closures as a quarter of the country sweltered under the third heat wave to hit the country since May.No relief from the heat as many US cities will see record overnight temperatures - Another week of blistering heat will bring even more health risks in the coming days, as overnight temperatures won't provide much relief. The National Weather Service is predicting that more than 90 temperature records across the U.S. will be tied or broken this week through Wednesday—and most of those will be overnight heat records. Health experts say overnight temperatures that fail to cool down are even more dangerous than daytime temperatures that soar. It has already been a sweltering start to the summer across much of the U.S. due to the long-lasting heat dome expected to blanket much of the country this week. The blistering temperatures over the past few weeks have caused heat-related deaths in New Jersey and helped fuel wildfires in the West. Temperatures were not forecast to drop below 80 F (27 C) at night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa, Florida; Galveston, Texas; and Charleston, South Carolina, the National Weather Service said. Over the next few days, places in the Midwest and Northeast known for frigid winters will see nighttime temperatures remain above 70 F (21 C), including Fargo, North Dakota; International Falls, Minnesota; and Portland, Maine. Health experts say that high overnight temperatures are particularly dangerous because there's no time for the body's core temperature to cool down and recover from daytime heat. "That's where the health outcomes are amplified, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable communities," said University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd. Just a few degrees of increased body temperature can lead to heatstroke or put too much strain on the heart. If temperatures at night don't cool down your body, the health risks more often show up the next day, said Kristie Ebi, a public health and climate scientist at the University of Washington. "Mortality starts the second or third day" because the body's unable to cool, she said on Monday. Early warning signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps and headache. "It's hard to know you're getting in trouble with the heat. This is why we need to be more proactive," Ebi said. It's important to find a way to cool off, whether stepping into air conditioning or wrapping a cold towel around your neck. And health experts say don't forget to check in on friends and family members, especially those who are older, pregnant or who have health challenges that might make it more difficult to handle the heat.
Record-smashing US heat wave surges from West to East -A record-smashing heat wave was spreading Tuesday from the West toward the East Coast, placing nearly 100 million Americans under heat alerts. The phenomenon known as a heat dome has already shattered all-time temperature records in western states, including 111°F (44°C) in Billings, Montana, where the previous record was 108°F, and 109°F in Salt Lake City, where the previous record was 107°F. Extreme heat and humidity persist in the West but are now expanding to the densely populated East Coast, which also faced brutal temperatures earlier in the month. "Above-average temperatures and dangerous levels of heat are forecast to enter the Northeast on Tuesday before the most intense heat occurs on Wednesday and expands into the Mid-Atlantic," said the National Weather Service. Cities from Richmond, Virginia, to Boston, Massachusetts, are set to see temperatures soar from the upper 90s to near 100 degrees, with daily high records under threat. Cooler temperatures are expected to follow by the end of the week. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group released an analysis showing the hot and humid conditions in the earlier East Coast hot spell—which occurred as America celebrated its 250th anniversary on July 4—would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change. Heat domes can cause dry thunderstorms, in which rain evaporates before hitting the ground and lightning strikes are likely to trigger wildfires, as much of the western United States is already experiencing drought conditions. Scientists say a brewing "super" El Niño in the equatorial Pacific could also be influencing the heat dome. Record-warm sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific are shifting where tropical storms form and release energy, which, in turn, is distorting the jet stream over the western U.S. and allowing hot air to get trapped in place. U.S. forecasters expect El Niño to peak between October–December at potentially record-breaking levels, with the strongest spike in temperature to follow in 2027. Compounded by human-induced climate change, the last El Niño contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the hottest year on record.
Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires moves into Ohio | The Blade - Widespread smoke is descending into the Toledo region, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland. More than 100 wildfires are burning in Canada, and winds are carrying the smoke southeast. Warnings about unhealthy air conditions Wednesday extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into Ohio and New York. Unusually hot summer temperatures were expected, too. The best advice is to stay indoors to avoid both the smoke and the extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota. “Those two things coinciding with each other is not good from a health perspective,” he said. In far northeastern Minnesota, rangers were trying to warn people that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was closed Tuesday because about 17 fires caused by lightning more than a week ago were spreading through the vast wilderness accessible primarily by canoe. Rangers estimated anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 people were inside the 1.1-million-acre wilderness, which is almost the size of Delaware, Superior National Forest spokesperson Joy VanDrie said. Campers rescued this week said skies quickly darkened from smoke and they could feel the heat as they paddled or were taken by boat to safety. Jan Bailey was camping with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren and three dogs when they noticed wispy smoke on the horizon. Two hours later, they could see a raging firestorm. A paddleboarder with a satellite phone fled to their campsite and they called forestry rangers who sent a boat to rescue them and others. “We had fire on both sides of us at that time,” Bailey told Minnesota Public Radio. “So we’re just weaving between the lakes. It’s a little smoky. Campsites are going up." Even the Canadian Air Force pitched in. They were rescuing two groups of youth campers Wednesday who had crossed the border. One was stuck on an isolated sandbar, but they all appeared to be safe, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. VanDrie didn’t know when the area might reopen. Minnesota officials said some fires in the Boundary Waters will be allowed to burn indefinitely but will be monitored to ensure they don’t threaten people or property. Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn.” Research shows warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires more frequent and intense. High levels of fine particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions. The particulates can cause shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and aggravate heart and lung diseases and other chronic health issues. Experts suggest wearing a N95 mask if you have to be outside and keeping your indoor air cleaner by closing windows and running an air purifier or air conditioner.
Wildfire smoke enters Metro Detroit after blanketing north Michigan, UP - Wildfire smoke making its way through Michigan has arrived in Metro Detroit, where an air quality alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday because of the fine particulate matter in the smoke. Detroit had the seventh-worst air quality index ranking among U.S. cities at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, according to IQAir, tied with Salt Lake City with a reading of 85, which is considered moderate. Detroit trailed New York City, which had the worst index ranking at 177, which is considered unhealthy for all people. It was followed by Minneapolis at 129, Chicago at 110, Los Angeles at 105, Washington, D.C., at 103 and Denver at 88. The smoke is coming from Canada and northern Minnesota, where fires are spreading and burning out of control. Air quality will be most impacted in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, state air quality meteorologists said in a Wednesday morning update. The haze reached the "hazardous" level in the western Upper Peninsula midafternoon Wednesday, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, meaning the pollution could be severe enough to affect everyone, even healthy people. The smoke moved into southeast Michigan by Wednesday evening, according to information on the National Weather Service website. The latest EGLE model inidcated smoke would reach Metro Detroit between 8-10 p.m., senior EGLE meteorologist Jim Haywood said. That appeared to coincide with the NWS map of Lower Michigan, where counties were colored in gray that indicated an Air Quality Alert. "With the persistent and aggressive nature of these fires, a statewide Air Quality Alert will remain in place through Thursday with a good possibility of extending into Friday," EGLE meteorologists said. "Health advisors recommend limiting outdoor time, making sure to keep windows closed and, if possible, run central air conditioning with higher rated filters." Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted the alert to social media and asked residents to be careful outdoors. "All Michiganders should limit time spent outdoors, especially seniors, children, and those with respiratory conditions," she wrote. The smoke hit the Village of Mackinaw City on Wednesday morning, Village Manager Dean Martin said. As of 11 a.m., he said the sky had "a solid orange hue." Still, businesses are open in the tourist-driven northern Michigan community, and vacationers are out enjoying their Michigan summer, he said. Some are wearing masks to protect themselves from the haze. "Mackinaw City is still open to tourism," Martin said. "If people come up, I would recommend they take precautions outside. Limit exposure, don't be afraid to wear a mask if you have one. ... People have vacations planned, and we just ask that they exercise caution when visiting."
Sweltering NYC hit by Canadian wildfire smoke — and it may only get hazier It’s going to get hazier before it gets better. The Big Apple is under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke slowly takes over our skies. The air pollution reached “Unhealthy” levels of air quality Wednesday afternoon — exceeding what officials had previously predicted, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management. The visible smoke from the fires has been traveling through the Empire State, turning the bright blue skies into a pale haze. The Air Quality Index (API) reached 151-200 Wednesday afternoon, levels at which officials warn “all New Yorkers” to stay inside and limit outside activity. Earlier in the day, the AQI was between 101 and 150. Although the AQI climbed, it is still a far cry away from the harrowing 465 “Hazardous” peak that turned the metro skies orange during the June 2023 Canadian wildfires. However, this year’s smoke event coincides with an ongoing heat wave, with temperatures expected to near 100 degrees throughout the Big Apple Wednesday. The city also issued a heat advisory and activated its heat emergency plan — however, if the smoke continues to grow thicker, it could bring temperatures down by blocking the sun’s intense rays. The NYCEM warned that any ground-level impacts are still uncertain, but that the air quality could trigger health issues, especially for those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma. “Every New Yorker has a different risk profile, and this week you need to know yours,” NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell said Tuesday. “If you’re sensitive to air quality, don’t remain in a space without air conditioning or filtration.”
Wildfire smoke chokes Northeast Ohio - Canadian wildfire smoke pushed Northeast Ohio's air quality into the "very unhealthy" range Thursday, with forecasters warning that hazardous conditions will last through Friday. Local health officials have urged everyone — not just sensitive groups — to limit time outdoors as smoke lingers into the weekend. Cleveland has extended hours at several recreation centers to provide clean, air-conditioned spaces. Outdoor pools, playground programs and youth outdoor sports have been canceled out of an abundance of caution. Residents are encouraged to keep windows closed, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and consider wearing an N95 mask outside. Air quality is expected to improve this weekend as winds shift and rain chances increase Saturday. You can track the hour-by-hour smoke coverage on this map from the NOAA.
Wildfire smoke from Canada brings hazardous air quality across Greater Cleveland with 'code maroon' designation: Here's what it means for you -— Wildfire smoke from Canada is blanketing Northeast Ohio, creating "very unhealthy" air quality throughout the region.The situation has been designated as a "code maroon" by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, which AirNow.gov lists as the highest level for ozone and particle pollution."A code maroon air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the local region are extremely hazardous for the general population," according to NOACA.Because of the smoke, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued an Air Quality Advisory for the entire state."If you're in a sensitive group, including children, older adults, or people with certain medical conditions, avoid all outdoor activities," according to the Ohio EPA. "Everyone else should consider limiting extended time outdoors."“This is going to be some of the worst air quality we’ve had in Cleveland," says 3News' Senior Meteorologist Matt Wintz. Wintz says it will continue impacting the area into Friday. "Everyone is going to be impacted," he says. "This isn’t just for those that are sensitive to poor air quality, which is often the case with our air quality alerts. This is everybody.” What is the air quality in your area right now? You can check real-time data from AirNow.gov HERE.
Cleveland’s worst air quality this century: How long will it last? (WJW) – Wildfire smoke has once again moved in from Canada, making the air quality dangerous across Northeast Ohio. Thursday, skies were hazy, the smoke blocking out the Cleveland skyline at times from the highway and from the Fox 8 roof camera. A timelapse shows the smoke move into downtown, completely enveloping the skyline by noon. According to FOX 8 meteorologists, around 3 p.m., Cleveland’s Air Quality Index was at 576, which is considered “hazardous” and bad for everyone, not just those with breathing issues. It’s the worst air quality in Northeast Ohio on record since record-keeping started around 2000. According to FOX 8 meteorologists, this is the first time Cleveland has reached the “hazardous” air quality category. The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Alert, which will be in effect for the entire state of Ohio through Thursday. “Winds are turning from out of the west to out of the north, providing an expressway to the wildfire smoke to swing across Northeast Ohio,” FOX 8 Meteorologist Dontae Jones said on Wednesday. Jones said the huge plume of wildfire smoke is in NE Ohio due to wind direction and air reaching the surface behind a cold front. “We’re not really going to see any big break until late tomorrow as the warm front approaches is producing thunderstorms in the evening,” said Fox 8 Meteorologist Scott Sabol. Some people may consider wearing a mask outdoors on Thursday, Jones said. The air quality alert could stretch into Friday.
Wildfire Smoke Pushes Detroit's Air Quality to Dangerous Levels — After enduring days of near-100-degree temperatures, Metro Detroit residents were hit with another wave of extreme weather this week as thick smoke from massive wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota blanketed Southeast Michigan, creating hazardous air conditions, disrupting daily life and prompting health officials to issue emergency warnings. Smoke from the wildfires drifted hundreds of miles across Ontario and northern Minnesota before settling over the Detroit area on Thursday and Friday, reducing visibility and creating a dense haze across much of Southeast Michigan. Health officials said air quality in southern Michigan deteriorated Thursday morning to hazardous levels, prompting environmental authorities to classify the situation as an air quality emergency. Officials warned that the smoke posed a serious health risk, particularly for children, older adults and people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions. The dense smoke forced the cancellation of numerous outdoor activities throughout Southeast Michigan and even affected the judicial system. The Wayne County Circuit Court, Michigan’s largest trial court, suspended all court proceedings on Thursday and Friday because of the dangerous air conditions. Highlighting the severity of the event, air quality monitoring website IQAir ranked Detroit as the city with the worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Thursday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 426. Detroit ranked ahead of Toronto (360), Minneapolis (349), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (161), Chicago (155) and Delhi, India (146). As pollution levels reached what officials described as the worst ever recorded in the region, several businesses and entertainment venues temporarily closed. Public swimming pools in several suburbs were shut down, while businesses with outdoor attractions suspended operations. The annual Ann Arbor Art Fair also closed to visitors because of the dense smoke. Residents received emergency alerts on their mobile phones advising them to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed and set air conditioning systems to recirculate indoor air to prevent smoke from entering their homes. The alerts also urged residents to wear protective masks if they had to be outdoors and advised children, seniors and individuals with respiratory illnesses to exercise extreme caution. Meteorologists with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said the smoke episode was expected to last about 48 hours, with forecasted weekend rainfall likely to help clear the air and improve environmental conditions. Smoke from the northern wildfires began reaching southern Michigan on Wednesday, prompting EGLE to issue a statewide air quality advisory warning of elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter capable of causing serious health problems when inhaled. The agency said Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was the first area affected before the smoke spread into the northern Lower Peninsula and eventually reached Metro Detroit. By Thursday, pollution levels in southern Michigan had climbed so high that state and federal environmental officials classified the situation as an environmental emergency. Conditions were even worse in northern Michigan. Brian Hommel, emergency management coordinator for Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula, said ash was literally falling from the sky. “It snowed ash on Wednesday and Thursday,” Hommel told The Detroit News. “When I left home for work, I found a layer of ash covering my car. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Public health experts said the safest response during hazardous smoke events is to remain indoors with windows and doors closed whenever possible. Officials also recommended using air conditioners and indoor air purifiers. Anyone who must spend time outdoors was advised to wear a high-quality respirator, such as an N95 mask. People with asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses face the greatest risk because wildfire smoke can inflame and narrow airways while allowing dangerous gases and microscopic particles to enter the lungs and bloodstream.
Detroit has the worst air quality in the world from Canadian wildfire smoke, IQAir says - — Smoke from wildfires near the Minnesota-Ontario border in Northern Ontario has moved into Michigan and other parts of the country. That smoke has given Detroit the worst air quality in the world, according to the website IQAir.Detroit has a 426 AQI, according to IQAir, which is well above the hazardous level of 301 AQI. Three other cities in the U.S. and one in Canada are in the top five. Toronto ranks second in the world with an AQI of 360, followed by Minneapolis with an AQI of 349.
Code red, unhealthy air quality grips DC area: ‘I can taste it’ – -The Washington, D.C., area is dealing with terrible air quality on Friday because of wildfire smoke drifting from Canada, sparking warnings to stay indoors. The air in D.C. was rated very unhealthy, or code purple, on Friday morning and improved to code red, unhealthy, later in the day. D.C. had the third-worst air quality in the world, behind Chicago and Detroit, according to IQAir. "It's just an ugly, smoky and really warm morning," Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell said. "You should stay inside today. The air quality is just awful.""When the forecast is Purple (very unhealthy), everyone needs to cut back on outdoor activities," AirNow.gov said. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should avoid activities outdoors entirely. Code purple and code red air quality was expected in the DMV Friday. Poor air quality is expected to persist into the night. The air quality was expected to change throughout the day and from neighborhood to neighborhood as wildfire smoke wafts over a large part of the United States. The National Park Service closed the Washington Monument because of the conditions.As the sun rose at Prospect Hill Park in Arlington on Friday, the thick smoke obscured the Air Force Memorial and blocked views of the National Cathedral. Bell said air quality is expected to improve Saturday. Air monitoring officials say Saturday's air quality is expected to be rated code orange, which still poses health risks for people in sensitive groups.
Guardians-Pirates game postponed due to air quality - The smoky air quality in Cleveland has postponed Friday’s Guardians game, the team announced at 4:45 p.m. The game will be rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday with the rescheduled game starting at 1:10 p.m. ET and the original July 18 game moving from 4:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. ET. Gates for the first game (rescheduled game) will open at 12:00 p.m. ET, while gates for the originally scheduled game will open at 5:30 p.m. ET. Fans will be cleared from the ballpark between games. *Please note that Sugardale Dollar Dog Night will not transfer to the Saturday 1:10 p.m. makeup game. Fans holding tickets dated July 17 can use their exact same ticket to enter the 1:10 p.m. game on July 18 and do not have to exchange (they will not be able to attend the night game unless they hold a ticket for that game as well). If fans are unable to attend the makeup game on July 18, they will be able to make an exchange (see below based on how tickets were purchased).
Trump exempts 20 more plants from clean air rules -- President Trump announced this week that he was exempting 20 more polluting facilities from Biden-era regulations, drawing condemnation from environmental advocates. Trump signed a proclamation exempting the facilities from a rule that seeks to rein in toxic chemicals. When it put the rule forward, the Biden administration said it would curb cancer cases within 31 miles of some 200 polluting plants by about 60 percent. Trump said he was exempting 20 facilities from the Biden-era rule because the technology to implement it is not commercially viable. He also said that the plants he’s exempting are an “essential” part of the supply chain for infrastructure, manufacturing, medical device sterilization, semiconductors and defense systems. Environmental advocates issued a press release Thursday criticizing the move, saying it would worsen Americans’ health. “The Trump administration has once again tried to open a back door for polluters to avoid following basic clean air rules,” said Rosalie Winn, senior director and lead counsel for methane and clean air policy at the Environmental Defense Fund, in a written statement. “These protections are intended to keep people safe from some of the most toxic forms of air pollution. Ripping them away will mean more cancer, more children struggling to breathe and more lives cut short.”This is not the first time Trump has moved to exempt industry from air pollution rules. Last year, his administration set up a portal for companies to request exemptions from nine Clean Air Act rules. Since that time, Trump has made several announcements exempting dozens of polluters including chemical, oil, coal and other facilities from clean air rules. Separately, he recently pardoned people who were found to have violated the Clean Air Act by tampering with auto emission controls.
Wildfire rages near Paris as heatwave scorches Europe (Reuters) - A wildfire tore through a historic forest near Paris on Monday, forcing highway closures and mobilising water-bombing aircraft, while Spain's death toll from one of its deadliest wildfires rose to 13, as much of western Europe simmered in a string of heatwaves. The region is enduring its third heatwave of the summer, with tinder-dry vegetation and high temperatures fuelling blazes from the Iberian Peninsula to France. Many scientists say climate change is making wildfires more frequent and difficult to combat. France deployed hundreds of firefighters to tackle a fast-moving blaze that broke out alongside a motorway near Fontainebleau, home to one of France's best-known royal palaces. The death toll from last week's devastating wildfire in Spain's southern province of Almeria reached 13 after a 93-year-old British woman died from burns on Sunday, with 10 people still missing as of Monday, according to authorities. Visiting Almeria on Monday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called to reinforce fire prevention in the country. But the impact of the summer scorchers could be more grim. Scientists monitoring so-called excess deaths said there were thousands more fatalities recorded than normal during a heatwave that swept through Europe and Britain at the end of June. Just 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) from Paris, the Fontainebleau wildfire forced the closure of the A6 highway linking Paris with Lyon and the south, and, for the first time in the Greater Paris area, the dispatch of air assets to contain the blaze which turned the skies black. Smaller fires in the area also disrupted high-speed train services. For the first time, Canadair water-dumping aircraft skimmed over the River Seine filling their tanks. Up to 800 people were evacuated from their homes. Although the fire was largely contained by Monday afternoon, wind gusts made the task challenging, authorities said. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the circumstances of the fire were suspicious: "There were around ten points where the fire started within a 1,000-metre radius, which suggests it may have been started deliberately."
Firefighting planes scrambled from south of France to tackle huge wildfire near Paris -- French firefighters are tackling a blaze of unprecedented scale sweeping through Fontainebleau forest south-east of Paris, while in southern Spain the prime minister visited the scene of a deadly wildfire and warned: “The climate emergency kills.” The fire in Fontainebleau, a one-time royal hunting preserve about 40 miles (60km) from the French capital that today is dotted with villages, began late on Sunday afternoon. The blaze, which is unusual in its proximity to Paris, raced across about 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of forest. By Monday afternoon it had not been contained and “continued to progress moderately”, said Pierre Ory, the prefect of the Seine-et-Marne department. The Paris region remains under the highest heatwave alert. The mayor of Fontainebleau, Julien Gondard, said he was shocked and angered. “This exceptional area is consumed by flames, we’ve never seen anything like this,” he told the local TV station ICI Paris Île-de-France. “The forest is fragile and it’s in a critical condition.” Fire officials said it could take several days to several weeks to fully contain the fire. They described it as “very virulent” and of “exceptional scale”. The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, visiting an operations room in Fontainebleau on Monday, said: “The aim is to contain the fire.” Nuñez said about 900 homes had been evacuated, no homes had yet been burned and no one was injured. He said an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the fire. “The fire began at several points at the end of yesterday afternoon – around 10 points, which would suggest it could have been voluntary in origin. I won’t say more because an investigation is ongoing,” he said. Officials said it could take several weeks to fully contain the fire. Photograph: SDIS 77/Frank Desprez/EPA Nuñez said forest fires had burned 32,000 hectares of land in France so far this year, “already more than the 2025 season and it’s only 13 July”. He added that, since the start of the summer, 44 people had been arrested across the country on suspicion of being responsible for the outbreak of fires. High-speed rail was affected after the fire broke out on Sunday because key lines pass near the forest. The French rail company SNCF said there were delays of up to eight hours for trains arriving at or leaving from Gare de Lyon in Paris. On Monday morning, rail services were returning to normal.
Texas flash floods: Abbott declares disaster in 59 counties | FOX 7 Austin - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 59 counties as flooding hits parts of the state. The Weather Prediction Center has outlined an area in south-central Texas that is at risk of flash floods this week. High-water rescues have been reported in Uvalde County, which is in a high threat zone for flash flooding. Video has shown water covering roads and vehicles being swept away. High-water rescues and water-covered roadways are being reported in parts of Texas as heavy rain slams southern areas of the state. Abbott activated emergency resources over the weekend and stepped up the state’s response with his disaster declaration Tuesday. "The protection of Texans is my top priority," Abbott said. "As severe storms and the threat of dangerous flash flooding continue across the state, this disaster declaration ensures we can rapidly deploy state resources to support local communities. Texas is positioned to respond quickly and effectively. I urge all Texans in affected areas to monitor local weather forecasts, avoid driving through flooded roadways, and have emergency supplies ready." Bexar, Harris and Travis counties are among the counties included in the declaration. Officials said more counties will be added as needed.
Flash flood emergency occurring in same Texas region as Camp Mystic tragedy - The region in Texas currently experiencing dangerous flash flooding is Texas Hill Country, the site of more than 100 flood deaths in July 2025, including dozens of girls at Camp Mystic. There is growing concern about rapidly rising creeks and rivers across the area following hours of torrential rain. Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press conference on Wednesday that disaster declarations have been made for 59 counties, with the possibility of more being added. He said that more than 75 people have been rescued so far and that the expected rainfall from this storm could exceed 30 inches, more than 10 inches from what fell during last year's deadly floods. "We are dealing with and responding to a flood that is likely going to break records," Abbott said. "There are over 1,300 state personnel from more than 30 agencies that are already activated. More than 800 vehicles, more than 75 boats, and 20 aircraft have been deployed. Our primary focus right now and throughout the remainder of this torrential rain is saving lives." The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency warning for Boerne, located in Texas Hill Country about 55 miles southeast of Camp Mystic, on Wednesday afternoon, urging residents to seek higher ground immediately. A rain gauge near Boerne measured 3.5 inches of rain within one hour Wednesday morning, according to the NWS. The Cibolo Creek rose 10 feet in just 90 minutes -- between 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. local time, and measured at a record-high level of more than 22 feet. A flash flood emergency was also issued for D'Hanis, Texas, about 60 miles southwest of Boerne, where between 4 and 10 inches of rain have fallen, according to the NWS. The Seco Creek is rapidly rising, prompting local officials to advise those in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground immediately. Intense rainfall began in parts of Texas Hill Country on Tuesday, where parts of Texas Hill Country received between 6 inches and 16 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. The NWS had previously issued a high risk for flash flooding, a level 4 out of 4, for the same region on Wednesday due to a forecast of an additional 6 to 12 inches of rain. A "high risk" is a rare occurrence. It's only issued about 4% of days -- it but accounts for around one-third of all flood-related fatalities and 80% of all flood-related damages, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flood warnings continue this afternoon for Kerrville, Uvalde,and just north of San Antonio. Between 4 and 12 inches of rain had fallen by noon Wednesday, and an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain were possible in the area. Flash flood warnings continue this afternoon for Kerrville, Uvalde, and just north of San Antonio. Life-threatening flash flooding occurred at low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, according to the NWS. In Uvalde County, about 100 miles southwest of Boerne, at least 25 rescues had occurred by 9 a.m. Additional rescues were underway Wednesday afternoon in North County, where the Leona River gauge has reached nearly 20 feet, according to the Uvalde Police Department. The current round of heavy rain is expected to continue in the region until 8 p.m., forecasts show. Locally catastrophic flash flooding is possible for portions of U.S. 90 corridor, west of San Antonio -- including the southern Edwards Plateau -- and the Rio Grande. The flood watch across Texas Hill Country remains in effect through Thursday. The same area faces a level 3 of 4 risk for flash flooding on Thursday, with the heaviest rain expected between 2 a.m. and 4 p.m. Another round of heavy rain could occur Thursday night. Isolated additional rain totals of more than a foot are possible through Thursday, forecasts show.
Rare Atlantic Niña develops as strengthening El Niño points to quieter 2026 Atlantic hurricane season A rare Atlantic Niña has developed across the equatorial Atlantic while El Niño continues strengthening in the tropical Pacific. Although Atlantic Niña events are relatively uncommon, forecasters say the developing pattern could reinforce atmospheric conditions that typically suppress tropical cyclone formation across the Atlantic basin. A rare Atlantic Niña has developed across the equatorial Atlantic while a rapidly strengthening El Niño continues to intensify in the tropical Pacific. The combination of these opposing ocean temperature anomalies could influence atmospheric circulation over North America during the remainder of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and into the coming winter. Playlist advancing in 5 seconds Atlantic Niña is characterized by below-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean and typically develops during the Northern Hemisphere summer. Sea surface temperatures across parts of the eastern equatorial Atlantic are currently between 1 and 3°C (1.8 to 5.4°F) below average. The broad area of cold anomalies is consistent with an Atlantic Niña event, according to an analysis by Andrej Flis of Severe Weather Europe. “Atlantic Niña events are not unprecedented, but strong summer events are relatively rare. If the current cooling persists and the seasonal anomaly ends below −0.5°C (−0.9°F), the 2026 event would become only the sixth such Atlantic Niña in more than 40 years of historical data,” Andrej Flis od Severe Weather Europe said. A strengthening “Super El Niño,” combined with the Atlantic Niña, could create an “atmospheric shield” over the United States by favoring conditions that suppress tropical cyclone development across the Atlantic basin. During an Atlantic Niña, the number of tropical cyclones is about 50% lower than during an Atlantic Niño, including storms making landfall in the United States. The developing Atlantic Niña may further reinforce changes in tropical convection by reducing thunderstorm activity over the eastern tropical Atlantic and modifying the position and strength of the Atlantic subtropical high. Together, these changes can reshape atmospheric circulation across the Atlantic basin and influence the environments through which tropical disturbances travel. The Pacific component of this year’s climate pattern is already well established. NOAA announced in June that El Niño had officially developed and forecast that it would strengthen to at least moderate or strong intensity during the second half of 2026. Current forecasts show exceptionally high confidence that El Niño will persist into early 2027, with an 81% probability of becoming a very strong event by late autumn and a 97% probability that El Niño conditions will continue through early spring 2027. Strong El Niño events have historically been associated with fewer Atlantic hurricanes because they enhance vertical wind shear across the Main Development Region, where many long-track tropical cyclones originate. El Niño also alters the Walker circulation across the tropical Pacific and strengthens upper-level westerly winds over the tropical Atlantic. These stronger winds increase vertical wind shear—the change in wind speed and direction with height—which disrupts the organization of developing tropical cyclones and generally reduces Atlantic hurricane activity.
Low-altitude flights reveal Amazon methane emissions far above climate model estimates Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere has risen sharply in recent decades. Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, but large uncertainties remain about how much methane comes from wetlands and how these emissions may increase in response to a changing climate. Tropical wetlands, including those in the Amazon, produce substantial amounts of methane, but accurately estimating their emission sources and magnitudes remains difficult. One reason is the lack of measurement data, especially in the tropics, where extensive cloud cover interferes with satellite observations and ground-based measurements are sparse. An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has determined, using aircraft measurements, that actual emissions in the Amazon region were significantly higher than those estimated by climate and Earth system models. In certain areas, methane emissions are even four times as high as previously calculated. The findings, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, have important implications for the accuracy of climate projections. "The discrepancies between model calculations and reality motivated me to find out where the missing methane comes from," says Linda Ort of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. The atmospheric chemist and lead author of the study notes that at altitudes of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) or higher, the measured and modeled data align quite well. However, the closer to Earth's surface, the greater the discrepancy. On average, the measured methane levels were about twice as high above background as the corresponding model values. At the time of the measurements in December 2022 and January 2023, the background level in the atmosphere was about 1,907 parts per billion (ppb), but it has risen again since then. The unit ppb (parts per billion) is used to precisely describe very low mixing ratios, such as those found in trace gases in the atmosphere. Ort attributes the agreement at high altitudes to the fact that methane mixes well in the atmosphere and the models accurately represent the transport of air masses and mixing effects. However, the models fail at lower altitudes. A closer examination of the sources revealed that, in some areas, Amazon wetlands release up to four times more methane than previously assumed. Broken down by wetland type, the values were, for example, 26% higher at river deltas, 19% higher at reservoirs and 13% higher in regularly flooded river areas. The researchers collected their data over a two-month period from December 2022 to January 2023. This time window falls precisely during the transition from the dry season to the wet season—a phase in which biomass burning typically does not occur, meaning the measurements were not strongly affected by human activity. While methane emissions are even higher during the rainy season, they are lower during the dry season, which roughly balances them out. Thus, the two months during which the measurements took place roughly correspond to the annual average of wetland emissions.
New law makes way for carbon capture and sequestration in Ohio - Farm and Dairy — Ohio is one step closer to gaining primacy over Class VI injection wells after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 170 into law on June 24, which establishes a regulatory framework for carbon capture and sequestration technology in the state. CCS is the practice of capturing carbon emissions and injecting them into the ground for long-term storage via Class VI wells. House Bill 170, introduced by Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Waterford, and Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Sabina, establishes rules for CCS, a necessary first step for a state to obtain primacy from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “For years, burdensome federal regulations have slowed investment and limited growth in this industry,” Peterson said, in a press release. “House Bill 170 creates a more efficient path forward that strengthens Ohio’s energy future, supports responsible development and positions our state to compete for new jobs and economic opportunities.” Class VI wells are permitted by the federal EPA in all but six states that have primacy: North Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, West Virginia, Arizona and Texas. More states are seeking primacy because it allows them to permit wells faster than the federal process. Last year alone, three states obtained primacy — West Virginia was granted primacy in February 2025, followed by Arizona in September and Texas in November. House Bill 170 establishes definitions for CCS operations, including “pore space” as “subsurface cavities and voids, whether naturally or artificially created, that are used for sequestration.” It also creates language recognizing the owner of pore space as the landowner who owns the surface rights and water of a property. Pore space leasing will work similarly to leasing mineral rights for oil and gas operations. Under the new law, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resources will oversee Class VI injection wells permitting and is required to notify “pore space” owners of a CCS project occurring on their property 30 days after an application is deemed complete. If operators can’t get a landowner to sign over their pore space rights, the bill states that an operator must have at least 70% of landowners’ approval in the proposed project area to proceed — something called “forced pooling.” The bill also sets up funds to support the local community with money coming from operator fees. This includes a fee of five cents for each metric ton of carbon dioxide injected, funneled into a carbon dioxide storage facility fund for post-closure care, like maintenance of the wells. The Senate Energy Committee added language to create a host community fund to the bill, requiring operators to pay three cents for each metric ton of carbon injected into a storage facility. The community fund will be available to the county commissioners, townships, municipal corporations or school districts to be used for infrastructure improvements, parks and recreation, education and public safety. Proponents of this technology — including oil and gas companies and farm/biofuels groups — see it as a way to reduce the carbon footprint of energy operations and bring in new markets to the state. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation testified in support of the bill: “This legislation could draw new ethanol and biofuels plants to Ohio, creating a central market for Ohio’s crops amidst one of the most unstable agricultural economies we’ve experienced,” said Evan Callicoat, director of state policy for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, at a March committee hearing for the bill. Meanwhile, opponents, including environmental groups like Save Ohio Parks and Buckeye Environment Network, say that CCS would require more energy infrastructure, including a pipeline to transport CO2, which could harm landowners and the environment. “The carbon capture pipelines and injection wells would steal more land, create more threats for farmland and create more risks for humans, animals and vegetables,” said Mick Luber, an organic vegetable farmer in Harrison County, at a May hearing for the bill. In the past, pipelines transporting CO2 have led to explosions, including an incident in Satartia, Mississippi, in February 2020, when a pipeline ruptured after weeks and months of rain led the uneven ground to shift. The CO2, an invisible and poisonous gas, caused nearby residents to fall unconscious and others to have lasting respiratory and cognitive problems. According to EPA data, there are 12 Class VI injection well applications filed in Ohio already and two active injection wells in the United States. House Bill 170 will go into effect in September.
Trump clears path for mining across shrunken Utah monuments - President Donald Trump opened the door to mine for coal, uranium and minerals across a massive swath of federal land in Utah on Monday after shrinking the footprint of two national monuments. The rescissions open up nearly 3 million acres of land, including acreage that could be ripe for mineral exploration and development. That includes coal-rich lands within the footprint of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and uranium deposits near the Bears Ears National Monument, said Brian Somers, president of the Utah Mining Association. “There’s definitely potential. The areas around Bears Ears are definitely part of Utah’s uranium belt and the lands around, in the Grand-Staircase are known to contain some of our largest coal reserves,” said Somers. “There’s also potential for other critical mineral development in those areas.” But it’s unclear what the Trump administration’s actions will deliver for the industry, even with mineral potential and the strong support for exploration from state leaders in Utah. Political outrage over Trump’s move to shrink the monuments — which fly in the face of years of lobbying for protections from a coalition of Native American tribes — could dampen industry’s appetite.
Plug Power Sells Green Hydrogen Site in Texas to Data Center Developer | RBN Energy - Plug Power said July 13 it has agreed to sell its planned Graham, TX, green hydrogen project (#9 in map below) to Stream Data Centers for up to $76.5 million. The sale includes land and 164 MW of grid-connection assets. As noted in this week’s Hydrogen Billboard, the transaction represents a growing trend in hydrogen and related clean-energy projects, as industrial sites with substantial power access are increasingly being redirected toward data centers because those projects can often generate higher and faster returns than energy-transition infrastructure. Plug will receive $50 million at closing and up to $26.5 million based on the load capacity that will be confirmed in Stream’s final interconnection agreement with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).Stream Data Centers is one of the largest privately held U.S. developers of hyperscale data centers. Rather than operating a public cloud like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure, Stream develops, builds, owns and operates the physical facilities that cloud providers, AI companies and large enterprises lease for their computing infrastructure. Founded in 1999, Dallas-based Stream’s primary markets include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and San Antonio, and other major data-center hubs.The Graham site would have produced about 45 metric tons per day (MT/d) of liquid green hydrogen using electricity from nearby West Texas wind generation. It was to be the first of up to six projects built under a $1.66 billion loan guarantee announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) in the closing days of the Biden administration in January 2025. The status of the other projects that were to be built under the loan guarantee was not detailed in Plug's announcement.
Flawless – More on How Hyperscalers Mitigate the Impacts of Their Fast-Rising Use of Natural Gas - There are several approaches environmentally inclined hyperscalers can take to mitigate the climate-related impacts of their increasing consumption of natural gas for data centers. These include buying and retiring environmental credits for low-methane-intensity (low-MI) gas; capturing and sequestering most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by their gas plants; developing new wind, solar and geothermal projects (either onsite or elsewhere) to offset the gas-fired generation; and buying power from existing nuclear units and/or supporting the development of new ones. In today’s RBN blog, we continue our look at what hyperscalers are doing to mitigate the impacts of their growing reliance on natural gas.As we said in Part 1, many of the nation’s largest hyperscalers — companies like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft — now acknowledge that the need to rapidly ramp up the availability of around-the-clock electricity to power their new data centers gives them little choice but to rely heavily on gas-fired generation, at least for the near term. The catch is that these gas-dependent plans conflict head-on with the companies’ long-stated “net zero” goals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so many of these same AI giants are taking aggressive steps to mitigate the environmental impact of their fast-rising gas use. We also summarized the major hyperscalers’ stated goals for reducing GHGs and the new challenges they face in meeting those goals, and identified the primary approaches that hyperscalers are leaning into — noted just above.Today, we will put a little more meat on those bones, focusing initially on what seems sure to be a popular tactic, namely the purchase and retirement of low-MI gas certificates (aka MiQ certificates) tied to natural gas that has been independently certified as having very low methane intensity. As we said a while back in our Drill Down Report on certified gas (aka differentiated gas), there are a variety of efforts underway in the U.S. and elsewhere to make the natural gas piece of the global energy puzzle as clean as it can be. A primary focus of these efforts is on reducing as much as possible the amount of methane (CH4) — the main ingredient in natural gas — that is released into the atmosphere along its route from the production well to the end-user’s burner tip.There’s good reason for zeroing in on methane emissions. Methane is a particularly potent GHG, with 84 times the atmospheric heat-trapping effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the short term (five to 20 years). That means reducing methane emissions along the gas value chain has quick and very positive climate effects.Certified gas is natural gas that an independent auditor has verified against a third-party standard, thereby providing a credible and transparent accounting of emissions performance. For the most part, the certified gas movement has focused on the upstream end, namely where gas is produced, either in gas-focused plays like the Marcellus/Utica and the Haynesville or crude-oil-focused plays like the Permian and the Bakken, where large volumes of associated gas (a mix of methane, NGLs and various impurities) emerges from wells with crude oil.In much of the U.S., between 1% and 2% of the gas emerging from “uncertified” wells escapes into the atmosphere, thereby giving the gas produced at those wells an MI score of between 1 and 2. The aim of the certification movement is to reduce the MI of gas production to less than 0.5 — and, ideally, to less than 0.2 or even 0.05. This reduction is achieved through a variety of measures such as replacing “high-bleed” pneumatics (valves and controllers) with “low-bleed” or “no-bleed” alternatives; accelerating the replacement of compressor seals; and expanding leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs. MiQ, which established the most widely used standards for gas-related MI and has already certified about 30% of U.S. gas production, gives gas with an MI of 0.5 a letter grade of “D” and gives better grades to gas with an MI of 0.2 (“C”), 0.1 (“B”) and 0.05 (“A”). Most of the gas certified by MiQ so far gets an “A” — see Figure 1 above. You can see why buying either bundled low-MI (i.e., gas with a high MiQ grade) certified gas (physical gas that has been certified, plus its related MiQ certificates) or unbundled MiQ certificates on the spot market (through either the CG Hub or Xpansiv’s CBL Global Spot Exchange) may well be of interest to a hyperscaler or developer needing vast amounts of natural gas for its data center. While certified gas costs slightly more — the premium depending in part on the letter grade the gas gets from MiQ — the buyer (and “retirer”) of the related MiQ certificate can demonstrate that it has taken steps to mitigate the climate impact of its gas use. (By the way, one MiQ certificate is equal to 1 MMBtu, or about 1 Mcf, of certified gas; click here to see MiQ’s online calculator for certificate buyers.).For a real-world example of how certified gas and MiQ certificates can be used by hyperscalers, consider a request for proposals (RFP) for regionally sourced MiQ certificates that Meta announced in May and started in mid-June. (It ran through July 8.) In its announcement, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp explained, “We aim to use our purchasing power to create demand for certified low-methane gas and support responsible methane management across the natural gas supply chain. To advance this goal, we are conducting a targeted RFP to identify interventions that specifically mitigate emissions from upstream natural gas production.”Meta did not specify how many MiQ certificates it is seeking through the RFP, but noted that the certificates must be related to “production, processing, transportation and storage in natural gas basins that deliver to our New Albany, OH, data center. At this time, we are only seeking MiQ certificates associated with the natural gas infrastructure in Ohio, Pennsylvania and/or West Virginia that delivers to this data center.” Meta has announced agreements with Williams Cos. under which Williams — best-known for its gas pipelines but more recently branching out into power development — will build, own and operate several behind-the-meter (BTM) generation projects in the New Albany area. Meta and Williams have already announced three New Albany power projects that are collectively known as Project Socrates. These are Socrates South (200 MW of gas turbines and gas-fired reciprocating engines, according to the Ohio Power Siting Board, or OPSB; due online in Q3 2026), Socrates North (200 MW of gas turbines and gas-fired reciprocating engines; due online in Q4 2026), and STY (250 MW of gas turbines and gas-fired reciprocating engines and a 116-MW battery energy storage system, or BESS; due online in H2 2028). In May, Williams unveiled plans for another, even larger BTM power complex in New Albany — Project Neo (500 MW of gas turbines and gas-fired reciprocating engines and a 260-MW BESS, according to the OPSB; due online in H2 2028) — but has not said if Meta is the counterparty. One more thing about Williams: To ensure its new BTM power plants in New Albany have ample supplies of gas, the company has been developing its Aristotle pipeline project, which involves installing several miles of new 24-inch-diameter pipe in the area. (The run to Plato South has already been completed.) As we noted just above, Meta’s RFP is soliciting offers to provide only MiQ certificates — not the physical gas itself (that’s Williams’s responsibility) — but with a twist. While many or most of the companies that buy MiQ certificates day to day to help meet their environmental goals do not care if those certificates are tied to gas produced anywhere near where they will use it (i.e., the “national book & claim” method, often shortened to “book & claim”), Meta does care, the idea being that it’s making an extra effort to reduce the MI and GHG impact of the gas produced in the nearby Marcellus/Utica, the likely source of virtually all the gas molecules that will flow to Williams’s New Albany-area power plants. Meta appears to be using the book & claim approach with the added requirement that the gas tied to the MiQ certificates is produced in Ohio, Pennsylvania or West Virginia — production areas very close to the data center. (Click here for a list of MiQ-certified production the Marcellus/Utica and elsewhere.) In other words, it could be argued that Meta and other companies that buy MiQ certificates tied to gas that might reasonably make its way to their sites are employing the “regional book & claim” method, under which the certified low-MI gas is required to flow into the same pipeline network that supplies the certificate buyer.That depends on the degree to which Meta insists that the gas tied to its MiQ certificates flows through pipelines that run to New Albany. One thing Meta is clearly not using in its RFP is the even more aggressive (and unproven) “trace & claim” method, in which a buyer of bundled certified gas (again, physical gas that has been certified, plus its related MiQ certificates) holds a contractual agreement to buy gas from a specific low-MI producer and can demonstrate a plausible pipeline path for that gas from the producer’s wells to the power plant. As we see it, the trace & claim method is a bridge too far, given the murkiness about which gas molecules end up where after traveling scores or hundreds of miles through interconnected pipeline systems. In an upcoming blog, we will discuss the three other primary alternatives for hyperscalers seeking to mitigate the GHG impact of their sharply higher gas use: (1) capturing and sequestering most of the CO2 their gas plants generate, (2) developing new renewable-energy capacity to offset their gas-fired generation, and (3) ramping up their use of nuclear power, again to offset their gas use.
Virginia woman learns Dominion can seize one third of her land for 185-foot power pole - A Virginia homeowner says the cost of the data center boom may soon be measured in her own backyard. State regulators have approved a Dominion Energy transmission plan that would use about one-third of her land, according to NBC Washington. On June 29, Virginia's State Corporation Commission approved transmission-line route 3A for Dominion Energy's Golden to Mars project. Ashburn resident Vicky Hu told NBC Washington that the route goes directly through her land. For more than a year, she has been trying to put a stop to the plan. She said that the route would create a 100- to 150-foot-wide corridor through her backyard, remove around 400 trees from her property, and take about one-third of the land. "Last year, we were living in hell," Hu told the outlet. The full transmission line in Northern Virginia's Data Center Alley would run for more than eight miles, and the pole slated for Hu's yard would reportedly be taller than the Statue of Liberty. In addition to broader concerns about private property rights, residents say the region's data center wealth is coming with direct costs for communities. Although data centers have brought billions of dollars into Loudoun County, Dominion recently warned customers to expect electric bill increases of about $8 per month, per NBC Washington. "People are angry with data centers, because we've been sacrificed. Our rights have been sacrificed," Hu told the outlet. The project is also expected to affect nearby schools, even though the State Corporation Commission turned down another proposal that would have cut closer to schools than route 3A. "It's going to have a great deal of impact on everybody in this community, and it is very difficult to stand here and realize how close it is to the schools and where the students are all day," Loudoun County School Board Chair April Chandler said, per NBC Washington.
Family says they're forced to sell home to help power data centers -- Sell your home, or the state will take it — that's the ultimatum some homeowners in Georgia say they are facing amid the AI boom. Utility giant Georgia Power is planning to build a new transmission line to in part help power new data centers. It estimates 70-80% of the power on the new line will help serve data centers and the remaining 20-30% of power will serve the state's growing residential and commercial demand. Georgia homeowners are being forced from their homes to help power AI data centers the state will take it utility giant Georgia power is According to the company, increasing demand has outpaced the capacity of its existing grid and building a new transmission line requires acquiring more than 300 parcels of land, including residential properties. Ansley Brown's childhood home that she said was built when she was 5 or 6 years old is just one of the properties impacted. "It's ours," she told CBS News. "It's our family. We belong here." Her mother wanted the property to serve as "true generational wealth," Brown said, adding that now "it's being stripped from us." "It's theft" Brown's mother recently came to an agreement with Georgia Power to sell. If she didn't, Brown said the utility could have sought to acquire the property through eminent domain — which is a legal process that allows private property to be taken, with compensation, for projects determined to serve a public purpose. "To us it's theft. It's literally a billion-dollar company stealing land from smaller people, people who can't fight back. We don't have the money to fight Georgia Power," Brown said. Holly Lovett, a spokesperson for Georgia Power, said eminent domain "is always … a last resort for us and it's something we never want to do." The company said it feels as if it's done the process responsibly, but Brown disagrees. "You can't tear down 35 miles of rural Georgia and it not hurt something or somebody. And to say that you're doing it in the name of data centers is a slap in the face to us, our community, our animals," she said. A few months ago Brown took her story to TikTok and began sharing stories of others in similar situations. She said that while she knows it's too late to save her home, she doesn't want to see this happen to others. "My mom wants an apology. She wants an apology from Georgia Power. That's it," Brown said. "For an entire year, they have bullied her and there is no sorry. So that's what we want. We want an apology from Georgia Power. " When asked if the utility company is willing to apologize, Georgia Power told CBS News they "have worked hard to be transparent, negotiate in good faith" and "make the process as easy as possible." As for who is behind the data centers, the company said it doesn't publish lists of customers to protect safety and security.
Lawsuit: $15B Wisconsin data center lacks required environmental review - The Sierra Club is suing in Wisconsin court to overturn the approval of a massive new hyperscale data center near Lake Michigan. The new lawsuit announced Friday challenges the decision by state regulators to issue a construction permit for the $15 billion Lighthouse project in Port Washington, Wisconsin — without conducting the most rigorous type of analysis of its potential risks. The lawsuit is part of growing public backlash nationwide to the resource demands from rapidly proliferating data centers, including water use, power and planet-warming emissions. The Sierra Club decided to sue after it obtained emails through public records requests showing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reversed plans to conduct an environmental impact statement of the facility following concerns from the project’s developers that such a review would “kill the project.”
Data centers heat up Ohio Senate race - -- Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown is seizing on data center concerns as he looks to defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted in one of November’s most watched races.Brown started running a new television advertisement last week, labeling Husted as a chief ally to the data center industry and tying him to projects that are being blamed for energy price increases.The new ad — in a contest that could decide control of the Senate next year — shows how data centers have become a top priority for local and national politicians. While initially a sleeper issue in the midterms, data centers could be critical in a number of key races as Democrats look to take the majority in the House and Senate.
$4 billion Ohio data center proposal on hold after tentative deal -— A legal battle over a proposed $4 billion Amazon data center in Wilmington, Ohio has reached a tentative agreement after the case was heard by a federal judge in Cincinnati this week. The case centers around a group of Wilmington homeowners who live next to a former 472-acre farm being considered for Amazon's 1.9 million square foot data center. The homeowners challenged a series of noise and zoning ordinances approved by Wilmington's city council last year. They are represented by attorneys J.P. Burleigh and Sean Suder with the Cincinnati based law firm, Suder LLC. After hearing three days of testimony and evidence this week, federal judge Jeffrey Hopkins determined there was "uncontested" evidence that the City of Wilmington violated Ohio's public notice requirements for zoning amendments after failing to mail meeting notices homeowners or give them a chance to weigh in before approving the ordinances. On Thursday, Judge Hopkins said evidence presented this week merits the case should continue, while stopping short of ordering a preliminary injunction. Instead, judge Hopkins urged attorneys for the City of Wilmington, Amazon, and the homeowners to reach an agreement. During testimony this week, it was revealed that Public Service Director Michael Crowe, a member of the city's planning commission, signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Amazon. Testimony also revealed Crowe and Wilmington Mayor Patrick Haley were actively engaged in secret negotiations with the company over the project code named "Apollo," while advancing legislation favorable to the company's multi-billion-dollar development proposal. It remains unclear if Mayor Haley signed an NDA. At the same time, elected leaders responsible for deciding on ordinance changes, and the community were unaware of Amazon's intent to build a data center in Wilmington. Testimony also revealed that Amazon specifically requested the ordinance changes, according to witnesses Brandy Schaeffer, an Amazon employee, and Josh Roth, the Clinton County Port Authority's economic development director. However, attorneys for the city and Amazon disputed any allegations that the ordinances were passed to favor the development. All eight council members signed non-disclosure agreements with Amazon after the 2025 ordinances were approved. Judge Hopkins also concluded that the Wilmington City Council violated Ohio's Open Meetings Act when entering into executive session on October 2, 2025. Testimony during the hearing confirmed representatives of Amazon and members of the Clinton County Port Authority asked members of City Council to sign NDA's during the meeting behind closed doors. "Here, the minutes do not reflect that Wilmington's City Council determined 'that the executive session [was] necessary to protect the interests of the applicant or the possible investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project,' judge Hopkins wrote in a notation order on Thursday. After three days of arguments in federal court, all parties agreed to a tentative agreement that will bar the city from moving forward on approval of Amazon's data center site plan under the existing ordinances. The city's planning commission may hold informational meetings about the proposal with conditions, according to the agreement expected to be finalized Friday. Those include allowing members of the public to speak, present expert testimony, bring legal counsel, and cross-examine witnesses. Attorneys for the Wilmington homeowners must also be notified at least two weeks before a meeting occurs. "This was born of the due process concerns stemming from how we were silenced in March," said Jessica Sharp, the Wilmington homeowner who initially filed suit in Clinton County earlier this year.Her home in Wilmington's Timber Glen neighborhood, sits just 50 feet from the property line of Amazon's proposed development. She would not have purchased her home had she been aware of the large-scale development in her backyard, Sharp said.The implications on her family, including her daughter with autism, living near a development that could emit constant noise, and light brought her to take action, she said. More than a dozen Wilmington homeowners have spent tens of thousands of dollars on legal representation, they have since launched a GoFundMe to support their challenge.
Wilmington data center back to Square One after judge rules ordinances weren't legal - (WDTN) — Some people in Wilmington now feel like they have taken a step in the right direction after they say a judge has ruled in their favor in their fight against a data center. The ruling effectively means that if the city of Wilmington and Amazon want to continue pursuing the facility, they could need to start all over, but this time with residents’ input being heard every step of the way. Jessica Sharp, one of the residents who filed a lawsuit against the city, says that the case has been ruled in their favor. This all started from a lawsuit filed by a group of Wilmington residents who felt like their voices were not being heard. “The bare minimum that we’re asking for here is for the city to follow the law,” said Jessica Sharp, one of the residents who filed the lawsuit. “That should not be controversial.” A judge found that the ordinances that were set for the Amazon data center had fatal defects regarding laws on public notice and input, meaning the current ordinances in place cannot be used and no site plan can move forward. Any plans that were set for the Amazon data center, both in ordinances and their site plan, will now have to be done from scratch at the very beginning. Amazon and the city will have to hold meetings from the beginning on the data center, but this time can expect much more public involvement. Jessica says she feels that this will provide more clarity moving forward, as she felt the process was done too fast. “The first time around, not only did city council not know what they were voting for, the public had no idea,” she says. Jessica says that even though she feels this is a step in the right direction, she is keeping her hopes in check. “I think maybe I am more cautious than others because after everything I’ve seen out of this city, I just simply am not optimistic that they intend to do things the right way or with transparency,” she says.
New York becomes first state to halt AI data centers—will others follow? New York has become the first U.S. state to stop the construction of large new data centers, over concerns about their impact on energy use, the environment, and communities. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a one-year pause on the building of new large-scale data center facilities, citing concerns about rising electricity demand, utility costs, environmental impacts, and pressure on local communities. “As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said, according to Reuters. The pause will apply to major projects while state regulators conduct a comprehensive review and develop new standards for future development. Officials will examine issues including energy use, water consumption, and impacts on local communities before determining how future data center projects should proceed. The move places New York at the forefront of efforts to balance AI-driven economic growth with concerns about energy demand, water consumption and grid reliability. The one-year moratorium applies to large data centers using 50 megawatts or more of electricity, according to officials in Hochul’s office, as reported by Reuters. During the pause, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation will not issue new discretionary permits for covered projects that have not already completed the approval process. At the same time, state officials will undertake a broad environmental review intended to establish statewide standards for future developments. The review will examine the impact data centers have on electricity grids, water resources, land use, pollution, and nearby communities. Hochul also plans to pursue legislation that would repeal certain sales tax exemptions for large-scale data centers, signaling a broader reassessment of how New York regulates and incentivizes the industry. The announcement follows the passage of the Responsible Data Center Development Act in the New York Legislature, which seeks to establish new guardrails around large data center projects and require greater scrutiny of their environmental and economic impact. The rapid growth of AI has sparked an unprecedented demand for data centers, which house the servers needed to process and store vast amounts of information. Supporters argue the facilities are essential for technological innovation, but critics warn that they can place significant strain on local infrastructure. For New York residents, the state’s concerns focus on whether large data centers could:
- Contribute to higher electricity costs
- Place additional pressure on water supplies
- Increase demands on an already aging power grid
State officials have said the review process will help determine how future projects can move forward while minimizing impacts on communities and ratepayers. The decision comes as states across the country grapple with how to accommodate the infrastructure required to support AI while also protecting consumers from rising utility costs and other unintended consequences.
NY Gov. Hochul Goes BANANA, Bans Data Centers for at Least 1 Year -- Marcellus Drilling News - New York Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday had the ignominious distinction of signing an Executive Order establishing the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, temporarily pausing state environmental permit issuance for up to 1 year. New York is CLOSED for business. We wonder if this decision jeopardizes a $100 BILLION project in the Syracuse area: a new chip-making plant by Micron. The Micron plant will build the chips used by hyperscale data centers — the same data centers Hochul just banned. How’s that for a kick in Micron’s teeth?
Proposed data center development moves closer to reality in Tri-State city - (WKRC) - A proposed data center development in Butler County moved closer to reality after the city of Trenton approved a tax abatement for tech company Prologis. The data center site is designated as a Community Reinvestment Area, or CRA. A CRA agreement approved Thursday includes a 75% property tax exemption for each building Prologis constructs for the data center for 15 years. A proposed data center development in Butler County moved closer to reality after the city of Trenton approved a tax abatement for tech company Prologis. (WKRC, Provided) The agreement says Prologis will create 120 jobs and pay millions of dollars to the city and local schools over time. But Trenton resident Barry Blankenship criticized the deal and said city leaders are not listening to residents. “The way they’re doing it makes it feel like they’re trying to shove it down our throat because this is what they want. They are not listening to the citizens,” Blankenship said. Blankenship said the abatement will significantly reduce what the project would otherwise contribute in taxes. “They’re going to be getting more than $2 million a year back in those abatements, where that money’s not coming to us or to schools, to the children, where it could have really been used. And if we have to give abatement like that to bring businesses in, then somewhere or another, those business models are skewed,” Blankenship said. Trenton Mayor Ryan Perry addressed similar concerns Thursday night, acknowledging the city would receive more without the abatement while noting abatements are common for businesses in Trenton. “So, you are correct. Without the abatement, we would be getting more from them. But I’m going to be honest with you, every business that we have in the city of Trenton has an abatement of some kind,” Perry said. Blankenship has also circulated a local petition opposing data centers, similar to a statewide petition effort. The petition is currently under review, and Blankenship said it should make the November ballot. “I am surrounded by a good group of people, and even though sometimes it feels like the city keeps slapping us down, we’re resilient. We have hope and we have faith in what we’re doing, and we are fighters and will not quit,” Blankenship said. The data center proposal is also tied to a broader land issue involving a potential annexation. In May, a Saint Clair Township trustee said they were surprised to learn Trenton wanted to annex land totaling 600 acres in both Saint Clair and Madison townships.
Amazon’s Bucks County Data Center to Use 280 Gas Backup Generators -- Marcellus Drilling News - In June, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro took credit for brokering a really huge deal for Amazon to invest $20 billion in three data center locations across the state (see Amazon Investing $20 Billion to Build AI Data Centers in Eastern PA). Two of the three locations were announced: Luzerne County (near Wilkes-Barre) and Bucks County (near Philadelphia). Of course, these data centers will need massive amounts of electricity to power them. It’s just coming to light now that the Bucks County site will use electricity from the local grid, supplied by PECO. However, there are times when the grid experiences power outages. In that case, Amazon plans to install and operate 280 natural gas-fired generators for backup power.
Largest US Power Grid Is 6.8 Gigawatts Short To Ensure Reliability On Historic Data Center Boom The largest US power grid failed for a third straight year to secure enough future supply commitments to ensure reliability for the future amid a historic boom in data center demand. PJM Interconnection, the largest US power grid (Regional Transmission Organization), which serves 67 million customers in 13 states and Washington, DC, said its auction to procure power for the year starting June 2028 fell 6.8 gigawatts short of what it will need to guarantee system reliability during demand spikes, in a statement released Tuesday. The shortfall is equivalent to almost seven traditional nuclear reactors. The result ramps up pressure on a grid that’s home to Virginia’s Data Center Alley, the biggest concentration of data centers in the US, and has borne the brunt of criticism for the struggle to manage the AI boom and sufficiently protect customers from soaring costs. Attention now shifts to an emergency procurement mechanism later this year that aims to shift the burden of ramping up power generation to hyperscalers. PJM Interconnection today announced the results of its 2028/2029 Base Residual Auction (BRA), which secured 138,318 MW of unforced capacity generation (UCAP) and demand response to meet projected electricity needs for the more than 67 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia, which fall under the RTO's umbrella. Regions under the Fixed Resource Requirement (FRR) acquired an additional 10,864 MW in UCAP, for a total of 149,182 MW in UCAP available to serve forecasted peak electricity demand, plus a reserve margin. UCAP represents a generation resource’s maximum output adjusted for its estimated ability to reliably perform at times of highest system risk. The capacity of the resources procured in the auction, plus FRR resources, is short of PJM’s reliability requirement by 6,831 MW, meaning that the committed supply is less than what would be required to meet the one-event-in-10-year reliability standard (and with electricity-guzzling data centers popping up almost daily these days, the one-event-in-10-year has become a daily occurrence). This shortfall was not unexpected given the conditions PJM has been observing, including a shortfall of approximately 6,500 MW in the previous capacity auction (for the 2027/2028 Delivery Year). These most recent auctions were the first in PJM history in which the entire RTO fell short of the reliability requirement. PJM plans to seek FERC approval to hold a special “Backstop Procurement” in September to help address the near-term shortfall in electricity supply. In coordination with the governors of all 13 PJM states and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, PJM established a price cap and floor, or collar, for four capacity auctions to protect both consumers and investors from market volatility. This was the third consecutive auction with the price collar. The clearing price came in at the FERC-approved price ceiling of $325 per megawatt-day which will show up in users’ monthly utility bills; the price was a 2.5% decrease from the 2027/2028 Base Residual Auction cap of $333.44 per megawatt day. Costs would be even higher if not for the price cap first negotiated in 2024. While that has helped keep a (loose) lid on costs, PJM has been among those to say that the system also means there isn’t a sufficient price signal for producers to build new power generation. The table below from the PJM statement shows what prices would have been without a price cap. For 2028/2029, all prices cleared at $554.72 except the COMED LDA, which cleared at $776.69. In other words, absent a regulatory cap, the price of electricity would be 70% higher ($554.72 vs $325).
Indiana wants to be in charge of its own coal ash dumps - Great Lakes Now (Energy News Roundup) Indiana has the most coal ash sites in the country. Now it wants to be the first state in the Great Lakes region to oversee how the toxic waste from coal-burning power plants is disposed of and managed. The state’s recent application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its own coal ash permitting program, which would be the largest in the country due to the high number of coal ash disposal sites in Indiana, comes as the Trump administration loosens regulations on these sites nationally. Ohio is making bank on its public lands. Since early 2024, the state has leased more than 20,000 acres of its parks and wildlife areas to oil and gas companies — and has made $314 million, Signal Ohio reported. Most of the money came from one-time signing bonuses for mineral rights in Harrison County, according to a Signal analysis. The practice has faced opposition from environmentalists who say the revenue from fracking under public lands isn’t worth the risk.In Michigan, the first nuclear reactor to come back from retirement may be just a few months from its highly anticipated restart. Holtec International recently announced it had “reached a watershed moment” by completing all major restoration projects at the Palisades nuclear plant on the shore of Lake Michigan and transitioned to routine work in preparation for startup. The company said “work is being managed around the clock” on the more than 5,000 tasks left to complete.Wisconsin is poised to say goodbye at last to downtown Green Bay’s century-old coal piles. County officials reached a deal with the coal piles’ owner last year to slowly move these remnants of the city’s industrial past from their prominent site along the Fox River. Now the county has signed a 60-year lease agreement, though it could still take years for the coal piles to be depleted. Local leaders said removal of the coal piles would open up the riverfront site for redevelopment. And farther north, Ontario is setting its sights on oil. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith recently announced plans for a roughly 2,000-mile oil pipeline that would be able to transport at least 500,000 barrels of oil a day from western Canada to refineries in southern Ontario. The announcement comes after the provinces launched a feasibility study last fall and announced an agreement to develop the Northern Shield Energy Corridor.More energy news, in case you missed it:
- Michigan’s Consumers Energy is offering to put $270 million from the sale of 13 aging dams into a fund that would cover future maintenance needs if the new owners can’t pay.
- The Ohio Supreme Court upheld state regulators’ decision to allow a fee on Ohioans’ utility bills that bailed out two unprofitable coal plants.
- Tech giant Oracle is challenging the credit rating rules Wisconsin regulators set for data center developers as part of a new “very large customer” rate structure.
- National energy developer Invenergy will redirect money refunded from four canceled offshore wind projects to gas plants in states including Wisconsin and Indiana.
- Electricity prices are surging for Rust Belt factories amid rising power demand from data centers in the region.
Trump’s nuclear push is reviving a moribund debate over waste - -- The push for a new wave of nuclear power plants has sparked optimism that the technology may be ready to rejoin the build-out of new electricity generation — and finally prod the federal government to address the mountain of radioactive waste that has built up over decades.That spent fuel, totaling more than 95,000 metric tons, has accumulated mostly from the fleet of reactors built decades ago that provide the U.S. with a fifth of its electricity, and its disposal has posed an intractable problem for the federal government since the dawn of the nuclear age.Now, the Trump administration is pressing for U.S. companies to invest in the full nuclear life cycle. In January, it issued a request for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, calling for states to submit proposals that would see them handle the radioactive material housed at dozens of plants around the country and reprocess it or manage its disposition.And while those plans remain in their early stages, they represent an attempt to overcome the staunch opposition from nearly every corner of the country to becoming the home to the growing pile of spent fuel that will remain radioactive for thousands of years.“The waste isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future and a lot of communities aren’t willing to take that risk,” said Tim Judson of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, a group critical of nuclear power, who noted that several states still have laws banning the construction of new reactors until a federal repository is built. Congress sought to address the nuclear waste issue in 1987, recommending the federal government carve out a permanent repository in Nevada’s Yucca Mountain about 80 miles from Las Vegas. It took another 15 years for Congress to formally approve the Yucca project — before it ultimately pulled the plug in 2012 by defunding the work amid sharp opposition from Nevada lawmakers, voters and tribal groups. Under the law, the Yucca Mountain repository remains the only option for permanently storing the waste, but the Trump administration has sought to attract interest from other states who could see the benefits of hosting multi-billion dollar investments under its plan to develop those new Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), co-chair of Congress’ Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus and a key House appropriator on energy, said DOE is taking the right strategy in gauging states’ interest since “Yucca will politically never happen” so long as Nevada remains a swing state. “Biden didn’t want it. Trump didn’t want it, so it’s not going to happen,” he said.DOE’s pitch for the innovation campuses is also drawing rare bipartisan praise. Fleischmann’s co-chair on the caucus, Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), told POLITICO in an interview that the U.S. is “getting closer to a reasonable disposition for this spent fuel in a way that frankly has exceeded my expectations from this administration.”Without a working geologic repository, high-level radioactive waste is currently stored at 80 sites around the country, including 57 sites that are also home to working nuclear reactors. The Energy Department has long maintained that “most of the nation’s spent fuel is safely and securely stored.”Recently, DOE has taken interest in reprocessing this spent nuclear fuel, with a goal of recycling it to produce power again. That recycling has been used in France, which depends on nuclear power for the majority of its power, but has not been developed in the United States.There’s another incentive to develop that reprocessing capacity: The U.S. is facing a substantial domestic nuclear fuel supply shortage. That gap has inspired some U.S.-based companies to pursue nuclear fuel recycling projects, which DOE included as potential options in its “Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses” inquiry.“DOE sees reprocessing as a way out,” Judson said. “At least for the time being.”Many states have weighed in since DOE’s outreach in January — 28 to be exact, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.The campuses could include “disposition” of waste and reprocessing nuclear fuel, according to the original request. Though the department does not explicitly reference a repository, POLITICO’s E&E News reported earlier this year that DOE is still looking to develop a permanent, long-term solution to store high-level waste.That’s a nonstarter for many states, including those that are home to reactors. Nebraska’s response to the DOE inquiry references the federal need for a repository but doesn’t express interest in hosting one. Texas officials made comments along the same lines, and Idaho said it was committed to “collaborating closely” with “neighboring states that are interested in serving as long-term repository locations.”So far, of the state replies that are public, only Tennessee and Utah have expressed interest in hosting a more permanent storage site.In its 207-word response to DOE’s original request for information, Tennessee — which is home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a major nuclear industry supply chain — repeatedly expressed interest in hosting a long-term storage site.“The State has also identified next steps for site assessment and testing to identify a long-term geologic repository option in Tennessee,” state officials wrote in the response. “If another state or other states are found to be more suitable locations for a long-term geologic repository, then Tennessee is open to exploring a collaborative solution.” And Utah, which is home to the San Rafael Energy Lab and is pushing to become a leader in the development of small modular reactors, is also interested.“In collaboration with DOE, Utah intends for the Innovation Campus to enable innovative full nuclear lifecycle operations,” the state wrote in its response, “including enrichment, fuel fabrication, recycling and reprocessing of used nuclear fuel (UNF), and waste disposition — specifically interim storage and permanent repository.”Still, any effort to designate a spot other than Yucca Mountain as the site for long-term nuclear waste disposal would have to go through one major obstacle: Congress.When it amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1987, Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the only site that DOE could look toward for a repository. Then in 2002, Congress and then-President George W. Bush declared the Nevada site as the nation’s sole repository for high-level nuclear waste and nuclear spent fuel.But the Yucca Mountain project has been frozen since fiscal 2010, the last year that Congress appropriated funding to it.“There has not been any real progress in the spent nuclear fuel management program in the United States since arguably 2010 or so,” said Matt Bowen, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.The Nuclear Waste Policy Act, first enacted in 1982, would need to be overhauled to open the door for a repository in a location besides Yucca Mountain.The National Association of State Energy Officials also urged action, writing in a March letter to DOE that “congressional action is needed to modernize and clarify the national nuclear waste strategy, enabling stronger federal-state alignment on nuclear lifecycle management.”A spokesperson from DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy said the department expects it’ll make a selection announcement on its nuclear life cycle innovation campuses inquiry “later this summer.”Lake Barrett, a former DOE official for radioactive waste management who also worked at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and was the on-site director for the agency for the clean-up of the Three Mile Island reactor accident, said the new efforts were encouraging after years of inaction, though he acknowledged potential difficulties ahead.“Exactly how far this will go in solving our national disposal problem, or what to do about the waste is yet to be seen,” he said.Finding an appropriate site isn’t the only change that experts have been seeking: Earlier this year, a group of energy experts recommended in a report that the federal government hand over responsibility for spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste to an outside organization.Allison Macfarlane, former chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission during the Obama administration and a co-author of the report, said the United States should follow the example of countries like Canada, Finland and Sweden, “all countries that have made a lot more progress.”“The (U.S.) leadership changes every few years, therefore the policy direction changes, and that is no way to run a very long-term project, which is what developing a big geologic repository is,” Macfarlane said.
UAE Closes on Minority Stake in Rover Pipeline, Ohio River System -- Marcellus Drilling News - The Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) investment group 2PointZero, via its subsidiary ePointZero, closed on its deal to acquire U.S. natural gas infrastructure firm Traverse Midstream Partners for $2.25 billion. This acquisition includes stakes in the Rover Pipeline and Ohio River System, which connect the productive Utica/Marcellus shale region to major demand centers and export hubs. The all-cash transaction gives the Abu Dhabi-based energy infrastructure platform a 35% non-operated stake in the Rover Pipeline and a 25% interest in the Ohio River System (ORS), both of which are operated by Energy Transfer.
Abu Dhabi's ePointZero Completes $2.25 Billion Traverse Midstream Acquisition -- ePointZero has completed its $2.25 billion acquisition of Traverse Midstream Partners, securing ownership interests in the Rover Pipeline and Ohio River System as it enters the U.S. natural gas infrastructure market. (P&GJ) — ePointZero has completed its $2.25 billion acquisition of Traverse Midstream Partners, marking the company's first investment in U.S. natural gas infrastructure and giving it ownership interests in two major Appalachian Basin pipeline systems. The all-cash transaction gives the Abu Dhabi-based energy infrastructure platform a 35% non-operated stake in the Rover Pipeline and a 25% interest in the Ohio River System (ORS), both operated by Energy Transfer. The assets provide natural gas transportation across the Marcellus and Utica shale regions, connecting production to LNG export facilities, power generation markets and industrial customers. The acquisition marks ePointZero's entry into the U.S. midstream sector and expands its global portfolio of energy infrastructure assets supported by long-term transportation agreements. Mohamed Hesham, chief executive officer of ePointZero, said the transaction establishes the company's presence in one of the world's largest natural gas markets. "By securing a significant stake in a premier North American natural gas transportation network, we are acquiring stable, long-term cash flows while establishing a platform for future expansion in North America," Hesham said. According to the company, the acquired assets are located in the Appalachian Basin, the largest natural gas-producing region in North America. The pipeline systems transport low-cost natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale plays to major demand centers, including LNG export corridors, power generation facilities and industrial markets. John Raymond, founder and executive chairman of Energy & Minerals Group (EMG), said Traverse developed a strategic position in two of the region's most significant pipeline systems during EMG's ownership. "Traverse established a valuable position in two of the most strategically important natural gas systems in North America, supported by strong fundamentals and growing demand," Raymond said. J.P. Morgan Securities served as financial advisor to ePointZero, while Evercore and Greenhill & Co., a Mizuho affiliate, advised Traverse on the transaction.
Steubenville Council moves to accept bid, proceed with mineral leasing near homes — After months of deliberation, Steubenville officials have decided to move forward with leasing the city’s mineral rights to the oil and gas industry, including areas near residential neighborhoods. City Council made a motion to accept the bid as presented and proceed with bidding out the lease of its minerals. Residents were given an opportunity to share their thoughts ahead of council’s vote, and many raised concerns about what the move could mean for areas such as Beatty Park. “This is not something you want by a park," one resident said. "There's no amount of money that will replace the ecosystem and the beauty of Beaty Park." Another resident urged council to slow down and broaden public involvement. “Tonight, I hope you would reject the bids you have and if you really think this is worth pursuing establish a committee that will include residents who actually live in these areas," the resident said. Some residents also cited what they believe is a lack of conversation among council members about how mineral leasing could impact the area. Fourth Ward Councilman Royal Mayo voted against the bid, echoing residents’ concerns and questioning whether the potential negative effects of fracking are worth the money the city could receive. “We didn't get enough information on the negative effects, what could go wrong, all we got was a number, all we heard was money," Mayo said. "What about the side effects for health? And health reasons for the citizens of the city of Steubenville?" First Ward Councilman David Albaugh voted in favor of the leasing and said there will not be a well pad in Steubenville. He also emphasized his support for the move. “I mean, everything in the city is already being fracked around Beatty Park, Bellevue, Jim Woods," Albaugh said. "And the city doesn't need to sit back and let the train pass us by again."
Steubenville, OH Votes to Lease City-Owned Land for $7,000/Acre -- Marcellus Drilling News - - After months of deliberation, Steubenville (Jefferson County), Ohio, City Council voted to accept a bid and proceed with leasing the city’s mineral rights to the oil and gas industry, including areas near residential neighborhoods and Beatty Park. Some residents voiced strong opposition, citing threats to the park’s ecosystem, health concerns, and insufficient public involvement, urging the council to reject bids or form a resident-inclusive committee. Fourth Ward Councilman Royal Mayo voted against it, questioning fracking’s health effects. First Ward Councilman David Albaugh supported it, noting that surrounding areas are already fracked and that no well pad would be built in Steubenville. The money (over $1 million!) is expected within 90 days.
Steubenville accepts $1.1 million bid to frack 157 acres of its own land, including two parks - The eastern Ohio city of Steubenville accepted a $1.1 million bid to lease about 157 acres of its own land for fracking during Tuesday’s city council meeting. Steubenville City Council voted to lease 19 parcels to Oklahoma-based Ascent Resources – Utica, said Steubenville resident Greg Burrier, who was at the city council meeting. One council member voted against it. “I’m extremely disappointed,” he said. “I feel like I got the rug pulled out from underneath my feet.” The money will be put in the city’s general fund, but the city has yet to decide what it will be spent on, Burrier said. The Ohio Capital Journal sent questions to Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella but he did not respond. This is the first time Save Ohio Parks has heard of an Ohio city seeking bids to frack its own public land. Fracking is the process of injecting liquid into the ground at a high pressure to extract oil or gas. “Given that the state is doing this, it’s probably not surprising that a city would think that’s the way to make money too,” said Save Ohio Parks Board President Cathy Cowan Becker. “The state is very, I guess, determined to lease out its state public lands for fracking, it’s probably not a surprise that some cities are looking at that as well.” Nearly 100 of those acres is under Beatty Park, which is next to Union Cemetery-Beatty Park — a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “It’s got a nice tree canopy,” said Burrier, who has fond memories growing up of going to Beatty Park. “It’s in a hollow, and it’s got shale formations, limestone formations, and sandstone formations on each side.” Burrier lives close to Jim Woods Park, which will also be fracked. The roughly 20-acre park is next to an elementary school. “They’re not going to frack underneath the elementary school, but where they’re fracking borders the elementary school, which I think is ridiculous,” he said. Steubenville passed an ordinance in October authorizing leasing public lands for fracking. The city originally tried to bid out four parcels in December, but received no bids. The city tried again earlier this year with the 19 parcels and received two bids from Texas-based Pike Petroleum for $249,000 and the winning bid from Ascent Resources – Utica. Becker hopes other Ohio cities do not try to lease their own land for mineral rights. “If they see dollar signs, cities are always strapped for money and since the state is doing it, this is where their minds go for how to raise some money,” she said. There were approximately 2,000 incidents associated with oil and gas wells in Ohio from 2015-2023, according to FracTracker Alliance, a nonprofit that collects data on fracking pipelines. There were 19 incidents in Jefferson County, where Steubenville is located. There’s evidence that shows increased exposure to fracking impacts health, in particular children’s health, including low birth weight, preterm births, congenital anomalies, and asthma, according to Yale School of Medicine. Fracking will cause air pollution, noise pollution, and light pollution, Becker said. “It will affect the park, just like it will affect and is affecting the state parks,” she said. The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission recently approved bids to frack more than 15,000 acres of Ohio’s public land — including nearly 13,000 acres in Egypt Valley Wildlife Area, which is about an hour from Steubenville. Becker is concerned about the massive amount of water use that comes with fracking as well as the frack waste. “The toxic chemicals that go in, the radioactive stuff that comes out, and that’s going to have to be injected somewhere,” she said. “The truck traffic, each well is literally thousands of truck trips because every bit of that water and chemicals and sand has to be trucked in, and then all of that waste, truck load by truck load, has to be taken out.” Becker and Burrier both question if the roads in Steubenville are ready to handle the increased truck traffic. “The street (near my house) is just crumbling,” Burrier said. “They got to fix it every six, seven months and then it crumbles back again.”
Solon businesses evacuated, residents ordered to shelter after gas line struck along Miles Road, causing leak (WJW) — After a gas line was struck on Solon's north side on Wednesday, July 15, responders worked to evacuate nearby businesses and ordered residents to stay inside. Police and firefighters from Orange and Solon gave the all clear hours later, just before 6 p.m., lifting previous evacuation and shelter-in-place orders. But about 30 minutes later, officials reported a water main break in the same area, forcing a portion of Miles Road to close once again. The break caused "significant damage" to the roadway, according to an alert from Orange police. The road is now closed in front of Miles Farmers Market, according to the alert: Residents of the Villas of Orange should access their development via Brainard Road. Residents of Stonebrook and all other residents east of Miles Market should use Harper Road or Lander Road to reach their homes. Miles Road remains open to local traffic only. All other motorists are asked to avoid the area and use an alternate route while crews work to repair the damage. During the gas leak response, Miles Road was closed from Brainard Road to Naiman Parkway, according to Solon police. Utility workers shut off power to the area, to prevent ignition of any leaked gas. Orange Police Department issued an alert that read: All residents and motorists are instructed to completely avoid Miles Road between [Brainard] Road to Naiman Parkway. If you live in the immediate area, please remain indoors with your windows closed. If you smell gas inside your home, leave immediately and call 911. We will update you when the area is safe. Solon police just after 3:30 p.m. announced that U.S. Route 422 would close in both directions west of the Harper Road exit. Westbound traffic was unable to pass Harper Road and made to exit there. The roadway reopened later that afternoon, while Miles Road remained closed, according to Orange police. Just before 6 p.m., officials announced the natural gas lingering in the area had dissipated and that the "hazard has been eliminated." Hazardous material responders also tested affected buildings along and in the vicinity of Naiman Parkway and cleared employees to return. Utility crews are still working to restore gas and electric service "where necessary," reads the notice. Utility workers are expected to notify later when services could be restored.
Neighbors seek accountability after gas leak linked to Columbus fiber optic project – 10TV — Signs of a fiber optic upgrade are all over the Creek Ridge community in northeast Columbus. But neighbors — like Walt Pretko — tell 10 Investigates that the price of this progress has been steep. And it all came due when he got a knock on his door in late June. "It turned out to be the fire department, and they came, rushed in and checked for gas leak," he said. He said first responders told him the leak was connected to the digging crews had been doing in the area to lay fiber-optic cables for AT&T. "Just before dark the last Columbia Gas person was here, and he indicated to myself and my neighbor that we're lucky to be here and that they had just missed the electric line by 1 inch," Pretko said. "So, we feel very fortunate at this point in time." Jerry Lamm is Pretko's neighbor. He said crews on scene told him that if the electric line had been hit, the resulting explosion could have destroyed at least eight homes. "It hits you later," Lamm said. "In the moment the adrenaline's flowing, you have fire trucks in the neighborhood you have people banging on doors, but later you sit down and you think we were blessed to not be injured or killed." 10 Investigates contacted several agencies for comment about this incident. A spokesperson for Columbia Gas released the following statement: "Columbia Gas responded to a damaged gas line in the Creek Ridge community in late June. Repairs have been completed, and service is operating normally. We are unable to provide additional information at this time." City of Columbus records show that AT&T and a company called Sunrise Telecom initially applied for a permit to do work in this community. However, those records also show that AT&T was later hit with a $3,000 citation from the city because the permit application wasn't properly filled out at the time. The citation said the subcontractor doing the work wasn't listed on the application. And it goes on to say that the holes crews were digging weren't properly secured or re-filled. 10 Investigates then emailed AT&T for comment and a spokesperson released the following statement: "We apologize to residents for the disruption these incidents have caused. We take these concerns very seriously and temporarily paused work while we coordinated with our contractor and the city to help prevent any further impacts as we work to bring high-speed fiber internet to this community."
Trumbull County Commissioners in Warren, Ohio reassessing fiber optic work safety after crews hit gas line in Bazetta (WKBN) — Trumbull County Commissioners held a special meeting Thursday morning to consider shutting down all fiber optic installation work being done in the county because of the continuous problems the work is causing. It comes after Lumos Networks said workers hit a gas line while laying fiber optics underground along State Route 46, causing it to spew gas. The leak has been mitigated, and the Ohio EPA was called in. The road will remain closed until Saturday morning. The Ohio Department of Transportation says they need time to clean the road and remove any hazards. Marketing Director Steve Kristan told commissioners the company is voluntarily pausing work in Trumbull County for the next two weeks while it goes over its safety plans. At the meeting Thursday, commissioners said they’re tired of seeing the same thing happen over and over again. “The nature of the accidents that’s been happening lately, one house blown up and then two other ones — that’s too much in one county,” said Commissioner Denny Malloy. The meeting brought together township leaders, state officials, telecommunications companies and concerned residents to figure out where things go from here. “This is the first step of many steps, and we’re going to call a meeting with all the companies. We’re going to get them down, get them in a room, and we’re going to ask them to pause till we can be sure that the operations are completely safe,” said Commissioner Tony Bernard. Play VideoState Route 46 in Bazetta to remain closed until Saturday morning after gas line hit A couple of community leaders said they’re worried it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt. Bazetta Township Trustee Mike Hovis called the situation a serious public safety issue and is urging commissioners to act before lives are put at risk. “The companies? They’re going to be here for another four years. Okay? And we have to make sure that they slow it down and that they do it right,” Bernard said. Commissioner Rick Hernandez said some residents simply have trouble communicating. “There’s a lot of issues with not being able to get information from non-English speaking workers,” Hernandez said. They say it isn’t about stopping broadband expansions but making sure crews can do the work safely before they start digging again. “I even suggested the companies that are in here putting these fiber optics that they may even hire some of our county engineers, if it’s county,” Hernandez said. Over the next two weeks, county leaders plan to meet with other fiber optic companies to find out what’s causing the repeated gas line hits and to discuss safety measures moving forward. No finite decision was made Thursday.
4 Washington County, OH Injection Wells Cease Operations (For Now) -- Marcellus Drilling News - Four Washington County, Ohio, Class II injection wells voluntarily stopped operating July 1-2 after state regulators from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said they may be affecting nearby oil and gas production wells. The wells are Redbird Nos. 4 and 5, American Growers No. 1, and Nichols No. 1-A, although the Nichols owner disputed that operations had ceased at that well. ODNR and operators will develop corrective plans, while a third-party consultant examines nearby private water wells. Activists want broader, long-term groundwater testing, noting that Redbird No. 4 waste has previously migrated more than 5 miles underground. It’s important to note that the alleged migration of fluids affected other (conventional) oil and gas wells, NOT water wells.
Ohio’s New O&G Drilling Law Fast-Tracks Permits, Sparks Debate -- Marcellus Drilling News - - In June, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill (SB) 219 into law. The new law, the first significant update to Ohio’s oil and gas laws since the Kasich administration more than a decade ago, reforms Ohio’s orphaned oil and gas well program and other elements of Ohio’s O&G laws. One aspect of the new law establishes an expedited drilling and plugging permit process. The law prevents the state from rejecting expedited permit requests (capped at 10 per owner annually), shortens timelines for leasing and drilling on public lands—including 30-day permit approvals—and limits landowners’ ability to challenge expired lease renewals. Anti-fossil fuelers are fuming. What’s new?
Williams Sells 49% of Five Ohio Gas-Fired Power Plants for $5.34B -- Marcellus Drilling News - Pipeline giant Williams announced a $5.34 billion investment led by Blackstone Credit & Insurance, in partnership with Apollo and KKR, to fund its five behind-the-meter Power Innovation projects: Socrates, Apollo, Aquila, Socrates the Younger, and Neo. All five projects are located in Ohio and will use Utica (or Marcellus) shale gas. In exchange for the money, the investors receive a 49% noncontrolling ownership stake, while Williams retains 51% ownership and operational control, plus a buyout right between years 7 and 14. While the headline numbers focus on high-finance metrics, the practical, on-the-ground effect of this deal directly reshapes the Appalachian natural gas landscape, pipeline dynamics, and the regional race to power the AI-driven data center boom.
Infinity Natural Resources reports $57.5M derivative gain in Q2 2026 - Infinity Natural Resources (NYSE: INR) reported a total derivative gain of approximately $57.5 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, according to a company press release. The Morgantown, West Virginia-based energy company recorded realized losses of approximately $6.4 million from settled derivative contracts during the quarter. Those cash settlements were tied to financial contracts referencing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and regional basis differentials. The company also recorded non-cash mark-to-market unrealized gains of approximately $63.9 million on its outstanding derivative portfolio. These gains reflect the revaluation of open derivative positions using forward commodity price curves as of June 30, 2026, and do not represent cash inflows or outflows for the period. As of June 30, 2026, Infinity's open oil (WTI) swap contracts totaled 4,074 thousand barrels across 2026 through 2028, with a combined fair value of negative $4.9 million. The company also held oil collar contracts covering 532 thousand barrels, with a combined fair value of $3 million. Natural gas (NYMEX) swap contracts totaled approximately 159.5 million MMBtu scheduled to settle between 2026 and 2030, carrying a combined fair value of $37.6 million. Natural gas fixed basis swaps covering approximately 19.2 million MMBtu carried a fair value of $8.3 million, while natural gas basis swaps totaling approximately 91.5 million MMBtu carried a negative fair value of $8.9 million. NGL swap contracts totaled approximately 2.98 million barrels with a combined fair value of $5.1 million. The company noted that the second quarter financial information is preliminary and unaudited, and final figures will be reported in the Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2026. Infinity operates in the Appalachian Basin, with a focus on the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio and stacked dry gas assets in southwestern Pennsylvania.
7 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Jul 6 – 12 -- Marcellus Drilling News - The Marcellus/Utica region received a piddly 7 new drilling permits last week, July 6 – 12, down 21 from two weeks ago. Last week, Pennsylvania issued just 1 new permit. Ohio issued 5 new permits. And, West Virginia issued 1 new permit. The drillers who received new permits included: Antero Resources (1), Expand Energy (3), and Gulfport Energy. Antero Resources | Belmont County | Bradford County | Expand Energy | Gulfport Energy | Monroe County | Ritchie County
PA DEP Issues Water Permits for EGTS Pipe Project from PA to OH -- Marcellus Drilling News - Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage (EGTS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company (Warren Buffett’s company), filed a new project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in July 2025 (see Eastern Gas Files with FERC to Expand Pipe Flows from PA to OH). The project, called the Appalachian Reliability Project (ARP), is designed to move more natural gas from Pennsylvania to Ohio. ARP will leverage existing EGTS pipeline infrastructure while increasing its system capacity through pipeline additions (4 miles of new pipe) and station upgrades. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published notices in the July 11 Pennsylvania Bulletin announcing that it has issued water quality permits for the project. Let the construction begin!
HG Energy Washington Co. Pad Leaks Up to 1,000 Barrels of Wastewater -- Marcellus Drilling News - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reports that the failure of equipment near HG Energy’s WFN-6 shale gas well pad in West Finley Township, Washington County, released an estimated 500 to 1,000 barrels (21,000 to 42,000 gallons) of brine. Discovered by drone on July 8, the spill reportedly began when equipment failed inside a cement vault (connected to a pipeline), causing wastewater to flow downslope toward an unnamed tributary of Robinson Fork Creek. DEP inspectors documented dead and dying vegetation marking the wastewater’s path.
PA Court: Drillers Don’t Have Automatic Surface Rights for Wells -- Marcellus Drilling News - An important (precedential) court ruling to alert Pennsylvania surface (and mineral rights) owners to. The Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled earlier this month that an oil-and-gas mineral rights owner does not have an automatic, unrestricted right to place a well on a separately owned surface estate. When the deed or lease contains no express surface-access right, the mineral owner must establish that using that surface is “strictly necessary”—not merely reasonable—to reach and develop the underlying oil and gas. The case in question concerns land in Westmoreland County but will almost certainly apply to other locations as well.
PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 18 The following notices were published in the July 18 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.
- -- DEP published notice in the July 18 PA Bulletin inviting comments on a Chapter 105 Encroachment Permit application for the PA General Energy Co., LLC Saluda Natural Gas Pipeline, Access Road and Workspace Project in the Loyalsock State Forest in Gamble Township, Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 4291)The permit covers the construction of a 2.18 mile long 16-inch natural gas pipeline and 0.74 mile 12-inch natural gas pipeline and a pipeline metering station in a 50 to 75 foot wide corridor to transfer natural gas from DCNR Tracts 723 and 724 to the point of sale. The project also includes an access road and access road workspace, according to the notice. Read more here.
- -- DEP published notice in the July 18 PA Bulletin announcing it has issued the first Title V Air Quality permit for the Tenaska Pennsylvania Partners, LLC 1,065 MW natural gas power plant in South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County. The Tenaska Power Plant was issued an initial Air Quality Plan Approval to construct and operate its facility in April 2015 and started operating in December 2018. (PA Bulletin, page 4313) Read more here.
- -- DEP published notice in the July 18 PA Bulletin announcing it has issued a Chapter 105 Encroachment Permit to Expand Operating LLC for double 16-inch water pipelines to support shale gas well development in Wysox Township, Bradford County. (PA Bulletin, page 4316) Read more here.
- -- DEP published notice in the July 18 PA Bulletin announcing it has issued a Chapter 105 Encroachment Permit to EQT ARO LLC for a 4.1 mile, 16-inch HDPE plastic aboveground shale gas development water pipeline in Cascade Township, Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin, page 4316) Read more here.
- -- DEP published notice in the July 18 PA Bulletin announcing it has renewed the Title V Air Quality permit for the Calpine Bethlehem, LLC Natural Gas Power Plant in the City of Bethlehem, Northampton County. (PA Bulletin, page 4312)
- -- XTO Energy/Exxon Mobil - Kozik Bros Construction 2 Well: DEP received Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with production wastewater to meet the Statewide Health Standards at the facility located in Summit Twp., Butler County. (PA Bulletin, page 4308)
- -- National Fuel Gas - Tract 007 Compressor Station: DEP approved a Final Report on remediation of soil contaminated with triethylene glycol and contaminated production wastewater to meet the Statewide Health Standards at the facility located in Delmar Twp., Tioga County. (PA Bulletin, page 4309)
- -- Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC - Ingalls Shale Gas Well Pad: DEP sent Technical Deficiency Letter on the Final Report on remediation of groundwater contaminated with production wastewater to meet the Statewide Health Standards at the facility located in Liberty Twp., Tioga County. (PA Bulletin, page 4309)
- - WB Lanchester LLC - Lanchester Landfill Gas Facility: DEP renewed a WMGM-55 General Waste Permit for the facility located in Caernarvon Twp., Lancaster County. (PA Bulletin, page 4310)
Air Quality Permits - Issued
- -- Pine Run Midstream - Bicker Compressor Station: DEP renewed a GP-5 General Air Quality Permit for the facility located in Winfield Twp., Butler County. (PA Bulletin, page 4311)
- -- Snyder Bros Inc. - Ambrose Compressor Station: DEP renewed a GP-5 General Air Quality Permit for the facility located in East Franklin Twp., Armstrong County. (PA Bulletin, page 4311)
- -- Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC - Wharton 535 Compressor Station: DEP renewed a Title V Air Quality Permit for the facility located in Wharton Twp., Potter County. (PA Bulletin, page 4312)
- -- Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC - Coudersport Compressor Station: DEP renewed Title V Air Quality Permit for the facility located in Hebron Twp., Potter County. (PA Bulletin, page 4312)
- -- Peoples Natural Gas LLC - Fisher Compressor Station: DEP renewed State Only Air Quality Permit for the facility located in Redbank Twp., Armstrong County. (PA Bulletin, page 4313)
Individual Stormwater Permits - Comments
-- National Fuel Gas - Pipeline Replacement Project: DEP invites comments on an Individual Stormwater Permit for a project replacing 3,460 feet of 6-inch natural gas line with 8-inch line in Sugarcreek Twp., Armstrong County. (PA Bulletin, page 4273)
Chapter 105 Encroachment Permits - Comments
-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC - Shale Gas Well Pad Extension: DEP invites comments on a Chapter 105 permit for an unnamed shale gas well pad extension impacting Rockwell Creek and wetlands located in Pike Twp., Bradford County. (PA Bulletin, page 4291)
Erosion & Sedimentation Permits - Issued
- -- Expand Operating LLC - Unknown Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting South Branch Towanda Creek located in Monroe Twp., Bradford County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
- -- Coterra Energy Inc. - Unknown Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Hop Bottom Creek located in Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
- -- Appalachia Midstream Services LLC - Unknown Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Tuscarora Creek located in Auburn Twp., Susquehanna County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
- -- EQM Gathering OPCO LLC [EQT] - PATMNG130 - Downer Pipeline: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a pipeline project impacting Shannon Run and Little Shannon Run in Perry Twp., Greene County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
- -- CNX Gas Co LLC - Unknown Project: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for a project impacting Tenmile Creek located in Franklin Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
- -- ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC - Revolution Pipeline: DEP issued a Chapter 102 permit for pipeline repairs impacting multiple streams located in Findlay & Robinson Townships, Allegheny County; Center and Independence & Raccoon Townships, Beaver County; Jackson Twp., Butler County; Chartiers Twp., Washington County. (PA Bulletin, page 4320)
This is a list of conventional oil and gas and shale gas well permits DEP issued from July 4 to 10 by county--
- Bradford County -- Tuscarora Twp.: Expand Operating LLC - 1 Shale Gas Permit
- Greene County -- Center Twp.: Iron Pennsylvania Land LLC - 1 Conventional Permit
*Click Here to find oil and gas well permits recently issued near you
Bill Stops Left from Using Lawfare to Block PA Permitted Projects -- Marcellus Drilling News - A long-running and favorite tactic of the environmental left is to use our own judicial system against us. On the federal level, foreign-backed groups like the Sierra Club, Earthworks, Food & Water Watch, and others have (in the past) challenged new pipeline or drilling projects, filing appeal after appeal up the line, blocking construction until said lawsuits were resolved. Last June (2025), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took away the left’s ability to block construction while lawsuits are filed and played out (see FERC Grants Nat’l Waivers Making It Easier to Build NatGas Pipes). It’s time to do the same thing in Pennsylvania.
PA Adopts New Budget Making Utica Shale Wells Easier to Drill - Marcellus Drilling News - On July 12, the Pennsylvania Senate and House passed, and Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law, a $50.84 billion General Fund budget. It was only 12 days late this year. This is a net-positive budget for the Marcellus/Utica industry. It contains no new taxes or fees on production, delivers a long-sought modernization that unlocks the deep Utica play, and builds legal scaffolding favorable to gas-fired power for data centers. The only new obligations — full-cement plugging and (for midstream-adjacent projects) data-center reporting — are modest.
Budget First Look: At Best A Cost To Carry Environmental Budget, Supports Oil & Gas Program Operations, Minor Data Center Provisions But No Moratorium Or Pause, Sales Tax Exemption For Data Centers Stays - On July 12, the Senate and House passed and Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law a $50.84 billion General Fund budget. There are no new taxes and no transfer from the Rainy Day Fund.The General Fund budget is contained in House Bill 2400 and the related Fiscal Code bill -- Senate Bill 146-- includes relatively minor provisions related to data centers, including language on load forecasting, water and energy use reporting and using advanced transmission line technology. (see House Fiscal Note)No provisions were included to repeal or set conditions for data centers receiving the state sales tax exemption and no pause or moratorium on considering data center proposals reached the Governor’s desk.Separate legislation-- House Bill 2017 (Giral-D-Philadelphia) establishing fees for small modular nuclear power reactors-- was also sent to the Governor meant to encourage this new generation technology. House Fiscal Note & Summary. The Senate did move Senate Bill 1345 (Coleman-R-Lehigh) authorizing a local moratorium on data center applications for up to 18 months that was heavily amended and reported out of the Senate Rules Committee, but it now sits on the Senate Calendar stalled until this fall.Other provisions in the Fiscal Code bill would allocate just over $19 million to pay for the operation of the Oil and Gas Program, but would take the money from nine other programs that regulate waste haulers, regulate sewage facilities planning, support the Chapter 105 permitting program and brownfields reuse, among others. (see House Fiscal Note)Other provisions would establish new, reduced standards to “attainable bottom” for conventional and shale gas wells and sets a few, very general standards for utica and deep shale gas permitting. (see House Fiscal Note)There are also provisions regulating food processing residuals and food processing residuals brokers. (see House Fiscal Note)A new $20 million supplemental appropriation is included for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act Program requested by the Governor. (House Budget Summary)County conservation districts and river basin commissions received the same as last year.On the DCNR side, $145 million is transferred from the Oil & Gas Lease Fund to support DCNR staff and operations (see spreadsheet) and in-lieu of tax payments will be paid from Gaming [Gambling] Fund (see House Fiscal Note).m These bills were given final approval by the Senate and House and sent to the Governor--
- -- General Fund Budget - House Bill 2400 - Click Here for budget spreadsheet -- House Budget Summary
- -- Fiscal Code Bill - Senate Bill 146 -- House Fiscal Note & Summary
Congress Close to Overturning DRBC Ban on Watershed Fracking - Marcellus Drilling News - For the past decade, landowners in Wayne and Pike counties in northeastern Pennsylvania have unfairly been denied the ability to profit from fracking on (and under) their property, simply because they happen to live inside the imaginary boundaries of the Delaware River Basin, an area under the iron hammer control of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). The DRBC, unlike its counterpart in the Susquehanna River Basin (SRBC), is controlled by left-wingers. They falsely claim that allowing fracking anywhere in the basin would destroy the water supply of 14 million people. Congress is now on the cusp of overturning this ongoing tragedy.
DRBC Alarmed at Potential Loss of Authority to Ban Fracking -- Marcellus Drilling News - The far-left activists who occupy and control the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) are shocked and dismayed that their iron grip on power is slipping away. As we reported yesterday, Congress is close to adopting an amendment to the federal Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that would block the DRBC and its sister organization, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), from banning hydraulic fracturing (and shale drilling) within their respective jurisdictions (see Congress Close to Overturning DRBC Ban on Watershed Fracking). It’s no skin off SRBC’s nose as that organization has allowed safe shale fracking in its region for nearly two decades. Only the lefties of the DRBC would be affected. And they don’t like it.
Delaware RiverKeeper: Congressional Effort To Overturn Fracking Ban In Delaware River Watershed Died In Committee, This Time -- On July 15, the Delaware RiverKeeper Network reported an amendment aimed at overturning the ban on fracking in the Delaware River Watershed introduced by PA Republican Con. Scott Perry to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA, H.R. 9497) has died in committee. After quietly developing and circulating an amendment that would have removed the Delaware River ban on fracking and other protections from the industry, in the end, Rep. Perry did not offer the amendment during markup at the July 14 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. WRDA was approved unanimously by the Committee without Perry’s amendment and will now go before the House of Representatives for consideration. The introduction of the Perry Amendment on June 29 spurred an outpouring of public opposition to this attempt to hijack the WRDA process for a biased, pro-fossil fuel, political agenda. Delaware Riverkeeper Network sounded the alarm with an action alert for calls to be made to House Representatives who serve on the Transportation Committee and whose districts rely on drinking water from the Delaware River. Organizations and individuals from throughout the region responding quickly, shared the alert, and made calls, leading to a flood of concerned people making calls to congressional representatives. The outpouring of public opposition galvanized opposition to the amendment among Committee members. The public action reached its peak on July 14 when the Transportation Committee met for markup of the bill. “This is an amazing success. And I have no doubt that the tremendous mobilization of all of the advocates, organizations and everyday people who care about our River, communities, region, nation and planet are largely responsible for this success,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. “We saw amazing and swift action in response to the call for action to call our House Representatives. People got on the phone with legislators and one another right away! “We made clear to the members of Congress that the DRBC frack ban was critical for protecting our communities, was based on sound science and was critical for avoiding the devastation we can see playing out elsewhere in the region and nation when fracking for fossil fuels happens. “It’s time for Congress to focus on making clean energy progress and stop cow towing to the fossil fuel industry that cares only about their greedy selves. “This was not just an attack on our communities and environment, but it was an underhanded effort to misappropriate WRDA in order to strip the authority of an independent government agency in order to serve the fossil fuel industry to the detriment of everyone else.” “This sneaky attempt to overturn the Delaware River Basin Commission's Authority to ban fracking throughout the DR Watershed has met a timely death,” said Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network. “But we have no doubt those who advocate for the fracking industry will try again through whatever means they conjure. “Some of our elected officials have made this their mission, which has gained new vigor with the executive orders of President Trump and the actions by federal agencies to gut all major environmental laws and allow fossil fuel development to run rampant, despite the devastating impacts on human health, the environment, and our climate. We all are united to resist any and all efforts to overturn the ban on fracking in the Delaware Watershed,”
It Appears Riverkeeper was Right! Penn LNG is Now Eddystone LNG -- Marcellus Drilling News - A little over two weeks ago, MDN reported that THE Delaware Riverkeeper was sounding the alarm (the perennial “sky is falling” group) that the Penn America LNG export facility had come back to life and is planning a new LNG export project near Philadelphia (see Riverkeeper Claims Dead Philly LNG Project has Come Back to Life). Well, shazam! They were right! At least, according to RBN Energy. What was called Penn LNG, an export facility planned for Chester County, PA (near Philly), is now called Eddystone LNG, planned for Eddystone Borough in Delaware County, PA (also near Philly).
Senate Dems Clash Over States Using Water Permits to Block Pipelines -- Marcellus Drilling News - Poor lefty U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat from Rhode Island). He’s in a bind. Sen. Whitehouse sits on the committee currently negotiating how to loosen up on permitting rules for all sorts of projects, including natural gas pipelines. Whitehouse has traditionally been opposed to natgas pipelines getting built to furnish New England with more gas, but the governor of his own state, along with Dem governors from other New England states, want those pipes (for fear of being tossed out of office if they don’t bring down the price of gas and electricity). But on Whitehouse’s wacko left sit Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren and Ed “wacky” Markey, who are 100% opposed to changing the rules for pipelines. Also opposing a change are foreign-backed environmental groups (big contributors to Whitehouse). What’s poor Sheldon going to do?
Energy Transfer Seeks to Split Sunoco Pipeline into 2 Companies - Marcellus Drilling News - -Energy Transfer has asked the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to restructure and dissolve the Sunoco Pipeline Company, separating its pipeline assets between two new entities. Energy Transfer NE NGL Pipelines LLC would own and operate the Mariner East system and other natural gas liquids pipelines, while Energy Transfer RP Pipelines LLC would control refined petroleum product pipelines. The proposal also would transfer Sunoco’s public utility operating certificates. Formal protests and intervention petitions are due July 27, 2026
Activist Investors Say Devon Energy Too Slow with Asset Sales - Marcellus Drilling News -- In early May, Devon Energy completed its buyout of and merger with Coterra Energy, paying $21.4 billion in Devon stock (see Devon and Coterra Complete Merger, Launches $8B Buyback Program). After the merger, Devon CEO Clay Gaspar said his company was reviewing all of the combined assets with a view toward optimizing its portfolio. There was no specific timeline announced for the review, but analysts generally expected it to take up to a year. However, in comments made in June, Gaspar said the review would be “a month’s exercise, not a year’s exercise” (see Devon Energy CEO: Asset Review to Finish in Months, Not a Year). That's still not fast enough for activist investor Kimmeridge, which is pushing Devon to divest NOW.
SC PSC Won’t Reconsider Its Approval of Edisto River Gas-Fired Plant -- Marcellus Drilling News - In June, members of the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a revised project proposal to build a 1,020-megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant in the state’s Lowcountry, in Colleton County (see SC PSC Approves Revised Gas-Fired Plant Proposed for Edisto River). The project, originally estimated to cost $2.5 billion, is a 50/50 partnership between Dominion Energy (formerly South Carolina Electric & Gas) and Santee Cooper (South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility). The plant location is at the retired coal-fired plant, Canadys Station. However, both the scope and the cost doubled last fall (see Dominion’s SC Canadys Gas-Fired Power Plant Doubles in Price). The PSC approved the doubled size/cost of the project in June. Their approval set off a firestorm of legal actions.
If You Build It – Will Increased Natural Gas Demand and New Pipelines Spur Higher Northeast Output? | RBN Energy - Demand for natural gas in the Northeast regional market and pipeline capacity out of Appalachia are expected to grow in the coming years as more coal plants retire and more data centers come online, but will production necessarily follow suit? Even if market conditions improve, it’s not a done deal. Operators in the region remain largely focused on capital discipline rather than chasing incremental volumes. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll look at which producers are best positioned to grow if conditions warrant.Today’s blog is part of our broader Northeast natural gas series and marks a shift from pipelines and other infrastructure to producers and where growth might — or might not — show up. We’ve already taken an in‑depth look at new pipeline capacity and the potential impact of new data centers on the Northeast gas market, but we can’t promise a “Field of Dreams” outcome. Just because pipeline capacity is being added doesn’t mean significant new production will automatically follow. On paper, added pipeline capacity and rising demand could support more output, but there’s still plenty of market skepticism about whether producers will deviate from the current strategy to focus on growth. Appalachia has had several years of flat production growth averaging around 33 to 36 Bcf/d since 2020 for a number of reasons, with almost all their drilled wells in either northeastern Pennsylvania or the southwestern Pennsylvania/northern West Virginia/eastern Ohio area (see Figure 1 below). Capital discipline has been the dominant theme, as most producers have prioritized investor demands for free cash flow over growth for its own sake.One of the biggest requirements for higher production is a long-term price signal, rather than a brief spike during winter or a weekend storm. Producers in Appalachia focus on the prices they actually receive, like Dominion and other localized basin benchmarks, not just Henry Hub. When the long‑dated Henry Hub curve sits at its current range of $3.50-$3.60/MMBtu, many producers are not interested in growing, but a sustained move above $4/MMBtu for at least a year could start to change that, depending on the operator.Another major factor is takeaway and supporting infrastructure, which limits the region’s growth potential. Parts of Appalachia still lack the basic pipes and facilities needed to move and treat gas, and producers also need processing plants, water disposal and other services in place. For now, many companies have chosen to focus on strengthening balance sheets, paying down debt, and returning cash to shareholders through dividends and buybacks instead of chasing production growth. If circumstances in the region’s gas market change, most of the increased volumes are likely to come from today’s top producers, as smaller producers are unlikely to have much of an impact on the overall market even with an aggressive growth strategy.In this discussion, we are focused on E&Ps that already produce at least 1 Bcf/d in Appalachia, starting with the biggest, EQT Corp. (Note that Figure 1 shows drilled wells and Figure 2 shows remaining inventory.)
- EQT Corp. (purple areas in Figure 1 above and Figure 2 below), a giant Appalachia‑focused gas producer based in Pittsburgh, could really move the needle on regional production if it chose to focus on growth. EQT is producing around 6.4 Bcf/d across Appalachia, with around 4.3 Bcf/d from Marcellus wells in southwestern Pennsylvania. It has a large position in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, along with ample drilling inventory and meaningful midstream access, so even a small percentage increase in its output would translate into big volumes on the ground. For now, though, EQT is not signaling a push for massive growth. In its Q1 2026 earnings call, the company emphasized capital discipline, returns and making the most of existing assets rather than ramping up volumes just because new demand or pipeline projects appear.
- Expand Energy (dark-blue areas in Figures 1 and 2), with corporate offices in Houston and Oklahoma City, has the scale and capacity to grow, but there are real questions about whether it would choose to grow significantly in the Northeast, where it is already producing around 6.3 Bcf/d gross. Its operations span major positions in both Appalachia and the Haynesville, and recent guidance calls for 2026 production of roughly 7.5 Bcfe/d net on a capital program of about $2.85 billion. For now, it appears Expand is more likely to lean into growth in the Haynesville and treat its Northeast Marcellus and Utica assets as a cash cow rather than an engine for new drilling. But in its Q1 2026 earnings, Chairman Michael Wichterich said: “Our Appalachia assets sit at the core of AI power demand. … That, of course, can come from the Northeast. … So more gas will have to come from Appalachia.”
- Range Resources Corp. (green areas in Figures 1 and 2), based in Fort Worth, TX, is a clear exception among Appalachian gas producers because it has a stated multi‑year growth plan. Company guidance and recent earnings show Range is roughly halfway through a three‑year program that will boost production from about 2.2 Bcfe/d in 2025 toward 2.6 Bcfe/d by 2027, with 2026 volumes guided at roughly 2.35-2.4 Bcfe/d. That makes Range the one larger public name in the basin with explicit, extended growth ambitions. In its Q1 2026 earnings call, CEO Dennis Degner said: “Range is off to a great start in 2026, showing steady progress executing the multi‑year disciplined growth plan we announced last year.”
- Houston-based Devon Energy (red areas in Figures 1 and 2) produces about 2 Bcf/d from Marcellus assets it acquired via the Coterra Energy merger earlier this year. Those assets have reportedly attracted an approximately $8 billion bid from Stone Ridge Asset Management and are now widely discussed as a potential divestiture candidate, though Devon has not yet committed to a sale. The asset does not appear to be a natural fit with Devon’s portfolio. It has been flat for many years and has struggled to consistently compete for capital in predecessor Coterra’s portfolio and is likely to face the same challenges in the combined Devon portfolio.
- Antero Resources (yellow areas in Figures 1 and 2), headquartered in Denver, produces roughly 4.0–4.1 Bcfe/d, with natural gas accounting for well over half of that volume. Antero’s HG Energy acquisition, which was announced in December 2025 and closed in February, added roughly 385,000 net acres and more than 400 high‑royalty locations to its Appalachian portfolio. Much of the acreage acquired from HG consists of many sections without existing horizontals, leaving the viability of incremental inventory more unproven.
- CNX Resources (brown areas in Figures 1 and 2), based in Canonsburg, PA, is a relatively smaller producer with a deep Marcellus and Utica inventory — though it doesn’t reach the point of its larger peers. Aggressive production growth does not appear to fit its current strategy. In recent years, the company has mostly maintained flat output, following a disciplined model of drilling roughly 30 wells per year. CNX is producing about 1.7 Bcfe/d overall and around about 1.57 Bcf/d of gas in Appalachia. The E&P controls approximately 9.7 Tcfe of proved reserves and more than 1 million net acres across its Appalachia gas plays, providing decades of development runway. On CNX’s Q1 2026 earnings call, CEO Alan Shepard said the company “certainly [sees] the same sort of long-term optimism on the demand side” and described some recently announced power and data center projects as “mind-boggling.” He noted that the scale of anticipated in-basin gas demand “is going to need to be sourced by multiple producers.”
- Seneca Resources Co. (light-blue areas in Figures 1 and 2) is more of a smaller-but-interesting name than a basin‑shaker. If Seneca chose to grow, it would be adding far less absolute volumes into the market than the larger players. Seneca is producing on the order of 1-1.25 Bcf/d in Appalachia. The Houston-based company holds a good chunk of remaining inventory in central Pennsylvania, but that inventory sits in an area that still lacks the gathering, processing and other infrastructure that make it easy to convert locations into production. Seneca is owned by National Fuel Gas Co., which has also signaled it prefers stable returns and low-volatility cash flows over ramping up drilling. That suggests Seneca is more likely to be a steady contributor rather than a massive driver of new growth.
- Ascent Resources, a privately held producer headquartered in Oklahoma City, is focused on the Ohio Utica and is currently expected to average 2.1 -2.2 Bcfe/d this year. Gulfport Energy, also based in Oklahoma City, is another Utica‑based company in Appalachia and the Anadarko basins, but its Appalachia volumes are also well below those of EQT and Expand. We don’t see either firm making massive organic growth moves, but we’re definitely watching them both.
The picture that emerges is one of an Appalachian gas sector with plenty of capacity for growth, but a preference for discipline and stability. Most large producers have deep, high‑quality inventories and could add significant volume if prices, pipes and in‑basin demand all line up, yet their current strategies emphasize balance sheet strength, shareholder returns and careful pacing over aggressive expansion.
U.S. Ethane-to-Henry Hub Ratio Climbs for a Third Straight Month | RBN Energy -The U.S. ethane-to-Henry Hub ratio is averaging 111% so far for July 2026 (red bar), 4 percentage points above June's 107% average and 6 percentage points above the 105% average for the same month last year. Ethane is averaging about 23¢/gal so far for July, while Henry Hub natural gas is averaging about $3/MMBtu. The ratio has increased for three consecutive months and now stands modestly above year-ago levels.
New Pipeline Supply, LNG Outages Pressure Henry Hub Natural Gas Prices - Kinder Morgan's Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America (NGPL) has stepped up natural gas deliveries toward Louisiana after bringing its Texas-Louisiana Expansion Project to full service, adding supply pressure to Henry Hub spot prices.Entropic Analytics chart compares Henry Hub natural gas prices with NGPL flows east of Station 302 from May to July 2026, highlighting higher pipeline throughput as prices ease. At a Glance:
NGPL project adds Henry Hub supply
Henry Hub spot falls below $3
LNG outages compound price pressure
Delfin Advances FLNG2 With MidOcean Deal, Early Equipment Order -Delfin Midstream took a key step toward the targeted final investment decision (FID) of its second floating LNG (FLNG) vessel offshore the Louisiana coast with a tentative equity agreement and procurement order. Map of the Delfin LNG offshore export project in the Gulf of America showing the UTOS Pipeline, FLNG vessels and planned future development area off Louisiana. At a Glance:
Delfin targets FLNG2 year-end FID
MidOcean could acquire 50% interest
Siemens tapped for early procurement
Argent LNG Adds Naftogaz to Tentative Customer Lineup -- Argent LNG has signed a tentative agreement with Ukraine’s Naftogaz Group aimed at shipping US LNG supply as the project developer ramps up commercialization efforts of the proposed Louisiana export project. At a Glance:
- Framework targets neighboring markets too
- Naftogaz expands access to US LNG
- Argent targets first cargo in 2030
Golden Pass, Sabine Pass Flow Shifts Complicate US LNG Feedgas Outlook Commissioning setbacks at Golden Pass LNG and a temporary reshuffling of pipeline supply into Sabine Pass have added another layer of volatility to US feedgas nominations as extended maintenance at Freeport LNG weighs on the summer balance.Entropic Analytics chart comparing Golden Pass and Sabine Pass LNG feedgas nominations from May to July 2026, highlighting changing feedgas flows at both Gulf Coast export terminals. At a Glance:
Golden Pass intake remains down 40%
Sabine Pass reroutes around Transco halt
Freeport recovery trails maintenance baseline
US LNG Feedgas Turns Volatile Beyond Freeport Maintenance -Already bearish signals from US LNG feedgas demand weighing on summer prices have continued to fluctuate as operational trips during Freeport LNG’s expected maintenance and swings at Golden Pass LNG further cloud a fall in nominations. At a Glance:
Brief Freeport trips deepen volatility
Golden Pass flaring raises uncertainty
US LNG feedgas falls by 1.5 Bcf/d
U.S. LNG Feedgas Demand Drops | RBN Energy - Total U.S. LNG feedgas demand was down sharply last week, with lower intake at Freeport, Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi and Calcasieu Pass. Feedgas demand averaged 17.9 Bcf/d for the week ending July 12 (see blue dotted line below), down 0.73 Bcf/d week-on-week, according to our LNG Voyager Weekly report. The largest week-on-week decline came from Freeport, where Train 3 tripped offline because of an issue at the pretreatment facility on July 9. The train still appears to be offline. Intake at Sabine Pass was reduced on July 7-8 because of scheduled maintenance on the Creole Trail pipeline. Feedgas recovered after work on the Gillis Compressor Station concluded, but intake at the terminal remains lackluster. Intake at Golden Pass was down slightly last week. Feedgas to the commissioning terminal was above 0.5 Bcf/d from July 1-9, before dropping. Feedgas at the terminal appears to be slowly creeping higher, but is still not at the expected 0.8 Bcf/d that would indicate Train 1 was at full operations.
Freeport LNG Trains Trip Offline, Sending Feedgas to Summer Low - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers
- 17.2 Bcf/d: US LNG feedgas demand steadied slightly Thursday after sliding to a six-week low midweek. Nominations landed at 17.2 Bcf/d, according to NGI's Entropic Analytics data. Thursday’s nominations from the previous day evening cycle posted a slight day/day recovery from Wednesday's 16.6 Bcf/d. US feedgas demand dropped to its lowest point since June 2 and held below the seven-day average of 17.6 Bcf/d, marking a 1 Bcf/d decrease from the week prior. The market was previously anticipating maintenance at terminals like Freeport LNG until August, but flows have fluctuated further due to unplanned outages.
- 0.15 Bcf/d: Further weighing on natural gas futures, feedgas nominations to Freeport LNG collapsed to their lowest level of the summer after all three of the terminal's liquefaction trains tripped offline early Wednesday. Freeport engineers told Texas regulators that Trains 1, 2 and 3 tripped because of an incoming power feed interruption, forcing unplanned venting to the plant's liquefaction flare for eight hours starting in the morning. Interstate pipeline deliveries to the facility fell to about 0.15 Bcf/d for the Wednesday gas day, down from roughly 1.13 Bcf/d Tuesday, according to NGI's Entropic Analytics data. The terminal previously drew average daily feedgas nominations of 1.95 Bcf/d over July 1-6 before the turnaround began.
- 2.38 Mt: Weekly US LNG exports rose in the week ended July 12 to around 2.38 Mt, according to Kpler data. The trade period marked a 9% rebound from the prior week's 2.19 Mt, which was the second lowest week of US exports since the beginning of summer. The weekly results extended a choppy stretch, with terminals sending out 2.72 Mt in the week of June 22 and 2.22 Mt in the week of June 15. The latest total was roughly in line with the prior three-week average, recovering some of the ground lost the week before. US exports were about 26% higher than the same week in 2025. Asia led all destinations during the week at 1.09 Mt, ahead of Europe's roughly 0.72 Mt.
- $23,250/day: The premium for Atlantic LNG carriers shipping US LNG has risen to $23,250/day over Pacific vessels this week, with rates in both basins holding relatively steady, according to Spark Commodities. The vessel pricing firm assessed Atlantic rates at $97,000/day for the Jul. 31-Aug. 30 delivery window Thursday, down $2,000 from the prior assessment, while the Pacific rate eased $500 to $73,750/day. The freight gap is compounded on the longer haul to Asia, where NGI calculations as of Wednesday put total shipping costs from Sabine Pass at around $2.20/MMBtu for August deliveries. The Sabine Pass to Asia curve was nearly double the roughly $1.18 to reach Europe's Gate terminal, compounded by Panama Canal costs and port fees. Stronger JKM forwards still kept the total arbitrage spread to Asia at $11.248/MMBtu for August against $13.672 to Europe, with the Asian arb flipping to a premium from September onward.
Glenfarne Lands Investment for Early Work on Texas LNG Ahead of FID -- Glenfarne Group has secured a $500 million investment for its Texas LNG project from an affiliate of BlackRock. At a Glance:
- FID closer with deal
- Debt financing also secured
- Project fully subscribed
Texas LNG Receives $500 Million as FID Nears - Texas LNG secured a $500 million investment led by HPS Investment Partners to advance engineering and early construction work at its Brownsville export terminal as the project moves toward final investment decision. (P&GJ) — Texas LNG has secured a $500 million investment led by funds and accounts managed by HPS Investment Partners, part of BlackRock, providing financing to advance development and early construction activities at the company's proposed LNG export terminal in Brownsville, Texas. The funding will support engineering, procurement and site work as the project moves closer to a final investment decision (FID). According to Glenfarne, the investment represents one of the final milestones before the project reaches FID. The financing will also support the recently announced limited notice to proceed (LNTP) issued to Kiewit under the project's lump-sum turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contract. Initial work includes procurement of long-lead equipment, EPC engineering activities and geotechnical investigations. Vlad Bluzer, co-president of Texas LNG and partner at Glenfarne, said the investment demonstrates the project's readiness to move into the next phase of development. Texas LNG is planned for the Port of Brownsville and is designed to use electric motor drives to reduce emissions associated with LNG production. The project is part of Glenfarne's North American LNG development portfolio, which totals 32.8 MMtpy of planned liquefaction capacity across projects in Alaska, Louisiana and Texas.
Corpus Christi LNG Train 7 Cleared to Introduce Fuel Gas by FERC -- FERC has authorized Corpus Christi Liquefaction to introduce fuel gas and hot oil into Midscale Train 7, marking another commissioning milestone for Cheniere's Stage 3 LNG expansion in Texas. (Reuters) — A U.S. energy regulator on July 17 approved Corpus Christi Liquefaction's (CCL) request to introduce fuel gas and hot oil into Midscale Train 7, a further step toward getting the last train of the company's Stage 3 Project into service. The Stage 3 expansion of U.S. liquefied natural gas company Cheniere Energy's Corpus Christi LNG export plant in Texas consists of seven midscale liquefaction trains designed to add over 10 million tons of production capacity per year. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission added that CCL must comply with all applicable remaining terms and conditions, as well as procedures stipulated in its previous filings. The approval does not grant CCL the authority to construct, commission, or introduce hazardous fluids to other project facilities at the LNG terminal, the U.S. regulator said.
LNG Exports Could Add $1.4 Trillion to U.S. GDP by 2040, Study Finds -U.S. LNG exports could generate $1.4 trillion in economic output through 2040, with new projections pointing to significant investment, rising feedgas demand and growing global market share. (Reuters) — Liquefied natural gas is poised to become the United States' second-largest net export industry within five years, adding nearly $1.4 trillion to its gross domestic product through 2040, according to an S&P Global Energy study. In 2025, the country became the first to export more than 100 million metric tons of LNG in one year, as new plants helped production.
- The S&P study forecast total investments across the U.S. LNG supply chain to exceed $1 trillion through 2040, with a funding surge after the lifting of last year's export "pause."
- It estimated LNG export to generate $2.9 trillion in revenue, $206 billion of taxes and nearly $630 billion in labor income.
- It projected a 1.6% rise in domestic average household gas costs between 2026 and 2031.
- The export surge is set to double feedgas demand to 36 billion cubic feet per day by 2031, the report said.
- U.S. LNG can account for a third of the global market in five years, it added.
- Prices in Europe and Asia could jump by 50% if the new U.S. export capacity is not realized, the study predicted.
- It added that U.S. LNG exports could help stabilize domestic markets during peak demand, while infrastructure constraints remain the main driver of regional price volatility.
US natgas hits six-week low on higher output and lower demand outlook (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures slid about 2% to a six-week low on Monday on rising output, forecasts for less demand than previously expected, and a decline in flows to liquefied natural gas export plants during maintenance at Freeport LNG in Texas. That gas price decline was offset by a roughly 9% jump in oil futures due to supply worries after the U.S. said it would reimpose a blockade on Iran's ports. Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 4.3 cents, or 1.5%, to settle at $2.897 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since May 26 for a third day in a row. That also put the front-month down for four days in a row for the first time since mid-April and kept it in technically oversold territory for a second day in a row for the first time since mid-April. For the year, futures for calendar 2027 NGCALYZ7 fell to $3.36 per mmBtu, their lowest since February 2022. Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states rose to 110.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July, up from 110.0 bcfd in June, but still below the monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. Analysts said mostly mild weather during the spring allowed energy firms to stockpile more gas than usual. They projected the amount of gas in inventories held at 6.6% above normal during the week ended July 10, the same as the previous week. Meteorologists forecast the weather would remain mostly warmer than normal through July 28, keeping the amount of gas power generators burn high as homes and businesses crank up air conditioners. About 40% of U.S. power generation comes from gas-fired plants. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would slide from 110.2 bcfd this week to 109.1 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants rose to 17.6 bcfd so far in July, up from 17.4 bcfd in June, but remain below the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April. That increase in average LNG feedgas came despite the reduction in flows to Freeport LNG's 2.4-bcfd export plant in Texas for planned work from July 10 to late August.
Market Watch: Middle East War Fails to Boost US Gas Futures - August gas futures inched 0.7¢ higher Tuesday to $2.904 per million Btu. “Escalating Middle East tensions have lifted global energy prices, but Henry Hub has struggled to benefit because the immediate US balance remains comfortable,” Gelber & Associates said. A sizable storage cushion, milder late-July weather expectations, and reduced LNG demand during terminal maintenance are keeping sellers in control. … Without a more durable increase in cooling demand or a faster recovery in export flows, the international supply shock remains more of a volatility risk than a direct source of physical tightening for the domestic market.”
US natgas prices edge up as heat wave lifts power demand for air conditioning (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures edged up on Wednesday as a heat wave blanketed the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, boosting power generator demand for gas to keep air conditioners humming. Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 2 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $2.924 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Meteorologists forecast temperatures would top 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) in many parts of the country on Wednesday, including New York and Chicago. That forecast compares with normal highs of around 85 F in both cities at this time of year, according to weather forecaster AccuWeather. As homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners to escape the heat, next-day power prices at the PJM Western Hub jumped 178% to around $420 per megawatt hour. The PJM Western Hub is located mostly in western Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia/Maryland metro area. Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has risen to 110.1 billion cubic feet per day so far in July, up from 110.0 bcfd in June, but has remained below the monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. Analysts said mostly mild weather during the spring allowed energy firms to stockpile more gas than usual. As they wait for a federal report on Thursday, they projected the amount of gas in storage eased to 6.4% above normal during the week ended July 10, down from 6.6% during the previous week. Meteorologists forecast the weather would remain mostly warmer than normal through July 30, forcing power generators to burn lots of gas to keep air conditioners humming. About 40% of U.S. power generation comes from gas-fired plants. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would slide from 111.1 bcfd this week to 110.4 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday. Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants have risen to 17.5 bcfd so far in July, up from 17.4 bcfd in June, but have remained below the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, however, LNG feedgas was on track to drop to a five-week low of 16.8 bcfd on Wednesday due mostly to a reduction in flows to Freeport LNG's 2.4-bcfd export plant in Texas for planned work from July 10 to late August. In other LNG news, the Al Fat'h LNG tanker was on track to reach China on July 16 with a load of fuel from U.S. energy firm Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana. The vessel left the U.S. in early June. So far, no LNG tanker has left a U.S. export plant and gone directly to China during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, which started in January 2025, due primarily to trade disputes between the world's two biggest economies. China, which imported a large amount of U.S. gas in the past and has many contracts to buy U.S. LNG, is the world's biggest gas importer, while the U.S. is the world's biggest gas producer, consumer and exporter. Chinese companies have bought U.S. LNG and then sold it to buyers in other countries.
USA EIA Raises Henry Hub Price Forecast for 2026, 2027 | Rigzone -The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) raised its Henry Hub natural gas spot price projection for 2026 and 2027 in its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released earlier this month. According to its July STEO, which was published on July 7 and completed its forecast on July 1, the EIA now sees Henry Hub natural gas spot price averaging $3.67 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) this year and $3.49 per MMBtu next year. In its previous STEO, which was released in June, the EIA projected that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price would come in at $3.60 per MMBtu in 2026 and $3.46 per MMBtu in 2027. A quarterly breakdown included in its latest STEO showed that the EIA sees the commodity averaging $3.37 per MMBtu in the third quarter of 2026, $3.57 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter, $3.83 per MMBtu in the first quarter of next year, $2.99 per MMBtu in the second quarter, $3.36 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and $3.78 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter. In its previous STEO, the EIA projected that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price would come in at $3.22 per MMBtu in the third quarter of this year, $3.47 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter, $3.78 per MMBtu in the first quarter of 2027, $2.97 per MMBtu in the second quarter, $3.34 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and $3.76 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter. “Natural gas inventories remain above the five-year average through much of our forecast, helping limit upward price pressures,” the EIA said in its July STEO. “Inventories remain relatively high because we expect record natural gas production, led by growth in the Permian region, to help meet rising demand,” it added. At the end of June, U.S. working natural gas inventories were six percent above the five-year average, the EIA highlighted in its latest STEO. “We forecast U.S. working natural gas inventories will reach 3,966 billion cubic feet (Bcf) by the end of October, five percent above the five-year average,” the EIA said in the STEO. “With above average inventories heading into winter, we expect the Henry Hub spot price in 4Q26 will average $3.57 per million British thermal units, which is five percent less than the same quarter last year,” it added. “On the back of strong demand growth next year, we expect the inventory surplus to the five-year average will narrow to one percent at the end of October 2027,” it continued. “Henry Hub prices in 4Q27 average $3.78 per MMBtu in our forecast, up six percent from 4Q26. For 2027 as a whole, we expect the Henry Hub price will average just under $3.50 per MMBtu, down slightly from an average of close to $3.60 per MMBtu in 2025 and 2026,” it went on to state. In an EBW Analytics Group report sent to Rigzone on Tuesday, Eli Rubin, an energy analyst at the company, outlined that “milder weather” was undermining near-term fundamentals in natural gas. “The August contract tested as low as $2.847 yesterday [Monday] before recovering, but notable weather weakening over the past 24 hours for Weeks 2 and 3 - particularly over the central and eastern U.S. - may further undermine physical support in late July,” Rubin said in the report. “In the immediate term, national daily CDDs may peak tomorrow [Wednesday] at 15.2 CDDs - with severe heat ranging from the Midwest through Mid-Atlantic - before subsiding,” he added. “Henry Hub spot gas prices cleared at just $2.81 per million British thermal units yesterday. Technicals suggest support may crumble into the low-$2.80s per MMBtu,” he continued. In the report, Rubin warned that, “if weather weakens more, LNG stays subdued, and production rises, further downside may be ahead for NYMEX gas in mid-to-late summer”. The EBW report highlighted that the August natural gas contract closed at $2.897 per MMBtu on Monday. This marked a 4.3 cent, or 1.5 percent, decrease from Friday’s close, the report outlined.
US refiner margins hit new records as fuel shortage concerns grow (Reuters) - U.S. refiner margins registered a fresh record high for the third consecutive session on Thursday, as low stockpiles and worsening tensions in the Middle East threaten potential supply shortfalls in the world's largest fuel consuming nation. U.S. refiners have been the biggest beneficiaries of the Iran war as international buyers have clamored for their supplies, pushing the country's fuel exports to record highs. As a result, however, domestic fuel stockpiles have dropped and lifted fuel prices sharply, weighing on consumer budgets in the peak summer driving season and posing potential problems for farmers in the country's Midwest. The 3-2-1 crack spread, the most widely used benchmark for U.S. refiner profitability, rose over 2% to close at $69.66 a barrel, a record high. The spread, traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, is used by refiners as a hedging instrument to lock in their profit margins. Diesel, the biggest portion of global oil consumption, has been the primary driver of U.S. refiner economics in recent months. Inventories of the industrial fuel had been tight for years due to refinery closures in the West, and disruptions to Middle Eastern exports from the Iran war made the market tighter before a temporary ban to Russian exports announced this month exacerbated the global diesel shortage even more. U.S. diesel stockpiles rose 4.5 million barrels last week to over 102 million barrels, but were still nearly 11 million barrels below the level recorded on February 27 and about 8 million barrels below the five-year seasonal average, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday. [EIA/S] Gasoline supplies, meanwhile, are becoming a growing cause of concern as U.S. and global refiners have lowered output of the motor fuel in favor of higher diesel and jet fuel yields. The supply-demand imbalance has pulled U.S. gasoline stockpiles down more sharply than diesel since the start of the Iran war at the end of February, slapping U.S. motorists with sticker shocks. U.S. gasoline inventories fell over 1.5 million barrels to 210.5 million barrels in the week ended July 10, down over 42 million barrels since the week ended February 27 and some 14 million barrels below the five-year seasonal average, EIA data showed. The motor fuel stockpile is the lowest for this time of year since 2012, the EIA data showed. U.S. national average retail gasoline prices stood at $3.95 a gallon on Thursday, up nearly 80 cents from the same time last year, data from GasBuddy showed. Prices had surged to as high as $4.56 per gallon in May due to disruptions to Middle East oil exports resulting from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the data showed. Gasoline prices are among the most visible inflationary indicators for U.S. consumers, making the price surge a political anathema for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused oil companies of price-gouging, without providing evidence. Analysts say even more pain may be in store for U.S. motorists before refiners turn their attention to gasoline. "Encouraging refiners to revert to max-gasoline mode will require higher gasoline prices at retail and wholesale levels as well as increased margins relative to other fuels," London-based independent oil analyst John Kemp wrote to subscribers on Thursday. U.S. gasoline crack spread settled at about $59 a barrel on Thursday, a level last reached in June 2022. The diesel crack spread settled at over $91 a barrel, a record high.
Cushing Crude Inventories Near ‘Tank Bottom’ Operating Levels, EIA Says - As Cushing crude inventories approach minimum operating levels, EIA explains how "tank bottoms" can tighten available storage and influence oil market pricing. (P&GJ) — Crude oil inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub have fallen below 20 million barrels in recent weeks, prompting the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to explain how "tank bottoms" can affect storage operations and market pricing. According to EIA, storage tanks require a minimum volume of crude oil to remain operational. Known as tank bottoms, this inventory allows pumps and related infrastructure to function properly. Once inventories approach these minimum operating levels, not all stored crude is readily accessible, even though tanks are not technically empty. Tank bottoms also distinguish working storage capacity from shell capacity. While shell capacity represents a facility's total design volume, working capacity reflects the usable storage available after accounting for the minimum inventory needed to keep the system operating safely. As Cushing inventories dipped below 20 million barrels between June 19 and July 10, the price spread between Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) narrowed sharply, briefly turning negative. EIA said the unusually strong WTI price suggests inventories may be approaching tank-bottom levels, tightening available storage capacity and contributing to stronger regional crude prices. EIA noted that petroleum storage facilities generally cannot draw inventories to zero because operators must maintain minimum working volumes. As a result, a facility may still contain crude oil but be unable to deliver additional supply if inventories fall to the bottom of its working storage capacity.
The U.S. is maxing out its strategic oil reserves as Trump vows to control the Strait of Hormuz - President Donald Trump made a new push Monday to exert more control over the Strait of Hormuz, a global oil chokepoint that is over 7,000 miles from the U.S.The tensions come as a fragile U.S.-Iran cease-fire deal has been unraveling, and as another crisis brews closer to home: U.S. emergency crude-oil reserves now sit at their lowest levels since the 1980s, and are plagued by aging infrastructure.Following failed attempts to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said Monday that the U.S. should run the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway located between Iran and Oman, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean.“We’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it,” Trump said in a morning interview with Fox News. “And we should be reimbursed for that.” Later in the day, Trump made threats to strike Iran on Monday evening and potentially Tuesday in an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.” Soon after, the U.S. Central Command announced it had launched strikes against Iran for the third consecutive night.The president’s comments come as the U.S.-Iran conflict has dragged on far longer than the White House initially outlined, at more than four months and counting. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been racing to offset a global oil shock it helped instigate by yanking supplies from the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or SPR.With the strait seeing only limited maritime traffic in recent days, and with the U.S. economy still going strong and in the middle of travel season, “we might witness a further collapse in strategic and commercial reserves,” which could lead to even higher prices for oil, said Samer Hasn, senior market analyst at XS.com.Crude-oil stocks in the SPR — a program created in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s to deal with shortages of crude — fell to 319.5 million barrels as of the week ended July 3. That’s the lowest since 1983, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Releases of oil from the SPR helped offset supply lost to transportation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February. Back in March, the U.S. authorized the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the SPR over a period of about 120 days, as part of the International Energy Agency’s agreement to release 400 million barrels of oil from its members’ emergency reserves.In a review of the U.S. Energy Department’s management of the SPR, released to the public in late June, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said Congress and the Energy Department lacked a unified long-term plan for the SPR, while pointing to aging infrastructure, leaks, structural problems and spills. The GAO said the SPR experienced 16 major equipment failures since 2013. In January of this year, nearly 170 barrels of crude spilled at one facility in Texas due to a split in a crude pipe. The GAO recommended that Congress temporarily limit nonemergency sales from the reserve and authorize a funding mechanism to help the Energy Department cover ongoing or periodic costs for maintaining the SPR. But the global oil market remains in an emergency situation, with the Strait of Hormuz now only seeing the passage of a small number of ships. Before the war, about 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade transited through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz was supposed to be reopened following the latest U.S.-Iran cease-fire signed in mid-June, but maritime traffic through the waterway never fully returned to normal operations.Six tankers crossed through the strait Sunday without their automatic identification systems on, according to data from Kpler — with two entering and four exiting the waterway. That compares with an average of 25 over the seven days prior to that, Kpler said. Sizing studies done on the SPR in the 1970s recommended an inventory minimum of 250 million barrels. The reserve can hold up to 727 million barrels. So, if the congressionally mandated minimum is at about 250 million barrels and there are just over 300 million barrels left in the SPR, the U.S. possibly could release 1 million barrels per day for 60 days, or 2 million barrels a day for 30 days, noted Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. “Then what?” Lynch asked. “Trump could ignore the law,” he told MarketWatch — but operationally, going below 250 million barrels can create technical problems. “Trump appears to have trouble parsing the complex nature of the oil market.”
Seaway Export Slowdown Signals SPR Release Program Is Winding Down -As discussed in this week's Crude Voyager, despite U.S. Gulf Coast crude exports rebounding for the week ended July 10, activity at Houston's Seaway Freeport and Seaway Texas City terminals weakened. This divergence from the broader export recovery is notable because both terminals have been closely linked to the recent Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) release program. Since early April, increased loadings from the Seaway system closely tracked the acceleration in SPR withdrawals, suggesting that barrels originating from the Bryan Mound storage site were being moved through the Seaway pipeline network for export. As discussed previously, while the Department of Energy (DOE) does not disclose the final destination of individual SPR cargoes, the strong correlation between rising Seaway exports and record SPR drawdowns has made these terminals a clear indicator of emergency crude entering the export market. At the peak of the War in Iran, an average of 500 Mb/d was loaded between Seaway Freeport and Seaway Texas City, contributing to a surge in total 2026 volumes to above 20 MMbbl (blue bar in chart above). However, this rampant export schedule has recently dwindled, as last week was the third consecutive week with no loadings recorded out of Seaway Freeport. Additionally, only one vessel has loaded out of Seaway Texas City in the last two weeks. The slowdown at both Seaway terminals suggests that this source of incremental export supply is beginning to fade. As discussed in our Crude Billboard, the Department of Energy committed to release up to 172 MMbbl of crude as part of the broader 400 MMbbl coordinated International Energy Agency (IEA) emergency response to disruptions caused by the Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although the authorization covers up to 172 MMbbl, the DOE is not obligated to release the full amount, and may choose not to if market conditions have stabilized. Through the week ended July 3, approximately 96 MMbbl, or 56% of the authorized U.S. volume, have been released.The recent slowdown in Seaway Freeport and Seaway Texas City loadings aligns with both the expected conclusion of the approximately 120-day release window (mid-March through mid-July) of SPR barrels, and the retracement in crude prices from the triple-digit levels that prompted the unprecedented drawdown to the recent $70/bbl-$80/bbl range. If Seaway export activity continues to soften in the coming weeks, it would provide another indication that SPR releases have transitioned from a meaningful source of U.S. Gulf Coast export supply back toward more typical crude flows, reducing one of the key factors that supported elevated export volumes throughout the second quarter.
The US oil reserve is at a 40-year low — but the government says there’s still plenty of breathing room - Commodity experts on Wall Street have long been fixated on the risks associated with U.S. emergency crude-oil supplies running too low. The Department of Energy says they’ve got it all wrong.The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest publicly known supply of emergency crude oil, has fallen to a more-than-40-year low. That’s set off alarm bells on Wall Street.With U.S. commercial crude inventories and supplies in the SPR falling again last week, there’s “less breathing room” in terms of supplies at a time of “intense global uncertainty,” said David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation, in emailed commentary. “The SPR draws can’t continue forever.”The SPR was authorized by Congress to hold up to 714 million barrels and it’s down to less than half that, at 316.5 million barrels as of the week ended July 10, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration released Wednesday.Stockpiles were down 3 million barrels from a week earlier and at the lowest level since 1983 for the SPR, which was established in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s to deal with crude shortages. A slowdown in oil imports from China and a rapid initial drawdown in U.S. emergency reserves have been credited with keeping global crude prices below $100 a barrel, but America’s crude stockpiles have been dwindling since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February. The U.S. in March authorized the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the reserve over a period of about 120 days. Even so, today’s lower reserve levels may not as tight as market experts think. The oil industry has generally accepted that the operational minimum for oil in the SPR, a point at which it would be more difficult to pump out the oil, is somewhere between 250 million and 300 million barrels. Meanwhile, sizing studies done on the SPR in the 1970s recommended an inventory minimum of 250 million barrels. An Energy Department statement to MarketWatch on Wednesday indicated that the industry assertion of a “minimum operating level” of 250 million barrels is incorrect. This comes as the U.S.-Iran cease-fire agreement from June has collapsed in recent days. President Donald Trump wants to exert more control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and on Wednesday evening another round of U.S. military strikes took place against Iran. Meanwhile, the Energy Department said the SPR’s minimum inventory is determined by “cavern mechanics” that when applied across the full system translates to a “conservative operational minimum of about 70 million barrels,” the DOE spokesperson said. That may leave more to spare for emergencies — around 246 million barrels, according to the DOE’s latest estimates. That 70 million barrels might be the minimum operation levels based on technical considerations, but the DOE seems to “assume optimal operations,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. He thinks it’s likely to become more difficult to extract the remaining oil in the reserve as the market gets closer to the minimums. And the lower the SPR gets, the more traders are going to “worry that oil will not be available, even if the technical minimum hasn’t been reached,” said Lynch.
Economist Hanke warns oil markets ignoring supply problems --Oil markets are showing a dangerous level of complacency despite growing geopolitical risks in the Middle East, shrinking petroleum inventories, and significant disruptions to Russian fuel exports, according to economist Steve Hanke. Speaking with Mario Nawfal on his YouTube show, Hanke argued that current oil prices are failing to reflect mounting risks surrounding the Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and tightening supplies of refined petroleum products. He warned that while futures markets remain relatively calm, underlying conditions suggest the world could face significant energy disruptions if hostilities continue. Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, is widely known for his work on inflation, currency crises, monetary policy, and commodity markets. A former senior economist on President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers, he has advised governments around the world and is a frequent commentator on global financial markets. During the interview, Hanke pointed to a recent Wall Street Journal report warning that U.S. oil inventories have become "dangerously low." "We know that when inventories are low, the spot price of any commodity exceeds the futures prices," Hanke said, noting that the current pricing structure has changed very little over the past week despite worsening geopolitical developments. Oil prices have been hovering around $70 per barrel for WTI crude — not far from prices before the recent Iran war began in late February. "The markets are asleep at the wheel,” he said, adding, “Something is wrong." One of Hanke's principal concerns is the disruption of global refined fuel supplies stemming from Russia. According to Hanke, Russia traditionally accounted for roughly 8% to 10% of internationally traded refined petroleum products — including gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel — but Ukrainian strikes have significantly damaged Russian refining capacity. "Refining capacity has been hit very hard in Russia," Hanke said after speaking with a colleague in Moscow. He added that even motorists in Moscow are reportedly waiting hours to fill their vehicles because Russia has shifted from exporting refined fuels to importing them. "Russia's out now," Hanke said of the refined products market. "They're importing refined products. They're not exporting." That loss, he argued, should be placing far greater upward pressure on international fuel markets. "If you've got Russia supplying 8 to 10% of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in the international traded market, and all of a sudden you take 10% out of the market, well, that's not trivial," Hanke said. Despite these shortages, crude oil prices have remained relatively subdued, something Hanke acknowledged he cannot fully explain. "It is a little bit of a mystery," he admitted. Rather than pointing to a single cause, Hanke said numerous competing forces are simultaneously influencing oil prices. "We have lots of cross currents going on," he said. "You end up with a very difficult situation to start predicting anything." He also dismissed speculation that oil companies are secretly paying significantly higher physical prices for crude than are reflected in futures markets. Although refining margins — or "crack spreads" — remain elevated, Hanke said strong profits reported by refiners suggest companies are benefiting from the current market rather than absorbing hidden costs. "The refineries are making a lot of money," he said, adding that earlier reports of a large disconnect between physical oil prices and paper futures markets have narrowed considerably. Another reason oil prices have remained restrained, Hanke suggested, is that traders may be looking beyond current disruptions to expectations of increased global oil supplies in 2027. However, he argued that current futures prices do not fully support that explanation either. "If everyone is anticipating a lot of surplus in '27, you would end up with a much steeper forward curve and much more backwardation than we actually have," Hanke said. Beyond energy markets, Hanke expressed deep skepticism that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will ease anytime soon. Using what he described as a "joint probability" exercise, Hanke estimated only a very small likelihood that several key developments — including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, disarming Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, and Israeli withdrawals from disputed territories — would all occur simultaneously. "You're going to end up any way you cut it with a very low percentage — an infinitesimal amount — of a 1% probability of things being settled in the region," he said. "There's virtually no chance that things are going to work out and you'll have peace in the region." Hanke suggested markets have yet to fully recognize those geopolitical realities. "I think there's tremendous complacency in the markets," he said, extending that concern beyond commodities to stocks and other financial assets. While Hanke stopped short of forecasting an immediate oil price spike, he cautioned that markets could eventually be "mugged by reality" if military tensions intensify or supply disruptions worsen. For now, he believes investors are underestimating the cumulative impact of shrinking inventories, lost Russian refining output, and the continuing instability surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
He sued the oil industry for $51B. Now he faces Republicans in a private grilling. - It’s a rare occurrence for a private lawyer to be hauled before a congressional committee and be deposed. But in the sharply political world of climate and energy litigation, Roger Worthington is no ordinary lawyer. A champion among environmental activists and a villain to the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, the ambitious attorney’s latest gambit — representing Multnomah County, Oregon, in a $51 billion lawsuit that accuses the oil and gas industry of contributing to a heat wave that killed 69 people in 2021 — has landed him in the hot seat before the House Judiciary Committee. The 65-year-old, who made his name taking asbestos manufacturers to court, will be questioned Wednesday by Republicans who are investigating what they say are efforts to influence judges overseeing climate lawsuits, like the one brought by Worthington’s firm and two others on behalf of the county that includes Portland. Advertisement His appearance — ordered by congressional subpoena — is the latest flash point in a high-stakes legal and political battle over a swath of lawsuits brought by more than two dozen city and state governments seeking to hold oil and gas producers financially accountable for climate change. The industry has warned that the lawsuits could cost it tens of billions of dollars. House and Senate Republicans have filed legislation to wipe out the litigation. Blocking the lawsuits has emerged as one priority for the Trump administration amid its broader effort to stifle climate initiatives. The Department of Justice has filed unsuccessful lawsuits to block climate cases brought by Hawaii and Michigan, as well as derail a lawsuit by Minnesota. And the Supreme Court this fall is poised to hold oral arguments on the industry’s bid to quash the cases. Worthington took center stage from the moment Multnomah County commissioners announced the launch of the landmark climate lawsuit in June 2023 in front of a Portland courthouse. “They’re in the business of extracting carbon from the earth, converting it into a gas form and polluting our sky, and we have to pay the price,” Worthington thundered as he joined — and out-talked — the elected officials. “No more, not here, not now.” It’s not the first time he’s taken on corporate polluters. He dragged asbestos manufacturers into court for over 20 years, earning more than $1 billion for clients who were dying of cancer. That shaped his outlook for the climate case, which he warned “wasn’t going to be easy.” The fossil fuel industry, he predicted, would “fight like the dickens” to protect itself. Three years later, as he arrives in Washington for the closed-door grilling, his words are prescient in ways he and the team of attorneys — which includes veterans of tobacco and opioid litigation — say they never imagined: With lawmakers scrutinizing an attorney in an active case that Republicans have opposed politically. It prompted Worthington to accuse lawmakers of “throwing Big Oil a bone they can chew on” by demanding he appear before them. GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who chairs the Judiciary subcommittee with jurisdiction over courts, said people who assert that the committee is doing the oil industry’s bidding are “full of shit, and you can quote that.” Lawmakers “want to hear the truth,” Issa said. “It’ll be under oath, and we expect that we’ll either have a ‘Take the Fifth’ or we’ll get, we hope, the truth.”
U.S. Rig Count Up Seven to 588; Permian Paces Gains as Oil-Directed Rigs Climb | RBN Energy -- U.S. oil and gas rig count gained seven rigs to 588 for the week ending July 17 according to Baker Hughes data, as Permian (+3), Anadarko (+2) and All Other (+2) all posted gains while all other basins held steady. Oil-directed rigs climbed to 452 (+7) while gas-directed rigs were unchanged at 126 and miscellaneous rigs were unchanged at 10. Total U.S. rig count is up 45 over the last 90 days and now stands 44 rigs above this week in 2025.
Canadian Rig Counts: Up 22 This Week (+20 Oil, +2 Gas) | RBN Energy - -In Western Canada, the gas-directed rig count rose by 2 to 59 rigs, while the oil-directed rig count gained 20 to 136 rigs, for the week ended July 17, according to Baker Hughes data. The gas-directed rig count is 9 higher than at this time last year, and 14 below the prior five-year high for this time of year (see left chart below), while the oil-directed rig count is 25 higher than at this time last year, and 13 higher than the prior five-year high for this time of year (see right chart below). The gains in the rig counts this week more than offset declines reported last week.The active gas-directed rig count gained 2 in Alberta, gained 1 in British Columbia, and fell by 1 in Saskatchewan (see table below). The Northeast Alberta (+7), Alberta Foothills Front (+5), and Central Saskatchewan (+6) regions accounted for 18 of the 20 net gains to the oil-directed rig count (see table below).
LNG Canada Takes Another Step Toward Phase 2 FID in First Nations Deal - LNG Canada’s backers have reached an agreement to give a group of First Nations neighboring the export facility in British Columbia an opportunity to invest up to $1 billion in part of its second phase. At a Glance:
- First Nations could own storage tank
- FID targeted by end of year
- Expansion would double output
Canadian LNG’s Asia Edge Still Hinges on Competitive Costs --Canadian LNG’s shorter route to Asia, stable natural gas supply and lower carbon footprint have helped put the emerging export industry on the map, but developers still must compete on price as key buyers prioritize affordability, according to TD Cowen analysts. NGI Forward Look chart shows NOVA/AECO C forward fixed natural gas prices from August 2026 through August 2030. At a Glance:
Asian buyers still prioritizing affordability
Feedgas, shipping support competitiveness
LNG Canada Phase 2 requires more work
US Heat, Overseas Warmth Strengthen Global LNG Demand Outlook - A second major US heat event in three weeks is poised to increase power sector natural gas demand as continued warmth in Europe and Northeast Asia reinforce global LNG consumption. Europe and Asia weather charts compare trailing 365-day mean temperatures versus normal for Northwest Europe, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo. At a Glance:
Eastern US heat lifts natural gas demand
Europe, Asia warmth supports LNG pull
Atlantic remains quiet near export terminals
Global LNG Trade Hits Record High as U.S. Expands Export Lead - Global LNG trade climbed to a record 56.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 as U.S. exports surged 26%, while Europe's LNG imports jumped and Strait of Hormuz disruptions reshaped global gas markets. (P&GJ) — Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade reached a record 56.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, a 5.4% increase from the previous year, driven primarily by expanding U.S. export capacity, according to the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (GIIGNL). The United States strengthened its position as the world's largest LNG exporter, increasing shipments 26% to 15.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2025. U.S. exports accounted for 26% of global LNG trade, up from 21% a year earlier, while the United States, Qatar and Australia together supplied nearly two-thirds of the world's LNG exports. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. LNG exports to continue growing, forecasting exports of 17.4 billion cubic feet per day in 2026 and 18.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2027 as new liquefaction capacity enters service. Qatar remained the second-largest LNG exporter, increasing exports 3% to 10.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2025. However, LNG flows from the country have declined this year following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key export route that previously handled roughly one-fifth of global LNG supplies. The disruption has tightened the spot market as Asian buyers compete with Europe for available cargoes. Several exporters, including Australia, Malaysia and Norway, reported lower exports because of maintenance activities. Russia posted the largest decline by volume, with LNG exports falling 8%, largely due to the effects of European sanctions. On the demand side, Europe recorded the largest increase in LNG imports, with volumes rising 29% (3.8 billion cubic feet per day) in 2025 after the expiration of the Ukraine-Russia natural gas transit agreement reduced pipeline supplies. Europe's largest LNG importers each increased purchases by between 0.4 billion cubic feet per day and 0.6 billion cubic feet per day. Asian LNG imports, by contrast, declined 4% to 35.7 billion cubic feet per day, largely because China reduced LNG purchases by 15% while relying more heavily on domestic production and pipeline gas. Egypt also sharply increased LNG imports, raising purchases from 0.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2024 to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to offset domestic supply shortages. Bahrain and Senegal imported their first LNG cargoes during the year. According to the EIA, global LNG trade growth slowed in 2026 as the Strait of Hormuz disruption constrained exports from Qatar, forcing buyers to seek alternative supplies and increasing competition for spot cargoes.
LNG Tankers Again Vanish From Hormuz, Fueling Global Natural Gas Price Surge - After briefly ticking higher following a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, LNG vessels have again stopped transiting the Strait of Hormuz as fighting has intensified in the region. NGI table showing US Gulf Coast LNG netback prices, shipping costs and Henry Hub margins for Asian and European markets across a 12-month forward strip. At a Glance:
- Crossings down markedly
- Dark activity continues
- Attacks continue for 7th straight day
US exports extend global lead
Qatar outage squeezes global supply
Europe, Asia compete for cargoes
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Strikes Renew Hormuz Crisis - Oil prices climbed sharply at the start of the week after fresh military exchanges between the United States and Iran reignited fears over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes. Brent crude traded above $79 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovered near $74, extending gains after last week’s rally. The latest increase comes as uncertainty grows over whether commercial vessels can continue transiting the strategic waterway. Confusion surrounding the status of the Strait of Hormuz has added to market anxiety. Iranian officials announced that the waterway had been closed “until further notice,” while U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the claim, insisting coalition forces are continuing operations to safeguard freedom of navigation. The renewed tension follows another round of U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian assets after Tehran allegedly launched attacks on a Cyprus-flagged container ship. According to CENTCOM, the operation was intended to protect commercial shipping. Meanwhile, reports indicated that U.S. forces intercepted Iranian drones and cruise missiles allegedly aimed at vessels operating in the region. The escalation has quickly restored a geopolitical risk premium to global oil markets after prices had eased in recent weeks on hopes that a temporary U.S.-Iran agreement would stabilize Gulf energy exports. Energy analysts say the renewed conflict threatens efforts to rebuild global crude inventories later this year and could prolong market volatility if tensions continue. “The latest developments are clearly adding fresh uncertainty,” said Saul Kavonic, Senior Energy Analyst at MST Marquee. While he noted the conflict has not yet escalated into a full-scale regional war, he expects crude prices to remain under upward pressure as long as military action continues and shipping through Hormuz remains uncertain. Natural gas markets are also reacting to the deteriorating security situation. European gas futures rose after traders expressed concerns that LNG exports from Gulf producers could face further disruptions if the conflict intensifies. Commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed significantly. The vital corridor normally carries around 20% of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets. Although maritime authorities say the southern shipping lane coordinated by Oman remains operational, vessel traffic remains limited as shipowners assess the security risks. Diplomatic efforts also appear to be losing momentum. Iranian officials accused Washington of failing to honor previous commitments regarding shipping access and oil exports, while U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the earlier ceasefire arrangement was effectively over, although he left the door open for future negotiations. Over the weekend, explosions were reported near Bandar Abbas, close to the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran reportedly launched drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. One of the attacks reportedly struck a Kuwaiti oil drilling facility, marking the first direct hit on regional energy infrastructure in weeks. Analysts warn that if critical oil production or export facilities become targets, crude prices could climb toward $100 per barrel. Despite the renewed tensions, some Gulf producers had recently begun increasing exports after earlier diplomatic progress eased concerns over regional supply. The United Arab Emirates, in particular, had expanded crude shipments using alternative transport strategies designed to minimize disruption. With military operations continuing and uncertainty surrounding one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints growing, traders are bracing for further volatility in oil markets as geopolitical risks remain firmly in focus.
Oil prices rise more than 2% as U.S.-Iran strikes renew supply fears – Global oil prices climbed more than 2% on Monday after fresh military strikes between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over the security of energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route. Brent crude futures gained $1.67, or 2.2%, to trade at $77.68 per barrel as of 09:55 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.59, or 2.23%, to $73.00 a barrel. The rally followed renewed hostilities over the weekend, with both countries launching military strikes that reignited fears of disruptions to global oil supplies. Iran reportedly targeted U.S. facilities across the Gulf on Sunday and announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy chokepoints. On Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, further escalating tensions in the region. Before the conflict erupted in late February, the Strait of Hormuz handled roughly one-fifth of global daily oil and liquefied natural gas exports, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets. Ship-tracking data showed vessel traffic through the strait fell to a five-week low on Sunday. According to data from Kpler, only six vessels transited the waterway during the day. The renewed hostilities have also cast uncertainty over the future of an interim agreement signed by Washington and Tehran last month. The deal had aimed to reopen the strait and pave the way for an end to the conflict following an additional 60 days of negotiations. Despite Iran’s announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic. Speaking during an interview on Sunday, Trump said the waterway was operational despite earlier reports of restrictions following an incident involving a vessel that allegedly deviated from an approved route. “It’s open, and I don’t want to talk about it, because I want to honor the life of Lindsey Graham,” Trump told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, later adding, “It’s open, we bombed the hell out of them last night, they’re very, very evil and sick people. “We had meetings with them… they agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us. No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything and then after that they left the room and then within an hour they launched a drone at a ship.” Analysts at Goldman Sachs said expanding pipeline infrastructure across the Middle East could significantly reduce the impact of future disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the investment bank, more than 60% of Gulf oil exports could eventually bypass the strait if planned pipeline projects are completed. Goldman Sachs projects that alternative pipeline capacity will increase by 3.8 million barrels per day by the end of 2027 and by a cumulative 7.3 million barrels per day by the end of 2028. This would raise the region’s effective bypass capacity to more than 14 million barrels per day, providing greater resilience against geopolitical disruptions. Meanwhile, Iranian crude supplies stored at sea have increased after Tehran boosted exports during the temporary peace arrangement with the United States. However, demand for Iranian crude has reportedly softened as China’s independent refiners increasingly opt for cheaper supplies from Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Separately, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) set the August official selling price of its benchmark Murban crude at $80.01 per barrel, down sharply from $101.48 per barrel in the previous month. The latest rise in oil prices comes as Nigeria records its strongest crude production performance in six years. According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the country produced an average of 1.56 million barrels of crude oil per day in June 2026, the highest monthly output since April 2020. The production level exceeded Nigeria’s OPEC quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, representing 104% compliance with the target. Combined crude oil and condensate production also increased to 1.735 million barrels per day, providing a potential boost to government revenues at a time of elevated global oil prices. With tensions in the Middle East showing little sign of easing, market participants will continue to monitor developments around the Strait of Hormuz, where any prolonged disruption could have significant implications for global energy supply and prices.
Oil prices surge after Trump announces Hormuz blockade -Global oil prices surged on Monday after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would reinstate a naval blockade on Iran and impose a 20% charge on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement heightened concerns over energy supplies through one of the world's busiest oil shipping routes, sending crude prices sharply higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed about 9% to around $83 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to nearly $78 per barrel, marking their highest levels in almost a month. According to market data, Brent was on course for its biggest single-day gain since May 2020. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would become the "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz" and would be reimbursed for ensuring maritime security. "The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran," Trump wrote. He also announced that the US would impose a 20% charge on all cargo shipped through the strategic waterway to cover the costs of maintaining security. The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) said enforcement of the blockade will begin at 20:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. ET) on July 14, covering Iranian ports and coastal areas. The statement said vessels heading to or from non-Iranian destinations would still be permitted to transit the Strait of Hormuz, while humanitarian shipments would be allowed following inspections. The renewed tensions come after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had struck around 140 targets in Iran during its latest military operation. Iran has responded with attacks targeting US military facilities in the Gulf and has accused Washington of violating recent understandings over the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints, handling roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets.
Oil up 9% to one-month high as US says it will blockade entire Iranian coastline, all vessels (Reuters) - Oil prices settled up more than 9% on Monday at a one-month high after news that a United States' naval blockade due to begin on Tuesday will cover Iran's entire coastline, ports and oil terminals, as well as all vessels regardless of flag, reigniting concerns over energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures settled up $7.29, or 9.59%, to $83.30, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled up $6.73, or 9.42%, to $78.14 a barrel. Brent futures posted their biggest single-day dollar gain since April 2, and highest settlement since June 12. U.S. crude futures, meanwhile, made their largest daily gain since April 29 to settle at their highest since June 15. The U.S. is set to reinstate the naval blockade on July 14 at 2000 GMT, according to the U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center. The blockade had been lifted in mid-June. Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump said the United States was reinstating a naval blockade and would be reimbursed 20% on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, following renewed military exchanges with Iran. "President Trump’s reinstatement of restrictions on Iranian maritime traffic, alongside retaliatory attacks and sharply reduced vessel flows through the strait has intensified concerns over near-term supply availability," Iran's top joint military command had earlier said it would not allow Washington to intervene in the management of the strait and any attempt by the U.S. to transit without its authorization would be confronted. The UN's shipping agency against Trump's proposal, saying it opposes any fees for straits used in international navigation and stressing that there is no legal basis for introducing mandatory tolls on strait transits. Before the conflict began in late February, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of global daily oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Traffic had begun to increase during a fragile ceasefire agreed in June, but had slowed as tensions rose. "The focus will remain on the number of inbound tankers as a lower number could impact production, so currently we see a risk premium and a disruption risk supporting prices," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. As the prospect of long-term disruption looms, analysts expect countries to work on ways to permanently bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Goldman Sachs estimated that expanding pipeline capacity in the Middle East could shield more than 60% of pre-war Gulf oil exports from any future Hormuz disruptions by end-2028. The bank's base-case forecast assumes pipeline capacity bypassing Hormuz will rise by 3.8 million bpd by end-2027 and 7.3 million bpd cumulatively by end-2028, taking total effective bypass capacity to more than 14 million bpd by end-2028. During the interim peace deal, Tehran increased exports, which has led to an increase in Iranian oil supplies held at sea. Sales have been slow, however, as China's independent refiners have turned to cheaper crude from Iraq, the UAE and Qatar. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company set the August official selling price of its benchmark Murban crude at $80.01 a barrel, it said on Monday, down from $101.48 a barrel the month before. Russian energy supplies have also been disrupted as Ukraine seeks to cut off funding for Moscow's war effort. Ukraine's Security Service said it struck an oil depot in Russia's Stavropol region overnight, as well as three storage tanks at an oil-loading site in the port of Kavkaz in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. Meanwhile, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which accounts for 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, cut supplies by 7% last month from May as a result of maintenance at the country's largest oilfield, Tengiz, as well as lower Russian flows, two industry sources said on Monday. Elsewhere, stocks of crude oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell by about 3 million barrels to 316.5 million barrels last week, the lowest level since April 1983, according to data from the Department of Energy. The drawdowns are a part of a U.S. agreement to release 172 million barrels from the facility.
Oil Prices Have Jumped 12% Since Friday as War Risks Return - Oil prices extended Monday’s surge into Asian trade on Tuesday, with Brent Crude prices hitting a one-month high, as the renewed war risk premium crashed the calmer trade of the past weeks amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities and the reinstated U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports.Oil prices are now 12% higher than they were on Friday. In Asian trade on Tuesday, both the Brent and WTI benchmarks were advancing by about 2% to their highest levels in weeks, as the market realized the recovery of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t going to go smoothly and was on a constantly rising trend from the levels in mid-June when the U.S. and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding to negotiate a deal.Brent Crude futures were approaching the $85 per barrel mark on Tuesday, while WTI Crude was attempting a breakout above $80 per barrel. Brent Crude prices were up by 1.91% at $84.89 in Asian trade. The U.S. benchmark had gained 2.02% to $79.72 per barrel. Both benchmarks on Tuesday extended Monday’s 8% surge in prices, which was triggered by the re-escalation during the weekend and by U.S. President Donald Trump announcing later in the day that the United States would reinstate its blockade on Iran. The oil market is further confused about what President Trump referred to as a 20% fee for the U.S. becoming “the Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” and “for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.”Analysts are also wondering how this could work, or even if it’s serious or remotely feasible.“There are few details on how this would work—or how serious Trump is about it,” ING’s commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a note early on Tuesday. Trump’s “idea” would mean that a 20% fee on a supertanker that carries about 2 million barrels of crude at $80 per barrel would be equivalent to around $32 million, or an additional cost of $16 per barrel. “This is significantly higher than the $1/bbl toll for which Iran has been pushing,” ING’s strategists said. The oil market started this week with the crude awakening that any recovery of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz will not be smooth sailing.
Middle East Crude Prices Jump After Iran Attacks UAE Oil Tankers - Middle East crude prices strengthened after Iran attacked UAE oil tankers, raising concerns over Strait of Hormuz shipping, tightening prompt supplies and prompting Asian refiners to seek alternative crude sources. (Reuters) — Prompt Middle East spot crude prices rebounded to higher levels compared with future months as escalating attacks between the U.S. and Iran raised concerns about a disruption to oil exports and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, industry sources said on July 14, prompting Asian buyers to seek alternative supplies. Map of Iran. The latest wave of attacks in the five-month-old war started with a U.S. strike on Iran after a ship attack last week. In recent days, the U.S. renewed strikes, while Tehran attacked Gulf nations and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz near Oman. Iran attacked two Emirati oil tankers, part of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's (ADNOC's) fleet to shuttle crude out of the Gulf, for transshipments off the United Arab Emirates and Oman for supplies to customers. The latest attack on the tankers is likely to deter shippers from entering the Gulf to load oil, with companies that have already chartered vessels closely monitoring the situation, trade and shipping sources said. It has raised concerns among refiners about whether their cargoes will be delivered in the coming weeks, they added. Prompt monthly spreads for Middle East benchmark Dubai crude flipped into backwardation of nearly $1 a barrel on July 14, traders said, after staying in contango for three weeks. Prompt month prices are higher than those in future months in a backwardated market, indicating tight supplies, while contango is the opposite. "There is a possibility that even the UAE will find it difficult to get crude out," said a shipping source in India. "The war premium will go up significantly high. Who will guarantee the safety of vessels? People will not be willing to go in." The sources cited in this article declined to be named publicly as they are not authorized to speak to media. Global crude supplies had improved over the past three weeks after a flurry of tankers passed through the strait amid an interim peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. However, just five oil, chemicals and dry bulkers transited the strait on July 13, mostly using the Iranian route, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed. There were no oil and liquefied natural gas tankers entering the strait. "The mini-glut of oil has now evaporated, with a fresh eye of a potential of disruptions from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Houthis are joining the attacks," said June Goh, a senior oil analyst at Sparta Commodities. Yemen's Houthi movement fired missiles at Saudi Arabia on July 13, breaking a four-year truce in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group. ADNOC, which has already committed to sales of more than 70 million barrels of crude between June and August, is expected to tap into its inventories from Fujairah to meet demand, although a slowdown of its shuttle service could mean delays for some cargoes, traders said. The producer is expected to award a tender later this week which could see discounts for its cargoes narrowing and also more demand for cargoes loading in September and October given the latest development, an Indian refining source said. "The situation is fluid (and) uncertain. We cannot plan properly," he added. Asian refiners would have to tap arbitrage supplies from West Africa and Latin America to replace Middle Eastern crude, with Indian buyers set to increase their Russian oil purchases, trade sources said. An Indian refining source said refiners have sufficient inventories for now, but supply could tighten towards September if the disruption lasts 10 to 15 days. The latest round of tensions has also strengthened spot prices and refiners' margins for refined products in Asia. Diesel and jet fuel markets saw prompt monthly spreads and refining margins jump to near two-month highs on July 14, while refiner margins for 380-centistoke high-sulphur fuel oil edged higher to a four-week high, LSEG data showed. Asian naphtha crack climbed to $184 per metric ton over Brent crude on July 14, the highest level since May 19. Tankers carrying fuel oil last transited the strait in early July, with no more visible exits seen after the latest round of attacks, Kpler data showed.
Oil Prices Surge on US-Iran Escalation, Tanker Hits - Oil futures extended their rise Tuesday morning as the U.S.-Iran conflict continued to escalate, including reciprocal strikes and Iranian attacks on two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. By 8:30 a.m. ET, ICE Brent for September delivery was up $3.02 to trade near $86.32 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for August delivery rose $1.76 to $79.90 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for August delivery advanced $0.1219 to $3.9455 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures rose $0.0788 to $3.2451 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.19 points to 100.85 against a basket of foreign currencies. Crude oil futures have over the past two trading days soared to a four-week high amid renewed supply concerns amid a crumbling U.S.-Iranian ceasefire. Brent's front-month contract was as of Tuesday morning up 14% from Friday's close. Diesel prices jumped even more, with ULSD for August delivery trading at an almost eight-week high. ADNOC, the United Arab Emirates' state oil company, on Tuesday claimed that three of its oil tankers were attacked by Iran as they were shuttling crude oil in the Strait of Hormuz with their transponders turned off. Shippers have reverted to sailing "in the dark" over the past few days after Tehran declared the Strait closed following a flare-up in U.S. and Iranian attacks. Ship tracking data showed visible crossings plummeting to a two-month low in recent days, but the volume of dark flows, particularly of Iranian oil, remained hard to gauge. Adding to supply concerns, the U.S. reinstated its blockade of Iranian ports after last week lifting a 60-day sanctions waiver on Iranian energy exports granted as part of the memorandum of understanding signed by both countries. The ongoing global refined products supply crunch, which is set to deepen from both Ukraine stepping up its attacks on Russian refineries and choked off flows from the Persian Gulf, has kept U.S. fuel inventories unusually depressed and prices sticky. The U.S. Energy Information Administration last week reported that nationwide gasoline stockpiles have fallen to a 14-year seasonal low 212 million bbl. Weekly inventory estimates by the American Petroleum Institute are scheduled to be released this afternoon, followed by official government data on Wednesday, July 15.
Oil Market Extends Rally as Strait of Hormuz Tanker Traffic Falls - The oil market continued to trend higher on Tuesday as the continuing attacks between the U.S. and Iran increased concerns over oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz with the number of tankers transiting the waterway falling to the lowest level in two months. Hostilities between the U.S. and Iran intensified this week, as U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated a blockade of Iranian shipping. The oil market traded higher in overnight trading and posted a high of $81.27. However, the market gave up some of its gains and sold off to a low of $77.84 by mid-day after U.S. President Trump said he decided to a replace his proposal to charge a 20% fee on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz with trade and investment deals with Gulf nations. He also said that the Strait of Hormuz was open to all ship traffic except for Iran. The crude market later settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The August WTI contract ended the session up $1.20 at $79.34 and the September Brent contract settled up $1.43 at $84.73. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 19.07 cents at $4.0143 and the RB market settling up 6.1 cents at $3.2273. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the Strait of Hormuz is part of Iran’s national security and it will exercise its sovereignty over it, whatever the cost. He said Iran currently has no commitments when it comes to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed with the United States. Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that as long as U.S. “evil actions” continue in the region, “not a single drop of oil and gas” would be exported from the region. IRGC also said U.S. “aggressions” would have no result other than to delay the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that their attacks on what it described as U.S. facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain came in response to U.S. attacks on Iran.Iran’s Oil Minister, Mohsen Paknejad, said the country’s oil exports are continuing as usual despite the cancellation last week of a 60-day waiver of U.S. oil sanctions. He said the oil ministry had maintained mechanisms for years to neutralize the impact of U.S. sanctions and that Iran’s oil exports would face no problems despite the removal of the waivers. According to data and industry sources, daily crude loadings at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu are close to maximum levels this week as tensions with Yemen’s Houthi militia intensify and the kingdom seeks to maximize oil exports. According to Signal Ocean data, shipments from Yanbu reached 4.7 million bpd around July 13th, up from 3.36 million bpd around July 10th and broadly in line with 4.6 million bpd around July 2nd. Loadings have averaged above 4 million bpd since June, compared with 973,000 bpd around the same period 2025. Iraq’s Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, said that Iraq needed a fair share within OPEC after he was asked by reporters whether he was considering leaving the oil producer group.
Oil Prices Climb for Fourth Day as Iran Threatens New Energy Chokepoints -Oil prices rose early on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive trading session as the collapsed U.S.-Iran ceasefire precipitated a new crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran threatened to close “all other export corridors that benefit the US and its allies.”As of early trade in Europe on Wednesday, Brent Crude prices were up by 0.83%, remaining above the $85 per barrel mark. Meanwhile, the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, was up above $80 after climbing 0.89%.Oil prices have been rising since last Friday, for a total gain of about 12% as of Tuesday’s close.In just a few days, the steady uptick in Hormuz traffic turned into a trickle of a handful of tankers braving the chokepoint as hostilities returned this weekend. Iran struck tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. hit Iranian targets and reinstated the naval blockade. As the U.S. blockade went live early on Wednesday Middle Eastern time, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to close “all other export corridors that benefit the US and its allies”, according to reports in Iranian media cited by Reuters.“Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by Iran’s IRNA state news agency on Wednesday.The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen may be used for blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major global chokepoint between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, analysts have warned since the war began on February 28.Earlier this week, reports emerged in Iranian media that the Houthis are prepared to block Bab el-Mandeb if Saudi Arabia continues to attack Yemen.The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is part of what is now Saudi Arabia’s key crude oil export terminal at Yanbu on the Red Sea amid constrained flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
WTI Dips As US Crude Production Hits Record High, SPR Draw Slows, Cushing Remains At 'Tank Bottoms' (9 graphs) Oil prices are marginally higher overnight after President Trump reinstated the blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and shipping slowed to a crawl amid the renewed warfare in the critical waterway. US Central Command said it completed a morning round of strikes on Iran that further degraded its ability to attack commercial shipping in Hormuz. It comes a day after attacks on ships that had been participating in so-called shuttle runs that have helped get oil from inside the Persian Gulf through the strait. Visible transit through the waterway has fallen sharply in recent days, but there remains a high level of uncertainty about what’s actually crossing because many ships have been doing so dark - without broadcasting their location. “While crude has started to find some balance after rallying from around $70, it still takes a brave shipowner to transit the Strait of Hormuz with the threat of attacks from forces aligned with Tehran remaining very real,” “The broader geopolitical backdrop continues to deteriorate, providing ongoing support for crude prices and keeping buyers prepared to step back in should prices push toward the $90 area.” Overnight saw mixed data from API on crude/product supply, all eyes now on the official data. API:
- Crude -564k
- Cushing +200k
- Gasoline -1.664mm
- Distillates +2.3mm
DOE:
- Crude -1.69mm (-900k exp)
- Cushing +430k
- Gasoline -1.53mm
- Distillates +4.56mm - biggest build since Jan 2026
After a build the prior week, crude stocks resumed their series of drawdowns last week (11 of last 12 weeks) and gasoline stocks also saw another draw while distillate stocks soared (amid record 3-2-1 crack spreads)... Crack spreads remain at record highs... The SPR saw yet another drawdown... but the smallest since the war-driven releases began (-2.985mm)... Cushing stocks barely moved off 'tank bottoms'... US crude production pushed back up to record highs as the rig count trends higher... Interestingly, after reaching record highs in the prior week, US crude product exports plunged to pre-war norms last week (but bear in mind this data series is a week lagged)... The rebound in crude... and more notably products... has started to drag pump prices higher in the US... Not what President trump wants to see. But oil prices are dipping after the report... Finally, as The FT reports, oil traders are warning that the latest flare-up of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz marks a risky new phase for the market, which is facing fresh disruption without the stockpiles that helped avert a wider economic crisis earlier in the US-Iran war. “We’ve burned through all of the buffers we had. Everything,” said one trader. “All of that’s now gone,” he said.
Oil Market Holds Firm as U.S.-Iran Strikes Keep Tensions Elevated - The oil market posted an inside trading day on Wednesday as the market remained supported by the intensifying hostilities in the Middle East. The U.S. conducted a new wave of strikes against Iran’s coastal defense systems and missile sites on Wednesday, while Iran struck U.S. military targets in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Iran also threatened to shut off more regional energy exports. It is the latest escalation of attacks and counterattacks launched by the two sides as they seek control of the Strait of Hormuz. The crude market traded to a high of $80.93 in overnight trading. However, the market erased some of its gains and posted a low of $78.19 by mid-day, shrugging off the new round of strikes against Iranian military installations and a smaller than expected draw in crude oil stocks of 1.7 million barrels for the week ending July 10th. The market settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The August WTI contract ended the session up 26 cents at $79.60 and the September Brent contract settled up 22 cents at $84.95. The product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling down 6.6 cents at $3.9483 in light of a 4.6 million barrels build in distillates stocks and the RB market settling up 7.36 cents at $3.3009 in light of a 1.5 million barrel draw in gasoline stocks. Bloomberg reported that a handful of vessels traveled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, hours after the U.S. resumed a naval blockade of Iran and following an increase in attacks on ships. According to ship-tracking data, a U.S.-sanctioned supertanker laden with Iranian oil sailed outbound into the Gulf of Oman, before coming to a stop not long after exiting the strait. Goldman Sachs estimated that Gulf exports recovered to more than 80% of pre-war levels after the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding in June but fell back below 50% or about 11 million bpd, over the last week. The bank said Brent could exceed $110/barrel in the fourth quarter this year if Gulf export recovery continues to stall. U.S. President Donald Trump said he still believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine soon, despite continued attacks and some indications Russia was likely to escalate the conflict. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 200,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending July 17th, increasing available refining capacity by 70,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 89,000 bpd in the week ending July 24th. The Federal Reserve said in its latest “Beige Book” report that U.S. economic activity increased slightly in recent weeks, employment rose, and companies and households indicated that inflation may have improved. The economy is expected to continue to expand in the coming months but several districts noted elevated uncertainty in the outlook for fuel costs.
Oil prices decline as market assesses consequences of US resuming strikes on Iran -- Oil prices fell on Thursday, as traders took profits and assessed the risks of a new wave of US strikes on Iranian military facilities, which heightened fears of a full-scale conflict resumption and supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, reports UNN citing Reuters. On Wednesday, the United States struck Iran's coastal defense and missile launchers after reinstating a naval blockade of its ports, while Iran threatened to halt energy exports from the region, stating it is waging an "existential war" with America. After initially rising for a fourth consecutive session, Brent crude futures fell by 24 cents, or 0.28%, to $84.95 per barrel as of 04:35 GMT (07:35 Kyiv time), while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped by 15.7% per barrel. Earlier in the session, Brent crude rose nearly a dollar, and both contracts remained near monthly highs. "Geopolitical risks continue to provide significant support to the oil industry, but after a strong rally, traders have adopted a wait-and-see stance," said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova. "Attention has shifted from the threat itself to the question of whether there will be any tangible disruptions in oil supplies and how the US and Iran will choose to respond in the coming days." Oil prices rose this week, as the attacks exacerbated supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed before the war. On Wednesday, the first day after the US reinstated its naval blockade of Iran, fewer vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Seven ships crossed it on Wednesday, compared to 13 a day earlier. Last week, hostility between Iran and the US escalated, undermining an already fragile truce reached in June after several months of hostilities. "While mediation efforts by neighboring countries continue, and the general consensus is that a full-scale war is unlikely, WTI crude prices could rise to $85-87 depending on the conflict's development," said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, chief strategist at Nissan Securities Investment. Analysts say Iran has signaled it could use its Houthi allies in Yemen to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait leading to the Red Sea, opening a new front against Washington and threatening the world's second most important energy artery. Reuters also reported on Wednesday that US officials said strikes on Iran could pave the way for "more complex" operations against the country, increasing market volatility. Goldman Sachs said Brent crude prices could exceed $110 in the fourth quarter if the recovery of exports from the Persian Gulf continues to slow, but could also fall to $60 by year-end if tensions ease and production recovers faster than expected. ING analysts warned in a note that supply disruptions are flaring up again at a time when US commercial crude inventories are at their lowest since 2022 and at their lowest seasonally since 2018. "The concern is that the resurgence of oil supply disruptions is occurring against a backdrop of significant inventory drawdowns in the second quarter, making the market more vulnerable," the analysts pointed out.
Oil rises over 1% as Iran threat puts Red Sea route at risk - Oil prices rose more than 1% on Thursday as concerns over energy supplies increased after the Iran war escalated with intensifying strikes in the Middle East and as Tehran asked Yemen’s Houthis to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route. Brent crude futures were up 93 cents, or 1.09%, to $85.88 a barrel at 1420 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up 89 cents, or 1.12%, to $80.49 a barrel. “Simultaneous disruptions affecting Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb would significantly amplify supply chain stress, increase tanker availability constraints, and raise insurance premiums,” said Wael Makarem, financial markets strategist lead at Exness. Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies. Closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait — gateway to the Red Sea — would open a new front in the energy crisis and Iran’s overarching conflict with the U.S. Total volumes of petroleum transiting Bab el-Mandeb amounted to 7.4 million barrels per day in June, or about 7% of global oil output, according to Kpler data, up from 4.2 million bpd last year. The U.S. struck Iran’s coastal defences and missile sites on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports, while Tehran threatened to shut off more regional energy exports, saying it was engaged in an “existential war” with America. The escalation comes after a fragile truce reached in June collapsed, reviving fears of a return to full-scale conflict and disrupting energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of daily global oil and LNG trade before the war began. Fewer vessels passed through the strait on Wednesday, the first day after the U.S. reimposed its naval blockade on Iran. Seven crossed on Wednesday, down from 13 the previous day. “It seems reasonable that prices could continue to climb towards $90-$95 and maybe even touch the $100 mark again and that is because the Strait of Hormuz is repeatedly being disrupted, creating uncertainty over oil flows from the Gulf,” said Ole Hvalbye, market analyst at SEB Research. On the supply side, Iraqi crude loadings more than doubled to average roughly 1.2 million barrels per day in the first half of July, according to Kpler data and a source with direct knowledge of the flows, as exports accelerated following months of restricted shipments.
Oil Rises as Flows Slow Amid US Strikes, Iranian Threats (DTN) -- Oil and product futures edged higher Thursday morning, with crude futures hovering near one-month highs after rallying by as much as 12% this week. By 08:10 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for September delivery was up $0.27 to trade near $85.22 barrel (bbl), and NYMEX WTI for August delivery rose $0.44 to $80.04 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD futures for August delivery advanced $0.0472 to $3.9955 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures rose $0.0374 to $3.3383 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index inched higher by 0.066 points to 100.34 against a basket of foreign currencies. Oil exports from the Persian Gulf have slowed amid the most recent military escalation, but a handful of tankers continued to traverse the Strait of Hormuz via the U.S.-protected corridor along the Omani coast, easing concerns over an immediate supply shock. The U.S., meanwhile, launched new strikes on Iran, as well as on an Iran-flagged VLCC that was signaling for the country's main oil export hub at Kharg Island. U.S. President Donald Trump has in recent days repeatedly threatened to widen the scope of attacks should Iran not reopen the strait, and mentioned the possibility of striking bridges, power plants and other energy infrastructure. In reaction, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated its threat of closing other vital shipping lanes via its proxies, first and foremost Bab-el-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The Tehran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen has in the past attacked ships attempting to cross the strait at the Horn of Africa, forcing shippers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. A large diesel inventory build in the U.S., meanwhile, last week snapped a 16-week draw streak in total petroleum inventories, Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday showed. Crude oil inventories, however, continued to decline amid strong domestic refiner demand, and gasoline stockpiles, already at a 14-year seasonal low, receded further as well. At 210.5 million bbl, nationwide gasoline inventories are now 9.6% below year-ago levels and 8.4% below the seasonal five-year average.
Oil settles lower, but remains near one-month high on U.S.-Iran tension (Reuters) - Oil prices settled about 1% lower on Thursday but remained near their highest level since mid-June as the Iran war escalated, with Tehran asking Yemen's Houthi movement to be prepared to close the Red Sea oil export route. Brent crude futures fell 72 cents, or about 0.9%, to settle at $84.23 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 65 cents, or 0.8%, to close at $78.95 a barrel. At their session highs, both contracts were up more than 1%. Thursday's decline reflects the market losing some steam after prices hit one-month highs earlier this week as traders readjusted their positions, "Investor positioning in the oil market was very short when the situation started to worsen in the Middle East this week, and that seems to have slowed as investors that got burnt in the rally cut their short positions earlier in the week," . On Wednesday, Brent futures settled at their highest since June 12, and WTI at the highest since June 15. The fragile truce reached in June has collapsed, disrupting energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of daily global oil and LNG trade before the war began. Iran has asked Yemen's Houthis to be ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the U.S. strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters. This week, U.S. President Donald Trump repeated oft-stated threats to strike Iranian power plants and bridges. "With the Strait of Hormuz already closed, this threat raises the serious risk of both of the Middle East's primary oil export routes being disrupted at the same time," About 7.4 million barrels of petroleum transited Bab el-Mandeb per day in June, about 7% of global oil output, according to Kpler data, up from 4.2 million bpd last year. "Simultaneous disruptions affecting Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb would significantly amplify supply chain stress, increase tanker availability constraints, and raise insurance premiums," On Wednesday, the U.S. struck Iran's coastal defenses and missile sites after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports. Tehran threatened to shut off more regional energy exports, saying it was engaged in an "existential war" with America. Iran and the U.S. exchanged intensified fire on Thursday, which kept upward pressure on prices. Weighing on prices was Iran's release of a U.S. citizen, which could point toward a path to avert the resumption of all-out war. On the supply side, Iraqi crude loadings more than doubled to average roughly 1.2 million barrels per day in the first half of July, according to Kpler data and a source with direct knowledge of the flows, as exports accelerated following months of restricted shipments.
ULSD Futures Climb to 4-Year High on Tight Global Supplies (DTN) -- Oil futures were little changed on Thursday as market participants remained on the sidelines despite escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continuing at a slow pace. In contrast, ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) futures were bullish on the day, climbing to a four-year high as global supply tightened after Russia halted diesel exports following recent attacks on its refining infrastructure. The front-month NYMEX ULSD futures contract rose by $0.1009 to $4.0492 gallon, the highest since June 29, 2022, when it was at $4.0367 gallon, according to DTN data. On July 14, Ukraine launched drone strikes targeting the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex and the Afipsky oil refinery, two of Russia's major refining facilities, as well as multiple vessels and logistics targets, exacerbating fuel shortages. Following a series of Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure, Russia suspended diesel exports, further tightening an already constrained global diesel market. In the U.S., a large diesel inventory build last week snapped a 16-week draw streak for total petroleum inventories, according to Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday. Crude oil inventories, however, continued to decline amid strong domestic refiner demand, and gasoline stockpiles, already at a 14-year seasonal low, receded further. At 210.5 million bbl, nationwide gasoline inventories are now 9.6% below year-ago levels and 8.4% below the seasonal five-year average. Oil exports from the Persian Gulf have slowed amid the most recent military escalation, but a handful of tankers continued to traverse the Strait of Hormuz via the U.S.-protected corridor along the Omani coast, easing concerns over an immediate supply shock. Traders continued monitoring the developments in the Middle East, as the U.S. launched new strikes on Iran, as well as on an Iran-flagged VLCC that was signaling for the country's main oil export hub at Kharg Island. In reaction, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated its threat of closing other vital shipping lanes via its proxies, first and foremost Bab-el-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. NYMEX WTI for August delivery edged down $0.57 to $79.03 bbl. The ICE Brent futures contract for September delivery fell $0.64 to $84.31 bbl. Downstream, the front-month RBOB futures contract dropped $0.0165 to $3.2844 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index rose by 0.311 points to 100.585 against a basket of foreign currencies.
Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, Raising Fears Over Global Supply Disruptions – - Oil prices climbed on Friday as renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran intensified concerns over global energy supplies, with a fragile ceasefire collapsing and threats emerging over key shipping routes in the Middle East. Brent crude futures increased by 70 cents, or about 0.83%, to $84.93 a barrel by 0312 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 81 cents, or 1.03%, to $79.76 a barrel. The gains reversed losses from the previous trading session as investors reacted to growing geopolitical risks surrounding some of the world’s most important oil transit routes. Both major oil benchmarks have surged nearly 12% this week, putting Brent on track for its third consecutive weekly increase and WTI heading toward a second straight weekly gain. The sharp rise reflects growing concerns that further military escalation could disrupt crude exports from the Middle East and tighten global energy markets. Analysts said the possibility of another major supply disruption point emerging in the Red Sea has added additional uncertainty to the oil market outlook. Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said the combination of risks affecting both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea has created a “dual-risk scenario” that is keeping a geopolitical premium built into oil prices. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with a significant share of global oil shipments passing through the narrow waterway. Any disruption in the area could quickly affect international oil supplies and push prices higher. The latest escalation follows the breakdown of a temporary agreement that had paused fighting in the region. On Wednesday, the United States launched two major waves of airstrikes in a single day against targets near Iran’s southern coastline, marking the first major offensive action since the truce was established last month. U.S. forces continued strikes on Thursday as tensions continued to rise. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military facilities in neighboring countries, including strikes aimed at a recently expanded air base in Jordan. The continued exchange of attacks has increased fears that the conflict could spread further across the region and threaten energy infrastructure. Qatar’s defense ministry said its military forces intercepted an Iranian missile attack early Friday, while the country’s interior ministry reported that a child was injured by shrapnel during interception operations. The incident highlighted the wider regional risks as Gulf nations remain on alert. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that oil security remains a major concern as the conflict continues. Speaking at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Birol said the situation could become increasingly worrying if conditions fail to improve in the coming weeks. The U.S. Central Command said American forces launched another round of attacks against Iran, describing them as efforts to further weaken Iranian military capabilities. Tehran has continued retaliatory operations, increasing fears that the confrontation could move beyond direct military exchanges and affect global trade routes. Adding to supply concerns, Iran’s leadership has reportedly instructed its Houthi allies in Yemen to prepare for possible action against Red Sea shipping routes if the United States targets Iranian power infrastructure, according to sources familiar with the matter. Such a move could threaten one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors, where oil tankers and commercial vessels regularly travel. The possibility of disruptions in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea has created renewed anxiety among energy traders, who are closely monitoring developments for signs of further escalation. Technical analysts also pointed to continued upward momentum in crude prices. Analysts at IG said WTI could potentially test levels in the mid-$80 range if it remains above key support levels in the mid-$70s. With tensions between Washington and Tehran showing few signs of easing, oil markets are expected to remain highly sensitive to military developments, diplomatic efforts, and any threats to major global shipping routes. Investors are now watching closely to determine whether the latest escalation represents a temporary spike in tensions or the beginning of a broader disruption to global energy supplies.
US-Iran Update: Oil Prices Surge By 4% as Iran Escalates Fresh Attacks on Gulf Allies -- Iran launched fresh missile and drone strikes on Kuwait’s power-generation and desalination plants on July 17, deepening the US-Iran confrontation that has rattled global energy markets since early July. The oil prices surge of over 4%, pushing Brent crude toward $79 and WTI to similar highs, is now stoking inflation fears and rattling risk assets worldwide. Bitcoin, sitting near $64,000, is watching the U.S.-Iran war escalation closely as traders assess whether the digital asset can hold its ground as a geopolitical hedge. Iran’s July 17 targeting of civilian infrastructure in Kuwait, a key US ally, marks a significant escalation. Kuwait’s government confirmed the incident, and fires broke out at the affected facilities. The strikes follow US airstrikes on Iranian energy sites and came after President Trump warned Tehran that power plants and bridges would be targeted unless Iran returned to peace talks. Iran’s rejection of ceasefire talks has been a consistent thread through this entire conflict cycle. The current flare-up builds on a volatile stretch that started in early July. US forces hit Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran was accused of attacking commercial vessels. Iran responded by targeting US-linked facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan. By July 12–13, Brent and WTI had already climbed 4%+ on those fears. The July 17 Kuwait plant strikes pushed the conflict to a new threshold: direct damage to the civilian energy infrastructure of a neutral Gulf state. Iran also struck a ship in the Strait of Hormuz today, further escalating the U.S.-Iran war. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20% of global oil trade, has slowed sharply after Iran reasserted claims over the waterway. ANZ and ING analysts warned that hopes for a quick de-escalation are fading. The oil price surge now reflects more than a temporary spike; it signals that supply risk is becoming structural heading into Q3.
Oil Has Biggest Weekly Rise in 5 Months on Gulf Escalation -- Crude futures posted on Friday their largest weekly advance since the end of February as U.S.-Iran tensions revisited this week the peaks of the Middle East conflict, now approaching its fifth month. NYMEX WTI crude for August delivery settled up $3.54 at $82.49 barrel (bbl), rising 4.5% on the day and 15.5% on the week, amid reports that Tehran has directed Yemen's Houthi movement to prepare for a potential closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea. It was the largest weekly gain for the U.S. crude benchmark since the week ended Feb. 27, which marked the start of the conflict. Any blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb will add to the already severely restricted oil shipments on the Strait of Hormuz, where some 20% of the world's oil supply used to transit before the war. Daily commercial transits through Hormuz dropped into single digits by Friday afternoon, with maritime tracking data showing tankers halting or reversing course following the reimposition of the U.S. naval embargo on Iran and continuous drone and missile strikes. WTI aside, ICE Brent for September delivery finished up $3.87 at $88.10 bbl for a 4.6% rise on the day and 16% on the week. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for August climbed $0.0339 to settle at $4.0646 gallon while August RBOB finished up $0.1080 at $3.3927 gallon. The rally in refined products came as the disruption in Middle East shipments clamped down on oil processing, sending refining margins to historic highs. The benchmark domestic 3:2:1 crack spread versus WTI reached a record $70.52 bbl, underscoring the severe operational strain across the global refining system. Industry analysts also noted product markets were reacting more aggressively than crude as the conflict particularly impacted shipment of specialized blending components as well as regional fuel exports. U.S. supply cushions offer little near-term relief. The Energy Information Administration reported this week that nationwide road fuel inventories have drained to their lowest seasonal levels in nearly a decade. Gasoline stockpiles are currently tracking 10% below their five-year historical average. With commercial shipping companies avoiding Persian Gulf loadings and multi-week logistics backlogs mounting, energy markets are increasingly pricing in a prolonged structural fuel crunch extending through the remainder of the summer driving season.
Oil is facing a supply crunch — and the war in Iran isn’t the only problem - The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has massively disrupted global oil supplies, but it’s not the only factor obstructing trade. Constraints on Russia’s refining system have added to the existing crisis, strategists at J.P. Morgan led by Natasha Kaneva wrote in a note on Thursday. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz started to slowly recover in June after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that extended an existing cease-fire by 60 days. But shipping through the key waterway collapsed again after the two countries resumed attacks, sending oil prices back to levels not seen since before the deal was signed. “At the same time, Russia’s refining system has come under renewed pressure,” the strategists said, noting that refinery runs declined from 3.8 million barrels a day last week to 3.3 million a day this week. That level is 2 million barrels a day lower than last year. See: The U.S. oil reserve is at a 40-year low — but the government says there’s still plenty of breathing room The strain is most obvious in diesel, they noted, with exports from Russia at close to zero, down from an average of almost 800,000 barrels a day in 2025. Related video: US hits Iran with strikes, pushing companies to reroute oil from Hormuz (Fox Business) “From a market perspective, inventories leave little room for error,” the strategists wrote, adding that observable onshore inventories of oil globally, excluding China, have fallen to record lows. They warned that the problem of tightening supply may be about to become even worse. On Tuesday, U.S. senators unveiled a revised Russian sanctions bill that would impose a 100% tariff on the top five buyers of crude oil and natural gas from the country, which include China and India. It also aims to target Russia’s shadow fleet, energy projects and financial institutions. Congress has been urged to pass the bill quickly in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, who drafted it. “Taken together, these dynamics help explain the market’s message: distillate cracks in both the U.S. and Europe have surged toward record highs — an indication that the shock is increasingly becoming a refining story rather than simply a crude supply story,” the strategists said.
Chevron Moves Closer to Iraq's Biggest Oil Prize—and a Hormuz Exit Strategy - Chevron is taking another step toward expanding its footprint in Iraq, and is set to sign two memoranda of understanding on Friday that will move the U.S. supermajor closer to developing the giant West Qurna 2 oilfield and the Nassiriya project. The agreements aren't binding, but they push negotiations forward on what could become one of Chevron's biggest upstream investments in years. West Qurna 2 is no small prize. The southern Iraqi field currently produces about 460,000 barrels per day after Iraq nationalized the asset earlier this year following U.S. sanctions on Russia's Lukoil. Chevron entered exclusive talks for the field in February, and Friday's agreement advances negotiations on the commercial terms needed for a final deal. Nassiriya is smaller today but comes with significant exploration upside. Chevron and Iraq also signed an agreement in principle last year covering the field and four surrounding exploration blocks, giving the company another potential long-term growth platform in one of OPEC's largest producers. The oilfields aren't the only reason Chevron is talking to Baghdad. The company is also working with Iraq on technical studies for new export pipelines that would allow crude to reach the Mediterranean without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Chevron is part of a consortium that signed an agreement earlier this month to evaluate possible routes, including options that could connect Iraq's producing fields with Syria or other regional export corridors. The urgency is obvious. Iraq exports the overwhelming majority of its crude through the Persian Gulf. The Hormuz crisis forced the country to slash production after tankers were unable to leave the Gulf, exposing one of Baghdad's biggest strategic weaknesses. Production capacity doesn't do much good if there's nowhere to send the barrels. The United States has thrown its support behind rebuilding the long-idled Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline linking Iraq to Syria's Mediterranean coast, while other overland routes remain under study. Washington wants American companies involved, and Iraq wants an insurance policy against another Hormuz shutdown. Chevron appears happy to help with both.
Houthis plot to open new front in Iran war - Houthi rebels are preparing to shut the Bab el-Mandeb strait on behalf of Iran. A source told The Telegraph of a deliberate Iranian attempt to control “the other side of the Red Sea” and create a scenario similar to its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.Bab el-Mandeb is on the west side of the Arabian Peninsula from Hormuz, and forms a choke point between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.The Houthi rebel group, Tehran’s most capable regional proxy, is laying the groundwork to close the strait, quietly extending its reach to the Horn of Africa, according to sources in Yemen.The Houthis, in Yemen on the north-eastern coast of the strait, will work with al-Shabab, the Somali militant group, to control both sides of the waterway.The aim is to inflict more pain on the global economy and increase pressure on Donald Trump.The source said: “There are a lot of indicators showing co-ordination between the Houthis and al-Shabab. This co-ordination is aimed at totally controlling and blocking the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb when Iran decides in the future.“The Houthis are transferring drone technology to al-Shabab on behalf of Iran, so the Houthis are becoming the leaders of the region.”Both straits are crucial waterways for global energy supplies. Around 10 to 12 per cent of global annual maritime trade flows through Bab el-Mandeb, which leads to and from the Suez Canal.
Saudi Arabia mulls military escalation in response to Houthi threats -Saudi Arabia is weighing different options to deal with the Houthis, who are escalating their threats against the kingdom in a sign officials and analysts say could forebode a return to fighting in Yemen. The kingdom’s defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, has suggested that the US is giving Saudi Arabia leeway to pursue offensive strikes against the Houthis, multiple US and regional officials told Middle East Eye. However, its leadership has not made a decision. One US and one western official said the discussions could point to differences of opinion within the Saudi royal court over how to respond to the Houthi threat as wider fighting between the US and Iran escalates. The discussions come as a four-year ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is tested by a recent exchange of fighting. The Houthis inflamed tensions with Saudi Arabia earlier this month after a flight arrived at Sanaa airport to carry Houthi officials to the funeral of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa airport to prevent the plane from returning. The United Nations-backed ceasefire that the Houthis signed with the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government of Yemen has expired, but until now, the sides have generally abided by a framework in which flights to Yemen are from Amman, Jordan, and Cairo, Egypt. US and regional sources told MEE that the original flight that landed in Sanaa included Lebanese, Iranian, Syrian, and Iraqi military experts specialised in drone and missile technologies. The flight to Iran included Houthi officials tapped to undergo training in Iran, along with senior political figures. The Houthis retaliated against the Sanaa attack by firing missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's southwestern city of Abha earlier this week. A major return to fighting between the two sides would not only add to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis but also shake energy markets and the Saudi economy, which is already navigating the Iran war. Since Iran has attempted to assert its control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea has become the main artery for Saudi Arabian oil exports. The kingdom is sending roughly 4.5 million bpd of oil through the Red Sea via its East-West Pipeline. “I’d hate to be a Saudi today. There is no easy solution to Yemen,” Mohammed al-Basha, a US-based Yemen expert, told MEE. “A peace deal [with the Houthis] would mean billions of dollars in reparations, while a return to war has 50-50 odds of a Saudi victory,” he said. The Houthis launched attacks on global shipping in the Red Sea following the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel. The group said its attacks were in solidarity with besieged Palestinians in Gaza, and it won support across the Arab and Muslim world. US President Donald Trump ordered a wide-scale bombing campaign against the Houthis in 2025. He eventually stopped the attacks ahead of a visit to the Gulf in response to lobbying by Saudi Arabia, MEE revealed at the time. Both sides have abided by the May 2025 truce at sea. Although the Houthis officially sat out the war that erupted after the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Gulf and US officials who spoke with MEE widely believe that the Houthis were responsible for some land strikes on Saudi Arabia. A former US official said the larger problem for both sides was that the UN-mandated ceasefire had “long reached its expiration date”, but no alternative has been found to resolve the conflict and advance a political settlement. The Houthis control the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and much of the populated northwest, while Saudi Arabia backs an internationally recognised government based in Aden. “The no war, no peace stalemate has not produced any outcome closer to a political settlement,” Ibrahim Jalal, an independent expert on Yemen and the Arab Gulf, told MEE. “The Houthis' anti-Saudi rhetoric has also flared up.” "All Saudi oil facilities and vital installations will be targets for our missiles and drones if Riyadh gets involved" in striking Yemen again, he said. “Airports for airports, ports for ports, and a blockade for a blockade," he said. Saudi Arabia has sought to shore up US support as tensions rise. The kingdom, like other Gulf states, suffered strikes from Iran in retaliation for the US-Israel war despite lobbying Washington against it.
Saudi-Led Forces Bomb Yemen's Sanaa Airport, Reigniting War With the Houthis - -- Saudi-led forces bombed the international airport in Sanaa, Yemen, on Monday, reigniting the war with Yemen’s Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, which has been in a state of ceasefire that has held relatively well since 2022. The attack was claimed by Yemen’s so-called “internationally recognized government,” which is based in Saudi Arabia and doesn’t have an air force of its own, meaning the strikes were almost certainly launched by Saudi warplanes.m In response, Ansar Allah’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, vowed Yemen would hit back and said the era of “de-escalation” between the two sides was over. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition later claimed that Saudi “air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile threat launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards the southern region.” Saree then announced that Yemeni forces targeted Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport with a “a number of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.” Footage of the Saudi attack on Sanaa airport via Al Masirah TV. The purpose of the strikes on the Sanaa airport was to prevent the landing of a plane from Iran carrying a Yemeni delegation that attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Despite the strikes, the plane was rerouted and landed at the airport in the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The strikes came after the Saudi-led coalition threatened to take action in response to an Iranian flight that landed in Sanaa on July 3. At the time, Ansar Allah said that its forces “repelled” Saudi warplanes attempting to interfere with the flight, and two days later, Houthi fighters launched an offensive against Saudi-backed forces, the heaviest fighting between the two sides in years.While the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, a long-standing blockade on Yemen that included restrictions on Sanaa airport was only partially lifted, and in recent months, calls have been growing in Yemen for a complete end to the siege.The escalation in Yemen comes after the ceasefire between the US and Iran has collapsed, meaning Yemen could be another front in the regional war. Ansar Allah could also potentially close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a move that would further exacerbate the global economic crisis caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran.The US and Ansar Allah agreed to a ceasefire last year after President Trump conducted a brutal bombing campaign in Yemen for about a month and a half, which failed to stop Yemeni attacks on Israel and the blockade of Israeli shipping in the Red Sea that was being done in response to Israel’s genocidal war and siege on Gaza. Ansar Allah is known for its resilience as it faced a US-backed Saudi/UAE war and blockade from 2015 to 2022, which killed at least 377,000 people, according to UN numbers, and only became a more formidable fighting force in that time as it began successfully striking oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen's Houthis strike Saudi Arabia's Abha airport with missiles and drones in a sharp escalation — The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Monday in response to airstrikes they blamed on Saudi Arabia that struck Sanaa International Airport earlier in the day. No casualties were reported, but the attacks marked an escalation not seen since a Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi-controlled areas several years ago. Saudi Arabian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the airstrikes in Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, in a video statement on Telegram, warned airlines against flying through Saudi airspace, saying these warnings should be taken "seriously until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted.” The internationally recognized government in Yemen said earlier that the strikes that hit Sanaa International Airport were meant to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. The Houthis vowed to retaliate for the strike, which marked the first major escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia following a period of relative calm. The U.N. Security Council, in an emergency meeting on the developments Monday afternoon, officials expressed concern about the risk of a wider escalation. “Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation,” U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the 15-member council. “We call on all actors to constructively engage in negotiations under UN auspices.” For years, a Saudi-led coalition based in Yemen’s south has fought the Houthis in the north. Saree said on Telegram earlier on Monday that Saudi Arabia launched the airstrikes in what he called the end of a period of “de-escalation.” He warned that “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished.” In the latest Telegram update, Saree said the strikes in Sanaa were aimed at “closing it to humanitarian flights carrying patients and stranded individuals to and from Sana’a International Airport.” Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, intervened the following year to try to restore the government to power. Tensions rose earlier this year between U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE as their yearslong partnership in the war in Yemen broke down, leading to the UAE pulling out of Yemen. The official spokesperson of the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said Monday evening on X that air defenses dealt with ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the southern region without providing further details. The attack on the airport in Sanaa comes after tensions between the two sides flared earlier this month. The Houthis alleged that Saudi planes violated their airspace to try to prevent an Iranian plane from carrying a Houthi delegation to Tehran for the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
IRGC Navy strikes two rogue super tankers misled by US into crossing mined waters of Strait of Hormuz - The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has confirmed that two super oil tankers, misled by American provocations, were struck and disabled after deliberately ignoring repeated warnings and attempting to navigate through a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the IRGC statement on Monday night, the child-killing US regime, which has repeatedly failed to learn from its defeats, once again tried to create chaos by inciting vessels to violate legal shipping lanes. The two rogue super tankers fell for the American deception, switched off their navigation systems, and disregarded multiple warnings issued by the Hormuz Strait Security Control Center, the statement added. By choosing to cross the restricted and mined waters instead of complying with safety regulations, the tankers endangered international maritime traffic and deliberately violated the security protocols of the strategic waterway, it said. The IRGC Navy said that the two vessels were hit and put out of operation. The IRGC Navy stated that any cooperation with the aggressor enemy, which has traveled thousands of kilometers to violate the rights of the people of the region, and any attempt to cross the mined route will bring nothing but regret, heavy damage, delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the risk of triggering a global energy crisis. The IRGC emphasized that such reckless actions serve only the interests of those seeking to destabilize the region and will be firmly confronted. earlier on Monday, Iran's highest operational command unit said the Islamic Republic will never allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz following repeated warnings to Washington. The spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, made the remarks following comments by US President Donald Trump that Washington could take control of the strategic waterway. "Following previous warnings, we will under no circumstances allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Oil tankers face ‘worst case scenario’ in Hormuz as Iran steps up attacks on ships, maritime risk CEO says - The security situation in the Strait of Hormuz has returned to a “worse-case scenario” for oil tankers as Iran has repeatedly attacked ships over the past week, the CEO of a maritime risk services firm said. “We see the reduction of the volume of transits through the Strait of Hormuz and right now crews of vessels are even more concerned than they were before,” said Dimitris Maniatis, CEO of Athens-headquartered Marisks, at a Lloyd’s List Intelligence briefing this week. “Nobody is willing to move,” Maniatis said. At least nine ships have come under attack since July 6 as Iran tries to force vessels to navigate Hormuz through its territorial waters rather than a route along Oman’s coast protected by the U.S. military, according to data from the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency. One seafarer was killed and three were injured in attack on the crude oil tanker Al Bahyah off Oman’s coast on Tuesday, according to the IMO. Eleven mariners were injured the same day in an attack on the Mombasa B, also a crude oil tanker navigating close to Oman. The Iranian attacks have used anti-ship missiles, said Jakob Larsen, chief security officer at BIMCO, one of the world’s biggest shipping associations. “All this resonates with crews and right now they’re just not very happy to go through no matter what is promised to them,” Maniatis said. “It’s not about money anymore. It’s not about any other higher calling. It’s purely about the fear that is governing the decision making right now.” The U.S. military disabled an unladen oil tanker on Wednesday after reimposing its naval blockade against Iran this week, according to U.S. Central Command. The Curacao-flagged M/T Belma ignored multiple warnings as it transited international waters toward Iran’s Kharg Island, Centcom said. The traditional route through the middle of Hormuz, known as the traffic separation scheme, remains too dangerous for ships to use due to the threat of mines, Larsen said. “If a mine detonates, typically that happens under the ship,” he said. “The mine is a very powerful weapon, so it’s extremely dangerous for ships to run into a minefield.” President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hormuz was open to all ships except those of Iran after the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade. “It’s open if people want to go through it,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. “We’re not opening it for Iran. That’s the only one it’s closed for. It’s closed for Iran, both in and out, but it’s open now.” But ship tracking firms have observed a steep drop in traffic. Hormuz has largely closed again with just a trickle of ships crossing with their transponders turned off, according to Lloyd’s team of analysts monitoring the strait.Traffic has fallen to a three week low, according data from to the trade intelligence firm Kpler. Ships transits fell to eight on Thursday down from 15 vessels the day prior, Kpler said. More than 100 ships transited Hormuz daily before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. A senior Trump administration official, who requested anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told CNBC that ships carrying millions of barrels of oil transited Hormuz on Thursday. Before the war, around 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and products were exported through the strait. The U.S. has launched six rounds of airstrikes against Iran in retaliation for the tanker attacks. Tehran has responded with volleys of missiles targeting U.S. allies in the Gulf. Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen are now threatening to shut down ship traffic in the Red Sea, which has become a vital alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war. “Unfortunately, it looks like we are on a path of escalation and the situation might well grow worse with time,” Larsen told CNBC. The escalation in fighting comes as the U.S. and Iran dispute how Hormuz is supposed to reopen under the memorandum of understanding they signed on June 17. Tehran promised safe passage to vessels in the strait, but the deal did not define which lanes vessels should use. Shipping firms need reliable reassurances from Iran and the U.S. that Hormuz is safe, Larsen said. In the absence of an agreement, the alternative is the U.S. continues to conduct strikes on Iranian missile batteries, drone operators and gunboats, he said. Traffic could increase again if shippers believe the U.S. has successfully degraded the threat from Tehran, the analyst said. Shipping companies have different risk appetites, with some willing to transit Hormuz while others are staying completely away from the strait, Larsen said. But the decision to transit Hormuz is not just up to “the ship owner sitting behind his desk,” the analyst said. “It also requires that the crew actually agree,” he said.
A wave of Iranian nationalism is drowning out its diplomats- A wave of nationalist fervor in Iran is creating a difficult atmosphere for the country’s diplomats, making it harder to agree to U.S. terms to permanently end the fighting and secure much needed relief from sanctions. The regime, rocked by protests early this year and still deeply unpopular with much of the Iranian public, fanned patriotic sentiment to rally support during the heaviest days of the war and amplified it during the recent funeral of its slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Now, hard-line lawmakers, broadcasters and other vocal factions are leveraging those emotions to box in Tehran’s negotiators and limit their capacity to cut deals with the U.S. The dynamic is contributing to America’s inability to open the Strait of Hormuz, the most immediate goal of the preliminary deal to wind down the war that President Trump signed nearly a month ago and one nationalist critics say sells out Iran’s interests. Iran agreed to open the strait to traffic within 30 days. Instead, it has repeatedly fired on ships to enforce hard-liners’ claim that Tehran controls the waterway. Deepening the impasse, Trump on Monday announced the reimposition of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, hoping to pressure the regime to reopen the strait, and the U.S. launched its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran. Attempts over the weekend by the U.S. and mediator Qatar to restart talks and push forward the interim deal were dashed when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed the attacks and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. On Saturday, Mahmoud Nabavian, an Iranian lawmaker and former member of the negotiating team, said the demand to negotiate the future administration of Hormuz was an “obvious and glaring weakness” of the deal. The Revolutionary Guard will “fulfill the right of the Iranian nation over the Strait of Hormuz and exercise exclusive control over the Strait of Hormuz, come what may,” he said. Analysts say the Revolutionary Guard is encouraging such sentiments to hang on to the waterway and retain the upper hand at home. “They feel that as long as they can rule Hormuz, they will be calling the shots both with the U.S. and internally,” said Mustapha Pakzad, who advises foreign companies on Iranian geopolitics. “The IRGC hopes fears of foreign attack…will induce some people to put their chips on their number. Nationalism is a convenient temporary sentiment to cling to.” The U.S. and mediators say any attempt by Iranian diplomats to find an understanding on the administration of the strait are being sabotaged by hard-liners. Iranian diplomats have told mediators they would like to find a compromise but their hands are tied. They are under pressure in the streets as well. In regime-managed funeral ceremonies for Khamenei’s burial last week, massive crowds unfurled giant banners that read “kill Trump.” President Masoud Pezeshkian, a moderate, was greeted by chants of “Death to the normalizers” and “Death to the traitors.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was stalked by a crowd that carried red flags, a symbol of revenge, and called him dishonorable as he was pelted with an unknown object. A government spokeswoman later denounced a group for chanting divisive slogans targeting the president and the country’s negotiating team. Days earlier, state broadcaster IRIB, which has long been managed by hard-liners, abruptly cut off lead negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as he tried to make the point that an earlier hard-line president of Iran had also held talks with the U.S. Khamenei’s funeral has also set off a round of calls to avenge his death—not just via military action against the U.S. and Israel, but by hunting down the individuals responsible. An Israeli airstrike killed Khamenei and members of his family in the opening salvo of the war. On Monday, Abbas Moghtadaei, vice chairman of the parliament’s national security commission, said Iran has the right and the capabilities to go after individuals and organizations who ordered or planned the attacks. Hamshahri, a paper published by the hard-line municipal government of the capital, Tehran, ran wanted poster-style images of targets including Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several European leaders. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain supreme leader, who took over the role after his father was killed but wasn’t at his funeral, has joined the calls for retribution. “We have a list of criminals who assassinated our leader and people in the past two wars,” he said Saturday on social media. “The death of these criminals and murderers will not be a natural death in bed.” The Revolutionary Guard and its allies have been helped by Mojtaba Khamenei’s public absence and by his ambivalent stance on negotiations. The new supreme leader has said he didn’t favor talks with the U.S. but allowed them to go ahead as long as Pezeshkian, the president, took responsibility for their outcome. “Mojtaba signaled to Iranian diplomats that they could give it a try but it won’t go anywhere,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “It’s boxing in negotiators with statements that suggest that the path to survival goes through escalation rather than engagement.” Analysts say the propaganda effort seeks to broaden the regime’s support base beyond religious conservatives by de-emphasizing strict moral codes to tap in to resurgent patriotism among parts of the population angered by U.S. and Israeli attacks during the war. It often features women in roles that wouldn’t have been permitted by clerics in previous times. In footage posted mid-June, state media showed a Revolutionary Guard member teaching women wearing heavy lipstick how to handle AK-47 assault rifles. In late May, the Iranian Defense Ministry’s news agency, DEFA, featured a female officer in full camouflage at a meeting of military advisers who had gathered to discuss expanding the conflict beyond the Middle East. A 40-year-old female teacher, who had joined the anti-hijab protests in 2022 and subsequently stopped wearing the veil, said she recently participated in a pro-regime rally in Tehran. “I saw many girls whose clothing would previously have been reprimanded by the government—unveiled, wearing blouses and pants, with manicured nails,” she said. They were waving the Iranian flag. The women were joined by male university students sporting tattoos and T-shirts, Western attire frowned upon by the regime. They chanted, “We are the soldiers of Seyyed Mojtaba,” using an honorific title, she said.
Iran restores traffic on major roads within hours after terrorist US strikes - Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization says all major road routes across the country remain open and traffic has resumed on damaged sections despite overnight "savage" US attacks targeting key transport infrastructure in southern Iran. In a statement on Friday, the organization said road maintenance crews restored traffic on damaged routes in less than 12 hours after attacks hit transport infrastructure, including several bridges in the south of the country. It said bypasses were rapidly constructed around the damaged sections, allowing vehicles to resume using the affected roads. "Despite the enemy's savage attacks on transportation infrastructure, all road routes across the country remain open and traffic is flowing," the statement said. The announcement came after criminal attacks by the terrorist US military targeted civilian infrastructure across several Iranian provinces from late Thursday into early Friday, including several bridges, killing eight people and injuring 20 others. The attacks primarily struck the provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan and Lorestan. They followed US President Donald Trump's threats to target Iran's civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, amid the international community's silence over US war crimes. Hormozgan Province sustained the heaviest casualties. Six bridges in Khamir County were struck, damaging key transport routes linking Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and Lar, as well as roads through Latidan, Kahorestan, Keshar and Maru village. The strikes also hit a railway branch station in Bandar Abbas, while a separate attack targeted the Allah Akbar Hill residential neighborhood in the city. The bridge and railway attacks appeared aimed at severing Bandar Abbas, Iran's largest port, from road and rail links connecting it to the country's central regions and the capital, Tehran. The strikes appeared intended to disrupt the movement of goods needed by Iran's population of around 90 million. Iran's Health Ministry said on Friday that at least 38 people had been killed and more than 400 injured in the latest US attacks. Forty-seven people remain hospitalized, according to the ministry.
Strikes on Lebanon Continue as Israeli DM Says They Are ‘Applying Rafah Model’ - Israeli forces continued to carry out drone strikes across southern Lebanon again this weekend, along with reported artillery strikes against towns around the Tyre District. At least one person was reported killed in incidents, and several others wounded. The one killed person was on a motorcycle near Kfar Roumine, in the Nabatieh District, when he was struck by a drone. Another drone hit a pickup truck transporting garbage around Kfar Dajjal, also around that same district, wounding two people. Other incidents were reported in al-Mansouri, in Tyre District, wounding as many as four, though details are still emerging on that matter. Israeli forces also carried out demolition operations in villages near the border, including Khiam in the Marjayoun District. Mass demolition in the southernmost parts of Lebanon is an ongoing problem, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz quoted as saying the country was “applying the Rafah Model” on Lebanon, and that southern Lebanon would ultimately turn into Gaza, citing the mass level of destruction inflicted on the Gaza Strip in recent years. Though Israel has at times presented their invasion and occupation of Lebanon as entirely focused on fighting Hezbollah and defending northern Israel, Katz has repeatedly pressed the idea of destroying civilian sites in the south, declaring a few weeks ago that the Shi’ite villages in Lebanon must “disappear.” Katz had similarly said a substantial number of displaced Lebanese civilians would not be allowed to return to their homes, even as the Israeli government rejects accusations of forced population transfers, illegal under international law, on the grounds that technically the civilians weren’t prevented from returning home.
Katz Says Israel Won't Withdraw From Gaza Even If Hamas Disarms and Will Establish 'Nahal' Settlements - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that the Israeli military won’t withdraw from Gaza even if Hamas disarms and that he plans to establish three settlements in the area of northern Gaza that the IDF has destroyed.“We are not retreating from the Yellow Line,” Katz said on Monday during a visit to northern Gaza with reporters from Israel’s Channel 14. “Unequivocally, as long as Hamas does not truly disarm, and even after that, we remain inside of Gaza to bring up three Nahal outposts (military settlements).”Nahal settlements are a type of Jewish settlement in Israeli-occupied territory that are established by Israeli soldiers with the goal of transitioning them to permanent civilian communities. Katz first vowed in December 2025 that Israel would “never leave” Gaza and would establish Nahala settlements, though he has remained quiet about the plan since then, likely due to international backlash.In his remarks on Monday, Katz said that a permanent Israeli presence was needed in Gaza to “improve the hold and defense of the communities,” referring to Israeli towns near the Gaza border.Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also recently said that plans have been drawn up for the establishment of three Jewish settlements inside Gaza and that he is just waiting on approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Katz also boasted of the destruction of Gaza cities during his visit to the northern part of the Strip. When asked how the view of the destruction made him feel, the Israeli minister said, “I feel good. Thank God. This is all the result of a deliberate policy aimed at removing threats. Instead of the raid method—going in and out—the IDF is inside, the terrorists are outside, and the houses are destroyed.”Katz’s plans for Gaza go against the US-backed outline for a peace plan for Gaza that was approved by the UN Security Council, and the US has remained silent as Israel continues to constantly violate the ceasefire deal signed in October 2025, which was meant to lead to the implementation of the full peace plan.
Israeli Forces Attack Southwest Syrian Town of Maariyah - Israel is launching an increasing number of incursions into southwest Syria, targeting both the Quneitra and Daraa Governorates. At least 22 such incursions have already been documented so far this month, with more happening all the time.The highest profile incidents in recent days have been happening in Daraa Governorate, around the village of Maariyah, which is in that little cusp of Syria between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the Jordan border.Israel has been operating in the area in growing numbers and has established multiple military outposts in Syria, one of which is down the road from Maariyah. Protesting the Israeli presence in the area, villagers had blocked the rural road with stones, which the IDF forces later cleared. Later reports also had Israeli troops attacking Maariyah outright, opening fire on the village homes with heavy machine guns. No details have yet emerged on any casualties from the attack, though homes were hit and it caused panic in the small village.In Quneitra, multiple raids have been reported over the past two days, including troops entering Bassali village to search homes and an operation in Muallaqah which saw a temporary checkpoint established. The IDF checkpoints tend to quite temporary, often lasting only a few hours and seemingly accomplishing little but harassing passers-by. One person was reported detained at the checkpoint, but he was released within the hour.
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv bombs 15 more Russian ships on key trade route | The Independent - Ukrainian drones hit 15 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, including seven tankers, Ukraine's drone forces commander said on Monday. That brings the total number of vessels struck in the past eight days to 105, Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram messaging app. Reuters reported that shipping through the trade route has been suspended as of last week due to the Ukrainian attacks and sources said transit remained restricted on Monday. It is the route for a quarter of Russia’s grain exports. It follows a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that killed at least three people and injured five according to governor Andrei Vorobyov. Air defence units downed 81 drones over the region overnight, he added on Monday. Volodymyr Zelensky said officials who allowed weapons warehouses to operate in a residential area outside Kyiv where explosions killed 10 people had been identified and would “be held accountable”. Western allies will seek to secure more air-defence commitments for Ukraine when they meet in Paris today, as shortages have left it increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missiles, despite recent shifts in momentum on the battlefield.
Renewed Hormuz hostilities drive ECB rates rethink amid ‘extremely volatile’ outlook Several consecutive days of strikes exchanged between the U.S. and Iran have once again thrown oil prices into the spotlight — and cast uncertainty on the European Central Bank’s interest rate decision next week. Investors on Wednesday were repricing for the ECB’s July 22 monetary policy meeting as soaring oil prices have put expectations for a hold in doubt. “The renewed outbreak of military conflict in the Middle East and the fresh rise in oil prices underscore that the situation remains extremely volatile and the uncertainty is similarly high,” Bundesbank President and ECB rate setter Joachim Nagel told Reuters on Wednesday. “It remains advisable to react with caution, but to act decisively if necessary,” he said. “Monetary policy will maintain its vigilant stance.” The ECB slashed interest rates four times in the first half of 2025, taking its key deposit rate from 3% at the start of the year to 2% by mid-June. But last month it was forced to change course, hiking by 25 basis points to its current rate of 2.25%. Headline inflation hovered close to the ECB’s 2% target before the outbreak of the Iran war and then accelerated to a peak of 3.2% in May. Initial estimates show eurozone inflation eased to 2.8% last month despite a 8.7% year-on-year increase in energy costs for the month, as core inflation was restricted to 2.4% — suggesting limited “second-round” inflation effects in the rest of the economy. But energy prices have once again shot higher this week as several consecutive days of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran over the control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz reignited fears over oil supply. September Futures for international benchmark Brent crude traded higher again early on Wednesday, above $85 per barrel, having traded closer to pre-war levels around $70 just last week. The price of oil is critical for the eurozone economy, which imported 57% of its energy needs in 2024, according to the most recent available data from Eurostat. But policymakers will also be cautious that an overly restrictive monetary policy stance could tip the eurozone economy into recession after contracting by 0.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. Policymakers will also be conscious that initial estimates for second-quarter GDP growth and July inflation will not be available until July 30 and July 31, respectively – meaning next week’s rates decision will be made without access to the most recent data.
China posts slowest quarterly GDP growth since 2022 as investment slumps --China’s economy in the second quarter expanded at its weakest pace since the fourth quarter of 2022, reinforcing calls for policy stimulus as an accelerating slide in investments deepened the strain on growth, while consumption stayed subdued. Gross domestic product growth came in at 4.3% in the April to June period, data from the National Statistics Bureau showed Wednesday, missing economists’ forecast for 4.5% growth in a Reuters poll, and slowing from 5% in the first quarter. That second-quarter growth came below Beijing’s full-year growth target range of 4.5% to 5%, the least ambitious goal in decades, amid tensions with trade partners, including the U.S. and the European Union, and sluggish domestic demand. Given the disappointing growth, Tianchen Xu, senior economist at Economist Intelligence Unit, expects stimulus measures to be ramped up in the third quarter, including a policy rate cut to stimulate investment demand. Urban fixed-asset investment, including real estate development and infrastructure projects, declined 5.7% in the first six months from a year earlier, worse than expectations for a 4.9% drop in a Reuters poll. Xu attributed the steepening investment slump to local governments channeling resources into debt restructuring and a shortage of eligible projects in the pipeline. “Boosting infrastructure investment will be a key focus for stabilizing growth.” Beijing’s campaign to rein in excess capacity and end bruising price wars will also weigh on private investment in the near term, said Sarah Tan, economist at Moody’s Analytics. The investment in real estate, infrastructure and manufacturing plunged 18%, 2.4% and 1.2%, respectively, according to the official data. In June, China’s retail sales grew 1%, rebounding from a 0.6% drop in the prior month and exceeding economists’ forecast for a 0.1% fall. Retail sales in May posted their first monthly decline since late 2022, dragged down by tepid demand and merchants’ steep discounting. Industrial output expanded 5.3% in June from a year ago, stronger than the forecast 4.7% growth, and gaining pace from 4.5% expansion in May. Chinese economy has grappled with a deepening supply-demand imbalance. Robust industrial production and exports tied to the global AI investment boom continue to power headline growth, even as consumption and private investment weakens amid a prolonged property downturn and volatile energy prices. The statistics bureau noted “acute” imbalance between excess supply and sluggish demand, urging policymakers to step up “counter- and cross-cyclical adjustments.” Urban investment slumped for the first time in decades last year, falling 3.8% from a year earlier, and steepened from a 4.1% contraction in the first five months, as a prolonged property downturn and tighter constraints on local governments’ borrowing hampered one of China’s traditional growth drivers. The intensity of pullback in investment has been “unprecedented,” said Li Daokui, a professor of economics at Tsinghua University. Speaking at a macroeconomics seminar earlier this week, the former China central bank advisor called for a substantial expansion in government borrowing to more than double this year’s planned 12 trillion yuan ($1.7 trillion) in new debt issuance.
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